In former times the people of the Empire had little to do with magic, believing all sorcery to be inherently evil. The Priests of Sigmar taught that magic was the stuff of Chaos, responsible for the existence of mutants and the source of all the world`s ills. So it was that for many hundreds of years wizards and witches were sought out and burned, and many innocents were slain in this way as well as many genuine practitioners of the secret arts. In the countryside it was still possible to find local herbalists, fortune-tellers and such kinds of primitive magicians as thrive upon superstition and ignorance. Yet even these folk were not safe from the zealots amongst them, and many found themselves driven from village to village, or tortured and burned by the Witch Hunters.

Those educated men who studied the lore of magic and the dark gods did so in great secrecy. These were likely to be rich and powerful men who hoped to gain by the powers of darkness some advantage in buisiness, politics, or war. So it was that in every city there grew up covens whose members practised the debased rites of sorcery in hidden places at the dead of night.

Such things changed a great deal in the time of the Great War against Chaos, which began more than two hundred years ago. During that terrible war the dark gods rose in the north and cast their minions upon the world, engulfing the lands of the Kislevites. So great was the threat to all the world that the free peoples made common cause to fight the armies of Chaos and for the first time Men, Elves, and Dwarfs lent their efforts to overthrow the dark enemy. At this time the renowned Elven Sorcerer Teclis travelled to the Old World at the request of Magnus the Pious. There he and his companions fought side by side with the armies of Men and Dwarfs and the courage and might of the Elves did much to win the trust of Magnus.

One of Teclis` deeds was to find such low sorcerers and hedge wizards as existed in the Empire and teach them a few rudimentary spells of fire, lightning bolts, and thunderous noises, which they employed against the minions of Chaos. Many Witch Hunters were aghast that Sigmar`s folk should embrace the secrets arts, but the wise counsil and undoubted learning of Teclis won over the majority. Soon, the new breed of wizards were hailed as saviours of the Empire alongside Magnus the Pious himself, who became Emperor of all the land of Sigmar.

Upon his ascention to the throne Magnus asked Teclis to help him create an institution whereby wizards might be properly trained. At first Teclis` companions advised the great mage against such a course, claiming that the secret sorceries of the Elves were not meant for Mankind. But Teclis realised that the safety of the whole world rested upon the Men of the Empire, the strongest of the realms of the Old Worlds, and so he agreed to Magnus` request. Following this, the Colleges of Magic were established in the city of Altdorf under the protection of the Prince of that city, and Teclis taught the first Masters and laid down the laws by which they were to study before he returned to the Elven kingdoms of Ulthuan.

Teclis taught how all magic was derived from Chaos and was inevitably tainted by it, but could be controlled and purified by a trained practitioner. Men learned how the raw power of magic blew from the northern realms of Chaos in the form of eight sorcerous winds that represented unique types of magic. for this reason, the sign of all magic is the symbol of Chaos itself - the eight-pointed star. For each wind Teclis founded a separate school of magic and taught its first Masters. He judged the mind of Man inadequate to the mastery of all the eight Winds of Chaos but, with care and study, he believed that humans were able to contain the power of one of them.

Thus today there are eight Colleges, each of which forms the headquarters of one of the Orders of Magic in the Empire. Each has its own Masters, and the sorcery of each is different and distinct from the others, yet all are aspects of that great and potent source of magic that is Chaos itself.

There are eight Colleges each of which is home to one of the eight Orders of Wizards of the Empire as follows: the Light Order, the Golden Order, the Jade Order, the Celestial Order, the Grey Order, the Amethyst Order, the Bright Order and the Amber Order.

The wizards of the Light Order are sometimes known as the White Wizards or Hierophants. Their especial study is knowledge and for this reason thay are also called the Order of the Wise. The Lore of Light lies under the province of the First Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Hysh. The symbols of the First Lore are many, and the most important is the Serpent of Light. There are many other arcane symbols to be seen in the mystical pictures and statues in the College of Light of which the Tree of Learning, the Tower of Isolation, the Candle and the Pillar of Wisdom are the most common. The colour of the robes of the Order is white, and a serpentine staff is often carried.

The magical energies of Hysh are the most effusive of all kinds of magic and quickly penetrate solid things and soak away even into the very rocks that lie beneath the ground. For this reason, the spells that bind the Wind of Hysh are especially elaborate and ritualistic and Light Magic is reckoned the most difficult of all to master. Because of this there are many acolytes and lowly wizards whose duties are to keep up the chorus of incantations and various spells of purity which are sung constantly night and day each day of the year. They must also ensure that the thousands of candles and lamps are kept ever alight, that the incense burnes are full of their pungent offerings, and that the proper chimes and bells are all struck at the appointed ritual hours.

The magic of the Order has many potent applications and is most renowned for its powers of healing and protection. Yet the Order also has mastery of light and brightness to a fearsome degree and wizards can cast blinding lights of great power that can burn and consume. The Wizards of the Order of Light are reckoned the wisest of Men and rulers often seek their counsel from distant lands.

The principle building of the College of Light lies at a mystic conjunction within the bounds of the city of Altdorf, yet, like many of the magical colleges, its whereabouts goes largely unrecognised by those around. thanks to its clever positioning upon lines of arcane convergence, an ordinary mortal will never chance upon it. It exists within a secret space within a space, a plot of land parallel to but separate from the mundane world.

To those who do discover its whereabouts, the building presents an aspect unlike any other in Altdorf or, indeed, the Old World. The College forms a gigantic pyramid whose shape retains and concentrates the power of the Wind of Hysh. Within its walls, hundreds of minor wizards maintain the ritual incantations that go on eternally, so that the entire building hums and drones with radiant arcane power. Because of the high levels of Hysh energy, the stone walls appear translucent and the thousands of lights that burn within make the whole pyramid glow with light. It is an awesome and strange sight indeed and one that few of Altdorf`s inhabitants would imagine lies within their city.

In the depths of the College, beneath the pyramid, and protected by many twisting tunnels, traps and magical fields, lies the greatest magical treasure house in the Old Wolrd. This was created by the Elven mage Teclis as a repository and prison for many of the sorcerous objects and creatures of power captured during the Great War against Chaos. The Guardians of the Light Order, an arcane society to which only the most powerful and wise of the Light Order belong, keep these evils from the world.

The Wizards of the Golden Order study the Lore of Metal, or Alchemy, that lies under the province of the Second Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Chamon. The symbol of the Second Lore is the soaring eagle and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is yellow. The Second Lore is the Lore of Metals and alchemical change and, due to the nature of their studies, Gold Wizards aften bear the traces of their experiments. Their robes may be stained or sooty and their beards singed or marked with vivid chemical spills.

The magical energy of the Wind of Chamon is heavy and very dense. It is attracted to metal as metal itself is attracted to a magnet, except that it is most attracted to the haviest of elements and most especially to gold. It is said that this alone accounts for the most intelligent races, inciting greed, violence, and sometimes even war.

The Wizards of the Golden Order are the most accomplished alchemists of all Men in the Old World. They practise the transmutation of metals as well as spells of forging and runic inscription. In this last mentioned they are far inferior to Dwarf Runesmiths, but they are less affected by the madding power of gold that metal has over Dwarfkind and so have the mastery of many spells which no Dwarf would dare to learn. Though much of their magic is of this nature, Gold Wizards are able to conjure molten metals which scorch and consume and they can also cast spells to corrode and weaken iron in the blink of an eye.

The buildings of the Golden Order are like no other. They are neither rich nor ostentatious but are more along the lines of a great forge with many furnaces and tall chimneys that belch multi-coloured gowing smoke into the air. It is much to the relief of the citizens of Altdorf that this College lies not near the centre of the city but upon its edge by the River reik, whose waters cool the forges and which periodically run with fantastical colours following some great experiment. Unlike many of the Colleges of Magic, that of the Golden College is not hidden from view, but few go near it owing to the evil smells and thick smoke which surround it and to which the Gold Wizards themselves appear impervious.

The Wizards of the Jade Order study the Lore of Life that lies under the province of the Third Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Ghyran. The symbol of the Third Order is the Coil of Life and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is green. In addition to the Coil of Life, which may be recognised as a spiral, these wizards also show sych symbols as the triskele and the oak leaf, and they often go about barefoot so that they can feel the Wind of Ghyran upon their feet. Each wizard carries a sickle, small or large, which is the badge of attainment amongst his kind.

The magical energies of Ghyran precipitate like rain upon the earth, forming pools and eddies which only those attuned to the sight of magic can see. These magical pools flow into natural watercourses and, for this reason, the power of Ghyran is closely bound up with water and thence with vegetation and living things. When the winds of Chaos blow most strongly it is said that the very streets become awash with the power of magic flowing like streams, yet of this the common man sees and suspects nothing.

Jade Wizards are, of all wizards, the most attuned to nature and the least likely to be found within the confines of cities. They love nature and living things, for their studies teach them about the harmony of nature and the balance between all living things. Because they are so closely tied to the power of nature their own powers tend to wax and wane with the seasons, being vigorous in spring, most powerful in the summer, waning over the fall to become weakest over winter.

Jade Wizards have power over nature and can cast spells, which cause thorns and briars to spring out of the earth, woods to appear, or mighty winds to suddenly bowl over their enemies. At his command a Jade Wizard can bring rain out of a cloudless sky or cause the very rocks of the earth to fly into the air.

The Jade College is the centre of the Order, but few wizards abide there, and even those who would learn the Lore of Life are likely to do so under the stars. Throughout the Empire there are hidden forest groves where the Jade Wizards conduct their rituals and keep many of their secret treasures. These take the form of circles of stone and often lie at the confluence of three streams, for such places are powerful in the magical lore of Ghyran. Within the city of Aldorf itself, the College takes the form of a walled enclosure, plain and unimposing to the outside world, yet hidden within is a living College of trees whose boughts form the beams and pillars of mighty halls. Amongst the glades of this hidden world are numerous pools and streams where running water pours into a wondrous silver lake.

The Wizards of the Grey Order study the Lore of Shadow that lies under the province of the Fifth Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Ulgu. the symbols of the Fifth Lore is the Sword of Judgement and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is grey. True to their Order`s symbol they usually carry swords, though often concealed beneath their robes. Of all the Orders of wizards they are the most secretive and least easily recognised, and are not widely trusted or liked by common folk, who believe them to be sinister and scheming. For this reason they are sometimes called Trickster Wizards in scorn, though they call themselves the Grey Guardians.

The magical energies of Ulgu boil across the ground like a shifting mist, visible to those attuned to magic, evoking only a sense of mistrust and concealment to ordinary folk. It is most affected by the mortal winds, which blow across the earth and it rears into mighty clouds beneath the influence of storms and gales. Yet it is at its most potent in the still, dank, and threatening fogs and mists that bring a chill to the air and hide everything in a cloak of shadow.

Grey Wizards are wanderers by nature whose journeys, often undertakn in darkness, always seem to imply some great or sinister purpose. Yet they do not talk easily of their deeds, or of other matters much, for they are aware of the distrust of their fellow men and prefer to remain inconspicuous. their powers, though considerable, do not lend themselves well to the favour of ordinary folk, being bound up in spells of concealment, illusion, and death by a number of sinister and unseen ways.

The Grey College itself is a worn and shabby stone building ill-positioned in the back alleys of Altdorf`s pooers and most disreputable district. Even the town watch prefer to keep out of this area, and no honest citizen would ordinary risk entering such a den of rogues and cut-throats. The building is not large and its appearance is in no way dissimilar to those beside it. Grey Wizards come and go by any number of secret entrances situated in the surrounding streets, and it is suggested that a network of tunnels extend beneath the building and throughout the city. What goes on within its crumbling halls is anyone`s guess.

The Wizards of the Celestial Order study the Lore of the Heavens, or Astromancy, that lies under the province of the Fourth Lore of Magic which is known as the Wind of Azyr. The symbol of the Fourth Lore is the Comet of Power and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is blue. As well as the comet, which is their special symbol, they employ such heavenly signs as stars and crescent moons by which they might easily be recognised by even the most ignorant of men.

The magical energies of Azyr are light and insubstantial and quickly dissipate into the upper portion of the heavens where they form a backdrop of drifting blue cloud. This layer is visible to wizards and creatures with magical insight but, like all the Winds of Magic, invisible to ordinary folk. This layer of cloud is said to distort the light of celestial bodies such as the stars, moons, and planets in different ways. As the Winds of Chaos blow from immaterial realms where time has no meaning, it is possible by the manner in which celestial bodies are distorted by the drifting cloud layer.

Celestial Wizards spend much energy gazing into the night skies and plotting the movements of astral bodies on transchronological charts, the complexity of which is baffling to the uninitiated. to this end they are expert in the use and manufacture of precise instruments of calculation such as astrolabes and telescopes. By such means they can foretell of danger and disaster, and so the advice of the Celestial Order is valued above that of all others in times of war or hardship.

Celestial Wizards have some ability to shift the fate of Men by manipulating the course of the Winds of Magic. They can also command the powers of the heavens to call down lightning, thunderbolts, and comets upon the heads of their enemies. For this reason, Celestial Wizards are often sought out as fortune tellers and augers, but they are equally respected for the awesome powers that lie at their disposal.

The buildings of the Celestial College lie close to the centre of Altdorf, guarded from the curiosity of passer-by by many cunning spells of concealment. As a result, few know that they pass the College`s doors each day, and few maps show the true extent of the College, whilst many do not show it at all. It may come as a surprise to many, therefore, to discover that the towers of the Celestial College are the tallest of all buildings in the city, overlooking the Temples of Sigmar and rising far above the Palace of the Princes of Altdorf. There are sixteen of these tall, elegant towers, which is four times four, four being the number of Azyr in the lore of sorcery. Each tower is topped by a glass dome from which the Wizards of the Celestial Order observe the night sky.

The Wizards of the Amethyst Order study the Lore of Death, that some call Necromancy or Spirit Lore. This Lore lies under the province of the Sixth Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Shyish. The symbol of the Sixth Lore is the scythe and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is purple. Wizards of this order often carry a scythe by way of a staff, and in this they may be easily recognised. As well as this symbol of their Order, they also favour designs of skulls and bones, the hourglass, and the thorned rose, by which images all people in the Empire recognise the symbols of the grave.

The magical energies of Shyish are the most difficult to see of all the winds of Magic. they blow through past, present and future, weaving through the time stream, following the undetectable currents of fate. Many say that the Wind of Shyish blows strongly where death lies most heavily, that its energies are drawn to death and that doom follows in its wake. It blows over bettlefields and mortuaries, it clings around charnel pits and graveyards, and falls over the gibbet like a shadow.

Wizards of the Amethyst Order are shunned by the folk of Altdorf and there is reason to se why. Yet even so there are many who secretly crave contact with the spirit world, with departed loved ones, and with those dead whose secrets they wish to learn. The Wizards of the amethyst Order can contact the spirit world and the dead can speak through them, for they have mastery over spirits of all kinds both benign and otherwise. It is said that they can also cause the dead to rise from their tombs and have the power to bend the dead to their will.

As the Wizards of the Amethyst Order have power over the dead so they also have the power to deal death. It is said that a wizard can steal the soul of his enemy or suck his life from him leaving nought but a husk. They can cast a wind of death that dries and destroys flesh, or envelop their foes in a shroud of despair. Such tricks are as nothing compared to the nightmarish sorceries of the Undead, yet they are of a similar nature, and the Amethyst Wizards will be forever tainted by their association with the powers of darkness.

The College building of the Amethyst Order is dark and sepulchral, shuttered against the light and dimly illuminated even at the dead of night. Its crooked towers are the abode of bats and its cellars crawl with verminous creatures. The building overlooks the fabled haunted cemetery of Old Altdorf where thousands were hastily interred after the devastation of the Red Plague. Within its silent halls, the dust lies thick where it is dragged by the winds of Shyish from all the ages, bringing with it the stench of eternal decay. Though the citizens of Altdorf are fully aware of where it is, none trouble the Wizards of the Amethyst Order.

The Wizards of the Bright Order study the Lore of Fire or Pyromancy, that lies under the province of the Seventh Lore of Magic, which is called the Wind of Aqshy. The symbol of the Seventh Lore is the Key of Secrets and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is red or orange. The Key of Secrets represents the unlocking of hidden knowledge, and wizards of the College may carry keys as a sign of their authority. The Masters of the College have, as part of their ceremonial regalia, a bunch of seven keys of differing metals. Other symbols associated with the pyromancers are the flame and the burning torch. Wizards of this Order are often ruddy of skin and some have hair that is red and wild that betrays their fiery nature. Wizards skilled in the pyromantic arts wear red tattoos upon their arms and faces. These are said to writhe and change form to make the spells of fire.

The magical energies of Aqshy are like a hot dry wind; it gutters like flame in the breeze and runs wild over hot sands and sun-baked fields. It is powerful where there is flame and fire, and is whipped into a frenzy as it swirls over the volcanoes of the Worlds edge Mountains. All flame becomes a vortex for Aqshy magic and the rites of the Bright College are rites of fire. By means of their powers, the Bright Wizards control both magic and flame, and theirs is one of the most spectacular and impressive of all sorceries.

Bright Wizards are held above all others when it comes to battle. They know many spells of destruction, and their ability to cast flames and fiery blasts is a very visible reminder of their great power. A Bright Wizard can wield flame like a sword and he can raise a curtain of fire to confound his enemies. Such powers are highly visible and very destructive, and few ordinary folk would wish to seek the assistance of a Bright Wizard in any trival matter. The powers of the pyromancers are not well suited to subtle tasks, and where they bend their powers, ruin and destruction is sure to follow, whatever is intended.

The College of the Bright Wizards lies behind a barrier of magic that makes it invisible to ordinary folk of Altdorf. It is sometimes said to appear in the heat of summer, as a shimmering haze or mirage, glittering above the city. But ordinarily its buildings appear only as dark and splintering ruins surrounded by an ancient fire-blackened plaza. It is commonly supposed that warren of streets stood there before fire consumed part of the city, leaving the College intact in a sea of ruin. Afterward the Bright Wizards cast their spell of concealment, but even so none of Altdorf`s inhabitants have deemed it wise to build too closely to the headquarters of the Bright Order. Were that spell to be removed it would be possible to see the spectacular fire-topped towers that resi from the College, not as tall as those of the Celestial College, but infinitely more awesome. Behind its barrier of sorcery it is always dark, with not even the light of stars to illuminate the towers of the College. Instead the towers are topped by a gigantic beacon that burns both day and night, casting an eerie red glow over the entire College and illuminating the sorcerous inner realm that is the Bright College.

The Wizards of the Amber Order study the Lore of Beasts that lies under the province of the Eighth Lore of Magic, called the Wind of Ghur. The symbol of the Eighth Lore is the Arrow and the colour of the robes worn by wizards of the Order is brown. The members of this, the last and wildest of all the Orders of wizards, can be easily recognised by their savage appearance. As well as the arrow, which is the sign of the hunter and woodsman, they wear talismans of teeth, claw and feather, and carry charms of herbs in small leather pouches that hang about their necks. Their clothes are often those of the wild woods rather than those of other wizards and they are grizzled and weatherworn in appearance and often carry bows. they are called Shamans by some and Brown Wizards by others.

The magical energies of Ghur are those of beasts and wild places most inimicable to man. It is a sharp wind that is like a claw or tooth. It is said to be a merciless and inhuman magic that cares little for the ways of Mankind and other civilised creatures. It resides most strongly in the minds of wild animals, and to learn the ways of the Amber Order is to open one`s mind to the raw and savage power of the wild.

It is small wonder then that Amber Wizards are often solitary individuals, preferring the company of wild beasts to that of their fellow men. They avoid human settlement unless they have some pressing need that draws them from their mountains or forests. With wild unkempt hair they often appear more like animals than men and it is commonly supposed that they can change into animals and travel through the eyes of the wild creatures and far-travelling birds.

The powers of the Amber Wizards give them control over beasts of all kinds as well as the ability to induce states of bestial terror in others. Amber Wizards have mastery over the savage heart that lies under the cultivation and learning that adorns every huan soul and masks its animal nature. They can also assume the powers of great beasts, such as bears, to attack their enemies tossing them aside like autumn leaves.

Of all the Orders of Wizardry, the Amber College is the only one which has no buildings or representation within Altdorf. Instead, the Masters of the Order inhabit a number of caves that lie beyond the city amongst the Amber Hills, which are named after them. These are rocky and wooded, unsuitable for agriculture or other purposes. These refuges are not easily found and visitors are not welcomed. Other similar lairs are said to exist throughout the Empire in the depths of forests and high on mountain tops.