1: what is the difference between the places that mages can train at? (those being the city of the gods, carthak university and corus university)

2: what are the levels in training of mages (their equivalen of page, squire and knight)

3: with what it says in the encyclopedia article, "the gift, the sight and wild magic", under the subject of warmages: "They train right along with the knights "

would that mean that a warmage in training would train in the palace with the squires and pages for atleast part of the time?

thank you in advance for answering

1. The way I've read it, and from what I've interpreted, I believe the difference between the universities is that they specialise in slightly different things. For example, the Carthaki Uni would tend to specialise in war magic, whereas the Corus Uni would perhaps be more devoted towards healing and beneficial charms.

The City of the Gods is as Kayte said, more academic. It's like the difference between doing a degree in Applied Chemistry and just 'normal' Chemistry. AC is the study of practical rather than theoretical, like the unis.

2. There's Novice, Adept, and Master. I think it's in that order. Masters are the equivalent of red robe mages (I think), novices are yellow, adepts are orange. Numair is a black robe- that's more powerful than red.

3. When it says "along with knights", they don't actually train as knights. They train in strategies and tactics, the organisation of armies and the psychology behind it. They learn how to spot, like knights, weaknesses in their enemies, and how to exploit them. I'm not sure if it means they train physically, but I'd be willing to bet most would, anyway. If you're stuck in the middle of a battle it's sometimes easier just to cut someone's head off than blast it off, if you get what I mean XD

1. City of the Gods is very strict, according to Thom's experience at the cloisters, and run by preists. It is apparently the religious centrepoint of the Eastern lands. Kayte said it has a heavy focus on academics... kind of like it's more book learning than practical.

As for the other two- the Royal University bering open here isn't from the books, as the Royal University there was starting to get set up in Lioness Rampant. I think we decided that sometime between now and then the place goes on fire or gets hit by a meteorite or something, so that's our excuse for having it. All that I know about that uni is from its description on the forums, which I'd cut and paste but this computer doesn't like to click and drag (but hey, at least it has both screen hinges in working order). It doesn't mention war magic as a specialty, though it mentions healing and magical innovation.

I'd say that 200 years after the Immortals being closed into the Divine Realms, that the Catharki university would still be quite influential. They have many different specialties in Emperor Mage, and I figure it would still be very worth any serious mage training there for some time. But hey, I could be wrong! I think that there would especially be a focus on training there while the betrothal is being orchestrated.

2. Novice > Initiate > Adept > Master for the City of the Gods. Not sure about the Royal University. Thom was a full Master by 18, but that was very very unusual. Most don't get there until they're 30.


3. No idea as that's not pulled from the books. I'd say that Nori who wrote that page is the only one who can answer that for sure, though it seems likely and reasonable.

1) thank you

2) thank you

3) In this question i didn't actually mean that they train as knights, with the intent to get a shield or anyhting, I mean woudl they spend some time at corus in some of the classes on tactics and such or would they learn it seperately?

thank you again

EDIT: could i just get some approx. ages on the ranks?

Novice >13 (or whatever age they leave the convent)
Initiate 15-
Adept 20-
Master 30-

That'd be the rough ages. Open ended as some would never advance far....

thank you, now i just need to get a mod to say that this is good.... *looks around for a mod*

She'll be asleep for a few hours yet! Poor thing doesn't live in Australia.

*sighs and shakes head in sadness* maybe she'll get a job as a night watch guard, then get fired and be unable to sleep at night for months afterward *fantasizes*

These are the words of Tamora Pierce on Mages and University:

The university is on the north bank of the Olorun, at the edge of the city, so if anything blows up, it won’t take too many people with it.

Robe colors are pretty much the same through the university system (there’s one in Maren and Galla, but they don’t have very good departments for magical studies like the Tortallan one and the Carthaki one), as an accurate measure of someone’s ability. There are also smaller schools, colleges, scattered everywhere, but not everyone has the bucks to support a full-fledged university. The school at the City of the Gods is a theological university: whatever you do, once you enter advanced studies (there’s a basic program for young noblemen and noblewomen, like high school) you come out of it a Mithran priest or priest/mage. And it was the closest convent school Alanna’s father could send her to.

There are thousands of mages out there without degrees, but the parchment on the wall means you can charge higher prices and get magical workings that are uniform in quality. Most of those non-university mages learned from local mages, or even traveled from mage to mage to study. Some mages have their own schools, similar to Roger’s at court, but if you want to make it as a top dollar professional, university is the path you have to take.

Most people get in by passing the entrance exams at 16 or older, by paying their fees, and by passing their classes. (Sound familiar?) There are a few exceptions. They admitted Numair at 12, for excellent reasons.

Forgot to write down the robe colours that we figured out for CotG. White for Novices, orange for Initiates, unknown for Adepts, and black and gold for Masters. I think that the Adepts robe would be another firey colour, so red or yellow, more likely red so it doesn't get confused with the black and gold (but that's just my guessing).

Now I'm going to bed. Early rising and all of that.

P.S. Leave me and my Australian pride alone. I've not been in a roleplay with more than two Aussies in the past three years. Leave me my patriotism

University System:
White -> Novice (has the trim)
Yellow -> Expert (Adept)
Red/Scarlet -> Mastery
Black -> Uber Advanced Mastery

Actually, the colors are:

Novice --> White
Initiate --> Yellow
Adept --> Scarlet
Master --> Black

I figure they are all solid, because when the robe has a trim of any color, it means they are a journeyman in their area. The major thing that seperates a scarlet robe from a black robe is the mastery of the words of the power.

(Also from Words of Tamora Pierce)

And I think the "along with knights" is just a mention for the pages who are gifted... They have to an extra class taught by someone (mostly described as a Mithran priest), because when the Gift isn't used, it can get out of hand, and someone with an uncontrolled gift on a battlefield would be... disastrous.

If what your saying about warmages is right then i'll have to rethink most of my charecter, I was planning to make a warmage that was on loan from CotG ir carthak U, learning strategy and stuff from the knights.

I think either of those schools would have classes for strategy and tactics - since master's of those areas are made.

Hmmmmm...Okay then, How to get a mage into corus then? Other than in corus university *thinks*

Well, if he's Tortallan born, I'm sure they would welcome him as a warmage for the crown...?

so what would that entail?

Numair was a Cathaki mage but he had no problem getting into tortall and letting the rulers know of his past.. although... Jon and Thayet were some special rulers...

Anyway..

Novice --> White
Initiate --> Yellow
Adept --> Scarlet
Master --> Black


Elwood of Brightleigh and Regan of Wellam are correct. These are the colors, nice call. XD

Novice --> 15+
Initiate --> 25+
Adept --> 30+
Master --> (mastering the Words of Power, age undetermined)

Thanks to Anastasya of Conté for the general ages. These are a little more realistic only because the priests want the most out of the ages. To allow someone to actually start working they need to be old enough to put childish feelings behind them. Although 15 year olds have the tendancy brag and show off alot, they are more likely to not do things too drastic.

--

As to the point of where their schooling takes place. Carthak at this point in time was the best school for mages. Any person who really wants to take their schooling seriously would want to be there. The City of the Gods would be the better place for more.. grounded schooling. Carthak has a more... scholarly feel to it. Then theres the Tortallian School... trailing behind like the little brother you never wanted.

So.. To be tortallian and go to the carthaki school for mages they would have high standards for their rulers.. The emperor is still paying homage to the graveyard hag and has respect for other countries. Sure, there is tension, but it would be more likely that if the students acted like they either hated Tortal or was planning on staying in carthak then their teachers would actually teach them things. Their could be some prejudices. That is up to how the teachers and the student's relationship. Or the teachers could actually have respect for their kids and teach them properly.

Anything else... ask Kyppie. XD

<333333333

wow, the first thing that comes to mind; Thom was a complete genius.

second thing: im going to have to completely rethink my charecter

That's ok. Maybe this character doesn't work out but maybe a completely different one would

Yeah, Thom was amazing. That's why Alanna was so shocked and bent out of shape when she visited Thom in ItHotG and found out. And why he was able to bring Roger back from the dead. He was also a once-in-a-billion-years type of mage.

You can also keep in mind though, that being an Adept or Initiate would probably give your character way more training that many other mages. Granted, a good handful will be greater and totally look down on him/her, but still, they'd be better off and better trained than common- born and everyday mages.

Just a few thoughts.