The army itself developed naturally, as a result of volunteering by the early settlers to defend against predators and hostile environments. Going from volunteers to militias, then to squads, platoons and regiments, the evolution of the army is congruent with that of the kingdom. Around the year 56, by Royal Decree, the People's Army was established, a small rudimentary brigade of spear and shield combatants, and by 100, it had grown to a full field army of around 150 thousand. At the Age of Dragons, its mettle was tested when dragons migrated south and briefly clashed with forces of the People's Army. While the short war was technically a victory due to the king's pact with the dragons' leader, the Army was left weakened and was in dire need of manpower and reform. Between 130 and 300, the Army had grown exponentially, reaching the need to divide itself into several armies and divisions.

After the Scorching, with interrupted communications and chaos spreading throughout the nation, the army found itself performing damage control, assisting the population and defending against looters and magical creatures that followed the Flame's effects. Clustered into small groups, it managed to survive, not unscathed, and under King Evander's command, it rallied and re-established law and order. Between 330 and 490, it expanded, evolved and modernized, additionally splitting off into the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Corps (mostly staffed with griffin riders and a handful of dragons). The years of training and experience proved useful during the War, when the Armed Forces' capabilities were stretched to the absolute maximum and threatened to break. Since the enormous losses and trauma suffered then, the RAF has slowly recovered, with great difficulty.

Military Organization

The RAF is organized in the four major branches with according divisions, ranked from the largest to the smallest.

• Royal Army

  • Divisions: specialized units, consisting of about 20,000 troops each. Examples of divisions are Infantry Division, Ranger Division, Artillery Division, Mountain Division, Artificer Division, etc. Commanded by a Lieutenant General.

  • Brigade: ~5000 troops, commanded by a Brigadier.

  • Regiment: 1000-1500 troops, commanded by a Colonel.

  • Battalion: ~100-500 troops commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel.

  • Company: the largest actual combat unit of ~100 troops, commanded by a Major. Below it are Platoons and Squads.

Notable unit examples are the 7th Mountain Regiment that held off Imperial attacks in mountain warfare, the 12th Artificer Battalion that constructed defenses at the passage and the mighty 3rd Infantry Division "Desert Rats" that confronted the entire Imperial army at the Battle of Winding Sands. The Royal Army operates with a flexible doctrine and integrates spellcasters for rapid movements and blitzkrieg maneuvers. It additionally integrates firearms (muskets and rifles) together with advanced bows and heavy metal shields to form defensive lines and attack from a distance. The Royal Army is extremely mobile and utilizes a variety of tactics with a defensive focus.