Order of Spellcasters


 * They are trained within the Towers scattered throughout the Empire.
 * They form the core of the Circle of Mages, and are the original order around which the Circle was formed.
 * During formation of the Empire, one of the early emperors sought to increase increase his own power by having mages under his command. After a long and protracted diplomatic srtuggle [WAR?], he was able to get the High Matron's blessing. So he gathered all the great hedge-mages in the Empire. These mages are known as the Founders. They devised a unified system of spellcasting, including a lingua franca, systems, symbols, hierarchy, curriculum, and many other things. The Circle has followed the rules and systems set down by them ever since.
 * The Order of Spellcasters boasts the largest and most varied collection of spells amongst all spellcasters. Ranging from the utilitarian to the arcane. Because the order started off as a hodgepodge collection of magical styles, the spells are not very well organized, and there isn't a very coherent system for sorting them.
 * Spells known to mages from the Order of Spellcasters are not a single ritual, but actually a series of rituals and ritual elements that can be adapted and chosen from depending on the circumstances. This means that a good mage has actually memorized a series of rituals that produce the same effects, and then chooses the best ritual depending on the circumstances.