wimlach wrote:
I've personally found that the analogy of the True Faith vs Christianity has been somewhat over-emphasised in recent fan versions of Legend, especially concerning the denouncing of sorcery and the victimisation of magical practitioners. This is Legend - not only is sorcery very real (and in some places, very established), but it's a potent tool of all powerful organisations, the church included (see adventures such as 'A Box of Old Bones' as a good example). While commoners may very well distrust magic, and be quick to lay blame for their woes at its doorstep, in a world where witches and warlocks can actually possess significant power, you would not get away with arbitrary lynchings without significant and detrimental consequences.
Common folk may distrust the sorcerer who took up residence in the old mill down by Oeric's Ford, but they aren't going to do anything about it unless backed up by the local constabulary and given the blessing of the local lord - who is more likely to act cautiously, and enquire as to what 'services' said sorcerer may provide. As any noble will know, young magicians tend to have masters, and old sorcerers, well they didn't get to be old without good reason. Unless actively undermining the local law, a sorcerer is a valuable and rare asset, and something you do not want to anger without good cause.
In my own version of Legend, the well educated tend to be reasonably accepting of magic as long as it isn't accompanied by anything seen as heresy - a sensible sorcerer who wants to stay out of trouble may make sure he attends Church on Haligdae and if asked about the source of their powers may well describe it as a combination of a gift from God, and careful scholarship. But if you go around professing beliefs that the Church sees as pagan, you could be heading towards trouble anyway... and if you do magic on top of that...
The less educated tend to have more of a problem with the idea of magic, but, as you say, taking on a true magician is dangerous and so they are likely to just let them go about their business unaided. When somebody is accused of witchcraft it may well be that they have no real powers at all, but have simply falling victim to superstition.
People also tend to have more of a problem with 'secret wizards' than they do with those who are open about what they do. People expect a sorcerer to dress the part so he's not trying to hide what he is (more true of powerful sorcerers than lower rank ones).
'Witches' do occasionally fall foul of the Church, and may face an ecclesiastical court, but in Albion (where most of my games are set) even if they are found guilty, the penalties imposed are more likely than not to involve penance of some sort, or excommunication. There have been a handful of officially sanctioned 'witch burnings' in Albion over the last twenty years but they are so rare that they inspire considerable discussion when they do occur, and those who are better informed about the cases tend to know that the true crime was serious heresy, rather than just the use of magic.