I think something people are overlooking is that Mandred's suitability to his college will determine his opinion of wizards as a whole.
If he goes to a place he's not suited for, then like Johann and Hubert, he very likely will resent them. His stats make a fairly strong argument against both gold and grey. His learning & intrigue are low, and he would be an atypical student of either college. We should not only consider what he will learn quickly, but also how he considers his future home. While I adore Johann, his less scholarly path has alienated him from the gold college the same way Hubert has been alienated from the Celestial. We only fit into the Grey because of our high intrigue, and Mandred's character doesn't seem especially suited to the kind of doublethink required for Grey.
Additionally, there's a reason the Greys are expected to take a vow of poverty - their abilities are highly abusable and well suited to manipulation and harmful mental effects. That's a dangerous set of temptations for a ruler to have, and a high likelihood it backfires in the courts of public opinion, and causes blowback onto the Colleges.
Likewise, the Jades are a bad fit for two reasons. First, the 13th Everchosen is on the horizon. No matter how the EverchosenBowl turns out, it's going to be a doozy. Having a nurturer is not what the empire needs. Second, making Reikland a breadbasket is a inherently political move, and that could cause strife with other provinces in a way that demonstrably does not lean into his strengths.
If he goes to a place he's not suited for, then like Johann and Hubert, he very likely will resent them. His stats make a fairly strong argument against both gold and grey. His learning & intrigue are low, and he would be an atypical student of either college. We should not only consider what he will learn quickly, but also how he considers his future home. While I adore Johann, his less scholarly path has alienated him from the gold college the same way Hubert has been alienated from the Celestial. We only fit into the Grey because of our high intrigue, and Mandred's character doesn't seem especially suited to the kind of doublethink required for Grey.
Additionally, there's a reason the Greys are expected to take a vow of poverty - their abilities are highly abusable and well suited to manipulation and harmful mental effects. That's a dangerous set of temptations for a ruler to have, and a high likelihood it backfires in the courts of public opinion, and causes blowback onto the Colleges.
Likewise, the Jades are a bad fit for two reasons. First, the 13th Everchosen is on the horizon. No matter how the EverchosenBowl turns out, it's going to be a doozy. Having a nurturer is not what the empire needs. Second, making Reikland a breadbasket is a inherently political move, and that could cause strife with other provinces in a way that demonstrably does not lean into his strengths.
He seems inherently suited for the bright order, and will likely both take to it well and lean into his strengths to develop a very capable military leader. We can't make a perfectly rounded character here, we need to guide a youngster onto a path that suits their personality and enables leadership. None of Golds, Jades or Greys are well-known as leaders, while Brights are, especially if we ask them to focus on teaching him Indic-style Aqshy.
