Characters with a large amount of the Gift are bound to be trained, and are very likely to be mages by profession. It's against the law in Tortall for anyone with a large amount of Gift to be untrained. It simply doesn't happen. As a child someone with a large amount of gift will start with small pieces of spells and so on, like seeing things in the fire, or making their toys move without touching them. With training, anyone with a large gift can perform spells before they hit puberty, and larger spells as they age. Once they begin being taught, they will probaly be sent for formal training at the Royal University in Corus or to a temple in the City of the Gods. The usual age for reaching Adept-hood is around twenty. A master class mage will probably reach this level at thirty or forty (and no, no prodigies like Thom. Keep to these ages- if you want a Master-Mage, it won't kill you to have a char who isn't a teen). No black robe mages. There are around eight in the world, and its not fair to have one or even two, because that cuts off the chances for anyone else. And I'm sorry. Mages with black robes do not hang around for months at a time to see the inns in Corus.

For Characters with a Medium Amount of Magic

Mages with an average sized Gift will start later in life. They'll be able to do small sized spells and healings, and be more exahusted by the effort. They'll more the likely start training around puberty, or when they hit the teenage years. Their training will probably when they hit their twenties. Of course, even with a medium sized Gift you can train for your entire life and still be left with things to learn. The same goes for other sized Gifts as well.

For Characters with a Small Amount of Gift

Small Gifts are trained less formally, more the likely by the village hedgewizard or healing woman. A person with a small amount of magic will need to bind the magic into something physical first. For example, they would have to make an ointment with their magic to heal someone, not just heal them outright. Someone with a small Gift is more reliant on incantantions and rituals, whereas a stronger mage doesn't need this. They're usually only able to do one or two things well.

For Characters with Wild Magic

First off, to dispell the myth, Wild Magic is not common. There is no reason for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to strike up conversations with their housecats. Therefore, Wild Magic is uncommon (it has been believed to be a old wives' tale for four hundred years, people). If, in fact, you are blessed enough to have this Wild Magic, it's probably with only one type of animal, example, the Bankju in Emperor Mage. For further information, please consult the Imortals series. And remember, not all we are as strong as demi-gods.

Characters with Magic Cannot...

...be Shang
...possess other people
...bring people back from the dead. Okay, okay, it happens, by come on! Thom was a Master-Mage, and he died. And it took him weeks and Alanna's magic to do.
...use it casually. Not dancing drinks, no hair tying, no makeup applying. magic is not a toy (so saith Niko).

Back to Spyglass
E-mail Elizabeth Orchid or Elisabeth Garrison