Arcane Traditions

The study of wizardry is ancient, stretching back to the earliest mortal discoveries of magic. It is firmly established in Valine, with various traditions dedicated to its complex study.
The most common arcane traditions revolve around the schools of magic. Wizards through the ages have cataloged thousands of spells, grouping them into eight categories called schools. In some places, these traditions are literally schools. Elsewhere, they are more like academic departments, with rival faculties competing for students and funding. Even wizards who train apprentices in the solitude of their own towers use the division of magic into schools as a learning device, since the spells of each school require mastery of different techniques.
In addition to the schools there are traditions that merge selected spells from one or more schools into a focused technique. These hybrid traditions of magic tend to be frowned upon by the more academic among the wizarding community, but they are, nevertheless, very effective in the right hands.