An example of a Magical License granted to the wizards of the Empire.[2a]
A Magical License or Magic License is a legal document that permits an individual to perform magical research or use magic itself without incurring the attention of the Empire's authorities or the Imperial Orders of Magic, who greatly fear unauthorized magic use for all the dangers it can unleash. At the same time, the rulers of the Empire realise that magic can serve as a potent weapon whose practitioners must remain readily accessible to defend the Empire and its people.[1a]
History[]
Three years after the foundation of the Imperial Colleges of Magic in 2304 IC, as part of his general reforms of the laws of the Empire, Emperor Magnus the Pious created the Articles of Imperial Magic, a set of laws and rules which all users of magical abilities within the Empire must obey on pain of death. Having been schooled by the High Elf Mage Teclis, Magnus knew that magic drew its power from the same source as Chaos itself, and the disorganisation and lack of loyalty to the Empire shown by its wizards during the recent conflict with Chaos had dismayed him.[1a]
Magnus' solution was twofold. The first part was offensive: the founding of the Colleges of Magic to create an elite group of high-level wizards within the Empire who were sworn to defend it if need be. The second part was defensive: Magnus decreed that everyone capable of using secular magic (that is, magic not granted by one of the Old World's recognised gods) must possess a license granted either by one of the colleges sanctioned by the Empire, or by the council of their nearest major town. Anyone found to be practising magic without a license would automatically be assumed to be a practicioner of Dark Magic or Chaos Sorcery, and would be exiled or put to death, "for the great safety of all." Furthermore, Magnus reaffirmed the charter of 1913 IC which had placed the Cult of Sigmar in charge of hunting down and wiping out the practice of daemonology and Chaos-worship in the Empire, and gave the Sigmarites responsibility for enforcing the Articles of Imperial Magic.[1a]
There was more in the Articles: restrictions on the use of spells near Imperial barracks or armouries; descriptions of conduct for apprentices; conditions under which non-members of the Imperial Colleges could be drafted into the service of the Empire's armies and so forth; but the rules on licensing were at its core. After some token protests the community of Imperial wizards agreed to its terms, not wanting to be identified as sympathizing with dark magic-users, and the system began operating in 2308 IC.[1a]
A license to perform magical research, sorcery and thaumaturgy within the bounds and territories of the Empire, to give its full title, signifies that the holder is a fully-fledged and officially approved wizard. It is usually written on paper or vellum, often in a leather folder or a watertight container, and kept with the wizard at all times. Any priest of Sigmar, Ulric, Solkan, Verena or Morr, law officer, soldier of the Empire, nobleman or sanctioned witch hunter may demand to see the license, and any wizard unable to produce one may be lawfully placed under arrest, tried, and burned at the stake.[1a]