Unsurprisingly, the way in which magic and its practitioners are regarded vary enormously from place to place.
Among the barbaric horse-tribes of the far north, almost everybody knows one or two minor charms and every tribe has its own shaman to deal with the multitudes of spirits and demons that infest the landscape. They have a respect for the power of magic and are cautious around it, but are not in awe of it or of wizards in general. They are a pragmatic people, and view magic as a tricky and dangerous but necessary part of survival.
The tribal forest-dwellers of the north likewise have a fund of charms for day-to-day use, but they view wizards — that is, anyone who seems to have too much to do with magic — with profound suspicion. Necromancy or Demonology are abhorrent to them, and those who practice such arts (or even those suspected of doing so) will be hunted down and killed. In this they are guided and encouraged by their druidic priests; druids are not known for their tolerance of competition.
Within most of the Southern Confederacy, wizards are very respectable and the magical institutions are well established. It is only in this part of the world that any sort of formal academic instruction in magic takes place, and entry to the more prestigious Academies is hotly contested. Within the great cities (Agna, Hardros, Hyarfalas Mundros and Fridæl) magic is strictly regulated, and unlicensed practitioners are given very short shrift. Therefore, those who choose not to abide by those rigid restrictions have to make their base well outside the cities and their surrounding contada, unless they are powerful enough to defy the whole magical establishment as well as the secular authorities.