Related:

• A wizard's reputation is his bond, or so the sages say.
  And, as all learned men know, a reputation is difficult to build, and all too easily besmirched....
• Magic weapons can, on occasion, be of great use, yet one more part of the truly rounded wizard's arsenal of tricks, spells, and remarks for all occasions.
  However, the thoroughly prepared mage will find certain spells of even more importance than these, especially those enchantments which produce magic wings, magic carpets, and magic running boots, for those times when the rest of you arsenal fails you completely....
• It is of tremendous importance, when a wizard enters a battle, that he should have prepared sufficient spells beforehand to meet anything that he might face during the coming fight.
  It is even more important that the wizard act bravely during the course of the fight, so that he might do credit to the names of wizards everywhere....
• Perhaps I have given you the wrong impression. A wizard's life is not all fame, fortune and frivolity.
  There must be periods of rest as well, when a wizard should find a safe retreat where he can seclude himself from sorcery and restore his health and vitality in the proper ascetic atmosphere....
• There comes a time when a wizard must put his fate totally in the hands of another.
  This takes great courage, and great faith in the ability of others to perform some function that is beyond you....
• A wizard is only as good as his spells," people will often say.
  It is telling however, that this statement is only made by people who have never been wizards themselves....
• There comes a time when every wizard should retire, and pass the mantle of responsibility on to younger shoulders.
  It behooves us, then, to teach our successors well, so that the new wizard may do honor to our names, attract the very best of clients, and be well enough paid to support our retirement home in Vushta....
• And what is the professional wizard's greatest reward for completing a particularly arduous and dangerous task?
  Is it the accolades of a grateful populace? Is it huge amounts of gold and silver tossed about his feet?...
• The professional wizard, it is said, should always watch his hands.
  Actually, the truly professional wizard should watch a great many other things as well, including the reactions of his audience, the door or window that constitutes the nearest exit, and, perhaps most important, the constantly fluctuating interest rates on his retirement account in the First Bank of Vushta....