There's saying that "humans are lucky to be born and mages lucky to be born in Tevinter". How mages are treated varies greatly among cultures in Thedas. In nations beyond the Chantry's control, mage life ca be a blessing or a curse.
The Qunari fear magic's potential, but take its treatment of mages to extremes even the Chantry would consider cruel. In contrast, mages are the backbone of society in the Tevinter Imperium. Their government is a totalitarian magocracy where the rights of mages are both paramount and glorified.
Dwarves are the only common race in Thedas unable to wield magic through natural means. Their ressiatance to magic, and by extension lyrium has allowed them to hone skills in enchantment. Enchanted dwarven weapons are prized throughout Thedas.
Magic in Tevinter
The Tevinter Imperium, in sharp contrast to much of Thedas, celebrates magic use umong its people. The ability to wield magic is seen as a mark of favor from the Maker, and the Old Gods before him. Political and religious leaders in the Imperium are all mages.
Because magic use is not discouraged, Tevinter mages have delved far deeper into magic's potential than mages in the rest of Thedas. Spells developed in the northerner nation exceed what mages elsewhere would ever dream of casting. The Imperial Circles, in contrast the the Circle of Magi, are places of honor where the art of magic is celebrated and freely passed down to young mages. Attendance in at a Cirlce in Tevinter is not mandatory, it is a privilege.
The Imperium's mastery of magic led to an extended period of conquest over much of the continent prior to the rise of the Chantry.
So pervasive is magic's influence in the Imperium that non-mages are a sizable underclass. The lucky non-mages who are not slaves can own land, but cannot hold senior political positions. The non-mage Soporati are said to dream of having a mage child and the prestige that comes with one. Many non-mages in the Tevinter live in fear of mages and the power they wield.
Daarebas and the Qun
The Qunari fear and loath magic. But it is still possible for a follower of the Qun to be born with the power to use it. A Qunari mage is known as a saarbas, meaning "dangerous thing", the Qunari treat them with brutality and caution. The seer of Kont-aar once wrote: "Sarrebas must be carefully controlled by someone else, an avaard 'one how holds back evil' because they cannot truly control themselves".
The Qun teaches that those who cannot control magic, cannot control themselves. Because of this it is common practice for sarrebas to be chained, masked, and kept on a short leash. Their lips may in extreme cases be stitched together. An arvaard may also use a rod, similar to one used to control a golem, to retrain a saarebas. All this is done to prevent saarebas from casting spells.
"The evil is not the mage, but the loss of the mage, the loss of the mage's self, and the suffering that inevitably follows" the Seer if Kont-aar wrote in 8:41 Blessed. "The Qunari pity and honor the sarrebas, for striving while under constant from within is truly selfless, which is the highest virtue of the Qun"
The Death Mages of Nevarra
In Nevarra, mages have more power than those in most Chantry controlled nations. They are well organized, wealthy, and hold political sway. Nevarran mages push the boundaries of what magic can do, and are arguably the most well schooled mages outside the Tevinter.
Among the special aspects of mage practice in Nevarra, is the secretive Mortaliitasi order. These mages are experts in the art of mummification. a burial practice unique to Nevarran culture. The order studies death extensively, and its members are known to experiment with necromancy.
Members of the order rarely leave Nevarra. While they are well respected within the kingdom, mages outside of the nation's borders fear them. Propaganda perpetuates the belief in some that the Mortalitasi are actually a death cult who carry out macabre rituals in the catacombs of their Grand Necropolis.
The Forgotten Magic of the Dalish
The nomadic and free elves have practiced magic free from Chantry control for generations. Its is a proud part of their culture, albeit one they still struggle to understand.
Many of the old elvhen ways were lost with the fall of Arlathan, and magic is no exception. Remnants of the unique magic they once practiced do surface at times. A handful of ancient magical mirrors called eluvians have survived, although they no longer seem to work and their purpose remains a mystery. Some have speculated that the mirrors allow communication over vast distances. Rumors persist that it may even be possible to enter a working eluvian.
The magic the Dalish now use is largely a product of their surroundings. Their spells have evolved to be deeply rooted in nature, manipulating earthly forces with a heavy emphasis of on herbalism and healing. Unlike other spellcasters, Dalish mages do not use any magic involving spirits, as they believe all spirits are dangerous.
Apostates & Blood Magic
In Chantry lands, mages who operate outside the Circle have historically been dubbed apostates, a loaded term synonymous with "rebel mage".
The most dangerous of the apostates are the maleficarum, who actively pursue dangerous and forbidden schools of magic, including blood magic. The word "maleficar" comes from the Tevinter language, an old meaning one who is depraved. Although many apostates never practice the forbidden arts, the stigma is such that many look upon all apostates as maleficaum.
Also among the ranks of apostates are hedge mages, who are untrained and wield powers developed independent of standard teachings. Hedge mages have been known to possess unusual, sometimes previously unseen abilities. Often their skills may be harmless enough that they are ignored by the authorities.
Traditionally, the Chantry's opinion is that any mage who lives outside of the Circle is breaking the commandments of the Maker and must be hunted. The Chantry believes apostates are at greater risk of falling prey to demons, being possessed, and becoming abominations.
It is not uncommon for mages to refuse to bow to Chantry control. Though it is a dangerous path, rebel mages survives even in nations with a heavy Chantry or Qunari presence, hiding in plain sight or branding together on the fringes of society.
There are also mages, technically apostates, who adhere to traditions predating the Circle's creation. This kind of apostate may be a shaman in a barbarian village, a local alchemist who takes love charms, a hermit witch who casts curses on intruders, and most notably a keeper of the Dalish.
The line between mage and and apostate is blurring as beneficial magic outside Chantry law becomes more common. High profile mages like those involved in quelling the Fifth Blight in Ferelden and those who fought in the mage-templar conflicts in Kirkwall and Val Royeaus have complicated debates about the definition of an apostate and where they fit in society.
Blood Magic
Not up for debate, however is the practice of Blood magic. Using pain or death to cast or strengthen spells is forbidden throughout Thedas.
The ancient Tevinter magisters were the first to experiment with blood magic. They saw it as a means to achieve greater power in all schools. Overtime they discovered spells that could only be worked by spilling blood. Rituals involving violence became a significant part of of the Old God worship, and blood mages rose to incredible heights of power and influence.
Blood Magic allows feats otherwise thought impossible. "Although lyrium will allow a mage to send his conciousness mind into the Fade, blood would allow him to find the sleeping minds of others, view their dreams, and even influence or dominate their thoughts" fames First Enchanter Josephus once wrote. "Just as treacherous, blood magic allows the Veil to be opened completely so that demons may physically pass through it into our world".
Josephus wrote that is was once common practice for a Tevinter magister to keep a number of slaves on hand, to use their blood to strengthen spells. A rare Tevinter maleficar may still use slaves for this purpose. The more violent the pain or death used in blood magic, the more powerful a spell becomes. Mages who experiment with blood magic are more susceptible to demonic spirits, such as pride demons and risk becoming abominations by way of possession.
With the rise of the Chant of Light and subsequent decline if the Old God worship, the use of blood magic was all but stamped out across Thedas. Chantry faithful believe those who practice blood magic are criminals, as common wisdom holds there is no way to use blood magic with good intentions. They say all blood mages who use their own blood will eventually find themselves tempted by the additional power to be gained from spilling the blood of others.
While blood magic is discouraged even in the pro-mage Imperium, it is still widely, if quietly practiced there. Since most of the heroes of Tevinter folklore used or benefited from blood magic, the practice does not carry the as much stigma with most Tevinters. However since Andraste specifically spoke against blood magic, it has been removed from public ceremonies and is not formally taught in imperium Circles.
In the Imperium, the traditions of blood magic are now passed down quietly from master to apprentice and parent to child. To this day, even the most devout mage in the Imperial Chantry knows at least a little blood magic.