How do mages get their powers? Do they have them their entire lives, or what?
Most mages manifest their powers at or around puberty. They suddenly find that they have access to forces they had never imagined being able to manipulate. After manifestation, the mage has to learn to control their newfound powers. Most do this with the aid of a mentor or teacher to show them how to properly channel their abilities without hurting themselves or others, though some can teach themselves control. It should be noted there are no “magic schools,” since magic is in most cases so individualized that it’s impossible to codify. Sorry, your character won’t be attending Hogwarts. A few mages (power-born mages) have their powers from birth. These are usually the most powerful mages — and those whose sanity is the most precarious. A young child has absolutely no ability to naturally control their own powers, and even with the aid of a mentor, such power contained within an undeveloped mind creates a great risk of permanent mental instability. Sometimes, this instability is minor —
