In Dragon Age, there are many factions and organizations with varied hierarchies, and among them is the Circle of Magi, which is an organization that trains mages. There is not a Dragon Age game or book that does not involve or mention the Circle of Magi in some way, as it has trained many of the central characters and has been the subject of intrigue and drama.

Amongst all the drama and intrigue, it can be easy to forget the inner workings of the Circle. There are six ranks a mage can have within its walls from an apprentice to a Grand Enchanter. Every rank has different prerequisites and different duties, and different characters that players intimately know have been in some of these ranks.

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Apprentices

Apprentice between Grand Enchanter and Templar.

The lowest rank is apprentice, and a Circle Tower tends to have many of them. They are students that train in preparation for their Harrowing, a secret rite of passage within the Circle, preparing for this test but never know what it entails until the time comes for them to take it. To do this, they train under enchanters and it is the enchanters that decide when their apprentice is ready for the Harrowing.

Apprentices are taken to their Harrowing without warning and can have an age range of teenage years to early adulthood when taking the test. Those who succeed in the Harrowing become mages while those who fail are never heard from again. Apprentices do get the choice to become Tranquil instead of undergoing the Harrowing, and those who are deemed too weak to even attempt the Harrowing are made Tranquil outright. Chantry law forbids mages that pass their Harrowing from being made Tranquil, as passing the Harrowing is proof that they can resist possession (the Gallows broke this rule).

Some notable mages known to have passed their Harrowing include Wynne, who passed at 16-years-old, Rhys at around 18-years-old, Malcolm Hawke at 19, and Bethany Hawke at 20-years-old (if she survives certain events in Dragon Age 2). The Harrowing and life as an apprentice is also experienced by players in Dragon Age: Origins that pick the mage origin.

Mages

Anders healing someone.

Once a student passes their Harrowing, they are a mage. They are required to live in the Circle and can only have freedoms with the First Enchanter's permission. Their daily lives and duties vary depending on which Circle they live in. For example, Kinloch Hold is a Circle that allows mages to write letters to families while the Gallows did not allow its mages to speak to even random citizens.

In Kinloch Hold, mages can temporarily go outside on different missions such as botany research, combat help, and providing services to the Chantry. Usually, though, they do have templar escorts wherever they go. In the Gallows of Kirkwall, on the other hand, they do not allow their mages to even make appearances in court.

Mages are typically far more educated than the average citizen of Thedas, making them sometimes function as advisers to royal courts. Many are published writers, as much of their time in the Circle is around literature. Others are adept in healing and combat, as the Chantry does encourage them to use their skills to help those in need and to fight during a Blight.

Enchanters

Knight Enchanter elf.

Enchanters are mages that decided to specialize in a particular field of study. They also tutor apprentices and prepare them for their Harrowings. They are the ones who decide when an apprentice is ready to undergo the Harrowing as well. When an apprentice first comes to a Circle, it is the enchanters that create their phylacteries, which are used to track them if they ever escape the Circle.

Those that become enchanters get to join one of the Fraternities of Enchanters, which include the Aequitarians, Isolationists, Libertarians, Loyalists, and Lucrosians. Basically, they are political parties and determine policies for Circles. The dominant faction is the Aequitarians, which believe that mages should dedicate themselves to using their abilities ethically and responsibly. Known enchanters in the Aequitarians include Wynne, Rhys, and Irving.

The Isolationists want to separate mages from civilization so that they can use magic without the scrutiny of non-magical people. Libertarians, which characters like Uldred and Fiona are with, want the Circle to be self-regulating without Chantry involvement. Loyalists are dedicated to the Chantry and are pro templar supervision. Lastly, Lucrosians care mostly about accumulating wealth and having the fewest number of members.

Senior Enchanters

Wynne talking to the warden.

Senior Enchanter is a title awarded to the most experienced mages within a Circle. When newly appointed, they get to have a ceremony with the Divine in the Grand Cathedral. Notable characters that were given this title include Wynne and Uldred. They have many duties, from assisting First Enchanters to mentoring enchanters and helping them tutor apprentices.

To become a senior enchanter, one typically requires sponsorship from another senior enchanter. The title can also be awarded by the Divine herself. Within a Circle, there tends to just be a small council of Senior Enchanters. Like regular enchanters, senior enchanters also tend quite to be active in the various political fraternities.

First Enchanters

Vivienne.

A first enchanter is the head of a Circle, meaning there is only one per Circle. They serve as an ambassador between templars and mages and are often seen as parental figures to the apprentices. The position is for life unless the First Enchanter decides to retire or appoint someone new into the position. They are not always chosen for their power, as they need to have an edge in diplomacy most of all.

First Enchanters hold a lot of power, as their permission is needed for a mage to leave the tower, for a mage to be made Tranquil, for templars to take action against a mage suspected of blood magic, and for an apprentice to be summoned for their Harrowing. They also decide the price of the goods and services that their Circle provides while having control over the Circle's finances. However, not all first enchanters get this much power depending on what the templars allow (Kirkwall's Gallows severely limited Orsino's power).

It is typical for First Enchanters to have meetings in Cumberland to elect a new Grand Enchanter every couple of years. Notable First Enchanters include Fiona, Vivienne, Orsino, and Irving. According to Vivienne's codex entry, she was actually made a First Enchanter at an age young enough to cause scandal.

Grand Enchanter

Fiona in Orlais.

The highest rank within the Circle is Grand Enchanter, who gets elected from among the First Enchanters by the College of Enchanters. The Grand Enchanter interacts more with the Chantry than all other ranks, as they serve as an arcane advisor to the Divine herself. They oversee the interactions of the First Enchanters when they come to have their meetings in Cumberland as well.

Fiona is the most well-known Grand Enchanter in Dragon Age, as it was her radical views that caused the College of Enchanters to be disbanded by the Chantry in Dragon Age: Asunder. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, if Vivienne does not become Divine, then she gets elected as the new Grand Enchanter after the events of the Trespasser DLC.

Dragon Age 4 is in development.

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