Instruction, research and usage of magic
Logo of the Mages Academy
Based in Germany, the Mages Academy is an organization with colleges and universities in multiple European countries, that has made it their business to research and teach the use of anomalous abilities in form of "magic". Whereas the Foundation categorically considers all anomalies as a threat and tries to control them with any measure necessary, the Academy sees anomalies as a natural part of the world, and tries to achieve harmonic coexistence through a science-based and broadly peaceful approach. They see themselves as pioneers of a new domain of natural science.
While the Academy sees the anomalous as natural, it advocates the position that mankind must be protected from the dangers of the anomalous, as well as from itself. There is no need for destructive magical artifacts; should magic become credibly known to the public a catastrophic mass-hysteria would follow. Thus, the Academy has secretly supported the Foundation since the 1950s, for example by taking magical anomalies into custody or by neutralizing them, or by bringing them to the Foundation's attention and, as the circumstances require, weakening the effects beforehand. Also, they occasionally remove hindrances, hold personnel that are hostile to the Foundation at bay, or create distractions. Therefore, the Academy has embedded agents in many larger facilities in the Germanophone Foundation and a few in other European branches, to keep track of the Foundation's work, to exert influence here and there, and to coordinate the Academy's covert support or countermeasures. Until 2018, they were able to remain undetected by the Foundation, however, since they had been set up for a trap by 4R1, an incident in which an embedded agent had to break disguise, and the Academy was uncovered and classified as a Group of Interest considered hostile by the Foundation due to its embedded agents. Until further notice, the Foundation rejects offers of cooperation from the Academy, and holds discovered agents captive as E-Class Personnel. However, these events did not result in the departure of the agents, but rather to an intensification of their disguise; a step which impedes their work and has lead to a latent increase of findings of magical and thaumaturgic anomalies, and more accidents and casualties during contact with them as well as with 4R.
The Academy has banned "black magic", and considers the demonologist Rass as an enemy not only for moral, but also for magical-ethical reasons, and are probably the only Group of Interest that actively and aggressively takes action against 4R, especially since several members of 4R are former students of the Academy. The Magisters of the Academy regard the unyielding attitude towards the Academy with an increasing lack of understanding, as this position evidently costs lives.
Despite the feud with 4R and the activities inside the Foundation, the Mages Academy is mainly an organization for teaching and researching the anomalous. All agents embedded in the Foundation, fighting 4R or researching and taking into custody anomalies are volunteers and represent only a small portion of the activities of the Academy.
One might think that the students of the Academy walk around in flowing robes and pointy hats like Gandalf, or dwell in anomalous castles teaching gifted children in parallel societies like in Harry Potter. This is not the case. The schools are private universities at which the students - all of them adults - acquire a civil academic title alongside their magic abilities, and most Academy schools have technological or scientific faculties.
Charter of the Mages Academy
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to harmony, peace, freedom, and equality.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to absolute equal rights, independent of ethnicity, sex, gender, sexuality, identity, or religion.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to nonviolence, and only uses violent measures as a last resort.
- Magic is part of the natural order of the universe.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to research, teaching, and usage of magic.
- The Mages Academy are pioneers of a completely new domain of natural science.
- There are magical objects and occurrences that are too dangerous to research, teach or use, and must be destroyed or kept hidden from humanity.
- Humanity is not yet ready for the public recognition of magic.
- Magic is to be used for humanity's benefit.
- The Mages Academy condemns and bans black magic.
- Every taught and practiced magic must be beneficial for humanity.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to secrecy and discretion.
- Every school must keep the existence of magic secret from the public.
- Every school must support other schools, students, graduates, and docents of the Mages Academy in keeping secrecy.
- Every institute, mages circle, and secret society that pledges itself to the Charter of the Mages Academy, and that honors and adheres to the Charter, may join the Mages Academy.
- Every school of the Mages Academy may organize itself within the standards of the Charter.
- Every school is to be lead by an Archmagister, who must join the Magistrate.
- The Magistrate elects the supreme Archmagister as its chairman.
- Schools that for their part are lead by a council send a representative as Archmagister.
- Every school, independent of their internal structure, has to award and work forward to awarding the academic titles of Apprentice, Adept, Master, and Grandmaster2.
- Every school has to have at least one conventional faculty of technology or science, according to the local law and regulations for colleges and universities.
- The Magistrate defines the curricula and the requirements for awarding a mages' title, following the state of the science.
- The schools pledge themselves to teach the principles of ethical and humane use of magic and the responsibility that comes with it.
- Everyone who fulfills the local requirements for studying at one of the schools and is suited for magical education is to be accepted by that school, unless there is good reason otherwise.
- The goal of studying magic is reaching the title of Adept, as well as Bachelor or an equivalent title of the respective civil field of studies.
- Not every school is obliged to teach higher education levels.
- Every student may transfer between schools. At least after reaching a title, this occurs without penalties for the student. During studies, complications with incompatible curricula and regulations may occur.
- Every graduate can find employment in the Mages Academy.
- Every student, graduate, and docent can leave the Mages Academy at every time to live a civil life.
- Every graduate is allowed to join other organizations that do not practice black magic or magic damaging to humanity, and may use their magical knowledge within the restrictions of the Charta.
- Every student, every graduate, every docent, can be expelled from a school or even the Mages Academy upon violations against the rules of a school or the Charter.
- The Mages Academy is free to induce magical amnesia in that case.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to relentless persecution of abuse of magic, black magic, and traitors.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to offer traitors a chance for atonement and reintegration.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to offer practitioners of black magic reformation and purification.
- The Mages Academy pledges itself to liquidate persistent traitors and practitioners of black magic.
Practicing magic
Practicing magic is not to bend but to manipulate reality. The magic that is taught at the Mages Academy is assertively not reality-bending, even though this may be the result of some spells. Therefore Scranton Reality Anchors are ineffective, especially on high-ranking mages.
Rituals
The basic form of every spell the Mages Academy teaches is a ritual, in which all safety measures, safeguards, and the whole spell-matrix are performed extensively and complex. During the ritual, the mage forms astral energy by their will, to achieve a magic effect. For this, the mage uses auxiliary resources like candles, objects representing the used elements, crystals for controlling, cleaning, and storage of magic, and other components like rune-tables and wands. These mundane components are used to focus, and mnemonic devices, to internalize the rituals. As only mastering the ritualistic basic form of a spell leads to mastering a standardized spell, ritualization is the first that an Apprentice learns after learning the conscious sensing and channeling of astral energy. It can sometimes take quite long until an Apprentice is able to perform the simplest rituals, like lighting a candle. And also advanced mages prefer to learn and develop new spells in the ritual form, though they often learn faster and can skip some steps they have already deeply internalized from learning other spells.
Theoretically, rituals allow the casting of every thinkable spell, provided the ability to develop the required ritual and handle the required energy. Due to the safety risks, this is reserved for Masters and Grandmasters, who are alleged to be capable and sensible enough to develop their own spells. However, Adepts learn how to develop their own rituals, but only under supervision and with strict restrictions. Usually, a self-created ritual is part of the examination for the rank of Master.
Due to their complexity, rituals require much more energy than the actual spell. As in a ritual, the energy is not released at once. Rituals - unlike ad-hoc-spells - are not reserved to certain ranks, but are merely limited by the total potential that the mage can provide before they are exhausted.
Experienced mages often vary from the standardized form of rituals, to modify them according to their preferences, and use other components. At this, sometimes optimizations for the standard form are invented; the Mages Academy is very pragmatic regarding discoveries. Most mages have their own set of ritual objects and magic components with which they connect strong associations, which enable them to invoke effects without thinking, similar to spontaneous memories while hearing a certain song.
Rituals are usually prepared by arranging the components on a table or pedestal. Often ritual circles are drawn with chalk and serve the mage as orientation and component. In larger rituals that are performed on the floor of ritual-rooms, ritual circles mark the physical borders of safety measures like protection-circles. At this, precise work leads to a precise ritual - the preparations are an essential part of the ritual because the mage focusses on what is coming, and prepares mentally.
Spells
According to the practices of the Mages Academy, spells are compressed rituals. Once a mage has internalized a ritual, they begin to compress it by optimization and reduction to the essential. For instance by omitting components whose effect they have deeply memorized or by skipping whole sections of the ritual the mage has internalized. Compressing a ritual to a spell is a long process that requires much training and discipline, yet the successful compression of an apprentice-level ritual is a requirement to become an Adept.
Spells are recalled via association, the mage should not have to think much while casting. Therefore usually mundane components the mage associates with the spell are used, combined with rehearsed movements and magic words so that the only conscious thing the mage has to do is to add astral energy, to cast the spell.
Though spells require far less energy than rituals, the energy is released spontaneously, which is the main obstacle when casting spells. Besides the usually insufficient understanding of lower ranks for magic and the ability to memorize complex spells. The division in Apprentice-, Adept-, Master- and Grandmaster-spells, serves to protect mages from overloading themselves and avoid the resulting accidents. For example, an Adept may learn Apprentice- and Adept-spells. They will have a hard time learning Master-spells, and if they are caught, they'll be in hot water.
Most mages use a spell-book containing the standard-spells with the standard-components, as a mnemonic device but also often as a component. As long as the goal is reached, the Academy allows all mages of Adept level and above to use their own components and to deviate from the standard. For example, some mages favor a magic wand (or multiple wands) as a component. Other mages however think wands antiqued and childish. The standardized spell words are written in a pseudo-Latin that was introduced by an Arch-Magister in the 18th century, who did not speak actual Latin. While traditionalists still use it, others insist on the use of correct Latin. Still, others use German, Old-Germanic, or Norse, French, Japanese, Quenya, Sindarin, or other fantasy-languages. At least one high-ranking mage is known who - to the dismay of his colleagues - casts in Klingon, the Black Speech, or the Warhammer language of Chaos. Runes are used similarly - magic runes function only through the mages' association. Additionally, a mage rarely can use the personal components of another mage, unless the other uses standard components.
The standardized spells of the Mages Academy are, by the current state of scientific knowledge, the most efficient and safest ways to reach the desired effect. Some higher-ranking members of the Academy constantly research the optimization and enhancement of the standards, and sometimes research in wholly different approaches and paradigms of magic. Outside of the Academy, all higher-ranking mages are allowed - within the Charter - to deviate from all standards and regulations, though on their own risk.
Principally, mages must be differenced from wizards who cast spells with the aid of external forces, like shamans or well-natured possessed, and inherently also from druids who use a mixed form.
Natural magical talent
Every Homo Sapiens is sensitive to magic. The measure of magic talent though is very different, present at birth, and depending on the parents' magic talent as well as the positions of heavenly bodies (Astrology basically is nothing more than a completely amateurish interpretation of magic potential), which is where the prefix "astral-" often used in magic terminology originates from. Normal humans are not the only ones who can sense magic; some animal species have a magic sense and use it for orientation or to recognize prey or dangers. It is assumed that some dinosaur species also had this sense. Actually, the mental capacity of the human is considered to be in correlation to humanity's magic talent. Except for some paradoxical exceptions, humans, apes, and whales have a far higher magic talent than other animals. Furthermore there exist some other humanoid races with a sense of magic, which in some cases have an extensive natural understanding for magic and natural magical abilities. However, most of these races today have been decimated or eradicated by the human by the destruction of their habitats and persecution. Other reasons are evolutionary dead ends, inner social conflicts, and climate change. Some genetically compatible races have merged with modern humans, and some anthropologists assume that in some cases the high magic talent of the modern humans owes to Neanderthal heritage. Today, most of these species survive hidden from humans in the most remote corners of the world, or in their midst on the edges of society. The Mages Academy attempts to find and research these species, or to include them in the Academy if they are suitable; however, this is rarely successful and at times they get caught in the clutches of the SCP Foundation or the GOC.
The natural average potential of a human lies below 0.1 T, and therewith is neither usable nor sensible without further ado. A human with a natural potential of 0.5 T is considered magically talented and may be accepted into the Academy. As of a natural potential of circa 2 T, the person may instinctively and unknowingly cast minimal magic, often in form of little changes to their surroundings and the people in their sphere. This usually manifests by the person having exceptionally much "luck". As of circa 5 T, the affected notice that they are different from others. They often have an alleged sixth sense, however, without proper training, they often are over-challenged by their intuitions and often suffer psychological issues. As of 10 T, the affected are usually latently aware that they have esoteric abilities. Some therein find their fortune and manage to sell their abilities (for example as mediums, ghost-healer, escapologists, and conjuring-artists). Others consider their enhanced perception as psychosis and therewith become an easy target for magical creatures of good and bad nature. Sometimes these talented develop actual magical abilities which in turn raises their potential whereupon they often seclude themselves out of fear to be considered to be insane or imposters, or that they would get caught by secret services to research and weaponize them (this worry is the most mentioned, and also very likely). If they are not found by the Mages Academy or another organization, they often develop into mighty mages, however, their spells often are unstable and have side-effects, and they often are permanently besieged by demons or suchlike and haunted with nightmares.
Magical hazards
Most of these species are mundane and not dangerous for mages, especially as even aggressive rational species are usually letting off of mages as capable mages are not less rare then them. Yet there are creatures from outside this reality, like elementals or demons, that stalk mages out of curiosity, malice, pressure, or hunger, and try to attack these from their world, or use breaches in their spells to get into this world.
The Academies' standardized spells are safe though, and can be used by an Adept or higher without any risk while following the standard procedures. Higher level mages can defend themselves from such attacks, and Apprentices are protected by the facilities' shielding.
Other dangers of magic are exceeding the controllable amount of energy, which can result in backlash or discharge. In the worst case, destructive sphere-conjunctions may occur, during which nor rarely “wild magic” sinks into the real-space which leads to a localized extension of the universal laws which in turn results in the appearance of anomalies. Most accidents with magic - like involuntary summonings - happen outside of the Academies' facilities, almost exclusively because of hubris, noncompliance to the rules, autodidacticism, and naturally talented mages lacking education.
Mages Academy articles
- SCP-066-DE by INT_Translator
- SCP-294-DE by ThePaperMask
- SCP-4387 by Idrimi
- SCP-4684 by Proasek
- SCP-7786 by Dr Ch_M
- Intelligence Agency Data Archive — Subject: Mages by Doctor North
- Mage's Best Friend by Stallmantic
- Joey Fucknuts Steals The Declaration of Independence by notgull
- These 5 Colleges are the Best for Learning Dark Powers! Number 1 Will SHOCK You! by LORDXVNV
- Re: KTO-1466-Houdini "Mages Academy" by Jerden
- Occult Warfare by Jerden
Additional translation are listed on the version of this hub on the International Translation Archive.
The Mages Academy generally tries to remain hidden from other Groups of Interest, although they do interact with groups that comply with their Charter, for example with some cells of the Serpent's Hand. However, they detest groups like the Church of the Broken God, and fear the Global Occult Coalition.
SCP Foundation
Date of First Contact: First activity of the Foundation in Europe.
Description of the relationship: Friendly / Hostile
Description: The MA regards the Foundation as necessary, but also as a threat due to their different ethical standards. They have numerous agents in most large Sites of the Germanophone Foundation, primarily to gather but also to disseminate information.
They have secretly supported the Foundation for decades, mostly by eliminating disruptive influences or hazards or by keeping them away from the Foundation's Task Forces.
Since their exposure they have held back to protect their agents, waiting for the Foundation's response. Very few agents have been exposed so far. Covert actions have also largely been discontinued, and since then the number of Foundation wounded and casualties has only increased since then.
The Caecus Carneliana-Collective
Date of First Contact: Around the time the Foundation became aware of CC.
Relationship: Poor
Description of the relationship: The Caecus Carneliana-Collective is viewed by the Academy as an indirect threat. Through their agents in the Foundation, they're aware that the collective is a danger to the containment of numerous SCP objects. If given the opportunity, the Academy will try to hinder the Collective, for example through sabotage, but without drawing attention to itself.
Raptor Tec. Industries
Date of First Contact: N/A
Relationship: None
Description of the relationship: The Academy is aware of the existence and machinations od R.T.I., but doesn't care for this group and has no interest in their anomalies.
The Fourth Reich
Date of First Contact: Since a 4R Acolyte defected to the MA.
Relationship: Hostile
Description of the relationship: The Academy knows of the existance and goals of 4R through a defector, yet doesn't know much more than the Foundation. All Laboratories that the defector knew of had already been abandoned. They cannot get a good estimate of Rass's strength or capabilities, since black magic, demonology and the occult are not subject areas of the Academy. They avoid conflict while necessary, but have set up their own small groups to follow and fight 4R whereever they can. When they come into contact, they take no prisoners.
Division XXV
Date of First Contact: Some time after the founding of the Department.
Relationship: Neutral None
Description of the relationship: The Academy had a mixed relationship with the former Department XXV. A least one member of a department in East Germany worked for Department XXV, and this at least was not looking into by the Academy management there. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, this lead to tension with the West German Academies, but the East German Academies held that, while they suspected that the Stasi were backing it, they had no proof nor any way to prevent it.
The Academy seeks to find renegades who worked for the department before the Foundation, and either take them back in or liquidate them. They take the same approach to Department anomalies created by renegade magicians.
Institut für menschliche Bildung und Weiterentwicklung
Date of First Contact: Some time after the founding of the Institute.
Relationship: Hostile None
Description of the relationship: The goals and ethical principles of IMBW contradict the principles of the MA, which is why it fights the IMBW if it come into contact, but attempts are made to avoid confrontation. IMBW employs a few magicians from the MA, and efforts to smuggle in moles are currently in progress.
Das Wunderkabinett
Date of First Contact: Shortly before the discovery of the first shop by the Foundation.
Relationship: Friendly
Description of the Relationship: The Mages Academy considers das Wunderkabinett to be interesting but harmless, and their products are very popular with members of the Academy, and are sometimes researched or used as an example of a positive use of magic and anomalous objects. However, the rather open display of magical objects and their sale to unsuspecting people is viewed critically, but since Ms. Mirabilis is not a member of the Academy and is not dangerous, intervention is considered unnecessary and counterproductive.
The Mages Academy is one of the first GOI developed on the German Branch, but until the incidents involving SCP-149-DE managed to remain undiscovered by the Foundation and was only given this status after this SCP was released - also on the Wiki. Originally the MA was rather meant to be a minor GOI because the creator had doubts about its usability. Now though, it is one of the most used GOIs on the German branch.
The real-life origins of the Mages Academy lie in SCP-066-DE, which is the actual LARP-spell book of Dr_Grom who designed it for himself, based on LARP magic rules that are common in Germany, on which the mages' levels are also based. These, however, as well as the magic theory in German LARP, and therewith parts of the MA's magic theory, are most often based on The Dark Eye (Das Schwarze Auge), a German pen and paper that is similar to Dungeons and Dragons, and other influences. As it is heavily influenced by actual role-playing of various kinds, the understanding of magic and the Mages Academy may vary strongly on who is actually writing about it and who is reading, and what and how much of it is understood. While this hub is written to be understandable without further information, there may still be some gaps. If you find that information is missing, please do not hesitate to contact Dr_Grom or the German branch itself.
Writing about the Mages Academy
Everybody from all branches is invited to write about the Mages Academy. The following are additional facts that may help to do so, and that are canonical on the German branch. However, there may be branches and facilities of the MA outside of the germanophone area, so feel free to adapt accordingly. It is likely they are present all over Europe and maybe parts of the USA, especially germanophone areas there, even though the overseas sections may not have much to do with the European MA besides the name and a shared origin. If other backgrounds start to become established, this hub may be changed accordingly.
On the German branch, the MA is part of the SCP-DE canon, which is a strict canon - quite the opposite of the there-is-no-canon approach on the English wiki. Works outside the canon are allowed on the German branch though, and the canon rules of the German branch do not extend outside of the German wiki, so please do not feel restricted when using the MA in your works. However, if you wish your work to become canonical on the German branch, please get in contact with us for feedback, preferably on Discord.
Structure of the MA:
- "The Mages Academy" is a league of multiple formerly independent academies and circles that in some cases already united in the medieval period to better protect themselves from the Inquisition. They are still open for new partners, but there are few candidates and the criteria are very strict.
- The Academy is decentrally organized.
- Every educational facility is lead by an Arch-Magister who is advised by a committee of lecturers and agents. The exact structure varies from facility to facility.
- The Arch-Magisters form the Magistrate and elect one of their own as their chairman, who organizes the Magistrates' meetings and calls arguing Arch-Magisters to order.
- Basically, every facility of the Academy is an autonomous organization - there can be significant differences.
- As much as the structure varies, vary the education plans, focus areas, and how much a facility engages in education, research, and covert operations.
- Also the philosophy and understanding of magic-ethics may very. As long as a facility follows the Charta, it is welcome.
- If a facility deviates from the Charta or proves to be problematic in other ways, inducing a change in leadership is attempted first. If this is not effective, more aggressive methods may be used, up to the violent disruption of the facility and liquidation of deviationist personnel.
The facilities:
- The Mages Academy expressively is not SCP-Hogwarts!
- The students clothing is not different than common for their civil study path. Anyone who comes dressed as Gandalf except for Halloween is likely to be suspended for a time.
- Quirky lecturers and turbo-nerds are not exclusive to the Harry Potter Universe though.
- Their facilities are exclusively private owned schools, universities, and other educational institutes where normal studies are taught alongside magic. The goal of the students is to acquire an academic title in addition to the grade of Adept of Magic (which is a parallel grade to Bachelor).
- The magic academic titles are as follows:
- Apprentice (equivalent to secondary education)
- Adept (equivalent to Bachelor)
- Master (equivalent to Master)
- Grandmaster (equivalent to Doctor)
- Most professors are Grandmasters; teachers teaching Apprentices are most often Masters of Magic.
- After acquiring the title of Adept, mages are free to further educate themselves, to go into research, to become an agent for covert operations or embedding into the Foundation, or live a civil life.
- Most facilities lie in the present-day Germany and Austria. Many facilities in present-day Poland have been abandoned in fear of the Soviet Union.
- There are more facilities in all of Europe, whereas here also most in Eastern Europe have been abandoned after the war.
- There may also be facilities with loose ties to the European Mages Academy in other parts of the world, especially where German settlers went, like the USA.
- Almost all facilities have residencies for their students.
Principles of the Academy:
- The Academy sticks strictly to the Charter.
- Anomalies are considered a part of the natural order and have to be researched, not fought.
- The Academy though recognizes that some anomalies are too dangerous to not contain or destroy them.
- They see themselves as pioneers of a whole new branch of natural sciences.
- The infiltration of the Foundation or fighting other Groups of Interest is a lower priority. Education and Research are more important in general.
- At all facilities, ethics are an obligatory subject. This contains societal aspects, as well as the use of magic.
- While graduates of the MA are free to leave the Academy, they have to expect prosecution if they join an enemy group, for the protection of the Academies' secrets.
- The Academy does not shy away from murder if the reclamation of defectors is not possible.
- The Academy sometimes takes anomalies into containment, usually to research or use them. It is rare that they just store an anomaly, and usually just happens when they believe that the Foundation is not capable to do so.
Regarding the Foundation:
- Even though their existence has been uncovered by events of the last years, the Mages Academy still maintains cover from the Foundation.
- They consider the Foundation as necessary, due to different ethical principles they consider them a threat though.
- The Academy has placed covert agents in most large sites of the Germanophone Foundation, usually in positions of security level 3 or even 4.
- These agents behave like normal personnel of the Foundation, observe and report if they find something interesting or important.
- They all are advanced mages, but only use their powers if it is unavoidable for their mission. Especially higher ranks of the Foundation have a certain immunity against memetic or reality-bending influences.
- The Academy occasionally secretly supports the Foundation, by blocking interfering forces, remove hazards, provide information, and the like.
- While the Foundation is reluctant to work with the Academy, but what must be, must be. When it is unavoidable, cooperation may occur, either organized and planned or spontaneous by forces acting on their own authority.
Regarding other magic users and organizations:
The Academy has banned and ostracized some kinds of magic, such as like demonology, necromancy, will-altering magic, and other magic that widely is considered to be "black magic". A notable organization that uses several of these magics is 4R, a Nazi-Organization that relies especially on demonology and operates in the Germanophone area. If Agents of the Academy come in contact with practitioners of these kinds of magic or the results thereof they will act as follows:
- Demonic and undead creations - be it entities or objects - are banished, exorcized, or otherwise destroyed.
- Non-demonic or -undead creations are either destroyed, contained by the Academy, or reported to the Foundation via the Academy's network.
- Practitioners of these kinds of magic are often avoided and left for the Foundation; if it comes to a confrontation they will likely kill their opponents in a way that no magic can bring them back from.
- Even such incredibly powerful dark mages like Rass, the leader of 4R, would not survive a confrontation with the Academy, as the Academy could mobilize a huge amount of very powerful mages if they wanted to.