Chapter One: Mage Beginning

To the Reader of this book;

If you are interesting of this book, that means three things first - your magic have awakened, second – you have significant potential, too much to waste. And third, you are too poor to afford the academies that have been corrupted by the greed of nobles.

This spell book written by I, self-taught Arch-mage Andeleon Vortael, will contain everything you need to know for a full academy education.

The best and most powerful mages don't come from storied academies that will shove your nose in a book. Th There is no substitute for experience.

This enchanted book is an all-in-one academy and arguably my life's greatest work. This book can judge your potential as a mage and will teach you in a way suited to your needs. It will give assignments and quests. You will need to complete set assignments and quests before you can progress with your education. How far you go it's really up to you. Maybe one day you will be seated with me as a peer and one of the few Arch-mages of the land.

Place a drop of blood below and welcome to the Academy of You!

Thaddeus stared open mouthed at the book that had appeared before him in a brilliant flash of light. As everyone did, he had tested for the potential of magic early on in life. And while, against the odds, he did have it, one's magic didn't tend to awaken until around twenty five years of age. Those with magic potential tended to live a couple hundred years, so twenty five wasn't considered to be late in life. Magic awakening at the age of seventeen was unheard of. Thaddeus had only heard of two people as young as twenty one years old awakening, and they were praised as geniuses, Seventeen was something else all together.

To be honest, the book wasn't entirely unexpected. His parents died two years ago, murdered in a bandit raid. Amongst their possessions Thaddeus had found a letter explaining that a mage may one day show up to take care of his education. His parents, knowing they couldn't afford an academy education, had arranged a separate method of education. It was said to be an experimental motive education and that Thaddeus would be one of the first to try it.

If left unchecked and untrained, magic could have harmful, even deadly effects to the caster and those around the caster. So while he had expected to have an education, this method came as a complete shock to him.

Wincing a little, Thaddeus poked a knife into the soft flesh of his fingertip and let a drop fall into the page before inserting his finger into his mouth and sucking on it. The deep red splotch of blood seem to spread like an ink blot for a second before vanishing, as if sucked into the page. Lifting itself, the page flipped over to present more text.

Welcome Mage Apprentice Thadeus Glaft.

The beginning of ones journey to magehood can often be a confusing and challenging time. There are many hidden dangers associated with learning magic and much necessary equipment to learn the craft properly. After having examined your potential, a course has been crafted especially for you. At the beginning of a mages journey a focus is needed to channel your magic. For this mages generally use one of three tools. A wand, a ring, or a staff. This choice is a matter of personal preference. There are two universal tools universally used by all mages is an enchanted cloak. These cloaks have enchantments to protect from And less damage from magical accidents and minor magical attacks.

The other is a cauldron, used for potion, pills and elixers.

In a few moments, the funds to purchase a cloak, a cauldron and a focusing tool will appear before you. These expenses will be covered for you. When practicing magic you must have your cloak and focus with you at all times or the book won't open.

Your cloak should be worn at all times in public as it will mark you as a student of magic and earn you a measure of respect you might not ordinarily have otherwise. Your first assignment will be the purchase of these necessities. Upon completion of the assignment, your next assignment will be unlocked. After this any supplies needed will be funded by yourself. But do not worry, your first few spells will be simple spells that can earn you a living and make life easier.

Good luck and work hard!

Upon closing the book a pouch of coins clanked as it fell onto the table from seemingly nowhere. It looked like a trip to the city was needed. Thaddeus lived on the outskirts of a small village, there were no stores for mages in the area. He'd have to head to the nearest city, Eddington.

The trip was uneventful and pleasant. Late spring was the perfect time of year. Not too hot, not too cold. Often a pleasant breeze would blow bringIng to his nose the scent of the abundant amount of beautiful wild flowers in bloom. The fields he passed were just beginning to sprout with their annual crops. Although it takes three days on foot to reach the city, it was a journey Thaddeus had already made several times before. Entering the city was easy as security was lax. From Thaddeus' perspective the city looked huge and sprawling but in reality it was a rather small city. The capital, he'd heard, was at least five times the size.

After a quick chat with the guard at the gate, Thaddeus knew exactly where he needed to go. The apothecary would have the cauldron, whereas a shop aptly called Mila's Mage Necessities would have his cloak and wand.

He could feel the excitement bubbling within his chest as he meandered through the roads to Mila's. Taking a deep breath to study himself, he pushed the door open. A soft bell chimed from somewhere above his head as he stepped inside. Thaddeus could feel his eyes widen as he took in the sights around him. There was everything a mage could want. Books, wands, rings, staffs, scrolls, quills, ink, and tons of less familiar items such as things that spun and things that measured. Some things even hovered and others moved on their own

A woman Thaddeus assumed to be Mila sat behind a counter further back. Unsure of himself, he approached and cleared his throat, waiting expectantly.

"Yes," Mila examined him after a brief pause, her eyes peeing at him over spectacles that sat low on the bridge if her nose. Her face was stern and her red hair was kept in a tight bun stop her he'd Thaddeus gulped past the lump in his throat.

"I'm here t-to but a wand and an apprentice cloak." He stammered.

"Academy or private studies?" Mila questioned.

"Uh.. what do you mean private studies?"

"Private studies refer to those who opt to apprentice under a mage or tutors instead of going the academy route."

"That one ma'am." He nodded

You'll find the Apprentice robes in isles four through eight. Stick to aisle eight though, the rest are academy robes. They are all the same, but the academy uniforms require a specific aesthetic. Personally, I prefer the private studies cloaks because you can choose what color and style fit you best. The robes all come with a self repair function, but for a little extra, I can add a self cleaning enchantment" The woman winked, and waved Thaddeus on toward isle eight, her personality nowhere as severe as her looks suggested.

After quickly rifling through the selection he found what he considered to be the perfect cloak. It was hooded, floor length, black with crimson patterns and had a gold clasp. He loved how mysterious it felt. After checking the price tag Thaddeus gulped. 75 silver. He doubted he had enough as he had yet to check what was in the coin pouch he had been magically provided. It was rather small which meant there weren't that many coins. But after opening the pouch Thaddeus gasped in shock. There were ten gold coins. That was more money than he'd ever seen in his entire life. 75 silvers was only three fourths of a gold coin.

"Are these cloaks cheaper than normal?" he asked Mila.

"You could say that." She nodded, "In a big city they'll be far more expensive. There's not really much demand out this way so they're generally cheaper."

Thaddeus handed her the cloak and opted for the self cleaning enchantment, after which she disappeared behind a closed wooden door for several minutes only to return with the cloak in a bag.

"Did you need anything else"

"I need a focus. What would you recommend."

The woman visibly brightens at his question. "Very smart question. Most young mages prefer wands or staffs because they are quite showy. But they're amateurs. The best focus is a ring. It will help train you far better to cast magic later in without a focus. Most people like to wear their ring with the focal point facing out and make a fist to cast the magic. But in my professional opinion, it's better to wear the ring with the focal point facing inwards. That way when you cash magic you will do it with an open hand, as you would when casting without a focus. Also, choose something simple. Don't go for a flashy, its just pricier with no actual benefits and becomes a distraction."

Thaddeus mulled her words over in his head. They made perfect sense and, after a moment of browsing, he found a nice gold ring with an inscription for the focal point I stead of one of the large gaudy gems he had seem on other rings. It was perfect. He plucked it out of the display case and tried it on his middle finger. At first he was disappointed, thinking it would be a little too small, but the ring expanded to fit his finger perfectly.

All together he had only paid three and a half gold, leaving a nice tidy sum left over.

Thaddeus couldn't help but wearing the cloak and ring out with a strong sense of pride and a huge grin plastered his face.

The apothecary was only two stores down and filled with a massive selection of plants and products he knew nothing about. Although he was only looking for a cauldron, he was able to purchase an entire beginners kit.

The kit included the cauldron, several empty jars and bottles, scales and other measuring equipment, knives and ladles, a couple of different sized mortars and pestles, a portable enchanted tabletop flame holder, a full stock of several basic ingredients for most beginners potions and a bag of holding to carry it all in. It cost him another five and a half gold leaving him with one gold left, and after a hearty meal he would happily stash the rest for a rainy day.

Before long, with his belly full, he left the city and started for home.

When night fell, Thaddeus made a small campfire by the roadside and opened his book once again. A warm energy seems to rush over and through his body and words began appearing on the pages of the book.

Congratulations on completing your first assignment. You now have the basic equipment needed for any mage.

It is time to learn your first spell. This is a simple beginners conjuration charm that ever mage must learn. It is almost always the first spell learned by any apprentice mage. This spell conjures fire. Necessary for cooking, potion making, and light, the applications of fire are infinite and limited only by your creativity.

With any spell, pronunciation is important. You will find the incantation of the spell you need and under it the correct way to pronounce the incantation. Mispronouncing a spell can have extreme and unexpected consequences. You've been warned.

With any spell, you must envision exactly what you want. You must also have the necessary magic power. Practicing magic will drain your energy. But as with everything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. And the more you use magic, the more powerful you become.

Proceeding to your first spell

Type: basic fire conjuration charm

Incantation: Ignis

Pronunciation (ig-nis)

Point your focal at the object you desire for your fire and focus on what you want to happen. Then speak the incantation.

Although he had already started a fire to read by, he gathered a pile of twigs and closed his eyes, picturing the twigs flaming in his mind.

"Ignis" he muttered under his breath. He felt a surprising amount of energy leave his body and heard soft woosh. Slumping a little due to feeling exhausted, he cracked his eyes open to see the small pile of twigs burning merrily. Had he the energy he would have jumped for joy to celebrate his first ever spell!

A subtle glow from the book caught his attention and he returned to the open page. It now read:

Congratulations. You have just taken the first step in your mage apprenticeship.

While you cast your spell, you were observed by this book.

Observation report:

Casting a spell so easily on the first choice speaks to an incredibly rare level of control and mental fortitude. You will be able to wean yourself from a focus fairly quickly if almost immediately. But cast with your eyes open in the future.

The level of magic power you have is quite low. You will be given daily tasks to help increase your power. As you read this your magic is regenerating at good rate. Training yourself of power through the use of magic increases not only the level of power you have, but also the rate at which your body replenishes the power you've spent.

Every class of mage has ranking that depend on power and control. The rankings are thus starting from the bottom

Rank F

Rank D

Rank C

Rank B

Rank A

Rank S

Rank SS

And Rank SSS

Your class depends on your mage test, but you start as an apprentie mage.

The classes are

Apprentice mage

Apprentice adept

Mage

Mage adept

Arch-mage

And finally grand mage.

In general the most powerful mage Is considered to be an arch-mage, simply because a grand mage hasn't existed for several millennia. The last recorded grand mage appeared just over 3,000 years ago and led a period of prosperity for 500 years.

None but a grand mage is capable of grand magic, magic strong enough to affect whole continents and countries.

Your next assignment will be to use the spell you have just learned successfully five times. Upon completion of this assignment your next spell (s) will open.

Spells cast (0/5)

By the time Thaddeus finished reading, he was no longer exhausted. Within the next twenty minutes he roamed around in the dark to find enough twigs for five piles and then set about casting the flames spell. Between each spell he had to rest, breathless, for several minutes. The task required nearly an hour for him to finish, after which he decided to eat some of the travel rations he had brought with him before settling down to sleep.