“In the name of the Storm Sovereign and the Imperator, we march. By thunder and flame, we conquer.”
The Imperial Legions are the supreme military forces of the Arkanis Imperium, vast armies that embody the Imperium’s creed of conquest, order, and divine supremacy. Each Legion is both a political symbol and a devastating war machine, feared across the galaxy for their discipline, loyalty, and ruthless efficiency.
Every Legion is a highly organized entity blending officers, soldiers, psi-casters, and Stellar Knights into a single unified force.
Legion Size: A standard Imperial Legion numbers 20,000–30,000 soldiers, not including support staff, slaves, or auxiliaries. Some “Grand Legions” number well over 100,000.
Command:
Imperator: Supreme commander of all Imperial forces, regarded as chosen by the Storm Sovereign himself.
Legate: A general placed in command of a Legion. Usually a high-ranking noble or officer with strong ties to the throne.
Tribunes: Senior officers commanding divisions of the Legion (often nobles, decorated officers, or mid-tier psi-casters).
Centurions: Battle-hardened veterans leading centuries (units of 100).
Sergeants & Lieutenants: Sub-commanders enforcing discipline and order at the unit level.
Core Units:
Guardsmen: Garrison troops, occupational forces, and planetary enforcers.
Infantry: Main combat force of the Legions, forming the bulk of every campaign.
Marines: Shock troops used for planetary invasions, boarding actions, and armored warfare.
Pilots: Starfighter, gunship, and bomber pilots; also serve as gunners aboard capital ships.
Psi-Casters: Force multipliers integrated throughout, ranked by their attunement levels.
Stellar Knights: Elite champions and enforcers, serving as both inspirational leaders and ruthless exemplars.
Legionnaires are forged in the academies and battlefields of the Imperium. Every soldier, from officer cadet to lowly guardsman, is indoctrinated to serve the Imperator and the Storm Sovereign.
Officers are trained in strategy, logistics, and command at the great academies.
Soldiers are drilled in weapons, survival, and loyalty, often under brutal conditions.
Psi-Casters undergo their own specialized training as Initiates, honing their Psi-links to battlefield application.
Stellar Knights rise above all others through decades of harsh trials, embodying the Imperium’s ideal of perfection.
Discipline is absolute: desertion, cowardice, or insubordination is punishable by death, often carried out by the unit’s own comrades to reinforce loyalty.
Each Legion swears sacred oaths upon formation: to the Imperator, to the Storm Sovereign, and to the Imperium’s eternal supremacy. These oaths are renewed in ceremonies before major campaigns, with rituals involving blood, lightning-wreathed banners, and invocations of the Storm Sovereign’s name.
Standards: Every Legion carries a Storm Standard, a towering banner crackling with controlled lightning, said to be blessed by the priests of the Storm Sovereign. The loss of a standard is considered a dishonor greater than death.
Gladiatorial Games: In worlds like Tursia, Legionnaires often participate in gladiatorial games to prove their strength and inspire fear in subjects.
Victory Rites: After great battles, entire Legions march in triumphal processions, their banners displayed and spoils paraded before the people.
Psi-Casters serve throughout the Legion as battlefield medics, scouts, frontline devastators, or high-level commanders. Their attunement determines their rank and responsibilities.
Stellar Knights serve as paragons within each Legion. Though few in number, their presence can rally thousands or crush rebellion with a single strike. Often, a Stellar Knight commands elite strike forces or acts as the Imperator’s direct agent on campaign.
While most Legions are standard, several specialized formations exist:
Occupation Legions: Focused on long-term planetary control and suppression of rebellion.
Expeditionary Legions: Equipped for prolonged campaigns far from Imperial space.
Storm Legions: Elite forces blessed in the name of the Storm Sovereign, often personally led by Stellar Knights or high-ranking Psi-casters.
Auxiliary Legions: Incorporate alien slaves or conscripts under strict human oversight, though these are viewed with suspicion and often treated as expendable.
The Imperial Legions are more than just armies—they are the living embodiment of the Arkanis Imperium’s will. They spread the Imperator’s rule to distant stars, uphold Imperial law across countless worlds, and remind all who oppose them that the Storm Sovereign’s dominion is eternal.
Where the Legions march, resistance falters. Where they plant their standards, empires fall.