Hi all,
I was really hoping to get some input on this one. I was reading through some of the Birthright literature regarding Rjurik Sorcerers, and it just doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. Perhaps someone here has some ideas.

The background: I had a character created, choosing the race randomly, but choosing to be a sorcerer. I ended up being Rjurik.

As we all know, Rjurik culture frowns on the use of magic, much in the way Dwarven society does. Thus, sorcerers often leave home, to be alone with their "cursed" natural abilities to use magic. Because sorcerers are so shunned and looked down upon, the spellcasters attempt to hide their abilities by using "low profile" spells, so say the books.
It is said that they do not like to cast spells from the school of Evocation. Fireball, Ice Storm, Lightning Bolt, Light, Magic Missle are some of these. It also states that they prefer to use spells that are connected to nature and the elements; fire, ice, electric. There is definitely a contradiction here.
So, if Light and Magic Missle isn't allowed as their spells, bringing too much attention to themselves, why are spells like Burning Hands, Color Spray, Hypnotic Pattern and Prismatic Wall permissable? I assure you, any of these cast would surely draw the attention of the enemy as well as spectators. In fact, I believe any spell cast would draw attention; the purposeful intricate hand weaving, arcane words spoken and the combustion of spell components being consumed by magical energies.

So, here are my thoughts on the subject, perhaps you have some input, pro or con:
A Rjurik sorcerer may begin his "career" attempting to keep his magical abilities secret. Living in solitude as much as possible while trying to learn to control the magical energy. I believe though at some point, he would no longer care what others believe about his magic; that he would say "Magic is very powerful and very useful. If others do not agree, though. If they challenge me, they will fall."
Perhaps he would leave his homeland if he did not feel this way, to start a life in another land where he is not felt an outcast, and there he would develope more powerful magic; the magic of evocation.
And maybe, since he ties is magic so closely to elemental magic, he may believe that evocation is too closely related to his beliefs of the wilderness to not venture into it. Afterall, fire and ice are part of nature.
I'm sure the sorcerer would know that anyone around him would know he were using magic, regarless of the type of spell from hearing him speak, watching him move his hands, the comsumption of the spell component and of course, the outcome of these things. Why would he not then decide that if he is going to be known as a magic user, he may as well use the abilities he has to the fullest potential?

-- Krow