Magickers are self-taught wizards from wealthy backgrounds. They are distinct from Hedge Wizards (or at least believe themselves to be so) in that the latter are invariably poor, rural peasants.[1a]
Magickers are rare, because they must be innately sensitive to magic, foolish enough not to join one of the Colleges of Magic, and wealthy enough to get a hold of grimoires and other magical resources and knowledge. Because of their access to these tomes, they are able to master magical techniques much faster than self-taught Hedge Wizards, who must improve incrementally through trial and error.[1a]
However, this is also magickers' greatest downfall, for it causes them to fall into the clutches of the Ruinous Powers quickly and easily. Thus, those magickers who are neither caught by the Imperial authorities of the Orders of Magic nor killed by the practice of their own magic invariably pursue the corrupted path of the warlock or the witch.[1a]
Magickers must always practice in secret. Even if they wished to divulge to someone their practices, they would probably not refer to themselves as a "magicker." That is the term used to described them by the Magisters of the Colleges of Magic.[1a]