The Aclidian Legionnaire
The Aclidian legionnaire is a well trained, highly disciplined, and superbly equipped professional soldier, making up the backbone of Aclidian Legion. Recruits can be volunteers or levied from the provinces, and both Aclidian citizens and non-citizens are permitted into the ranks. Terms of service within the Legion are a minimum of ten seasons, after which legionnaires can retire with full pay, land, and for non-citizens, Aclidian citizenship for themselves and their families. Equipment for these heavy infantry-beasts in standardized, and every legionnaire can be expected to own the following:
Armor:
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Lorica segmentata: Consisting of many broad metallic plates fastened together with leather and brass fittings, the lorica is the standard protection for the legionary. The lorica’s metal plates are arranged horizontally across the body, overlapping downwards, with the weight distributed across the shoulders and upper body, allowing for comfortable all-day wear. Legionnaires are required to wear their armor at all time when on duty, and maintain the lorica regularly to prevent rusting.
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Galea (helm): Open-faced helms that can fit multiple species, the galea’s distinctive features are its hinged check guards, flared neck piece, and reinforcing brow-band. For decorative and identification purposes, the cheek guards of each legion’s helmets are fitted with a brass figurehead that identifies what particular legion a legionary belongs too: the XXII Northern Legion’s insignia is a ram’s head, the XXI Aclidian Legion’s is the head of an eagle, and the XVI Southern Legion’s emblem is a serpent motif.
Whether in full armor or not, legionnaires typically wear a maroon tunic, grey trousers, hobnailed marching boots, and a neck scarf to protect their necks from the edges of their armor.
Armament:
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Gladius (short sword): The gladius is a short, double edged thrusting sword and the primary weapon of the legionnaire. Although suited for slashing and chopping movements, legionnaires are trained to attack with precise, rapid thrusts from behind the cover of their shields. Legionnaires are required to sheath their swords at their right hip, where it can be drawn without endangering the beast next to them. A leather baldric is worn from the left shoulder to suspend the sheath.
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Scutum (shield): Constructed from layers of wood glued together with resin, the Legion trains its soldiers to use the scutum in as much of an offensive manner as a defensive one. It’s large rectangular shape, iron edging, and curved design gives the legionnaire excellent protection from blows and missiles, while a pronounced metal boss in the center of the shield can be used to bludgeon opponents. Designs painted upon the shield’s surface can vary, but the most common motif is symmetrical gold wings and lightening bolts emanating from the shield boss.
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Pilum (heavy javelin): Thrown into the enemy’s ranks over short distances, the pilum is a heavy throwing javelin designed to either outright kill a foe, or slow the enemy down by embedding in their shield. The pilum’s iron shaft is purposefully soft, intended to bend upon impact so that the enemy cannot throw the javelin back.
Pugio (dagger): Similar in shape and intention as the gladius, the pugio is a small dagger that is commonly sheathed at the legionaries left hip, intended as a back-up weapon.
Legionary Vocations
First and foremost, a legionnaire's job is to do battle with Aclidia's enemies. However, a legion is also a self sustaining organization, capable of repairing and producing its own replacement arms and armor, and sustaining itself with basic commodities and food when encamped. Aside from being a professional soldier, the Aclidian legionary can also be a tailor, carpenter, rudimentary blacksmith, or any other vocation essential to the legion's activities when at war or garrisoned in distant lands. Vocational skills are honed alongside the legionary's training, and surplus goods produced by legionaries are often sold to supplement their pay.
Aside from general vocational skills, there are more specialized duties to be fulfilled within the Legion's ranks:
Engineers: Transportation, construction, and operation of the Legion's siege is undertaken by a select group of legionnaires trained as engineers. Numbering a contubernium (10) within a full centuria (100) of legionaries, engineers tow heavily laden carts that contain the instruments and materials required to construct a small ballista, known as a scorpion. Engineers very rarely participate in direct battle, and therefore wear lighter, boiled leather variants of the lorica segmentata and galea.
Proditors: Their title derived from the Aclidian word for betrayer, the Legion's proditors are not counted amongst the masses of heavy infantry, instead being their own individual sect of spies, assassins, and saboteurs. Proditors typically operate alone or in small groups, and travel the world extensively, collecting information and assessing risks posed to the Empire. As they are left out of the Legion's official head-count, proditors are not issued any of the standardized gear that is given to legionaries, and instead are required to procure whatever they require themselves.
