THE SAGE: AN ANALYSIS
A wise mentor to some. A disturber of the peace to others. The sage appears from nowhere to call the hero to his destiny. To make him aware of danger posed by the adversary and nudge him out the door. Always there to dispense advise (usually in the form of riddles) the sage is never one to sugarcoat anything, telling the hero what he’s up against and what needs to be done to win the quest.
Whether he’s an ancient wizard, teacher at a school for the gifted or an aging space knight, the quest begins with the sage.