mages

Mages or wizards, witches, magicians or sorcerers, they all play the roles of powerful magical creatures in the tales and stories of mankind. They can grant wishes, make magical presents, tell the future, bless or curse anything from people to places to plates of food. They appear out of smoke and vanish in it, call upon the elements, burn down a city with a single word or a move of the hand. They cure all deseases, save heroes from certain death. Stone and iron breaks at their command as they intonate ancient spells.
The list goes on and on. Mages and their similars can do almost anything. Depending on the story their abilities change to whatever is needed at the moment and place.

Their are four main ways in which mages are commonly told to access their powers: 
First, the using of amulets or other empowered objects. Hereby the mages store their power in objects for later use or to hand it to someone else who does not posses any or not sufficient magical power himself. It can be used my mages themself on later occasions to multiply their own power.
Second, the using of certain moves, such as made by hands or the whole body. The extend of the movement can vary from a simple twitch of the hand to a complicated dance choreography.
Third, the using of sticks or wands of power. These instruments usually made of a long piece of wood focusses the power of the mage.
Fourth, the usind of incantations or words of power. These can either be in the form of single words,  certain spells that need to be learned by heart or long incantations like prayers. They often are in some ancient language that no one understands.

Often, more than just one of those branches is used for the same story.