A Font is a type of mage that is characterized by having an unlimited source of magic with no direct way of using it. Due to the parasitic nature of their condition, and being much desired for their power, fonts typically lead short, tumultuous lives.

The origin of fonts is currently contested in modern academia, and most fields of magic have differing perspectives of where the condition originates. Among divine schools, it is considered a curse to remind mages that magic power is not something fully within the control of mortals. Within traditional elementalist schools, the theory is that energy of two powerful mages damages an infants connection with the power and causes this life-long condition. Some proponents follow the 'Babylonian' theory, which posits that fonts originated from experiments performed by mass sacrifices to create mystical batteries to which ancient blood mages would consume to gain ultimate power. Due to the short lives and rarity of fonts, it is difficult to surface adequate evidence to support any of these theories.

In the 1700s, the condition was officially recognized by the Occultus Magica, and solutions were drawn up across various nations. It was around this time that the Binding Script was developed and determined to be the only suitable solution for infants identified as being born with the condition. The script was originally designed to seal off the magic of criminal mages, but was usable on fonts to seal away their well of power, and enable them to lead a normal life. However, the solution was never perfect, and if the Font were to come into contact with something that could exploit their well of power, the script would be broken.

Today, the condition still persists with a 1:100,000 ratio for natural mage births to result in a font. There is little understood truth as to why this happens, or what causes it.

There are primarily two types of font, with one extra type being recently discovered. Most fonts are bound, meaning they are sealed with a binding script and live mundane lives. Some live as unbound fonts, and are at the mercy at whatever object or being possesses their well of power. There is also a third type, named similarly to the type of magic item, called conduits.

When a font is born, and identified, they have approximately seven days until they need to be bound by a binding script until their magic begins to decay their body. At this point, they become known as a Bound Font, and are functionally no different from mundane people. Bound fonts tend to live much longer than their unbound counterparts, but they either live in ignorance of the magical world, or under it with no capacity to use magic themselves. Once bound, a mage cannot become unbound until they come into contact with an item, object, or another mage that can take ownership of their magic.

By accident or by design, an unbound font exists at the mercy of whatever item, object, or mage that has entered into a parasitic relationship with their well of power. While this does not change the fact that the font cannot use magic, they gain the potential to use the effects of their power, depending on what thing has attached to them. While this relationship is usually stable for a couple decades, most fonts will eventually deteriorate physically after becoming unbound.

A conduit is a rare type of font that has managed to establish a symbiotic relationship with their power. Bodily decay ceases and the connection between the font and their well of magical potential becomes stable. How one achieves this state varies from font to font, and is not well understood at this time.