<section><span class="post-quote"><a class="post-backlink" href="#80783563">>>80783563</a></span>
In short, a master ought to be able to build, describe, test, and match to a person any given wand, rod, staff, or other magic channeling tool. If this seems a tad excessive, I suspect it comes from a mixture of the desire to ensure employment and good, old-fashioned gatekeeping. Nevertheless, our community would still be greatly served by adding a fifth skill, Sourcing, to these requirements– but enough of my opinions. You need at least 3rd Degree certification in three of the four categories, and 1st Degree in the remaining one, to qualify for creation. Getting 1st Degree involves a particularly grueling process which must be overseen by other masters, featuring such joys as the mock trial and the Quivering. The Categories are my specialization, which is why I like to open my office and elaborate on the wands of strangers, although I have also achieved the 2nd Degree in Casting. I'd like to think that puts me on even footing with the Sergeants of the Left Ministry, but they practice much, much, much harder than I do.
However! Do not take from this the idea that the love and practice of wandcraft is straddled by the academocracy. Of 631 mages currently employed by the McTarbein Trade Hub, nearly a quarter work solely under the Wand Office. Their every working day is spent lovingly and expertly tending to people's channeling needs, but do you know how many of them are Masters of the Channels? If we include myself, then eight. Do you know how many are seriously trying to become masters? Maybe four or five. Just now, I suffered through examining a wand made by Shimone Gasgallione; he is better renowned in the community than I will ever be, but he also wouldn't touch government certification with a Zendite macrostave!
Ah... there's another self-righteous rant from me. My apologies, gentlemen.</section>