Nine Warmages

The Nine Warmages (９つ交戦魔道士 Kokonotsu Kousen Madōshi, Lit. Nine Mages of War) are the strongest selection of Mages within the Gemma Empire and the entire Aeternum continent. They serve as protecters of Gemma, and are above the authority of the Emperor.

History
The Nine Warmages were founded by the Magic God of Aeternum Irminsul in the year x760. Despite the monarchy of Gemma, the nation where Irminsul was born whom strongly protested this cabal as it functions with equal status to the Emperor. The Warmages were made in mind to be able to wage war against enemy nations and domestic enemies. Due to years of invading attempts by surrounding nations for the self-replenishing Wellspring had grown in the years preceding x760, the armies that the Imperial Army faced grew in strength and numbers each year. So to protect the massive nation of Gemma, Irminsul went to the Emperor at the time. He proposed an idea. As Aeternum had nine nations within the continent, he propose for one immensely powerful mage to match each nation with Irminsul being the one to represent domestic protect for Gemma. The other eight would be the Mages of War against the other eight nations.

Emperor Mytholie was hesitant to agree to Irminsul’s request. However he found little that would have justified denying this request. After all Irminsul was responsible for creating the Gemma Empire and the monarchy. So the Emperor agreed. Irminsul went looking for the strongest of mages within Gemma. Seeing as Gemma was the largest nation of Aeternum with landmass 1/3 of the entire continent he had ample places for recruitment.

Strength
The strength of the Nine currently is truly immense but has varied in the year since their founding in x760. The first members aside from a former student of Irminsul’s Alinia Flor were rather weak when comparing to the current list. So after years of trial and error, Irminsul had found the strongest of mages within Gemma. The power of the first and second strongest members, Irminsul and Alinia are said to be on a whole other level when compared to the other seven. Each Warmage is required to be strong enough to be able to defend against or be able to decimate an entire nation single handed. Despite being number from 1-9 the list isn’t simply to rank strongest to weakest. Instead they are ranked of whom is more valuable to the Gemma Empire. This ranking is collected by five categories, Magical Strength, Wealth, and Intelligence, Contributions, and finally Conviction toward Gemma. Irminsul for example as the single strongest member is also by far the most wealthy. Alinia Flor the second highest Warmage, is almost as strong as Irminsul but what really keeps her from the number 1. spot is she isn’t as wealthy as him.

Recruitment
The Nine Warmages have several and different methods of recruitment.
 * Appointment by Supreme Commander: The Supreme Commander has the absolute right to be able to recruit any mage that lives within Gemma.
 * Trial by Combat: This is only reserved for if all positions within the Warmages are all full. A challenger can challenger any member in one-on-one combat. This fight must be witnessed by at least three other Warmages or the Emperor of Gemma.
 * Imperial Magic Knight Commander: The highest military rank within the Gemma Empire is that of the White Knight. Commander of the Seven Imperial Magic Knight, the strongest knights within the 5.2 million numbered army that protect the Citadel of Moria. The current commander is Wilhelm Wort.
 * Recommendation: Either by the Emperor of Gemma or by at least three other Warmages can recommend a mage for a position. When this is employed a majority vote of at least six members are needed for finalizing a position.
 * Contributions: While already a basis for recruitment, a mage’s contributions can tip the scales in their favor against other candidates. Wilhelm Wort while already guaranteed a position as the strongest of the Imperial Magic Knights is a Warmage. He also created an improved military system and improved the cooperation between the Guilds of Gemma.

Duties
The Nine Warmages are structured differently when compared to guilds. First and foremost they don’t accept jobs as they aren’t part of the guild system. This leads the Nine to find either employment in guilds or to make their living other ways. The sole and primary function of the Warmages are to able to wage war against another nation’s armies, guilds, and/or elite mages. It for this the majority of these nine mages have trained or being allowed information to possess extremely powerful magic.

Trivia

 * The Nine Warmages were inspired by many different groups the most prodominant the Seven Warlord from the manga One Piece. Another inspiration was the Sternritter and the Royal Guard from the manga Bleach. Finally the Spriggan 12 and the Ten Wizard Saints from this series Fairy Tail.


 * (Note this is not listed in the strength section for over comparison reasons.) With that said, for fair and any role-playing requests each individual of the Nine Warmages is in the same class as the Spriggan 12. This not for bragging but so for role-playing requests can be made with full knowledge of character strength, to promote fair, fun, and productive role-playing rps.


 * Each Warmages character models can represents a certain state cause by war, what happens during war, what prevents it, or what happens after war.
 * 1. Irminsul= Despair
 * 2. Alinia Flor= Stability
 * 3. Wilhelm Wort= Pride


 * Despite similarities to the previous and similar named group Nine Elementals, they weren’t direct inspiration. The only real similarities is the number, that Irminsul is in the group, and that it’s part of the Aeternum continent. However they differ in several ways. One being, unlike how Elementals were a kind of remake of the Spriggan 12 as Aeternum’s Royal Guard. The Nine Warmages only serve one nation, the Gemma Empire. Another difference, is that the Warmages aren’t a royal guard archetype. Instead they serve as protectors of Gemma, not answerable to even the Emperor. Lastly each character is made with specific Magics that at their level can annihilate and/or defend against an entire nation. This is link to their status as Warmages.


 * The reason the Warmages aren’t subject to the Emperor, despite the Emperor having absolute authority over all others. Is because, due to the immense power even one Warmages can possess to prevent inner conflict, Irminsul gave them a single goal. Protect Gemma. This single goal and the immunity to do so by any means, prevents them from being subject to any Emperors or Empresses and being used to wage unnecessary wars against other nations.