High Elf Archmage

By lineage and inclination, the Elves are a magical race. They are fascinated by the secrets of sorcery, and their mages' nimble minds can embrace a deeper understanding of its subtleties and whims than other wizards. It is well that this is so, for without the magics of the High Elf mages, Ulthuan would have long since have slipped beneath the waves or been overwhelmed by the black sorceries of Naggarothi sorcerers. Indeed, not only Ulthuan, but the entire world owes much to the disciplined and selfless actions of High Elf mages. It is by their effort that the Great Vortex and the network of waystones that feed it are maintained, and the dread power of Chaos thus kept in abeyance.

In Ulthuan, those who devote their lives to magic are treated with the highest respect and honour. Though each kingdom has its own magical traditions and methods of scholarship, Saphery is the realm most famed for its mages, and it is at the White Tower of Hoeth that Ulthuan's seat of magical learning can be found. There, the greatest collection of mages, Loremasters and scholars in the world endeavor to perfec their mastery of the sorcerous arts. It is a place of wonders unbounded, where mages strive to harness every aspect of the Winds of Magic.

An aspirant to the White Tower is expected to swiftly gain a proficiency in the eight Lores of Magic -- only then can their true education begin. Through decades, and often centuries, of painstaking research and scrupulous study, they learn to master magic in its purest form, an art known simply as High Magic. Those who mastered this most challenging of lores hold the entire spectrum of magic at their command. At a High Mage's word, shimmering fields of magical energy spring into being to protect his allies, and the fires of courage blaze anew within their hearts. The truly gifted can even becalm the Winds of Magic themselves, collapsing a raging tempest until naught but a gentle breeze remains. Yet it should not be thought that High Magic is reserved for defensive means alone. With but a wave of his hand, a High Mage can call down the wrath of the heavens, paralyze his foes, or immolate whole regiments with Asuryan's fire.

It is little wonder then, that in times of strife, the Phoenix King will beseech the Tower of Hoeth for aid. The Loremasters of Saphery never shirk from their duty, for they know that their gifts stand between Ulthuan and annihilation. Traditionally, mages fulfil an advisory capacity in addition to their battlefield roles, lending an insight that transcends mortal comprehension. Such knowledge has even led to mages being given command of whole armies, a state of affairs that is especially common when Ulthuan is beset by supernatural threats from the Realm of Chaos.

Source

 * Warhammer Armies High Elves (8th) pg. 38