" All Wizards are War-Wizards by the very definition of their being! Every single one that we might see upon the streets of Altdorf or coming to and for their ‘College’ buildings are powder-kegs simply awaiting a match!"
- —Lord Melched Eisener of Altdorf.[2a]
A Wizard Lord of the Bright Order.
A Wizard Lord is one of the most powerful practitioners of the arts of magic amongst the race of Men.
Overview[]
Trained as masters of one of the 8 Lores of Magic at the Imperial Colleges of Magic in Altdorf, arcane power courses through their veins and lurks behind their eyes like the thunder before a storm. The services of a Wizard are always much sought-after by the Elector Counts for their armies, as they often face foes in battle who employ potent shamans or fell sorcerers of the Ruinous Powers.[1a]
A Wizard Lord is a true master of his craft, an individual who has come to embody one of the 8 Winds of Magic within his own body and has often spent many decades training other Wizards-to-be in their particular Lore at the Colleges of Magic. Only the most powerful Imperial armies are normally able to employ a Wizard Lord, and Wizard Lords often lead teams of their fellow magi into combat.[1a]
Only the most dire of threats to the Empire can get a Wizard Lord to leave the comfort of his laboratory in the Colleges of Magic to face the difficulties and endless frustrations of the field. Once on the field they are the masters of the battlefield, able to send lightning bolts from the sky, massive infernos hurling towards their vile enemies, or even in some cases, send a massive meteorite from the very heavens crashing molten rock upon those who dare to defy the glorious Empire's realm. Very few armies can withstand a battle against a Wizard Lord, for they also bring in a conclave of their own apprentices and magisters that can bring in only more mayhem on the battlefield.[1a]
Little Known Facts[]
Those that practice magic for any length of time find that it slowly but surely begins to alter their perception of reality. It may start with simple things, such as colours becoming more vivid or hearing whispered voices on the wind, but over time it will lead to a fundamental change in the magister's mind.[3a]
By the time a wizard attains the rank of lord, he is irrevocably infused with magic, the essence of it seeping into the very marrow of his bones and trickling down into the darkest corners of his psyche. Such an altered perception can result in unusual behaviour and, as all who deal with such powerful wizards know, their mannerisms are more than mere eccentricities. A wizard lord will often stare into the middle distance, muttering under his breath or making strange hand gestures as if in constant dialogue with an unseen force, a consequence of looking constantly into the beyond.[3a]
Sometimes it is hard for a wizard lord to focus on the present, as his mind wanders back and forth in time or is distracted by the colourful flow of magic that caresses the object he should be concentrating on. Of course, in moments of urgency, a wizard can shake off his reverie, and the source of his distraction becomes the tool with which he forges his great power.[3a]
The Call to War[]
When a wizard’s power reaches its peak and he attains the highest ranks within the Colleges of Magic, he also takes on a sacred duty to use his power to protect the Empire in times of strife. Members of the Colleges of Magic understand that they were created and are allowed to prosper in order to protect the Empire from those that would destroy it. So, in times of war, the Emperor calls upon his most powerful wizards to march to battle alongside his armies and use their gifts to strike down his foes. It is a duty that wizard lords accept as part of the price of their power and one that most perform willingly.[3a]
Of course, this duty to the Emperor can come in many forms, and while the most common is service in times of war, it can sometimes manifest in more subtle duties. Wizard lords not averse to open warfare might be expected to pay a tithe of potions or magical artefacts to the Emperor to aid his forces in battle, or might agree to raise some of their apprentices as battle mages, wizards specifically trained to devastate the Emperor's enemies with destructive battlefield powers.[3a]