The Great Imperial Army

When Tsar Oberon proclaimed himself as Emperor of the entire Household after the Boggart exodus, the Fae Army took the name of Great Imperial Army. The name has remained to this day, even though Arcadia abdicated in favor of the High Council and the Household is formally no longer an Empire.

This is further supported by the Astraviya Treaty, as it entrusts the armed forces of the Realm with the duty of patrolling all common territories, making them the military wing of the High Council, and the most influential army in the House.

Soldiers of the Great Imperial Army are organized into five categories: ranking military, noncommissioned officers, officers, senior officers, and generals.

Each soldier, regardless of their rank, wears a uniform in the colors of their dukedom: different shades of red and green for the Table and the Window, red and blue for the Piano, and red and black for the Cupboard.

The ranking military are the beating heart of the army, and they are composed of privates, lance corporals, and corporals, which are also assigned a role as cuirassiers, gamekeepers, sentries, honor guards, or fusiliers. These littlings wear beautiful uniforms paired with a hat or a plumed helmet as well as the iconic pointy boots, which are the true distinctive symbol of the army.

Sergeant, sergeant major, and marshal are, in ascending order of importance, the ranks for noncommissioned officers, who are further divided into the same roles as ranking military, and have the added responsibility of coordinating other soldiers. They can be recognized by their more elaborate uniforms, on a par with elegant clothing.

Dress uniforms for officers are even more elaborate and beautiful. Second lieutenants, lieutenants, and captains all boast short boots as shiny as a beetle, tall and ornate golden hats, and long cloaks falling off the left shoulder. The last item, a purely aesthetic rendition of the historical dueling cloak, is especially coveted by many young littlings of the Realm and widely regarded as a symbol of status, a promise of a brilliant career for any soldier wearing it. 

The senior officers are all littlings who, through their exploits, their prolonged service, or their special merits, have earned the rank of major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel. In theory, these littlings are tasked with leading the army’s battalions, but in time of peace their main occupations are training the troops, managing resources and weaponry, presiding over embassies, taking part in galas, and either wistfully or heatedly remembering the good old times.

Finally, at the head of the Great Imperial Army there are many, many generals, each of them with such a specific title and occupation.

A small group of soldiers equipped with similar gear and led by an officer is called a company.

Several companies can be united under the leadership of a senior officer, becoming collectively known as a battalion.

A legion consists of several battalions answering to the same general. The entirety of the Great Imperial Army is divided in thirteen legions, each named after a well-known star, with a roman numeral and the word “Legio”.

For these carefully selected soldiers, the Military Academy in Glasburg lasts one additional year, during which recruits train in wild territories and in the Inbetweens of the dukedom of the Cupboard. At the end of this year, the recruits share the same level of camaraderie as the hunters of a den.

Ultra adversa (Over adversities) is more than a motto for the Sentries: it is a salute, an oath, and a way of life, acting both as encouragement and warning.

Littlings who choose this life won’t spend many days in large and bright cities, they won’t attend many balls at the palace like the honor guards or cuirassiers, they won’t go out on patrol in the mushroom woods for a few days here and there like the gamekeepers, nor will they keep to the rear like fusiliers.

Being a Sentry means giving up all luxuries and setting off for the harshest places of the Household or Outhold, always on the front lines, always alone.

The typical company of Sentries is made up of ten soldiers or fewer, each armed with half-scissors and cross bow. They often spend days and days traveling through wild lands in absolute silence, carrying everything they need to survive in a heavy backpack.

A Sentry’s life is hard and thankless, and the only ones who last long in this career are littlings who truly believe in the cause they are serving. Them, and the ones who can’t or won’t ever return home because of their past.