The Amra Problem
The island continent of Deidara sits above the middle of the known world; it is far to the East of the ravaged Amran lands and an inconvenient boat journey from the majority of the Elven homelands. The Deidran King rules over his lands as is his birthright, but King Demitri does not rule entirely on his own. It has been the case for as long as anyone can remember, that the Sovereignty has willingly shared its power with the Academies. Far to the West of Deidara is the continent of Amra, colonised by Deidara over 50 years ago. The continent is known to be troubled, as no Amran's have come back from the continent in almost 10 years, rumour has it that ships returning from Amra have even been destroyed by the Sovereign's knights.
The Academies, and the Delosian Academy in particular, oversee all things related to magic in the lands. They take responsibility for ensuring the safety and proper training of all people who show a talent for magic, and failing in that, they ensure that those people do not present a danger to anyone. They are also responsible for guiding the talents of their graduates to areas the country is most in need of aid. They make sure to encourage mages to join the healer's guild, that some return to their families' farmlands and that others pursue a career in His Majesty's Guard.
Mages finish their studies at a Magical Academy after three years, being allowed almost free reign to direct their studies in the latter two years. The final week of the third year is their final exam. Students are granted leave to do whatever they wish within the limits of Delosia, or whatever town their academy resides, being monitored constantly. Most students have a clear idea of how to prove their magical aptitude by this point. Some focus on proving they can evade their monitoring, some demonstrated an ability to weave a complex ritual other have been known to simply duel other students or teachers to prove themselves. However a student chooses to end their third year tends to define the kind of mage they will be from then on, and certainly helps prove they are fit for whatever profession they choose.
