Mage Clans

"Of the myriad factions and orders in existence, I believe it is the mage clans that have shaped mortal destiny the most."

- Deckard Cain

The Mage Clans, otherwise referred to as the Eastern Mage Clans, Mage Clans of the East,  and the Mage Clans of Kehjan, are magic-users based mainly in Kehjistan. Their influence and power has waxed and waned over the history of Sanctuary.

Lore
Each of the Mage Clans specializes in its own branch of magic. Legends hold that before the Sin War, there were seven major and seven minor clans. For most of history, the three most prominent clans have always been the Vizjerei, the Ennead, and the Ammuit. By 1285, while that remained true, the Taan and Zann Esu Clans were of equal standing.

Many of the Mage Clans believe that women shouldn't practice magic openly.

Early History
In early history, mankind began studying magic and formalized it into distinct schools. In what would become known as Kehjistan, the land was rife with nodes of magical energy, and eventually, humans with arcane abilities began to sense these forces. Over time, they gathered in groups and settled in these special areas, eventually forming the Mage Clans, the most prominent of which were the Vizjerei, the Ennead, and the Ammuit. At the time of their formation, the clans were ethnically and culturally distinct societies with their own laws, customs, artisans, and merchants. Each clan was defined by its adherence to a particular school of magic. While only the clan's mage caste studied this vocation, each clan's discipline nonetheless pervaded all corners of society, evidencing itself in things such as art and regional vernacular.

The burgeoning power of the clans allowed them to gain political influence over Kehjan. The Al'Raqish was formed to rule alongside the kingdom's monarchy and its powerful guilds. Despite the violent feuds and deep-seated prejudice that existed among the clans, the council thrived for generations. Eventually, the rulers of Kehjan became puppets for the clans.

The Sin War
The Vizjerei had always believed in the existence of spirits, yet were unable to communicate with them. They studied the practices of the Druids and the Necromancers, hoping to replicate their successes with experiments and empirical research. It was through the one and only Jere Harash, a Vizjerei Sorcerer, that this goal was realized, but at the cost of alerting the Burning Hells of Sanctuary's existence, however.

The Vizjerei discovered the means of summoning demons and agreed to keep these beings a secret. After being summoned, the demons returned to the Burning Hells and informed their brethren of humans, ultimately reaching the Prime Evils themselves.

The actions of the Vizjerei inadvertently caused the formation of the Triune, culminating into the Sin War.

The Age of Magic
In the decades that followed the Sin War, the Kehjan renamed itself as "Kehjistan," in order to distinguish itself from past events. As the kingdom started anew, the Mage Clans reasserted the control they had previously held, but took the lessons of the Sin War to heart&mdash;no Mage Clan would ever again summon demons into the world, and Heaven and Hell were to stay out of mortal affairs forever. As before, the Vizjerei, Ammuit, and Ennead remained the three most powerful clans, though of the three, the Vizjerei remained the most powerful. Although the details of the Sin War were lost, it was understood that blind faith and religiosity had not averted disaster, and before long, the prevailing opinion emerged that it was mankind's blind embrace of religion that had set the war in motion. Reason and practical research became the norm of the East, and the Al'Raquish governed Kehjistan in cooperation with the royal line in Viz-jun.

It was when the Vizjerei once again began returning to the summoning of demons from the Burning Hells, with the intent of controlling the demons and using them to subdue all the other clans, that an unsigned letter, presumed to be from an Ennead official, was found within the ruins of an Ammuit academy near Caldeum. The letter mentioned evidence of five high-ranking Vizjerei conjurers performing a ritual of summoning in the Yshari Sanctum. After having previously declared that no mage clan should ever summon demons, and having corroborated against the clan, the Ennead and Ammuit clans sent for assassins to eliminate key members of the Vizjerei Clan. In return, the Vizjerei paid them back in their own coin, and the conflict escalated further in the Al'Raqish, which resulted in multiple deaths. What followed was the Mage Clan Wars.

The Mage Clan Wars
The Mage Clan Wars started as a war with a coalition of Ennead and Ammuit forces on one side, and the Vizjerei on the other. Hopelessly outnumbered, the Vizjerei found themselves on the verge of annihilation. Unleashing the one weapon they had available, they did so&mdash;demons. Horrific creatures spawned of Hell cut their way through the Ennead and Ammuit forces, and they were driven back to Viz-jun. However, corruption spread through the Vizjerei ranks, and at the final battle at Viz-jun, the city was destroyed, hundreds of thousands left dead (Bartuc, who had turned the demons against the Vizjerei among them), and the Mage Clans shattered.

The Age of Faith
With the destruction of Viz-jun came the end of the Mage Clan system of government in Kehjistan. Mages, who had once been revered, were now reviled, and at times killed on on sight. Many fled the cities to eke out an existence in smaller towns, or alone in the mountains and deserts. The Vizjerei swore off summoning forever, and the Viz-Jaq'taar were formed to police the clans. However, the Age of Magic had ended, and what followed was the Age of Faith. The angry citizenry of Kehjistan looted the Mage Clans' holdings and tore down their bastions of power, with the Yshari Sanctum being the sole exception, due to its remote location. However, the vast arcane libraries and innumerable tomes of the Mage Clans were destroyed, and laws were passed forbidding the use of magic. The Mage Clans remained, but only in a pale and diminished form. Over the centuries, the population of the Mage Clans steadily dwindled.

Revival
At some point after the Darkening of Tristram, the Mage Clans experienced a reversal of fortune. The Trade Consortium of Caldeum, seeking to make their city a beacon of learning, worked to unite the clans and make the Yshari Sanctum a home of arcane knowledge. In the years that followed, the sanctum became a place of learning and growth for the various clans. Deckard Cain was of the opinion that the sanctum was the greatest symbol of Mage power and unity since the Age of Magic. However, an underground movement spread within the sanctum. Dissatisfied with their rigid instructors, rebellions students took on the mantle of "Wizard" and sought out dangerous and forbidden magics.

Known Clans
The following clans are known to exist/have existed. Their branch of magic is listed as known:


 * Ammuit Clan (illusions, manipulation of reality )
 * Behistun Clan (died out)
 * Ennead Clan (matter enchantment, transmutation  )
 * Harakas Clan
 * Sarandesh Clan
 * Taan Clan (divination, scrying )
 * Vizjerei Clan (elemental magic, formerly summoning/demonic magic  )
 * Zann Esu Clan (elemental magic  )

While not formal Mage Clans, it is also worth noting the existence of the Priests of Rathma, who have their own branch of magic (necromancy), but were never assimilated into the clans due to their seclusion. Additionally, while also not a Mage Clan, the Horadrim were composed of various Mage Clan members. The Royal Mages of Westmarch are another group of Mages, but are unrelated to the Mage Clans proper.

Diablo I
In Diablo I, the player can use a Sorcerer of the Vizjerei Clan.

Diablo II
In Diablo II, the player can use a Sorceress of the Zann Esu Clan.

Diablo IV
In Diablo IV, the player can use a Sorceress/Sorcerer.