Role Play: Mage roleplay in Legion

Mage roleplay has been ramping up over the past couple of expansions. Where other classes might not have a particularly defined history behind them, Mages certainly do. And as far as WoW is concerned, the role of the Mage in Azeroth’s future is slowly becoming more important than ever. With the Kirin Tor in a state of back-and-forth turmoil, where does your Mage character stand amidst the chaos?

Mage history

From its beginnings as a city-state, Dalaran was founded as the home for Mages of all races. In exchange for help during the Troll Wars, the High Elves taught a scant one hundred Humans to wield magic. What the elves likely didn’t suspect was just how adept those Humans would turn out to be. When Dalaran was founded, it was specifically because the Mages of the world wanted some place to hone their arts in peace.

The city soon became a haven and hub of arcane study – and a beacon for unwanted attention from the Burning Legion as a result. Eventually, the Magocrats – leaders of Dalaran – were forced to turn to the High Elves once more for aid and a solution to their problem. But that solution was unacceptable — essentially, humanity would have to give up practicing magic entirely. Unwilling to do so, the Magocrats instead hatched a plan.

One mortal champion would be chosen to stand against the Burning Legion. That champion would be imbued with some of the power from Azeroth’s greatest Mages, and become a protector – a Guardian. The High Elves agreed to this plan, and helped form a secret order – the Council of Tirisfal – to choose that Guardian.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Mage characters

As a Mage, your character is part of that storied history – they’re well aware of the dangers of magic. They’re well aware of the danger that the Legion poses. Depending on how much time they’ve dedicated to their studies, they’re probably also well aware of Dalaran’s history, and they may be aware of how the Council of Tirisfal came to be.

Mages are intelligent – they have to be, to pull off what they do. Some of them are arrogant beyond belief; others are simply incredibly focused on whatever task happens to be at hand. Some are charismatic and very well-spoken. Others are reclusive, shy, and far more accustomed and comfortable with dealing with stacks of books than the public.

Mages are also well aware that they wield incredible amounts of power at their fingertips. Some may look at this as a gift they need to treat with proper care and control. Others may take that taste of power and start recklessly looking for more. It’s all up to you where your character falls in terms of personality and character development.

Dalaran and the Kirin Tor

While Mages are typically part of the Kirin Tor, the mage capital of Dalaran has only seen a recent return to full working order. Dalaran was originally constructed on an incredibly powerful ley line. The city was full of priceless and powerful magical artifacts. One of these items, the Book of Medivh, was stolen by Arthas and used to summon Archimonde during the Third War. And what was Archimonde’s first act after his arrival? Destroying Dalaran.

The city was in ruins, but that didn’t stop members of the Kirin Tor from eventually returning to the city to reclaim it. They kept the city under a protective dome while they worked to rebuild it. In Wrath, the city was moved to Northrend. There, the Kirin Tor worked to counter the Lich King, and also to fight the encroachment of the Blue Dragonflight. Now the city has relocated again to the Broken Isles.

It’s up to you whether or not your character was in Dalaran when it was attacked, or whether they were part of the Kirin Tor that hid away to rebuild the city. The Third War took place in year 20 in the timeline – the events of Warlords of Draenor took place only eleven years later, in year 31. Presumably, Legion takes place in year 32 – but that hasn’t been confirmed. Still, Dalaran’s seclusion is still a fairly recent development from a timeline standpoint. There’s no reason why a player character couldn’t have lived in Dalaran while it was still in the Alterac Mountains.

Current events

But the Kirin Tor itself has been under some rocky times lately. When Archmage Antonidas was killed during the Third War, it took time to replace him. His replacement was Archmage Rhonin – a Mage who was known as being both unorthodox and unspoken. But the Mages of the Kirin Tor wanted a new kind of leader, and Rhonin fit the bill. He embraced the idea of being neutral and independent – Mages from both sides of the faction divide were welcomed into the Kirin Tor. It was an effective strategy, one that worked in the war against the Lich King.

When Garrosh Hellscream and the Horde attacked Theramore, Rhonin couldn’t in good conscience send Mages to attack the Horde. The Kirin Tor was still a neutral entity. He could, however, send Mages to shield the city and protect it. In the ensuing assault, Rhonin was killed while protecting the city from a mana bomb, and Jaina Proudmoore was named the new leader of the Kirin Tor.

Jaina was not on the side of neutrality – not after the Sunreavers, a Horde organization of Mages, helped Garrosh Hellscream infiltrate Darnassus. She purged the Horde from Dalaran completely, and pledged the city – and the Kirin Tor – to the Alliance. But as the threat of the Burning Legion loomed, Jaina’s decision was heavily criticized, particularly by Archmage Khadgar. Khadgar insisted that the Alliance and Horde needed to work together in order to defeat the Legion, and the Council of Six agreed, voting to allow the Horde back into the city.

And Jaina Proudmoore took her leave.

Mage roleplay in Legion

Mage roleplay in Legion is a little bit about the overarching story in the expansion – of course there’s the threat of the Burning Legion to worry about. The Nightborne of Suramar possess a fascinating aptitude for magics the likes of which nobody has really seen before. The Nightwell is an intriguing new kind of magic, empowered by a Pillar of Creation. And then there’s the Pillars themselves, fascinating items worth centuries of careful study.

But beyond that, there’s the whole political climate in Dalaran and within the Kirin Tor to consider. Rhonin’s death is still fresh in everyone’s minds. The actions of Jaina Proudmoore – the expulsion of the Sunreavers and their subsequent return, Jaina’s desertion – are likely weighing heavily on the minds of many Mages. Archmage Khadgar’s insistence on a united front between Alliance and Horde, his growing power of command, his apparent takeover of the Kirin Tor – all of these are talking points.

So it’s a matter of figuring out just where your Mage fits in all the madness. Are they a strong member of the Kirin Tor, or has their support of the organization wavered in recent years? Were they pleased with Rhonin as leader, or were they hoping for another Antonidas in terms of temperament and beliefs? Did they think the situation in Northrend was effectively handled, or were they hoping to reach a better accord with the Blue Dragonflight – do they mourn the death of Malygos?

How does your character feel about Theramore? Were they happy when Jaina was appointed leader? Do they think she did an effective job? Do they agree with her belief that the Horde cannot be trusted? Were they horrified by the purge of Dalaran, or did they consider it justice duly served? How do they feel about Khadgar?

Mages in Azeroth aren’t just a different class. They’re an incredibly diverse group of incredibly powerful, intelligent people that are arguably on a different kind of level than other classes. Mages have a phenomenal amount of power and knowledge at their fingertips. With that comes a phenomenal amount of responsibility. It’s up to you to determine just how serious your character is about those responsibilities, and where they’ll stand when the war against the Legion is over.