Battle Mage

Since the days of our founders, we have learned much in the ways of magic and war, proving that a Mage can hold their ground in a fight and crush all who stand in their way. It is for that reason why we are feared by all who cross us, so we will never be put down so quickly just because we were born with magic ever again. - Exarch Kelen Bright

Composition

Manpower

Battlemage formations vary in size as there are often a limited number of them in an army or retinue that can have them. Due to the number of spellcasters who can master their art of combat as it is complex and challenging to achieve, with only a small of mages being able to change the tide of battle.
Single: Having a single battlemage can change the tide of battle in a matter of moments. But to them, being only one of them, they will often have protection to prevent them from being injured or killed by group members. But they are far from defenseless as their magical capabilities and skill in melee combat allow them to be deadly at close and long range.
Squad: Often having at least ranging from least five to a dozen members at a time. Groups of these sizes often specialize in a specific category of magic to aid themselves in battle. With being divided into several categories, each used differently on the battlefield. Hek'sha: A military term that involves a whole detachment of battlemages that range from twenty to forty members in a group. They are often users of different types of magic to ensure maximum capabilities cover the strengths and weaknesses of one another spell and use them to their full capabilities.

Equipment

Mage Armor: A particular type of armor created by mages to provide protection and maintain mobility for a magic-user in combat. The metal used in making this armor is a unique mix of metal infused with magical properties known as Arcanite. It ensures that the wearer is not affected by the magic they use, as ordinary metals are effective by magic and can harm the wear. However, much of it is plating around certain parts of the body while the rest is a robe and other materials to avoid being restricted by it to cast their spells properly. Though the armor can have Arcane Runic engraved into them to grant specific applies to the wearer.
Spellbooks: Any good mage knows to keep a spellbook on them when they need it. The books contain many spells that can be cast with them and can be used to lessen the Price of Magic on a user when casting a spell. It can also help when needing to look up a bit to release, as mages need to remember the proper incantations in Arcane Speech to avoid magical disasters.
Magic Potions: Battle Mages will often bring with them potions infused with magic in them that vary in properties ranging from healing to essence rejuvenation, to allow them to remain in fighting condition. Though they can only carry a few on their person, and the time it takes to make them.

Weaponry

Magic Staff: Staffs are one of the most common ways for a mage to cast spells easier as it helps channel them into a single point. Staffs can be made of natural materials to magic ones and can be modified with magical elements and runes to make them stronger in magical capabilities. They also extend the range of spells to remain effective at longer distances.
Magic Wand: Unlike magic staffs, magic wands are smaller and are easier to hold and store away. They are also more graceful as they allow swift motions for faster spell casting. They can come in different materials, just like magic staff but are limited in applying magical materials and runes due to their size. Their spell range is also reduced to their size, and is only go shorter distances.
Blade Staff: A standard weapon amongst Battle Mages as a means to fight back against all who would dare face them. The staff acts as a melee weapon and a magic staff allowing the cast spells with them and slashing and stabbing enemies with ease. Both ends of the staff are divided by the blade and the team, with one end used to channel magic and the other end having a knife with a spear tip or curved edge to act as a polearm.
Wand Dagger: Similar to the blade Staff but a minor degree, in this case, the handle of the wand is a dagger that can easily stab or slash at some that get too close to the rod being used to cast magic. Though it can be hard to master as there is the possibility of accidentally stabbing oneself if one moves quickly with it.
Sword: A typical sword that can defend one’s self from attacks, and when combined with a staff, it can be used to significant effect in switching from attack to defense simultaneously. Magic runes can be placed on them to add magic attacks on an opponent.
Dagger: A more primitive weapon to use in battle as daggers are much quicker than most other weapons when up close and bypass many armored defenses to strike at weak spots. Magic runes can be placed on it bit at a minor degree, and they can easily catch an opponent off guard even when using a staff or wand with it.

Structure

A Battle Mage that is assigned to a military unit will often be under the command of the highest-ranking officer and carry out their orders while under them if there is only a single one of them. However, in larger groups, lower-ranking Battle Mages will be placed under the command of the highest-ranking and most experienced Battle Mage in the group who gain direct orders from the highest-ranking officer in a unit or army and will assign the tasks to them for their role in combat and position.
Battle Exarch: The highest rank a Battle Mage can achieve, they are veterans of many battles and have honed their skill to the point that they only seem natural when using them. When an Archon is in battle they are to be feared by the enemy and respected by the those under them. When given an order from one all must obey as they are more knowledgable of the strengths and weaknesses of all Battle Mages under them and how to use them to the best of their abilities.
Battle Magus: Veteran Battle Mages that can hold their own in a fight and by themselves if they have to. Through their experience and their improvements in their skills with time, they have become highly dangerous individuals to face in battle. They will often be in charge of the unit of Battle Disciples and ensure that order is kept in their ranks.
Battle Disciple: Once a Battle Mage finishes their training they are given the rank of Battle Disciple and are allowed to decide where they want to serve and become a part of whatever group they chose. From here they will carry out their duties and fight when they need to earn an experience in the battle they are involved in. Most Battle Discplies will be placed in a unit of more experienced Battle Mages until they are more than capable of holding their own or being promoted to the next rank.
Battle Intiate: Mages that have only begun their training to become Battle Mages and a placed under the tutelage of a veteran Battle Mage to learn the arts of combat in both martial and magic. Initiates will remain in training for years and will not see combat until they pass the trails to allow them to reach the next rank and will not see combat until they do.

Tactics

Battle Mages will follow a set of tactics that will depend on the mages that are in the field and their proficiency in their type of magic and will decide on a set of doctrines that will decide their role when entering combat.
Offensive Combat: It solely relies on magic that causes large amounts of damage to the enemy and it can be very destructive depending on the skill and caliber of the mage in question. However, they lack the means to defend themselves as they burn through their magic faster and can lead themselves being attacked while weakened.
Defensive Combat: Those who prefer to defend themselves and their allies from harm by using spells to shield them all from harm. This can easily be used to stop attacks both physical and magical to ensure that no harm comes to those protected within the spell, but they will be unable to attack as the defenses need complete concentration to be maintained.
Support Combat: Magic is designed to strengthen one's allies around them often by enhancing their physical abilities or in some cases healing or replenishing their energy. This type of magic is unable to manifest into physical power to attack or defend and will only remain in effect as long as the mage in question maintains their magic flow into it.
Hybrid Combat: It is a mix of two or all of the combat types that a mage can do and allows them to be more flexible in magic use but at the cost of not being as proficient in any one skillset with magic.

Training

Magic and Martial

To ensure that initiates stay alive long enough to see their first battle they must go through rigorous training in the fields of magic and learn how to fight in melee combat if faced with an opponent. The further they go into the training the harder it will be for them to fast as they are required to think and react fast to a situation. Along with improving their skills and their magic in casting and increasing their Essene reserves to cast more spells as well as avoid Arcane Depletion and Price of Magic that comes with these effects. Even at times going through them to test their limits and how to properly react to them when dealing with it to avoid being incapacitated in the middle of a battle and being killed. Those who are not capable of passing the training will be removed from Battle Mage training to ensure that they are not killed.

Class Selection

Once they reach the point of holding their own in a fight, they will be given the choice of what class they wish to go into when they officially become a Battle Mage. Each class will have different methods of training to match their skill and will improve upon them until they are finally promoted to become official Battle Mages. Though it will take years to finally pass into the class and will vary in years depending on the training and skill required for it. If an initiate is not capable in the class they selected they will be moved into a class that is more suited for them and their training will be continued.

Logistics

Logistical Support

Battle Mage will often get their required needs from the military forces they are stationed with and the necessary supplies they need to fight. However, when dealing with the creation of magic items and potions they have to do it on their own or have it done for them.

Auxilia

Defense Escort: Battle Mages rely solely on their skills in magic to make them effective in battle, while they have been trained to fight in melee they can only do so much to defend themselves. This is why when assigned to an army or any other military group they will have soldiers to defend them from harm and act as bodyguards to ensure that no harms to them.

Upkeep

Battle Mages will be given their equipment once they officially become one but will have to pay out of their pocket when getting magic materials and better equipment, depending on their rank and position while on duty their payment will range from around thirty to five hundred in gold or the equivalent to it or even more if they are serving in an army or just being a guard.

Recruitment

Selected By Skill

Only those born with magic can join their ranks and receive their training with it mattering little of their race and origins. Though they have to be properly examined to find out if they show promise in becoming a battle mage first often when they reach their early teens and have learned the basic skills in learning how to control magic at an early age. Once they meet the requirements they will be placed into a class and trained in the arts of magical combat.

History

From Defense to Warfare

For most of known history, magic has been known for having a bad reputation due to the power and destruction that it has been known to cause. This has led to many individuals who have been born with this power being persecuted or even killed depending on where in the world they are. This though has often been the case within many of the Human populated regions of the world as the knowledge of the arcane has been somewhat limited to most other races which had lead to widespread paranoia and superstition surrounding the otherworldly power. However much of this would be brushed and accepted in any part of the world as soon a people had a better understanding of the power they so greatly feared and accepted it in their ways of life and benefitted from the gifts of those born with it. However, there was one region that refused to accept magic and sought to wipe from their lands with all the resources that could muster to eradicate it. It would be here in the Western Lands and many states that those born with magic would face genocide not seen since the time of the First Kingdom of Men. While there were places that accepted those with magic they were far and in between leaving them to live in fear and remain in hiding. This was namely due to the rise of the worship of the Exalted and the Luminarium of the Exalted with it Luminaries preaching that magic was evil and corrupted all those who were born with it. Causing Arcane Hunters and anyone else to seek out and kill anyone with magic within them seeing them as monsters that needed to be destroyed.
However, those who managed to survive were able to communicate with one another over time and create a network of safe havens where their people could live in peace and share knowledge on how to properly learn to control their magic. But with the ever-present danger of being discovered many had decided to prepare for the day that they would be discovered and train to fight with their magic. This training would be passed on from haven to haven until thousands had learned the art of fighting and would be know known as battlemages. This would grow to a boiling point as well as many were tired of hiding and sought to forge their path and free themselves from the chains of oppression through force and that was what they did. It began in the kingdom of Servori and what would be known as the Arcane Revolt and would see them put their skills to the test and their magic would decimate many armies that faced them in battle and with time they improved their skills in battle. However, their numbers were small and could not take on the seemingly endless number before them, and later the revolt would be crushed after many states joined together to see in destroyed. However, not all of these skilled fighters would not meet their end and would find a new home in the Commune of Voltas, a society that existed for those born with magic and would be ruled by it. It would be from this state that Battle Mages would become the first line of defense in defending their nation from destruction from all who would seek it burn.

Battlemage of Today

For centuries the Battlemages of the Commune would fight on in the name of the people and continue to improve their art of combat to ensure they survive to see the next day. They would often be only used on the Commune, but they would also find themselves outside of it as well and become a part of several major conflicts including the Night War and Aztar during that time. But that would slowly change with the coming of the Mage Emperor Alexander Aurelius and magic became much more accepted with his rule. Led to Battlemages being trained in other nations as well and being used to fight in their armies in times of peace and war. Ever since then they have become a necessary component of warfare and these skilled fighters are now seen in many parts of the world. Those who are not serving in militaries are often found in the many magic academies being used as trainers and guards to protect the schools from dangers that they might face. Along with some joining mercenary bands to seek their fortune where ever it may take them. However, due to their skills with magic, they are often considered highly valued and will often be protected greatly to ensure that no harm comes to them. However, they are far from defenseless and are more than willing to get up and personal with anyone who ever tries to strike them down. All those who do try will know that it will never be an easy fight to win and will have to fight with all their skill to take one down before being killed by their weapons or their magic.

Historical loyalties

While mainly loyal to the Commune of Voltas since their beginning, these days have long since passed with the Commune no longer existing. Now Battle Mages can decide who they are fighting for and their loyalties will remain with them whether it is duty or coin that decides it.

Type

Magic

Founding

384 BCA

Overall training Level

Professional

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran

Used by

• Coin Legions
• Commune of Voltas
• Imperial Legions
• Kingdom of Ardania
• Vatian Empire

Changing Warfare

Battle Mage by Anton Tareev

Remember that your magic will be your greatest power in battle, but never solely rely on it alone. Those who do will only get themselves killed as soon as they exhaust themselves, which is why that train with your weapon is necessary to ensure your survival and the demise of anyone that dares face you, believing that they will have an easy kill. - Battle Mage Trainer

Since their creation, Battle Mages have become a regular part of warfare in many parts of the world due to this skill in battle. Before that, wars were fought with standard armies and engineering war machines to win their battles. The use of magic was almost nonexistent, with very few places having access to well-trained mages to fight in their armies, with their skills varying. But that changed when they appeared and when access to this skill magic users became more accessible, everyone tried to get a hold of them. Now most armies have them within their ranks due to the power they can do in battle, with single individuals being worth more than companies of soldiers and being as powerful as siege weapons to deal catastrophic damage quickly. Making them all the more desired by those who wish to hire them for their services if they wish to keep them.

Into the Frey

Battle mage by Anna

I can understand what happened out there when we came after that mage. First, we were on top of him, thinking that it would be easy to kill'em, then the next moment, he's moving its staff around faster than I could see it move, and five of us were already dead before we realized what happened. - Traumatize Soldier

When deployed into combat, Battle Mage is considered highly dangerous and is heavily targeted by enemies as soon as they reach them. In the hopes of killing or incapacitating them, they will have a more likely chance of surviving when the battle ends. If not, they will often meet a painful and sometimes excruciating death once they are hit with magic. With their many abilities, Battle Mages are more of a target than most others, such as officers and elite units. But when they aren't being killed, enemy forces will try to capture them to hold them for random like they were nobility due to the limited number of them, or they will try to turn them to their side as they are often too valuable to kill.

Battle Classes

Battle Mage by Piotr

Each class is designed for a reason as every battle can be as unpredictable as when the weather changes, but if one predicts these unknown variables, a victory can almost certainly be in one grasp. - Veteran Battle Mage

Battle Mages, when reaching the final stages of their training, will be placed in a class that suits their skills and expertise in combat, and once they are placed into a class, they will learn to master it to be as effective as they can be to ensure their success in battle. There are five classes that a Battle Mage can take, they are striker, sentinel, librarian, rover, and belligerent.
Striker Class: Those who take the Striker Class are often mages committed to battle and excel in all related things, from melee to offensive magic. They will often be closest to the fight, casting spells and remaining mobile to move where they are needed the most. They are not shy in fighting in melee either and can hold their own needs using their magic to augment their weapons to become more lethal.
Sentinel Class: Being a Sentinel is not an easy task. Those who become one can take it lightly as they are often used as a defensive countermeasure in the face of attacks and magic. Sentinels primarily use defensive magic to block physical and magical attacks from doing any damage. Their perception and reflections are often higher than most to reach sudden changes in battle.
Librarian Class: Librarians are a class solely dedicated to arcane arts and spell casting. Their skills in casting and the number of spells they know are much higher than most other Battle Mages. Making much more dangerous when using magic as spells are much more robust and have a more significant essence reserve to cast spells at an alarming rate continually.
Rover Class: The most mobile of the classes, Rovers are charged with the duty of being a reactive unit that can move to assist in attacking, defending, and supporting when needed. They are often in reserve and sent out to relieve or aid Battle Mages. There are no masters in any one form of magic and are flexible in a fight, but doing so only makes them easily outclassed in skill due to their lack of mastery over any magic.
Binder Class: One of the classes that a Battle Mage takes revolves around fighting other magic users in combat. In doing so, they are more capable of taking down one of their kind as they have been taught counteract spells and are skilled in magic dueling. Allowing them to take down magic users at an alarming rate and remove magical threats faster from the battlefield.