Many wizards, mages, priests, and others of their ilk claim that modern magic began with the establishment of their traditions and institutions. But anyone who has traveled through the gloom of Spiderwood or in the depths of Balgrendia knows better. Magic and its practice have thrived across Rûl for as long as people have lived here. Many of the present-day magical societies owe their insights to these primitive systems and have adapted them to suit their needs. In some parts of the world, however, the old ways hold, and the students of these ancient techniques strive to prove that their methods are the equal of any of those used in the civilized world.

Wangateurs are a class of wise men and women who tend to the needs of the tribes to which they belong, offering guidance in difficult situations and using their magic to drive off evil spirits, foster healing, and protect their people from the gathering dark. Although many act as agents of good for their kind, many wangateurs dabble in dark magic and become corrupted by their studies.

Wangateurs often begin their careers as magicians, having discovered several traditions with which to mold the foundation of their work as wangateurs. Others might have begun as rogues, tricksters, and scoundrels who stumbled onto the art or learned it from a master. Few priests become wangateurs, because this path eschews the trappings of organized religion in any form.