Imperial Legion (Caphiria)

The Imperial Legion serves as the land warfare service branch of the Imperial Armed Forces of Caphiria. Recognized as the oldest and most senior branch within the Caphirian military, the Imperial Legion views itself as a direct successor to the revolutionary military reforms initiated by Darius Lux in 378 BC. This lineage establishes it as one of the longest-standing militaries in recorded human history.

Serving as the epicenter of Caphiria's military-industrial complex, the Legion commands the most substantial portion of the IAF's budget, at $1.3 trillion. It is also the world's largest military by personnel count, with 5,000,000 active-duty individuals and an additional 10,000,000 in reserves. Beyond this, the Legion contains the National Guard, which comprises approximately 3,000,000 national guardsmen. The combined-component strength of the Imperial Legion is 17,000,000 soldiers. While the Imperator of Caphiria stands at the pinnacle of the command hierarchy—referred to as the pyramidis imperia—they wield ultimate authority over the military without holding a specific rank and remaining a civilian. Operational leadership of the Imperial Legion is vested in the Marshal General, or Legionissimus, who steers the force in line with the strategic visions set forth by the General Commander of the IAF and the Imperator.

Mission
The Imperial Legion, as the primary land-based force of the Imperial Armed Forces, plays a pivotal role in the maintenance and projection of Caphirian power. As outlined by the Constitution of Caphiria, the Legion's mandates are as follows:


 * 1) Defensive Guardianship: Ensuring the unwavering peace, security, and territorial integrity of the Imperium, its Provinces and Possessions, and its People and Identity.
 * 2) Strategic Diplomacy: Bolstering Caphiria's national policies through military support, acting as a symbol of the nation's commitment to its principles and alliances.
 * 3) National Fulfillment: Facilitating the realization of the Imperium's broader objectives, both at home and abroad, whether in times of peace or conflict.
 * 4) Deterrence and Response: Acting as a formidable deterrent against any potential threats, and when required, decisively addressing and neutralizing entities or nations that engage in actions detrimental to the peace and well-being of the Imperium.

Organization
The Imperial Legion is administered through the Department of the Legion within the Ministry of Defense. As an arm of the executive government, the Legion is entirely at the behest of the Imperator, who can declare war against a foreign power without parliamentary permission, plan the Legion's military strategy - in both general and specific maneuvers, issue direct orders to a soldier in any branch of the armed forces or an officer of any rank, force the launch of military satellites and the construction of forts, walls, and other defensive structures, and appoint or dismiss any military commander at-will. A consequence of this much power is the personal responsibility for the successes and failures of Caphiria's military.

The core of the Imperial Legion, the exercitus, comprises 900 legions. Each legion contains 5,000 soldiers, further subdivided into ten Cohorts (cohortes), with these Cohorts then divided into five Centuries (centuriae). A single Cohort consists of 500 soldiers, while a Century is a battalion of 99 legionaries led by a centurion. Beyond these 900 legions, there exists the unique 901st legion (Legio CMI) that reports directly to the Imperator, operating independently of the main army structure. Legions carry sequential numbers, but the number does not correlate directly to the prestige or function of a legion. Legio DLV (Legion 555), colloquially known as cisternis (the pits), typically receives newer recruits, while Legio XIII (Legion 13) boasts a storied history, renowned for its fierce reputation.

Command structure
The command structure of the Imperial Legion is split in two categories - administrative leadership, which focuses on the Imperium's overall military policy and global strategic goals; and operational leadership, which exercises more direct control in the field.

The administrative leadership consists of the three most senior military ranks: the General Commander, the Marshal General, and the Field Marshals.The General Commander - known as the Generalissimus, is the highest distinctly military office in Caphiria, having command over Caphiria's entire military. The General Commander is appointed by the Imperator and formulates the Imperium's military policy and global strategic goals with coordination from the Imperator and the Ministry of Defense.

The Imperial Legion itself is led by the Legionissimus or Marshal General. It is technically the highest attainable rank in the Imperial Legion, equivalent to a five-star general officer. However, the rank is typically appointed by the General Commander. The Marshal General has the statutory authority to conduct all the affairs of the army under the authority, direction and control of the General Commander. Under the Legionissimus is the Field Marshal (Dux Campi) who maintains operational control and authority in a broad geographic area. There are 4 Field Marshals, each having authority over several dozen legions on each continent in the world. The density of legions varies from 60 under the Procuratio Sarpedonium (Sarpedon Command) to 20 under the Procuratio Crona (Crona Command). The Field Marshals work directly with the Legionissimus and form the military council called the Gathering of Legates, where large-scale decision-making and military strategy is planned.

Operational leadership consists of Generals, Major Generals, and Legion Generals, who control several legions and oversee specialized components. There are 20 Legion Generals (Legatus legionis) responsible for approximately ten legions each. A Legion General may specialize in specific elements of the strategy for modern warfare. Some notable Legion Generals are experts in amphibious warfare, coordination with aircraft, intelligence management, and climate control. While the public praises centurions and legion commanders, Legion Generals have the sole honor of leading a military Triumph through Venceia. For this reason, Imperators and other members of the administrative leadership have taken on the title. Even the presence of a Legion General demands reverence and respect from civilians and politicians as much as from inferior officers. It has long been standard practice for a Legion General to command Caphirian forces during a specific battle where different branches of the military work together. This tended to make them the highest-ranked officers on the field. However, most modern Legion Generals operate far from the front line.

Beneath the Legion General is the rank of Major General, or Legatarius. Major Generals oversee a significant segment of the Imperial Legion's operational components, typically commanding 2-4 legions in addition to entire divisions or specialized units. Given their intermediary role, they bridge the gap between large-scale strategic planning and on-ground execution. A Major General is entrusted with the responsibility of adapting and implementing the strategic decisions made by the Gathering of Legates into actionable plans within their divisions. This often involves coordinating with other military branches, understanding the logistical constraints and capabilities, and ensuring that troops under their command are adequately prepared for combat scenarios. Their role is multifaceted: they not only lead troops into battle but also oversee training, logistics, and intelligence within their division.

The rank of General, or Legatus is a crucial operational rank in the Imperial Legion's hierarchy. They often command individual legions or specialized units within the divisions overseen by Major Generals. Their focus is much more on the tactical level, ensuring that the overarching strategy set by the higher-ups gets executed on the ground effectively and efficiently. Generals have the unique honor of being the lowest office which is permitted to formulate new strategic goals. Although it is the most junior rank within the "commander" category, it is also the most accessible field rank. Since they are often the nearest strategists to combat, they usually exercise more direct control than other commanding ranks. For that reason, the rank of General is seen as the apex of a military career. Given the vastness and diversity of the Imperium, Generals often find themselves in vastly different theaters of operations. As a result, many Generals have areas of expertise – from naval landings and sieges to rapid response and guerrilla warfare. Their experiences on the field shape their tactics and approach, making each General a unique asset to the Imperial Legion. In public perception, Generals are celebrated as heroes, and are often the subject of tales and songs, with their deeds in battle becoming the stuff of legend in Caphirian culture.

Identification system
With 17 million personnel, the Legionnaire Identification System (Identificatio Legionarii) plays a pivotal role in ensuring clarity, efficiency, and practicality. Instituted to effectively manage and track every individual soldier within the vast military apparatus, the system also embraces the rich traditions and influences, like the prestare il nome privilege. There are 5 components:

One of the unique aspects of the Imperial Legion's organization is the privilege of prestare il nome, a form of military sponsorship available exclusively to Imperial Estates. Under this privilege, Imperial Estates can sponsor specific military projects, infrastructure, or entire Legionary units, lending their name and emblem to them. For instance, the reserve legion, Legio CMLIV, is directly sponsored by the Castrillón Estate, and the Legion's number, 954, commemorates the year of the Estate's foundation. This sponsorship has led to its informal title, Legionis Castrillónis, and the Estate's coat of arms prominently features on the legion's uniforms, banners, and equipment. On an even grander scale, the Răcini Estate has played a pivotal role in the sponsorship of components of Caphiria's nuclear arsenal.
 * 1) Legion Number: This represents the legion to which a soldier is assigned. Each of the 900 legions has its distinct numeric identifier, such as DLV or XIII.
 * 2) Cohort Number: Within each legion, there are ten cohorts. The cohort number, typically denoted in Latin numerals, indicates which cohort the soldier is a part of. For instance, V would represent the fifth cohort.
 * 3) Century Number: Further diving into the structure, each cohort is divided into five centuries. The century number, also in Latin numerals, is incorporated into the ID. E.g., III stands for the third century.
 * 4) Individual Number: Each soldier within their century is assigned a unique three-digit number ranging from 001 to 099. This ensures individual distinction even within the same century.
 * 5) Role/Title: The soldier's specific rank, role, or title concludes the identifier, encapsulating roles such as Centurion, Medic, or Engineer.

Consequently, an optional 6th component exists for the prestare il nome privilege; if applicable, the sponsoring estate's name will be part of the identifier, going after the legion number. As an example consider this IL: CMLIV-Castrillón-V-III-007-Centurion.

The legionnaire is: from Legio CMLIV, in a legion/cohort sponsored by the Castrillón Estate, is in the fifth cohort and within that cohort, they are in the third century, where they happen to be legionnaire 7 and holding the rank of Centurion.

Components
Besides basic infantry and their commanding officers, the Legion employs hundreds of thousands of soldiers in a logistic or supportive military role. These form the specialized components of the Legion.

Field Psychologists (Aenator) are the professionals responsible for the mental well-being of Legionaries, veterans, and their families. Like traditional psychologists, these professionals diagnose and treat various mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Unlike traditional psychologists, however, Army psychologists are trained to deal specifically with the unique needs of members of the armed forces. Aenatores train in monitoring the mental states of soldiers for signs of trauma, stress, depression, and intentions to mutiny or desert. Field psychologists are also available on domestic and foreign military bases to help treat soldiers experiencing mental and emotional problems. When soldiers are home on domestic bases, psychologists might counsel them on various issues, from minor stress to substance abuse. Soldiers who are away from home on foreign grounds, however, may suffer from more severe mental anguish.

Field Doctors (Medici Legiones) are active duty physicians representing all the specialties and subspecialties of civilian medicine. They may be assigned to fixed military medical facilities, deployable combat units, or military medical research and development duties. They are considered fully deployable soldiers and can heal in the middle of combat and between battles. One of the few military posts fillable by a non-citizen, legionary medics are famous for often being Daxian. The Daxian reputation as doctors pushed the Senate to open the road for them to serve in the military despite the public disdain for employing foreigners in the army. A non-combat specialty branch of the Legion called the Medical Corps exists to train and deploy field doctors, offering over 41 areas of concentration.

Artillery (ballista) is operated by the vital Ballistarii (artillerymen). They are grouped into regiments (Manipuli), individually commanded by an artillery officer (Duplicarius). The number of regiments assigned to a legion - and the composition of those regiments - is an area of flexibility for the Caphiran army. Regular legionaries are universally trained in the operation of mortars. Every contubernium has one of its own for field use, but this does little compared to the effectiveness of dedicated artillerymen and heavy artillery.

Operations
Ten contubernia collect together into a single century (centuria) whose commanding officer is the prestigious Centurion (Captain). A centurion's strategic link to his contubernia are his two second-in-commands (Optiones), one of whom - the Primo Optio - succeeds the centurion on his death. A successor position in the military, necessary to keep a consistent flow of orders, is an immutatio. COs and immutatios aren't included in the legionary count so a century comprises 100 legionaries and 23 officers.

Six centuries are grouped to form a cohort. Cohorts used to be arranged within a legion by a hierarchy from first to last cohort but this was phased out before the civil war. A cohort's principales (CO) is the Standard-Bearer (Signiferius). Once carrier of his cohort's symbol, signiferius came to denote a high military rank in the 18th century. Formal duties of a signiferius for his cohort are choosing its coat of arms, creating a motto and generally distinguishing it among the empire's many legions. While rarely in the line of fire, a signiferius still risks losing communications with inferior officers through a radio blackout or technical error. In such an event, he is temporarily replaced by the senior centurion, the Primus Pilus (First Spear), until higher leaders are contacted. Though the primus pilus' century does not receive special treatment, a first spear has the highest pay grade of all the infantrymen.

Personnel
A single soldier is called a Legionary, encased in standard armor (lorica carbonata) and operating in the most direct combat. Their smallest formation is a ten-man unit called a contubernium. Modern contubernia each hold 10 legionaries, led on the field by a squad leader, the Staff Sergeant (Tesserarius) and his second-in-command the Sergeant (Decurion).