Lore:Imperial Battlemages

An Imperial Legion battlemage

This article is about Imperial Legion battlemages. For the head of the Elder Council, see Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel.

The Cohort of Imperial Battlemages are a group of well trained war mages serving in the Imperial Legion. They had close ties to the Mages Guild before the Guild's dissolution. While the Guild had the authority to send battlemages onto the field, often to deal with violent rogue mages, the battlemages ultimately obeyed the orders of their superiors in the Legion. Imperial Battlemages are Nibenese in origin, and members of their ranks make up an age-old aristrocracy in the region of Nibenay. They are trained by the Imperial Battle College.

Imperial Battlemages that serve in the Imperial Legion are not to be confused with The Imperial Battlemage.

History

Ancient Origins

The original Imperial Battlemages were an elite unit separate from the Legions, founded during the early days of the Alessian Empire when the distinction between mage and warrior was more pronounced. The first Imperial College of Battlemages was founded at some point between 1E 243 and 1E 361, prior to the advent of the Alessian Order. In time, the idea of a "battlemage" became less novel, and Imperial Battlemages began to serve alongside the regular Legions as spellcasters. It is unknown when the first incarnation of the Battlemages collapsed. Regulus Tharn was paramount in reviving the tradition of the Battlemage during the Reman Dynasty. During this time, the Imperial Battlemages were further exalted with the creation of the "Imperial Battlemage" title, a prestigious position traditionally granted to a unit's leader. During Reman's golden age, they marched out with the "greatest army in history, chasing Dragons to the ends of the world."

With the collapse of the Reman Empire, the Battlemages saw it as their duty to preserve what remained of the Empire and restore its stability, continuing to serve Varen Aquilarios' incarnation throughout the Interregnum.

The Battlespire

The Battlespire, served as a war college for the training of Imperial Battlemages. The school was administered by five Battlemages of great skill. These select few served as the pool from which the Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel, advisor to the Emperor, was chosen. The facility also served as a testing ground for those candidates considered for the Imperial Guard. During the Imperial Simulacrum, the Battlespire was invaded by the forces of Mehrunes Dagon, who killed nearly all battlemages stationed there. The Daedra blocked access to the Battlespire through the use of a Daedric Sigil, which prevented the Legion from entering and reclaiming the academy. Two apprentices sent to test in the Battlespire fought their way into Oblivion and followed the retreating army, eventually banishing Dagon to the Void and causing the destruction of the Battlespire.

Despite the destruction of their training facility, the Imperial Battlemages continued to exist decades later. They had a presence in the Imperial City, where they were assigned to guard the Arcane University. There they patrolled the university grounds and occupied an Imperial watchtower. In 3E 433, Watch Captain Hieronymus Lex briefly commandeered the Battlemages, along with many other members of the Imperial Guard, to search the Imperial City Waterfront for the Gray Fox, a notorious thief. In reality, the Gray Fox's appearance was a lie circulated by the Thieves Guild, who used the opportunity to pull off several major heists around the unguarded city; the absence of the Imperial Battlemages allowed for the theft of Hrormir's Icestaff from the Arch-Mage's Tower, which was later returned by the Thieves Guild. The theft enraged the Mages Guild, who demanded that Lex call off his search and return the battlemages to the university grounds. That same year, the Imperial Battlemages helped the Mages Guild to catch a rogue mage along the Gold Road, and helped fight against the Order of the Black Worm.

In the Fourth Era, after the destruction of the Battlespire and the dissolution of the Mages Guild, it is not known where the Battlemages of the Legion were trained, but the Battlemages were still known to be active.

Organization

Known ranks of the Imperial Battlemages:

• Battlemage Palatine - commander of a Cohort of Imperial Battlemages.
• Battlemage Tribune - usually the highest ranking Imperial Battlemage to actually take the field and personally engage the enemy.
• Battlemage Scout Captain - leads troops of mounted scouts.

Gallery

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  Various Imperial battlemages of the Cyrodilic Empire (Online)

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  Empire Dreadmage (Legends)

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  The Battlespire (Battlespire)

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  Battlespire battlemage (Battlespire)

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  Clarentavious Valisious, a high ranking Imperial battlemage (Battlespire)

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  Imperial mage (Skyrim)

See Also

• Battlespire — The citadel and training grounds of the Imperial Battlemages

Books

• Meet the Character - Lucilla Caprenia by Martus Tullius — A request for deployment of an apprentice Imperial Battlemage
• Starlover's Log by Samar Starlover — Entries from the journal of a Battlemage seeking escape from Battlespire

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.