#1 - May 17, 2012, 5:25 a.m.
Blizzard Post
It can be difficult to choose which hero you want to take into battle against the legions of the Burning Hells. To help inform your decision we’ve compiled all of the gameplay and story information you need broken down by class.

The Wizard

Wizards are renegade spellcasters who use their bodies as vessels for arcane energy, forsaking the more careful path favored by other magic users. They manipulate all manner of forces to disintegrate, burn, and freeze their foes, and they can control time and light to teleport, create powerful illusions, and deflect oncoming attacks.

Wizards grip wands and staves to focus their less potent magics, blasting at their enemies while gathering the energy or time necessary to destroy them in a dazzling hail of arcane might.

With few exceptions, wizard attacks are conducted at a distance, away from danger. As living artillery, wizards are well suited to relying on long-range destructive power.

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Character Background

Firefly (Excerpt)

That was our first meeting, and I still remember it vividly. Isendra embraced her role in teaching Li-Ming. She became a mentor to the girl, and Li-Ming gained a deep respect for the sorceress. They were more alike than Isendra or I had suspected. But Li-Ming quickly exhausted the extent of Isendra's knowledge. Their relationship changed, and Li-Ming began to treat the sorceress as an equal rather than a teacher. Isendra was changing too, and that worried me as well. She was far too permissive with Li-Ming's behavior. With nothing to learn, Li-Ming followed the vein of curiosity that had always driven her, and that was when the trouble started.


Rebel of the Arcane

Rumors from Caldeum detail the events surrounding a certain brash student of the sorcerous arts—a promising, even brilliant, pupil, but one whose unbridled ambitions have led to violence and disorder in the respected schools of that august city. This young woman was trained by some of the most skilled mages in the world, but rather than follow their guidance, she chose to display an uncooperative spirit, constantly pushing past their restrictions in pursuit of knowledge that they claimed she was not prepared for.

This behavior resulted in censure and reprimands, but nothing seemed to bar her from her course. In the end, she insinuated her way into the hallowed aisles of the Ancient Repositories and was there confronted by the great Vizjerei mage Valthek. The altercation turned violent, resulting in costly damage to the building, the destruction of many irreplaceable artifacts, and the humiliation of an honored sorcerer. This rebel student, calling herself a wizard, disappeared into the shadows and is considered still at large.

The actions of a single soul can have far-reaching consequences, whether intended or not.
As is the nature of such rumors, they have grown wilder and more fantastical with every telling. Sources from the Yshari Sanctum in Caldeum speak of an underground movement, a band of young students who have taken inspiration from these stories. These dissenters have adopted the epithet of "wizard" as a badge of honor. They gather in secret, with no official organization or figurehead—just a collection of rebellious youth excited by the prospects of knowledge and power.

The elders of sorcery and the arcane arts throughout Caldeum are greatly concerned about this rising tide. They believe that the powers of divination and conjuration should be placed only in the hands of those who have proven their steadfastness and righteous dedication to the betterment of humankind. Scholars have perfected the paths toward these abilities over centuries, paths requiring patience and forbearance as well as intelligence. The elders fear that the wizards mean to mock these great lessons, to run when they should walk. They fear that such intellect and ambition fueled with arcane power could endanger all of Sanctuary.
Astrologists have recently brought alarming news to the scholars of Caldeum: a sign of dire portent has marked the night sky, and all eyes are turned toward the quiet land of Khanduras. Now the promise of knowledge, mystery, and treasure may prove too tempting for these upstart wizards to resist.