Mage

Biodata

Power Progression

Spellcasting

Mental Sea and Runes

Mage spellcasting is controlled through the Mental Sea. Incantations resonate with the world’s Laws, but the spell must ultimately be directed by the caster’s mental power. 1760

• Major breakthroughs allow a Mage to condense specific Rune combinations into the Mental Sea for rapid or instant casting. 1760
• A foundational Rune choice affects later growth. Mage Hand is a conventional foundation, but its limited number of base Runes makes later fast-casting development difficult. 1760
• Advanced Mages can alter spell incantations after gaining a deeper understanding of the meanings carried by spell Runes; such altered forms may be impossible for ordinary Mages to reproduce. 1743

Spellbooks

A spellbook can only contain spells recognized by the world’s Laws. 72

• Spellbooks preserve orthodox spells as well as unusual personal variations, such as a six-fireball version of the standard five-fireball Chain Fireball sequence. 72
• Nonstandard spells may consume more mana or sacrifice stability, but can still be valuable to weaker Mages seeking greater combat output. 72
• Reading spellbooks is treated as a basic prerequisite of the profession, contributing to the perception of Mages as an aristocratic class. 283

Mage Towers

Mage Towers are essential infrastructure for many Mages, especially during the Archmage stage.

• Archmages use towers to absorb elemental power while their bodies and souls develop greater elemental affinity. 6
• Mage Towers can house Tower Spirits, maintain magical arrays, store spellbooks, and provide protected spaces for research and cultivation. 6 72
• Mage Tower training provides a major advantage over unaffiliated practitioners; self-taught Mages who reach high levels are considered rare. 1760

Mage and Sorcerer

Mages obtain power through study, Runes, magical theory, and deliberate cultivation. Sorcerers awaken inherited bloodline spells and can gain powerful abilities much more quickly. 1 6

• A Sorcerer may awaken numerous spells immediately through bloodline inheritance, including elemental summons, defensive magic, transmutation, control, and purification. 1
• Bloodline power can become a danger at higher ranks: a Sorcerer who gives in to inherited instincts may lose their humanity and become only a bloodline creature. 6 18
• Mage training is therefore valued as a stabilizing foundation even by Sorcerers, because it emphasizes comprehension and control rather than instinctive power. 6 53
• A Mage’s spells are generally prepared and efficient, while Sorcerer abilities can be stronger but consume greater amounts of mana. 53

Institutions

Mage Association

The Mage Association is intended to serve Mages, recruit promising apprentices, and provide support through its branches. 78

• An Archmage branch president may serve as a Mage’s final source of protection when ordinary support fails. 78
• The Association can become entangled with noble interests; Hill condemns the Kortez branch for separating Mages by status and allegedly pressuring orthodox Mages into noble service. 78
• Many Association Mages oppose divine or royal restrictions on their independence, believing that choosing a faction is a Mage’s inherent right. 284

Mage Towers and Factions

Mage factions compete for students, resources, and influence.

• Sia Tower attracts Low-Rank Mages and apprentices by providing generous cultivation resources, building long-term loyalty through material support. 1904
• Talent alone does not determine an apprentice’s future; family background, factional ties, and the interests of Tower Masters are also decisive. 1708
• Mage Tower politics often involve concealed alliances, resource control, and manipulation rather than open conflict. 1749 1906

Limitations and Risks

• Magical advancement depends on the Mental Sea. A poor foundational choice can slow a Mage’s development for the rest of their life. 1760
• At higher ranks, a Mage’s personality becomes increasingly fixed because their understanding of Laws is built upon the established structure of the Mental Sea. Fundamentally changing that nature would require destroying and rebuilding it. 1778
• Magic requires precise control. When the Magic Weave becomes unstable, spells may change unpredictably or even kill their casters. 708
• High-level Mages can possess many spells without possessing true mastery; rigid casting patterns and predictable attack angles leave them vulnerable to adaptable opponents. 1021
• Mage Towers, spellbooks, cultivation materials, and access to instruction create major disparities between well-supported Mages and independent practitioners. 1760 1904