I just want to add my 2c (Australian) here...
In my humble opinion, there are way too may "wild mages" in the game, and I don't feel this in sync with the lore. You learn at the Sun Palace that magic is a rare gift, people who have it require serious and long training (the path of the water), and then can become an Arcanist for the Keepers, or I assume a 'free' mage. And then there is the risk of arcane fever, yet few carry any Ambrosia with them...
So, they would be rare, and therefor very valuable/sought after - by nobility, wealthy merchants or such, or perhaps set up a arcanist apothecary or something like that.
Yet, out in the world, every time you kick a rock over, some crazed wild mage jumps out and without any provocation attacks you. Every.Single.Time. Surely they can't all be hostile to a fellow traveller on the road? C'mon that's just way too unrealistic. Too much Dark Souls, and too little The Witcher (where they are employed by kings, and other rich folks), or Dragon Age (where they may be part of the Mages Collective, or be paid mercenaries, but typically in a healing or support role). It's not just that they are very tough enemies - they surely are that with their unbelievable accurate range attack, no loss in mana during prolonged attack, and complete lack of armour, yet taking many hits to put down. All that applies, but it's the incongruency that gets me. I simply can not believe that this game is divided into the "good people" (e.g. Keepers, Ark and Riverwind, etc. inhabitants), and "bad people" (live outside of the city, and you are a crazed savage). I would love to see some diversity, with a few travelling mage healers, or journeymen arcanists selling their trade, or living in a caravan, like the little lass looking for her erstwhile companion). Reading tarot cards in the local inn/tavern. Or even selling their services to the player when you pass through (I know followers are not a big thing in this game, but that would have been quite consistent with the lore I feel - many mercenaries around, just nobody wants to help the PC - quite unusual).
Anyway, it is a rich story with deep characters, yet I feel this area would have benefitted from more consideration (think Dragon Age: Origins Slim Couldry, or that shop in Denerim, the varied mages in the Witcher series, even Skyrim's court mages and many other similar examples).
Maybe I'm just salty because they are so tough, as the combat system is clunky (Skyrim's I mean), and ranged mages are a challenge at lower levels.