The world has witnessed marvels made possible through scientific and technological advancements. Devices that were the stuff of science fiction mere decades ago are now commonplace. The world today would be unrecognizable to people only a few generations back. And yet, there is another world within this one that is even more fantastical.

This other world is filled with magic and its practitioners. For millennia, mages lived openly among other human beings, sometimes revered as leaders, and other times reviled because of their power. With the ascension of the Christian Church, mages withdrew from everyday society, and stories about them became nothing more than myths and legends. Few people believe they ever existed, and fewer still know they exist today. Even those that see magic in use often dismiss it as a hoax or some sort of special effects trickery. 

Mages are generally content to keep to themselves, conducting their research and keeping out of the affairs of the ordinary world. Preferring solitude, mages never developed a hierarchical structure nor ruling body. They do often, though not always, organize themselves into houses for both protection and material support. Such arrangements are always a matter of convenience and governed by whatever agreements made by the members of the house.

There have been many different magical traditions, many of which have been passed down and are still practiced today. No matter the techniques employed, every mage specializes in one (or, very rarely, two) area of magic. Such areas are many and varied, ranging from elemental magic to magic governing time itself. The effects possible cover an even wider scope of possibility, often limited only by the ingenuity of the wielder. 

The concerns of material wealth or worldly power hold little interest for those who study magic. Such things are easily acquired and pose little challenge. They pale in comparison to the mysteries the arcane holds. As a consequence the activities of mages rarely encroach upon the ordinary world. It is not that they could not pose a threat; it is merely that they choose not to do so.

Perhaps you have never met a mage and never will. Or perhaps one is standing in front of you at the coffee shop. Likely you will never know. And there is no reason to worry yourself about it.