The Legion

The Legion is the efficient war machine of The Empire, a civilisation rooted in the culture and traditions of the military. Its soldiers are the most elite, trained and disciplined in the realm.¹

It is held that no other professional soldiers can rival the glorious legions of the Empire, which stand as the preeminent military force in the Lands of Exile.²³

Allegiance

The Legion does not answer to any noble family, institution or agenda. It is loyal solely and exclusively to the emperor, with all its resources and hierarchy under imperial authority, and in structure and functioning it is very different from the armies of the noble houses.¹⁴

The salaries and equipment of legionaries are paid directly by the Marble Palace, but their provisions must be supplied by the province in which they are stationed. Nobles may also cover the legions' expenses temporarily from time to time.¹⁴

Organisation

There are eleven legions within the Empire. When a legion falls in battle or is disbanded for disciplinary reasons, its number dies with it and is never used again. A legion can consist of at least eight thousand and up to eighty thousand personnel.¹

Those who complete their service in support units and earn the title "legionary" are considered members of the legion. Other personnel may serve a legion without being an integral part of it, and they can move between legions.¹

Ranks

Each legion is led by a senior general known as a legatus, who holds the highest authority in the entire legion. Below the legatus are officers called tribunes, who can command units numbering in the thousands, and beneath them are officers known as praefectus. Further down the chain of command are the experienced centurions, each responsible for about a hundred soldiers, while lower-ranking officers called optio lead smaller squads and see that the centurions' orders are carried out. According to many scholars of warfare, the centurions are the backbone of a legion.¹

A legionary can rise through the ranks to centurion on the strength of their successes, and in rare cases throughout history individuals have even reached the rank of praefectus through outstanding achievements. To attain any higher rank, graduation from the Imperial School of War is required.⁵

Training and service

Imperial legions are trained with strict discipline, and they readily apply the requirements of military structure and advanced tactics. Their officers are trained to make the right decisions, stay calm in the heat of battle and maintain active communication, and a warrior who has received such training is expected to be the guardian and leader of the team they fight alongside, even outside a legion.²

Legion soldiers receive top-notch training and equipment, earn good money and are granted land upon retirement. They are led by commanders who graduated from the officer school in the Marble City.⁴

Imperial military thought holds that wars are won through logistical routes, high morale, discipline and smart tactics, and that professional armies are always more advantageous than conscripted forces or scattered war parties. For many who seek well-paid employment the legions offer a way out, and their rigorous training turns men and women alike into disciplined and precise fighters.²³

In the field

Aetheus Boldragon, as a member of The Scarlet Spears, once lent his expertise to the Legions in the battles against the rebellious wood elven forces. The use of firearms is strictly limited to Legion operatives and witch hunters.⁶

Among the legions are the Third Legion, in which Commander Gustavius served in his early years; the VII. Legion, in which Magnus Driftwood honed his battlefield expertise; and the 9th Legion, under which the war priest Cassius Fillius served.⁷