In the DarkSea setting, there are those with the ability to channel magical energies. These individuals are known by many names: Wizard, Mage, Sorcerer, Witch, and worse. Wizards are capable of great and subtle magical feats. Only a select few are born with the talent, and of those, few rigorously develop their craft. It should come as no surprise that Wizards are respected, feared, and even hated.
Magical energy, known as Mana, leaks into the natural world from other planes of existance. Wizards are born with the ability to both sense and channel Mana, though few ever realize it without training. Once the talent is discovered and used, the spell-channeler acts as a filter, producing only effects of a certain type (such as Fire, Healing, or Kinetic effects). Some Wizards are even more unusual (and uncommon) because they can channel two distinct types of magic.
In practical terms, Wizards select either one, or two, styles of magic. The style(s) selected will determine the spells the Wizard can cast for the rest of his or her career. While a few minor effects from every style are within the grasp of every Wizard, the bulk of a Wizard's power will come from the spell types he can channel. Therefore, any two Wizards who didn't train together are likely to have very different powers.
Wizards are also called Channelers (mainly by scholars and researchers). This is because they channel power from a number of different sources. These include the body of the Wizard himself, Mana in the world around him, items crafted for the storage of Mana, the frayed boundaries between the planes, and occasionally even more dangerous or unsavory sources. The improper use of magical power can lead to unstable and dangerous effects, and the lure of the power of Wizardry has caused many a disaster, some of global proportions.
Therefore, those who are known to be Wizards are usually distrusted by ordinary folk.
CHARACTER CREATION:
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