Closed The Imperial Army and Navy

[Sheng Kaldres]

So as I understand it, there are changes in the two organisations. So maybe some discussions on these two are needed. Maybe we start with a few questions.

1. I see some changed to the ranks used. So I guess we will be using the modern ranks? Corporal, Sergeant, staff Sergeant, warrant officer, lieutenant, captain, major, colonel, general? For the navy, while some modern armed forces use a unfied rank system, some have different ranks for navy. E.g. specialist instead kf Sergeant, commander instead of colonel.
2. There are now only ten Legions. But their locations are not stated now. So do we put them in? For that matter, do we still use Legion? Or use the more modern term brigade, company?
3. For the navy, things are a fuzzy to me. I think that there is no longer a navy to speak of. At least an official one. So do we need an article on the navy?
4. There were some descriptions of how the Legions and navy operate for the individual seaman and legionnaires. So do we still need this or was it too restrictive?
5. What other information should be in the write-up?

 

[Maddyn]

1. Original Imperial Guard ranks were done as Private, Corporal etc, it was changed later. The updated rank naming is still correct for the Legions. Provincial Guard still use the Private, Corporal etc. Given the aftermath of the Xet War and the loss of life, restructuring, it's very unlikely most PC's will encounter the Legions proper except in very specific areas (Sherian border, Moonstone border, Aelyria Prime).

2. They exist in the Storyteller Forum. Some had their status changed also at the start of the Paragdim. Short answer is yes, their location matters but also, no PC has the capacity to control them (highest ranking is as a Governor, we have no 'Imperial' Tier any longer courtesy of the Forum's destruction outside of the NPC's Threllius and Arctic). Several Legions were also reformed as the Seasonal to take the role/replacement of the Provincial Guard. 1 Legion was reformed to be Moonstone's Prov Guard, another as Medonia's. 1 Legion went AWOL.

There should be (probably going to get corrected here!):
2 Legions on the Sherian Border/Khardran.
1 Legion at Hakaar Fortress in Moonstone opposite the Lamian Theocracy (Arakmat).
1 Legion at Aelyria Prime
3? still in Lauryl around the Xet Pit/Xet Border. I suspect one was disbanded due to age/people hitting their retirement status but I genuinely forget at this moment.

1 AWOL (in Centripax)
1 Medonia Prov Guard
1 Moonstone Prov Guard

3. There is a navy, it is... well it's not in a good state after the Xet War given the Solace Isle shipyards were destroyed. What exists on the Imperial Navy level is a small fleet at Port Constantine, and the majority of it remains in Medonia/Port Alyxandya's southern seas defending against the Elvish pirates from K'terak/Trelore.

There are also references of the majority of the southern fleet that was beeched/destroyed during the Sherian Civil War that exists, kinda, near Narim Ruins, but is more a plot point than anything.

4. Shrug? Odds are pretty low anyone is going to be able to join the Legions as they existed during the Darkening Era. Prov Guard are where it's at - and yes, Prov Guard still has the appropriate elements such as the Alyssans/Veldar, etc.

5. Shrug? The Legions were never intended as a force that GM/GD's could use. They were the old site's hammer (as seen repeatedly). It only really manifested during Milo's reign when PC's had more of an opportunity to hit the ranks above General (prior to this, a few Marshall's such as NIghthawk, and Major Generals' as Balthazar - Nimalni writeup dude, did exist but were an extreme rarity), though elements happened before given Silrosia's stockade Legion, Midpoint's Alyssans, Zerdargia's Veldar and Prime's Legion. It was a slow and steady thing, and between the Sherian War's aftermath, the Succession Crisis and then the Xet War, the back kind of broke out of the system simply due to NPC casualty deaths were not even remotely replaceable given the timeframe. We went from 300,000 soldiers to something like 10,000 because of constant conflict.

/ramble

 

[Sheng Kaldres]

1. I guess we can standardise the ranks. That being said, the main thing about how the soldiers are organised is another issue. Based on the write up, a full Legion is 10,000. So how do we go about this?
2. Are the locations if the Legions common knowledge? Do this needs to be in wiki?
3. Same for the navy. Is the current status common knowledge and in wiki?
4. So the question is whether is it possible for PC to still join the Legions IC. I assume it is. So what should they know?

 

[Maddyn]

1./ Shrug. Lot of dead soldiers be a thing. The restructuring of the Legions follows the Roman numbering, so I'm probably underselling its actual size tbh.
2. No because they move (potentially). They're not a static element garrisoned in set cities any longer. It was not common knowledge until this Season.
3. It would be common knowledge in Maeve/Medonia Provinces that the navy exists there, along with Prime Province. There would be a distinct absence to the northern Provinces outside Jaedaxian privateers, etc.
4. Sure... but IMO you're in for a bad time RP wise? The Legions are located in the Lauryl area and Sherian border. It would end up being highly restrictive gameplay but... sure? If that's your jam. You'd be in it for the long haul, there's no towns to RP in in those areas and you'd be 100% an adventure PC functionally in a limited region who needs other people to come to you.

 

[Indefinite]

There should be (probably going to get corrected here!):
2 Legions on the Sherian Border/Khardran.
1 Legion at Hakaar Fortress in Moonstone opposite the Lamian Theocracy (Arakmat).
1 Legion at Aelyria Prime
3? still in Lauryl around the Xet Pit/Xet Border. I suspect one was disbanded due to age/people hitting their retirement status but I genuinely forget at this moment.

1 AWOL (in Centripax)
1 Medonia Prov Guard
1 Moonstone Prov Guard

There were technically three Legions that went AWOL (most of one Legion, and some of two other Legions), so consolidating what was left resulted in the disbanding of a full Legion. I'm sure there were other attrition factors that contributed as well, though.

4. So the question is whether is it possible for PC to still join the Legions IC. I assume it is. So what should they know?

4. Sure... but IMO you're in for a bad time RP wise? The Legions are located in the Lauryl area and Sherian border. It would end up being highly restrictive gameplay but... sure? If that's your jam. You'd be in it for the long haul, there's no towns to RP in in those areas and you'd be 100% an adventure PC functionally in a limited region who needs other people to come to you.

Another thing to remember is that you're not really allowed to 'quit' the Legions, you have to serve out your term after all. Deserting the Legions is a big no-no crime, so you're basically committing yourself to doing only this for the next X years. And, I mean... you're a soldier in the army, you don't exactly have a lot of leeway to get creative or wander around, you're there to follow orders.

 

[Haku]

So where do we go to find out about legion activity in a particular region? Haku is currently based in the Dervish Oasis, where I see that the governor has set up supply waypoints. If Haku wanted to set himself up as Protector of the Oasis (a Sheriff or minor warlord maybe) would the Legion in Hakaar Fortress care or even notice?
are there wondering Legion patrols?

should the Legion be factored in as part of the setting background or just ignored for the purposes of PC lives?

 

[Maddyn]

Seasonal! [Paradigm Event] The Next Chapter (Autumn Era XXVI - Summer Era XXVII)

So within that, the Legion's status and movements were noted along with corresponding events to accompany so that people would/could be aware The West in particular is here: Misfit Toys

This denotes the Legion at the border being located at Haakar Fortress, but there's no major presence at the Dervish Oasis. There's an RP and find out quality to this where it would be info provided in the Modplan stage (if relevant), such as how they (the Legion) has been taking over Paltair Castle which is actually across the border and a bit of regional antagonism.

For instance, if Haku did do that, the Legion probably wouldn't care so long as access to the water was unimpeded (in which case they'd be well, a legion of people going you and who's army oh right...). Rather, that would be a civilian matter largely as it's a part of Moonstone, and so would end up being a Sliucha as Lady Governor/PC issue. Possibly Vireylda as a PC as they've also been super active in the northern areas of the Province doing stuff. Basically, modplans help us infodump things so that the players aren't expected to do all the research themselves.

Edit note;
That's just an example to reinforce, but pretty much how I would respond in a modplan This season's a little diff is all/longer than normal as we gave people more FT to play with so that the RL/IC seasons could sync up again. Anything major should appeal in seasonals and or the subforum noticeboard/update style threads we def don't expect everyone to track IC threads en masse, that's not fair and makes things so much harder to get involved.

 

[Keldon Elsdragon]

Honestly, the concept we had before for the old legions was just Juan's reset button which, as mentioned, has been played time and time again. With the fall of the Forum and the majority seat of Imperial rank. There really isn't anyone around to leverage authority over the few "legions" that remain. I kind of view the current legions as what likely remained after the fall of the roman empire. Soliders might be trained and highly disciplined, but with no force to really enforce their desertion, the ones that did leave would really disappear to the wind. Outside the functional legions, the records of who is actually enlisted is likely long gone.

1. Rank-wise, I think this is a natural progression back to the way it was. Though I do prefer to hold onto the old system of ranks and will likely do so IC'y for a few reasons. I also don't think the new ranks would be overly complicated, there isn't a massive standing armed force anymore. I think any super depth to ranks would be RP'd out?
2. Nothing to add there, other than I view it all as the legions relatively went poof and absorbed into the supply chains that could actually support them in the provinces. The legions were posted to provinces generally in which they did not live encase they ever had to march on them. Now that th provinces are mainly the supply chain, it is likely they are becoming fiercely loyal to their "homes" and a national army becomes less and less likely. Que start of the seven kingdoms music?
3. I would say we could always use an article. Sure the bulk is in shambles and ruins and the majority of it was held together by Alexis. Could it be rebuilt sure, ICly. But I think an article clarifying what once was could help new players or older players stir ideas for their own plot arcs.
4. I'd say if anyone wanted to join now, find the local unit and ask to join. There wouldn't be really any interaction between the two forces. Honestly I think it would be neat to see the divide growing. The country is mainly landlocked so outside of protecting the national borders, the navy has a unique role.
5. I think @Maddyn said it best in their response. Senior leadership in the armed forces has been extremely rare; even when it was in place, national conflicts leveraging the hammer tools were even rarer. Honestly, unless a PC creates this type of force from years of playing it should never be leveraged again outside staff. I think the write-up should be more focused on what the legions really used to be, how they ended and served and then what they really look like now as there not even remotely close to something. As someone who tried to utilize the hammer, it is a logistical nightmare and frankly sucked the life out of the game for me and I know others. Let's avoid that type of situation again if possible unless players flush it out heavily because, frankly, that whole process was toxic.

 

[Sheng Kaldres]

Ok, coming back to this. I will focus on a few thing. Ranks and organisation being a few of the things. Anything else?