![[Legions_header.jpeg|center|300]] --- ## Structure and Composition Each legion of Mercury’s Republic is commanded by an **Imperator**, appointed by the **Juvinate** and confirmed by the **Senate**, ensuring alignment with both reformist and traditionalist powers of the Republic. Unlike in the late Republican period of old Rome, these legions do not owe loyalty to the person of the Imperator. All oaths of service are sworn to: - **The Senate and People of Rome** (*Senatus Populusque Romanus*, SPQR) — the eternal collective body of the Republic. - **Mercury**, divine patron of the Eternal Republic. ### Legion Size and Core Units A standard legion consists of roughly **6,000 soldiers**, broken down into: - **10 Cohorts** - Cohorts 2–10 contain ~480 soldiers each. - **The 1st Cohort (Primus Cohors)** contains ~960 elite troops and command elements. Each Cohort contains: - **6 Standard Maniples** — heavy infantry, trained in martial combat and elemental resonance. - **1 Arcani Manipulus** — specialized in Aeolian and Locrian magics for subterfuge, illusion, and disruption. - **1 Medica Manipulus** — practitioners of harmonic healing based on Galenic modes (Lydian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Phrygian). - **1 Technomagica Manipulus** — engineers, obelisk deployers, and field resonance technicians. --- ## Command Hierarchy - **Imperator** — Supreme commander; interfaces with the Mare Internum via Velum Mentis to oversee macro-strategy. - **Praefectus Resonantiae** — Chief harmonic officer; manages resonance operations, obelisk grids, and Mare communication. - **Tribuni Militum** — Six per legion; oversee individual cohorts and manage integration of military and cultic structures. - **Centurion** — Commands a century (~80 men); backbone of field discipline. - **Optio** — Deputy to the centurion. - **Signifer** — Resonant standard-bearer; attuned to the legion’s harmonic signature. - **Tesserarius** — Handles secure field codes and resonance encryption protocols. --- ## Lambda Cohort (Silent Cohort) Each legion includes a permanently embedded elite unit known as the **Lambda Cohort**. Publicly, these soldiers are referred to as **Silent Cohorts**, believed to be living initiates of the Cult of Mithras who have taken a vow of silence. In reality, they are reanimated corpses—legionnaires repurposed via necromantic resonance and directed through harmonic control systems. They wear sealed black Lorica armor with gold trim. Their helmets feature a narrow eye slit through which faintly glowing crystal eyes can be seen. These visual cues reinforce their unnatural and dehumanized presence. The Lambda Cohort is structured according to harmonic specialization: - **Four base officers**, each bearing a single organ crystal tuned to one of the classical Galenic modes: - **Phrygian** (Fire) - **Dorian** (Earth) - **Lydian** (Air) - **Mixolydian** (Water) - **Two intermediate officers**, each possessing two crystalized organs and mastery over dual-mode harmonic synthesis. - **One high officer**, bearing three crystals and functioning as the cohort’s field commander. - Above all stands **The Tetrarch**, Marcus Agrippa, the only known Mithran to bear all four harmonic crystals. He does not accompany standard deployments but serves as the supreme enforcer of Mithran will. These officers wear talismanic containment devices in place of helmets to prevent resonance leakage from their modified bodies. Their magical eye implants allow them to perceive dissonance, command resonance flows, and interface with Mare Internum tactical overlays. --- ## Mare Internum Integration Each legion carries a **Field Mare Node**, a portable crystalline relay that links its officers to the Republic’s resonant network. Through their **Velum Mentis**, officers may project their consciousness into the Mare Internum and coordinate operations across vast distances. The node also tracks emotional telemetry, harmonic stability, and dissonance contamination across the battlefield. These functions are essential for commanding both living soldiers and managing Silent Cohort behavior.