The Veyrathiin Vanguard

The Veyrathiin Vanguard is an elite, rapid-deployment formation of highly trained Aetheri selected from across C’Naelia — though primarily from the Southern Kingdoms.

They are not bound to any one kingdom, but answer only to the The Aetheri Council , serving as their sharpest weapon in conflicts too dangerous, volatile, or magically complex for conventional forces.

Feared and revered, the Vanguard is known for its unparalleled adaptability: shifting tactics, magical disciplines, and command dynamics based on the needs of each conflict. They are called only in dire circumstances - border crises, magical cataclysms, rising dark powers, or wars involving rogue Aetheri.

• Core Size: ~300 active Aetheri
• Reserve Pool: ~1,000 (semi-active, called when needed)
• Organised into Shards (platoons) of 10–15 Aetheri
• Each Cohort contains 4 Shards (40–60 Aetheri)
• Formations shift depending on magical roles, elements, or regions

Role Distribution:

• 40% Elementalists (Fire, Ice, Earth, Wind, etc.)
• 25% Mystics (Illusion, Mind, Shadows, Prophecy)
• 20% Arcanists (Energy manipulation, warding, barriers)
• 10% Combat-Aetheri (physically trained Aetheri with offensive magic)
• 5% Aetherbinders (rare: teleportation, sealing magic, reality-benders)

• High Warden of the Vanguard: Reports to the Aetheri Council; rotates every 20 years; a powerful but non-Council Aetheri.
• Cohort Masters: Veteran Aetheri who lead 4 Shards each
• Shard Captains: Lead a Shard, often based on magical speciality
• Aether Liaisons: Appointed tacticians who coordinate with mundane armies

• Council Attaché: One High Aetheri (rotating) who monitors operations

Leadership is fluid - those best suited to lead in a particular terrain, culture, or magical environment take precedence. Even junior Aetheri may command a mission if their skillset fits.

• Only Aetheri ranked “Saeven” and above (advanced tier) may apply.
• Candidates are nominated by mentors, battlefield commanders or High Aetheri.
• Undergo a month-long Rite of Discernment at the Aetheri Citadel: Harsh trials in illusion, endurance, spellcraft, ethics, and adaptability. Mentored by current Vanguard members. Failure can lead to magical trauma or permanent Aether-burnout.

Only about 1 in 50 candidates are accepted.

Located in the Hall of Living Flux, a magical training ground that shifts weekly.

Environments include forests, frozen moors, rocky coastal cliffs, ruined towns.

Training focuses on:

• Tactical polymagic (switching magic mid-battle)
• Battle synchrony (harmonised casting across formations)

• Low-ether tactics (fighting when magic is scarce or nullified)
• Mundane cooperation (working alongside non-Aetheri militaries)

They also train in non-magical skills: swordplay, archery, wilderness survival, languages, code-signalling, and diplomacy.

While most Aetheri wield personal artefacts, the Vanguard are issued:

• Adaptive Sigils: Magical tattoos that shift based on the wielder's energy state. They enhance reaction time, resist mental intrusion, and identify rank.
• Phasebound Cloaks: Enchanted cloaks that resist elemental damage and can camouflage the wearer.
• Nullsteel Pins: For suppressing one’s own magic (to pass unnoticed or hide power levels).
• Runesabres: Short-blade weapons inscribed with changing runes, capable of channeling or amplifying specific spells.

The Vanguard’s motto is “No shape too strange, no will too fixed.”

They are known for:

• Rotating Command: Depending on terrain and enemy, different mages lead.
• Casting Triads: 3-person spell formations used for high-impact magic or battlefield control.
• Suppression and Severing: Use of Etherbinders to isolate enemy mages from their power source.
• “Ghost Net” Tactics: Silent infiltration using illusions and telepathic coordination.
• Battle Augury: Some members divine probable outcomes mid-fight to choose the most effective action.
• Soulbinding Cells: Emergency units sent to restrain rogue Aetheri without killing them — considered one of the most dangerous assignments.

• Often sent to stabilise volatile border zones (e.g., A’Nota–Treyshill border conflicts).
• Called in during magical outbreaks (e.g., Aethereal surges or wild corruption zones).
• Have historically dismantled dark cults, quelled rogue Aetheri, and saved entire provinces.