Magic Part 3: Different kinds of magic users

There are hundreds if not thousands of different magical traditions, not counting individuals who create their own variations of the traditions and whose apprentices in turn create their variation of that variation and so on ad infinitum. However, all magic users and their traditions can be categorized into one of several groups. Mage, magician, magic user: These are generic words that can be used of anyone who uses magic. Other words used sometimes: Wizard(for old magic users), warlock(for magic users who serve demons).

Spirit binder: Spirit binders are magic users who focus on creating, modifying, controlling and using permanent or long lasting spirits. If a spirit binder needs fireball, he will simply summon or create a fire-spirit and control it into creating one. Depending on his skill and intention, the spirit might be permanent or last only a few uses. Since creating and summoning spirits takes time, a spirit binder is likely to have a number of spirits following him around, ready to be used as necessary. Created spirits rarely have any kind of physical presence, so it can be difficult for the uninitiated to tell spirit binders apart from other people.

Spellslinger: Spellslingers are magic users who focus on casting spells, as opposed to creating spirits. Since spells are single use and made in moments, spellslingers lack the raw power of spirit binders who often spend hours or days - and sometimes much longer - feeding energy to a single spirit that can grow to a tremendous power. However, spellslingers make up for it in versatility: Not only can a spellslinger use any spell he has memorized on a moments notice, a skilled spellslinger can create entirely new effects and put them to good use within minutes while a spirit binder, however skilled, is limited to a few dozen effects he can achieve via his available spirits at best.

It should be noted that while spirit binders and spellslingers are clearly separate categories, few practitioners fall purely into one or the other: Almost all spirit binders know the theory behind spells and can, at the very least, use some basic spells for simple tasks that just aren't worth creating a new spirit for, like lighting a campfire and or shaving his beard, as well as a few more advanced tricks. Similarly, spellslingers tend to know the theory behind creating and summoning spirits and may very well have a spirit or two following them at all times. Some even go further than that, and attempt to strike balance between the two, though such balanced approach rarely accomplishes anything that wouldn't be better done by focusing on one aspect and merely dappling in the other.

Priests: Priests are agents of local gods that have access to some part of that god's power as long as they stay within the god's area of influence. Most priests are also spirit binders of some kind as well, though their skill is often fairly limited. More rarely, a spellslinger becomes a priest, complementing priestly rituals with their spells. Even rarer are towns where each priest is taught spells in addition to priestly rituals.

 Summoner: Summoners are a kind of spirit binder who works complicated rituals and bindings to bring Outsiders into the world and control them. Since both angels from Heaven and demons of Oblivion are openly hostile to life or at least naturally inclined to causing destruction, summoners are generally viewed as highly suspect at best, and lynched upon discovery at worst, no matter what their intentions. Naturally, many who gravitate towards the path of a summoner are already inclined towards either Lightbringers or Diabolists and others, even if they start with good intention, are often seduced by the lies - or perhaps the truths - of demons or angels. Even the ones who are righteous are, at best, playing with fire as any angel or demon who escapes bindings is sure to cause harm if it's not quickly banished. Thus the hostility summoners face is very much earned, even if there are a few of those who are both righteous and skilled enough to command the power of summoning with little risk to themselves or others.

Necromancer: Though they are in many ways similar to summoners as they, too, summon beings from another world, necromancers deserve their own entry. Necromancers are spirit binders who focus on summoning and communing with spirits of the dead from the Beyond. Though the uneducated sometimes view necromancers with suspicion, most people show them respect, even reverence. Most necromancers spend their time seeking and talking with the spirits of the dead and sometimes summoning(or banishing) them either for their own reasons or because their paid to do so - for example, many a child has wanted to exchange a few last words with a parent who died suddenly. Properly bound souls can also perform other services for the necromancer, such as guiding them through tunnels or lending them their power, though forcing the spirits of the dead to perform such tasks is highly frowned upon where it isn't banned, so the legitimate necromancers are reduced to merely bargaining with the dead for their services.

Mystic: Mystic are spirit binders focused on dealing with and studying natural spirits as well as creatures such as the fae. They, like necromancers, are often called for when an Outsider or a spirit of the dead needs to be banished, for they are often experts at banishing that which does not belong in this world.

Evoker: Evokers(or sorcerers, as they are also called) are spellslingers focused on quick and dirty magic. Unlike most other spellslingers, they often do not memorize spells at all - instead, they memorize components of spells and use them to create whatever effect is required on the spot or even disregard the use of spells completely and merely use their natural affinity create a suitable effect. Only the most gifted spellslingers become evokers, and highly trained evokers are truly a sight to behold - combining versatility greater than any mere spellslinger with personal power allowing them to rival many spirit binders.

Adept: Adepts are warrior-mages, combining magic with skill in arms. Most adepts focus solely in either spells or spirits, for splitting their already split focus is something only the most talented among them can afford. A spellslinger-adept will most of the time focus on destructive spells and short duration boosts to their physical abilities, while spirit binder - adepts bind spirits within themselves, their arms and their armor to increase their physical prowess and make tools that not even a master craftsman can match.