Gameplay
While practitioners of magic are a very varied group, when they come
together there are some customs they all tend to follow.
Due to the greater ease of stealing youth while somewhat physically old,
most arcanists tend to look in their forties or fifties.
Arcanist or Practitioner are the most accepted terms for anybody who uses
magic, with Practitioner being preferred in non-supernaturally aware
society.
Those who can use battle magic but not yet throw around pure force are
usually called Mancers, and battle magic of this type is generally referred
to as Mancing.
Those who can throw around pure bolts of fire or lightning or similar forces
are called Sorcerers, and that type of magic sorcery.
Most arcanists first spend time as an apprentice, working for their master
in exchange for tutelage. In some organizations apprentices might be
apprenticed to a group instead of an individual. In formal introductions
it's customary to give the name of your master, and often even their master
even if the arcanist is no longer an apprentice. Such as: "I am Jane Smith,
student of John Smith, student of John Doe." , While an apprentice would
introduce themselves as "I am Jane Smith, apprentice of John Smith, student
of John Doe."
Apprenticeships vary significantly in length, few are shorter than one year
or longer than ten. Abuse of apprentices if a very common practice in many
magical circles, but rarely discussed. It is not uncommon for them to be
taken advantage of sexually by their masters, to be beaten physically for
poor performance, to be sacrificed in rituals if they do not perform, to
have their life force fed upon, or their possessions and finances claimed by
their master. This is obviously far less common in organizations like the
white circle, and far more common in organizations such as the black. When
it is brought up it is generally swept under the rug as simply, the cost of
the privilege of learning magic.
The circles and their members are often simply referred to by color, such as
"He is a red", or "I hear that happens in the black."
If someone is called a witch it generally means they are either a member of
the coven, or were taught by them.
A rogue is someone who belongs to no arcane group.
A hedge mage/witch is someone who has been self taught and are generally
looked down upon.
A magical duel is a fight in which neither participant may assault the other
except through magical means, and continues until either the participant is
no longer able to stand, or no longer able to keep fighting such as if they
have no sorcery and their minion has been dispelled. Among mancers this
becomes in essence a test of minion against minion, with their mancing being
used to try and effect the outcome, among sorcerers however it usually
becomes much more a battle of energy vs energy. It is almost impossible
under the rules of a standard magical duel for a mancer to defeat a
sorcerer.
Arcane Society
While practitioners of magic are a very varied group, when they come
together there are some customs they all tend to follow.
Due to the greater ease of stealing youth while somewhat physically old,
most arcanists tend to look in their forties or fifties.
Arcanist or Practitioner are the most accepted terms for anybody who uses
magic, with Practitioner being preferred in non-supernaturally aware
society.
Those who can use battle magic but not yet throw around pure force are
usually called Mancers, and battle magic of this type is generally referred
to as Mancing.
Those who can throw around pure bolts of fire or lightning or similar forces
are called Sorcerers, and that type of magic sorcery.
Most arcanists first spend time as an apprentice, working for their master
in exchange for tutelage. In some organizations apprentices might be
apprenticed to a group instead of an individual. In formal introductions
it's customary to give the name of your master, and often even their master
even if the arcanist is no longer an apprentice. Such as: "I am Jane Smith,
student of John Smith, student of John Doe." , While an apprentice would
introduce themselves as "I am Jane Smith, apprentice of John Smith, student
of John Doe."
Apprenticeships vary significantly in length, few are shorter than one year
or longer than ten. Abuse of apprentices if a very common practice in many
magical circles, but rarely discussed. It is not uncommon for them to be
taken advantage of sexually by their masters, to be beaten physically for
poor performance, to be sacrificed in rituals if they do not perform, to
have their life force fed upon, or their possessions and finances claimed by
their master. This is obviously far less common in organizations like the
white circle, and far more common in organizations such as the black. When
it is brought up it is generally swept under the rug as simply, the cost of
the privilege of learning magic.
The circles and their members are often simply referred to by color, such as
"He is a red", or "I hear that happens in the black."
If someone is called a witch it generally means they are either a member of
the coven, or were taught by them.
A rogue is someone who belongs to no arcane group.
A hedge mage/witch is someone who has been self taught and are generally
looked down upon.
A magical duel is a fight in which neither participant may assault the other
except through magical means, and continues until either the participant is
no longer able to stand, or no longer able to keep fighting such as if they
have no sorcery and their minion has been dispelled. Among mancers this
becomes in essence a test of minion against minion, with their mancing being
used to try and effect the outcome, among sorcerers however it usually
becomes much more a battle of energy vs energy. It is almost impossible
under the rules of a standard magical duel for a mancer to defeat a
sorcerer.