The Westerland Empire

Unique to an earlier time-period of the Source-Land setting, the Westerland Empire saw its rise after the humans overthrew the rule of the Elves.

The Empire is perhaps best remembered by its golden age, which ended just a hundred years before the gradual collapse of the Empire itself began.

At this point, the Empire was a partial Republic, with a very functional network of guilds, leagues and other organizations that furthered the growth of the society. Unfortunately, this growth was extremely centered on a few select regions, and Source-Land historians often neglect this fact.

The truth is, even at the height of the Empire, many of the Imperial Provinces were essentially rural feudal reaches, that were largely no different from Frontiers.

History
The Empire's history is long and complex, and while historians are sometimes eager to summarize it as the Empire rising immediately after the fall of the Elven rule, this would be a lie.

Dissent sowed among the humans fast after the fall of the Elven World, and humans scattered across the land and formed their own tribes and factions.

Hundreds of years later, off to a rough start, the Empire was ironically formed by a group of humans with particular Elven heritage who were viewed with skepticism and xenophobia by their fellows, but had the advantage of being learned and schooled in some of the Elven ways.

These first Imperials hated the Elves more than other humans, it seemed, and are largely credited as being the first to organize mass-slavery of the Elves, but were constantly victims of raids and attacks by other humans. They formed their Empire eventually, to protect against these raids, as their Empire, at the time, consisted of a number of independent city-states build upon the ruins of Elven outposts and bases.

The birth-place of the Empire is the Capital of the Carnala Republics, and after the many cities were continuously sacked again and again, the Empire eventually was established as a military alliance that later grew into a powerful nation, though at this point, it was not the Westerland Empire that had formed, but the Carnala Empire.

The conquest of other human settlements was a slow and gradual one, that on occasions was peaceful and on other occasions was not, but only the wild and harsh reaches of Nordmar, the Elven lands of Estheim and the wilds of Avalon eluded their grasp entirely.

After hundreds of years of conquest, an era of peace was ushered in, accepted reluctantly by all parties, as the Empire was at war on so many fronts it was starting to wear down the infrastructure, and the enemies were happy to get a chance to catch their breath as well, eager to begin undermining the integrity of the captured regions through incited rebellion.

The unrest created from these turmoils shook the Empire only for a time, before Imperator Mithlander managed to incite a new war, but a war against Estheim. The promise of plunder and riches from Elven Lands, as well as Elven Slaves and the possibility for human nations outside of the Empire to obtain Elven technology (which was what they believed set them apart from the Empire, and caused them to lose battles) was too much to resist.

History is written by the Victor, and the only Victor of the Conquest of Estheim was Imperator Mithlander himself, who somehow, managed to persuade the vast allied forces to attack and cause a massive distraction, though easily wiped out by the Elves, while he himself, lead the Imperial Forces to Victory, casting down the Elven Banners and raising his own, declaring himself King of Estheim and Emperor of the Westerlands.

With the forces of his former enemies defeated by the Elves, and the Elves defeated by the Imperial Army that was under his command, Mithlander knew he had to play his cards right to keep his new Westerland Empire. He liberated all the conquered lands from the Carnala Empire's rule, returning the land to the parent nations (which interestingly didn't exist prior to the massive conquest of the Carnala Empire, but formed as Military Alliances across the lands, attempting to prevent annexation), supporting Kings he knew would not rebel against him to rule these lands, but subjected them to his Empire, creating a Feudal system which would rule in the Provinces.

The Carnala Empire was at first also made into a Kingdom, but this didn't sit well with any of the former City-States, and finally the Carnala Empire was declared Imperial Heart-Lands along with Estheim, and declared to be ruled under a Republican Model, unlike the provinces.

One of the last actions Mithlander took, was the pardoning of the Elven Species, declaring that no one would be held accountable for the sins of their ancestors within the Westerland Empire, and so he gifted the Elven People the wild and savage lands of Avalon, where only the equally savage Nordmarians had managed to carve out a life among the savage natives there, though it is largely believed that Mithlander simply couldn't find anyone else to populate that Island, but needed allied forces on it, to stop a potential future Nordmarian Invasion, as the Island was the perfect staging point, and the Elven Slaves would likely not object to being given land and freedom, and they would not be missed.

Mithlander's line continued ruling the Empire for hundreds of years with plenty of new colonies being added to the Empire across the sea, including the Source Lands, and slowly the Empire became more and more uniform, one language spreading out among the lands, one religion and more and more regions started adopting the republic as their model of ruler-ship, but many credit this exact model of being the eventual downfall of the Empire.

When many capitals and large cities around the Provinces began operating as city-states within their own respective Kingdoms, power of decision making gradually shifted away from the rulers of the countries. Greed and ambition pushed the people of these Republics to utilize the Source to their own advantages, and so, the reintroduction of the Source from the East - where to trade now flowed - became the catalyst of the slow and gradual downfall of the Empire, and marks the end of the Imperial Golden Age.

Even after the formal fall of the Empire, Estheim remained a Kingdom that adhered to the Imperial Laws and the Imperial Culture, and never stopped claiming the entirety of the Westerland as part of their Empire, declaring on multiple occasions that they were merely allowing the other nations their temporary sovereignty.

Estheim Treaty
The Estheim Treaty, signed by the would-be Kings of the various Kingdoms of the Westerlands, declared that all parts of The Empire, apart from Estheim, were now regarded as non-heartland territories of the De Jure Westerland Empire and would all eternally continue to recognize the Imperial Rule of the Mithlander family or who ever rightfully sits on the throne in Estheim - however, because of logistical and cultural differences, the Emperor had seen fit to indefinitely permit and legitimize the signers of the documents as Kings of the Territories they respectively represent, with the understanding that any King of the Westerlands is beholden to his Emperor.

Apart from Nordmar, the Carnala Republics and the Marklands, all members of the Empire signed the treaty because it helped them bring legitimacy to their newly established Kingdoms.

Nordmar always had a King (or a "Drott" technically) and saw no need to change their current status, and they continued to regard Estheim as the seat of the Empire and did not otherwise care about the treaty or the state of affairs where as the Marklands did not want a King and were very upset to be ousted from the Empire's heartlands and argued long and hard for continued inclusion, but it was denied, though that has not stopped them from trying again and again to be permitted to rejoin the Imperial Heartlands.

The Carnala Republics also did not initially elect a King, and at first were like the Marklands, but later they (despite no treaty) completely violated the terms of their vassalage and are still technically in open rebellion against the Empire. The other Kingdoms just eventually largely started to ignore the treaty.

The Mithlander Family
The Mithlander Family ruled the Westerland Empire from the first day of its establishment. The members of the family were known to have particularly powerful Elven heritage and were long-lived and known for their platinum hair. Interestingly, they family was not Native to the Carnala Empire, but traces its heritage back to a Nordmarian Gladiator and an Elven Slave in the Carnala Empire's early days.

Their Symbal has always been that of the Platinum Dragon on the Black Crest, but the symbol of the Carnala Empire was the Eagle, which still carries great importance in the Empire - more so than the Dragon ever was, and as such, the Dragon is largely reserved as a symbol for the Royal family of Estheim and not generally used in many other contexts. The most famous Mithlander is arguably Imperator, and later Emperor as well as King Cassius Mithlander I, the Conqueror, but a close second is Emperor Septimus Mithlander II, the Exalted who isn't equally fondly remembered by all, as he ruled in times of peace shortly before the gradual collapse of the Empire began, and on several occasions was challenged by others and had to prove himself, and he is largely credited with being the reason why many believe there is some sort of supernatural in the blood of the Mithlanders.

Septimus fought a multitude of duels and crushed several rebellions, while personally leading the cavalry charges or even infantry charges. Historical accounts claim that he moved so fast on the field of battle, that sometimes, the eye could not follow him - and that he laughed when blows struck him, leaving no mark on his body and in turn easily cleaved man and horse alike with single strikes, despite not being a particularly large man.

History immortalized a less brutal version of Septimus, but older accounts call him Septimus the Slaughterer of Free-Men and paint him in the light of a boogeyman who's laughter was so haunting that it left men and women awake from nightmares and that he was so ruthless and brutal that his enemies frequently were falling to their knees before him, begging to serve him so they did not have to fear him.

"When you stand before Septiumus The Slaughterer of Free-Men, it doesn't matter if you hold your ground with your sword in hand, or if you run until the end of the world, because history will not remember, and only your rotting bones will tell of your passing in the world as you are unmade by the sword of the Slaughterer himself. If you hope to live,you fall to your knees and call him King. 

Wise men do not stand before him at all, they stand behind him, and call him Emperor, while they themselves are called Princes"

It's believed by many, that Septimus was the sole reason why many suddenly began prioritizing the import of Source materials, because they genuinely wanted to be able to defend themselves against the likes of Septimus.

Mithlander Conspiracy
There is an old Conspiracy Theory regarding the Mithlanders, namely that Imperator Mithlander made a deal with the Elves. Some claim to have seen old accounts stating that, the Imperial Forces took Estheim almost without bloodshed, fighting only constructs. The history books say that this was because of Mitherlander's tactical genius, as he ensured the Elven Forces were engaged elsewhere, but this seems highly unlikely.

Its more likely that the Elves saw some sort of benefit in dealing with a united Empire instead, and it is also believed that the Elves had slowly realized that humans did in fact have the power to control the Source.

Further more, the Conspiracy states that it is believed that there is a secret Elven Enclave on Avalon, and that this Enclave was in direct hostility with the Enclave of the far east, and believed that the easterners would eventually cause the destruction of the planet, because of their abuse and casual use of the Source.

According to the theory, Mithlander would be given Estheim, Elven Lands, that unlike the Carnala Empire, had not been continuously sacked and plundered, and he would then release the Elves and guard the West against the East.

The most fringe versions of this Conspiracy claims that Mithlander was actually half-dragon, as Imperator Mithlander was actually a bastard. The theory is supported by the claims than an ancient Silver Dragon rests somewhere in Estheim, linked to Elven history and mythology.

Geography and Demographics
The Westerland Empire, at its height, spanned several Rahamran Colonies, Colonies in the Source-Lands and all of the Westerlands.

Westerlands
The Westerlands always made up the primary part of the Imperial land. As the birthplace of the Empire itself, the Westerlands had a huge amount of Vassal Republics where there were people in the hundreds of thousands for the biggest of them.

The Empire differentiated between Settlements in this manner; settlements with populations over one-hundred-thousand were regarded as a Metropolis and were always Vassal Republics, and these were typically important trade settlements, particularly ideal settlements - there were only a handful of these. Settlements with over fifty-thousand but less than one-hundred-thousand were called Capitals, because they typically were regional capitals, and also were often Vassal Republics, but not always (more so than not, however). County-Capitals were called Cities, unless they classified as something larger, which was rare. Shire Capitals were called towns and settlements that were not big enough to be classified as something else, and also were not at least a shire capital, would be called villages.

The majority of functional and well populated Shires were found in the immediate vicinity of these Vassal Republics, with the population reaching sparse numbers by approximately 3-days journey out of the Vassal Republic as a good rule of thumb (though this distance naturally differs pending availability of roads, rivers and coastal travel being available as well as potential infrastructure).

3-days Journey was also an important marker for where one could expect to find Forts, as it was in the general interest of the Nobility to keep Soldiers and Serfs separated, but more so to keep Soldiers and Burghers separated.

It was the belief of the ruling class, that the mind of a peasant was generally a simple one, and a logical and rational one - wanting simply what was their right and what was owed them. But the mind of a burgher was, by comparison, a complex and chaotic construction, with myriads of agendas that would not serve the greater good if aided by military might.

The population in the shires would also generally peak specifically around the forts (typically within a days travel), much against the wishes of the ruling class, but deemed an inevitable result of people flocking to where safety, order and excess is found. Soldiers eat and deplete equipment, and since they do not produce, they receive deliveries - this means anywhere there is a Fort, there is going to be infrastructure, which was attractive to the peasants.

The demographics of the Westerlands are complicated and simplistic at the same time - in so far that the people of the Westerland are regarded as a singular culture, the only demographics of interest are:
 * Military - at any given time after the effective rise of the empire, and before the beginning of the gradual collapse, the empire had at least 10% of their population serving in the military on active duty - note however, that Soldiers are removed from census counts and that these, at least 10 percent, will not in anyway be factored into other demographics.
 * Burghers - Typically, around 40% of the Imperial population would be considered Burghers.
 * Peasants - Typically around 60% of the Imperial Population would be considered Peasants.
 * Servants/laborers - at least 60% of the Burgher class were Servants/laborers.
 * Gentry/Serfs - the number of serfs differed too wildly throughout Imperial History to give a very accurate average, with it at one point being almost 100% serfs and especially shortly after major wars, falling in the favor of Gentry, even so much so that there would have been a decisive LACK of serfs.

Prices and Cost of Living
The Prices and Cost of Living naturally varies greatly from region to region, but a general picture can be drawn of life in respective types of settlements.

Inside cities, food prices and the prices of shelter (property tax or rent) would be extremely high, but other prices would be fairly low, with there being typically a virtual overflow of clothes, art and decorations in the homes of those who live there, and with most wearing jewelry - even the poor.

Outside of cities, food is usually virtually free with a bit of trading done to ensure that everyone has what they like, and the price of shelter is fairly low - with it often being freely granted in return for work. There tends to be no shortage of living space, and buildings tend to be fairly large and spacious, however tools and clothing are expensive to the point where tools are repaired over and over again instead of being replaced, and cloth is bought in bundles and sewn on site, instead of following city-trends, as tailored clothes are far too expensive, as well as decorations typically being rudimentary, second-hand or just plain old and much more sparse.

When it comes to animals, actual riding horses (and horses in general) are surprisingly much more common in, and around the cities. Peasants rarely have any real use for riding animals and require draft animals to greater extent, which are ill-suited for actual riding beyond what is extremely rudimentary.

Colonies
Its much harder to give an accurate description of the Imperial Colonies, and I shall refrain from doing so for the time being.

Society
The Westerland Empire was an odd mix of Feudalism and Republic Rule, which is perhaps only strange if viewed through the eyes of someone who lived after the fall of the Empire, simply because these methods eventually drifted so far apart that they might appear as polar opposites.

The Empire did not see it that way at the time, rather they regarded those who lived in civilized lands as Burghers and those who did not as Peasants, and they regarded Civilized Lands as Republics, where as they regarded uncivilized lands as Frontiers, where some sort of Military Rule was necessary to secure the growth.

However, it was largely recognized that, in order to feed the masses of the growing republics, someone had to produce the vast quantities of food and so there was no rush to necessarily attempt to bring civilization to the, so called, "Frontiers".

The Empire had a system where, anyone who didn't belong to a Guild or a League (etc.) would have to join the military at age 16, unless they were apprenticed to someone who was in fact in one of the Guilds or Leagues. Military Service was rewarded with a plot of land in outside the Republics, securing the continued development of the regions that fed the cities and moving undesired masses out of the cities.

A few people were permitted to work in the cities despite not being members of either a league or a guild - namely the Servant and laborer Classes. Only high-standing Guild or League Members could afford to keep Servants, and most laborers were largely employed by the cities - and others yet were essentially slaves or simply resided in the Republics illegally, their presence tolerated because it saved the Guilds, leagues and the cities the trouble having to actually employ someone the regular way.

In return for 10 years of work on contract (or until debilitating injury etc.), a servant or laborer was offered that one of their sons would be apprenticed and join a Guild or League, or granted a free-standing residency if non could be obtained.

The Empire had a system with which it classified certain settlements, and settlements of a certain size were declared Vassal Republics, still under direct rule of the Kingdom they belonged to and held to many strict obligations, but also given a great deal of autonomy.

Interestingly, many capitals were named Vassal Republics, even though the ruling families lived there. It turned out to be a profitable way to run a large and growing metropolis, because by naming them partially independent, they could be taxed much harder and entirely differently than the many peasant regions.

Burghers
The Burghers were an oversized group at its height, and even before then, each burgher patrician held a number of people in service, effectively adding them to the burgher class.

The Burghers, associated with the guilds, leagues and other organizations that were prevalent inside the Vassal Republics, mass-produced ships, weapons, armor, tools, special animal breeds (dogs and horses), clothes, leather wares and much more that was needed to maintain the infrastructure of the Empire.

Every week, they would buy food from the market, ferried from the outlaying Shires where the peasants produced the goods, selling them at low prices and trading them for things they needed produced by the burghers.

The burghers were not much different from the Peasants, except in that they tended to live more frivolous lifestyles. Burghers were, unlike the Peasants, exempt from military duty, and Veteran Soldiers were generally not allowed to attempt to settle down inside settlements.

As such, Burghers suffer from the typical affliction of "city life" in that they have no understanding of what it takes to produce food, or the necessary steps in the process of food arriving on their plates. The Burghers were not people of hardship, but were people of complexity and intrigue.

For each actual burgher patrician, there's likely a few daughters, a wife, some retired parents, a son who is apprenticing and several servants, effectively meaning that many burghers not essentially free, but lived at the whim of someone else - a benefactor.

The patricians of each family were often permitted to claim a number of dependents and could employ servants and laborers if they would document that they had contracted that they would supply an apprenticeship for the first-born son (or son of choice) of the employed (incidentally resulting in many Burgher patricians attempting to "match-make" their employees, hoping as this effectively reduced their later expenses), and supply the hefty fee of a residency in advance (a residency with no obligations was expensive, though not at all unaffordable for a wealthy burgher patrician, though not all were wealthy), though paying it advance was not always required, if the credit of the burgher in question was believed to be good - it would be taken on merit that he could pay.

Anyone who was listed with the Guilds, leagues and other organizations as having apprenticed the mandatory 5 years to be considered a journeyman, was welcome within the cities. Those who apprenticed, but lost their spot (not very common, but it happened to some) had no recourse but to attempt to gather the money and find a new place to apprentice in another city (unlikely) or join the military and let the military finish the apprenticeship (almost 100% of failed apprentices chose this route).

Non-military veteran journeymen did not commonly have to look far for work in the cities, and some could even make a living outside of the cities, or as actual journeymen.

Women, during this time, did not formally have a profession but were often expected to partake in the profession of their husbands. A butcher's wife surely was also a competent butcher. Seeing as most city-dwellers did not have any notable land with their dwellings, the wives would not have much in the way of work, if they did not find employment in what their husband was engaged in - and typically marriages would be arranged to mutual benefit, the daughter of a smith marrying the same smith's most recent apprentice and the recently named Journeyman taking up work in the same smithy, buying or building a house very close to the Master Smith.

Of course atypical marriages and situations arose constantly, often to the severe deficit of the involved parties, resulting in the wife having to take a day-job of some sort.

Servants and laborers
While effectively counted as members of the overarching burgher class, there is a clear distinction. Servants and laborers are not far removed from the lives of slaves, as they tend to not make any money. Typically an employer provides a small amount of petty-cash for each laborer or servant, and otherwise provides shelter, food and other amenities, and the servant or laborer is typically under a contract which means that they are not in a position to merely leave if they so desire (though obviously they technically could if they were so inclined, but it would be extremely counter-productive to the point where it would typically not be an option at all).

The contracts often work in a way where, everything the servant/laborer reasonably calls their own, actually belongs to their employer, and all actual earnings of the servant/laborer are placed into a holding account, not to be released until after the expiration of the contract (or under certain circumstances, earlier if the servant/laborer can no longer hold their position due to health issues).

Servants and laborers rely on unions to enforce that their contracts are honored, as it would cause a massive break-down through out the respective settlement if a contract was violated, as the unions would riot. The contracts are generally viewed as very affordable - even someone in the upper-middle-class could likely afford a servant, and 2-3 laborers for their business, and it is considered extremely poor form to run a business where one can barely afford the wages of laborers (even though these wages are paid into accounts). The accounts are usually monitored by the unions, so as to ensure there is no cheating.

Slaves, thralls and indentured servants
The words in this headline are arguably synonymous, but if the true meaning of each word is examined, it becomes apparent that they are different.

Slaves are, traditionally, captured foreigners who are often widows, orphans or prisoners of war or those expected to rebel against an occupation, and are frankly removed from their native regions for practical reasons. Slaves are also sometimes merely captured because that was the very purpose of what ever invasion occurred. While organized slavery does occur, including breeding plans, "convenience slavery" (slaves taken when convenient rather than as sole purpose) is rarely a successful sustained venture if the desire is to create a breeding stock of slaves.

First generation Slaves are typically worked hard and on purpose kept too busy to raise their own children, whom are often raised at designated locations where they are raised and trained to be slaves, a separate caste of society, where as the first generation slaves are more akin to prisoners put to labor, as they are not trusted nor expected to stay put if seeing the chance to flee. As such, first generation slaves have short lives, and often serve only to usher in a second generation; who typically live on considerably better terms. Second Generation Slaves quite frequently live better lives than servants and laborers and often become valued members of the businesses and households they belong to, and it is a long standing tradition to offer slaves their freedom upon retirement, mostly as a symbolic gesture, as the freedom extends to the children of the slave (if any), though in reality, the slave's children have no real other future other than becoming servants.

The tradition to free slaves is a very calculated tradition that prevents too many slaves from being present at any given time, as that would likely result in a slave rebellion. The carrot always works better than the stick, and ultimately, most people would rather see others suffer than risk themselves and their own, if they aren't suffering themselves.

Not all slaves have the luxury of being eventually admitted into society however, especially savage slaves from the Rahamara and other, particularly foreign, slaves are generally not afforded these luxuries, but also typically are not permitted inside the cities (unless temporarily and in small number, for instance as part of an entourage or a small work force).

Thralls are a different matter from slaves, as thralls are free people subjected to slavery - meaning Imperial Citizens who are reduced in status. Interestingly, in the Empire, taking someone as a thrall is not illegal - unless asked to cease the effect by someone of authority, in which case there are no other repercussions, however, it is also not illegal to use lethal force to free a thrall who is a friend or relative, so it does paint a rathe large target on ones back.

Typically local villages will declare against enthrallment, which means that it is effectively locally prohibited, but this doesn't protect people from, fully legally, being taken as thralls if they leave their village, unless of course the local Lords of the Land have declared the same, which is almost always the case by default, but wandering bandits can always simply leave with their thralls and they will then be regarded as legal once they arrive in a different region, where the locals are not concerned with those from other places.

Finally, indentured servitude is typically a legal matter, though doesn't technically differ much from enthrallment, except it is always legal if ordered.

Peasants
Peasants have historically been found of two varieties; Gentry and Serfs.

Initially, all peasants were serfs from the very moment they "chose" to make a living on Imperial Lands, outside of the Vassal Republics. Never minding the fact that many of these peasants were there long before the lands ever became Imperial, of course.

The Imperial rationale behind subjecting these peasants to serfdom was a simple one - we uplift their lives from savage dirt-farming to sophisticated agriculture, offering and extending the protection of the Legions, and in return, we bond them to the land and force them to produce, because without one, the other falls.

The issue here, was of course that of jealousy. The peasants were largely more territorial and were in fact capable of independent living and did not truly need the burghers, where as the burghers existed by the grace of the peasants producing for them - but the situation ended up reversed, in that the nobility decided to favor the burghers, because they produce the things that make the nobility capable of remaining nobility.

Gentry
The first Gentry were wealthy relatives of nobility who owned large swaths of land where they personally farmed or produced specific things outside of the cities - essentially a type of burgher, but burghers outside the safe walls of the Vassal Republics.

These Land Owners or Business Owners provided some sort of service that was needed as part of the infrastructure, and could be anything from a man owning a fishing vessel who does in fact live in the City to a man producing grapes just outside the walls or even a man who breeds horses for the Empire miles away from the nearest Vassal Republic, or someone who runs an inn on the Imperial High-Roads.

Soon, however, came the concept of a Free-Peasant, who, merely by virtue of not being a Serf, were regarded as Gentry. These Freed Peasants lived with a whole other quality of life than their serf-counterparts, and the first of them were Soldiers who completed their 20 year contract, though later Soldiers who were already married would receive their plot of land even before the completion of the contract.

It wasn't long before the Nobility realized that there were too many serfs, and that the introduction of free-peasants had incited exactly enough jealousy that it was necessary to do something to prevent rebellions. It was decided that a serf house-hold that farmed their land and met all their obligations would be given the plot of land they lived on after 50 years, regarded at the time, as a "life-time" - not because people died from old age after 50 years, but because a 15 year old was regarded as an adult at the time, and after 50 years of farming, that 15 year old would be 65 and no longer suited to work.

However, only one son could inherit the land, and a plot of land was defined by being enough to feed a house-hold consisting of 5 children, a matriarch, a patriarch and up to four elderly people in retirement. This means that brothers, sisters and their wives, children etc. would have to find other means to survive.

Thus, they would settle new land early on, if they knew they were not to inherit, and become serfs of that land, passing on free land to their descendants. Others would take service in the military to be awarded a plot of land freely.

Serfs
Serfs lived their entire lives farming land or carving out an existence where ever they could. Not all serfs were actually bonded to land - typically the oldest Serf in a household was the only one bonded (and through him, his wife), but everyone else were free to go and stay as they wished.

There was also not obligation for the those that did not inherit a plot of land to become farmers and bond themselves to land, it was just a common choice, but some would seek their fortune in other ways than military service or farming.

When too many such people existed in any given area, they were often branded as renegades and outlaws and actively captured or killed, those who survived sold into slavery - but of course banditry wasn't at all uncommon, but not a significant problem in most of the important lands, and more frequent in the less populated regions, where the military presence was also typically sparse.

There was also another problem that local Lords didn't always allow new serfs to take up land, possibly because too much of the existing land in the safe regions was already promised to either future Legion-plots or in use for something else, and not everyone wanted to move out and start a new settlement, as this was typically very meager and harsh not to mention risky.

This resulting in some merely tacking on as hired farmers for some time, and created an underclass even among Serfs, of essential laborers and servants.

This was largely seen as being counter-productive, as the Empire had worked hard to create a system where people found incentive to enter serfdom, but it was extremely difficult to do anything about the issue. Serfs demanded some form of protection, as well as being close to supply-lines, otherwise they weren't inclined to want to pay taxes - why pay the same taxes as someone who has it better than you by merit of location?

It wasn't possible to just force the issue on a large scale, and only small solutions could be found by effectively inciting burghers to move out to small cities and towns and begin their own businesses, because they were given free housing and a tax-free few years - as well as reduced taxes overall - incidentally making some regions more leviable for serfs,

It was also attempted to lower taxes in less developed regions, but this only slowed the growth, and ultimately the protection was substandard in these regions, because legionaries couldn't reasonably be stationed somewhere outside their own territory for no particular reason.

The ultimately solution to the problem turned out to be the settlement of new colonies, where the legions COULD reasonably be deployed.

Lords
The first Lords were chieftains, petty-kings, generals and war-lords who were figures of authority, and offered titles, claims and land aplenty to govern, if they subjected themselves to the Empire. In the beginning, the term Lord was unanimous and meant the same thing, and at the same time, didn't mean anything at all - because there was no set in stone definition of a Lord, other than that the Emperor had declared this.

It was written in the law though, that Lordship and everything associated with it, was passed on to the first-born or an heir of choice - or otherwise the legal heir.

Eventually, and gradually, the Lordships were more stream-lined and many small wars were fought to ensure that every "shire" (essentially the subject of an original Lordship - being a region of farmable land, the size differing, as the shire's unit of measurement was how much it was estimated to produce - an imperfect system, because not all shires produced the same, and the measurement was always done in grain) had roughly the same yield.

Government
The Empire itself maintained a Senate, where representatives of every Kingdom and other important regions appeared, including members of the various guilds and leagues and of the many vassal republics. Often, this meant 6-9 representatives from each region.

The head of the Senate was the Emperor, who could overturn decisions made by the Senate, and they functioned more as a frequently autonomous Court than an actual democratic senate. Many members of the Senate were also not elected, but rather hereditary Feudal Lords.

This model trickled down to each individual Vassal Republic, that had its own City Council, the hereditary ruler of the City in question sitting at the head of that council and further more each Kingdom had a similar King's Council, which was the precursor to the traditional Feudal Court.

Outside of the Republics, land was gifted to Feudal Lords who ruled over large swaths of Land known as Fiefdoms traditionally. The Lords had the obligation to produce enough food, material and provide work-forces and recruits to keep the local legions and fortifications in good order.

Many of these Lords tried to cut out the middlemen and built long-standing traditions that their families commanded and directly oversaw these fortifications and local legions, beginning the tradition of Barons, though initially these were called Legates, and were equivalent to Counts as the Forts (later castles) were fewer at the time.

It wasn't long before Counties and Duchies were formed, a Duchy being a grouping of Counties linked to a Vassal Republic, designated as the Counties tasked with feeding and protect that Vassal Republic, and the Counties being a number of "shires" (peasant regions) under protection of the same fort and Legion.

To make it easy, it was declared that only a Landowner (a Shire Lord) could be named Legate of the County, and the Duchy would always be ruled by the ruling family of the nearest Vassal Republic (even if the Duke didn't have much power inside the Vassal Republic itself).

In that time, the Kingdoms were actually known as Principalities (and later as Provinces) and the Rulers as Princes, with the term King being unaccepted, because a King had to be a sovereign ruler, but the title of Prince still indicated being of Royal standing, but not the highest authority.

The Empire did not tax the Principalities to any particularly noticeable extent. Some taxes were demanded to maintain the infrastructure of the Empire and perhaps simply as a symbolic tribute as well, but in order to secure that everyone did their part, the Principalities were largely autonomous, as long as they worked within the strict rules of the State Religion and the Imperial Law.

Military
The Military Obligations were different from region to region, depending on the current needs and such. Typically, the local Legate would demand that every able-bodies man received no less than 6 months of military training, known as the Basic Training.

These Conscripts were then randomly drafted into the Legion if there was currently a pressing need, but were given a chance to volunteer for greater benefit in the Military, but a Volunteer signed a contract for 20 years of service, where as a draftee was only conscripted until the end of the conflict they would be assigned, or no longer than 5 years.

Depending on the wealth and stability of a County, Conscripts returning from Basic Training without having performed some sort of extended military service, would be considered members of the reserve.

Every summer, members of the Reserve were required to drill for 2 weeks, and those failing to perform adequately during the drills would be sent back for 3 months of retraining, during which they could again risk being randomly drafted into a conflict.

Villages were also sometimes required to maintain a Militia, typically done by demanding the service of one man per household who is otherwise a reservist. While Militia Service was not rewarded, a member of the Militia could not be drafted in any shape or form, and whether or not Militia Service was part-time or full-time depended on the region.

It was not always done the same way, because the peasants were not generally always as compliant, and arming the peasants and giving them access to military training was, in some regions, viewed as too risky, but many regions eventually graduated towards a model of guarding their settlements with a full-time militia and keeping all other able-bodied men in reserve.

The local legions were also of differing sizes, depending on the fortress in question and the local population, and were first at the disposal of the local Legate who had to protect his fellow Lords, then of course at the disposal of the nearby Duke and his Vassal Republic and then third in line, at the disposal of the Prince of the respective Principality.

This is directly where the power of the Emperor comes in, as the Emperor commanded, directly, all of the Legions of Estheim and the Imperial Heartlands (Carnala Republic).

Structure
Much like a modern military force, the Imperial Forces are divided into smaller units that function autonomously from each other.

It follows the normal Unit Designation (Handouts/Rules and meta stuff/Unit designations) with the exception that a fire-team is called a "watch-team" instead.

The Basic Imperial Model is based on Auxiliary Soldiers, meaning that units made up of a different type of solider may not follow the exact same model of numerical advancement.

Watch-Team
(no name currently)

The Watch-Team is an informal and unofficial unit size that doesn't traditionally operate alone. It consists of 4 men. See Squad below. The name comes from shift-cycles - when entrenched or encamped, the two Watch-Teams alternates in schedules.

Squad
(Contubernium)

A Squad consists of 11 men, and therefore two Watch-Teams of 4 each, and 3 loose men in the Squad "Command-Team" (a third, but smaller Watch-Team that isn't part of the watch-cycle). A Sergeant (Pilus Gregarius) leads one Watch-Team, and a Corporal (Pilus) leads the other.

Either of these two leaders designates a man in either team (typically defaults to the most veteran soldier) as Lance Corporal (Duplicarius) who is second in command in their respective Watch-Team, the name of the rank in Imperial has a two-fold meaning, in the two teams would stand in a line in combat, with the two leaders shoulder to shoulder in the middle, but the Lance Corporals would be out on the far sides, their orders being to shout (very loudly) the orders given to them, so that the leaders in the middle will know that the order has reached the end of the line.
 * Command Team (Squad) -The actual leader of the Squad, is a Sergeant First Class (Decanus) who stands behind the actual battle line with his two signal men, the Guide (Draconarious - who is also the default "Runner", taking the Horse of the Decanus, if any, when needing to deliver an urgent message outside of horn/flag reach) and the Trumpeter (Tubicines).

Section
(Tessera)

A Section consists of 3 squads and is lead by another Command Team, similarly to how the Squads are also lead by smaller Command Teams. The Command Team also features the Line Sergeant (Curator - Line Sergeant is in place of Gunnery Sergeant here).
 * Command Team (Section) The Command Team is lead by a 2nd Lieutenant (Optio) and otherwise features an Ensign (Signifier) and Field Cornet (Cornicen), who are essentially Officers in Training, but are tasked with creating Flag- and Horn Signals, respectively as well as a Batman (Beneficiarii), who is typically a partially crippled, but otherwise distinguished soldier.

The relationship between Line Sergeant and 2nd Lieutenant is often that of the 2nd Lieutenant's main duty being piecing together a larger plan or interpreting complex orders, as well as organizing the use of signals etc., where as the Line Sergeant actively carries out the battle-plan, if necessary by riding back and forth across the field or taking direct charge of one or more units.

Platoon
(Cohort)

A Platoon consists of 2 Sections, as well as a leading Command Team.
 * Command Team (Platoon) - The leader of a Platoon is a 1st Lieutenant (Optio Gregarius), the Batman (Beneficiarii), the Master Sergeant (Prefect) who carries a function similar to that of the Line Sergeant, but on a higher level, a Fenrik (Vexillarius) and Staff Cornet (Cornicen Gregarius).

Company
(Centuria)

A Company consists of 2 platoons and operates, usually, independently. This is the smallest unit size that often operates almost entirely independent of other units, where the lesser unit types typically operate independently only as parts of larger operations or on patrols or similar small operations.
 * Command Team (Company) - The Leader of a Company is a Captain (Centurion), who, unlike his subordinates, doesn't usually enter the field, unless specifically he is moving out to reach a destination.

The Captain has in his team, the Staff Sergeant (Prefect Castrorum - Usually just called "Castrorum") who functions much like the Master Sergeant does for the 1st Lieutenant, a Batman (Beneficiarii) and a Quartermaster (Armicustos).

Ranks
The Ranks of the Imperial Forces are simple enough to understand, once one understands the general structure.

Enlisted
The Enlisted are the various faceless soldiers making up the individual Watch-Teams. Enlistment suggests a temporary binding to the military, and this is very much the case. Most enlisted members of the Legions sign a binding 20 year contract, but in peace times, they can file for that contract to be discontinued at any time and transfer to the reserve and be on draft-notice instead, though in doing so, they waive their rewards.

Enlisted personnel are also on a trial period during the first five years. If they fail to obtain status of at least Private First Class during those five years (which is virtually impossible), they will immediately be removed from service, unless special circumstances are at play.

Enlisted personnel who do not manage to become Junior Petty Officers within the first five years of service are given a 5 year extension to obtain status as Officers. Only Officers retain their position indefinitely within the military.
 * Recruit (Tirones) - A Recruit is a fresh enlistee or conscript who has yet to complete basic training. After a recruit is finished with Basic Training, they are evaluated during a series of tests, as well as their results during training. Those who do not meet any particular qualifications are essentially punished by being named Munifex.
 * Private - No Specialty (Munifex) - All privates temporarily hold the title Munifex while they are working to complete training in their chosen or assigned specialty, but the majority of those who hold the title "Munifex" are the, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of the military recruits who do not possess the necessary skills, mindset and/or discipline to be assigned to anything in particular. These individuals are sent through basic auxiliary training (a basic module that all the various auxiliary specialties share as a common entry point), and this is their last chance to earn a spot for a specialty before they are assigned to a Munifex Task-Force, which is essentially military-slave labor for 5 years. During these five years, the Munifex is given multiple chances to earn a second chance at trying out for a specialty, and many choose that over 5 years as a Munifex. Munifex who do their five years are discharged with out further ado, and during this entire time, they receive no pay and receive no benefits or rewards at the end of their service, but cannot be re-drafted.
 * Private - With Specialty (Miles) - A Private who has completed their specialty training.
 * Private First Class (Miles Gregarius) - A Private First Class (PFC) is a Private who has distinguished himself. There are multiple ways to earn this honor. All Privates are promoted to PFC upon surviving their first battle, even if merely kept in reserve, but will also usually obtain the rank after five years of service, if their record has remained good during this time (usually even those with a somewhat spotty record are promoted).
 * Specialist (Immunes) - A Specialist is a soldier with a special unique set of skills that generally keeps them out of direct combat. Anything from a chef to a medic falls under this category. Most who enlist to complete an apprenticeship are immediately promoted to Specialists, right after completing Auxiliary General Function training (which teaches some basic Auxiliary skills, such as use of general tools, and setting up a camp, etc.). Entry-level artisans of all sorts start out as "Immunes: Fabrorum", which just means "Specialist: Artisan/Crafter", and this type of Specialist is the most common. A surveyor is an "Agrimensor" (they do anything from prospecting to testing of soil and checking woods for quality lumber, etc.) and sometimes see Combat by accident, and are essentially used as scouts when the commanders can get away with it. A military musician is an Aeneator (the worst of the musicians are sent to to serve as Trumpeteers, which is ironically, technically a promotion). An "Immunes: Venator" is a Huntsman attached to the military, though they are technically specialists (and as such, immune from Combat duty, as implied by the name, they are frequently used as scouts or archery instructors (and in that extent, unofficial leaders for archer units).

Petty Warrant Officers
The term Officer comes from the word "official" but also shared a lot of meaning with the word "Office". Petty Warrant Officers are the lowest in the chain of many different types of "Officers" within the military. An Officer differs from an Enlisted, in that they serve on a completely different contract, and always rank above the Enlisted.

Officers in general cannot discontinue their military service until their contract runs out, but also are afforded certain luxuries while serving - more leave, much better pay. Certain officer positions have an age cap on it, and this is the case for most low-ranking officer positions, meaning that after the initial 20 year contract is over, the Officer will typically have to resign shortly after regardless, but theoretically, Officers could, in general, get away with continuing their job long after their contract was over.

Warrant Officers differ from other officer types, in that they are not necessarily expected to be leaders and will rarely have anyone under their command as such, though the most senior Warrant Officer with the relevant specialty always assumes leadership.

Becoming a Warrant Officer, and by that path - a Petty Warrant Officer - is the natural path of advancement for a Specialist, and they are often promoted rather rapidly. However, some specialties are automatically promoted to these positions (as seen below).

Petty Warrant Officers barely qualify as officers by most people's standard, and generally live on terms close to those of the Enlisted, if not virtually identical.
 * Clerk (Adiutor) - "Clerk" is a very generic title among civilians, but this certainly also applies to the military. Clerks are typically those who are particularly literate or have experience running a store or similar logistics. Some Clerks essentially work as Military Scribes, others are book-keepers and store-holders and others yet handle the economics behind the scene. Common for all Clerks, is that they begin as Petty Warrant Officers, and many largely skate through a simplified version of basic training. Clerks tend to get their promotions almost automatically. Despite not being Immunes, Clerks are entirely and always kept out of combat.
 * Logistician (Actarian) - The logisticians are trained for battle, unlike the Clerks, and do not advance nearly as rapidly. Logisticians handle ware-houses, shipping, packing, transportation, plans in regards to this and much more. They are referred to as the web that binds together the entire military.
 * Medic (Capsarior) - Medics mainly perform life-saving first aid on the field of battle, and because of this, they cannot be Immunes. Medics also ferry back the wounded and the dead.
 * Nurse (Clinicus) - Nurses have the same effective rank as Medics, strictly because Medics cannot be immunes because they serve on the field of battle. Becoming a Nurse is regarded as a step-up from being a Medic, however, even if it is the same rank, and opens the door to further advancement, where as Medic is otherwise a dead-end.

His duties are placement of the Squad Standard, where visible (only if the unit is not) in order to maintain visual contact with other units, though this is very rarely applied. For the most part, he hands the Standard to the commander and actively assists the battle-line.
 * Guide (Draconarius) - The Guide is a standard-bearer (carrying a Guideon) for a Squad, but that job in itself is not particularly important. During marches in large formations, troops cannot be expected to hear or see much of what is going on, but they can always follow the Guide who walks up-front with the units unique Guideon.

Occasionally required to perform flag-signals, this rarely happens outside of specially designed drills, as the Squad-Leader will typically handle these himself, and the Guide is therefore also the designated messenger, typically using the Squad-Leader's Horse (if any) to deliver messages when there is no visual contact or a request needs to be passed along, etc.

Effectively though, the Trumpeter is mostly the go-to on-the-go musician, for morale, forming a trumpeter corps when walking in a larger formation with other battle musicians.
 * Trumpeter (Tubicines) - The Trumpeter has the ability to command his entire unit when no orders can be heard, but he can also blow certain signals across vast distances, when other units are within audible range.

The Trumpeter also helps the Squad leader quickly pass orders along verbally and otherwise helps keep the line organized.
 * Messenger - The Messenger is a dedicated military courier who delivers mails and orders. The Courier can read, write and is expected to memorize certain ciphers and codes and be extremely good at dictating and memorizing. There are no messengers in a standard unit.
 * Scout - Apart from dedicated reconnaissance units, lone scouts are in high demand. These scouts are often hired from among local populations, and function both as interpreters, cultural guides and occasionally as spies. Not all of them are even subjected to Basic training, and they are rarely kept on for more than the end of the anticipated conflict, given their promised rewards prematurely to incite them to leave the forces, because sometimes they are entirely undesired among he ranks. Scouts also rarely wear a uniform, apart from a cloak to make them recognizable.
 * Higher ranking general Specialist (Prefectus Fabrorum) - Essentially a general artisan of any type, but higher ranking.
 * Batman (Beneficiarii) - The Batman of any given unit is raised above many men in rank and authority, but effectively remains almost entirely outside of the structure of command, as they serve at the pleasure of a higher ranking officer at any time.

Junior Petty Officer
Junior Petty Officers or Non-Commissioned Officers (JNCOs) are low-ranking officers in the Legion. Non-Warrant Officers are associated with Leadership, Strategy, Tactics as well as Logistics. The saying in the Legion is, no profession teaches the skills necessary to be a Common-Officer (CO), except experience, and as a direct result, the lower Officer Ranks do not, for the most part, come with any real responsibility, but are regarded as part of the learning curve.
 * Lance Corporal (Duplicarious) - The Lance Corporal stands at the far right or far left of a standard line formation, receiving his orders from the middle. His job is two repeat (duplicate) the orders he gets from the middle, as loudly as possible, to ensure that the leaders in the middle can hear that the order has been received, but he also has to determine when something that he himself is told or overhears needs to be passed on to his own leader - it could be the adjacent Line ordering a wedge-formation, which he then has to ensure that his leader is aware of.
 * Corporal (Pilus) - The Corporal commands a single Watch-Team, and during actual combat, serves mostly as a back-up Sergeant, as during combat, a Squad never splits into two separate Watch-Teams.
 * Sergeant (Pilus Gregarius) - The Sergeant is also a Watch-Team Leader, like the Corporal, but is second in command of the entire Squad, and is essentially a Sergeant First Class (SFC) in training, involved greatly in everything that this entails.
 * Sergeant First Class (Decanus) - The SFC is a Squad leader, who leads from behind his unit, where he can monitor the integrity of his unit formation, and maintains constant contact with his attached Petty Warrant Officers. The SFC typically has a horse, even when his unit is not a cavalry unit, but cedes this horse to the Ensign (Draconarious) if he needs to send a messenger, and assumes the duties of the Ensign while the Ensign is gone.

Junior Warrant Officer
When promoted to this rank, many just add "Gregarius" as a suffix to their title, but some positions do change names and others didn't exist at an earlier level, as seen below (TBA).
 * Military Police Constable - Military Police Constables outrank low-ranking Petty Officers and Enlisted, but do not have the authority to police Senior Petty Officers or higher ranking militants.

Senior Petty Officers
It is certainly not everyone who can expect to reach these ranks, where responsibility suddenly becomes very real. Experience and leadership is required, and most who make it this far are at least 10 years into their service, and that's if they make decent time.
 * Line Sergeant (Curator) - The Line Sergeant is the effective military commander of a battle-line in a normal infantry formation, though he takes his orders from the 2nd Lieutenant who is actually in charge. This is because a 2nd Lieutenant cannot both actively lead his men, and maintain focus of what the unit needs to do overall.
 * Master Sergeant (Tesserarius) - The same as a Line Sergeant, but one step up the ladder, though arguably more of a messenger. When the Master Sergeant arrives to help a Section, he does so with the authority of the 1st Lieutenant, and effectively Outranks the 2nd Lieutenant while there.
 * Staff Sergeant (Prefectus Castrorum) - The Staff Sergeant, traditionally just called a Castrorum, is essentially the Line Sergeant of the Company, but the Castrorum is typically the most veteran SNCO in the entire Company, and as such he commands a great deal of respect and authority - as well as experience.
 * Often an on-the-go Drill-Sergeant as well as general inspector and observer, he is in charge of many lesser tasks, especially inside the camp. In other words, he handles the logistics.

Warrant Officers
For many, the promotion to Warrant Officer of 2nd Class (as it is also sometimes referred to), the promotion is exclusively on paper, but some do specifically change titles, and some professions did not even exist further down the chain.
 * Ensign (Signifer) - An Ensign is a standard-bearer who specializes in complicated flag-signals and the interpretation of these, permitting long-range communication. If a person doesn't have the necessary qualifications to become a Junior Officer, becoming an Ensign is one way of eventually securing such qualifications.
 * Field Cornet (Bucinator) - The Field Cornet, commonly just called a Cornet, is a trumpeter who specializes in complex trumpet signals. If a person doesn't have the necessary qualifications to become a Junior Officer, becoming a Cornet is one way of eventually securing such qualifications.
 * Military Physician (Medicus) - Generally just called "Doctors" they also come in a veterinary variant, but there's awfully little actual medicine involved in their practices, and mostly surgery.
 * Military Police Sergeant - Military Police Sergeants effective outrank any Petty Officer.

Junior Officers
Junior Officers are leaders of smaller detachable units, but they are rarely found operating with particular independence, outside of occasional happenstances. Typically the 2nd Lieutenant is referred to as the Lieutenant by their subordinates.
 * 2nd Lieutenant (Optio) - The 2nd Lieutenant is the leader of a Section. 2nd Lieutenants are often called Cadets, because they're as they do not have much responsibility, though this is considered very derogatory if used by anyone but a 1st Lieutenant.
 * 1st Lieutenant (Optio Gregarius) - The 1st Lieutenant the leader of a platoon, and ranks above the 2nd Lieutenant directly. In order to militarily distinguish a 2nd Lieutenant from a 1st Lieutenant, the 2nd Lieutenant is referred to as "the Lieutenant", where as the 1st Lieutenant is called "the Commandant", or sometimes erroneously as "Commander".

The title Commandant can always be used about who ever is in charge of what ever given instance one is referring to, and as such it is not incorrect to call the 1st Lieutenant "Commandant" unless used in the wrong context.

Senior Warrant Officers
Senior Warrant Officers are not promoted in the same way one would necessarily expect.

Warrant Officers are typically officers in training, but this means they wouldn't advance to Senior Warrant Officers, and this much is true.

The truth is that a veteran and experienced Petty Warrant Officer would typically know much more about their field than a Warrant Officer ever could, and therefore, those who decide to stick with the military life are rewarded with these high ranks.

They rank above Junior Officers and all other Warrant Officers as well as enlisted, and are subordinate only to Senior Officers. He teaches the art of flag-signals and is gifted enough to even invent his own when need be.
 * Fenrik (Vexillarius) - A Fenrik is essentially an instructional Banner-Carrier, who carries the Company Standard.
 * Staff Cornet (Cornicen) - The Staff Cornet is a musical Officer who teaches horn-signals, invents new ones but also oversees the correct use of various musical interjections during parades and speeches.

It is often said that, even a General cannot as much as open his mouth in front of his troops, without having the consent of the Staff Cornet, and while obviously false, there is also some truth behind the statement. The Quartermaster position is regarded as being very prestigious, because the Quartermaster is in charge of all material logistics within a company.
 * Quartermaster (Armicustos) - The highest rank achievable for a Specialist, advancing in the ranks, becoming chosen as Armicustos doesn't necessitate any particular background - occasionally they are smiths, occasionally they are cooks etc.

Senior Officers
Senior Officers constitute the leadership of the Military. Senior Officers often continue their careers far past their prime. With the exception of the Centurion, Senior Officers are never in the Field, and even a Centurion will rarely be in the field. Centurions have the disadvantage of being mobile commanders, meaning they do have to travel.
 * Captain (Centurion) - The Captain is the first rank of Senior Officers, and the only one obtainable for those not born into noble heritage. The Rank of Centurion is typically bypassed entirely by Officers in Training, unless they lack the qualifications to go beyond it.

Becoming a Centurion is the highest obtainable military honor by a man born into the common class, though even then, unlikely.
 * Major (Cornicalarius) - The Major is Second in Command of a Battalion, his job being mostly that of the logistics of the battalion - serving partially as an assistant to the Commander, but mainly as an extension of the Commander's will. Extremely rarely, a Major might take the field to visit with a Centurion.
 * Commander (Quaestor) - Commanders are in charge of Battalions or Battle-Groups, meaning they typically operate out of a military base somewhere, attempting to keep their respective battalions, or battle-groups operable, making sure their requisitions are filled and that they receive their new orders when necessary.
 * Colonel (Legate) - A Colonel is a Regimental (legion) Commander, which means typically, the Commander of a specific Garrison/Base/Fort/Major Permanent Camp, and in charge of training a specific type of troops.

This means that one Colonel cannot necessarily be measured against another, because one Colonel might command a castle and produce the finest heavy infantry, where as another might operate a lousy military camp and produce auxiliaries.
 * Brigadier (Tribune) - The Brigadiers command Brigades (combat forces), either actual or hypothetical. This means some Brigadiers actually do not command any forces at all - in which case they typically serve as Military Advisors outside of times when their Forces are mobilized in such a fashion that Command falls to them.
 * General (Dux) - There are various degrees of the rank Dux, some called something else entirely, but the title Dux is always appropriate.
 * Supreme Commander (Imperator) - There is always a Supreme Commander of the entire Military, usually an experienced General.

Professions
There are multiple military professions, and several have already been mentioned above (though most of these count as Auxiliary sub-specialties).

Support Soldiers (Auxiliaries)
"'In Service of my Empire!'"Auxiliaries perform all the duties that are not relegated to direct combat, though all Auxiliaries are armed and train for combat, and are usually kept in reserve during combat operations, or used as guards.

Auxiliaries come in many shapes and forms, as 2/3 of all auxiliaries are Specialists, but the last 1/3 are regarded as unspecialized auxiliaries, as uniquely, Auxiliary Training is not regarded as a specialty in itself, and these 1/3 are referred to Auxiliary Munifex, and apart from being the lowest of the low in the military pecking order (essentially military slave-labor), their equipment lays the foundation that all others load-outs are based on.

The specific equipment of any auxiliary can differ widely from profession to profession, but the base-line is: an infantry helmet, a padded-uniform, a gladius, a dagger and a basic survival kit (backpack with bedroll, basic camp-gear etc.).

Auxiliaries, on average, are paid the lowest wages in the military, but the pay does vary from profession to profession (typically pays a bit less than the average wage of the civilian-version). The Munifex of the Auxiliary are not paid at all, and also do not earn any military benefits after their 5 years of conscription, apart from not being re-draftable.

Light Infantry (triarius)
"'FOR THE EMPIRE!'"The Light Infantry is the cannon-fodder of the Army, and forms the bulk of all infantry units. Back in the early days of the Empire, Light Infantry wasn't even armored at all, and was typically just a barely armed rabble, but times have changed and the Light Infantry is now fairly organized and generally (from a historical perspective) well equipped.

The Light Infantry doesn't serve any specific military function, and if the army could afford to, they would gladly equip all their infantry with the heaviest armor and best weapons - but they can't. The Light Infantry exists as a pathway into the Heavy Infantry, and for most, this journey takes 5 years, as this is the fastest saving-plan to save up for a suit of chain-mail which is required.

Light Infantry are equipped with the same as a Munifex of the auxiliary, but in addition, they also have: a round-shield, a short-spear and full banded armor. The armor is not free, and if the infantryman cannot provide a suitable suit of armor (better or equivalent), he has to sign as a bonded infantryman (essentially is forced to somehow pay-back the price of the armor by pay-deductions).

The Light Infantry earns a bit more than the average Auxiliary, but most don't see any of that money until five-years down the line, because they sign a savings-plan, setting all their money (except petty-cash) aside in a military savings-account to pay for the heavy armor needed to advance into the heavy infantry. Most do not have a choice in this matter, as they are forced to sign as Bonded Infantry, but the savings-plan comes with a boon; namely that the military doubles the savings after the infantryman has committed to buying chain-mail (though the trick here, is that the savings are not as high as one would expect, because as bonded infantry, part of their pay has been deducted to pay for the banded armor), and if the infantryman dies, his military debts (his potential bonds) are forgiven and the savings are tripled and sent to his family.

Pikeman (Hastati)
"'HOLD THE LINE!'"There's usually a single Section of pikemen for every 3 other infantry sections, and unlike other infantry units, squads of pikemen do not work in union on the field of battle, but rather each squad of pikemen attaches to a section of infantry and highly increase the lethality of such a unit.

Pikemen are typically selected based on their height and are pushed to work their upper-body strength to great extent so that they can hold the extremely long infantry-pikes over the heads of 3 rows of infantry and still strike the enemy on the other side. It's a popular saying in the infantry, that the reason the (otherwise quite form-fitted) helmets have a chin-strap, is because of the Pikemen, as they frequently hit their own comrades in the head with the shaft by accident.

Pikemen are equipped as a Munifex Auxiliary, but also carry a cuirass of banded armor (which they often have to bond-themselves to get, similarly to the light infantry, though as it is just the cuirass, they bond for shorter time) and are granted what ever polearms are currently available. Included in their infantry kit, they also carry tools necessary to make new pikes (hatchets, small saws, knives, a planer, files and sets of prongs a pliers to fit the tips).

Unlike Light Infantry, Pikemen are not in any particular danger, and though they earn less than Light Infantry, they make more than the average Auxiliary (if only marginally so), while rarely seeing any real danger in combat, unless the battle is lost. As such, few Pikemen really desire any kind of transfer, nor are they typically suited for infantry duty, as they are often too tall and would likely get stabbed in the back by accident.

Heavy Infantry (Princeps)
"'THIS IS WHERE WE STAND!'" The Heavy Infantry of the Imperial Forces are essentially just Veteran Light Infantry, who have managed to obtain heavy armor (chain-mail), but any Heavy Infantry Officer will tell potential recruits that it isn't the equipment that makes a Heavy Infantryman, but the grit - as the Heavy Infantry is commonly used to form a battle-line where the Imperial Forces seek to hold the enemy. Heavy infantry cannot waver or fall-back - they must stand unaffected even when faced with charging cavalry, rains of arrows and javelins and their own injuries, and this requires experience and discipline.

Heavy Infantry are typically 5 years into their service, and it's extremely rare for a Heavy Infantryman to have a rank lower than Private First Class. Often distinguished, scarred but extremely skilled and disciplined, the Heavy Infantry are the iconic forces of the Legion.

Heavy Infantry are equipped almost like Light Infantry, but wear chain-mail under their banded armor, use longer swords (instead of carrying a separate spear) and tower-shields instead of light-shields. Often equipped with tidbits of looted armor, home-made additions or something they've bought on their own dime, the iconic stock-heavy infantryman barely exists.

Heavy Infantry suffer dramatically fewer casualties than Light Infantry, most of them are married and have been granted plots of land in advance and are extremely committed to the Military and are used to a meager living from 5 years in the Light Infantry, so most of them send most of their earnings home. Quite a few Heavy Infantry advance back into the Light Infantry as Officers, or out into other parts of the military in general, though the pay in the High Infantry is higher than in the Light Infantry and is fairly agreeable as it is, setting not particular need or desire for advancement for many.

Archer (sagittarii)
"'Fire away men, don't you know arrows come from trees?'"Archers have played a vital part in the military since its earliest times. Ranged weapons provide a tactical advantage that the Imperial Military could not be without. The Empire trains its archers for equal parts formation combat, and equal parts guile - often stationing their archers in places where it would be next to impossible to spot them or charge them, but where it also becomes more difficult to form a proper battle-line. Not at all adverse to splitting up their archers and firing from multiple positions either.

Archery is a skill that is developed slowly and carefully, but is by no means impossible to grasp on the fly. Contrary to modern misconceptions (that oddly seem to have formed as a counter-argument to pre-existing misconceptions), archers did not need to be virtual super-men, nor did they need decades of training to function as part of a unit, but training to be an archer does take longer than most other battle-functions, as archers also need to learn how to make bow-strings, bow-repairs, new arrows and more. The Cross-Bow is a popular weapon among auxiliaries on guard-duty, as the auxiliaries do not have any formal archery training, but among the dedicated archers, the bow remains the preferred weapon. It isn't at all uncommon to have some archery experience prior to military service, and many that do end up as archers - a lucrative and well-respected choice, but some archers transfer in from Velites or Hussars even, though typically directly into positions as officers.

Archers are normally lightly armored and equipped exactly as Munifex Auxiliaries, except for their bows, arrows and tools for making more of the aforementioned. Many archers choose to invest in banded armor, and there's a saying in the forces about "archer owned" armor that is put up for sale on retirement, meaning the armor belonged to an archer and is therefor practically as new.

Archers rarely learn the types of skills necessary for other jobs in the forces, however most archers are able to stick with their profession until retirement with no issues. Those that do change professions often become Scouts or Specialist Hunters, though some become Apprentice Fletchers and some yet become archery instructors. Archers are paid about as well as Pikemen.

Skirmisher (Velite)
"'They won't know what hit them'"Skirmishers are an odd size. In larger battles, they often seek to swiftly and chaotically assault the enemy from various disadvantageous angles while the enemy is engaging the heavy infantry, but when operating in smaller numbers, they tend to work as reconnaissance soldiers on foot, working closely with Hussars, scouts and various types of auxiliaries that are involved in mapping, prep-work and other such details.

Velites are usually in rather exceptional shape, and their job is widely regarded as extremely risky, even if they tend to have very few casualties. Velites are often capable archers, and many eventually transition into an archer unit, as one can only keep up the kind of physical shape and grit needed to serve with the Velites for so long.

There are no particular requirements to equipment for a Velite - they're highly unorthodox units and often attempt to travel light, as in no armor apart from helmets and the uniform padding, and typically also attempt to camouflage themselves, so they wear no bright colors. Velites often have a great deal of survival gear assigned to them, and are also usually equipped with any number of ranged weapons.

Velites are paid quite well for their services - on par with heavy infantry. They often become Archers, only a few years into their career as many sustain injuries (often non-combat related), which is often a step down, but having served as a Velite is more or less a guaranteed fast-track to Officer ranks among the archers. Many Velites also become Specialist Hunters or Scouts.

Dragoons (Alaris)
"'With the Swiftness of the Morning Sun!'"Dragoons are essentially just Auxiliaries on Horseback - having riding skills can be the saving grace for an Auxiliary who might otherwise have had to serve as a Munifex. Dragoons are swift-moving work-forces and reinforcements, but they rarely actually engage in Mounted Combat, also generally being the lowest priority when it comes to horse-assignment.

Being qualified as a "rider" can earn any soldier from any unit entry into the dragoons, but typically the preference is on hiring Auxiliary Munifex with no other specialty and training them as dedicated Dragoons with a split focus between defensive combat and light camp-building duties. Munifex who get assigned to the Dragoons get a permanent waiver on their status as Munifex and undergo extensive further training in camp-building and combat.

Dragoons are equipped similarly to ordinary auxiliaries, but carry more tools as well as short-spears, round-shields and cavalry-swords. Dragoons cannot expect to always have a horse, however, and can risk being taken off the roster because a more important cavalry unit needs the horse the dragoon rides. Dragoons are screwed over financially, because they, like all other cavalry units, are required to provide the value of 3 horses, but despite this, they are issued the worst horses the military has to offer and sometimes may not even have one available. Dragoons typically have to bond themselves for up to five years to pay for the horses, but this is exactly what makes them so eligible for transfer into other cavalry units, because they've already made the required offering. Dragoons typically also invest in armor on their own dime, bonding themselves further, and despite being some of the most picked-on units (they're neither proper Auxiliary, proper Infantry or proper Cavalry), people often say that dragoons are good for one thing: they make for cheap second-hand armor-purchases when they retire.

Dragoons are paid on par with the average Auxiliary, and even a bit better - as compensation for the high-risk of combat. Their pay is on par with a Pikeman, but considerably lower than that of any other mounted troops. There are no particular advancement options for Dragoons, and most of them remain Private First Class until their discharge, but other cavalry units do recruit a noticeable number of Dragoons into their ranks, namely the ones that show the most affinity for mounted combat and riding, and naturally Dragoons do promote within their own ranks.

Hussars (Celeres)
"'Onward, to the end of the world if we have to!'"It would be inaccurate to say that Light Cavalry was a recent invention, but the notion of having distinct Light Cavalry, on purpose rather than just being a matter of not having the resources to establish more Heavy Cavalry, that is a relatively new notion within the Empire.

Hussars are essentially Velites on horse, and they recruit rather large numbers of Velites and Dragoons into their ranks. Being a part of the Cavalry has always meant safety, glory and generally access to an easy and simple military profession - compared to the Hussars, the job of the Cuirassiers is a simple one, they just charge the enemy. Hussars do not have this luxury, as their horses are typically too light to charge an organized battle-formation and so they rely on skirmish tactics and work as military scouts, a lifestyle that most cavalry-enthusiasts would not be too enamored with, and as such, the Hussars have fairly few members of the Gentry among them, compared to the cuirassiers.

The hussars are, like Velites, not subject to any particular dress-code, but due to being mounted, being lightly armored is not necessarily as high a priority and many hussars do invest in, at least banded armor (while too noisy for velites, the argument being that, if you hear the armor rattling, you probably heard the horse first). Naturally, hussars use cavalry swords instead of a gladius, but beyond that, the equipment highly differs. Just like Dragoons, Hussars typically have to bond themselves, though dragoons who transfer have the advantage of already having paid the bond off.

The Hussars is a good place to go for promising dragoons and slightly worn-velites who aren't ready to quit the reconnaissance life yet, but hussars do not necessarily advance anywhere else, it is often the end of the line. Any injury or debilitation that prevents horse-riding is typically so severe it results in a medical discharge entirely, so hussars tend to stay where they are. During the very ends of their careers, many Officers from the hussars become riding instructors, and lower ranking hussars may become horse-grooms etc., and finally some take up professions such as being Specialist Hunters.

Cuirassiers (Equites)
"'Charge!'"The long standing cavalry tradition of the Empire goes back to wealthy individuals who could spare the extra horses for battle. In the beginning, Cavalrymen where high-ranking officers, and they gave their orders to their subordinate junior officers on foot, and then rode off to watch the battle, deciding to charge in force if they saw a chance to do so, typically doing so when part of the enemy forces were routed to prevent from regrouping - as such, the cavalry life has always been associated with high status, wealth and an easy, glorious and safe military profession and still, the Heavy Cavalry, which used to be the only cavalry, mainly attracts members of the Gentry who can easily spare the 3 horses required for the bond.

There are many strange traditions associated with the Heavy Cavalry, for instance, all heavy cavalrymen are more or less dressed as infantry officers, and there are many theories as to why; some say so that they would not be mistaken for infantry if they were dismounted (so that their commanders can pick them out later), some say it is because the ceremonial cavalry uniforms that later iterations were based on, where originally all made for officers and finally some say that it is simply because all cavalrymen used to be officers. Regardless of what may be true, Cuirassiers are named after their ceremonial-parade-armor-style breast-plates and are some of the most heavily armored soldiers in the military, even if they typically have very few other military skills, other than basically charging the enemy on horseback.

Cuirassiers appear as if always equipped for parade and ceremony, dressed in ceremonial style breast-plate, vambraces and greaves as well officer-style helmets, usually with full-suits of chain-mail underneath. They use cavalry swords, round shields and short-spears and their uniforms are even different from those of other soldiers, being much more ceremonial.

Cuirassiers often serve a good 5-10 years before they either get promoted to Officers internally, or seek a different and more promising career-path in the military, such as becoming a Warrant Officer of some sort. Ageing Cuirassiers are typically forced to take a considerable dip in pay and transfer into some sort of musical or flag-bearing function to advance into officer-potential. There are some cuirassiers however, who wouldn't trade their job for anything, and this is understandable given that they have one of the easiest and yet most well-paid and prestigious jobs in the military - not to mention very safe, as they are essentially bundled up in armor and placed on top of a large angry war-horse that is also bundled up in armor, and typically only attack when they have a strategic advantage.

Equipment
The Imperial Military uses anything it can get its hands on. For the most part, soldiers are fully allowed to purchase and use their own equipment, as long as serves any kind of purpose in their occupation, and most equipment gets stamped, meaning it becomes fully recognized as privately owned military equipment. This means, that it is forever approved for use in the military and if becoming obsolete, it can be replaced freely at the expense of the military, and the military also guarantees repairs and replacements if damaged or lost as result of service.

Uniform
The standard Imperial Uniform is a brightly colored (color varies pending legion) suit of padded armor with the relevant Legion Insignia sewn unto the chest, with the Military Eagle sewn on, so it appears as if perched with wings spread on to of the legion insignia. Below the legion crest, there is a symbol that denotes whether the soldier is infantry, cavalry, archer or auxiliary. Left of the crest, there is a symbol that denotes the Soldier's rank, and right of it is a symbol that denotes the specific function of the soldier. Near the collarbone on the right side, a small insignia of the Mithlander Symbol is visible.

The uniform is worn with boots or sandals as well as a girdle and pants or breeches. There are many different variations of the uniform, and the sleeves can be removed from it if need be, but the padded coat is the centerpiece. All soldiers have access to thick leather gloves, which they wear for work and combat - the expensive implementation of these thick leather gauntlets has cut finger-related injuries down to less than a fourth of what it was, and is a total success. Leather gloves are rather expensive, and these semi-gauntlets are even more so, and soldiers couldn't usually afford to buy them previously.

Armor
All legionaries wear a variation of the same standard helmet, which offers quite adequate protection. The helmets started off as being rather soft, but have since been tempered and thick, becoming rather heavy. Many soldiers, as a result, only wear their helmets when required now.

The helmets are also used to signify rank, by mounting some sort of decoration on top of the helmet. The one seen here, is the helmet of an Optio, indicated by the front-to-back mounted brush decoration and the absence of any other decorations.

To make matters confusing, Cavalry troops tend to always employ head-decorations, regardless of the fact that they are not higher ranking than their fellow soldiers.

The helmet is the only armor a soldier is ever guaranteed to have (and the only piece that the soldier cannot replace with something they bought themselves, as it is part of the uniform), but the the go-to standard armor of the legion is Imperial Banded armor (essentially the same as historical roman lorica segmentata). This kind of armor is traditionally made from thin soft sheets of metal that are bent into shapes and held together by rivets and wires, making it somewhat high maintenance and not particularly difficult to bypass or puncture.

The substandard armor does what it is supposed to, and reduces casualty-rates dramatically, as many glancing blows that could greatly injured a soldier are now deflected, and many wounding blows would have been lethal without the armor.

As with real-world modern-day military, it takes time to replace something - many armed forces today take decades to replace items, and we have an industrialized society. The Imperial Military has been using the Banded Armor for centuries, and it has been greatly improved with time, for instance with the implementation of a leather-cuirass on the inside, that the bands are riveted to, and tempering of the sheets of metal, but this of course only applies to newer suits of armor - and plenty of older suits are in use.

While the newer suits are wholly acceptable, though still not the best on the market, the older models are not particularly good at all, though attempts to out-phase them were met with widespread protests, because the troops simply cannot afford anything better in many cases.

While the newer suits are good, the creme of the Imperial Armories are the chain-mails, that when combined with banded armor, make it very difficult to injure the wearer. These full-suits of chain-mail are typically worn by officers, Cuirassiers and Heavy Infantry.

Weapons
All legionaries carry a dagger - this forms the basic of being able to fight, but it goes further than that. While the tradition is fading in much of the Westerlands, it has always been a tradition among Westerlanders that adults would carry knives.

The knife is viewed as the very staple of tools, because humans, unlike animals, have no natural weapons or natural tools, and further more, being absent of metal on ones person also indicates that one cannot make a fire.

Being without a knife, means one cannot cut meat, fruit, wood or strike a spark, and this very philosophy is factored into the religious beliefs of most Westerlanders.

Most adults still carry knives, but it is no longer as ceremonial as it used to be, where it was practically regarded as a crime to rob someone of their knife, and seen as a grave insult to prevent someone from carrying one - and looked down upon severely when an adult did not possess a knife. Now it is more viewed as impractical, but especially many city-dwellers tend to go without them. But no soldier is without a sword of some sort either. The sword, along with a helmet, are the very symbols of the military.

Most Soldiers carry a Gladius, which is an old-school military sword that came about when lack of tempering techniques and proper metallurgy still prevented the effective creation of longer blades, but modern gladius, or short swords, are fully tempered steel and make for excellent side-arms for infantry.

The Gladius was never intended to be a primary weapon, soldiers on guard-duty tend to equip a polearm of some sort, as well as cross-bows and round-shields, and the Gladius has always merely been a back-up weapon, even for infantry soldiers who primarily rely on their short-spears. Recently, the Gladius has slowly been yielding for the Spatha, which is essentially just an arming-sword with "Roman-Style" handle, or a longer Gladius if you will. The Spatha is popular with infantry troops, because the extra reach of the sword makes it possible to abandon the use of the one-handed short-spear while still retaining full combat efficiency, and further more allows the combat rows to stand closer together.

The Spatha was originally thought of as an attempt to make a sword for cavalry use, but wasn't all that effective in that endeavor, and ultimately became more popular with officers, but is now becoming the sword of choice for those who can convince their quartermasters to order these instead, when replacements are due, or afford to buy them. The Reason the Spatha went out of fashion among Officers and Cavalry rather fast, is because of the the dedicated Cavalry Sword, or the bastard sword, which is already an older invention by now, though not nearly as old as the Gladius.

This sword is slightly longer than the Spatha, and features a longer handle with room for two hands, but also sports a fuller, which adds greater stability in the blade, making it of much higher quality, and more flexible.

Intended as a sword that could strike an enemy from horseback, like its predecessor, it is regarded as a bit too long for infantry use, but outside of formation combat, the extra reach is almost always an advantage on an open field of battle, which is exactly where a dismounted cavalryman or an officer would find himself if engaged by the enemy - as opposed to the lines of infantry who have rather limited space around them.

An art of more deadly personal fighting has started to erupt around the cavalry-sword, and most officers have switched to this type of sword.

Religion
The Imperial State Religion is not formally mentioned in any Imperial records, because according to the Imperial doctrine and mindset, Religion is synonymous with, what is otherwise commonly known as "the Imperial Faith", and everything else is just considered superstition, insanity and heresy and not in any shape and form acknowledged as a "religion" or actual faith.

The Imperial Faith was largely shared among the many Principalities of the Empire, even before the Empire began its conquest and attempt at uniforming the Religious practices of the Imperial Lands, but the rise of the Helionite Cult within the Carnala Empire during the height of the Imperial Conquest marks a notable difference in faith that prevails.

This has created the, somewhat false distinction between Helionites and those of Imperial Faith, because the worship of specific gods within the Imperial Faith was always a thing, and Helios has always been, metaphysically, regarded as the most important Deity of the Imperial Faith - just not necessarily to everyone.

The spread of the Empire resulted in the notion of an "Empire of the Rising Sun" - so vast that the sun would always shine upon it, and Helios as a deity, became a symbol of this military campaign and became the main focus of worship in Imperial Heart-Lands.