Red Legion¶
The Red Legion is the army of an unnamed queen, known from a single page of notes in the 2013 archive (S539). It is organized in legions of five thousand under generals, with a ladder of ranks marked by rubies, and its commanders carry the civil authority of magistrates, mayors and governors as well as military command. Its elite, the Blood Legions, guard the high commander and the queen.
Ranks and insignia¶
Every soldier wears black under a red tabard bearing "the legion symbol in black". Rubies set in gold on the left collar mark rank, and loose ruby squares "signify a major accomplishment or event or act of heroism" (S539).
| Rank | Commands | Civil authority | Dress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier | Black outfit, red tabard, no rubies | ||
| Sergeant | "sometimes leads a squad of Soldiers" | "Authority of a magistrate" | Tabard trimmed in gold; one ruby |
| Pentax | "sometimes leads 20 (4 Squads)" | "Authority of a high magistrate" | Dark red cuffs and collar; two rubies |
| Centurion | "sometimes leads 100 (20 Squads)" | "Authority of a mayor" | Dark red outfit; three rubies |
| General | "a legion, 5000 men, 50 centurions" | "Authority of a governor" | Dark red trimmed in gold; four rubies |
| High Commander | "the entire red legion" | "Authority of the Queen" | As a general, with five rubies |
A unit's rank is marked by where it is worn: the 41st centurion "marked on right collar (Roman numerals)", the Iron Company "marked on sleeve pins", the Eagle legion "marked on tabard" (S539).
Firsts and the elite¶
"The title first indicates you have the authority among equals." A squad with more than one sergeant has a first sergeant, and so up the ladder. "A first will wear a gold pendant set with a ruby in front of the tabard", and these pendants "act as communication devices as well" (S539).
"Each legion has one centurion filled only with the most elite (they are all centurion rank)", the first centurion, led by the general or his lieutenant. The high commander has four centurions made up entirely of centurions, "known as the Blood Legions". The queen "is guarded by 2 first centurions, and their duty rotates every 2 months": one is her travelling guard, the other her home guard (S539).
Named officers¶
The notes name a chain of command from the top to a single squad (S539), all of them gathered with the minor figures of the earlier Ages:
- High Commander Kane.
- General Urri of the Eagle legion.
- Centurion Morlek of the 41st centurion.
- Pentax Norris of the Iron Company.
- Sergeant Oxby of the 3rd Squad.
Gap
The notes do not name the queen, her realm, or the age in which the Red Legion served, and give no history, campaigns or enemies. Nothing places it in any later document.