Legacy of Darkness (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Military

The High Palantium Imperial Army

The foot soldiers of the Empire, the Army is largely comprised of Manes, drafted and shipped off-shard to protect colonies. Every male citizen of the Empire over the age of sixteen is required to serve for four years in some branch of the military, unless his craft or schooling is deemed more important. Imperial parents, especially nobles, make good use of this, forcing their children to attend Licil Karcere or Licil Thedes.

Training begins on Palantium in the Naval District, but they are barely taught which end of the sword is sharp before they're equipped and shipped off, destined to spend the next four years far from home. Soldiers aren't expected to survive, or even fight for long; they're merely considered a something to divert attention until an officer or Knight arrives to clean things up. About sixty percent of Imperial soldiers die in combat, a number that ensures that the Sumil stay in control of the Mane population, at least until they try to secede.

Advancement in rank is something rare amid the army. A Maunu might be promoted to lieutenant or even captain to lead a small force, but such promotions are often temporary. In any case, all Maunu (unless otherwise commanded) defer to an Imperial naval officer.

Imperial soldiers are generally commoners or experts, although a few who were martially inclined before drafting might be warriors. Typical gear for a soldier is a chain shirt, a longsword, a light crossbow, six bolts and a dagger. A soldier away from society might also have a bedroll and food, although probably not.

The Imperial Velaque Navy

The Imperial Navy is one of the most feared fighting forces throughout the shards. Over two hundred void warships, armed with hundreds of archers, foot soldiers, slaves and spellcasters. A single ship can (and has) lay waste to the better part of a shard without exterior help, making the Navy indispensable to the Empire.

Most naval soldiers are Imperial ensigns, usually from less influential families, or lacking the skills to attain knighthood. Ensigns are given rudimentary training on melee and ranged combat, and on maintaining and operating protocols while on board a ship. They are quickly deployed, training heavily on board the ships. An ensign is required to attend weapon drills every day, and are encouraged to spar with other soldiers.

An ensign may advance quite quickly given an aptitude for combat and procedure (or connections), achieving lieutenant after just a year or two. A naval soldier may apply to return to Palantium at any time, but the application process takes about six months, conservatively. A higher level officer may deny his application at his discretion.

Unlike other military branches, intelligent humanoids with extreme potential may join the Navy, although this is rare. A thri-kreen captain by the name of V'Darn Griever is considered one of the Navy's greatest assets, as he easily out performs nearly all of his human colleagues.

Naval soldier are usually fighters.

Battle Slaves

When the Empire takes over a shard and finds a large number of hostile creatures, they often round some up to bulk out their ground forces. Battle slaves provide not only extra military might, but also an intimidating presence; after all, what better to lead a charge than a half a hundred slavering trolls? Dracotaurs, ogres, trolls, giants; if it's big and ugly, the Army'll deploy it.

Battle slaves are almost never found on Palantium, after a certain incident involving an ogre going berserk and escaping into the Maunu District.

Yuirefolk

When the Sécuthui proved to be far more powerful than any General Keilere's assessment, he became desperate to add a potent, but expendable force to the military. Remembering the ferocity of the centaur herds he had battle in his younger years, he reached out to a scholar named Ignuil Fatherat, who was studying the herds on Rhaeddia. Fatherat had observed the herds from afar using scrying and spells to keep him hidden for years, so he was excited to finally reveal himself to the half-men. The herds' reception of him was something that completely confused even their stalker, as they treated him as something of a god, merely on the fact of his being.

The Yuirefolk, as they called themselves, kept their faces concealed with ornate masks crafted from objects they deemed important to them. In their superstitious view, they revealed their visages to no one after puberty. They explained to Fatherat that their masters had made them wear masks to show their weakness to the world, and that only the strongest, or their masters, were allowed to bear their faces.

Rhaeddia's High Chieftain Stagtear swore fealty to to Fatherat and his superiors, promising the spears of the two hundred able-bodied centaurs on Rhaeddia, plus any that remained in the other shards. Fatherat and Stagtear set off aboard the Ghoros, finding herds on Amone Faer, Cuesecan, Rygnea and Uvifluen.

A typical Yuireman is a centaur with a few levels of ranger or swordsage.

The Yuirefolk are unmatched ground forces, charging headlong in advance formations to destroy enemies; they can also be found on board ships, provided heavy fire as archers. They rely heavily on short handled lances and primitive composite longbows, but a few have learned recently to wield glaives or longspears.