I count 28 Soldier, who is MIA?

Hmm. 26 in the database, and then one from Academy (Satyr Gruff). I did not include promos (only published), so maybe one from that I've overlooked?

Can someone become a Mage or do they have to be born that way?

If they have to be born that way, then are there non-magical researchers besides wizards, and are there schools for nonmages?

Not everyone can be a mage. Though magic and magic items are commonplace in most of Etheria, true Mages are quite uncommon.  Being a Mage requires the rare talent which only one in a thousand individuals will possess. (Don’t take my math literally).

In addition to having this talent, it requires many years of study and practice to be successful. The secrets of magic are carefully guarded and not readily disclosed to just any disciple. Most nations have official schools and colleges of magic (notably Sistarra Academy in Sortilege). Depending on the School or Academy, its focus, and its teachers/proponents, Mages and aspiring Mages from all over Etheria will travel great distances to pursue study there. 

Mages are usually found;
• Training/teaching/working at one of the special magic schools or universities.
• Working for their government, as an arena fighter, advisor, court Mage, or special emissary.
• In the military; as a champion warrior, mercenary, or general of an army.
• In service to the community – for example Druids helping crops and Beastmasters hunting for sustenance.
• An active part of or leader of a religious order, where their magic and God are one.
• As individual rogues or highlanders, seeking their own wealth, power, fortune.

In honor of Veteran’s Day in the US, here’s a few interesting “Soldier” FAQs:

• Total number of Soldiers currently printed: 28

• Number of Soldiers with Ranged attack: 9
• Number of Legendary Soldiers: 9
• Only Nature school Soldier: Bridge Troll
• Only Academy Soldier: Satyr Gruff
• Only Soldier to have only a single subtype: Sir Corazin
• Race with the most Soldiers: TIE, 6 Dwarf, 6 Goblin
• Solider with the most forms of attack: Goblin Alchemist
• Soldier with the lowest Casting Cost: Goblin Grunt (4 mana)
• Solider with the highest Casting Cost: Thorg, Chief Bodyguard (17 mana)
• Solider with the highest single roll of Attack dice: Grimson Deadeye, Sniper (6 Dice)
• Soldier with the lowest number of Attack dice: TIE Goblin Builder and Goblin Alchemist (2 Dice)
• Solider with the most Armor: TIE Brogan Bloodstone and Thorg, Chief Bodyguard (4 Armor)
• Soldier with the most Life: Bridge Troll (16 Life)


Happy Veteran's Day
--Sabrath

The forthcoming Academy Priestess is slated to be a Priestess of Asyra.

This time around, let’s take a look at how spells and spellcraft work within the Mage Wars Universe. Some parts of this have been covered in other posts, but I wanted to post a thread that encapsulated the full scope of magic to be more comprehensive and searchable.

In the Mage Wars universe, magic power derives from the Realm of Voltari.

The Realm of Voltari exists around all other realms (planes of existence). To visualize, imagine all the universe as a kind of magic sponge — that’s the Realm of Voltari. The holes in the sponge are places where physical realms exist. (Etheria is one such place, as is Infernia).

Spell Power: Mana and V’Tar
Magic in Etheria taps into the sponge of Voltari -- the essence of magic is drawn in and distilled it into what the Schools of Magic call mana. In layman's terms, mana is "diluted Voltari”, meaning its safe enough to be channeled, stored, and reshaped into spells or items.

Although it is rarely done now in the Modern Age, it is possible to draw pure Voltari essence, called V’Tar, which is far more powerful and not distilled. Ancient artifacts, like the V'Tar Orbs or the V'Torrak were created using this kind of power to form and fasten their magical workings.

The Law of Magic
The Laws of Magic refer to understanding the workings of Voltari essence. Much like the physical laws that govern the physical world, the Laws of Magic govern the nature and manipulation of Voltari.

These laws were discovered (or at least passed down) to the mortals of Etheria, first by the Elemental Lords to their chosen, and then by the New Gods to their adherents, worshippers and followers. It should be noted that the Elemental Lords worked primarily with V’Tar, and passed that knowledge along to their creations (such as the dragons). The New Gods established a system of distilled magic, using spells that were fueled by mana. This system, and its more stable, organized hierarchy, is still widely used across all the nations (ie. the Six Major Schools of Magic).

The Magical Matrix of Voltari
All spells start with a magical matrix, a framework around which the Voltari essence builds. This Matrix can be disrupted, and if it is, the spell itself is negated. Once the Matrix is fully formed, depending on what type of spell the Mage is casting, it will swell with an influx of mana (or V’Tar), and fashion itself into a spell type — a creature, a conjuration, an incantation, etc.

This is especially true of Enchantments, since the matrix forms around the object it is targeting. Unlike the matrixes of Summoning or Conjuration spells, the Enchantment matrix can remain hidden and dormant, until the Mage who casts it determines it should have its effect.

Summoning
One of the most pronounced differences between the Laws of Magic and the laws that govern physical reality is the ability to Summon a creature.

When a Summoning spell is cast, the Voltari essence involved creates a magical construct of a creature that exists. It is entirely a real creature, with its own mind, life essence, knowledge, etc.

For example, if a Mage summoned a Timber Wolf, that Mage is creating a magical copy of a Timber Wolf. This construct is every bit as powerful and vulnerable as a real wolf, and it behaves and acts like a real wolf. (The wolf is not “picked up and teleported out of some nearby wilderness.”)

These constructs are not clones of some “perfect” specimen of Timber Wolf. Rather, each summoned Timber Wolf exhibits slight variations from summoning Mage to summoning Mage: they may have distinctively colored hair, eyes, fur patterns, etc. The basic species is being replicated, but not in specific detail.

However, there are some real and significant differences.

First, the magical construct’s mind is attuned to obey the commands of whomever summons it.

Second, it has a temporary existence, and will dissipate back into magical energy after a given time, particularly when the Mage mentally “lets go” of the link on the construct’s minds. (This usually happens at the end of an arena combat for example).

Third, if it dies during combat or while still attuned to the summoning Mage, its corpse will remain for awhile before dissipating later. (Allowing necromancers to make use of these clone corpses during the course of a battle.)

A Mage can easily learn creature spells from another Mage, during their time at an Academy or Spell School, and without having ever seen that particular creature before.

Summoning Legendary Creatures
Summoning creatures (whether they are common or rare) is a replication process. Summoning legendary creatures (meaning a specific creature) is something a little different, and draws upon other Laws of Magic.

When a Mage summons a legendary creature, he is creating an actual clone construct of a particular, singular creature. For example, he is not creating a generic Timber Wolf, he is creating an exact duplicate of Redclaw, Alpha Male.

To do this, a Mage uses the power of Voltari to borrow from the essence of a real creature, a process which de facto creates an attuned connection between the Mage and the summoned Legendary creature.

Because of this, two Mages in proximity to each other cannot cast the same specific creature spell at exactly the same time. Their mental attunements interfere with each other, disrupting the magical balance that summoning and controlling a creature requires. (This is why only one copy of a Legendary creature can be summoned at a time.)

It is theorized that Mages separated by great distances can summon the same legendary creature at the same time, possibly because the mental attunement at such lengths does not interfere.

In any event, the summoned clone has no connection to the actual creature, in that if it is harmed, or dies, or gains some powers in the arena, its real-life counterpart is unaffected. Conversely, if the actual unique creature that the spell is based upon dies, the copy is not affected, and even more bizarrely, the spell can continue to be cast.

These strange improbabilities and paradoxes have made “The Ethics of Legendary Summoning” a hotly debated topic among Wizards of Sortilege, as well as many followers of the Holy Gods, particularly Bim-Shalla.

Conventional Magecraft teaches that in order to learn Legendary creature spells, a Mage needs to have actually met and bonded with that creature at some point. Sistarran Professors point out that a Priestess might do this with volunteer subjects, whereas a Warlock might capture a victim to create his spell.

This is an over-simplification; the truth is that some Mage at some point had to have met the subject of the spell, and to have found a way to bind his/her/its essence to a summoning matrix. However, once crafted, the spell can be passed down, with the newcomer Mage ever having met the original subject of the Summoning. Because of this, it is theorized that Legendary creatures and heroes from earlier ages are possible to summon, although they are long since dead.

It should also be noted that very powerful beings from outside the Etherian Realm (like Adremelech, Lord of Fire) are not summoned in the fullness of their power, but are summoned as a “shadow” or “aspect” of their true self. Summoning beings of this magnitude requires very high levels of spellcraft, and often, a combination of mana/V’Tar.

The container is always what made it "innocuous but creepy" upon first discovery, until it starts throwing things around or "mind controlling" people. In the end this needs to be a Mage Wars Brain in a Jar, and not some other game's Brain in a Jar. What kinds of flair make this uniquely Etherian?

Well, flavor wise, there are lots of Mage Wars -esque ways a “Brain in a Jar” could play out. Here are some territories to consider:

Draconian Brain
This could be the brain of one of the original Dragons, ripped from its host and enslaved in an jar-like artifact during the Elemental Wars. After so many hundreds of years of imprisonment and disembodied torture, it has become a dark and twisted thing.

Infernian Brain
This could be the brain of a shadow demon. Shadow demons are minions of Moloch, Lord of Curses. The brain may have some sort of ability to project curses psychically.

Desjer-Tet
Perhaps this is the brain of a Djinn, enslaved in a crystal lamp. After all, the people of Desjer-Tet favor Dark magic, and their people are infatuated with life after death, and the world of the undead. There is also considerable emphasis there on the practice of Mind Magic, and of using its powers to help move great stones and build mighty monuments to the Dark Gods. 

Kumanjaro
Or this could be a creature/relic of the mysteries of Kumanjaro. There are six tribes of peolple living in the jungles of Kumanjaro, but one tribe, the Histanti is a complete mystery. The Histanti disappeared several centuries ago, leaving nothing behind but well preserved stone cities. The other five tribes refuse to speak about what happened; only that the disappearance happened in the span of a single night, and every Histanti was gone the next day. The Histanti is not their proper name, but actually a Kume word meaning “Adversary”. One missionary who befriended a tribe of Kume asked what the Histanti real name was, and was told it was not permitted to say “lest they hear you”. All five tribe share taboos about the Histanti, leading some scholars to wonder whether the five surviving tribes are loathe to speak of the Histanti out of fear, or guilt. This could be the brain of the last of the Histanti, shackled and enslaved.

I am liking this more and more, I too vote for a Mind+Dark Creature.

I don't want to influence anything. This is just a smiley face. Make of it what you will. 

This week, let’s take a look at one of the bright lights of learning and Mage craft in Etheria — Sistarra, the Grand Academy of Magic.

For aspiring academics of all persuasions, Sistarra represents the highest institution of collected learning, lore and magic that the nations of Etheria have to offer. It is the pride of Sortiliege, and attracts students from all corners of the world seeking knowledge and advance magical training. It is also the oldest magic-based academy still training future mages today.

Overview
Sistarra is located in the ancient city of Sor Alora, established on the southern coast of Sortilege. The city was built almost 2500 years before the founding of the Pellian Empire; it was nearly destroyed during the Age of Catastrophe and the subsequent magic battles that ultimately consumed Sen Ahreal, but was restored to greatness once more during the Pellian Empire, when Sortilege became part of the larger Empire. Sor Alora saw some fighting during the Demon Wars, but was in large part spared from the ravages of Adramelech’s forces.

As such, students who come to Sistarra find themselves in a city steeped in history, with architecture, fountains, statuaries, portals and bridges that hail from virtually every period of Etheria’s past. Add to that the fact that the geography of Sor Alora is incredibly picturesque; the city is housed on the high white cliffs of the southern coastline, surrounded by small hills and mountains to the north. (These natural features have protected the city from most invaders; until a visitor makes his way through the barrier mountains and down into the bowl of Sor Alora, the city is not even visible).

The Academy itself was initially established sometime around 2200 BPE. (Exact records were lost during the chaotic times of the Age of Catastrophe.) There are several buildings and sections to the institution, so in essence, Sistarra comprises a small city-within-a-city. Some key points of interest include:

The Old Campus
The rebuilt remains of the original towers that were destroyed during the Age of Catastrophe. This is the most iconic portion of the campus, particularly since it was built along the main river of the Sor Alora valley, and juts out on the edge of a waterfall which the river terminates into, cascading down to the ocean below. A spectacular promenade and towering statue of a Dragon launching into flight reminds students and visitors that education and learning will propel them ever higher. The Old Campus also houses the Academy Library  and the Hall of Wonders, a museum of artifacts from the city’s long history), as well as a collection of shrines to most of the Gods.



The Menagerie
A number of the most commonly summoned creatures are kept for study and familiarization. Several captive breeding programs have been established for those creatures who produce useful magical components.

The Battlegrounds
A reclaimed area of former marshland to the north of the Old Campus that has been designed to include numerous dueling pits, small arenas, testing pits, and other spaces to practice the more destructive aspects of magic. The Academy Legion (a campus security force that exists to contain escaped creatures, put down excessive magical manifestations, and protect important visitors) is also headquartered here.

The Six Towers
Students joke that Tir’Nassare (the capital city of Sortilege) may have a hundred towers (the White Spires), but Sor Alora has the six that really matter. (Of course, they don’t do this in hearing of their professors or any visiting Sortilegian politicians. Also, elves have uncanny hearing, so this joke really needs a considerable amount of privacy before it can be funny.) Each of the towers is dedicated to one of the six main spell schools and its Lyceum (more on that shortly). These towers are where students spend the bulk of their education at Sistarra. A large, domed structure houses the learning of the four elemental schools.

Academy Teaching
Sistarra’s curriculum is focused around broadening and intensifying a student’s understanding of the primary school of magic that makes up their calling. Unlike many smaller schools, where students tend to focus on a particular school of magic, Sistarran students are required to study the basics of all the major schools of magic, and are offered access to the minor elemental schools as well.

Though distasteful to those who come from Westlock, the Academy even offers training in the Dark school of magic. There is no law against Warlocks or Necromancers from practicing in Sortilege (unlike its more Holy-focused neighbor), and Sistarra even employs a Warlock (Ravenna of Eastmarch) as part of the faculty. (It is important to note that not all Warlocks are part of the Arraxian Crown, even though that is generally assumed to be the case by anyone in Westlock.)

Course work focuses on small group study. Faculty members are dived into Lyceums based upon the school of magic they practice. There is one Lyceum for each school magic. Lyceum is a shortened "Pellianized" version of the High Elvish word for school of magic: a’lissi’matheri). Each faculty member has a group of students studying under them. Faculty are responsible for overseeing their students studies and research.

Academy Faculty
As a final note, the faculty is incredibly varied, to provide students the largest sampling of what Etheria has to offer. In fact, the staff of Sortilege represents virtually every race, nationality and Mage type of Etheria (perhaps with the exception of the Blood Wave), including:

Magus Bellarax  (Human Warlord from Ivarium)
Professor of War magic, strategy and martial training
 
Magus Dargum (Dwarven Air Wizard of the Anvil Throne)
Professor of Air Magicks and Dwarven Literature
 
Magus Drallan (Human Priest of Bim-Shalla from Westlock)
Professor of Etherian History, focus on the Modern Age
 
Magus Erozar (Elven Forcemaster from Sortilege)
Professor of politics and political sciences
 
Magus Erx (Elven Earth Wizard from Sortilege)
Dean of Sartorial Studies
 
Magus Festendenti (Eleven Water Wizard from Sortilege)
Professor of Realm Theory (study of Voltari)
 
Magus Grimmwold (Elven Earth Wizard from Sortilege)
Professor of ecology and Etherian geography
 
Magus Jara (Elven Priestess of Asyra from Sortilege)
Professor of theology, Celestia culture and Holy magic

Magus Nenet-amon (Human Fire Wizard from Dsjer-tet)
Professor of Elemental Linguistics
 
Magus Nergol (Elven Necromancer from Sortilege)
Professor of the Dark Arts
 
Magus Norrell (Elven Druid from the Straywood)
Professor of Nature magic
 
Magus Oreheart (Dwarven Warlord from the Anvil Throne)
Professor of Number Practicum
 
Magus Pyr (Human Fire Wizard from Sortilege)
Professor of Fire magic and Infernal Politics

Magus Ravenna of Eastmarch (Human Warlock from Westlock)
Professor of Etherian History, focus on the Age of Catastrophe

Magus Remulex (Human Earth Wizard from Lupertra)
Professor of Agricultural Spellcraft
 
Magus Thessial (Elven Air Wizard from Sortilege)
Professor of Air magic
 
Magus Xer (Elven Air Wizard from Sortilege (and twin brother of Magus Erx)
Professor of Aesthetic Magery