Category:Archmage

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Archmage is a title used to identify an especially powerful wizard (usually within the context of fantasy fiction). The term is a neologism strung together from the Greek word arché, meaning "first" + magos, a reference specifically to the astronomer-astrologers of ancient Persia.

In a more advanced definition Archmages are typically portrayed as people who have, one way or another, gained the ability to influence the world around them in ways modern physics does not readily permit. This usually draws upon unusual energy sources, ranging from personal will-power to ambient arcane energy to naturally occurring ley-lines. In almost all cases they are a subset of wizards, magicians, druids, or other profession which uses said energy, albeit typically a highly disciplined and usually substantially more powerful and/or influential subset.