My brother and I discussed this earlier, our two favorite Socerers who aren’t S, Thaddeus and Liza both participated in the Haze War. In one chapter speculating about the Raven Queen Thaddeus indicates that the Haze War was 20 years before Sioban Naught was born who is approximately 19-20 depending on where in the books we are.
So 40 years ago there was a Haze War or well, that appears to be when the Haze War ended. But how long they were, how much they each participated, and how old they were during it is somewhat left open. Thaddeus might even have been quiet young since as per Oral Examination Lacer became prominent in the skirmishes AFTER the war.
Is there anything I missed that narrows this down?
So, I can tell you Liza is 60, and I want to say Lacer is between 65-70? Azalea might need to confirm this, or perhaps someone else who is particularly talented at searching the books.
As for the rest of it, I have no idea, but I can tell you that I’ve wondered along similar lines. (Don’t get me started on heights, either…)
I vaguely recall Lacer being described as 50, But I’m not sure if this was his actual age or just the he old he looks.
Edit: Quote from Chapter 20 - Practical Will-based Casting
“Archmage? That’s impossible,” a girl interjected, shaking her head. “I don’t care how talented he is, you need decades of practice to get that powerful. Archmage Zard wasn’t given the title until he was eighty-three. Professor Lacer can’t even be fifty yet.”
“He could be older. Heavy magic use keeps you revitalized, you know…” another girl said doubtfully.
Liza was a teenager during the bulk of the Haze War, and I think Thaddeus was in his early twenties. He’s a bit older than her, but of course heavy magic use keeps you physically young.
As they say, “Magic don’t crack.” (I don’t know if anyone actually says that.)
She cares more, she’s more rooted, and therefore seems older.
Add the fact that she’s clearly been through trauma and apparently has adopted a role of a care giver (to someone, prob from her old team, at the mental health place) she just feels older than she a actually is.
And while I’m not saying Lacer hasn’t been through trauma and stuff, he handles the world in a much different way and therefore I can see how people might think he’s younger than he is.
Add the fact that our girl doesn’t really seem to care about how old people are outside of being a “child” I doubt we’d find out from her pov
Liza rolled her eyes. “Well, you just put your foot in your mouth without hesitation, don’t you?” she asked, but didn’t seem to be actually offended. “I’m sixty.” She was almost as old as Professor Lacer.
Still, if the Raven Queen had been involved in the Haze War, she was likely not much younger than him, and could even be older. Thaddeus considered, for a moment, the possibility that the Raven Queen was older—and conceivably more powerful—than Thaddeus himself. Had they ever met? Perhaps he had unknowingly sparked her interest at some point then.
The defense professor also claimed to have served in the Haze War, and then the border wars after that. So I suspect that a lot of the professors are about that age or older. Mostly older.
