Mages

Origin
Mages have been around since mankind discovered magic. These individuals have The Spark, the ability to use magic. In the beginning, these individuals were nothing more than shamans and voodoo doctors, but eventually they became more.

History
Starting from their humble beginnings as shamans and the such, these individuals began to band together. As awareness of magic increased, so did the number of people who exhibited the ability to use it. This caused there to be a push for schools to be opened for the teaching of these individuals. Eventually, these schools began to grow into powerful colleges. With time, each of these colleges became so powerful, that each one is a small faction all its own. In addition to the colleges, there are what are known as covens, smaller groups that do not fall under the jurisdiction of a college. These smaller groups are generally large, powerful families, or groups that just wish to teach their members a different way, or for a different purpose.

Appearance
Mages are, despite some claims, still Human. With that logic, they, obviously, look like Humans. Two arms, two legs, a head, and a body. They tend to dress rather differently that mundane Humans though. They range from 4.5 to 6.5 feet, with individuals above 6 feet being rarer.

Behavior
Mages are known to act differently, depending on what fields of study they specialize in. Pyromancers are brash and headstrong. Aquamancers are calm, but sometimes overly self sure. Aeromancers love to take risks and have fun. Geomancers are hardy, but seem to be rather sleepy as well. The list goes on, but all in all, the personalities of Mages vary as greatly as those of any other species.

Abilities
Mages possess the ability to use Magic, and it is their primary defining feature. There are numerous different kinds of magic that may be utilized, far too many to be listed here.

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Magic provides great versatility for Mages, and can make them rather unpredictable. Until one knows what sort of magic the Mage specializes in, they have no way of knowing what the Mage will do, and how they will bring death to their foes.

Weaknesses
As with most Humans, Mages are rather fragile compared to other species. Also, they tend to focus less on physical abilities, and more on their magic. Most are lacking in hand to hand combat skills, marksmanship, and battlefield instincts. They tend to be rather lacking in physical prowess as well, both in strength, and speed.

In addition, once one knows what sort of Magic a Mage specializes in, they can find out how to counter it, thus making a Mage's primary strength less effective.

Diet
They are Human. In a way, this is a strength when it comes to their dietary options, as they are quite varied in what they can eat. Fruits, vegetables, meat, all are quite normal choices. Even some less normal things can be consumed, such as blood.

Lifespan/Lifestyle
Mages tend to live in semi-professional communities. These are the colleges and covens. They live together, work together, and learn together. There are those few who prefer to live by themselves, but they tend to be rarer. These individuals tend to live longer than mundane Humans. The average lifespan of a Mage is about 100 years. However, individuals who reach great power are known to be able to extend their lifespan out to as much as 200 years.

Reproduction
They're Humans. High fertility rate compared to most species, at about 50% chance of conception. They can mate with almost any other species, but the resulting child will most likely be different based on what the other parent is.

Death
Mages are generally bound for either Heaven or Hell after death, or so the claim is. It is very likely that Spirit Talkers who converse with other realms are bound for those places instead. The manner that these things happen in are still a mystery. It is also said that their actions in life dictate where they are bound for. Very powerful individuals who practice Dark magic have been known to find ways to cheat death, often by powerful totems that they must maintain. When they die, their body is remade at one of these totems, and their soul is deposited safely into it.

Ranks
Rank E - Untrained - These individuals have undergone no training at all. Their power is untapped, and their potential is unknown. They may possess a very small amount of spellcasting ability, but all in all, they are generally harmless.

Rank C - Caster - While the power of these individuals is mediocre in the scheme of things, they are far from helpless, or weak. These individuals have yet to master any aspect of magic, but tend to have some study in up to three fields of study.

Rank B - Adept - Individuals who have spent years studying, these individuals have generally managed to master one aspect of magic. If they have not, it means that they have chosen to go for a more generalized approach, and have done study in as many as half a dozen different fields of magic.

Rank A - Sage - These individuals have managed to master about two or three fields of magic, as well as having done study in as many as half a dozen others.

Rank S - Archmage - Archmages are considered the masters of their craft. Individuals do not achieve this rank unless they have mastered at least five different fields of magic, and at least studied almost all others. These individuals are unmatched in their knowledge of magic as a whole.