Battles and Brawls

Although the Way of Magic is the Way of a warrior, the magus by nature is not aggressive and does not pick fights that come his way.

This means that the magus is primarily focused on achieving his goals; he is not interested in war as such, and he enters battle only when he sees it as a Challenge of Power.

In other words, the magus’s task is to walk his Way firmly without faltering, not turning aside toward either blissful ignorance or petty brawls.

Nevertheless, by virtue of Magic’s very nature, the magical wayfarer often provokes aggression from the people and forces around him, because, first, he stands out sharply and therefore provokes xenophobia, and second, drawing the magus into senseless disputes and fights greatly benefits predators and parasites, since a great deal of Power is lost during heated arguments — provoking a fight involving the magus gives them plenty to feed on.

Therefore one of the magus’s important skills is not reacting to such provocations, however cleverly prepared they may be, and carefully assessing each instance of aggression that arises on the Way for its importance to the Way.

Every magus who has walked long enough eventually and inevitably notices that he begins to cause a “urge to instruct” in those around him, and an increasing number of people strive to “set him straight” or “re-educate” him.

Each Wayfarer chooses his own preferred way to respond to such provocations: for some it is ignoring them, for others irony, for others a judicious, philosophical outlook, but what is truly destructive is to get embroiled in endless arguments and trying to prove oneself right.

Breadth of vision, so necessary to the magus, primarily means accepting other Ways and giving each person the opportunity to follow the Way he deems fit, regardless of whether, from the magus’s perspective, those Ways seem constructive or destructive.

The exception applies only to Wayfarers for whom the magus bears responsibility — for them he must attempt to find the most effective course of action, and the most effective specifically for them, not for himself.

It is very important to understand that the best course of action for one may be the worst for another, and before advising even a fellow-traveler on anything, one must carefully consider how relevant it will be to that companion.

Therefore the magus is not indifferent or callous; on the contrary, he is usually quite sensitive and passionate, yet purposeful and composed — he simply has too many of his own battles to afford to get involved in other fights or to impose advice on those who do not truly need it.