The Sable Magic System
The Magic
Sable Magic, as learned by the Talented, is split into a number of fields of study. All students have a
basic grounding in all areas, including magical theory, with partial and full
specialisations coming with further study. An idea of what is covered in each grouping,
and what is attainable at various levels, is detailed on the other pages in this
section, although this is not
an all-inclusive list.
There is also a less common field of ritual magic within Sable,
however there are tight restrictions on its use and anything darker than grey in
nature is stamped out with the utmost force. Ritual magicians will not
necessarily be Talented, although if they practice, they are expected to
register with the Magical Oversight Council. One of the specific sub-fields of
ritual magic, blood magic, is banned except by special licence, and non-licensed
practitioners are arrested and imprisoned or executed. There are only four registered blood magicians within the
Kingdom of Sable, and their identities are
guarded jealously by the Council.
Mage School
The foremost mage school on Magica Superior and within Sable's
lands is the Sable Mage College, located in the Sable City. The other
mage school in the Kingdom itself is the Sable
College of Military Magic, which is attached to Sable
Military Academy. However, other mage colleges exist all around the Commonwealth, on those
Shadows where magic is common, and there are also institutes for learning magic
within the Reich and its
territories.
Studying for a Bachelor of Magic degree takes five years (assuming no
resits). Students normally go up to mage school when they are 18 or 19, although
particularly gifted children can sometimes enter college a year early. This
course
gives the would-be mages a theoretical and practical grounding in all the various types of
magic. In addition, they are taught the history of magic, study how it has become such an
important part of society, and have instilled into them the responsibilities that must be
undertaken when they graduate.
In the fourth or fifth years, if they have showed particular
aptitude, they may also begin
to consider specialistions, although this is not particularly common: many students
don't have the aptitude to move much beyond basic levels. However, the more
gifted ones may improve their basic grounding to a little beyond what would be
counted as "basic" level, say in matters of duration, concentration and range
(GM agreement would be needed to work out the extent of these additions to basic level).
At the end of the five-year course, they will graduate with the degree of
Bachelor. This is the level where 70% of mages complete their studies (call it
15pt level in most cases).
To return to study for a Masters allows the student to
specialise further, but it cannot be reached without the Talent present and stronger than
normal. This can take between one and three years, depending on how many areas
the student wishes to study. The basics will be further built upon, the relevent
grounding "lab" spells for the new specialisation will be taught - kind of a
'toolkit' for further study in that subject - and any
partial specialisations they may have taken before will be further studied.
Masters courses include the mundane, as well as magical sides of the
disciplines they wish to pursue: for example a student who chooses to specialise in
structural magics (keeping buildings up, bringing them down) needs an understanding of the
principals of civil engineering, or a would-be healer needs medical skills. A
student will normally graduate Masters with between two and four partial
specialisations, and possibly their first full specialisation. This is where 25% of the rest of the Sable mages are
pitched.
Multiple full specialisations usually only become available once
the student returns to work for his or her Doctorate in Magic. This builds on
the knowledge they have attained to partial specialisation, both arcane and the
mundane courses to back up the arcane actions, for example, a student who decides to become a full
fledged mage-healer or mage-surgeon would be expected to take courses as part of a medical
degree, also. Studying for a Doctorate takes a further two to three years, depending on the
specialisation or specialisations taken, and it is unusual for even the oldest mages to
take more than two or three full specialisations in their lives, as it takes an amount of
time to maintain the knowledge and keep up to date with the latest developments.
Only about 5% of all mages are good enough to reach this level of ability (or 1 in 20,000
of the Sable population).
 |
On graduation at Bachelor level, all mages are given a mage's Signet: a
combination of their license to practise magic, and their symbol of rank within the
magical society. A new Signet is awarded at Master level, and again with their
Doctorate. In addition to being the mage's
license, the Signet is the focus which the majority of mages use to store and rack spells
if they cannot do so mentally. Signets are built by certain of the professors at the
various mage colleges, and are personalised to each individual student, so that he/she and
only he/she can wear and use that Signet. If, for any reason, a student should
fail to finish their Bachelor's degree, they will still be recorded with
the Magical Oversight Council as a potential mage unless their Talent is
blocked - either voluntarily, or as a result of disciplinary procedures. Failed students who retain an active
Talent are also expected to be licensed, this taking the form of a silver band,
worn on the little finger, which has no facility for racking spells. Such
students often find employment in some of the magical manufacturing facilities
or some other areas. |
This site © Trish Hart 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008.
Writings
and original artwork exhibited on player pages
are published with the author's permission.
Trumps based on photographic originals
use photographs obtained in the public domain.
Website administrator: Trish Hart (sable at fugue.org)