"I am grateful," Constans replied simply, although whether this was directed toward the favor or the quiet compliment even he couldn't be certain.
"Mages may not inherit titles, nor lands, nor in most circumstances may they ever be permitted to return to the families whose names they bear," he began, falling easily into lecturing on a topic he better understood. "There are many reasons that a mage might chose to lay aside his or her surname, although those that forsake them entirely are a minority. It is more common that children arrive at the tower as orphans, or at a very young age, and either never possessed or do not remember having such a thing."
"If you wish," he added matter-of-factly, "I could tell you the surnames of the mages whom I arrived with."