Military of Osannia
Note: This information refers to the Third Imperium Age. As of the 2200s, Osannia is part of the Crullathian Empire. See: Fourth Imperium Age
Osannia’s Royal Army serves as the police, border security, and military of the Kingdom of Osannia. Its 115,000 strong force makes it one of the smallest militaries in Kurathene (ranked 9th of 11 in total size). The Royal Army was officially established in 1969 when the new Illian monarch was crowned, though an official Osannia military was established at the founding of the nation under the name "Osannia" in 1851. Osannia's army was formerly part of the Kurathene Empire's legions under control by the Prefecture of Isslius and most of the structure, uniform, and tactics used by the Royal Army are retained from the Emperor's reign.
Organization and Structure
The Royal Army reports directly to the King of Osannia via the Proconsul of the Army, the highest ranking commander of the Royal Army. The Proconsul, currently held by Author da'Teel, maintains a contingent of Captain's that act as the Proconsul's aides, assisting him in daily matters. The Royal Army is divided into the following components, from largest to smallest:
- Legion: Approximately 30,000 foot soldiers, usually commanded by a Captain.
- Cohort: Approximately 3,000 foot soldiers, usually commanded by a Tribune.
- Century: Approximately 300 foot soldiers, usually commanded by a Centurion.
- Decade: 30 foot soldiers, usually commanded by a Sergeant-at-Arms. This is the largest unit commanded by a soldier of plebian birth in the Royal Army.
- Section: 3 soldiers, commanded by the highest ranking enlisted member, normally a Sergeant-at-Arms.
The individual units are numbered based on the quality and type of soldiers in that unit, the importance of the unit, or the type of unit. Thus, the quality of a legion, cohort, century, or any other unit size can normally be ascertained by unit number alone. The order or precedence is highest for units holding the title 1st and the importance tapers off through larger numbers. Thus, the 1st Cohort of the 1st Legion is considered the most elite unit of the Royal Army while the 10th Cohort of the 4th Legion is the dumping grounds for undesirable soldiers. The individual legions are described below:
1st Legion
The 1st Legion is the most prestigious of all Osannia Legions and encompasses all of the special units in the Osannia military. This legion is headquarted in Ellyius and is the parent unit to the Speculators (1st Century - 2nd Cohort), Nurses (3rd Cohort), Commandos (2nd Cohort), and Royal Guard (1st Cohort). The few standard infantry units of the 1st Legion are primarily responsible for policing Ellyius and the surround countryside.
2nd Legion
The 2nd Legion's primary mission is the manning of the Anvil Wall and the majority of these units focus on tactics to destroy undead. Six of the 2nd Legion's Cohorts guard the wall, with the other four Cohorts patrolling the country side and guarding the borders with Servator and Crullath.
3rd Legion
The 3rd Legion's primary mission is border patrols with Medec. Most of this time is spent hunting for smugglers trying to avoid customs and escorting important caravans. Some 3rd Legion Cohorts are frequently rotated to southern Osannia to assist the over-burdened 2nd Legion.
4th Legion
The 4th Legion is Osannia's mountain troops. All soldiers in 4th Legion's Cohorts are trained on mountain combat and have experienced high-altitude training. The various Cohorts annually rotate through two month training cycles at Osannia's Mountain Training Facility, with one Cohort practicing low-altitude maneuvers while another Cohort acclimates at the high-altitude barracks. This ensures Osannia always has one Cohort already prepared for high-altitude mountain combat with two others capable of acclimating within days. The idle units police northern Osannia and provide border security with Medec, Valorian, and Kuras.
Rank Structure
The Royal Army takes great pride in its officer corps, all of which attend the Illian Martial Academy and all of which are patricians. The enlisted soldiers are plebians and all volunteer, since service under the officers is viewed as civic duty and a true honor. The heavy worship of Toran within Osannia provides for an abundance of volunteers. The enlistment lasts 5 years under active duty and 10 years in the reserves. All male citizens may volunteer to fight for Osannia. Females may join the military, but only as a Nurse, never as a combative soldier. The Academy, rivaled by the Kirkun Martial Academy during the reign of the emperor, was highly prestigious and enrollment was sought by nobles throughout the Empire. Since the isolation after the Isslian Civil War and the following Osannia Civil War, the Academy is attempting to revamp its image and once again become THE training academy for military officers. Osannia has placed heavy emphasis on its military since the Illian family once again took control. The Martial Academy now maintains a more conservative curriculum, unlike its formerly controversial and highly aggressive agenda at its founding. Non-lethal dueling is practiced at the academy with lethal fights isolated and controlled in the Arena.
Those plebeians that prove themselves worthy are allowed to become warrants of the King, but never a true officer unless granted peerage. Osannia has two specialized warrant officer ranks including the Speculators, officers specializing in intelligence gathering, interrogation, and clandestine missions and Nurses, primarily female officers specializing in healing. Nurses are never allowed to take part in combat during battle, though many Nurse clerics and herbalists of past conflicts were killed on the battlefield. Both specialized ranks wear distinctive uniforms with Speculators in black and Nurses in white. Military drills focus on changing tactics as the situation dictates, with no set doctrine.
Enlisted Ranks
- Man-at-Arms
- Sergeant-at-Arms
- Sergeant Major
Warrant Officer Ranks
- Speculator (intelligence)
- Nurse (medical)
Officer Ranks
- Centurion (commands a single century)
- Tribune (commands a cohort)
- Captain (of hundreds, commands a legion)
- Captain (of thousands, commands multiple legions)
- Proconsul of the Army
Though all patricians are officers, not all officers are knights. Knights are given their title by the King for great service or recognition. Knights carry their knightly title in addition to any military ranks they may hold (knightly rank is maintained throughout life, even after military service.) Once knighted, the knight may go by his rank or the title of “sir�? and his wife by the title “lady.�? Knighted soldiers outrank un-knighted soldiers of the same rank and have sworn fealty to the King.
Knightly Ranks
- Page
- Squire
- Knight Patrician (given to knighted gentry after they are given land and brought into the ranks of patricians)
- Knight
- Knight Commander
Special Units
Osannia's military saw the need for a few uniquely-specialized troops. Many of the qualified soldiers at the time of formation were plebians and the Proconsul developed a new rank, the warrant officer. These new officers were highly trained and extremely proficient in their job function. They were considered warrants of the King and assisted the nobles in their specialized tasks. The first type of warrant officer was the Speculator, established almost immediately after the founding of the Kingdom of Osannia.
Speculators
The Speculators are the "men-in-black" of Osannia. Osannian parents have long staged the Speculators as the boogeymen of Osannia, warning children to behave. The threat of the Speculators often plague those children that don't finish their meals or those children that steal candies from the market. Parents warn that the Speculators will come in the night and take the children away to Delving keep. This malevolant story-telling has ingrained the mentality that Speculators are to be feared and respected. Delving Keep was an easy choice for a headquarters, with its imposing, spartan walls and commanding view of the foothills.
In reality, the Speculators encompass highly-trained noble officers and warrant officers that conduct the "dirty work" of Osannia's military. The Speculators specialize in interrogating prisoners, conducting clandestine missions, gathering intelligence, and spreading rumors. All of the earliest Speculators were plebians, mostly rogueish types with shady backgrounds. They are officially designated the 1st Century of the 2nd Cohort (Commandos) of the 1st Legion, consisting of roughly 300 men. The midnight black uniform is typically worn only during official duties and ceremonies, Speculators typically wear plain clothes to conceal their identity.
Nurses
Osannia's Nurse Cohort were founded by Queen Anaa Illian in 2084. Anaa was a very compassionate woman and hated to see any person or creature suffer pain or injury. Prior to the nurses, Osannia merely used its priests as field medics and the barracks' storage rooms as rudimentary hospitals. Anaa used the creation of the Nurses to bypass laws disbanding women from the military. Though still not in a fighting roll, women could now aid the Kingdom and its soldiers. The Nurses are headquartered in Anaa's Manor, a large estate donated by the Percivian family and converted into a hospital, barracks, and place of rest of injured soldiers and civilians alike.
Not surprisingly, many of the clerical Nurses worship Cha'reth and a shrine dedicated to Cha'reth is located inside Anaa's Manor. The Nurses wear a white tabard over their armor and clothes and are not authorized to fight directly in combat. They are trained in the art of combat to defend hospitals and the helpless or crippled. A Century of Nurses is typically assigned to each military Cohort, following them into combat. During combat, Nurses maintain the hospital tent and heal fallen soldiers in the field, but they are never allowed to fight unless protecting an injured or disabled soldier. The Nurses are officialy designated the 3rd Cohort (Nurses) of the 1st Legion.
Uniforms
The Uniforms of the Royal Army are very similar to that used by the former Kurathene Empire. For a foot soldier, full battle dress consists of a chain-mail tabard, trimmed in the rank color, draped over a close-fitting suit of full plate armor. Officers have a rank-colored cloak attached to their armor, which provides for easy identification by other soldiers. Enlisted soldiers don a rather mundane, hinged-face helmet while officers wear a more elaborate helmet with a tall, rank-colored plume. All shield-wielding soldiers carry the black-and-white checked shield of the Kingdom, irregardless of rank.
The cloth uniform is a simple cotton (enlisted) or linen (officers) tabard worn over seasonal undergarments. The tabard is checked with black and white for enlisted or field officers and the ranked color and black for flag officers. Thus, Captains are easily noticed by their distinguised dark blue and black tabards. All tabards are trimmed in the rank color and officers have an additional shoulder board also trimmed in rank color. The same undergarments are worn under both armor and uniform black long-sleeved shirts and stockings made of linen, cotton, or wool; depending on the season. Nurses and Speculators were easily visible tabards of all white or all black, resprectively. Footwear is the same for both armor and uniform: knee-high leather, pull-on boots made of black leather that many soldiers choose to polish with bee's wax.