Knowledge of magic on the continent of Dartore has steadily increased as a variety of sages have contributed their works to the general knowledge. The average populace in most cities is aware of, and generally accepting of magic, although isolated villages and many of the dwarven peoples are extremely wary of arcane magic. While many are willing to accept magic, it is not commonplace enough that it has lost its mysticism, and it is still an art with few practicioners.
The deities are fairly free with the granting of magics that will further their causes, trusting that their faithful will use the powers given them responsibly. A rough parity is enforced by the greater gods, with disputes being deferred to Dugald Ryal, as the overseer of all magic. Dugald has only a minimal interest in the use of magic, however, having been given the position because of his impartiality more than his desire to control the powers. As a god of harvest, he is far more concerned with the peasants that make up the vast majority of his worshippers.
Similar to the way he treats divine magic, Dugald Ryal pays little attention to the state of arcane magic in the world. He has kept the secrets of instantaneous travel hidden from all but a handful of magic users, none of whom are willing to share their discoveries thus far. Unlike divine casters, most arcane casters are beholden to one guild or another, and various cities restrict the use of such magic to guild members, or those with special permission from the local guilds. Few casters would willingly cross the guilds, as they are one of the primary sources of newly researched spells, and they weild a great deal of power in areas where they are active.
Bards are, foremost, wanderers, although many of the largest cities have colleges where a few congregate. As such, most bards are self-taught, and travel a great deal to learn new songs and spells. Because of their nature, it is hard to take an accurate count of those within the profession, but they are respected and generally well-received anywhere they travel, so long as they are willing to bring news or entertainment wherever they stay.
Clerics are the most common users of magic, and with the attitudes of the gods towards magic, they are generally free to act as they wish, although straying too far from the dogma of their churches may leave them outcast and without some of their most important supporters.
Druids are nearly unheard of outside of the great forests, but they do occasionally have cause to travel to the more inhabited areas. When one does set foot in a more inhabited area they are treated as secondary to clerics, but are still respected for the good they can perform.
Sorcerers, while rare, are generally treated like their wizardly counterparts by the general populace, and they often fill the same roles in smaller cities. They are, however, not very popular amongst the major wizards' guilds which see them as misguided, untrained and unfocused at best.
Witches are relatively common amongst the more tribal cultures, where they serve as soothsayers and diviners. For all practical purposes, they are nonexistent in city environments, and the few that venture into the urban areas are easily mistaken for sorcerers.
Wizards have formed many guilds and those guilds generally act as ruling bodies for arcane spellcasters within the major cities. While the guilds have less direct influence over smaller cities and villages, their attitudes towards non-member mages have carried over into a large portion of the populace, giving their rules some credence even in areas where there is no actual guild presence.
Paladins and rangers are most often overlooked in discussions of magic, as their skill with spells is minimal, and they are generally content to keep their magic in the background, using it when the need presents itself, but almost never in a showy or exorbitant way.
Elves look at most magic as an art form to be studied and perfected, rather than a simple set of tools to solve various problems. They are most often drawn towards arcane magics, as they are shrouded in more mystery, and offer the largest opportunities for new discovery. The most common elven subraces are more likely to pursue these arts through dedicated study, sometimes spanning centuries, while the more tribal elves have a tendency towards a more spontaneous view on magic, leading them to produce more sorcerers than wizards. Thanks largely to their exceptional lifespan, the elven nations as a whole possess some of the most potent magic amongst all the mortal races. Fortunately, the elven sages that possess the strongest magics have little interest in anything but magic for the sake of magic, and desire nothing more than to be left to the study and practice of their art. For those elves that choose to take up the ways of the cleric the most common patron is Eilidh Tanouye.
Dwarves are at nearly the opposite end of the spectrum of magic, with most dwarves shunning the arcane arts as unnatural. The few dwarves inclined to practice the arcane arts tend to be wizards, as it fits in better with their structured lifestyle. On the other hand, clerics tend to be fairly common, with Piaras Viarag being the most commonly worshipped, Gow Ruta coming in a close second as the god of smiths.
Gnomes tend to be more interested in technology rather than magic, but they seem to have an innate knack for illusions, and those gnomes that choose to study magic tend to become illusionists or bards, with clerics being a relatively rare occurence. Those that do perform divine magic tend to worship Gow Ruta or Arienh Nylin.
Halflings rarely have the desire to seek the power the arcane arts can provide, and thus rarely produce wizards of any note. It's not unheard of for one to discover powers within themselves, perhaps latent over many generations, thus sorcerers and bards would seem to be the most likely of the arcane casters amongst the race. The few halflings that follow a god or goddess devoutly enough to be granted powers tend to follow those devoted to the protection and preservation of family and community, such as Anwyn Glin and Airleas Giror.
True to their nature, humans have few tendencies as a whole, with individuals most often conforming to the predominant culture of the area they are raised in. Their attitudes towards magic tend towards practicality over form though, as relatively short lifespans limit the amount of time they have to perfect their art.
This document was last modified on Friday, 5 July 2024 at 03:19:26, UTC.
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