Firlefanz
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Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
Now, they are one part of society that do not have a counterpart in our world.
How do you fit in magic users into your world?
Last edited by Firlefanz, 9/12/2006, 1:32 pm
--- - Firlefanz
Reading: "Seide und Schwert" by Kai Mayer
Writing: Rewrite of the Unicorn Girl YA novel
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9/12/2006, 1:31 pm
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naca
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
I have different cultures who each treat their magic uses differently.
One culture is a society of mages from varying races uniting to learn as much as they can about magic while avoiding outside politics.
Another embraces them mearly for their fighting ability.
Another doesn't have anything beause they all use magic to about the same degree, so there's no reason to have a guild or anything.
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Currently Writing: Daughter of Rage (YA fantasy)
Currently Reading: Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
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9/12/2006, 6:34 pm
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Firlefanz
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
Naca, is this all in one and the same world, or are you talking about different "universes"?
--- - Firlefanz
Reading: "Seide und Schwert" by Kai Mayer
Writing: Rewrite of the Unicorn Girl YA novel
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9/12/2006, 7:21 pm
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Amarea
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
Personally, my mages are mainly used as mercenaries, and so have that sort of mentality. There are odd mages who act alone, but the majority are governed by a guild after a massive mage war hundreds of years ago. They´re mainly viewed with suspicion and caution(particularly those not under guild control), but they´re pretty well integrated apart from that.
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Infinity stretches both ways
- Dr. Brennan (Bones)
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9/12/2006, 7:53 pm
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naca
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
Both...
Although I have a vide variety of cultures who each treat magic differently in the same world. I enjoy creating diverse cultures and seeing how they interact with magic among other things.
I do realize I don't need to include everything in one book. I want to create a world that will allow me to write several books/series based in one world. What one of my main characters does will have a profound influence over the world in later books and so on. 
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Currently Writing: Daughter of Rage (YA fantasy)
Currently Reading: Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan
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9/12/2006, 11:47 pm
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Corvus
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
Mages in my world are often priests as well, but not always.
For humans, those who are not priests are often civil or court servants, using their magic (ostensibly, anyway) for the benefit of the people or for a lord. There are also some mages in the armies. There are also some who serve only themselves, but they aren't always "bad". It is rumored that the human monarch is a powerful mage in his own right, but as he is so very rarely seen by the general public, this is pure supposition. An example human mage in the story is Sulan, the southerner in service to Baron Huron.
For the raju, mages are almost always priests, though their religion is not nearly as organized as the humans'. They are probably closer to shamans and tribal wise ones than actual "clerics". They do not lead, be it individual families or whole clans. I have no extant example of a raju mage yet, though one eventually will be worked in as part of the band led by Tokrah.
For the talvi, mages are a combination of priests and counsellors, more in the line of Tolkien's Istari (Gandalf and his ilk) with a much higher religious quotient. They are often leaders and advisors to leaders, and will often perform service much like human mages, but they are generally more autonomous. An example talvi mage in the story is Eilatuli, the aging leader of the talvi trade delegation.
There are also the aineryar, called Scions by the humans and Godtouched by the raju. These are people with exceptional talents driven by magic -- elite (often superhuman) fighting ability, telepathy, the capacity to understand any language, and so on. The abilities of the aineryar are either "have" or "do not have", not as broad as "true" magic (which manipulates the Elements). They serve in whatever capacity best suits their magical talents. Valarinen, the male talv half of the lead characters, is an example of an aineryar; at the beginning of the story, he is working as a guard for the talvi trade delegation under the command of Eilatuli.
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9/13/2006, 12:09 pm
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QS2
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
In some fantasy settings wizards are treated as a kind of special scientists. You also have special magical 'technology' then that can oftently be used by the non magical population as well. As for specific examples, the first that comes to mind is the Wheel of Time from Robert Jordan, which posited a by then destroyed civilisation who had left behind many such artifacts.
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9/15/2006, 1:19 pm
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Fantasyfreak
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
I sometimes like to make magic users feared and hunted without cause.
Other times they're just people trying to get through the day. Or warriors, that works too. 
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11/27/2006, 12:01 am
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mspatric
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Re: Mages, Wizards, and their ilk
quote:
Firlefanz wrote:
Now, they are one part of society that do not have a counterpart in our world.
Many cultures believe in magic in the real world, and I started with those when thinking about how to do it in mine. Studying history will help one profoundly in finding out how to treat supposed magic users.
Shamans, for example, can appease angry spirits (which are real in my world) or coax them into action. Often this is simply praying/asking, but some can "bind" spirits to their flesh and thus enslave them. They are not sheltered from their communities, even in large cities. A shaman is very much at the heart of any community and will be found conducting rituals such as marriages and pleas for a bountiful harvest. Those in the city-states, however, have become enthralled by their growing power.
Shamans are often among the leaders of villages, though in some they simply take on the role of healer. One of the castes found in the cities is the Chosen, comprised entirely of powerful shamans (this power in not genetic, they simply horde the knowledge needed to use it).
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12/24/2006, 10:54 pm
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