Someone check my logic?

[Necratoid]

I'd say a seeming randomly repeating gene sequence across.the preexisting chromosomes... the placement effects the powers available, gene sequences can be inactive... activation can be played around with and radiation, or magical energy saturation can alter things to active.  This explaination means that 'junk' sequences aren't really junk..  That way its a retro-viral effect and not something so utterly likely to cause your mages to have major alterations and issues.  Unless your planning on having specific health or physical mutational issues as a common thing among mages.  In short, enviromentally activated 'junk' DNA sequences mean far less technobabble.  Simply not being exposed to trigger factors means its all dormant.... unless you have major backstory things this is effected by.

CattyNebulart: Please don't drop idiot political points outside the forum sector devoted to this.

Spoiler

Except that the entire point of 'expanding' the definition of 'marriage' is contract manipulation.  It always has been... seriously, anyone who honestly needs government approval of their relationship in oErder to validate it is a cultist of big government or rather deeply disturbed.  This is why it can't be 'civil unions' or anything else.  It is not the validation of the relationship, but the access to the contract benifits in the public and private sector they want.  Notably that stuff about the employee and their spouse getting benifits (notably health insurance) and preexisting conditions on the spouse not being grounds for not hiring and the like.  Again, its the legal term 'marriage' they are after not the social term.
"I now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry' already handled this.