Praetorian Guard
The 12 Companies
I'm not the real hero. I'm trained beyond what is normally possible, clad in blacksteel and wielding an instrument of war and death. I go to war unfazed, knowing I can't die. But you, with your rudimentary equipment and weak training ? You're the one on the frontlines. You, and all your comrades not only hold the line, but have done so since the beginning. You, mere humans, fight elite troops, great monsters and destructive magic. I'm not the shining hero, you and all the soldiers of the Duranian army are.General Draken to private Delmon
Shield of the Empire
While the details of their blessings vary, they are blessed by both Enkiel to have incredible martial prowesses and by Sicarius to have very fast regeneration, to the point where killing them is incredibly difficult without powerful dark magic. This turns them into perfect bodyguards, both because of their abilities and faith in the gods, and therefore the king.
History
While it has known many changes over time, the Praetorian Guard's purpose was always to defend the leader of the Duranian Kingdom. When it was first created around 87 AS, it was then called the Honor Guard and was a group of warriors selected by Enkiel to defend the still weak kingdom. They hunted monsters and bandits relentlessly, and were it not for them, the kingdom might have never existed. However, they slowly became more and more obsolete as the wilderness was tamed or destroyed, and their training and equipment wouldn't be appropriate for a modern world. As such, they were quickly replaced.
The next generation, known as the Duranian Protectors, were better trained and equipped, and even had blessings from Enkiel. They mostly fought against Markosian warlords in square formations that were nigh-impenetrable. However, as time went on, they became more and more corrupted, abusing their status and strength to do whatever they wanted, with no regard for the gods who didn't really care. Then one day, they became mercenaries and made the mistake of accepting to raid a Sicarite abbey. Enraged, Sicarius stuck them down with holy fire and declared that he would have a part in the recruiting process.
The final product of this is the Praetorian Guard everyone knows about. The god Enkiel picks particularly strong warriors, Sicarius checked if they had enough faith to be members of the guard. Despite their original lack of men, they ended up as significantly stronger than their older counterparts, both from their blessings and their equipment. However, as the kingdom became stronger and since the recently created coalition had been going strong, they slowly became bodyguards of the royal family and guardians of the palace. They don't often leave their post, but when they do, they bring the full might of the Duranian kingdom on their enemies.
Hierarchy
Atop the chain of command is the Commander. The military right hand of the king, he is the strongest of all the members of the guard and a terrifyingly effective general, as well as being the one to lead the feared 1st company. He is chosen personally by Enkiel for his tactics, martial abilities, and overall strength. The current commander is the famous general Draken, who takes a more active role in the defense than his predecessors, often going to fight against monsters and cults as well as armies in the name of the kingdom.
The lieutenants of the Commander are the Captains, tasked with overseeing the defense of many points of interest, like the palace or important religious sites. Despite their more strategic role, they are formidable warriors nonetheless. They command a company of between seventy and a hundred and sixty lesser warriors each and are responsible for the defense of a small sector from external threats.
Legionnaires have many ranks to show the role that they fill within the guard as well as their position in the hierarchy, from the Vanguards and their huge war scythe to the surprisingly sneaky Infiltrators and their powerful bows. Despite their small rank, each of them is a formidable warrior that can accomplish any missions they're instructed to achieve.
Training
The training changed a lot, from the incredibly hard trials of the Honor Guard, to practically non-existent within the modern Praetorian Guard. The Honor Guard was expected to defend the juvenile kingdom, and as such members were put through intense training. From kilometers long runs to weeks of survival in a dangerous forest, they were trained for any situation, as the monsters could take all kinds of strange and dangerous forms.
During the age of the Duranian Protectors, the training was a lot more military and focused on fighting in formations as civilizations started to rise from the ashes of the old world. Hikes, climbing, and fighting in duels or groups were common to ensure good stamina. The soldiers were also encouraged to form friendships, as battle-brothers would fight harder to protect their comrades.
Finally, we come to the training of the Praetorian Guard that is rather feeble compared to those of the older generations. This is due to not only the blessings, but also the fact that every Praetorian is already a veteran warrior, and thus has a great amount of training and experience. Apart from forming bonds between new squads, the training isn't as hard.
Usurpation
While they are undeniably loyal to the current monarch, some are even more loyal to Sicarius and would do anything he instructed them to. This wasn't a particularly relevant trait until the reign of Sigvald III, who got murdered and replaced by Commander Valeros after having a vision of Sicarius instructing him to kill the tyrant and take his place.
This act is still a topic of hot debate today, and at the time was the creator of a schism in the guard. Those against this said that Valeros had no proof that they were given by Sicarius, and that his treason was against their holy task. Upon encountering the rejection of their brothers, a civil war between the two sides erupted, and it ended with those against Valeros being exiled.
These exiled guards formed the Brotherhood of Dusk, and are now sworn enemies of the Praetorian Guard. Something confusing and strange is that despite their apparent treason, they retained their blessings. It is unknown, even for most of the members, if they replaced them with demonic or otherwordly blessings, like the rumors go, or if they did keep them. If they replaced them, then it would mean that they lost the favor of the gods, and therefore that Valeros was right. But if they didn't, then what would it mean? That Sicarius still supports them? That Valeros acted unreasonably, but still did the right thing? No one knows, and those who might do keep the secret for themselves.
Blessed warriors
A well-known fact, and also one of the reasons they are such strong warriors, is that the members of the Praetorian Guard are blessed by Enkiel, the Duranian god of war, and Sicarius, leader of the Duranian Pantheon. As such, they possess supernatural abilities allowing them to be even better and stronger soldiers. While most blessings came from Enkiel, and thus were present in the second generation, they are stronger within the current Praetorian Guard.
From Enkiel, they received the gift of sharpened reflexes, allowing them to see blows coming to the point of prescience, as well as enough strength and vitality to not only wear their heavy equipment effortlessly but also to fight for hours on end in them. As if it wasn't enough, their speed has also been enhanced to allow them to quickly kill their enemies.
As for the blessings coming from Sicarius, he granted them some regenerative abilities. While it doesn't take a very active part in combat, it allows them to heal their wounds faster. He also gave them a stronger constitution, not only rendering them immune to disease and all but the most powerful poison but also letting them take hits able to kill a man like they were flesh wounds.
The Young Company
While the Praetorian Guard is almost entirely comprised of veteran soldiers, a recent addition has changed that. The 13th company, also named " Young Company ", is a company of recruits undergoing a grueling process to become a true member of the Praetorian Guard. It was created by Enkiel on the demand of Vesta who felt that a great evil would come and that they needed to have more qualified troops if the kingdom was to survive.
The training of the recruits begins at age 14, where they are put in squads and do the classic 3-year training to become a soldier. Once it is completed, they begin the true training, and it is incredibly harder than before. As they complete their training, the squad completes a ritual of passage and receives their first blessing. It depends on the soldier which blessing they obtain, but they still undergo the same training with their comrades as one group.
While many parts of the Praetorian training are just the same as regular ones, albeit harder, they also need to complete two dangerous trials. The first one, nicknamed The Long Watch is a night-long patrol of the barracks. While it sounds easy and even boring, there are several mages using illusions to scare or otherwise distract the soldiers from a secondary objective they are assigned. The second, nicknamed The First Battle is a battle between one or more squads and phantasmal reflections of themselves. Because the ghost guards are stronger, the squads need to use tactics and their smarts to accomplish their objectives.
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