The army of the Lunar Provinces.
Prior to 1625, the Lunar Provincial Army numbered approximately 14,000 soldiers, consisting of 9,500 infantry, 2,400 cavalry, 1,300 magicians, and 800 siege and supply soldiers. It was supplemented with over 10,000 soldiers from the Imperial Lunar Army.
Each of the Provincial Kingdoms must send and support regiments trained and commanded by loyal Lunar officers of the Provincial Army. Called the Native Corps of their respective kingdoms, they are usually geographically identified, such as the Goldedge or Slavewall Regiments from Tarsh.
Infantry are generally equipped with a large shield, spear, short sword, and leather armor. Cavalry are similarly armed.
No large magical units are present in the Provincial Army. The Reaching Moon priestesses and Mirin Moon Mages are powerful magicians but they cannot create cooperative mass-magical effects as the Minor or Major classes of the Field School of Magic can.
Four regiments were devoured completely in the Dragonrise, as well as several elite units (such as the Aggar wyvern riders) – even their spirits were destroyed.
Provincial Army Organization
The Provincial Overseer at Mirin's Cross oversees the Provincial Church, the Provincial bureaucracy, and the Provincial Army.
The Provincial Army is divided into the Native Corps regiments provided by each of the Provincial Kingdoms. The hierarchy of the Provincial Army is divided into a number of commands.
- Field Commanders: command Divisions of the Provincial Army. Beneath them are ranked the commanders of regiments and vexillae.
- Chief of Intelligence: commands scouts, spies and assassins.
- Chief of Liaison: commands liaison with local authorities, including native chiefs and kings.
- Chief of Wagons: quartermaster.
- Chief of Companions: commands the bodyguard of the Imperial Provincial General.
Quartermasters
The Chief of Wagons is quartermaster for the Provincial Army and must know all the roads, sources of food and goods, and other necessary cogs for efficient supply of the Lunar Army in Dragon Pass. Angus Farquinils was the quartermaster for the Provincial Army and reported to the Provincial General (1613-1621 Fazzur Wideread, 1621-1625 Tatius the Bright).
The quartermaster is empowered to requisition food and goods, and distribute them to the regiments. He is assisted by teams of scribes, teamsters, wagon trains, sutlers, and other private agents. Barges and boats can also be pressed into service, where feasible, to aid in the supply of the army.
The Chief of Wagons is outside of the regimental structure, reporting directing to the Provincial General. However, foraging is typically done at a regimental level, and each regimental commander makes his demands on the quartermaster for regular supply via the regimental quartermaster.
Requisition is habitually done on a large scale. Vast amounts of grain (particularly maize, barley and brown rice) was also brought from the Provinces and the Lunar Heartlands to supply depots in Dragon Pass.