Excerpts from Harnessing the Power of Sorcery:

Origins of Sorcerers and their Art:

After the four gods Finiria, Aquitaine, Brohemond, and Aerielos created the world, they bestowed upon their greatest creation, man, the powers of the elements. Only a select few humans were granted this great power, and they became known among others as the sorcerers. Physically, sorcerers are not much different from other humans. The only noticeable difference is within the eyes. Those who possess the power of the gods have eyes that radiate a bright color, ranging anywhere from blue to violet. The higher tier of the sorcerer determines how brightly the eyes shine. Lower tiers, such as tiers one and two, may not have as prominent eye color as those of a tier five or six sorcerer. There are many rumors which circulate among the common people about sorcerers, often resulting in fear among those who do not fully understand. It is for certain that sorcerers do not have supreme physical strength, are not eternal, and do have an Essence. Besides being magic users, they are just like normal humans.

Not anyone can become a sorcerer. Those who are born without the powers cannot train and magically wake up one day with glowing eyes! The gift is passed on genetically, usually through the side of the mother. It is not guaranteed that a sorcerer's offspring will be born with the same powers as its parents. There have been such cases noted, and it is not deemed unusual if a normal child is born to mages. Sometimes, it is often hard to tell if the child is born gifted, because they may not display certain characteristics of sorcery (eye color, spell casting) at an early age. Usually, the radiant eyes appear a few months after birth, and the ability to cast spells comes much later. The age range from when a sorcerer can actually use their powers varies, but is rounded off between 6-13 years. Some might display their gift before or after the times given. Scientists are not quite sure how the genetics work out, but it is also common for the trait to skip generations. An example of this would be a sorceress having a normal child, yet once that child grows up and has children of their own, those children can turn out to be sorcerers. It is possible to be a "carrier" for this gene even if you are not a sorcerer, yet have a parent who is.

Once the parents learn about their child's inherited trait, they can seek out a trainer, or even teach them themselves. Training a novice sorcerer about their powers is not an easy thing. Great concentration much be achieved, knowledge gained, and all cockiness put aside! Young mages can often get overconfident, which could lead to their premature downfall. High tier sorcerers are usually sought out to teach the beginners because of their great elemental and mental strength. Since tier five and six sorcerers are exceptionally rare, mostly tier four mages take up the task to train students below them. Training is usually completed when tier and home element is determined and once the student learns how to harness their power.

Helpful Terminology

Tier: the level of the sorcerer; capacity for spell casting.

Home Element: the prominent element of the sorcerer which is the basis for their spell casting. High level mages are capable of not only manipulating their home element, but the other elements as well.

Essence: the mark of the gods within each human. Grants us an eternal afterlife.

Tiers

All of those who are born with the gift each have their own level of magical strength. These levels are properly called tiers, and they determine the power of the sorcerer and their spells. All together there are six tiers, one being the least powerful, six being the most powerful. The tier of a sorcerer is usually determined during training as different spells are being learned. Each tier has their own unique characteristics, despite the lower ones being subordinate to the higher ones. Here, I will go through each tier individually and describe them the best I can.

Tier One:

The lowest level of sorcery. There is power within, but it is very minimal. Tier One mages are not capable of any major spell casting, such as a healing spell. Their home element cannot be determined because of the lack of power within. Eye colors are not very radiant, and look mostly like the colors of a non-gifted human. It is hard to distinguish lower tier sorcerers apart from the regular population because of this fact. These mages are known for telekinesis, but cannot cast elemental spells.

Tier Two:

A notch above a tier one sorcerer. Again, home element is usually not determined and eye color remains, for the most part, dull. Sometimes the mage can cast an elemental spell with very limited power. Some examples of this are setting small fires out of nothing and manipulating water around into its different forms. Telekinesis is also common among these sorcerers.

Tier Three:

These spell casters have an upper edge over their two subordinates due to the fact that they can claim their home element. This allows for stronger spells to be cast alongside the respective home element. For instance, if the home element is fire for a third tier sorcerer, their fire spell is more powerful compared to that of a first or second tier mage. The effects are maximized to their potential. Level three sorcerers can only manipulate one element though, and for some odd reason, usually don't have the power of telekinesis. They are the most powerful of the lower tier sorcerers.

Tier Four:

The first of the higher tiered mages. They have the ability to claim a home element and cast strong spells based on it. Their sole element spells are similar to that's of a third tier's, but level four magic is much more powerful. They take all the aspects of the lower tiers and combine them. Eye color is bright and very distinguishable. One aspect that separates the higher mages from the lower ones is that from tiers four and up, the ability to cast healing spells becomes an option. Tier four sorcerers can usually heal minor ailments such as cuts, bruises, exhaustion, and even the common cold. They are known to be good teachers of beginner sorcerers because they are neither too weak or too strong.

Tier Five:

The second to last of the tiers and considerably rare. They not only cast powerful spells based on their home element, but can take aspects from other elements and contribute them to the original spell. Combining the powers of the elements is what fifth tiers do best, and is properly called "spell-mixing". An example of this is casting a blizzard spell, which is classified under the water element, then adding powerful, stinging winds, contributing the air element into the fray. Tier five and six sorcerers used to make excellent weapons in wars, but this practice was stopped five hundred years ago, after the devastating war known as "The Destruction" destroyed much of the Eight Kingdoms. The havoc caused from fifth tier spells stands as testimony to their immense power. Casting elemental spells is not the only thing these sorcerers can do. They also possess the ability to heal. Broken limbs, certain diseases, and moderate to severe damage caused from trauma can be healed in the presence of a fifth tier mage. Sometimes, they can also do things ranging from telekinesis to walking through walls, then to the downright strange, such as sensing what a growing fetus is going through inside its mother. Still, not all fifth tier sorcerers have these abilities. Some have certain ones like telepathy, while others can manipulate objects without touching them. It is rare for a level five mage to possess all of these perks.

Tier Six:

The rarest of the rare and most powerful of all sorcerers. They bring together all the abilities from the lower tiers, combine them, and multiply the ferocity of spells to unimaginable heights. "Spell-mixing" is brought to whole new levels with these sorcerers. One particularly harsh example of this was during "The Destruction". The kingdom of Magnamar Chasm earned its nickname from its huge canyons which were the result of an angry sixth tier's earth spell during the war. They can take life freely by casting a nasty death spell, which only they are capable of casting. Most types of wounds and illness can be cured, although contrary to popular belief, a six tier cannot bring the dead back to life. Once an Essence enters the NeatherRealm, it's there to stay. Characteristics such as telekinesis and telepathy are nothing these sorcerers, and they can do them at whim. One aspect which sets them apart from the rest of the tiers is their ability to call forth the spirit of an ancestor for aid. This is known as "calling", and it is what makes the sixth tiers so unique. The ghost can take on any shape it wants, whether it be a mythical creature, a common animal, or even their old human form. These spirits cannot be harmed, because of the simple fact that they are already dead and no harm can come to them. It was once thought that only relatives who were sorcerers in their past lives could come back to help a present day mage, but this theory is still debatable. Some believe if the connection between the one living and the dead is strong enough, the spirit can be called no matter what their status was. The sorcerer him/herself cannot determine whether or not they become a "caller". It is up to the spirit if they wish to grant the sorcerer their aid. It is not known if more than one spirit can be called by one mage, because the last known sixth tier sorcerer lived over two hundred years ago. Testimony which has survived to our time revealed that just before a sixth tier discovers their power to "call", they often have some sort of connection with the spirit. The method of this "connection" is unknown, but it has been speculated that telepathy plays a role between the sorcerer and the dead. Again, many things are uncertain about this tier because of their rarity. If one were to live today, we could learn much more about these powerful individuals.