I've always been interested in the way Magic is treated in various societies.
Magic in the continent of Elindil is strictly controlled. In the past, magic users were somewhat of a problem. A single warlock could take control of an entire village. A wizard could assassinate anyone he chose. It created a magical arms race, where government began trying to push for the strongest magics, the most powerful wizards.
This led to a war that devastated the entire continent. Whole cities were destroyed in the aftermath. There are still areas that are barren, or so infused with strange magics that the land and creatures have warped.
The nations that remained signed a treaty, the Treaty of the March, that regulated Arcane magic users.
No one could become a wizard without going to the Academy, where they swore their service to the government of their country. They are given status, titles, an expense account. But they must obey their government, in all things. On pain of death. Some countries grant a good amount of freedom to their magic users. Other countries, not so much.
To keep everything fair, any magical discoveries, from any country, is required to be reported to the Academy for dissemination to the other countries. This does not always happen, but it is supposed to.
The Academy only accepts an equal number of wizards from every nation, to make sure everyone is equal. Because of this, some nations have more wizards per capita than others, if they have a smaller population. Therefore, in some nations, wizards are more common than others.
Sorcerers pose a problem. On never knows when the Sorcerer will manifest their power. When this happens, the Sorcerer has a choice. Turn themselves in, or hide. Those that hide are called Pariahs, and are typically hunted and/or imprisoned/killed on sight (depending on the country). Those who turn themselves in go to the Academy, and are put in special classes meant to help them hone their unique powers, since they cannot just study with other Wizards.
Warlocks are another story. Almost all Warlocks are Pariahs. The only Warlocks that are even partially accepted are ones who make pacts with the Archfey, and even then they are only typically accepted in nations with high elven populations. Few nations will accept one who makes a pact with a Great Old One, and none tolerate a Demon Pact Warlock.
In the nations that accept them, they must be registered, but they don't learn like everyone else. So they still must submit to the government's control, they just don't go through the academy.
Most people don't know that Bards have magic. They go to their colleges (located in each nation), and are taught to control magic, but most of them are hidden mages. Most governments know the power some Bards have, but they have deals with the Colleges to ignore Bards. Usually, Bards don't do magic in public. If they expect to, the College manages to get them a license, which is what magic users get when they graduate the Academy.
Divine magics aren't regulated. Few people can access these powers, however, as not many people believe in the gods. Those that can are met with either awe or suspicion, depending on the place.
Nature magics are actually more accepted, because people understand the elements. Druids are seen as generally good natured tree huggers. They see themselves as keepers of the balance. Few take Druids seriously, until they fight one. Most view them as hippies that deserve a light chuckle rather than respect. Rangers are well thought of, though.
Your characters don't need to know about their heritage. If it is a Genasi of a random race, you can make it so they are unaware of this fact. Or, they could know, or at least suspect. Feel free to create the background country and society in that country, as it will help me with the world building. Think about what your character's thoughts regarding his heritage is. Do they know, or are they ignorant? Were they treated differently? With Respect? Awe? Fear? Revulsion?
If they are a magic user, how is their relationship with the Conclave? Did they study in the Conclave and are currently in the employ of their nation? Are they a Pariah, trying to hide themselves? If they became a Warlock, why? Who is their patron? If a Sorcerer, are they a Dragonborn, or any other race? If any other race, their power comes from one of the elements, so how did they gain their power?
Lots of stuff to think about.
