Excubui Guard
Composition
Manpower
Around 50-250 on active duty.
Equipment
As the elite bodyguards of the Eternal Emperor, all Excubui are equipped with the newest from imperial laboratories. Besides when on ceremonial duty, the worn equipment is different for every member because they receive custom-made gear that fits their indivual styles.
Weaponry
All Excubui weapons are enchanted masterpieces from the imperial forges and some of them can even be classified as artifacts. The guard has also several secret weapons that can be used in emergencies. These range from simple alchemical bombs over arcane wands to ancient artefacts.
Vehicles
The guard has their own stable of mounts, mainly consisting of warhorses, as well as a few armoured carriages. A private naval warship is currently being built in the docks of Excidium.
Structure
The hierachy of the guard is rather simple: Like nearly every formation in the Imperial Army, they recognize the emperor as their supreme commander. Unlike the other troops, they don't serve under a general but instead report to the Excubui Commander, who then reports to the emperor and empress and only them. There is also a lieutenant in charge of the 13 soldiers who always stand guard at the emperors side. The rank of lieutenant is usually giving to the longest serving of the 13.
Tactics
In most cases the Ecubui suppress there opponents with their extraodinary euipment and skills. In the rare case that the Excubui can't control the situation, there armour has a last way to complete the mission: Their enchantments can connect to eachother, creating a temporary teleportation cirvle attuned to the emperors lifeforce and destined for the Imperial Palace. This comes at a great cost as the runes draw their energy from the wearer, possibly killing them all.
Training
Most members are recruited from the rest of the imperial army after noticing their extraodinary achievments. As a first step they all go through a psychological examination where a mage directly enters their mind. If they pass this test they are required to attend the Academy of Magic to pass a specialized test. After that, depending on the individual, they are sent to other units to learn and further refine their abilities. From the first test until a candidate is truly a member of the Excubui, they usually go trhough one or two decades of extra training.
Comments