Maelstrom is a largely-historical RPG set mainly in Tudor/ Elizabethan Britain, i.e. 16th or 17th centuries. Players choose a character class called a "living" from the more ordinary (blacksmith, noble, clergyman, beggar, merchant, and many more) to the more exceptional (mercenary swordsman, herbalist, pickpocket, assassin and more). The 'mage' living is outlawed and rare. In fact, the game allows the option of a non-supernatural variant without mages.
A skilled referee can adapt the rules to other settings, such as in other parts of Europe or the Caribbean or South Seas.
The Maelstrom core rulebook provides a sample of how characters of different livings might interact as an adventure begins:
"A group of four players and a referee have met to play Maelstrom. The players are Patrick, Adam, Sue, and Michael. The session starts with the players deciding what characters they want. Patrick decides he wants a noble, but the referee decides that a noble would not be appropriate for the adventure he has in mind. When the players have decided what characters they want to become, they go ahead and deal with character creation.
"Patrick creates a tailor. This character is also a mage, though none of the other players know this. Patrick wanders outside with the referee to fix this, and they decide that Patrick will either communicate by notes or go outside to talk to the referee when he wishes to cast a spell. Patrick's character is called Simon LeFevre, though his French origins are somewhat doubtful.
"Sue creates a bladesmith called Mary Venn. Michael's character becomes a mercenary called Diggory Williams, though he decides to pose as a labourer. Adam's character, Christian Porelight, becomes a labourer.
"Once the characters have been created, the referee takes the players outside individually to explain what their purpose is in this adventure (a journey to London). Simon (Patrick's character) and Mary (Sue's) are being paid to guard someone called William Grote (a 'non-player' character, played by the referee) who is travelling with the party. Christian (Adam's character) is taking a large barrel of ale by horse and cart to a tavern in London. Diggory is searching for witches, though he will tell the other players that he is looking for work." [Maelstrom, pg. 109]
Source: Wikipedia, "Maelstrom (role playing game)," available under the CC-BY-SA License.