Profile: The Imperial Army

Written by GD Timothy, GM 8ball and Sheng Kaldres

From the book, “The New Imperial Legions” by Provost Imperatis Sheng Kaldres with adaptations from “Sword of Ioannes - The Modern Aelyrian Army” by Major Golon Sacretar, Alyssan Imperial Legion, Centripax

Under a good General, there are no bad soldiers. ~ A military proverb

The Imperial Legions of the Aelyria Empire are the finest fighting force ever fielded in the history of Telath. They are well equipped, well trained, and well led. Populated by every race in the empire. The Imperial Army is a source of power abroad and security at home. Those who have contributed to its service deserve outmost respect for their dedication and honor.

"Line up in formation, men! We have still two more cycles march until we reach the frontier, and after that, we prepare for a full-scale invasion! Never have so few soldiers done so much for so many. I want Corporals to give me regular reports on their divisions, and a three-tier rotation. Sharpen your blades and make sure that your armor is in good order. And straighten up your uniforms! We don't want to be mistaking you for the enemy. Ha ha!" -Maj. Gen. Bonratty, "Morale Speech"

The Soldiers

At the heart of the army are the men; strong, capable souls of every race and creed. They are trained thoroughly in the arts of war, often learning the use of several different weapons. It is expected that a soldier will know not just the use of a weapon, but also other skills necessary for success on the battlefield. They learn first aid, enabling them to assist wounded comrades and greatly decreasing the likelihood of a wounded man dying. Communications is also important. In the confusion and noise of battle, these soldiers use flags, whistles, hand signals, verbal commands or any other methods to relay information and issue orders. They are trained to work well with others, marching and maneuvering as one body, not just a collection of individuals.

Of course, warfare is not the only focus of their lives. For the most part, the military in a region is also the main law enforcement presence. Thus, knowledge of the law is often required as well as an ability to reason and converse with others. As any true soldier knows, if a struggle can be won without drawing a sword, it is always preferable.

A typical 15-hours brightening for a soldier in the infantry may go something like this when they are not patrolling the grounds:

Assemble for duty; hear the orders for the brightening
Calisthenics and 5-mile formation run
First rosyun
Military skills practice (close order drill, weapons, etc)
Lecture on some aspect of military history, leadership, etc
Second rosyun
Standing guard at the main gate
Debriefing, clean weapons
Dismiss, pracenda

or it can be like this:

Assemble for patrol duty
Patrolling the wilderness
Reaching a rendezvous point
Rest for rosyun
Continue patrolling
Set up camp for the darkening

During a typical brightening, a soldier engages in patrol duty. Commonly they will patrol out a short distance (up to 3 miles) for a one-brightening patrol, or a very long distance (up to 20 miles) for a several brightenings patrol on foot or a mounted patrol. Soldiers will not patrol within the city walls unlike in the times before Julos the Mad, as several cities prefer to hire non-military peace officers that report to civilian authority.

It should be noted that, unlike the cultural norm, soldiers tend to eat three meals instead of just two. This is because the heavy physical exercise they endure requires more food more often.

From the above, it can be seen that the soldier can expect different things on different brightenings.

During times of peace in the Empire, the common soldier is expected to engage in useful activities. Of these many activities, the soldier can expect to engage themselves in training, patrolling and sometimes engage themselves in meaningful activities for the Empire. An example is the provision of labor and expertise in the maintenance of the various public works like roads and dams. Another example is the supply of labor and expertise in the breeding of mounts for the Imperial Army. A soldier is expected to work whenever the soldier is needed.

When there are uprisings and wars, the life of a common soldier can be very difficult due to the prolonged outfield living and the constant pushing by the officers. Soldiers are also expected to live off the land during times of war, though no Imperatis will be willing to trust the fate of their armies to just the land around them. Supply wagons will transport food and supplies to the soldiers. Even with the supply wagons, soldiers should not expect an easy time out in the fields, for they are trained to endure the elements and to win wars for the Empire.

The Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)

The men and women who lead the soldiers in the thick of battle are extremely capable. Senior Legionnaires are first tier of leaders in the military formation. They are generally experienced soldiers, sometimes voted into the position by their peers, but often promoted on the basis of merit by the commanding officer of the Centurios. They can be expected to know as much if not more than the soldiers they lead on any military subject. The men will always look to the Senior Legionnaire to lead them, and if he or she does not have their trust and devotion, the unit will suffer.

Above the Senior Legionnaires are the Shield-Daekins. These senior soldiers are often the best NCOs in the unit. Intelligent and capable, their main task is staff related. They are the ones who make sure the units they are assigned to get the supplies they need, the personnel to do their jobs, and act as assistants to the officers. Most consider them the backbone of the Army, as they lend their experience to the Senior Legionnaires and Legionnaires, and their leadership ability to the officers. But they must also be managers, counselors, and second fathers for the men under their command. There is an old axiom that is found to be true more often than not, the Shield-Daekin’s job is to keep the Sword-Daekin alive long enough to make Daekin.

The highest rank that a NCO could be is Spear-Daekin. Spear-Daekins are the best and the most senior of NCOs in the whole Legion. Officers and men alike respect them. It is said that Spear-Daekin are the third highest rank in the any Centurios, for without them, the Daekin and Sword-Daekin would find it hard to lead the Centurios.

They are often referred to by their functional rank. Indeed, it is rather typical for a Centurios Shield-Daekin to be considered a lower rank than the Cohortis Shield-Daekin, though it is usually only tenure in the service that makes the difference between the two. Some Legions even formalize this by subdividing the Shield-Daekin rank into Centurios Shield-Daekin (assistant to a Sword-Daekin), Cohortis Shield-Daekin (assistant to a Daekin), and Covus Shield-Daekin (assistant to the Kestor). This is the same for Spear-Daekins; there are Covus Spear-Daekins, Dao Shield-Daekins, Legion Spear-Daekins and Spear-Daekin of the Legions.

The Officers

Officers come in four different flavors; kadet, dandy, savant and mustang. The kadets are those who start their careers in the Officer Cohortis in the Jade Legion. They spend several eras studying here, learning protocol, leadership, tactics, land navigation, weather, and all the soldiering skills. These are the elite of society, the wealthy and the noble born. Although privileged, the men that serve them do not automatically dislike them. Indeed, they are often respected for their knowledge and high level of training. And those who do not respect them find themselves facing the ire of the Shield-Daekins rather quickly.

The dandies on the other hand are another matter. These individuals are the officers who are appointed to their ranks by civilian powers. It is unfortunate that such persons obtain positions of power this way, as more often then not they are ill equipped for the job and the troops suffer the consequences of their incompetence. In fact, these officers are often so despised by their soldiers that several dandies throughout history have been killed by their own troops (an event called a “fragging”) when it became evident that because of their incompetence they were more dangerous to the unit than the enemy. This is not to say that all dandies fall into the “get us killed before he leads us into battle” category. Many take the initiative to learn their new trade, often calling in Shield-Daekins or subordinate officers they trust to teach them.

Similar to dandies, savants are officer that are directly commissioned as officers. However, the difference between dandies and savants is that savants are recruited based on their abilities. Savants are officers that are recruited because the Imperial Army needed their specialized skills. These specialized skills can be in the area of trade skills, combat, arcana or lore. Most soldiers respect the savant, but due to their specialized knowledge and their lack of formal training with respect to the military, savant can sometimes exhibit a lack of leadership skills. To solve this problem, the Officer Cohortis offers a modified training program to help those that lack these skills. And most savants will learn leadership and other needed skills from experience and guidance from Shield-Daekins or subordinate offciers that they trust.

Finally, there are the Mustangs. These are the individuals who start off as enlisted soldiers and then become officers. Usually this is a result of “battlefield promotion”, which is a euphemistic term for being the highest-ranking person in the unit because everyone of higher rank is dead. Since they served originally as enlisted, they have great respect from the troops they lead. Of course, this also means that other officers tend to look down upon them, mostly the dandies but occasionally the kadets as well. Some Legions get around this officer corps animosity by sending the mustang to the Officer Cohortis for intensive training.

Organizational Structure

1 Imperial Army, containing 28 Legions
1 Imperial Host, containing 3 Serrista Legions led by a Provost Imperatis
1 Serrista Legion, containing 3 Legions led by a Kestor Imperatis
Legion:
1 Legion, containing 2 Daos led by an Imperatis
2 Daos (5000), each containing 5 Covi led by a Provost
10 Covi (1000), each containing 2 Cohortii led by a Kestor
20 Cohortii (500), each containing 5 Centuri led by a Cencoris
100 Centuri (100), each containing 100 men led by a Daekin
Centurios:
5 Domanus, each containing 20 men led by a Sword-Daekin
2 Manus, each containing 10 men led by a Shield-Daekin

The smallest autonomous unit within the Aelyrian Imperial Legions system is the Centurios (pural: Centuri). These 100 men units can act on their own orders, build camps and survive in the wilderness if needed. The Legionnaires are expected to eat, sleep and live with their comrades in the Centurios. For purposes of guard duty, small patrols or minor chores, the Centurios can be divided in 5 Domanus, consisting of 20 men each, which can be further split up into a Manu of 10 men. A Shield-Daekin assisted by Senior Legionnaires usually leads a Manu, while a Sword-Daekin leads a Domanu, and a Daekin assisted by a Spear-Daekin will lead a Centurios. Officers ranked Daekins and above have the authority to promote or to demote the enlisted men under them, though this authority does not extend towards the officers.

They are also functional commands. For example, the responsibility for the administrative needs of a Legion (cooks, payroll, repairs) would fall to a Daekin and his division of troops. It is fairly common for the number of men under each Sword-Daekin to swell in times of war, as casualties are always expected and reinforcements never are.

Five Centuri are combined to form a Cohortis (pural: Cohortii), the basic strategic unit in the army and is lead by a Cencoris (pural: Cencorii). The next level from Cohortis is Covus (pural: Covi), which is made up of two Cohortii and is lead by a Kestor. A Provost lead a Dao formed from five Covi. Under the Legions System, two Daos formed a Legion commanded by a Imperatis (pural: Imperatii).

Under the Legions system, this provides the fiercest fighting spirit when defending as well as ensuring the most unit cohesiveness because men and women fight alongside people that they have known as all started their military career in the Jade Legion where all that joined the Legions begun their career in the Imperial Army.

The Imperial Marshal or whoever is empowered by the Imperial Marshal, appoints the Imperatis and the opinions of civilian officials like the governor are often considered into the appointment. The Imperatis’s main job is to ensure the combat readiness of the Legions and handle personnel, materiel, and political issues that may interfere with the coordinated and smooth operation of the Legion. The appointing and posting of officers in a Legion is another of an Imperatis' duties, as officers ranked Imperatis and above have the authority to promote and demote officers under them. This can often be difficult as he or she struggles to combine different races and styles of fighting into one cohesive unit. It is the opinion of many military observers that this is perhaps the most difficult job in the Imperial Army.

The Legions almost never move as a single army, spending most of it's time split up into smaller units, each of them reporting to its commanding officer. An Imperial Garrison can be as small as one Cohortis and as large as several Covi camping together.

The Kestor Imperatis acts as an overall province Commander for the Legions of each individual province or leads them collectively as a Serrista Legion, which is a name for a formation of three Legions. This is one of the largest force fielded by the Imperial Legions for any particular theater of operations. It is a massive undertaking, requiring huge amounts of support in the form of gold, food, and equipment.

Up from the Kestor Imperatis level, there is the Provost Imperatis who leads an Imperial Host which is made up of three Serrista Legions. A Provost Imperatis is also expected to command the Imperial Army in two or more provinces, acting as the overall commander of these provinces. It must be noted that the Jade Legion does not reports to any of the Provost Imperatis and instead answers directly to the Imperial Marshal.

In command of all Legions everywhere is the Imperial Marshal. This military officer has complete control over the overall direction of the entire Imperial Army. The Imperial Marshal sets the tone for the Imperial Army, ensures the Imperatii do their jobs, handles the political wheedling and dealings that are part of life in the palace and advises the Emperor/Empress on all military matters related to the Imperial Army.

Legion Build Up:

Imperial Legions soldiers participate in light and heavy infantry (Legions), cavalry, artillery, and siege detachments. The Imperial Legions are approximately 300,000 to 500,000 soldiers strong. In times of extreme emergency, the Army has approached 1,000,000 soldiers, but this has been rare, and in times of peace, the army usually numbers around 300,000 soldiers and 28 separate Legions.

Each Legion is led from a single outpost, almost always based in one of the larger cities of the province the Legion is stationed in. Below is a list of where each Legion is stationed. While the majority of a Legion's soldiers are often stationed somewhere outside of the city, the Legion's headquarters can always be found here.

Prime Province:
1st Legion: Aelyria Prime (Empress' Own)
12th Legion: Cadanceburg (Cadanceburg Harvesters)
20th Legion: Aelyria Prime (Agheron Legion, Imperial Magecorps)
26th Legion: Aelyria Prime (Imperial Shields, Imperial Intelligence Agency)
28th Legion: Castle Marchant (Sons of Valimar)
30th Legion: Aelyria Prime (The Jade Legion, recruitment and training Legion)

Arakmat:
2nd Legion: Arakmat (Horsemen of Kadesh)
27th Legion: Zairu Keep (Aeonyl Vanguard)
11th Legion: Imperia (Shining Host)

Arium:
3rd Legion: Nexus Prime (The Northern Guard)
18th Legion: Paxia (Shields of Caron)
24th Legion: Chanliya Fortress (Vogden's Glaive)

Carmelyn:
4th Legion: Diana (Divine Wrath)
23rd Legion: Kaldira (The Arx Crusaders)
15th Legion: Archadoon (Northern Cross Legion)

Centripax:
5th Legion: Primus Gaudeo (Rynosian Legion)
17th Legion: Midpoint (Alyssan Guard)
21st Legion: Riparia (Blackrock Legion)

Enamoria:
6th Legion: Medonia (Phedos' Prodigy)
16th Legion: Daltina (Maevewoods Guard)
22nd Legion: Castellian Keep (Castellian Elite)

Eunesia:
7th Legion: Ieffron (Jaedah Defenders)
19th Legion: Olympia (Myridion Legion)

Lauryl:
8th Legion: Mystique (Constantine's Reckoners)
14th Legion: Lylles Palace (The Grim Wardens)
25th Legion: Frigid River (Triumphant Defenders)

Sheria:
9th Legion: Taralon (Manjet Legion)
10th Legion: Narim (Silvered Blades)

A Career in the Imperial Legions:

A Legionnaire always starts his career as an infantry man in Aelyria Prime where he signs his first contract for a complete pattern. From there on he's immediately given a position in the Jade Legion, also known as the training Legion for the Imperial Force. This is temporary home to the Legionnaire as he is being taught all the basics formations, setting up camp, military etiquette and basic combat training that ranges from spear to shield with the longsword. Once the Legionnaire has finished his first cycle of training he is immediately given an evaluation before being transferred to any of the 28 Legions stationed throughout the Empire. This decision is based on the Legionnaire's abilities and openings in the other Legion's Cohortis.

Once a suitable Legion has been found for the Legionnaire he is immediately put on transport and taken to his new Legion where he will find a new home in either the 19th or 20th Cohortis, which are reserved for fresh recruits. This is where the Legionnaire's true training starts. What he has learned with the Jade Legion he will now put to practice as the Green Cohortis, as they are often nicknamed, is given the easiest of chores. The members of the Green Cohortis wear green cloaks, identifying them as fresh recruits which much be watched over by the more veteran Legionnaires. They are to build up camps, perform safety patrols and stand guard. Only when danger is low will they be put out on the field to fight, often aiding local authorities against petty criminals. It is in these months that the Legionnaire makes the vital skills of soldiery his own so that later he may concentrate on more important matters under pressure and can perform menial tasks without much thought. It is also in the Green Cohortis that the Legionnaires are tested and scouted for their best abilities. The strongest and toughest are bound to become respectable members of the Heavy Infantry, maybe even rising to the ranks of the Heavy Cavalry while those of nimble footing and a keen mind will almost always join the Light Infantry. Most of the fresh recruits however will join the bulk of the Imperial Legions as Regular Infantry, making up the strong backbone which has formed the Imperial Legions since its conception.

In the case of the rare Legionnaire that showed talents in fields like arcana or engineering, the Legionnaire may find himself going back to Aelyria Prime to undergo another round of training, specilaizing in a certain field. Arcana training may be found in the Mage Corps while engineering skills be found in the Jade Legion which also has a function of acting as a Legion for training specialized skills like non-arcanic healing and even that of music, which cannot be easily be found in the other Legions.

Once an opening in the core Cohortii presents itself, and the new Legionnaire has proven himself he may change his green cloak for one bearing his Legion's color and join the Cohortis chosen for him. In these core Cohortii, a Legionnaire will perform a myriad of duties, ranging from patrols to guarding local dignitaries and aiding the local authorities with any problem they might have. After a Legionnaire's contract expires he is offered the choice to sign on for another tour, keeping him in the Legion for another pattern. Many Legionnaires do so, seeing it for the respectable career path that it is, willing to rise through the ranks and serve the Empire they love.

The Units

There are three basic units in the Imperial Army; the infantry, the cavalry and the archery. But an army is made up of more than these three basic units. Supporting them are the Mages, Healers, Engineers and various unique units.
Infantry

Infantry are basically soldiers on foot and thus, fight on foot, travel on foot and eat on foot. They usually make up the bulk of any army. Of course, it is possible for the soldiers to travel on carts and other such carriages, but this is rare for where does one find so many carts and horses to transport a few thousands soldiers? So the life of an infantry soldier is hard and often the first to fall.

Now, infantry can be classified into three types; heavy, medium and light.

A classic example of heavy infantry is the hoplites of old, as are the efficient and powerful Vix Aliaris phalanx of the Ancient Aelyrians. Wearing heavy armor, holding a heavy shield and pikes, the heavy infantry units are expected to crush the enemy and provide the main force of attack, destroying enemies in their path.

Light infantry units, as the name implies, are infantry units that are lightly armored with at most a breastplate and are more mobile than heavy infantry. Light infantry units are expected to harass the enemy by engaging in guerilla tactics and to support the heavy infantry units in their fights. Light infantry units are also engage in patrol and scouting missions, especially in densely forested areas that are not so accessible to cavalry units. Considering that light infantry are inexpensive to raise as compare to the heavy infantry units, they are often the first units to be raised.

In recent times, a new type of infantry units has been raised; the medium infantry. Medium infantry units are units that are armored less than heavy infantry and thus more mobile than heavy infantry but are armored enough to withstand more damage than the light infantry. So it is no wonder that medium infantry units are expected to act as heavy infantry or as light infantry whenever there is a need. However, versatile as the medium infantry are, the medium infantry are usually not that proficient in the heavy infantry or the light infantry roles when compared to them.

The Regular Infantry units in the Imperial Legions are Medium Infantry.

Cavalry

The main difference of cavalry units from infantry units is that cavalry units are mounted. When the word “mounted” is used, it means that the unit is on some kind of mount. The mount could be a horse, camel or even a Pegasus. Just as long as the unit in mounted, they are cavalry, and yes, even if the mounts are donkeys. Due to the added cost of acquiring a mount, cavalry units, even the lightest cavalry units, are usually much more expensive to raise than infantry units.

Like infantry, cavalry can be classified into light, medium and heavy. Similar to the difference between heavy and light infantry units, the main difference between heavy and light cavalry units is the amount of armor worn, with the additional consideration of how powerful their mounts need to be in order to sustain the soldiers and whether the mount bears amour or not.

Heavy cavalry units are usually employed as shock troops and can decide the outcome of the battle. Forming up, a line of cavalry units could cause much destruction by riding into infantry units and stamping them beneath hooves. The chariots units of old can be considered the first heavy cavalry units, but due to the large space to employ them efficiently, they fell into disuse when compared to the more efficient infantry units. It was not until the appearance of the armored knights and breeding of bigger horses that heavy cavalry regained some of their former glory.

On the other hand, light cavalry are used in scouting, skirmish and to cut down on retreating infantry. This is not unexpected, for light infantry are the most mobile units in the army. An army could not win a battle without their services; even the Formidable Ancients Imperial Legions needed them. Most flying cavalry units are light cavalry due to the fact that most flying mounts cannot carry too much weight. Flying light cavalry are perhaps the most successful cavalry units at skirmishes and can sometimes be successfully employed as shock troops in ambushes.

If there are medium infantry units, it would make sense that there are also medium cavalry units. Analogous to the medium infantry units, medium cavalry units stand between heavy and light cavalry in terms of armor. In fact, some medium cavalry employ the tactics of using medium infantry and putting them on mounts to get medium cavalry. So in addition to acting in roles of heavy or light cavalry units, medium cavalry units may have to dismount to act as medium infantry. In fact, this idea of infantry on mounts can be extended to light cavalry units. Thus, a cavalry unit may be an infantry unit too.

Archery

The importance of archery units cannot be ignored or underestimated. In many battles, the number of archery units that an army has may decide the outcome of the battle as archery units give the distance advantage without having to engage troops in close combat. This function helps to reduce the casualties among the infantry and cavalry units, and help preserve strength for an army to make war.

Unlike infantry and cavalry units, archery units are not classified as light or heavy. The main difference between archery units is the bows that they use and how are they employed. For example, one archery unit may use a long bow and another may use shortbow. In some cases, the pure archery units are non-existent as other units include bows and arrows in their arsenal of weapons. Equipping light cavalry units with bows and arrows can create horse archery units that provide much anguish to infantry units as the horse archers pick out the infantry soldiers one by one and run off quickly before the foot soldiers are even a mile away. Bows and arrows also give rise to the military tactics of units forming two lines, one providing cover while the other charge forward. This tactic proves to be especially efficient for heavy cavalry.

Engineer

Without the engineers, an army could find itself deep in mud and vulnerable to attacks for it is the engineers who design and if needed, build fortifications and roads. .

Engineers are the soldiers who make sure that an army has fortification in place when they rest. In a castle, the engineers devise ways to defend the castle like using boiling hot oil, spikes gates and arrow slits. In outfield camps, the engineers make stakes, traps and whatever they can lay their hands on to defend the camp. Offensive wise, engineers are in charge of siege machines, tunneling beneath castle walls and whatever needs to be done to bring the walls of a castle or the defenses of a camp down. Engineers are also the privileged few that have access to gunpowder. Though unpredictable in nature, an engineer can create a great force of destruction for defense or attack using gunpowder with patterns of experience.

Quartermaster and Logistics

Though greatly under appreciated, the Quartermasters and logistics personnel contribute as much to the Imperial Legions as any soldier, perhaps even more. Without the Quartermasters, where would a soldier go if he or she needs to change a set of uniform, a spoilt pair of boots or even to get an extra weapon? Who would make sure that the soldiers get feed, paid and have the required equipment? Or as in recent times, who would make sure the supplies get to the front line? Who would make sure that the wagons can be moved and the horses are cared for? The Quartermasters. So do not look down on the Quartermasters, for it is them who make sure that the Imperial Army runs smoothly.

Healer

In any war, there will be casualties and if there were no healers, many soldiers would die. This is how important the healers are and a Legion cannot do without them.

Taking care of all sick and injured soldiers is the duty of the healers, and a wide array of methods are used. Arcana is obviously the method that will produce the fastest results, but not everyone can be a mage, or are learned enough to cure every sickness and injury. Other methods are also used. For example, the use of herbs and there are many healers skilled in herblore in the Imperial Legions. Less conventional methods like the use of leeches are also used.

Mages and Magic in the Military

With the discovery of magic, a whole new dimension of warfare was created. It signaled a paradigm shift not seen since the horse was first used to pull a chariot. There are many military strategists who disagree on the optimal use of magic in the field of battle, but they generally fall into one of two camps. The first believe that magi should be gathered together to provide massive amounts of firepower to destroy enemy forces. They hold the position that such a “Magi Fist” can tear huge holes in the enemy lines, which would then be exploited by the infantry.

The other camp believes that magi should be dispersed among the other units. This “Magic Support” position contends that this way prevents all the magi from getting killed with one lucky fireball and also provides close up, immediate support for troops. Opponents say that it spreads out the magi and makes them less effective in cracking enemy lines.

One use of magic that seems common in both camps is the non-combat use of magic. This would include healing, intelligence gathering, and so forth. Spellcasters of this genre are almost always in short supply and vigorously recruited.

The levels of spellcasters in the military are generally low. That is to say most spellcasters in the military are Apprentice level mages with a few senior officers being Journeyman and the very rare being Masters and Archmages, especially for Archmages. The last known Archmage to serve in the Imperial Army was the Imperial Marshal, Motito Gil'dae and the one before him was the Imperial Regent, Alexander Nighthawk. Adding to the fact the ratio of mages to soldiers in the military is usually one to five hundreds, the mages are a resource to be valued and to be used carefully with various consideration in mind.

Weapons and Classes in the Imperial Legions:

The Imperial Legions adhere to strict regulations concerning their weaponry and armor, equipping all their men with the equipment necessary for their job. The Light Infantry is armored with sturdy leather, allowing them to be mobile yet still protected. Longbows are issued to archers and regular infantry men are equipped with longswords. It is the Light Infantry's duty to scout ahead for danger, gather intelligence and perform special tactics on the battlefield to harass the opponent.

The Regular Infantry is armed with a spear, longsword and three pilaii (short javelins designed to bend or break on impact to prevent them from being thrown back) Serving the Empire by being in the frontlines and taking on virtually any enemy through strict discipline, they need to be well armored. Regular Infantry wears chainmail shirts and plate shin guards and bracers, complemented by a tower shield and a steel helmet. Trained to use their spear first and resort to their longswords should the need arise, they are equipped to fight under virtually any circumstance, whether it is holding a defensive position against cavalry or escorting an Imperial dignitary. Their ranged infantry is armed with crossbows, allowing them to rain death upon the enemies of the Empire from a great distance without losing accuracy.

The Heavy Infantry is armed primarily with broadswords, pilaii and tower shields, their armaments aimed towards wounding the enemies of the Empire as thoroughly as possible while allowing them maximum protection from counter attacks. Their armor consists of heavy platemail, complemented by helmets that shield their heads almost completely. Their archers are armed with crossbows, allowing them to take down heavily armored foes with great precision. The Heavy Infantry is always at the front of every assault, used to take on the most dangerous of enemies and often successfully pitted against great odds.

Even though these three classes are distinguished by their equipment, none is the better the other, for none of these classes can operate without the use of each other. Respect for each other is taught in the Green Cohortii where there are no distinctions in classes, often forging camaraderie between two Legionnaires who will later be put into different parts of the Legion.

Every Legion adheres to strict rules concerning its build up. While the 19th through 20th Cohortis in each Legion are reserved for fresh recruits, the 1st through 3rd Cohortis are 'special' Cohortii to which only the most veteran Legionnaires are allowed. These three special Cohortii vary in tactics and equipment per Legion and might range from Heavy Cavalry to Light Infantry deploying extremely specialized tactics.

However, these men in general are not trained to the extreme and they are not experts with their weapons. Their strength is drawn from their discipline and tactics. Every Legion contains at least 8 Cohortii of Regular Infantry, not including the Green Cohortii, leaving 7 more Cohortii to be divided into Heavy or Light Infantry. Every Legion needs to have at least two Cohortii of either type. That means that it can fill the remaining Cohortii with for example: 2 Heavy Infantry and 5 Light Infantry Cohortii. Or it could have 4 Cohortii of one type and 3 of the other.

In addition, the geography and the history have influences on the type of units that the Legions have. It would make sense that Legions based in cold northern regions of the Empiure, would have units that are more adapt to fighting in the cold. There is also the basis of unit pride and history. From times of old, units based in certain cities have often their own style or mode of fighting, and some Legions take pride in that. Over the centuries of patterns such notable names as the Alyssan Imperial Elite (Midpoint), the Sentinel Raiders (Abestat) and the Mountain Grenadiers (Ire) have entered the annuls of history. Some of the most famous of fighting forces have since been destroyed or disbanded, while others have gone through numerous changes and will undoubtedly continue to do so. And thus, the various Legions will seek to place their own mark on history

Command Structure in the Imperial Legions:

As stated before the Centurios is the smallest autonomous unit within the Imperial Legion. Without them there would be chaos, yet they cannot truly act on their own. Within a Legion, units depend on each other for food and supplies. Every first Centurios of a Cohortis is called the Centurios Princeps. It is within this Centurios that the heart and brain of each Cohortis rests. Personally led by the Cohortis' Cencoris, this Centurios is home to a supply unit, the Cencoris' bodyguard, Imperial Mages assigned to the Cohortis, and administrative and medical staff. On average the first Centurios counts an additional manpower of about twenty men of medical staff, 20 men of administrative staff which includes intelligence operatives, five imperial mages of not higher than adept level (exceptions are sometimes made for important Legions such as the Empress' Own, or the first Cohortis of a Legion) and four bodyguards for the Cencoris. Within every Centurios Princeps an entire Domanu has the specific task of supplying the other Centurios within the Cohortis. The remaining Legionnaires within the Centurios Princeps often assist the other members and serve as personal assistants or advisors to the Cencoris.

The Centurios Princeps of the first Cohortis of each Legion is entirely reserved for administrative staff and senior officers who fulfill an advisory role to the Imperatis while also taking on the Cencoris administrative duties of the entire Cohortis.

Training and Skills

One of the reason why the Imperial Army can maintain a strong presence in the Empire is that it is able to ensure a minimum skill level across for all soldiers and to provide the means for the soldiers to obtain training in these skills.

The minimum skill levels for the different units are:


Light/Regular Infantry -

• Basic longsword
• Basic spear
• Basic javelin

Heavy Infantry -

• Intermediate longsword
• Intermediate spear
• Basic javelin

Light/Regular Cavalry –

• Intermediate longsword
• Basic spear
• Basic javelin
• Basic horsemanship

Heavy Cavalry –

• Intermediate longsword
• Intermediate spear
• Basic javelin
• Intermediate horsemanship

Healer –

• Basic longsword
• Basic healing
• Basic herblore

Engineer –

• Basic longsword
• Basic siege engineering
• Basic blacksmith/carpentry

*For officers, they are expected to have additional training in social etiquette, leadership, law and politics. They are also expected to advance their knowledge in military tactics to Intermediate.

Most soldiers start their career in the Jade Legion where they will receive the training for light/regular infantry. In the Jade Legion, the soldiers will learn the skills for the weapons, and a basic training program that includes simple knowledge in military tactics, wilderness survival and military protocols. Thus, except for the healers and engineers, the skill set for light/regular infantry is common across the levels. It is only when the soldiers are sent to their respective legions, do they receive additional training as required by the different legions and units. For example, a soldier sent to the cavalry will have his or her horsemanship training or additional survival training in a desert for those sent to Arakmat. Soldiers are also encouraged upgrade their skills in the Imperial Army. So the veteran soldiers will have a higher level of skill as will some of the elite units. Of course, there are exceptional cases to the minimum skill level with regards to certain soldiers. But on the whole, soldiers of the Imperial Army adhere to the minimum skill requirement and thus, the Imperial Army maintains the peace and order in the Empire.

Military Pay and Equipment

Many people think that the military is a harsh life; horrible pay, poor food, constant sickness and battle. That is not entirely true. While it is true that soldiers are not paid very well, they do receive free room and board as well as medical care. Below is the standard military pay schedule:

Rank-------------------------Salary per Era-----Salary per Cycle
 
Legionnaire-----------------------1,000-----------------20 
Senior Legionnaire----------------2,000-----------------40 
Shield-Daekin--------------------3,000-----------------60 
Spear-Daekin---------------------4,000-----------------80
Sword-Daekin---------------------4,000-----------------80 
Daekin---------------------------5,000----------------100 
Cencoris-------------------------6,000----------------120 
Kestor---------------------------8,000----------------160 
Provost-------------------------10,000----------------200 
Imperatis-----------------------14,000----------------280
Kestor Imperatis----------------18,000----------------360
Provost Imperatis---------------22,000----------------440 
Imperial Marshal----------------30,000----------------600

Other than the pay, the army also provides the soldiers with equipment and clothing. Below is the equipment and uniform issued to a recently enlisted soldier:

One standard issue cloak (Green)
Three standard issue trousers
Three standard issue woolen shirts
Five sets of undergarment (race specific)
One pair of standard issue bracers
One pair of standard issue shinguards
One standard issue chainmail shirt
One standard issue helmet
Three Pilaii
One standard issue longsword(on graduation from Jade Legion change to Imperial Longsword)
One standard issue training sword
One standard issue spear
One standard issue training spear

So it can be seen that the Imperial Army spends quite a substantiate amount of Crowns on each soldier. This is not considering that officers have access to better equipment, lodging, and food, and have many other benefits like the use of wagon carriage and medical treatment, and the needs of specialized units.

While there is a variety of equipment that a Legionnaire will receive, there are basically three kinds of uniform that they will wear. The first being their dress uniform, the uniform that they wear for parade, formal occasions or when they are not in combat situation. For the dress uniform, some say that it is the most ornate of the three sets as the soldiers will be wearing their ranks in view along with the medals and badges that they have received. Some of the senior officers have also taken to decorate their uniforms by the use of lace and elaborate embroidery, especially that at the cuffs.

The next is the shirt and trouser combination which the soldier wears for fatigue and occasions where they are expected to do manual work.

The last and the perhaps the most important is their armor set. Soldiers are expected to wear armor for all combat situations. While the armor set is quite standard for the individual unit types, there are some differences among units in different locations. For example, units in a cold climate may lay fur along their armor for warmth. Extra equipment may also be issued in individual places. For example, for units that move frequently among the mountains, mountain climbing equipment may be issued.

In the armor set, it is sometimes hard to distinguish the officers from the normal enlisted soldiers and thus, there are some differences in the equipment set for the officers and enlisted men to distinguish them apart. For example, the sword that a Daekin carries will be different from that of a Shield Daekin.


Dress Uniform (for parade and formal occasions):

• Knee high black boots, loose trousers to the knee/just below, thigh long stiff necked coats (grey)
• Shako for headdress (Officers can wear either bicorn or tricorne)
• Warming undergarments
• Full length formal cloaks with hoods (Legion main color with secondary color trim)
• Imperial Legion insignia on the back of the cloak (Officers can edged their cloak with red and yellow)
• Legion crest on right side of the chest
• Full length greycloak
• Rank on the collar.

Indication of Rank:

All ranks are on a red background and the insignia in metal.


Officer Ranks:

• Imperial Marshal – 1 Crown, 1 Diamond, 1 Pair Of Crossed Spears
• Provost Imperatis – 1 Crown, 1 Diamond
• Kestor Imperatis – 1 Crown
• Imperatis – 3 Diamonds
• Provost – 2 Diamonds
• Kestor – 1 Diamond
• Cencoris – 3 Bars
• Daekin – 2 Bars
• Sword Daekin – 1 Bar

Enlisted Ranks:

• Spear Daekin – 1 Pair of Crossed Spears and Shield
• Shield Daekin – 1 Shield
• Senior Legionnaire – 1 Pair of Crossed Spear
• Legionnaire – No Collar Tab

The following is the specification for the equipment:


Imperial Longsword (common for all soldiers)

• T shaped crossguard (dark metal and edged in red for officers)
• Flat, round pommel with legion crest embossed (light metal and edged in red for officers)
• Imperial crest on the cross of the guard (light metal)
• Long, single edged blade with pointed tip
• Scabbard is red for officers and yellow for enlisted men

Equipment common to all units regardless of unit:

• Imperial Longsword
• A cudgel measured a yard long (Carried by Shield Daekin, Spear Daekin and officers ranked Daekin and above)
• A baton measured a foot long (Carried by officers ranked Imperatis and above)
• 3 short throwing spears in bundle
• Indication of rank may be painted onto the armor

Light Infantry:

• Studded leather tunic, dark brown (Officers may wear chainmail shirt)
• Bracers and shin guards
• Helmet
• Leather boots and gloves for light infantry, dark brown (Officers may wear chainmail gloves)

Regular Infantry (Medium)

• One long spear
• Scalemail to the elbow on the left side, finishes at the shoulder on the right
• Pauldron on right shoulder (neck guard for officers)
• Face helmets. (Officer may wear plumes)
• Steel greaves worn under pants.
• Steel plated boots and gloves for regular infantry
• Kite shields (divided into two legion colors with Imperial symbol in centre)

Heavy Infantry

• One long spear
• Scalemail to the elbow on the left side, finishes at the shoulder on the right
• Pauldron on right shoulder (neck guard for officers)
• Face helmets. (Officer may wear plumes)
• Steel greaves worn under pants.
• Plate boots and gauntlets for heavy infantry
• Tower shields (main legion color, edge in second color, Imperial sigil in centre)

Cavalry and archery units often use the same equipment as listed above with perhaps a few differences. Archery units will be issued a bow or a crossbow instead of the long spear, while cavalry units will be issued sabers or broadsword for heavy cavalry and other riding equipment like saddles, a reinforced lance in place of the long spear, an oval cavalry shield for heavy cavalry and medium cavalry, and modified armor for riding.

Other Organizations

There are a variety of other paramilitary organizations in the Empire: Paladins, Knight Orders, Mercenary bands, and so forth. However, the Imperials usually view them as being soldiers of a lesser standard; that they do not measure up to the professional standards of the Imperials as they tend to lack the iron discipline and regimentation of the Imperials. As such, most in the Imperial Legions hold them in lower regard.