One of the greatest mortals ever to practice the Art was a man of obscure origin, unremarkable appearance and mild demeanor. When Izander (i•ZAN•der) appeared in Anglamar two centuries ago, he was already well-known across the North, an ally of the Dwarf-King Horgrimm of Irongate and was considered aelfwise, a true friend of the Elves of the West and a confidant of High Lady Aravel. In fact, Izander was one of very few humans allowed entry into Irongate and Everwilde.
In 1050, Izander presented himself at the court of King Thelgar I and soon after thwarted a plot by the Red Circle to overthrow the monarchy. After single-handedly destroying a mercenary army marching north from Emperor's Gate, Izander was appointed Arch-Mage of Anglamar, a position he held for the next century. During that time he served as chief adviser to several kings and acted on many occasions in defense of the kingdom, skirting the prohibition against political interference imposed by the High Circle of Wizards. Izander could have become one of the Seven. Instead, he chose to serve Anglamar and safeguard it as a civilizing influence in the North. He took three apprentices during this time - Falkard, now Arch-Mage of the Order of the Blue Star in Westhaven, Balok Thrane who has made himself virtual ruler of the island of Kordina in the Inner Sea, and Raven Shadowmane of Greymantle (who disappeared under mysterious circumstances two years past).
In 1155, mere weeks before the Wizard-King rose in the Far North and began his assault against Anglamar and Varalkia, Izander mysteriously disappeared and his tower in Gondaran was magically sealed. As the North War dragged on, Anglamar suffered from the Arch-Mage's absence until his former apprentice, Falkard, violating the ban against mages of the Blue Star visiting the capitol, decided to investigate. Falkard penetrated Izander's tower and freed his former master from magical entrapment (snared there by the Wizard-King himself in the first real move of the war). Izander immediately transported himself from Gondaran into the midst of the Wizard-King's horde, which was about to overwhelm Anglamarian forces at Winter Gap. In a final act of retribution, the Arch-Mage broke his staff and the resulting blast of Power destroyed fully a third of the Witch-King's army. Izander's body, of course, was never recovered and he was mourned as a martyr in Anglamar's cause. Sinced his loss, the office of Arch-Mage of Anglamar has remained vacant.
MAGE OR WIZARD: Izander was the quintessential arch-mage and has often been referred to as the "Wizard of Anglamar." In truth, his Power rivaled that of any one of the Seven. Yet, he never endeavored to enter the High Circle and so was not bound by their Compact prohibiting involvement in the affairs of the nations of Mythandar. He did, most certainly, involve himself, and it has been argued that he was granted some kind of exemption which allowed him to take a hand in Anglamar's affairs without interference from the Seven ... The sage Arun of Immerdeen has speculated that members of the High Circle so feared a challenge from Izander that they allowed him a freedom rarely granted to other adepts. Further, it has been suggested that his sacrifice in the North War, at the very moment of Anglamar's greatest need, was the price exacted for Izander's independence.
In Mythandar, practitioners of the magic arts (or simply The Art) are rare and powerful individuals with the knowledge and talent to sense and manipulate magical energy. Mages are traditionally human or half-elven. Elves have their own magical abilities and do not practice human sorcery. Dwarves are resistant and adverse to magic. Orcs and other humanoids lack the required intelligence and talent. Other elder races, such as the lizard-folk of the Far South, have their own arcane arts.
All mages have the following basic skills and abilities:
• Knowledge of magic lore, including the ability to speak, read and write the arcane language of magic.
• Sense Power at a range determined by the mage's own level of Power. Any active spell or magical item radiates Power out to a certain distance. The more powerful the source, the greater the area.
• Spell-casting is largely left up to the imagination of the Player, within certain limits. Note that spells intended to alter-reality with god-like power are not allowed. Basic spells include the creation of light effects, fire (fireballs, flaming hands, etc.), local weather effects, flight, levitation, teleportation, limited invisibility (shadowcloak), wards and protections against magical and physical effects, mindspeak, divination, and magical possession, the summoning of demonic and elemental beings, and the ability to magically animate non-living objects (requiring intense concentration).Necromancy is a separate area of study that includes summoning and controlling the dead, animating corpses, life extension and other esoteric uses of the Dark Art.
• Counter-spelling allows any mage to attempt to counter or cancel another's spell or magical ability (Power versus Power).
THE LAWS OF MAGIC
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FIRST: All sources of magic possess a certain level of Power, ranging from Feeble to Unearthly. In game terms, each increasing level of Power is 10 times greater than the previous level.
SECOND: All sources of Power radiate magic at a distance commensurate with Power level, and this energy is detectable by those creatures able to Sense Power (mages, priests, elves, and other magical creatures).
THIRD: Power can be untainted or bear the taint of either a good or evil source. Power can be sensed as such by those able to detect it ... The Power of a divine artifact is clearly discernible from that of a summoned demon.
FOURTH: The amount of Power that may be controlled is limited by the ability of the creature attempting to do so.
SOURCES OF POWER POWER LEVEL Range
• Spells Feeble touch
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• Rituals Weak 1 meter
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• Magic Artifacts Typical 10 meters
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• Gates and Portals Superior 100 meters
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• Magical Creatures Incredible 1000 meters
Fantastic 10,000 meters (10 km or 6.2 miles)
Monstrous 100,000 meters (100 km or 62.1 miles)
Unearthly 1,000,000 meters (1000 km or 620 miles)
SPELL-CASTING
Spells are magical formulas which provide a means of tapping into and manipulating Power. Spells combine spoken power words, gestures and alchemical reactions. Spell-casting is only available to those who study the magic arts - mages, sorcerers and witches. Its secrets are closely guarded and taught only to chosen apprentices.
Spells may be memorized or formulated "on the spot," based upon the mage's knowledge and experience. They may also be cast from written text recorded in tomes, scrolls, carvings and inscriptions. Only a mage with formal training as an apprentice has the ability to read the arcane language of spells.
RITES & RITUALS
The Seven Rituals are formulaic methods of drawing upon divine Power, available only to members of the priesthood. Through the use of chanted words and the addition of certain physical elements (from burning incense to blood sacrifice), the god's favor is invoked. Rituals may be memorized or read. In either case, performing a ritual can be a lengthy process, depending on the amount of Power involved.
MAGICAL ABILITIES
Some creatures have natural magical abilities that do not require learning or training to use. These powers simply operate at will or are uncontroled. In either case, all magical abilities conform to the Laws of Magic.
POWER LEVEL AND RANK
Power Ranks
Level Mages Others
Weak Apprentice
* Incredible to Fantastic Archmage Elder Dragons
* Monstrous Wizard Demon Lords
** Unearthly Gods
When he broke his staff of Magi it flung him from Mythandar to Gaia.
