Although the mages of the Tower Arcane are fully capable of protecting themselves from their enemies, they rely on an elite force to guard them so they can direct their attention more fully to their studies and duties. These guards, known as vanguards, are warriors trained in the arts of magic, specifically the Battle and Protection traditions. These combatants use spells to enhance their fighting techniques and safeguard themselves and their charges from counterattacks.

Many vanguards in the world today learned their methods from those guarding the Tower Arcane, but devotees of the techniques can be found almost anywhere in the Empire. Vanguards might serve as bodyguards for the great magicians of Lij, might sell their services to the petty warlords of the Patchwork Lands, or seek their fortunes in the faeries scattered across the Northern Reach. For many who pursue this path, the techniques come as a natural progression of their magical training.

A vanguard typically has some sort of military or magical background. Warriors might become vanguards to enhance their combat prowess, while magicians and magic-using rogues, especially those with a martial bent, can enhance their fighting prowess by channeling simple spells into their attacks and defenses. Priests of the Honored Dead who become vanguards usually protect the sacred vaults that hold the lore of their ancestors, while priests of Father Death safeguard the cemeteries entrusted to their order against tampering by cultists and necromancers. Priests of Old Man Winter and the Dark Gods use the vanguards’ talents to bolster their combat ability and become ferocious killers on the battlefield.