<strong><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">On Magic, Wizards, and Witches</span></strong><br/><br/>There is nothing inherently evil, chaotic, or dark about magic.  Much like any other form of worldly power, it can be wielded carefully or carelessly, selfishly or selflessly.  However, it is an eternal truth of the world that most of those with power are loath to share it, and this is as true of political and religious power as it is of magic.<br/><br/>The term "wizard", or "one of the wise", can be traced back to antiquity, and its meaning has evolved over the centuries.  In the modern age, however, it refers specifically to those trained in magic by the College of Icaria.  Since its inception, the College has exclusively accepted men for training (the few notable exceptions having been so only by disguising themselves otherwise).  Common religious doctrine and popular rhetoric holds women as too weak-willed and corruptible to use magic safely, without being tempted by forbidden arts.  "Witch", meanwhile, originated as a collective term for magic-users not trained by the College, and operating without its sanction.  However, because boys with an aptitude for magic tend to be identified young and accepted to the College for instruction, while girls receive no such luxury, the majority of witches have historically been women.  Over the years, these trends have become embedded in popular consciousness, and so, while there have been female wizards and still are male witches, in the minds of most common folk, a man who uses magic is a wizard, a righteous and godly individual who uses his craft for good, while a woman who uses magic is a witch, a diabolical blasphemer who threatens the lives and souls of honest folk.<br/><br/>Of course, in practice, it is often less simple.  In many villages, witches hold positions of quiet respect as healers, seers, and sources of wisdom.  Meanwhile, many wizards openly flout the codes espoused by the College and use their powers to abuse their neighbors, even turning to outlawry.  But the stereotypes persist nonetheless.