reverancepavane | ponderings on fantasy military mascots (Reply)

I tend to reuse bits and pieces from old campaigns that I liked. One of the things that developed was the military organisation of the Empire Reborn.

Now the regular army was divided into three parts.

There was the Dragon Guard, which was essentially the standing army. Units were generally raised locally and usually identified by the area which raised them, but were not militia. They often served outside the area they were raised, which militia would only be expected to do in time of war (although they often acted as cadre to militia units and drew their recruits from them). Officers were, however, generally professionally trained, and often knighted once they reached the rank of captain (but served with their units rather than as a company of knights).

The Lion Guard tended to be composed of specialised and elite units which drew their membership from all over the Empire. For example the Imperial Marines (being those troops trained to operate on ships), were members of the Lion Guard.

The Phoenix Guard was the smallest grouping, and was essentially the palace guard of the Emperor.

This distinction was more important when you considered the chivalry. The Empire recognised three orders of chivalry, known as the Knights Martial, which mirrored the distinctions of the Guard.

The Knights of the Dragon were the military order of knighthood. Although it could field a number of companies of SHAC (super-heavy armoured cavalry), it was generally dispersed as an order be being the officers of the various Guard units.

The Knights of the Lion were those heroic individuals that didn't really fit the military mould. They had their Valour Hall in the city of Eastgard, where they regaled each other with their tales of daring do. And went out to find more dragons to slay and princesses to rescue (or vice versa, if the situation demanded it).

The Knights of the Phoenix on the other hand, were the agents of the Emperor. They rarely revealed themselves directly, preferring a degree of anonymity. Their mission was to preserve the Empire against threats internal and external.

There were other orders of chivalry, known as the Knights Militant, which recognised that at the rebirth of the Empire there were numerous organisations capable of fielding military forces that did not fall under direct control of the Empire. These groups are chartered by the Emperor and lead an independent existence, but were technically summonable by the Knight Marshal* in times of war. These could vary from essentially player groups (such as the Knights of the Stone) to religious groups (such as the Knights of the Cross). Many of the Knights Militant had troops under their direct command that were neither Guard nor Militia, but allowable under their Charter.

[Incidentally there was no requirement that a Knight actually be fighting man, although this was the most probable case with the Dragon Knights (and many Lion Knights were of the thump them and see school). On the other hand, the Knights of the Red Cross, for example, was a purely magical order (well, at least they were until they and their companion order the Knights of the Black Cross got their charters revoked for subversion and treason), and Phoenix Knights could be anyone who was trusted to act as the Emperor's Hand.]

Now my big question to you (if there is anyone actually reading this) is this.

We have three orders of the Knights Martial (and Guard), each represented by a totemic creature (Dragon, Lion, and Phoenix). Two of those creatures (Dragon and Phoenix) are magical in nature. Should the third creature (Lion) be changed to being something magical too, like a Gryphon or Manticore.** Or something else. [Admittedly originally I was thinking the Nemean Lion when the orders were created, but mainly because there was a Hercules "clone" in the Knights of the Lion.]

I'm undecided about this. Then again, I've got a feeling that the elite units of the Lion Guard couldn't help but take a perverse pride in their "ordinary" mascot.

* Yes, this is solely so I could use the phrase "the Knight Marshal of the Knights Martial." How well you know me. <grin>

** If forced to choose this is probably my favourite, but conflicts with my sign-off for stuff ("Exeunt stage right, pursued by mantichora") which is probably why I didn't think of it at the time.)