Mage

A "mage" is the term for an individual who uses magic; the ability to mold the very fabric of the natural world to his/her will. The aspect of nature that each mage has the ability to effect depends greatly on what race the mage is from, and how experienced the mage in question is. For example, Wood Elves have dominion over growing things and the forest, while the Octa can manipulate water and ice.

However, magic does not come easy for all races; some peoples consist entirely of magic-sensitive individuals, like the High Elves, while some races only have a small and precious few who can practice the arcane arts, like Humankind. On the other hand, some entirely magic-sensitive races like the Night Elves have a high affinity for the arcane, and their entire culture revolves around the practice of magic, while races like the Dango only use magic for practical uses, such as building, and enchantment (and sometimes fighting), and therefore they have a weak connection to magic, and produce few professional mages.

If a mage has the money or good luck to possess a staff or stave that has been enchanted to bolster their magical ability, it would indeed be the most helpful tool in their arsenal. Although the staff has become an icon for mages, most mages do not carry these powerful and expensive tools. There are four ways to procure a staff for private use. The first way is to simply purchase one from an enchanter. The second is to learn enchanting for either the Arcane University or the Dango and create a staff that way, although you will find little use for it, as your skill in forms of magic that use staves will be low. The third way is to join the Imperial Legion as a mage, but staves are only awarded to those who have reached the rank of Commander. The final and most prestigious way is to enroll in the Arcane University, and recieve one of your own specifications at upon your graduation.

Role in Society
Mages are crucial to both the military arm of the Imperial Legion and medical care both in the battlefield and on a local level. Many of Haven’s leading scholars and mages teach at the Arcane University; the largest collection of knowledge and history in the world. The university was built to be a place for promising mages to gain a deeper understanding of their field of magic, although it has become a place for anyone searching for knowledge to find it quickly with the permission of the Magisters. The arcane university only enrolls mages however.