Decimus
"Welcome to the Imperial Army youngsters! From now and for the next ten years, you belong to the Empire. It is your mother and your father, your lover and your closest friend. You shall want for nothing, and you shall need nothing but the desire to serve the Emperor. For those of you who make it through, there's a tasty pot of gold at the end, and it gets bigger the more you serve! So forget where you came from, pick up those spears, and show me you're not a lot of inbred pieces of filth!"The largest organisational structure in the Imperial Army, a legion, consists of approximately five thousand soldiers and is led by a General. Legions are split into ten Cohorts, which are further split into five centuries. A century is finally split into the smallest unit in the Imperial Army; the Decimus. Expected to largely self-contained in all but food and supplies, a decimus is treated as a single entity with regards orders, rewards and punishment. Whilst reinforcement with newcomers is unavoidable, members of a decimus can expect to serve together until they retire, or the unit is disbanded for disciplinary or injury reasons. The nature of the unit depends entirely on the role of the cohort that the unit is part of. Within a legion, six cohorts are heavy infantry, two are light infantry, and there are one each of heavy and light cavalry. One of the heavy infantry cohorts specialises in building siege equipment, and another in building engineering works such as bridges and roads.
Composition
Manpower
A decimus consists of ten soldiers; eight are expected to be combat ready at any given time, and spend most of their time when not travelling training for battle, or undertaking whatever specialised role their cohort is responsible for. The other two are auxiliaries, and are responsible for the units pack-ox, repair and maintenance of equipment, cooking, collection of supplies from central provisions and any general duties required from the others. In battle, they are expected to be able to fight in an archery or reserve role, and so receive training in the bow, as well as rudimentary combat and are expected to keep this up, along with their regular duties.
Equipment
A decimus is expected to be largely self-sufficient in everything but supplies, and carries everything it should need to be a functional unit. Each decimus has a pack ox, which carries their tent, basic repair, cooking and maintenance supplies, and any other equipment required. One of the auxiliaries is given the task for looking after the ox, but the whole decimus is responsible for setting up camp and packing it away afterwards.
Equipment varies, depending on the role of the cohort that the decimus is part of:
Heavy Infantry: The eight combat soldiers are given a breastplate made of steel to protect their torso, along with a helmet, greaves and vambrace for the legs and arms respectively, and a large steel shield. All of the soldiers are given basic clothing, and footwear is either sandals or enclosed boots if the climate is colder. Auxiliaries do not get the same pieces of armour as combat troops, or the large shield. Instead, they have a simpler hardened leather top to protect the torso, leather greaves and vambraces, a light steel helmet, and a wooden round shield.
Light Infantry and all cavalry: Similar to the heavy infantry, the eight combat soldiers are given a steel breastplate and light steel helmet, but the greaves and vambraces are made of hardened leather instead, and the shield is a smaller, round, wooden one. Auxiliary have a leather top instead of the breastplate, but are otherwise similarly equipped. Cavalry units also have a horse each, with the accompanying necessary equipment. All soldiers are expected to look after their own horse.
If the cohort is one that specialises in siege or engineering, then soldiers will also have access to the necessary tools, and each decimus is given an extra ox to carry it.
Weaponry
All soldiers carry a short sword and knife, regardless of rank, position or duties. Heavy infantry are also given a long spear, cavalry a lighter one, and light infantry are also trained in archery and carry a bow. Auxiliaries typically do not carry spears unless issued, but they are trained in archery, even those attached to heavy infantry and cavalry cohorts, and are expected to serve as archers if the situation requires it.
Structure
One of the eight combat soldiers is the unit's decanus, and is the leader, identified by a differently coloured trim to their clothing. They are expected to assign one of the auxiliaries of the unit as a second, able to act with the decanus' authority when negotiating for supplies from central provisioning. The rest of the unit tends to be organised informally according to veterancy, with more experienced soldiers considered to have greater authority.
One of the decimus of a century is the Centurion's, and within that decimus, all members carry the same authority as a decanus, even if they are not of that rank. Being part of the Centurions decimus is often a position of honour, and often given to those who survived the rest of their decimus falling in battle and showed great valour.
Logistics
Logistical Support
Whilst each decimus is expected to carry its own supplies in terms of equipment, food and other consumables are provided by a central provisioning that is attached at the Legion level. A complex network of carts and ships ensure that adequate provisions are available to soldiers, either at the Garrison fort they might be occupying, or in the baggage train that accompanies a moving Legion. When moving through Imperial lands, provisions are typically set-up prior to a Legion's arrival, which are at designated campsites, and as such, all the legion needs to do is set up camp for the night in assigned locations (campsites are well signposted for such a thing). When patrolling through unfriendly land, the baggage train is in the middle of the formation, and the camp is set up in a defensive arrangement around it when stopped.
Equipment is made at a number of locations around the Empire, but the vast majority comes from Belyos, as the large amount of labour available there makes for efficient production lines.
Upkeep
When joining the Imperial Army, a soldier is not paid a regular amount, instead a fixed sum is paid out on the soldier's retirement based on the length of service, the duties performed by the soldier during their employment, their rank, and with bonuses paid if the Legion was involved in active combat or the soldier received incapacitating injuries. A soldier can draw upon credit already built up within this pot during their time in the army, but as everything a soldier needs is provided, most do not need to draw much. The main reason for taking money in this way is to provide for dependents back home. The Imperial Army has offices in most towns where dependants can draw upon this pot, if so authorised. If a soldier is killed, then this sum is paid out to designated recipients, minus administrative fees.
Assuming a soldier completes a full ten year tour, with no injuries or active combat, remains at the base rank for their entire employment, has no specialised duties, and does not draw anything from the pot in that time, they can expect to receive enough money on retirement to buy a plot of land large enough sustain themselves and a small family. Most can expect to retire with a little bit more than this, and unless one has family commitments, further tours of five years each are common. Retired soldiers are seen as highly suitable partner material, and can expect to gain a fair amount of social standing wherever they choose to settle afterwards.
Recruitment
Recruitment agents roam the Empire in small caravans, visiting every town and village in their designated area at least once every year or two, extolling the benefits and advantages of joining the army. Potential recruits are briefly assessed then, and if deemed suitable, accompany the caravan until they return to the nearest office of the Imperial Army, where they will join other recruits gathered in the area. A potential recruit can also visit said office at any point and sign up.
From the office, recruits are sent to one of a number of training camps around the Empire, given basic training in tactics and equipment, assessed for any useful skills or aptitudes, then assigned to whichever Legion requires replenishing.
The amount of time from first being recruited to actually joining a Legion can vary, and is dependent on the the length of the journey the recruitment caravan takes, distance to the nearest office, distance to the training camp, and the distance to the Legion to be joined. At its quickest, one could be serving in a Legion within eight weeks of first signing up, but most take at least four months, and it could be up to a year.
History
Historical loyalties
Every member of the Imperial Army is required to take an oath upon recruitment, and again when they join their Legion, professing their loyalty to the Empire, to the Emperor, and to the Inheritor Gods. The ultimate commander of the Imperial Army is the Emperor themselves, although aside from general strategic direction, operational command is that of the Generals.
In the days of the old Empire, loyalty within the Imperial Army was often suspect, with the Imperial Houses still retaining great influence over army commanders. When Til-Yaltur reunified the Empire, he ensured that such loyalties were removed as much as possible from the reformatted army structure. Legions are regularly moved around, and Generals are promoted from within the ranks instead of being assigned from the nobility. Whilst a noble background and family wealth can ensure an easier passage through the ranks, it is not unusual for high ranking army staff to once have been commoners.
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