Better Know a Pretender: the Allfather

[Agema]

Vanherse/jarls/drotts make weaker than you'd like thugs for two reasons. They need regeneration (15HP can be worn away by substantial PD even through a mistform); they could do with reinvigoration as with 8 spellcasting encumbrance and 4 natural tire quickly. If you're going to go for a bless, you really should resolve at least one of those two problems.

Neither nature nor earth are big problems for the Van nations. In EA, MA and (I think) LA, earth is available on your national mages. In LA, nature is available on your nationals. In EA+MA, you don't get nature mages, but they are the easiest indy mages to find (if not the only type you'll readily find), and it's almost inconceivable a decent 15-20 province empire wouldn't have any. Even if E is not available LA, nature can supply a magic gizmo for reinvig.