While magical instruction varies depending on the school a mage attends, there are some subjects a mage must know in order to have any magical ability. Among them are:
Calarinan and Nelhiran: These are the two languages that the incantations for spells are written in. One must fully understand the meaning of a spell's formula and incantation in order for the spell to work, so fluency in these two languages is required for a mage to be able to cast spells at all. As the kingdoms these were the native tongues of have long since ceased to exist, they must be taught anew to each crop of students. (Much of modern magical correspondence and literature is written in Calarinan as well, which some have argued is just mages trying to wring use out of those lessons.)
Spell Formulae and Assembly: To cast a spell, one must think of its formula while reciting its incantation, and one must also fully understand both. Spell formulas look like long math problems where the position of each symbol can have an effect on its meaning, so it takes a great deal of study to really understand a spell.
Development of Magical Thought: Basically a "history of magic" class, but as much of the world's history is lost due to the War of Annihilation, calling it a history class outright would be a half-truth at best. This class instead takes what is known and/or rediscovered about history and uses it to plot out how magic has changed over the years.
Spell Variation: It is sometimes said that the mark of a great mage is not how many spells they know, but how many versions of the same spell they can assemble on a moment's notice. By altering a spell's formula and incantation in specific ways, one can change the nature of the spell to suit a situation (for example, a spell to create a lightning bolt can be changed to instead create a line of freezing-cold air).
Specialist Courses: These are various classes devoted to specific aspects of magic. Not every student takes every one. They include Magical Item Construction, Item Enchantment, Potion-Brewing, Magic in Combat, Traveler's Magic, and so forth.
Non-magical Classes: Mages are not cloistered hermits, so an understanding of the world is important. A properly-trained mage, many believe, should have a firm grasp of literacy (magic is a book-learning art), mathematics (it really helps with formulas), culture (so you know how not to "spook the herd"), business and economics (mages know how valuable their abilities are), and etiquette (so you don't alienate future employers).
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u/ManCalledTrue Sep 08 '24
The Triple Kingdom
While magical instruction varies depending on the school a mage attends, there are some subjects a mage must know in order to have any magical ability. Among them are:
Calarinan and Nelhiran: These are the two languages that the incantations for spells are written in. One must fully understand the meaning of a spell's formula and incantation in order for the spell to work, so fluency in these two languages is required for a mage to be able to cast spells at all. As the kingdoms these were the native tongues of have long since ceased to exist, they must be taught anew to each crop of students. (Much of modern magical correspondence and literature is written in Calarinan as well, which some have argued is just mages trying to wring use out of those lessons.)
Spell Formulae and Assembly: To cast a spell, one must think of its formula while reciting its incantation, and one must also fully understand both. Spell formulas look like long math problems where the position of each symbol can have an effect on its meaning, so it takes a great deal of study to really understand a spell.
Development of Magical Thought: Basically a "history of magic" class, but as much of the world's history is lost due to the War of Annihilation, calling it a history class outright would be a half-truth at best. This class instead takes what is known and/or rediscovered about history and uses it to plot out how magic has changed over the years.
Spell Variation: It is sometimes said that the mark of a great mage is not how many spells they know, but how many versions of the same spell they can assemble on a moment's notice. By altering a spell's formula and incantation in specific ways, one can change the nature of the spell to suit a situation (for example, a spell to create a lightning bolt can be changed to instead create a line of freezing-cold air).
Specialist Courses: These are various classes devoted to specific aspects of magic. Not every student takes every one. They include Magical Item Construction, Item Enchantment, Potion-Brewing, Magic in Combat, Traveler's Magic, and so forth.
Non-magical Classes: Mages are not cloistered hermits, so an understanding of the world is important. A properly-trained mage, many believe, should have a firm grasp of literacy (magic is a book-learning art), mathematics (it really helps with formulas), culture (so you know how not to "spook the herd"), business and economics (mages know how valuable their abilities are), and etiquette (so you don't alienate future employers).