The Halamire
Introduction
The Halamire is the military of the Daravinic Empire, and is one of the most powerful armies on Ransera. With Daravin's national conscious as jingoistic as it is, and with the Empire carrying a historically disproportionate level of mages to the general population, the Halamire is a truly massive force of both non-magical infantry and devastating magi. In terms of active military personnel, the Halamire appears to carry just north of a million soldiers, but with hundreds of thousands of Valran in reserve. It is almost certain to most that if truly unified, Daravin would be able to wash over much of Ailizane and war directly with the Imperium. Unfortunately for the Empire's expansionist aspirations, however, the Halamire are... mired with corruption and rather than one massive Imperial force, the million-strong army is largely divided by warring Montiens and Treveyns who constantly discard the lives of their soldiers by the thousands to maintain petty tracts of land.
Influence
The influence demonstrated upon Daravinic society by the Halamire is immense. In many ways, they are second only to the Entente, surpassing the Omen in deference and admiration. The Halamire act as the foundation of Daravinic society, which is greatly swayed by nationalism and warmongering desires. While a military coup is unprecedented within the Empire, the Halamire truly hold the Entente in some way to their will, as their interests are often replicated by the will of the Empire's masses.
Operations
The operations of the Halamire tend to be fairly complicated, and due to the messy borders and localized laws of the Empire, their overlap can often be confusing. Previously, the ranks listed below solely served in the Imperial army, which was allotted to particular regions via the Emperor's will and revoked as was necessary. Now, the Halamire is a messier institution, generally being bought and paid for by the nobility that fund them and provide them with adequate standards of life. As such, most of the ranks listed below are as likely to serve the Imperial army as they are to serve specific nobles, whether as part of a smaller military force or for larger armies, like those belonging to a Montese or Treveyn. For this reason, the Halamire are sometimes derided as mercenaries by other nations, though with an old tradition and excellent discipline.
Halamveir: Meaning 'Vanguard' in Old Gentevarese, the Halamveir are the new or unaccomplished infantry of the Halamire. This name also, actually, serves as the general title of all Halamire; when they are spoken of as people, particularly in the plural, 'Halamveir' is used to refer to the members of the military institution. Unfortunately, actually being a Halamveir is not so prestigious, particularly within the organization itself. They are offered very little in terms of amenities and while they are often fed decently well so as to foster strength, they tend to sleep in poor conditions and are paid virtually nothing. Many Halamveir are comparable to indentured servants, and they find it incredibly difficult to leave the organization.
Despite this, the Halamveir tend to appear rather content with their positions. They are generally regarded as a slight step above most peasant-rubes, and are sought after by many to build a family with, admired for their stability and the rations of food they are offered for their service. Halamveir tend to wear simple gear into battle; iron armor and simple weaponry, often spears or blades with wooden bucklers to defend against arrows or other strikes.
Zaldunire: Zaldunire means, literally, 'Knight' in Old Gentevarese and it is the base-line rank of the Halamire. Not to be confused with the noble Knighthood of other feudal monarchies, a Zaldunire is not a member of the aristocracy, though they are given some special privileges within society. A Zaldunire generally commands a small 'retinue' for a noble, and they often serve beneath the employ of individual Veir. Their forces generally number in the few dozen, and outside of combat and leadership they tend to occupy a comfortable economic position, not vastly wealthy but far from disenfranchised. Zaldunire are often non-magical warriors, and while they are certainly given respect - even by the Entente - they are generally viewed as glorified fodder in truth.
Korrivant: A Korrivant is something of a Chevalier, a wealthy and ornamented Knight and an elite member of the Daravinic cavalry. Except in the rare cases of truly elite non-magical warriors, Korrivant are made up of almost entirely mages, spelling a trend for the later ranks of the Halamire. The Korrivant tend to control units within an army, generally a few hundred troops within a formation. This unit answers to them in and outside of the field of combat, and their loyalty is often considered to be a highly important factor to the Entente, who often attempt to curry the favor of particular Korrivant to increase the size of their army. Korrivant are often Valran; in fact, it is the norm of Korrivant to be Valran, and on a local level they are often the highest ranking military officers. Anything above the Korrivant generally serve the national interests of Daravin, beneath the Scatha Sil'tch, and the Emperor.
Myrmidon: Myrmidons are the Generals of the Daravinic military. They lead entire armies and as a result, there are only a few within the Empire. While nearly all Montese have standing armies of their own, they tend to lead their own forces, delegating the Korrivant to their specific units. Myrmidons therefore serve the Empire's truly powerful: the Emperor, and the Treveyn. There are, thus, only five Myrmidons in the entirety of the Empire, and they tend to lead tens of thousands of troops. Myrmidons are viewed often with greater respect than many nobility, holding a similar level of prestige and influence as the average Montese. They are also generally removed from the Candor, their position generally considered unquestionable by all but failure on the field of battle. Myrmidons are fabulously wealthy and are ornamented with priceless weapons and armor, crafted by some of the world's greatest Runesmiths. Considering the Jingoism of the nation, they carry some level of quasi-religious deference, viewed as faithful servants of God. For this reason, they tend to be able to ignore virtually all of the Empire's laws. If a Myrmidon retires from service, he or she is immediately made into a Veir, ensuring their descendants will hold positions within the nobility. Myrmidons must be mages.
Scatha Sil'tch: Meaning 'The Red Haze' in Eldhan, the Scatha Sil'tch is the leader of the Halamire. Rather than acting as Justane's Myrmidon, the Scatha Sil'tch acts as the commander of the Empire's entire military force. They hold nearly unrivaled influence and authority, given the blessing of both the Emperor and Pontifex to organize the military as they wish. While the Scatha (as they are generally called) do not usually interfere in the politics of the Entente, they are capable of doing so in times of war and necessity. They may conscript whomever they wish, even forcing Montese and Treveyn to answer the call of war. They may force the Entente to cease their internal wars, and can force them to contribute forces to the Imperial military. They can call upon Korrivant and Myrmidon to serve them, and only answer to the Emperor in regards to their battle plans and mission imperatives. While the Scatha cannot call for war, they are allowed to serve the Emperor's wishes without restraint. The Scatha are considered paragons of might, patriotism and valor, and are immortalized within their own legendary tomb on the fringes of Genteven. When the Empire faces a truly gruesome war, their corpses are reanimated to fight for their nation, serving as truly powerful undead.
Valran
All Valran are technically members of the Halamire, though their involvement within the Halamire varies dramatically. Before describing the role of the Valran within the Halamire, it is important to describe the Valran as a whole.
To begin with, the Valran act - in many ways - as lesser Nobility, though this is not an accurate method of describing them. While the upper strata of Valran essentially serve the role of Veir, acting as the bureaucratic administrators of the greater Entente's will, from within the Valran there is a great variance of tasks and objectives. They act as businessmen who oversee the Entente's estates, manufacturies, invested assets; they act as soldiers, bodyguards, enforcers of the law. Just as often they arbitrate legal disputes, essentially acting as attorneys or judges in place of Veir who are far fewer in number. There are doctors, often Necromancers, and other successful World Mages... the Valran occupy the middle to upper-middle rungs of society, and sometimes they find themselves to be members of the upper class; Daravin's 'bourgeois'.
They are an incredibly flexible 'class' of people, particularly given that they are -- truly -- chosen by merit. The Valran, as the backbone of society, are the perfect deterrent to revolution; a pure image of what any Daravinic man, woman or child may become, if they dedicate themselves to magical supremacy.
And thus -- how a Valran is chosen. They are elected often purely by their magical talent, though many are given credence as a result of their skill with words or demonstrated efficacy in situations akin to the Candor. The Valran play the Candor with one another, often, constantly in competition for the favor of their liege... which brings us to who specifically selects them. A Valran is, of course, selected by a member of the Entente. Part of the power of the Entente is their free ability to warp the lives of others; they can make any eligible mage a Valran, even the most cast-off of Veiren. Of course, their selection will be scrutinized by others, with the election of unworthy Valran considered to be a soiling of their name and integrity. As such, the Entente -- for fear of the Candor's backlash -- will choose Valran wisely, always certain to perform a cost-benefit analysis of what worth that escalation may bring them.
Valran are, upon consenting to the role, uniformly required to swear fealty to the Entente who selected them. As such, many promising mages will refuse offers from Visiers, with many swearing direct oaths to Montiens or even greater. Who a Valran serves is inherently important to the strength of their position, as not all Valran are created equal. A Valran who directly deserves a Treveyn, or even the Emperant, begins with an air of prestige that escalates him or her far beyond the station of his or her peers. Wealth follows, as Daravinic merchants and other Valran are likely to funnel farthings into the pockets of the elected mage in order to gain the distant ear of their Lord.
As for the role of the Valran in the Halamire; as personal enforcers and guards to the Nobility, they tend to act as elite shock troopers within the Daravinic military. A Valran will typically command a regiment of troops and is often, by far, the most lethal of warriors within their regiment. As Valran are specifically trained to amass the greatest possible killing potential, witnessing one in combat is an inspiring if gruesome view.
Unlike with the Nobility, a Valran does not pass his 'class' to his child. The child of a Valran is a peasant, and so the great majority of them elect to initiate all of their children in a fashion similar to the Entente. The spouse(s) of a Valran is also a peasant; though they may live in luxury, they are regarded no special tolerance under the law, and many Valran are quick to discard romantic partners of theirs who may be threatening to their reputation.
The Scatha Sil'tch, Alistair
Alistair Berkeley, referred to as "Lord Commandant" by most, is the leader of the Halamire and is an old friend to the Emperor, Justane. Originally one of the previous Emperor's servants, Alistair befriended Justane when the two were both boys, and their friendship has persisted throughout their lives. It was not by nepotism that Alistair became the Scatha Sil'tch, however -- he is not only one of the Empire's greatest mages, but one of its best tactical minds. A curious and enigmatic individual, little is known of his personal life, and he tends to shy away from the public eye on matters away from the military. Like the Emperor's wife, Alistair is originally from the Gelerian Imperium, with his family fleeing the autocratic nation due to their persecution of mages. He was initiated into magic by his father, and learned military combat and strategy by proximity, acting as a ward to the young Justane. Before long, he outgrew his peers in virtually all aspects, revealing a natural acuity that led him to join the Imperial army.
Alistair is known for his long history of conflict with the Kingdom of Auris and the Republic of Dalquia, leading several land invasions into the foreign realms. Though merely serving his role as, back then, the Myrmidon of the western front, he accrued the reputation of a bloodied slayer of Elves from these conflicts, securing Daravin's western borders. He is now responsible for the growth of Daravin's territory, overseeing colonies on the fringes of Ailizane and repelling the efforts of the two Elven nations with which the Empire still wars.
A master of the more arcane aspects of magic, Alistair shies from the martial Runes, despite his skill in close-quarter combat. He is a Spectator, an Ascendant Semblance mage, and a master magical duelist. He is also said to be a master of Kinetics and Animus. Alistair has sculpted his body - internally and externally - to near perfection with physical ardor and Necromancy, and for a human man is tremendously tall and imposing. He often wears cloth garments with chainmail armor underneath, and is known for carrying an immaculate grimoire strapped to his waist. Fond of birds, he has many artificed avians accompanying him at all times, engineered to inform him and provide him with warnings.