While other countries murder and enslave their most gifted members of society, we embrace them. We give them the knowledge and gear, and in return, they will defend our liberty and our ways.— General Janis Elengārsis
Mētia Arīsi are elite units of
vitality mages who fight for the army of the
Federal State of Alinhas. Due to the rarity of
Vitatier's Blood, the condition that allows one to become a vitality mage, there are only a few Mētia Arīsi units and each solider in those units is highly valued and respected. A single unit consists of ten mages, one of who is the unit's commander, and two noncombatants and their primary purpose is to eliminate enemy leaders from a distance.
Gear and Tactics
A typical soldier in a Mētia Arīsi unit is provided with battlefield supplies that include a gambeson, cuirass, pauldrons, a helmet, bandages, a dagger, and the
vitatie supplies they need for casting their spells. If the army they are in has
supply units, then the Mētia Arīsi can replenish their supplies.
Since their units are tiny and could be easily overwhelmed, they aren't supposed to engage in a straight-up fight with anyone. Ideally, their units stay close to the rest of their army, relying on them for protection.
What makes the Mētia Arīsi units excellent and has earned them their renown is their ability to function as battlefield assassins who are capable of hunting down the commanders of their enemies and killing them with their powers. Murdering the leaders of their foes isn't the only method of demoralising the enemy that the elite Alinhasian mages are capable of. By using their other spells, they can frighten enemy units, causing their men to panic, which may result in their lines collapsing.
In addition to their use on the field of battle, the Mētia Arīsi are also excellent for special covert operations, such as sabotage and assassination. During missions such as these, the soldiers are expected to wear less armour than normal and they rely on skills such as deception to get past the enemy. At times, these measures have even been directed at residents of Alinhas who the government had deemed a significant threat to the peace and stability of the state.
Mētia Arīsi by Midjourney
Dangers of the Blood
Vitatier's Blood is as much as a curse as it is a blessing, even more so for those in countries such as the
Empire of Pallernen where simply having the condition is illegal. Those affected by it suffer from hallucinations, they see flash-visions of death, corpses of their closest family members, whether they are still alive or long dead, and their night thoughts are often haunted by suffering and horror. How often a vitality mage sees such visions depends on the individual, but from what has been recorded, those with more intense mental problems cause more powerful effects with their abilities.
Refuge of the Persecuted
The link between severe mental illness and Vitatier's Blood is why they are feared and persecuted against in various parts of the world. Authorities in many parts of the world believe that for the safety of the majority of the populace, the vitality mages have to be either locked away or killed.
The government of Alinhas on the other hand believes that with enough care, the vitality mages can serve in an army without too many complications. Alinhasian tales and legends are full of tragic heroes who were vitality mages, but fought for freedom and liberty, often sacrificing themselves in the process. Such myths led to the societal acceptance towards them and so instead of getting rid of those with Vitatier's Blood, the
Alinhasians aspired to take good care of them. Unfortunate incidents do still occur with some of the members of the Mētia Arīsi units, but those are rare enough.
Aren't your placeholder potatoes a bit too high res to be a placeholder? ;)
As for the actual content of the article: That sounds like a really cool intimidation strategy. Why don't all nations use this? Are Vitality Mages rare enough for that to not totally swing every war ever in the favor of Alminthian? And don't the Metia Arisi have compassion with the mages in other countries, trying to free them?