The most common term is mage but some may refer to the magic users as witches, wizards, or warlocks. Your character can use whichever they prefer or react in varying ways to some of the terms. Perhaps they think warlock is offensive if they view it as a dark practitioner and they are more in the realm of light.

    Their bodies both feed on the magic around them and creates its own which helps extend their life. Typical lifespan is 700-900 years, though some may be able to keep it up for longer. The body slows in aging around late 20s.

    Outsourcing, stealing magic from other sources, is dangerous. Some of the darker mages in the past have captured vampires, draining them of the magic/life essence that essentially runs them and letting them recharge again during the day before doing it again.

    For mages, bottling your own excess magic is an acceptable practice, otherwise it can build up in your body and cause a lot of problems. It can be bottled and used to help set up wards or do enchantments, or used in an emergency during a battle for a recharge. Selling it to dark mages is illegal.

    Mages (typically older and very powerful) can 'hide' how powerful they are. If angered or they want to show off, they can unleash the hold, setting the power free and washing over everyone around them.

    Magic users are often affiliated with The Society. They may not be actual Guardians, but they are registered and The Society knows what kind of magic they wield. These are usually the more well-behaved mages that don't mind the regulations. On the other hand, there are the wild users, the ones who don't want to be chained down and keep their magic a secret, preferring to draw on as much of the power source as they wish or go a bit darker than is preferred.

    Magical families have trouble having kids. Usually only one, maybe two. More than that and either they were just lucky or a magical deal was made, likely with some sort of consequences.

    Mages can be Turned into a vampire. However, they will lose their magic and must be watched for up to a week after Turning to ensure the remnants of magic have left the system as it goes a bit haywire and can leave in a giant burst of energy.

• Born or Made: Born
• Mages are not very fertile, and as such, reporduction is rare and celebrated.
• Average Life Span: 700-900 years
• Null Mages retain a lifespan similar to that of an average Mundane.
• Restrictions:
• Cannot be older than 850
• Cannot be multi-class

• Elemental Mages
• Commonly referred to as druids or shamans.
• These mages control the four elements: fire, water, wind, earth. Most are typically strongest in one and weaker in the others, if able to call upon them at all. Of course there are some that excel in all areas but they are rare or keep it hidden as The Society would try to get them under their control.
• Powers are triggered by concentration or spoken words. Spell components are not needed.
• Fire: summon a ball of fire in your palm. You’re resistant to fire when you call upon your power when grabbing, for example, something out of the fireplace or a hot pot. Running into a burning building might not be advisable as clothing and hair won’t make it out. Use your element as a shield.
• Water: Summon water or even ice, essentially from the moisture in the air. This doesn’t allow you to breathe underwater but the more adept at the element can draw from clouds to make it rain, possibly even able to call up a storm. Use your element as a shield.
• Wind: Create wind gusts to knock people back or lift yourself up almost as if you’re flying. Mileage may vary depending on your strength. Use your element as a shield.
• Earth: Little mini earthquakes felt in your proximity. Control roots and vines as if they’re whips or binds. Use your element as a shield.
• They can also weave their magic through song and dance. Both are used in rituals that can take several minutes or several hours to perform. Often used for some sort of trance and communing with nature or even to help spark the growth of trees and flowers. Some can also use their skills to weave emotion into the song/dance, making their audience feel their emotions and get lost in the story being told.
• Arcane Mages
• May also be called Moon Mages.
• These mages are sometimes viewed negatively by other magic practitioners as they enjoy sex freely. Some arcane mages often find sex rejuvenates them on multiple levels and believe it helps to boost their power when doing rituals.
• Ley lines help to boost this area of magic. Our city sits on top of a major crossroad, helping to increase the power and duration of most spells. The further they get away from such hubs of power, the more their power level returns to what would be their usual average.
• Psychic Shield: prevents a vampire from touching the user's mind. It can also be used to keep the vampire contained like with a wall. Limited time on how long it lasts and strength may vary. A strong master vampire could break most shields with little to some effort. Triggered by a yelled word.
• Deflect: works on attacks from blades and some lesser magic. Akin to an invisible physical shield. Lasts no more than a minute.
• Illuminate: take a light source (lighter, light bulb, flashlight, but not the moon) and cause it to increase its power to reflect more of a sun-like light.
• Levitation & Slow/Feather Fall: You can cast it on yourself or someone else.
• Illusions: Cast a minor illusion that looks realistic. Some species or strong mentalist vampires may be able to tell it is an illusion.
• Disguise Self: Like an illusion on yourself. You can change how you look though it only lasts for a few hours and it can also be seen through by some species.
• An offensive spell they do have is in the form of an energy burst created in their hands like a ball and shot out. May knock back or knock out the target depending on the user’s strength. This is also increased in strength when the Moon is called upon.
• Arcane mages can also learn invisibility though it may only last up to ten minutes.
• Arcane mages can have an arcane familiar. It can be in any smaller animal form (cats and birds are typically preferred) and has a psychic link with the caster so you can communicate with it telepathically. They can only ever summon one and since they are essentially a spirit in animal form, if they happen to take too much damage, they will vanish and can be re-summoned later on. The form the familiar takes is what the mage was focusing on during the summoning and that is the form it will always be in. With the psychic link, you can see through your familiar’s eyes but it does leave you vulnerable as you own vision goes blind.
• White/Light Mage
• These mages would be your healer or support member in a video game. They don’t have any offensive magic, preferring to heal or prevent.
• Shield: Like arcane mages, they can throw up a force around them to keep back any physical attacks for a short period of time. Unlike arcane mages, they can apply this to someone else. It is concentration, however.
• Cure poison: This is both in knowledge of plants and mixing together an antidote but some can also draw the poison out through the pores. Doing it in that manner is very draining on the mage.
• Healing: While they can’t bring someone back from the dead or heal cancer or major wounds, they can essentially will small wounds to close. Like with curing poison, this is very draining on the mage and may render them unconscious for a time. They are also typically skilled in first aid and herbal medicine.
• Black/Dark Mage
• These mages are most likely to delve into blood magic. The blood of their target can be used in some spells and rituals to call upon harm to that person. Blood makes their rituals in general more powerful.
• Dark mages can actually be fairly weak. They draw their powers from chaos and negative emotions—which their very existence can create in others. They thrive on causing mayhem to feed their need for more power and enjoy corrupting those around them.
• They possess a silver tongue to rival a vampire and can charm people to the dark side of magic. Other types of mages can be susceptible to this lure of promised stronger magic. This is the one case where cross-class can happen. If you go to the dark side, it will corrupt your main form of magic until nothing is left of it.
• Mind control Requires a blood ritual and concentration for the duration of the act they are trying to get the target to perform.
• Poisons They know their poison and can mix up potions to cause various outcomes.
• Decay: A more powerful spell that requires concentration and an incantation. This will cause the target’s flesh to begin to rot. A Light Mage may know how to counteract it.
• Energy Balls: Like arcane mages, they can create a ball of energy to use offensively.
• Golems: Some dark mages also have the potential to create golems. A golem is made out of clay and given life by trapping a spirit within it. This is the closest to necromancy we currently have as we aren't raising the dead--except as vampires.
• Psychic Mage
• While some don’t count them as true magic users, psychics still possess some extra abilities most normal humans do not.
• They can see ghosts clearly whereas most humans may only catch a hazy glimpse out of the corner of their eye. They can also speak with the ghosts and some ghosts will take advantage of that, pestering the psychic to help them with a task or moving on. Learning to pretend they don’t see some ghosts helps their sanity.
• They can have visions in their dreams. Sometimes they can force it upon themselves by going into a trance and focusing on what they want to know, usually it hits randomly. It’s not always a clear message they receive, as it could simply be ‘cat’ and they’re left wondering if they should adopt one or approach someone with one.
• In the same vein of dream visions, some may just get hit with a glimpse of the future while awake and in the middle of a regular activity. Again, it’s not always clear and it’s not always set in stone that what they saw will come true.
• Nulls Mage
• No other magic, they are the absence of magic and can nullify it in mages if they are around. They can either concentrate specifically on one target (mage or a released fireball, for example) and slowly absorb the spell or drain the mage until they are weakened/knocked out. Nulls can also force their will out and help nullify an area. Depending on their skill with their 'magic' the radius can range from a room to a block and last as long as they remain conscious.
• Because of their powers, vampires like them for protection from mages and try to have them in their employ at their homes or businesses. Mostly, the Guardians try to get their hands on nulls when they're young and impressionable so they can use them as weapons against their enemies. They aren't taken into every battle since they could knock out everyone's magic around them, but when the situation is right, they get dragged along. If nothing else, nulls are tracked and could be put down if they're too wild to be controlled or trusted. Living under the radar is a possibility--just don't attract attention.
• Unlike other magical users, nulls cannot extend their life span. In fact, due to their constant absorbing of other magic and the way their body processes it, they can have a shorter life than that of a normal human--the hatred and revenge from other mages is also a contributing factor.
• Nulls are rare to begin with due both to being hunted and some odd genetic quirk that no one can explain or truly figure out what triggers it. But to add insult to injury, a handful of nulls can’t properly handle the magic they take in and have to find other means of removing it before they essentially implode at worst or send out a shockwave at best.
• These rare nulls are essentially ticking time bombs, likely needing to release the magic within an hour or two before the pressure builds and finds its own way out. Most have discovered how to draw the magic back out safely and some have turned it into a profitable business by creating items or a little underground dealings with dark mages. The best case scenario isn't lethal to the null, though it can knock them out and possibly leave them exhausted for a day or more. Buildings near them may take some damage from the force of the explosion and bystanders may get knocked around as well.
• Techno Mage/Artificer
• These often become guardians or sell to them as they rely on a blend of magic and technology put into items and charms. It's not a real area of magic so much as it's a job that various mages take a shining to.
• Null bombs: small ball that detonates when thrown on the floor, putting an end to all magic in the area for several minutes.
• Shield necklace: device to create a magical shield like what arcane mages can do on their own.
• Enchantments: Weapons can be engraved and enchanted by these mages.
• Tattoos: These can be magically imbued with protection spells.

Detailed information on The Conclave can be found here

    Magic School:
    Ivywell masquerades as an elite private school that is extremely difficult to get into. Only the children of mages are accepted and the teachers are also mages of varying degrees of skill and specialities. This isn't Hogwarts. Ivywell is a proper school for Kindergarten to grade 8 that teaches all of the same classes as any other school--except there's a higher risk of something going 'boom' as a child comes into their powers. While there aren't any classes dedicated to magic --as not all children of a mage will inherit the powers and every skill is different-- students can stay after school for such lessons or tutoring.

     Upon graduating grade 8, students are free to attend any high school of their choice. By that age, students should have come into any power they possess and not be a danger to themselves or anyone else. That's the theory, at least. Some students may struggle, especially when emotions and hormones are running high, but it's not as high of a chance.

    That said, Ivywell does have a high school campus on the same massive property for grades 9-12. Some families prefer to stay within the mage community and don't interact much with the mundanes while other families are fully intertwined and like their children mingling with all species. This campus allows those that prefer to avoid the risk of discovery to continue their education with some peace of mind.

    No one knows where or when the birth of magic came to be. It's always existed and that is enough for most. Some like to believe mages are descendants of gods and try to trace their lineage. Strong with fire and great with your hands? Perhaps you're a descendant of Brigit or Hephaestus. Others think magic is not native to this world or realm and comes from the fae folk. Like with the gods, the fae have not been seen in centuries and may never have existed but many strongly believe that they did and still do.

    Mage wars:
    In 1721, a war amongst mages began. Depending on which side you ask, the dark mages attacked their lighter brethren in a bid to take over. Conversely, the dark mages state they were forced out by those that wanted to control all magic and found blood magic and the darker arts too hard to regulate or stomach.

    Dark mages are now typically hunted and live in exile and on the run. Some are bolder and live in the open but have precautions to mask their identity. The art of necromancy was considered to be lost during this war. All known books were destroyed and it's believed that the mages that practiced such vile things were all killed. Some may still be alive and well hidden away but no one knows for sure.