| Magicians |
|---|
| (every person capable of casting spells is presumed to be a Magi) Magi are feared and respected in Arkos. Though the ones operating in view of the public eye are not typically believed to be using true magic. Lendermenn, jarls, kings, and queens all seek to bring wisened sages who might advertise as being capable of powerful spells ...mostly to bolster their reputations as knowledgable sages... and frighten the gullible. But these are not true Magi. Typically those with the true gifts of magic don't operate in the open. And even partial casters who do reveal their abilities will draw a mixture of suspicion, scorn, awe, and fear from the common people. Even among magical folk, Cabalists who have studied their craft at recognized academies of the craft have a reputation for power and dark purpose. |
| Paladins and Templar |
| Like clerics, paladins in Arkos are thought to be legends. Fictions from a bygone age when true magic stalked the world. A favored divine soul may be given power by the grace of gods is not seen as real. There are, however, persistent tales of semi-divine paragons, who are not knights ...but common men. According to these tales on occasion, a common man reveals themselves to be 'Asar', a living mirror of an ancient Hero. Men who walk in the footsteps and behaviors of an ancient hero, unknowing. A Paragon of Righteousness that returns again and again to the world of Men. Bound to protect the common folk from some specific horror lurking in the nearby shadow threatening the downfall of all Mortal Kind. When such tales are followed and facts investigated, they almost always lead the existence of a Cults of Chaos or what's left of such one. For no known reason there are few non-human Asar that forge a link to the spirit of Righteousness. |
| Skald |
| Skalds are warrior-poets, wanderers, and diplomats from the more 'barbarous' tribes. Though the greatest among them is still much sought after by civilized kings and queens, who consider it a mark of honor to employ the best poets to extol their deeds. Others travel the length and breadth of Arkos, seeking secrets and tales with which to make their reputations. All races produce skalds, but Cherkess skalds are considered the very best. |
| Bards, Mystics, Alchemists, Artificers, and Scholars |
| Oddly these folk seem ALMOST exempt from much of the ban on the use of magic in regular society. All of these men are considered Intellectual in the Pursuit of Reason. Each one bound by some maxim and principle, and bend their mental might on clarifying social interests. On making the world around them more reasoned places. The actual performance of their profession, though, can be complex - insofar as the ideals and the expectations of the role are mixed. Hailed as the Princes of Reason these men are afforded respect because they are EXPECTED to make sense of every odd happening the world to the common citizens, shopkeeper, or traveling trader. They are EXPECTED to stand side by side with the more violent, hardbitten defenders of the world running around the land. They are often viewed with some wide-eyed innocence as they chase some illusory and ephemeral truth that will hopefully bring back better days. Until then the public will listen to these men and women as they describe the world around them. Though they deal openly with potions, runes, dusty tomes, relics and artifacts of ancient proportion - only the MOST minor of enchanted items (or spell) will be tolerated by the public. But at least they have that. It is THEY, more than any rogue, that specialize in the shaping of the presented truth. And, ONLY when deemed suitably constant to their given professions MAY they reveal the unlettered truth. These are some of the most popular professions as they are allowed the MOST freedom to develop a magical ability, when compared to any other class. Though they aren't NEARLY as powerful a pure caster. |
| Rogues and Scoundrels |
| Thieves are outsiders, the folk of the underworld. But even the underbelly of society has its hierarchies and nets of duty and obligation. Thieves stand outside this hierarchy, and it can be dangerous to ply one’s trade without knowing the right people. Ancient temples, hidden ruins, and forgotten tombs draw thieves like moths to a flame. |
| Warlord |
| Most people of Arkos will fight if the need is great, but a warlord is a person that excels at violence; it is far more than merely their stock-in-trade. Those with existing reputations will find work as Huskarls for the powerful. Or, they lead warbands of their own. Others may turn to banditry and raiding... typically to make ends meet. Some few will coast on their reputation just waiting for the next big challenge ... getting hired by merchants to protect their goods on land and at sea. Their well earned reputation for bloody-handed violence quelling most rebellions before they need to lift a finger. Still, others are not content to wait for a challenge to arrive on its own. These sorts will find the ancient and lost places of Arkos to their liking and seek forgotten treasures and the beasts that guard them with which to make their reputation mean more than the MEN they have killed and the blood they have spilled. |
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