Dalian Army

Although reduced in numbers significantly from even a century ago, the Dalian Army is still a significant political force in Daly, as they are partially responsible for the maintenance of law and order across the kingdom, as well as typically being the main opposing force to any large scale incursions or incidents.
The Dalian Army is a professional one- they do not work with conscripts or levies, and instead it is a viable career choice for those with talents in that direction that can last a significant amount of time. They have an excellent training and teaching programme, and it is a rare soldier who emerges from their career having learned nothing.
Soldiers of all ranks are provided with accommodation, clothing, armour and weapons, food, healing and 'purse money' as standard, the latter being a weekly stipend expected to cover any additional costs the soldier might incur in their everday living.
There is no formal retirement age for soldiers in the army, as there are such a wide range of races, but each year soldiers must undergo a range of physical, mental and emotional tests to ensure they are still fit to serve. There is no shame at failing any of these, as it is generally understood that any lack of fuction now comes as a result of giving your best years to the Army, and it is also perfectly acceptable for soldiers to elect to retire before the tests if they feel they no longer wish to be enlisted.
Retiring soldiers are given a pension that is calculated from their final rank and the number of years served, and usually an additional bonus for any medals or awards of valour they have accrued over their military career. As the standards for the army are quite high, those asked to retire are more often than not still in excellent condition, and many go on to become adventurers or rangers, work as Private Guards, or move overseas to work as mercenaries.
If a soldier dies in service, their pension is typically provided to their named heir (sometimes a parent, sibling or spouse, sometimes a child) for a period of 20 years or until their death, whichever is sooner.

Unranked Roles

As with any military force, there are a wide array of jobs available that don't come with an explicit rank as they are typically considered non-combat roles. Individuals in these roles are typically given a proxy rank, and compensated accordingly, although they were not eligible to earn a pension.
Some examples of these roles are:
'Unskilled' workers such as cooks, runners, launderers, baggage handlers, entertainers, ditch diggers and herdsmen. These are typically given a proxy rank of Hoplite, and would be expected to follow the commands of anyone of higher rank than that.
'Skilled' workers such as carpenters, blacksmiths, mapmakers, healers, builders, intelligencers, clerks and bursars. These are typically given a proxy rank of Captain in terms of compensation and will usually work directly with other ranked and proxy Captains to determine priorities.
'Highly Skilled' workers such as scryers, logistics masters, rapid transportation staff and senior accountants. These are typically given the proxy rank of Colonel and are rarely available to units smaller than Armies. They will usually work alongside one or more ranked Colonels to support their goals, although they are only required to take orders from Generals and above.

'Mercenary' Companies

Mercenaries are not prevalent in Daly in the way they are in some other countries, nor are levies or conscripts.
Instead, if the Army finds itself unable to tackle a particular issue due to resource, skill or political ramifications, they will occasionally offer a limited term 'Writ of Authority' to a trusted veteran to form a company of fighters for a specific purpose. For the sake of ease, these are referred to a Mercenary companies by the populace, but they are quite tightly constrained in a way typical mercenaries are not elsewhere.
The veteran issued the writ is free to recruit as many or as few individuals as deemed necessary to acheive the goal, but is expected to account for them accordingly. Payment for members of these companies is usually significantly higher than the traditional military, but the set reward sum is paid after the objective is acheived, and each veteran is free to pay the company using that money as they wish. Most use a 'shares' system similar to that found in the navy, but some have other methods.
Being a member of one of these companies is therefore usually high risk, high reward, with almost no job security, and they tend to attract those who cannot join the official military forces for whatever reason, or those who are pretty desperate. There have only been three Writs of Authority issued in the past 20 years, and there is currently no mercenary company active in Daly.

The Army consists of the following ranks:
Hoplites (technical rank, although most simply refer to them as Soldiers). The lowest of the enlisted fighting force, they can have one of a number of specialisations, and this is often referred to in brackets after their name- e.g. Hoplite Simmons (Scout). They are marked with a Dragon Emblason on their right breast.
Sergeants have command of 'Bands' of up to 50 Hoplites. Sergeants are marked with a single band on their sleeve.
Captains have command of 4 Bands forming a 'Warband' of up to 200 Hoplites. Captains are marked with a double band.
Colonels typically have up to 5 Captains under them, and when their units are brought together they form a 'Legion' of 1000 Hoplites. Colonels are marked with a triple band.
Generals bring together 5 legions to form an 'Army' of 5000 Hoplites. A General is typically the highest rank in a region. Generals are marked with a triple band and crown atop.
Legates are not usually 'on the ground' at any time other than active war, spending most of their time in the Daly Parliament and acting as advisors to the Consul. When conflict arises, each Legate commands 4 Generals and their related Armies, giving a force of 20,000 Hoplites. There are three Legates at any given time- East, West and South, and they are marked with a triple band and repeating crowns.
The highest rank available in the Dalian Army is the Consul, who commands the entire ground-based military presence in Daly. The Consul is typically one of the Queen's closest advisors, and will never be found on the battlefield, instead planning tactics and strategies from a distance using all of the tools at their disposal in times of all-out war. More usually, the role is a political one, as it has been several centuries since all of the Armies needed to be raised at once, and it would more typically be a Legate making the wider strategic decisions for their region(s).

Type

Military, Army

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran