The Miserable Legion

The Miserable Legion is a children's story commonly told in the Kingdom of Erdantia and Gaen.

Summary

The story tells of a group of undying soldiers cursed to march for eternity. Forever in search of new fighters, they kidnap children who leave the house after dark and force them into their legion. These children are forever in need of food, water, and sleep, but are unable to either find any of those, or to die, and so suffer forever, marching and abducting new recruits into their ranks for eternity, preparing and training for a war that will never happen.

Historical Basis

The Legion may have been based on the Richardson Company, a group of pillagers active from 1503-1522 known for recruiting child soldiers, sometimes forcibly by abducting them in the night. They were known for wearing masks to appear frightening to their victims, something that could be distorted over time into the face of an undead.

Variations & Mutation

The aspect of immortality in the stories is not always included, and in some variations the Legion is active during the day as well, preying on children that stray too far from their homes regardless of the time.

Cultural Reception

The story is often told by protective parents to deter against either children staying up after dark, or from running from home, warning that doing either would result in them being abducted by the Miserable Legion and becoming a soldier.

In Literature

There have been several stories written about the Miserable Legion, including a story following a soldier of the legion, and his futile search for salvation, written by Dawn Brookes, a writer from City of Renn.

Related Ethnicities