Apostate

Apostates are mages who are not part of the Circle of Magi and are thus considered "rebel mages." There are two main types of apostates: hedge mages and general apostates, who were never part of the Circle, and rogue mages, who have fled from the Circle. The Templar Order is charged with finding apostates and either capturing or killing them. Maleficarum are a branch of apostate mages considered most dangerous.

Background
Once, the term only described mages who willfully left the Circle of Magi and the path the Chantry had dictated for them. However, as the Andrastian Chantry is the dominant religion in Thedas, the Chantry expects everyone born in Thedas to follow the faith. Any mages outside the Circle are thus regarded as heretics and labelled apostate. The Chantry believes that apostates are at greater risk of being possessed by demons and becoming abominations.