Legion

The Legion is the official army of the Empire. It is divided into various regiments, Heorte's city-guard and two smaller elite detachments; the Black Guard and Magnus' Hand. Clad in silver, iron, and steel, the warriors of the Legion are among the best soldiers of the continent.

War tactics
The majority of the Legionaries are skilled in swordsmanship and marksmanship, but a few outliers possess other sets of skills which prove useful in battle. Although they are known be to numerous, no one outside of the highest of commanding positions of the Legion knows exactly how many able-bodies they have. They are known to carry weapons of superior quality and armor of higher defensible yield, this is due to the technological innovations that are carried out by the Imperial blacksmiths, which are said to be the best of the continent.

Their performance on the battlefield is a very organized one, with strict formations and strategies. All expedition forces are led by an officer, who makes the decisions. The usual rule is two swordsmen per archer, and the swordsmen may be equipped with either a bladed weapon & shield, or a two-handed heavy weapon. Sometimes provided with one or more horses, they can deal swift death on horseback; all soldiers are trained to know how to handle a horse. It is common to see small scouting parties all around the continent.

Conscription is compulsory for all capable people living within the Empire's domain. At sixteen winters of age, all male citizens are required to serve for a period of two years, similarly, females serve for a full year. After this period the recruit is given the choice to continue their career as a legionary or abandon the force. It is important to note that only the Imperial affiliated races are allowed to serve under the banner of the Legion.

Current decline
In the past dozens of years, the declining number of conscripts and rising tensions with the Highlanders, has spread the Legion thin. They are certainly not as present as they were before, but still pose themselves as a very strong enemy to any who would wish to oppose them. The Empire is still a very active force, and is seen by some as the only manner of keeping the continent in order, therefore, someone will always represent the Legion in their heavy metallic outlook, stripped with red leather.

Due to their recent loss at the Siege at Fort Stonewall, the Legion is currently reforming one of its regiments, which was almost completely lost in the conflict. Most confrontations in the Empire-Highlanders war are small forces, of perhaps a dozen or so men. The biggest battle seen yet was the battle at Stonewall. Because of this, it is believed by some that a diplomatic solution is still viable. If the Legion were to deploy all of its forces at once in a battle, or even a small series of battles, the bloodshed would be incalculable.