Sahib - Tangoran Wizard (Magic-User variant)
by Marc Saindon"By the Seal of Jhebbal Sag..."
- Zula, Conan the Adventurer
A quick brainstorm, in which I try to move away from the expected witch-doctors, head-shrinkers, tribal voodoo sorcerers and various pulp clichés and just develop the Tangoran Wizard along the lines of the academic european magic-user. Two things come to mind: historically, Timbuktu in Mali has a university older than Oxford and the Sorbonne, and the Adinkra symbols. The term Sahib ("companion") is arabic, but it's intended as a temporary name until anyone can find something better.
First, Tangor would have a formal education system for Wizards, in part to keep them in check and loyal to the Empire (but not to the extent of the bureacracy-heavy approach of Ochalea), but also because of the value they produce. Some training might be available at the local level, but by level 3 the Apprentice should travel to the the Tangoran core prefectures and attend the university, choose his specialties and schools of magic, and otherwise evolve as would an Alphatian or Glantrian Wizard.
The second aspect is that Tangor's arcane language is based on different principles than the Alphatian magical glyphs. The historical Adinkra symbols can serve as a model for what this magical language looks like. So Scrolls and Read Magic work differently, leading to the few Alphatian who know of Tangoran magic to deride it as gibberish and "mumbo jumbo" (the Tangoran magic-users have the same opinions on Alphatian magic), although a Feat could be purchased to make the caster "fluent" in both styles of magic. Adinkra symbols could also be used by Tangor's version of the Artificer, who instead of pursuing steam-punk magitech would inscribe eleborate runes (or weave into cloth design) and use his abilities to "recharge" the pattern.
Tangoran magic-users have a bit of a mercantile streak, rarely living alone in towers, but instead earning income through spellcasting contracts. Small communities might have the occasional traveling Wizard who picks up small contracts for a few weeks, while larger urban centers have many permanent offices where you can hire them like consultants or lawyers in our world. Some even associate into powerful merchant houses.
Notes:
University of Timbuktu
Adinkra symbols
Sahib
(Image from: https://www.deviantart.com/newtonnitro/art/Cover-Illustration-Black-Man-Wizard-944612661)