Alchemy - Magi

Magi are the empowered of humanity that could still be considered human. They are the fringes of the race, those that unleash incredible horrors and work in sublime wonders. Within the magi you will find a variety of talents and potentials, like every other field of human endeavor. There are the wizards (though this is a classification term and not a gender specific one), the most powerful of the magi. Their potential bounded by their ability to study, practice, and prepare, along with their raw strength. A step down are the single talents, the magicians with a gift for speaking with the dead, or for alchemy, or for playing with fire or coaxing rain to fall. Somewhere in the mix, outside of the realm of those that study and work for their abilities are the psychics, inborn talents of the human mind and will that emerge seemingly at random, their abilities dictated by their nature.

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Psychics

The ones not simply with natural talent, but with natural abilities they rarely understand, but certainly know how to use. The vast majority of psychics are limited to one or two abilities, and generally multiple abilities are closely related. Once in a great while one psychic may find another with a similar ability and the two may share stories, tips, tricks and the like, but rarely is there anything even close to “training.”

Unlike magicians, psychics do not channel energy from around them to fuel their abilities. The power which they use comes from within themselves, and as a result they tend to be far more limited in scope and scale, leaving the psychic exhausted after much extended use.

Things to remember when applying:

Most psychics have one or two abilities

There are no organizations for the creation or training of psychics

Psychic abilities tend to be limited to either local area or very subtle effects

Heavy use of psychic abilities tends to drain the body of energy quickly, and strain the mind when overused

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Focused Magicians

These are the “one trick ponies” of the magical world, though underestimating them simply for having a narrow focus of ability would be dangerous indeed. These are the individuals with a smattering of magical talent, the failed apprentices and the never taken on magicians that learned in a grab as you can manner. These are the fire callers, the diviners, the summoners, the warders, those that have enough talent to work with magic, but either only have talent in a specific field, or choose to focus so they can be effective at all.

Just like the wizards, these focused magicians hone raw ability into skill through study and practice, practice, practice. They tend to work with similar tools as well, relying on foci to assist in their control, to focus their will. Like wizards as well, while their will provides the focus for their magic, the energy is gathered from the world and life around them. In the half-admitted world of the preternatural, these are the mechanics and specialists, often respected in their field, but often overlooked by those that hold more power.

Things to remember when applying:

Define your area of skill

Discuss who trained you and how

Remember that throwing around a lot of magic is draining, so ponder how you use it

What kind of tools you use in working with magic

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Wizards

Wizards are the traditional figures that so many in human culture consider when they think of a magician. Anyone with the ability to claim the title of wizard possesses at least a fair strength in the manipulation of magic, and even more importantly, the talent and discipline to learn to manipulate that energy in nearly any way. While their strength may be matched in specific areas by powerful focused magicians, no other human with preternatural abilities can match the range and versatility of a well trained and educated wizard. A wizard with time to prepare for a challenge is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable creatures on earth.

In addition, working with magical energies on such a wide and constant basis creates some side effects in a wizard after the first few years. For one - technology doesn't work so well around them. Microwaves, computers, televisions and so on, will break, malfunction or simply start smoking and stop working.

Also, wizards learn to open their consciousness, to truly see the world as it is around them. This is often a searingly painful act, their minds battered and abused by horrific ugliness and burning beauty as they peer past the veils, and no wizard does it long and retains their sanity. Wizards tend to be slightly tougher than mundane humans, injuring themselves just as easily, but better able to deal with the pain and aftermath of healing. Those powerful enough to claim the title of wizard also appear to have a lifespan that ranges three to six times longer than the average human.

Things to remember when applying:

Who trained you, and what was your apprenticeship like

What tools and foci do you make use of

What are your strong areas

What are your weak areas

Powerful acts of magic tend to sap a wizard, physically and mentally

How is magic seen and approached