Knowledge is power, and the magi of the world have long understood that the key to power and mastery in this world is the true understanding of its nature. Magi are scholars and observers, always delving into the tiniest and most ancient of secrets, trying to discern the true structure of the universe and the obscure laws that govern everything within it. Knowing the nature of fire and its origins allows a mage to call fire to himself, or protect himself from a flame's capacity for harm. Magi are first and foremost masters of Lore, whose awesome powers arise from the uses they find for their arcane knowledge. There are many schools of magic in the World. To a mage, knowledge and power are ripe for the taking.

The universe is far too immense and intricate of a creation for one man (or even a host of men) to ever hope to understand completely. Hence, a mage must focus his studies and choose which forms of magic he will master. To speak of the "average" mage is a fiction, for rarely are two magi even remotely alike. Channelers devote themselves to one of the four elements, unlocking the utmost secrets of matter and its composition. Warlocks become scholars of the mind and consciousness, learning to mold and bend the will of men. There are wizards who traffic in the world of sprits, others who are masters of seeing, and still others who learn to walk unseen. Every mage learns how to manipulate natural law through arcane incantations and mixtures of rare elements: workings that the vulgar call spells.

Magi depend upon their intellects first and foremost, for without the ability to perceive, deduce, and understand they are nothing. The primacy of the mind usually leads to the abasement of the body, and most magi are weak and frail. Be warned that such is not always the case, however: there have been wizards who became master swordsmen, and the Furies of the Amazons are fierce combatants as well as weather witches.