UESP Forums

I wish to create a mage that is independent. One that will use black soul gems, use necromancy as one of many schools of magic and basically be autodidact, autonomous and unaffiliated with mages guild. I have some lore related questions. The mage class. Are all mages also members of the mages guild or can one be a grey/free/independent mage and still be called mage, even if the class is exactly the same. I mean I don't have a problem with the mages guild, other than their narrow-mindedness @ necromancy etc. If a true mage is to gain arcane mastery, they cannot afford to ignore/pass up certain avenues because... it's too dangerous.. That would be... unprofessional. A mage would need to be free to use all forms of magic and arcanery to master their magic and accomplish their goals.

Questions thusly being. Lore wise, would the mages guild consider my mage as a mage, or a necromancer, a warlock, a renegade? Like I said I don't hate the mages guild. It's just that those who use necromancy are "not welcome" and so I avoid them. I even have a mod that allows one to buy altars and have them portable. This mage I intend to make will not join the necromancers either, they are independent, not affiliated, they learn magic for personal reasons and feel they have to do it alone or else it does not count. This mage views notions of good and evil as irrelevant and only considers logical considerations, relative to their interests in magic. So lorewise, would this kind of character raise alarm bells among the halls of the mages guild? Would he have to go undercover to maintain his interests?

Also... Are there any one syllable synonyms for independent? o.o

Here is a tome that explains the lore:

http://uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:The_Black_Arts_On_Trial

"Necromancy by its nature relies on the practitioner going further into the darkness than is wise, virtually guaranteeing his destruction. It has no place in the Mages Guild."

Perhaps like the term "fremen" in Dune, your character class might be fremage.

An interesting term. And thank you for the link to that article.

The article has respectable arguments, but I still feel it is slightly biased. I'm not sure if it's the mages guild intent to merely protect people and spellcasters alike from "the horrible dangers" of necromancy, or whether they seek to.. Censure them, control them, limit them. If every avenue of magic is not explored then what is the point of seeking arcane mastery?

The Black Weasel wrote:Also... Are there any one syllable synonyms for independent? o.o

Maybe...lone, free, sole...

I did consider Grey Mage but I am not sure if that term is correct for the meaning of it. I mean a white mage would be "good" and a dark/black mage would be "evil". Since my to-be character is only concerned with neutrality and logic, perhaps Grey Mage is not such a bad class name.