Praedium Archive
Intercepted letter regarding Dextera Inflamatio
Forward Lance-Commander Junis,
Congratulations on your promotion. As requested, your primer on siege warfare and special weapons and tactics is included with this document. I would be in err, however, if I did not include as a special weapon a word on the Burning Hand. Dextera Inflamatio is perhaps the most often seen of the secretive mage guilds because of their popularity in warfare. Warfare can be found everywhere, and so people from many different lands and cultures have glimpsed them, or heard of one nearby. They are most often called in as special agents during an open ground war, using their control over fire to devastate enemy forces. A well placed Firestorm can be the end of a battle, and against an enemy not similarly equipped or prepared, almost certain victory in that battle for those lucky enough and wealthy enough to hire one. Their role in warfare is not always so straightforward, however, as to simply destroy the opposition. Fire mages have been known to be able to inspire forces with a passion and conviction to fight in the bitterest of winters, the harshest of conditions, and against almost certain defeat. The cost of hiring a Fire Mage to accompany an army, or even a private caravan, into the bitter northlands to protect them from the cold can often be better than the loses to men and animals that may happen if they refuse. Some Mages can even gaze into the flames and see the location of the enemy, their plans..their thoughts. Rumors say they also have power over treachery, able to make an army turn on itself, fly into a brutal rage and hack to pieces anything in it’s way. No one refuses to pay a Magician of Fire for their services.
Outside of warfare, or perhaps in a different war entirely, Dextera Inflamatio is sometimes witnessed along side Church Inquisitors or witch hunters. No one knows the true relationship between the Church and the Burning Hand, but in a hunt for a dangerous wizard like a Necromancer, a Fire Mage is almost always present.
Dextera Inflamatio seems to be the wealthiest of the Mage Guilds, and have towers in several of the major cities in the Throne, and even some dotting the border-lands. It is understood that people of noble bearing or of wealthy trade families have an easier time being accepted into the Guild, though a talented novice without a copper to their name is by no means unheard of if they possess the talent to excel.
I urge you to use caution when dealing with them, sir, as they are selfish to a man. I have not met the Fire Mage who did not place his own self above others in some way, large or small. I’ve seen from taking the privilege of larger rations to declaring incinerated infantry acceptable losses for the success of the operation. Congratulations again on your promotion, and feel free to request additional information as necessary.
Handred Fourson Rear Watch Captain
