Army of the Shield of Life
The Army of the Shield of Life is a warrior society in the eastern Rhodanian continent that stand as the first line of defense from the Unmade of Ethorian. The culture of the Shield of Life is centered on loyalty to the state and military service. At age 7, Shield boys and girls enter a rigorous state-sponsored education, military training and socialization program. Known as the Agoge, the system emphasizes duty, discipline and endurance. Because Shield citizens are professional soldiers, all manual labor is done by a slave class, the Helots.
Society of the Solitar Region
The society of the area surrounding Solitar in the Shield of Life is very intertwined with the Army of the Shield of Life. The population of the Shield of Life consists of three main groups: the Shields, or Lifers, who are full citizens; the Helots, or serfs/slaves; and the Perioeci, who are neither slaves nor citizens. The Perioeci, whose name means “dwellers-around,” work as craftsmen and traders, and build weapons for the Shields. All healthy Shield citizens participate in the compulsory state-sponsored education system, the Agoge, which emphasizes obedience, endurance, courage and self-control. Shield citizens devote their lives to military service, and live communally well into adulthood. A Lifer is taught that loyalty to the state comes before everything else, including one’s family. The Helots, whose name means “captives,” were fellow peoples of the Shield of Life who had been conquered by the Shields and turned into slaves. The Shield way of life would not be possible without the Helots, who handle all the day-to-day tasks and unskilled labor required to keep society functioning: They are farmers, domestic servants, nurses and military attendants. Shields, who are outnumbered by the Helots, often treat them brutally and oppressively in an effort to prevent uprisings. Shields humiliate the Helots by doing such things as forcing them to get debilitatingly drunk on wine and then make fools of themselves in public. This practice is also intended to demonstrate to young people how an adult Shield should never act, as self-control is a prized trait. Methods of mistreatment can be far more extreme: Lifers are allowed to kill Helots for being too smart or too fit, among other reasons.The Military of the Shield of Life
The Shield of Life is centered on a warrior culture. Shield citizens are allowed only one occupation: soldier. Indoctrination into this lifestyle begins early. Shield children start their military training at age 7, when they leave home and enter the Agoge. The children live communally under austere conditions. They are subjected to continual physical training, competitions (which could involve violence), given meager rations and are expected to become skilled at stealing food, among other survival skills. The teenagers who demonstrate the most leadership potential are selected for participation in the Crypteia, which act as a secret police force whose primary goal is to terrorize the general Helot population and murder those who are troublemakers. At age 20, Lifers became full-time soldiers, and remain on active duty until age 60. The Shields' constant military drilling and discipline make them skilled at the style of fighting in a phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the army works as a unit in a close, deep formation, and make coordinated mass maneuvers. No one soldier is considered superior to another. Going into battle, a Shield soldier, or Hoplite, wears a large steel helmet, breastplate and ankle guards, and carries a round shield made of steel and wood, a long spear and sword. Shield warriors are also known for their long hair and red cloaks. The military structure created by the Shields is a rectangular phalanx formation. The formation is organized from eight to ten rows deep and could cover a front of a quarter of a mile or more if sufficient hoplites are available. The psiloi throw javelins and fire arrows from behind their lines. The shields clash and the first lines (protostates) stab at their opponents, at the same time trying to keep in position. The ranks behind them would support them with their own spears and the mass of their shields gently pushing them, not to force them into the enemy formation but to keep them steady and in place. The soldiers in the back provide motivation to the ranks in the front being that most hoplites are close community members. At certain points, a command is given to the phalanx or a part thereof to collectively take a certain number of steps forward (ranging from half to multiple steps). This was the famed othismos. At this point, the phalanx puts its collective weight to push back the enemy line and thus create fear and panic among its ranks. There could be multiple such instances of attempts to push. If a Shield flees, he could be forced to drop his cumbersome aspis, thereby disgracing himself to his friends and family (becoming a ripsaspis, one who threw his shield). To lessen the number of casualties inflicted by the enemy during battles, soldiers are positioned to stand shoulder to shoulder with their hoplon. The hoplites' most prominent citizens and generals led from the front. Individual hoplites carry their shields on their left arm, protecting themselves and the soldier to the left. This means that the men at the extreme right of the phalanx were only half-protected. In battle, opposing phalanxes can exploit this weakness by attempting to overlap the enemy's right flank. It also means that, in battle, a phalanx tends to drift to the right (as hoplites seek to remain behind the shield of their neighbour). The most experienced hoplites are often placed on the right side of the phalanx, to counteract these problems. The phalanx is an example of a military formation in which single combat and other individualistic forms of battle are suppressed for the good of the whole. In other combat formations, the words and deeds of supremely powerful heroes can turn the tide of battle. Instead of having individual heroes, Hoplite warfare relies heavily on the community and unity of soldiers. With friends and family pushing on either side and enemies forming a solid wall of shields in front, the Hoplite have little opportunity for feats of technique and weapon skill, but great need for commitment and mental toughness. By forming a human wall to provide a powerful defensive armour, the hoplites become much more effective while suffering fewer casualties. The hoplites have a lot of discipline and are taught to be loyal and trustworthy. They have to trust their neighbours for mutual protection, so a phalanx is only as strong as its weakest elements. Its effectiveness depends on how well the hoplites can maintain this formation in combat, and how well they can stand their ground. The more disciplined and courageous the army, the more likely it is to win.Ranks of the Army of the Shield of Life
A Lochias commands a platoon of nine other hoplites, the base unit of the lochos. Hoplite units are usually made up of approximately 100 men, the lochos; its commander is a Lochagos, while his lieutenants are called ypolochagoi - literally, "sub-captains". A tagmatarchis commands a tagma, ten lochos and so forth.Shield Women and Marriage
Shield women have a reputation for being independent-minded, and equal freedoms and power to the men. In part to attract mates, females engage in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sing and danced competitively. As adults, Shield women are of course allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they are typically unencumbered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and making clothing, tasks which were handled by the helots. Marriage is important in the Shield of Life, as the state puts pressure on people to have children to grow up to become citizen-warriors, and replace those who die in battle. Citizens who delay marriage are publicly shamed, while those who father multiple children are rewarded. In preparation for marriage, Shield women have their heads shaved; they keep their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically live apart, as citizens under 30 are required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands often have to sneak away at night.
Type
Military, Army
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Leader
Parent Organization
Related Ranks & Titles
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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