Imperial Legion

The Imperial Legion, Imperial Army,^[1] or Ruby Ranks^[2] is the main armed force of the Second Empire and the Third Empire of Cyrodiil. The patron deity of the Imperial Legion is Stendarr, god of Justice and Mercy,^[3] though many among the Legions are also followers of the Talos cult.^[4] The Legions meet annually in the Legionary's Council, in which decisions made by the Elder Council are discussed among the Legions.^[5]

By game[]

• Imperial Legion (Redguard)
• Imperial Legion (Morrowind)
• Imperial Legion (Oblivion)
• Imperial Legion (Skyrim)
• Imperial Legion (Online)

Background[]

The Imperial Legion proclaims itself to be the most disciplined and effective military and police force in history, and that it preserves the peace and rule of law in the Empire.^[6] In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the Nerevarine may join the Legion, perform tasks for them, and eventually rise in rank up to the highest one, the "Knight of the Imperial Dragon." While playing heavily into the previous installment of the series, Morrowind's sequel, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, featured the Legion, yet gave the Hero of Kvatch no opportunity to sign up as a legionnaire. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Dragonborn can join the Legion and aid them in fighting against the Stormcloaks in the Skyrim Civil War. The Legion also captured and attempted to behead the Dragonborn upon entering Skyrim, beginning the game, because they believe that they are affiliated with the Stormcloaks, along with Lokir, Ralof, and Ulfric Stormcloak.^[7]

History[]

First Era[]

Alessian Empire[]

The predecessor to the Imperial Legions were the Alessian Legions.^[8][9] These Legions were led by Morihaus during their siege of the White-Gold Tower against the Ayleids.^[10] Under the command of Empress Hestra, the Alessian Legions would invade the city of Verkarth, conqeuring it, and causing its former king, the Vampire Styriche, to assemble a large army known as the Gray Host to invade the Bangkorai Garrison.^[11] This invasion was halted, however, through Saint Pelin's sacrifice and the defense of the garrison.^[12] The Gray Host, following their defeat, scattered and were cut down by the Legionnaires. Empress Hestra was impressed with the defense of the Garrison, and honored High Rock with admission into the First Empire.^[11]

After a thousand years had passed, the Alessian Order had obtained a tight grip on the Imperial Throne, and due to their policies, High Rock sought to secede. The Order was unwilling to let High Rock go peacefully, and sent the Legions of Piety and Grace into the province, under the command of the Abbot-General Priscus Mactator. The Legion filled the Fallen Wastes with Legionnaires, but his army could not advance past the Bangkorai Garrison, and after five months of siege, the General admitted defeat and fell back to Cyrodiil.^[11] The Alessian Empire at this time also had slave camps, where people who had to serve as slaves were brought to.^[13] During one of the cohort patrols in High Rock, some Legionnaires were killed by a band of mercenaries.^[13] The mercenaries had little success, as their attacks were parried and blocked, while getting cut down.^[14] In Skyrim, the Legions fought against Kjoric the White, and successfully killed the King during the Battle of Sungard. While the Pact of Chieftains was electing his successor, the Legions were also reclaiming the southern lands of Skyrim that it had lost. One of the key elements marking the end of the Alessian Empire was the failed invasion of the Colovian Estates. The Emperor Gorieus, following years of disease and the king of Skingrad being new, thought to unify Cyrodiil through the use of the Legions. He marched to Skingrad with overwhelming numbers but was ambushed. When King Rislav of Skingrad spoke to the Emperor, he let his hawk fly, a signal his archers had been waiting for. While the Legions were in the pass, they had nowhere to go and were easy targets for the Colovian archers. After a long chase by the Legions in an attempt to slay Rislav, they met the army of Kvatch, the Legions likely still outnumbered their foe, but they were exhausted and morale was low. After an hour of fighting, they fled to what is now the Imperial Reserve, and went further north and east from there.^[15] Another noteworthy battle in High Rock is the Battle of Glenumbra Moors, where the Direnni and the Bretons fought against the Alessian forces.^[16] Hoag Merkiller, High King of the Nords, was also slain in this battle.^[17]

Reman Empire[]

Blackwater War[]

During the First Era, the Imperial Legion existed as part of the Reman Empire.^[2] A notable war in the First Era called the Blackwater War erupted around 1E 2811, during which the Fourth Legion attempted to take and maintain control over Black Marsh.^[18] Their Argonian opponents, however, were easily able to use the Legion's ineffective equipment and tactics in the swamps to their advantage.^[19]

By 1E 2820, the forces in Black Marsh had been destroyed.^[20] By 1E 2823, the Legion had adapted to Black Marsh's climate with more fitting equipment and tactics.^[21] In 1E 2828, the Legion accidentally started a massive fire known as the "Great Burn," which destroyed a significant portion of the province during its three-year rampage, again forcing the Legion to retreat.^[22] However, by 1E 2837 the Legion had won the war and officially claimed Black Marsh for the Empire.^[23]

Second Era[]

Three Banners War[]

During the Alliance War, the Imperial Legion was mostly fighting the Daedra invading the Imperial City. Despite this, the Legions were also fighting the other alliances, mainly the Daggerfall Covenant.

Daggerfall Covenant[]

Main article: Seventh Legion

In the lands of High Rock, the Seventh Legion held the Bangkorai Garrison, effectively blocking off half of the Bangkorai region from Covenant reinforcements.^[24][25] The Legion was also making headway to capturing the city of Evermore, largely through the aid of spies and its duke, Duke Renchant, being cooperative.^[26] However, this attempt failed, and in a supposed parley, Septima Tharn demanded the unconditional surrender of Evermore. Queen Arzhela tried to stab Septima in her rage, but Septima was using an illusion, after this the Seventh Legion tried to kill the Queen.^[27] In this same region, they raided the Knights of Saint Pelin at Martyr's Crossing, and stole their supplies. They did this due to Martyr's Crossing being an important trade route between north and south Bangkorai.^[28] The last of the Legion's known successes is the capturing of Hallin's Stand, also in Bangkorai, due to the Hall of Heroes being located close to it.^[29] Their success is attributed due to them attacking at night and due to working with a spy.^[30] High Rock wasn't the only province plagued by the Legion, in the province of Hammerfell, the Legion held Satakalaam, due to them being in league with the Withered Hand.^[31] The Seventh Legion would eventually be destroyed at the Hall of Heroes.^[32]

Aldmeri Dominion[]

While nowhere near as significant as its victories against the Covenant, the Legion also held a bit of territory in Aldmeri lands. The Legion held the city of Arenthia^[33] and the Vile Manse with Colovian Legions and were making headway to conquering Vinedusk Village.^[34] Their forces used in their assault of the village were stationed in an encampment located just outside the city.^[35] The Legion also held some minor territory in Malabal Tor, in the Crimson Cove.^[36] These soldiers were known as Crimson Raiders, and were originally suspected to be pirates.^[36] They had been raiding ships of the Dominion, sometimes up to a dozen a month.^[36]

Cyrodiil[]

In the province of Cyrodiil, a lot of the Legion was in active duty, being recalled from their normal postions,^[37] including Imperial forces at forst.^[38] Legion forces were scattered across the wilds, and set up outposts, to keep an eye out for Pact, Covenant and Dominion movement.^[39] The Legions also engaged in combat with Covenant, Pact and Dominion units. Specifically, the Legion under the command of Captain Jena Apinia, who eventually fled the Imperial City when her Legion was on a break, due to the Planemeld starting. In their retreat they exterminated over half of Bravil's population, due to what they considered was the only way possible to prevent the people (and soldiers) from starving,^[40] while others, including Queen Ayrenn, took to calling it a massacre and labeled the Captain as a war criminal.^[41][40] The bulk of this Legion was eventually sent to retake the city,^[40] adding more Legion soldiers to the fight on the Imperial Bridges, who were trying to kill Molag Bal's Daedra despite being unable to get over to the island through normal means.^[42][43] In the Imperial City itself, the vast majority of Legion Zero had already betrayed the Empire, and sworn loyalty to Mannimarco and his Worm Cult, as well as Molag Bal,^[44] except for a handful of Legion soldiers, who made an improvised garrison in the Nobles District. In the city of Cheydinhal, a rebellion broke out as a result of the Legionnaires stationed there going rogue after the Empire's collapse.^[45][46] The reason as to why the rebellion broke out is not clear. One of the rebel leaders claims it is for domination over Cheydinhal and nothing else,^[45] the other claims it was because the soldiers forced the townsfolk to keep them fed, and because of forceful enlistment.^[46][47]

Tiber Wars[]

Main article: Tiber Wars

After the Alliance War had ended, Tamriel was at relative peace. Tiber Septim, who had been a General of Cuhlecain in the past, became Emperor after the death of his lord.^[48] The Tiber Wars were a result of Tiber Septim being set on his path to conqeur Tamriel by the Greybeards.^[48][49] It started in 2E 854^[50] or 2E 855^[51] and lasted until 3E 0.^[50]

After Tiber Septim beat the Nord-Breton alliance at Sancre Tor, he had the troops needed to conquer the Heartlands from the Imperial Battlemages.^[52] After Cyrodiil had been unified, Cuhlecain died.^[48][53] Talos was then crowned Emperor by Zurin Arctus, his battlemage. Septim found the initial administration of a fully united Cyrodiil a time-consuming task, as such, he sent the Underking to deal with the Imperial expansion into the provinces of High Rock and Skyrim.^[48]

During the Tiber Wars, the Colovians held on to their frontier spirit, still being known for being uncomplicated, self-sufficient, hearty, and extremely loyal to one another. When Cyrodiil crumbled, the Colovians split from the rest of Cyrodiil, in the idea that they would keep the national spirit safe. Colovians accepted that the Nibenese are the heart of the Empire and its cultural center of civilization, but they are aware that only a strong Emperor can hold it together. As such, Tiber Septim was considered a strong Emperor, and many Colovians were glad to aid their Emperor, forming his legions. During the Tiber Wars, the Colovians made up the majority of the soldiers in the Imperial Legions. The entire Colovian nobility became officers in the legions or the navy, and were considered humble, not caring for the great expenditure of court life as seen in the Imperial City, but instead caring more for their uniforms and standards hanging from the Imperial forts. Colovian Officers are traditionally also appointed as provincial governors to the human regions of the Empire, due to their loyalty to the Emperor.^[2]

High Rock was easily conquered by the Empire, and the Bretons were largely welcoming of the new Empire.^[54] The governor of High Rock, Titus Alorius, put down most rebels in the land, and resolved the feuding between kings with tact and skill, which resulted in the Empire being seen positively.^[55][56] By 2E 864, High Rock was solidified by the Empire.^[57]

Skyrim's conquest is largely unknown. What is known is that Skyrim's occupation seems like a ballet in comparison to Hammerfell's invasion.^[58] It is also known that the warchiefs of Danstrar fought against Septim's forces.^[51] After Skyrim was conquered, the Nord Kings expected to outlast Septim's Empire, just as they had done with the previous ones.^[58] Following the successful conqeuring of Skyrim, the city of Windhelm in Eastmarch would serve as a base for Imperial troops who guarded the Dunmeth Pass into Morrowind.^[53]

Black Marsh was the third nation to be invaded and conqeured by Tiber Septim.^[59] Combat between the Legions and Argonians was recorded in 2E 861.^[60] Tiber Septim invaded the coastlines of Black Marsh, but avoided the unimportant inner swamps.^[61] Most of Black Marsh eventually joined through a treaty.^[62]

Hammerfell was the next nation to fall to Talosian conquest.^[59] The High King of Hammerfell, Thassad II, feared Imperial invasion. In order to prevent the Empire from invading Hammerfell, he signed a pact with the Forebears to ensure unity.^[63] After the death of Thassad, this pact turned void, as the Crowns and Forebears both tried to claim ownership over Hammerfell.^[64] The Forebears were losing the war, and when defeat was certain, they signed a pact with the Emperor, to allow his Legions to claim parts of Hammerfell in return for his aid during their Civil War.^[58][64] When Baron Volag disappeared at the end of the war, these terms were rendered void, and all of Hammerfell was claimed by the Empire.^[58] After a civil war on Stros M'Kai proved successful, Sentinel followed in its steps. Tiber Septim, not wanting Hammerfell to rebel against him, came to Stros M'Kai to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Stros M'kai with Baron Volag and Iszara.^[65]

With Morrowind surrounded by Imperial territory, Septim decided to launch an invasion on Morrowind. The Legions assembled at the border between Cyrodiil and Morrowind, and invasion fleets prepared in Skyrim. The Dunmer were not united in their ideas of how to act. The Telvanni remained neutral, Hlaalu proposed accommodation, while the Dres, Redoran, and Indoril wanted to fight until the death. Small border skirmishes took place between the Legions and Dunmer in Black Marsh, but the swampy terrain did not suit either for warfare. To combat the Legions near Blacklight, Kragenmoor, Cormar View, and Silgrad Tower, the Dunmer only had small militias aided by Redoran Mercenaries and House nobles, alongside Buoyant Armigers and Ordinators. This became even more troubling for the Dunmer when only the Redoran wanted to defend the western border, as the Indoril and Dres wanted to wage a guerrilla war against the Empire.^[59] One of the battles that took place during these wars was the battle of Mournhold, which laid waste to the city.^[66] When Vivec himself appeared to announce that Morrowind would join the Empire under gracious circumstances to the native people, he was met with an awkward silence. The Dres and Indoril still stood strong in wishing to resist to the death, while the Redoran, who now had an excuse to not lose most of their territory, joined the side of House Hlaalu in supporting accommodation. The Telvanni, seeing which way the situation was going, also joined the Hlaalu in supporting accommodation. Many of the Indoril, after being forced into joining the Empire, committed suicide, resulting in the Hlaalu gaining a lot of power in Morrowind.^[59]

The next province to fall was either Elsweyr or Valenwood.

Elsweyr had a pact with the Second Aldmeri Dominion, a military alliance.^[67][68] The city of Senchal was raided by the Third Legion after the city had refused to surrender.^[60] When Elsweyr fell exactly is unknown.

Valenwood had joined the Dominion as a result of the Thalmor gaining power in Valenwood with the support of Camoran Anaxemes. When the Third Empire started to take shape, the Dominion tightened its grip on Valenwood, Bosmer tribes fought against Colovian forces along the Strid River, until the Empire became unified. Both sides then made up camp at their sides of the border, both waiting for the decisive battle. When the Dominion tried to fight the Empire's forces they lost a great many times, with the Colovians calling them the "Old Mary Dominion," as a reference to the weak offense the Dominion offered on the land. Contrary to the land battles, at sea the Aldmeri Navy crushed the Imperial Navy, and ruled the seas from the Cape of the Blue Divide until the Topal Bay.^[68] Both Valenwood and the Summerset Isles fell to Tiber Septim when he used the Numidium to conquer the remaining provinces of Tamriel.^[69][70]

Third Era[]

The Legion fought in several wars and conflicts during the Third Era, among them the War of the Red Diamond, and they also fought in the conflict of the Camoran Usurper.^[71][72]

War of the Red Diamond[]

Main article: War of the Red Diamond

The War of the Red Diamond was a war fought between the loyal forces of Kintyra Septim II and Potema Septim as a result over a throne dispute,^[73] and started in 3E 121.^[74] While the forces of Kintyra were loyalists to the Empire, those of Potema were the nobility that had become disgruntled by the Empire. As most of Potema's allies were located in High Rock and Skyrim, the rebels were initially successful, and slaughtered the Legions stationed there. They also incited riots and insurrections everywhere they went.^[1] Six years later, Potema saw her last victory, in the battle of Falconstar. In this fight, Potema and Lord Vhokken attacked the Argonian forces of Magnus Septim, eventually resulting in Magnus retreating.^[75][76] In the same year the son of Potema, Uriel Septim III, fought in the battle of ichidag. However, the prince was outnumbered and outmatched, resulting in his army losing and the prince getting captured by Cephorus Septim.^[75] While being transported to Gilane, the prince's carriage got attacked by an angry mob, resulting in his death and Cephorus proclaiming himself Emperor.^[77][75] As a result of the death of the prince, many of Potema's allies decided to switch sides and support Cephorus' claim for the throne. With Potema losing allies, she started making pacts with the Daedra and necromancers, which resulted in her losing even more allies. In 3E 127 Potema's army had been pushed back to Solitude, and ten years later, this army was pushed back to the Blue Palace itself, where they were beaten.^[78]

Invasion of Akavir[]

In 3E 270, Emperor Uriel Septim V created plans of conquering Akavir.^[79] Shortly after these plans were made, the Emperor would begin his conquest of the small island kingdoms between Tamriel and Akavir. The first island to be conquered was Roscrea, which was claimed in 3E 271, followed by Cathnoquey in 3E 276, Yneslea in 3E 279, and Esroniet in 3E 284.^[71] Esroniet itself was not conquered in one go, Black Harbor, a port of the island, was conquered in 3E 282 and immediately renovated for the Emperor's invasion plans, at the same time, he ordered the building of the ships that would carry his Legions over to Akavir. When Prince Bashomon of Esroniet yielded Esroniet to the Emperor in 3E 284, the Emperor's full attention was focused on the invasion of Akavir. In 3E 285 and 3E 286, ships were sent out to Akavir to scout the lands, with Blades on board to find information about the land. The Tsaesci, whose kingdom lies to the southwest of Akavir, was based on the scouting forces, chosen for the initial landing of the Emperor's forces. At the same time, the Emperor was gathering his Legions and navy which was called the "Expeditionary Force." A new Far East Fleet created for the invasion, which dwarfed the rest of the Imperial Navy. Four Legions, the Fifth, Seventh, Tenth, and Fourteenth Legion were chosen for the initial landing, with the Ninth and Seventeenth Legions being chosen as reinforcements when the coastline was conquered. The reasoning for this decision was the idea that there would be little resistance, supply lines would be difficult to manage, and, most importantly, the Fleet could only transport four Legions at once.^[79]

The invasion itself started on 23rd Rain's Hand, 3E 288, with the Expeditionary Force leaving Black Harbor. Only 6 weeks later, due to fair weather, the invasion force arrived on Akavir and claimed a Tsaesci port due to its proximity to Tamriel, as well as its location being near a fertile river, which provided easy access to the interior as well as easy foraging. When the Legions settled the town, they named it Septimia, created fortifications surrounding it, and built a port suitable for the Far East Fleet. Meanwhile, the Emperor, alongside two other Legions, advanced through Akavir, discovering rich well-watered fields in the area, as well as another abandoned settlement, which the Legions took over, and renamed to Ionith, where the Emperor put his headquarters due to its location being better suited for domination of the surrounding lands. Though no fighting had taken place, enemy forces were spotted by the Legions, who were chased away by Imperial scouts. One of the things the Emperor's army lacked was cavalry due to the limited room for transport on the Fleet, at the time, the Imperial Legion Battlemages made up for this with magical reconnaissance. Instead of the Emperor pushing onward into Akavir, he sent Imperial Legion Messengers to find out who ruled the lands in an attempt to make them yield by the mere sight of the Legions. While the messengers were being sent, the remaining forces of the four Legions started with building a road between Septimia and Ionith, including fortified guard posts along the river. Despite this, communications between the two cities was slow, as messengers were constantly attacked on the road.^[79]

The two Legions that had remained on Tamriel were originally meant to travel to Akavir after the port of Septimia was fitting for the navy, but this plan was changed to instead transport colonists. This was decided to ensure that the Legions did not have to rely on the fleet for supplies, but instead create their own. Additionally unrest came to Yneslea, and the two reinforcement Legions would be better used there, due to securing the supply lines of the fleet. When the colonists arrived some cavalry was brought along as well, which resulted in the small Akaviri raids coming to an end. Additionally, Tsaesci emissaries arrived in Ionith to talk about peace negotiations. In the winter season the Expeditionary Force had limited supplies due to heavy storms on the seas to Tamriel, and any foraging or scouting unit got killed by Tsaesci raiders, who also took over some forts during blizzards, while other forts were just abandoned by the Legions.^[79]

On the 5th of Sun's Dawn, a Tsaesci force marched to Ionith, claiming to offer peace from their king. This proved to be a trick, as the Tsaesci killed the Imperial guards watching over one of the city gates, allowing a great number of their allies to march in. The soldiers of the Tenth Legion spotted the Tsaesci, and sounded the alarm, after which the remaining Tsaesci inside the city were hunted down. This was also the end of the negotiations between the Tsaesci and the Empire.^[79]

Since spring, the weather had turned increasingly worse, and would stay that way for months, resulting in supply fleets getting greatly weakened by storms. The Emperor decided to send his Battlemages with the fleet in order to combat the weather, as the storm had caused the fleet to shrink in size, no longer being able to transport the four Legions already on Akavir. The Elder Council urged the Emperor to sail back to Tamriel, but due to the decrease of fleet capacity, the Emperor decided not to. From this point onward, disaster became inevitable. Communications between Imperial Battlemages were bad, as the mages on Akavir stated their power was weaker than normal. Even communications between master and pupil of years of training were bad. It is unknown if Akaviri wizards played a part in this, but the Commission of the invasion did order the Imperial War college to study the magical abilities of the Tsaesci, in the event that the Empire would cross with them again.^[79]

In mid-Sun's Height, the Emperor marched out of Ionith with his Legions, save for small garrisons left behind in Septimia and Ionith, as he had learned of a Tsaesci force assembling to the north of the city past a mountain. The Emperor wanted to smash this force before they could invade, and take their supplies, as the Imperial supplies were running low. Though the Emperor and his Legions successfully defeated the Tsaesci and captured one of their nobles, they were forced to retreat by Tsaesci warriors, who made the Emperor lose a large amount of forces on his way back to Ionith. When he had returned to the city, the Tsaesci besieged Ionith, as well as Septimia. The Imperial Battlemages had to use their magical powers to create water to sustain the armies, instead of harming the enemies, which was a skill that the War College, normally, did not focus on. Though the Far East Fleet arrived safely in Black Harbor, thanks to the Imperial Battlemages aboard the ship, it had gotten no chance to return due to great storms that damaged Esroniet in 289.^[79]

In Frostfall, the Fleet was sent out to Akavir again, and, after a long silence between Akavir and Tamriel, communications were made between the Emperor's battlemage and the battlemages of Tamriel. The Emperor's battlemage reported that the city of Ionith still held out, and the Fleet alongside the Emperor's forces quickly made a plan to fall back from Akavir. The Emperor and his Legions would break out of Ionith and fall back to Septimia, where the fleet would meet them and sail them back to Tamriel. However, only a small force of the Emperor's army arrived at Septimia. Two days before the fleet arrived, the Emperor decided to break out of Ionith, successfully fighting through the Tsaesci's armies at first, until being surrounded by an overwhelming army on the road to Septimia. The Emperor and the Tenth Legion fought a heroic last stand to give a remnant of the Fourteenth Legion a chance to reach Septimia. Two soldiers of the Tenth Legion also managed to escape during the victory celebrations of the Tsaesci, who reported that they had seen the Emperor die by arrows as he rallied the Shield Wall of their Legion. When the Fleet arrived, Septimia's garrison was under heavy assault by the Tsaesci, and through the aid of the Imperial Battlemages aboard the Fleet, the Tsaesci were pushed back for long enough to get the survivors of the failed invasion on the ships, after which they returned to Tamriel. The Imperial Commission and Elder Council realized that the Empire, in its state at the time, had no chance against the Akaviri, and would not have a chance in the foreseeable future.^[79]

3E 427, the Legions of Vvardenfell[]

During 3E 427, the Legion held a presence in the major settlements of Vvardenfell,^[80][81] namely Ebonheart, Pelagiad, Balmora, Ald'Ruhn, and Gnisis.^[80] Consisting of several Legions, including the Deathshead^[82] and Hawkmoth Legion.^[6] The entire Legion force in Morrowind was led by Varus Vantinius, Knight of the Imperial Dragon and member of the Order of Ebonheart.^[83][84] Many Orcs came to Vvardenfell as Legion veterans after serving in the Legions, due to their Imperial service ensuring their citizenship^[85] while other legion veterans constructed the town of Pelagiad.^[86] Within Vvardenfell, cultural conflicts were not uncommon, and only the Duke of the District and the assistance of the Legions prevented the District from erupting into unrest or warfare. Despite this, bandits, necromancers and witches still plagued the land in sparsely populated districts,^[87] due to the lack of time and forces the Legion troops had, they could not clear out the wilderness.^[88] It had been stated that the Legion garrisons in Morrowind were insufficient to protect its settlements, and that there was no hope for Imperial reinforcements to be sent to the province.^[89]

The Legion attempted to obtain territory on Gnisis to construct another port for the town, following the death of Mansilamat Vabdas.^[90] It would later be found out that Vabdas had been murdered by Lugrub gro-Ogdum, a good soldier with a reputation of being easy to anger. Upon discovery, General Darius ordered the man killed. The Legion further secured the Gnisis Eggmine after its Kwama Queen had contracted the Blight, ensuring the local miners could continue their work.^[91] A conspiracy had also started forming among some members of the Deathshead Legion, specifically the ones following the Talos Cult. These soldiers considered Emperor Uriel Septim a weak Emperor,^[92] and wanted him replaced by a strong ruler. Their plans were ultimately stopped by the order of General Darius after he found out about the plot.^[93]

In Ald'ruhn the Legion worked against the illegal trading of Dwemer artifacts,^[94] as Dwemer artifacts were protected by Imperial Decree, and considered part of the Emperor's property.^[95] Ald'ruhn's garrison was also tasked with saving Joncis Dalomax, a knight of the Order of Ebonheart, from his captors.^[96] The garrison also prevented a Buoyant Armiger from being blackmailed, by recovering the object used for the blackmail.^[97]

The Hawkmoth Legion in Ebonheart concerned itself with different matters, often related to the Tribunal. As the Legion was called out for having no courtesy by a Buoyant Armiger, Frald the White sent out a Legionnaire to prove the opposite, in order to keep favor with the Dunmer people.^[98] But the Legion also had to face a traitor,^[99] deal with slanders,^[100] and allow a murderer to be given a fair trial.^[101]

The Legion on Vvardenfell had a bad reputation among the local Ashlanders and some of the more traditional Dunmer. The Ashlanders stated that the Imperials would come and burn their yurts and kill their children.^[102] The Legion also barely acted on the abolitionist movements, which were trying to end slavery, resulting in most Dunmer viewing them as hypocritical because of the Empire's proclamations regarding protection of property and preserving law and order.^[103] In attempts to gain favor with the Dunmer, the Legion, despite Necromancy being legal, also dealt with Sorkvild the Raven, a Necromancer near Dagon Fel, as the Dunmer despised Necromancers.^[104] The Ashlanders acknowledged that in open fields, the Legions were undefeatable, but in the ashlands they had the upper hand.^[81] At the same time, Ashlanders captured and enslaved innocent civilians, resulting in the Legion being sent out to rescue the civilians,^[105] sometimes resulting in the death of Ashlanders.^[106] The Ashlanders also attacked caravans and pilgrims, raided villages, and fought with the Legions. However, despite this, no heavy Legion action was taken against the Ashlanders.^[103] The Nerevarine was tasked with dealing with a Sixth House Base after a Legion patrol unit had been effectively wiped out by its members.^{[107][108][109]}

Larrius Varro, the Legion Champion at Fort Moonmoth, also had business to deal with on Vvardenfell. Larrius had found out that corruption took place in the city of Balmora, where the Camonna Tong paid off magistrates to allow criminals to walk freely.^[110] Varro tasked a Legionnaire with killing the Camonna Tong members, as the magistrate would have too powerful allies.^[111] He further sent the Legionnaire to deal with an outlaw who had been robbing travelers near Hla Oad.^[112]

Varus Vantinius the Knight of the Imperial Dragon on Vvardenfell, and head of all the Legions in Morrowind^[113], had lost the Lord's Mail, a powerful artifact owned by his order. He tasked a high ranking Legionnaire with finding the cuirass and bringing it back to him.^[114] The cuirass had been stolen by Furius Acilius, a Legionnaire who had been kicked out of the Legion and desired revenge.^[115][116] Likewise, Chrysamere, another artifact owned by the Legion, had also been stolen and was kept by Draramu Hloran^[114] until being returned to Varus Vantinius. If questioned over his position, Varus would rather die than give it up. As such, people who desired his position had to face him in a duel to the death.^[117]

Legion action in the Empire[]

Within Cyrodiil, unrest had started to sparkle due to the Emperor, Uriel Septim VII, being sick and his heirs being presumed as doppelgangers put in place by Jagar Tharn. Because of this, many people demanded the deaths of the heirs, and the Legion within the province charged the mob, resulting in many casualties.^[118] Because of this unrest, there was a common fear that the Legions might be recalled to defend the Emperor,^[119] though it is never stated this took place. At the same time, rumors began to sparkle regarding the lifting of the War Tax at the command of the Emperor, due to the last war having taken place over ten years prior to 3E 427.^[120]

Some criticism was made on the Legion forces in the eastern provinces of Black Marsh and Morrowind. It was said that the recruiting of new Legion forces, alongside maintaining the garrisons was too costly considering the low threat the provinces could pose if they sought to attack the Empire. Because of this, some suspicions were made regarding the Imperial Generals of these Legions, as they did not face opposition or enemies some feared they could set their eyes upon the western part of the Empire. A combination of veteran troops and monopolist influences gave these Legions some political potential.^[121]

Within Skyrim, there was record of one Nord village which was attacked by bandits three years prior to the Oblivion Crisis. Despite the requests made at the local Legion outpost, no aid was sent out by the Legionnaire in charge of the outpost.^[122] The reasons for this refusal are unknown.

Solstheim[]

When the East Empire Company found a source of ebony on the island of Solstheim, the Legion created Fort Frostmoth to defend the Company's settlement of Raven Rock.^[123] This fort was under the command of Captain Falx Carius. The majority of the troops garrisoned at the fort were sent to the island due to past offenses, and these troops were not the best soldiers. The troops had performed their duties properly for a long time, but they did eventually turn restless, and complained a lot. The performance of their duties had decreased, and their morale was low.^[124] The Nerevarine would discover that the cause of the lower morale was a lack of alcohol in the fort. Where as in the past the garrison was allowed to drink alcoholic beverages, the supply had stopped, resulting in the soldiers becoming upset.^[125] In reality, alcohol did continue to come into the fort, but the priest of the fort, Antonius Nuncius, hid it in his room in hopes of being discharged from the island following a revolt by the troops.^[126] Whether Antonius was punished for his deeds is unknown, but it is known that after the news arrived to the Captain, the alcohol in the fort returned to the troops.^[124]

The Captain would task the Nerevarine with another task afterwards. Many of the Legionnaires at the fort as a means of replacing their prison sentences in Ebonheart. As such, some smuggling started to take place at the fort, as the weapons in the armory started to decrease. The smuggling was considered dangerous, as the fort had limited supplies, and the lack of equipment could result in the troops becoming restless.^[127] Zeno Faustus, the Imperial blacksmith at the fort, would inform the Nerevarine and his companion of some weapons being stashed in the Gandrung Caverns, which were located just northeast of the fort.^[128] Within the caverns, a number of Legionnaires attempted to kill the Nerevarine and his companion, only to fail.^[129] If Saenus Lusius was the companion of the Nerevarine, one of the smugglers, named Gualtierus Spurius, attempted to make a deal in order to be let go.^[130] Wether this deal was accepted or not is unknown.

When the Nerevarine returned to the fort, it had been attacked by werewolves. The Legionnaires were caught by surprise, and there was a terrible battle. In the aftermath, the Legionnaires discovered that Captain Carius had gone missing, and as such, the Skaal were suspected to have been involved due to their connections to nature.^[131][132]

The Captain would eventually return to Tamriel following the completion of the Bloodmoon Prophecy.^[133][134]

The Legion at the fort would see other action, however. For several months, someone had been poisoning people across Solstheim with moon sugar. At first the Legion did not get involved, but when Jeleen, an Imperial Cult Priest was poisoned, it turned into an Imperial matter. It would turn out that the criminal was Uncle Sweetshare, and to prove his death, his White Colovian Fur Helm was demanded.^[135] Whether Uncle Sweetshare was killed, or if his helm was just taken, is unknown.^[136]

A few years after Raven Rock was built, the Nords of Solstheim tried to conquer the island from the Legion and the East Empire Company. Though unsuccessful, the Nords did kill a lot of Imperial Soldiers on the island.^[137] Later, during the Oblivion Crisis, the Nords made another attempt,^[138] which ended up being equally unsuccessful, with the garrison remaining intact until being wiped out by the eruption of Red Mountain in 4E 5.^[139]

Oblivion Crisis[]

A noteworthy event for the Legions was the Oblivion Crisis. As a result of the murder of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and his three heirs, Geldall, Enman, and Ebel,^[140] no new Emperor of the Dragonblood was crowned in time to relight the Dragonfires, resulting in the creation of Oblivion Gates by the Mythic Dawn.^[141] The Oblivion Crisis was devastating for the Imperial provinces, originally starting at the Colovian city of Kvatch in an attempt to find Martin Septim, gates to Oblivion started to appear all across Tamriel.^[141][142]

The Legions in Cyrodiil were greatly outnumbered, with soldiers only being sent to Kvatch and Sutch.^[142][143] Some soldiers from southern Cyrodiil were called up north to defend the capital, but in the midst of this unit, near Pell's Gate, a Gate to Oblivion appeared, which killed off around half of its forces, including its commander.^[144] After this, the Imperial Captain Tertius Ione, mustered farmers and hunters from the countryside and sacrificed himself, alongside half of his men, to close the gate. Following his death and the destruction of the gate, the town called Ione was built, named in his honor.^[144] The Legions from Fort Swampmoth in Black Marsh were recalled due to the An-Xileel and other Argonians successfully beating the Daedra back,^[145] the Redoran Dunmer claim that the Legions were recalled from Morrowind and Solstheim,^[146][123] however the Legions in the provinces, besides Black Marsh, were not recalled according to High Chancellor Ocato.^[147] According to Ocato, this was because of a mixture of the Legions already being fully committed, and the political situation of the Empire.^[147] The count of Leyawiin also pointed out how the Empire focused more on the provinces rather than Cyrodiil itself, and how the Empire never provided Legion soldiers in County Leyawiin, despite heavy need for them.^[148] Indeed, almost as soon as the crisis broke out, the people in Cyrodiil spoke of the Legions being stretched to the limit across the Empire to deal with the crisis.^[149]

Whatever the case, the lack of troops in Cyrodiil resulted in the Cyrodiilic counties having to fend for themselves during the Crisis.^[150][148] If the Hero of Kvatch aided the cities of Cyrodiil, they would send aid to Bruma, which would become subject to a plan of the Blades to retrieve the Amulet of Kings.^[150] If the Hero did not aid the other cities, Bruma would send their own, weaker, militia instead.^[151] After the Amulet was retrieved from Paradise, Martin Septim, a bastard child of Uriel VII, made his way to the Imperial City and was crowned Emperor. His plan was to light the Dragonfires as soon as he was crowned, but only a moment after he became Emperor, an Imperial Legion Messenger arrived with the news that Oblivion Gates were created all across the city.^[152]

Legion soldiers from the Imperial Legion Offices arrived at the Imperial Palace to defend the new Emperor and Ocato while they made their way to the Temple of the One. At the Temple District, three Oblivion Gates had opened, and Mehrunes Dagon himself had crossed over to Tamriel in an attempt to come out as the victor. While Legion soldiers were trying to defeat the Daedra as they came out of the gates, and tried to distract the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Martin and the Hero of Kvatch rushed into the Temple of the One. Martin had realized that Dagon had destroyed the Covenant with Akatosh by entering Tamriel, when the Hero mentioned the Amulet of Kings, which gave Martin an idea. By smashing the Amulet of Kings, Martin became an Avatar of Akatosh, and battled Dagon.^[152] Upon being victorious, the Dragon turned into stone, and the Gates from Oblivion were sealed forever.^{[152][153][154]}

The Legions had also largely stopped with their attempts to stop the skooma trade.^[155] The skooma trade had become rather great in the city of Bravil,^[156][157] with a number of citizens dedicating entire days consuming the drug.^[158] Some action was taken to stopping a skooma dealer,^[159] named Kylius Lonavo, near Leyawiin,^[160] though aside from this not much action was taken against the skooma trade.

Other deeds of the Legions within Cyrodiil were also recorded. The Legionnaires of the Imperial City arrested the leader of a band of brigands who had captured The Bloated Float and set it out to sea.^[161] They also arrested one of the criminals responsible for the raiding of a tax shipment,^[162][163] and got rid of two of the Imperial City guard Captains. Captain Lex, who had led a personal vendetta against the Gray Fox was reassigned to Anvil.^[164] Prior to being reassigned, the Captain ordered Legion forces to collect taxes from the Imperial City Waterfront, a district normally not taxed by the Empire.^[165] Due to this, the Thieves Guild stole back the taxes and the tax records to give the gold back to the people of the Waterfront.^[166] The Guard Captain blamed the Gray Fox, and demanded a bounty be put on his head, but his request was refused by the Legion Commander.^[167] Lex also attempted to arrest a member of the Thieves Guild by staging a theft through an informant, only to end up discovering that the Guild discovered who the informant was. Because of this, the stolen item was planted on the informant, resulting in her arrest.^[168] One of the final deeds of Lex was calling upon the majority of the guard force within the capital to find and arrest the Gray Fox, resulting in the Waterfront district of the Imperial City being on lockdown.^[169] Because of this, other parts of the city were left poorly defended. The Thieves Guild used this opportunity to steal from various locations in the city, including the Arcane University,^[170] resulting in Lex having to return the Legion forces he had summoned.^[171] Another of the Watch Captains was replaced due to his corruption. Watch Captain Audens Avidius had been accusing citizens of crimes they did not commit, and demanded fines be paid for them. Two of the people who had to endure the corruption of Avidius testified against his crime, as such, he was arrested by another Guard Captain, named Itius Hayn.^[172] Within the Imperial City, unrest had also broken out between the Attius and Sintav clans, resulting in bloodshed and fighting between the two families.^[173] The fighting had gotten so bad that the Watch Captain, alongside the City Watch, had to put a stop to the fighting.^{[174][175][176]} The Sintavs accepted, but only because their patriarch, Iniel Sintav, told them so.^{[177][178][179]}

With the Oblivion Crisis ended, the Septim dynasty was gone, but this was only the start of the Empire crumbling. Many of the provinces had become uneasy with the Empire, and after the latest crisis, most decided to abandon it.^[180][147] The counties of Bravil and Leyawiin also seceded.^[180]

Fourth Era[]

After the Oblivion Crisis, the Legions were in a rough shape, and the Empire had to deal with the aftermath of the Crisis. These troubles would worsen following the Red Year of 4E 5, during which the Red Mountain erupted in Morrowind and threw Morrowind into chaos. Even within Black Marsh the effects were felt, with the destruction of roads and Imperial garrisons being cut off.^[181] In the shock of the Imperial forces of Morrowind and Black Marsh, the Thalmor incited an uprising in Black Marsh. These would push out the Imperials from Argonia, and result in southern Morrowind being conquered by the An-Xileel.^[182]

Following the death of Potentate Ocato, the Empire was thrown into shambles, and the Stormcrown Interregnum began. During the interregnum years of in-fighting, plots and backstabbing took place, with many people attempting to take the Imperial Throne. In this chaos, the Legions were greatly weakened, an event of which the Thalmor took advantage.^[182]

After years of gaining support from the local Altmer of the Summerset Isles,^[183] the Thalmor now had chance to take over complete control. With the Empire in chaos, they overthrew the rightful Kings and Queens of the Altmer, following which they purged any who were not "of the blood of the Aldmer", which in turn was used as an excuse to kill dissidents.^[182]

The Interregnum would end in 4E 17, at the hands of Titus Mede, a warlord from Colovia.^[182] The weakness of the Imperial army was apparent at this time, as Mede conquered the Imperial City with under a thousand men.^[184] Under the rule of Titus, the Empire was slowly stabilizing, but the Legions were far from ready for battle. Before Titus could respond to warnings of the Thalmor threat, the Thalmor had organized a coup in Valenwood, with Bosmeri allies which they had obtained since before the Oblivion Crisis.^[185] The Legion forces within the province outnumbered the Thalmor, but the combined Altmer and Bosmer forces had used grand subterfuge and stratagem, as they waited and watched their enemy, and chose both the location and time of battle. Because of this, their small contingent of Altmer and Bosmer forces were able to take over all the Imperial strongholds in the land. Imperial Generals claimed the Thalmor forces outnumbered their own, but this was incorrect. The Thalmor commanded better spies and their forces had greater mobility, and knew how to best use them. In this the Thalmor showed that they were devious and subtle, as well as patient. With the successful conquering of Valenwood, the Thalmor prevented any potential attempt the Empire could have made at reclaiming the Summerset Isles at the time.^[182] Later, during the Night of Green Fire in 4E 42, the Thalmor would hunt down refugees in Sentinel. The Thalmor infiltrated the refugee quarter and attacked the dissidents with magic, while the dissidents themselves resisted with magic of their own. By the time the local Legion forces arrived, the battle was already over, with the quarter in ruins, and the Altmer dissidents being killed.^[186]

Following the Void Nights of 4E 98, Elsweyr was struck with chaos, as the Moons hold a significant meaning to the Khajiit. After two years, the Moons had returned, and the Thalmor took credit for this, stating they had used previously unknown Dawn Magicks. Years later, Imperial influence had so diminished within Elsweyr, that the Legion could not stop a coup in 4E 115, which resulted in the dissolving of the Elsweyr Confederacy, and the recreation of the ancient kingdoms of Anequina and Pelletine as client states to the Dominion.^[185]

Umbriel Crisis[]

One of the noteworthy events is the Umbriel Crisis.^[187] The Flying City of Umbriel appeared on Tamriel and caused havoc on Tamriel.

Despite the Emperor's original refusal to admit to Umbriel's threat to the Empire,^[187] he later did send out a research unit of thirty strong to discover the flying city, which had flown towards Morrowind. It was here that one of the researchers, a Nibenese named Brennus, discovered that Umbriel was a pocket realm of Oblivion. Shortly after this discovery, the research party was attacked by an army of undead, largely consisting of undead Argonians. The Legionnaires, under the command of Captain Falcus, tried to defend the party by forming a phalanx in a hurry. The undead were organized and said to have been marching, some were also armed with various weapons, spears, swords, maces, clubs, though the majority was unarmed. To avoid the undead army, which was larger than the research unit, the phalanx slowly made their way towards the south.^[188]

The unit eventually managed to escape from the undead horde, though they did lose around half their men.^[189] They had also discovered that the undead army that attacked them was not the only undead army, as more undead were entering County Cheydinhal from Morrowind. The Legionnaires arrived at Mountain Watch, where they searched the homes of the people. Shortly afterwards, Captain Falcus commanded the townsfolk to pack items which were needed for survival, such as food, drink, weapons and horses, and regroup for a march towards Cheydinhal. The villagers gathered their most needed belongings, including six horses, one of which was given to Kuur, the Legion Battlemage, and another was given to Falcus.^[189]

After a day of travel, Cheydinhal's Chapel of Arkay became visible, but the scouts of the escort discovered the undead force had been advancing and was threatening to stop their journey towards the city. In order to make it to the city in time, Captain Falcus ordered the refugees and his troops to drop anything they did not need in order to reach the city in time. The two wagons were also left behind, and the elderly were put on the four horses that used to carry the wagons forward. Though the refugees were now advancing faster, the undead army also approached them in a rough phalanx from their left flank. As the undead came closer, many of the refugees started to flee and cry, five soldiers cut off from their run to encircle the escort in order to defend it, including the Legion Battlemage, who defended their rear end. Cheydinhal had managed to prepare for the undead, and the gate the refugees were approaching, while open, was guarded by fifty of Cheydinhal's guardsmen.^[189]

After safely entering the city, Captain Falcus ordered his men and refugees to eat and rest, to which his Legionnaires gladly agreed, and within an hour of arrival in the city, an encampment had been created near Castle Cheydinhal. The undead had no siege equipment, and Cheydinhal itself had its own soldiers, alongside a mixed company of Legion units, but the undead army was still a threat. It had assembled itself outside the city gates, just outside of ballista and catapult range. Meanwhile, within the city, people who had recently died came back to life and had to be put down by the City Watch.^[189]

Not long afterwards, a battle would take place. The Cheydinhal Guard and Legion forces together charged the undead army, successfully breaking through their line. Unfortunately, on either side of the outer gate leading out of the city the undead had also set up lines. Breaking through the lines took hours, and the undead did not rest, waver, or regroup, instead only advancing wave after wave. When their line had been broken through, Falcus ordered his troops to regroup on the Blue Road, before being killed by a spear through the throat. Brennus and Mazgar gra Yagash got separated from the group in the chaos, though they did manage to give the refugees a head start. The following day, the two were spotted by an undead force and hid inside a building, where they got aid from the Knights of the Thorn.^[190]

Some time later, the refugees were reunited with Brennus and Mazgar, the Legionnaires now being led by Captain Arges. The refugee force was now split in two in order to lessen the casualties in the event the undead were to attack. The Knights of the Thorn had also concluded that Cheydinhal was secure again, and a number of refugees thought it wiser to return to the city rather than continue their march to the Imperial City. However, Captain Arges insisted the Legionnaires continued on to the capital, and the refugees were unwilling to return without protection, so they stuck with the Legion soldiers. While on the road, another Legion force was encountered, commanded by Commander Prossos, who took command over the refugees and gave Mazgar a field promotion to captain. Prossos made clear that General Takar was aiming to attack the undead west of the Blue Road, and tasked Mazgar with getting the refugees out of the combat area.^[191]

The General had around 5000 men with him,^[191] a proper Legion.^[192] His forces primarily consisted of mounted infantry and mages, and were formed up on a large field. There were also eight wagons, which were presumed siege engines. After an hour of waiting Umbriel came close to the legion, and unlike with the previous attacks, the undead were now walking directly underneath the flying city. Part of the Legionnaires charged the undead army, while over half of the legion alongside the wagons were cast levitation magic on by members of Synod to reach the flying city.^[191][192] These levitating units were met with forces of Umbriel in the sky, which killed them all before they could set foot on the flying island. Only one of the wagons came close to the rim of the island, but never made it to the top.^[191] The Synod tried other kinds of magic, according to some over a hundred, though to no avail,^[192] and after less than an hour of fighting General Takar's men used a war horn to signal a retreat, what remained of his forces fell back. Umbriel moved on as if nothing had happened.^[191]

The following two days, the refugees kept marching out of harm's way, though many retreated to Cheydinhal. Commander Prossos officially gave Mazgar the authority over the refugee group, as he intended to go to the Imperial City to reinforce it. Mazgar originally pleaded for the Commander to also take her with him, and Prossos originally agreed. However, Brennus insisted Mazgar remained with him, as the Imperial war office had assigned her as his bodyguard. Prossos acknowledged that these orders could not be countered in the field, to which Brennus insisted he had to come along too.^[191]

These forces would eventually reach Lake Rumare, where they would use rowboats to row to the City Isle from the north, where they would meet a large force and push towards the northwest part of the capital, as the enemy had put most of its forces there and attempted to break through the gate to the Imperial Prison. It was also the direction from which Umbriel approached. Five hundred troops were assigned to this task. While rowing, the Legionnaires were shot at by archers, and underwater the undead tried to capsize the boats. The soldiers on Brennus' and Mazgar's boat quickly recovered and formed a Diamond Formation around Brennus while pushing toward the shore. By the time the soldiers had made it to the shore, the survivors of the first two waves of boats had formed a double line on the shore, one facing the enemy from the sea, while the other looked landward. Of the five hundred, only around two to three hundred survived the landing and had to fight against an undead army two to three times their size, though the Legionnaires did advance successfully. During the advance, the soldiers formed a wedge formation to prevent the undead from outflanking them. They then advanced in a bloody pace, and the entire cohort eventually started singing a song called "General Slaughter's Comely Daughter."^[193]

The cohort was followed by a unit in a phalanx formation. The Legion forces in the Imperial City had also attempted two assaults on the flying city through levitation magic, though both were just as unsuccessful as General Takar's attempt. Some faith was put into the College of Whispers and the Synod, however, which had manned the city walls and would give the assault all they had. They had also been given plenty of time to set up defenses.^[193]

A few hours from sundown, Commander Prossos' men had met up with what remained of the Twelfth Legion, after which they together pushed the undead army against the wall. They also cleared the gate and set up defenses to protect it from another siege. The western flank was originally quiet, but this would change when a large undead force rose from the west, which pushed what remained of the Legion cavalry before them. Other undead came from the east and from Lake Rumare, and all of them aimed for the Prison district, as that was where Umbriel was flying towards. In order to halt the advance, the Imperial Cavalry cut them back a small distance, but the Legion truly needed their spearmen, which were still located at the city gate where the main offense had been mere moments prior. The left flank of the Legion forces was taken down, but rather than attempt to overwhelm the remaining Legionnaires, the undead rushed towards the wall in an attempt to make a ladder from their own bodies. The undead kept doing so until Umbriel was destroyed, and the undead became dead again.^[194]

The credit for stopping the flying city was granted to the Synod and the College of Whispers by Attrebus Mede, who told his father, Titus Mede I that he needed the support of the Elder Council, and that for that support he needed the support of the Synod and the College of Whispers. He also said that, where there typically was rivalry between the two factions, here they had claimed to work together. Attrebus consider it the best for the Empire, and so his father agreed to give credit to the Synod and the College of Whispers.^[195]

Porcia Loran and the Reachmen of Bthardamz[]

Sometime during the Fourth Era, the Breton Spymaster Porcia Loran, was working with Legion forces in Skyrim to halt a clan of Reachmen invaders. She was directly commanding a Breton phalanx. Her past apprentice, Talym Rend, would however be forced to sabotage her attempts at the command of Sheogorath.^[196] Talym would ambush a Reachmen courier, and gather their intelligence. The intelligence carried by the courier turned out to be the news of a new deadly poison gas developed by the Reachmen, and the Reachmen were planning to attach the gas to Dwemer Animunculi and send them into battle. Cyriel, Talym's Companion, informed Talym of this, and insisted Talym should inform the Legion of this information, but Talym refused, resulting in Cyriel abandoning Talym.^[197]

Talym would instead plant fake intel to trick Porcia,^[198] however, while doing so, Talym had activated a number of traps, which put the Reachmen on high alert. This resulted in Porcia being captured by the Reachmen force. As such, Talym had to save her from the Reachmen.^[199] Porcia would still find the fake intel, however, which directed her towards a Shrine of Mara due to the sacred flowers which grew there.^[200]

At the grove, however, the local priests refused to grant the flowers to the Legion, resulting in Porcia assaulting the shrine and taking the flowers by force.^[201]

After successfully obtaining the flowers, the Legion alchemists refined them into a gas which would negate the poison according to the intel. However, due to the limited supply the Legion had, the situation had to be contained. As such, it was decided to use a passage into Bthardamz, of which the Reachmen were aware. The plan was to march the bulk of the Imperial forces inside the passage, and wait until the poison would be released before the antidote would be used.^[202] The antidote was, however, not an antidote for the poison. Rather than cure its effects, the antidote caused large explosions, killing most of the Reachmen along with the Breton Legionnaires. While technically the assault was a success, the massacre and the murder of the priests resulted in Porcia retiring from the Legion, being too afraid to ever give another command, or share another secret which could hurt someone.^[203]

Great War[]

In 4E 171, the Legion was greatly weakened as a result of the many wars it had to endure in a recent timeframe,^[204] the Aldmeri Dominion used this opportunity, and attacked the Empire in what is known as the Great War. With the Legions in a weak state, and the Empire unprepared for the vicious Aldmeri assault, the Legion suffered heavy casualties.^[185]

The Aldmeri armies would be commanded by Lord Naarifin and Lady Arannelya, with the former focusing his forces on the Cyrodiil front, while the latter focused hers on the Hammerfell front. Naarifin would advance from southern Cyrodiil, and defeat the Imperial defenses along the Valenwood border, allowing Lady Arannelya to advance into western Cyrodiil. At the same time, other parts Naarifin's army conquered Leyawiin and cut off Bravil. Lady Arranelya would cross through western Cyrodiil and into Hammerfell. Combined with smaller Aldmeri landings in southern Hammerfell, most of its coastline was quickly overrun by the Dominion, and the local Imperial Legion, alongside scattered Redguard forces, had to fall back to the Alik'r Desert in the north in the March of Thirst.^[185]

The following year, Lord Naarifin advanced deeper into Cyrodiil, conquering both Bravil and Anvil and eventually coming to the walls of the Imperial City at the end of the year. The Imperial Legion and Imperial Navy tried their best to fight against Dominion forces in Lake Rumare and along the Niben as they attempted to hold on to the eastern bank of the capital. In Hammerfell, Lady Arranelya conquered the entire southern coastline, excluding the city of Hegathe. This effectively provided the Dominion with the territory of Hammerfell they had originally demanded in the ultimatum they had provided to the Emperor. The Legion would gain some positive news, as the March of Thirst had come to an end as the Legion forces had regrouped in northern Hammerfell, joined by Legions from High Rock.^[185]

In 4E 173, the Legions in Cyrodiil were starting to be more effective at fighting the Aldmeri troops, but the relentless advance of the Dominion continued. Fresh Legion reinforcements came from Skyrim to bolster the main army of the Legion in the Imperial City, but the Dominion continued their advance, and crossed the Niben and advancing on the eastern bank of the Imperial City. Within Hammerfell, the Dominion suffered a defeat, as their siege on the Crown city of Hegathe was broken by a Forebear army from Sentinel. Despite this, the Dominion army within the province still crossed the Alik'r Desert, until meeting the Imperial Legions under General Decianus outside Skaven where a bloody and indecisive clash took place. Decianus would eventually withdraw his forces, providing the Dominion with a pyrrhic victory. Skaven had fallen to Aldmeri rule, but at such a cost of Aldmeri forces, that the army of Lady Arranelya was too weak to continue their advance. At the end of the year the Imperial City was surrounded, with only the northern supply route to Bruma remaining intact.^[185]

4E 174 marked the year of the Aldmeri campaign for the White-Gold Tower, and is the same year in which Ulfric Stormcloak was captured by Thalmor forces and interrogated.^[205] The Thalmor ordered all their available forces to make way to the Imperial City, in hopes of ending the Great War once and for all. Aldmeri reinforcements gathered in southern Cyrodiil, and on the 12th of Second Seed, the Dominion launched an assault on the Imperial City. One of the Aldmeri armies advanced to the north of the city, while the main army was commanded by Lord Naarifin himself, and would surround the rest of the Imperial capital. Titus Mede II would break out of the city with part of his army, and cut through the Aldmeri forces advancing from the north, following which he linked up with the Legions from Skyrim under General Jonna, which had started moving south. The Imperial City itself would be defended by the Eighth Legion, which fought a desperate rearguard action on the city walls. The Dominion would end up victorious, and started with an event known as the Sack of the Imperial City. The Imperial Palace was burned, the White-Gold Tower was looted, and the High Elves mistreated the local population.^[185] Lord Naarifin had started with his plans sacrifice the entire population of the Imperial City,^[206] as part of a prophecy known as The Culling,^[207] which would result in the unleashing of hordes of Daedra.^[208]

The Legions in Hammerfell were preparing to take back Skaven, when General Decianus was recalled to Cyrodiil. Decianus, however, refused to abandon Hammerfell completely, and allowed a great number of Legionnaires to be discharged from the army. As a result, the Thalmor were unaware that Decianus had left Hammerfell, due to the large number of Legion veterans that remained in the province. These veterans would form up with the Alik'r Warriors, and their combined forces would push the Aldmeri army out of Skaven and back across the Alik'r Desert in late-4E 174, resulting in many losses for the Aldmeri army under Lady Arranelya.^[185]

In the winter season, the Thalmor believed that the war in Cyrodiil was over, and several attempts were made to contact the Emperor. The Emperor convinced the Thalmor he was preparing to surrender, while at the same time gathering his forces to prepare to retake the capital.^[185] At the time, however, morale in the Legions was so low that when the Emperor regrouped in Skyrim, groups of Nordic deserters abandoned the Legion, thinking it was doomed. When the Emperor learned of Lord Naarifin's plans regarding the Culling, the Emperor was terrified, but knew a direct attack on the Imperial City was doomed to fail, as the Dominion could predict his every move. The Forgotten Hero volunteered to infiltrate the Imperial City to find out the source of Naarifin's power. While the city was heavily guarded, Lord Naarifin had reopened the Arena, and the Hero, alongside his companions, posed as a gladiator to gain entry.^[209] The Hero eventually infiltrated the White-Gold Tower through a secret tunnel system, and entered Lord Naarifin's library, where Laaneth discovered the source of Naarifin's power, the Orb of Vaermina.^[210]

Upon return at the Emperor's camp, the Imperial Guard Division, tasked with defending the Emperor had been assassinated by Bosmer assassins under employ by the Thalmor. While the assassins were defeated before they could kill the Emperor, they did injure the Emperor. Because of this, the Emperor was in no shape to lead the assault, but the Emperor, aware of the low morale in the Legion, knew that the Legions needed to believe the Emperor was strong. As such, he trusted the Forgotten Hero to lead the assault in his stead, leaving the fate of the Empire in their hands.^[211] Some Nords were convinced that the Imperial losses would be severe, and were proven right at the end of the war.^[185] Through prayer to Talos and a vision, some men became encouraged, and were more willing to fight.^[212]

Without the Orb to spy on the Imperial forces, a counterattack was planned, known as the Battle of the Red Ring. The Imperial forces were split into three, General Decianus and his Legions from Hammerfell hid in the Colovian Highlands near Chorrol, General Jonna and her, primarily Nord, Legions from Skyrim took position near Cheydinhal, while the main army would advance from the north, leading the main assault. General Decianus caught the Dominion off guard due to the many veterans he had left behind in Hammerfell, which had convinced Lady Arranelya she still faced the Imperial army there.^[185] On the 30th of Rain's Hand, Decianus attacked with a surprise attack from the west, while General Jonna attacked from Cheydinhal.^[213] In an assault lasting two days, Jonna's Legions crossed the Niben and advanced to the west in an attempt to link up with the forces commanded by General Decianus, and effectively surround the Imperial City. The forces of General Decianus advanced with ease due to the element of surprise, but the Legions commanded by General Jonna faced bitter resistance from a Dominion counterattack from Skingrad and Bravil. The Nord Legions fought off the piecemeal Aldmeri attacks, and after five days, the main Aldmeri army in Cyrodiil was completely surrounded in the Imperial City.^[185]

Despite the best attempts of the Altmer soldiers within the city, the Imperial assault from the north broke through the city gates, and the Legion forces advanced as quickly as they could in search of Naarifin to prevent the completion of the Culling.^[213] The success of the Imperial, Redguard, and Breton Legionnaires caused what remained of the Aldmeri army to attempt to break out of the city to the south, only to be met by the shieldwall of the Nord Legions of General Jonna.^[185] Naarifin had gotten very close to completion of the prophecy, but was eventually beaten by the Forgotten Hero.^[208] Following the victory, the people of Cyrodiil saw Titus Mede II as their hero, not knowing it really was the Forgotten Hero who had lead the assault. The Hero quietly left the city afterwards,^[208] while the Emperor kept Naarifin alive for thirty-three days in a cage hanging from the White-Gold Tower. Whether his body was buried or not, and where, is unknown. One source claims his body was carried off by winged daedra on the thirty-fourth day.^[185]

At the end of the war, every Legion was gathered in Cyrodiil. Despite being victorious, they were in no shape to keep the war going, being too exhausted and decimated after the Battle of the Red Ring. Not one Legion had more than half of its forces left fit for duty, with three entire Legions being entirely destroyed. The Emperor knew that there was no better time to negotiate for peace, and so agreed to the terms of the White-Gold Concordat, believing it was necessary to secure peace and provide the Empire a chance to rebuild its strength. Where as the terms were similar to the original ultimatum, most of the Empire welcomed peace at any price at the end of the war. Hammerfell refused to accept the Concordat, and was renounced as an Imperial province, which was seen by the Redguards as a betrayal. After five additional years of fighting, the Redguards fought the Dominion to a standstill, and signed the Second Treaty of Stros M'kai, following which the Dominion chose to withdraw from Hammerfell. The Redguards claim this proves that the Dominion could have been defeated by the combined forces of the Empire and Hammerfell. A similar claim is recognized, as Hammerfell and the Empire need one another to stand against the Thalmor threat, as otherwise Tamriel is doomed to the Dominion.^[185]

Had Great War continued, however, the Empire would have been slaughtered. The Concordat was the only way for the Empire to survive,^[214] a claim supported by members of the Legion and Blades alike.^[215][216] The Concordat was meant to buy the Empire time to recover before the next war with the Dominion takes place.^[185]

Skyrim Civil War[]

Several years after the Great War, the Legions had garrisons throughout all the provinces of the Empire.^[217] The garrison stationed in Skyrim would be used in an attempt to stop the Stormcloak Rebellion and end the Civil War.^[218] Most of the officers serving in the Legion of Skyrim are from Cyrodiil, as such, they had been provided with a Field Officer's guide to the Holds within the land. These officers were advised to always keep a secure supply line back to Haafingar, from where General Tullius commands all the Legions within the province. Within Castle Dour, the Legion kept ample supplies for their campaigns.^[219] The Legion forces within the province consists of various people of Skyrim. Many Nords,^[220] Redguards, Bretons, and Imperials make up its ranks.^[221] Some Dunmer are also part of the ranks of the Legion,^[222] with numerous Dunmer farmers signing on with the Legion due to how they have been treated by the Nords.^[223] A combination of fresh recruits and Hold Guards^[224] make up the Imperial army within Skyrim, trained at Castle Dour by Captain Aldis, who is Haafingar's Guard Captain.^[225] Legate Fasendil, the Imperial Legate of the Rift was put in Skyrim due to his knowledge of the Thalmor, as he was present during the Night of Green Fire. The Legate assumes the Thalmor are behind the unrest in Skyrim,^[186] and is proven right by the Thalmor dossier on Ulfric Stormcloak. Why people sign on with the Legion in Skyrim varies. Some join the Legion to see the world, others due to relatives having served in the Legion, or because they could not stand watching Ulfric tear everything apart and not do something, though often times their families disagree with their choice.^[226]

The Imperial Army within the province consists of various forces. Soldiers include phalanx pikemen,^[227] troopers,^{[228][229][7]} but the majority of the Imperial army consists of locally recruited^[217] militia^[204] consisting of, scouts and skirmishers.^[230][231] Only few reinforcements have been provided to the Legion in Skyrim, forcing them to recruit locally.^[217] This was because the Empire focused the majority of its forces on the border with the Aldmeri Dominion. Within Cyrodiil, the Civil War in Skyrim was seen as a sideshow, an interlude before the main event with the Dominion resumes.^[232]

Even so, some Imperial reinforcements are being recruited within Cyrodiil, awaiting an opportunity for Pale Pass to clear from avalanches,^[233] to aid the Imperial army within Skyrim.^[234] Another Imperial Legion could be called from Cyrodiil at the command of Maven Black-Briar due to her influence in the Empire, which would arrive in the Rift within a fortnight.^[235]

As of 4E 201, the Legion holds 4 Holds (Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, Falkreath Hold and The Reach) under full Imperial control,^[236] with Whiterun being marked as "Imperial" but being neutral.^[237][238] When General Tullius was sent to Skyrim in 4E 201,^[218] he turned things around for the Empire.^[218] Under his leadership the Legion started massacring the Stormcloaks^[239] and slowly pushing them back.^[232] Tullius managed to capture Ulfric Stormcloak at Darkwater Crossing in an ambush, after which Ulfric was scheduled for execution at Helgen.^[218] However, due to Alduin returning, Ulfric managed to escape.^[7] The Legion is currently stationing soldiers in the Rift, threatening Ulfric's southern flank,^[240] and attempting to conquer Winterhold,^[240] so that Ulfric's forces have to stay at Windhelm.^[241]

The Legion lost certain forts they had occupied. Fort Dunstad was taken from Imperial control by bandits,^[242] Fort Neugrad was lost following the attack on Helgen,^[243] and Fort Greymoor swept hands between Imperial, Stormcloak, and brigand rule throughout the war.^[244][245] The Legion did, however, successfully take over Fort Hraggstad.^[246]

As the war continued, Ulfric had established plans of invading Whiterun, which were discovered by Legion Scouts,^[247] while Ulfric himself was willing to give Jarl Balgruuf one last chance to join his cause, or be considered an enemy of the Stormcloaks.^[239] Even so, Stormcloak Assassins were sent out in attempts to assassinate the Jarl.^[248] With Ulfric and Balgruuf being at odds for years,^[249] Ulfric's plans for invading, and mutual advantage of siding with the Empire,^[237] Balgruuf ends up accepting Imperial aid, and their combined forces fought against the Stormcloaks during the Battle for Whiterun.^[250][251]

Duties[]

Intended as the sole militaristic force behind Cyrodiil's seat of power, the Legion operates in conjunction with the Imperial City's police-force, the Imperial Watch. Their headquarters are situated in the Imperial City.^[252] The duties of a Legionnaire are first to the Empire, and then to their commanding officers. Legionnaires are expected to behave with dignity and uphold the law, as they are the face of the Empire. Theft and assault are considered treason among the Legion, and result in the Legionnaire having to speak to their recruiting officer regarding their status.^[84] If a Legionnaire accuses a superior officer of murder without sufficient evidence, their recruiting officer has the right to press charges of insubordination. If evidence is presented, the recruiting officer provides it to his superiors in Cyrodiil.^[90] The primary duties of the Legion are to serve the Emperor, uphold the law, and protect the citizenry.^[217]

The Legion is the primary fighting force of the Cyrodilic Empires, Cyrodilic cities and towns most often have City Guards, while Nordic cities and towns have Hold Guards, which are Legion soldiers serving the counties and Holds for police duties and law enforcement in the Imperial provinces.^[253][254] Imperial Soldiers also patrol the roads of the Imperial provinces,^[255][252] protect nobles^[255] and researchers,^[256] collect taxes,^[257] and are allowed to seize property of arrested criminals.^[258] Legionnaires are normally not authorized to search homes, only being allowed to do so during wartime or at the order of the Emperor.^[189] Under normal circumstances the Imperial City has at least one Legion stationed within.^[259]

Training[]

The Legion looks for upstanding citizens who show superior endurance, soldierly virtue, and a trustworthy personality. A Legion soldier is supposed to be a model of the duties of Imperial citizenship.^[6]

To be able to join the Legion each soldier must be trained and become proficient in the skills of Long Blade, Spear, Blunt Weapon, Block, and Heavy armor. Imperial soldiers must be able to block quickly and move quickly while in heavy armor. Soldiers are also trained to be able to march long distances with heavy packs and to perform the complex maneuvers that soldiers will perform in real battle.^[6] Furthermore, knights are trained to be able to block blows with just their heavy armor, no shield.^[6] Imperial Smiths often rely on books to master their trade.^[260]

If the Nerevarine or the Last Dragonborn join the Legion neither of them have to undergo any type of training. Although, in both cases, the Legion was in desperate need of new soldiers.

Oath[]

New recruits must take the oath binding them to the service of the Emperor and the Legion:

"Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor...
and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire.
May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty.
Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!"^[261]

Battle organization and ranking[]

During the time of the Reman Empire, the Legions became restructured as a result of Akaviri influences. The Akaviri slaves, following their failed invasion, played a major role in the training of the Imperial Army. Under Akaviri guidance, the Legions learned an unparalleled measure of coherence, logistics, and discipline,^[11] with which they easily overwhelmed the other armies of Tamriel. Daikatanas and Dragonscale Armor were high crafts from Akavir, much like the banners and military gear of the Third Empire's shock troops, the Blades. The Red Dragons which represent the Empire and the Imperial City were inspired by the Red Dragons which the Akaviri used as war mounts.^[2]

The Legion fights only on land. Maritime operations are carried out by the Imperial Navy. To better defend against magic-using foes, the Empire employed the use of Imperial Battlemages, these battlemages form the Shadow Legion. The Legion also makes use of the Phalanx formation,^[262] Diamond Formation,^[263] Wedge Formation^[264] and Shield Walls.^[265] The Legions also make use of wardogs, known as Mastiffs.^[266] They further are mighty warriors, no one can defeat them when they march in rows in open fields, however, in the Ashlands and the wilderness, the Dunmer are able to defeat them.^[267] While at war, the Legions do not listen to politicians in regards to battle tactics, instead listening to their own council to win wars.^[268]

Some sources suggest the fighting strength of the Imperial Legion: The Infernal City mentions that a Legion numbers 5,000 Legionnaires,^[265] and given the highest Legion mentioned is the 18th Legion, then the Imperial Legion has at least 115,000 troops when at full strength. Each Legion is further subdivided into cohorts, which are given orders by centurions, and maniples, which are given orders by legates.^[21] Since the Second Era, every cohort includes a cadre of Imperial Battlemages.^[269]

Due to the Legion's limited supplies in the field, legion soldiers are tasked to requisition anything they can find. Imperial soldiers have the right to search containers for provisioning items or equipment, but are advised to use discretion and limit what they take, as taking too much would be able to leave a mark on the people who have their food items taken. Soldiers are also advised to pick up on local recipes, so long as they are simple, while gathering supplies. The needs of the Legionnaires differs on their duty, scouts and skirmishers being best fed with roast goat, mages being best fed capon noodle soup, and infantry being best fed with trotter pie. Legion soldiers are also advised to never keep more than one flask of a fine brew with them. Often before a battle or a parade review, Legion soldiers need a bit of courage, which is often provided through alcohol.^[270]

The Legions are made up of most of the races of Tamriel. The majority of the Legion is made up of Imperials, who, while individually weak, are one of the strongest peoples when united due to their discipline and training.^[102] The majority of the Imperials serving in the Legions are Colovians, who are eager to fight for the Empire if a strong Emperor is in place. The Colovians often take positions of officers in the Legion and Navy, and are often put in place as governors due to their loyalty to the Emperor. Most Colovians serve the Legion as normal soldiers.^[2]

Following the Warp in the West, many Orcs signed on with the Legion at the request of the Emperor. Because of their service within the Legions, the Orcs gained Imperial citizenship. Due to orc warriors in heavy armor being some of the best front-line troops of Tamriel^[271][272] the Legion often employs them in their armies.^[85][273] Many Orcs leave the Orcish Strongholds to join the Legion and see the world. The Legions, likewise, welcome the Orcs due to their skill in battle and smithing.^[274][275] Within the Legions themselves, Orcs master their trade for smithing through practice.^[276][260]

Many Nords also sign up to join the Legion, due to promises of wealth and glory.^[53] Many Nords also sign on due to the protection and prosperity that the Empire offers, feeling the need to compensate by ensuring the people of Cyrodiil that their northern border is protected by some of the fiercest warriors of Tamriel.^[237]

Despite being the most naturally talented warriors of Tamriel, only few Redguards are part of the Legion. This is due to their lack of discipline and a lack of respect for authority.^[277] Bosmer likewise see little action within the Legion, as their numbers are low. This is a result of their lack of discipline and because the Bosmer were prone to desertion.^[68]

Ranks (Morrowind)[]

• Recruit
• Spearman
• Trooper
• Agent
• Champion
• Knight Errant
• Knight Bachelor
• Knight Protector
• Knight of the Garland
• Knight of the Imperial Dragon

Ranks (Skyrim)[]

• Auxiliary
• Private (mentioned by Captain Aldis)
• Quaestor
• Tribune
• Praefect
• Captain
• Commander
• Legate
• General

Ranks (Online)[]

• Auxiliary
• Private
• Sentinel
• Legionary
• Knight
• Praefect
• Dreadnaught
• Sergeant
• Centurion
• Major
• Tribune
• Lieutenant
• Legate
• Captain
• General

Ranks with unknown status[]

• Fort Commander ^[278]

Highest Rank[]

• Commander of the Imperial Legion

Soldiers[]

The Legion uses a variety of soldiers, which consist of the following units, light and heavy cavalry, heavily armored knights, berserkers, skirmishers, archers, scouts, pikemen, troopers and foot knights.^{[279][231][6]} The Legion also uses Battlemages, artillery, and levies.^{[79][280][281][282][283][284][285]} As well as rams.^[286] During the Third Era, Imperial Battlemages also used Dragons, but it is unknown if the Legion still has any Dragons remaining.^[287]

Officers[]

Commander[]

The highest achievable rank, appointed by the Emperor/Empress. This rank commands every officer and legionnaire in the Imperial legion.^[288] There can only be one Commander at a time.^[289]

General[]

One of the highest achievable ranks in the legion. Generals carry out the duties assigned to them by stated ranks. Under normal circumstances, a General commands one Legion,^{[290][291][5][292][293][60]} however, a General is also able to command several Legions at a time.^[294][185] They take orders directly from the Emperor but they can also defy these orders^[295]. A general can attend elder council meetings.^[296]

Aide-de-camp[]

Aids to generals ^[297]

Captain[]

Captains are the commanding officers of town garrisons,^[7] and train recruits.^[298] They are superiors to Legion Lieutenants,^[299] and answer to Legion Centurions.^[298]

Legate[]

High-ranking legates serve as the right hand to the generals and fort commanders of the Imperial Legion, directly carrying out tasks and duties presented by these superiors. Although acting as an extra set of hands in some cases, they primarily command maniples of a Legion, allowing for battlefield versatility and more efficient command of lower-ranking soldiers and officers.^[21] Legates can also command whole legions.

Tribune[]

Officers below legates and above praefects.^[300]

Praefect[]

They serve below tribunes.^[301]

Lieutenant[]

Lieutenants are tasked with commanding larger groups of soldiers^[302] and answer to Legion captains.^[299]

Field Officers[]

Centurion[]

Imperial Centurions are in charge of the Palace Guard in the Imperial City.^[303] They also command Imperial cohorts in a Legion.^[304][21]

Optio[]

Optios reports to a legion high command.^[305][306]

Palace Guards[]

Palace Guards are an honor guard and an elite unit of the Imperial Legion. They are tasked with defending the Imperial Palace.^[252]

Sergeant[]

Sergeants command small legion units.^[307]

Other ranks[]

Pay master[]

Pay masters are responsible for sending monthly severance to families of dead legion members.^[308]

Surgeon[]

Surgeons serve as doctors and field medics in the legion ^[309][310]

Prison guard[]

They serve as guards in imperial prisons. they can be used as additional support when in need.^[311]

Armor[]

The Legion uses a variety of materials. Light armor is used for scouts, skirmishers, archers and light cavalry. The most common materials for light armor are fur, leather and chainmail armor, which are readily available throughout the Empire. Mithril, elven and glass are considered rare.^[231] Iron armor and weapons are produced in bulk for usage for the Legion, much like Imperial steel and silver.^[312]

Heavy armor is used for the frontline infantry, heavy cavalry, foot knights, pikemen, troopers and officers.^[6] The most common materials for heavy armor are iron and steel, with dwarven, orcish, ebony and daedric being rare.^[231] The Legion uses many materials for their arms, which are listed from cheapest and least desirable, to most expensive and most desirable: iron, steel, silver, dwarven, elven, glass and daedric.^[279] Enchanted weapons and armor are also used by the Legion, but since the Mages Guild was used to enchant armor, it is unknown if the Legion still uses enchanted armor.^[231][279] In the event of a crisis behind enemy lines, Legion Soldiers may sell excess materials to noncombatants. These materials must not have a significant military application. The gold required in this manner must be used to secure swift passage back to the Legion that the soldier belongs to.^[313]

Uniforms[]

The Imperial Legion makes use of various different uniforms. Imperial steel consists of plate armor with chainmail underneath, providing two layers of protection.^{[314][315][316][317]} Imperial iron largely consists of chainmail, though plate is used around the torso.^[318] The Legion also makes use of Imperial Orichalc armor, which is a sturdy armor which offers more protection than Imperial steel.^[319] For most light armor, the Legion makes use of leather armor,^[320][321] which can also be reinforced with chain.^[322] For medium armor, the Legion makes use of chainmail.^[323] Imperial Knight Bachelors are provided with Imperial Templar Armor, which is a golden armor.^[324][325] Imperial Legion Officers have two uniforms. One is worn while on the field, while the other is worn during other occasions.^[326]

Since the days of Reman, the Legion also makes use of Dragonscale armor. During the late-Third Era on Vvardenfell, three pieces of armor in this style could be found. The Imperial Dragonscale Cuirass, Imperial Dragonscale Helm and Dragonscale Tower Shield.^[2]

During the Second Era, Imperial armor always had an elegant undercloth for the soldier to use. Silks were also used, but these were preferred by mages due to their cost. The leather and steel used by the Legion was often reworked by the citizens of the Empire, resulting in an improvement of quality. Some pieces of these Imperial armors are still seen on Tamriel, namely the horsehair helms with their cheek guards, deep red cloth, and gold clasps, as well as their leather sandals.^[327]

The armor used by the Legion is different in various of The Elder Scrolls games:

• In Redguard the Legion made use of leather, chain/steel and bronze/gold/dwarven armor.
• In Online the Legion made use of iron, steel, orcish and higher tier heavy armors, most of the Legion made use of Orcish-Imperial armor. They also made use of various light and medium armors. The type of armor usually depended on the rank, location and mission the soldiers were on.
• In Morrowind the Legion made use of a lot of steel and chain armor, while also making use of studded, dragonscale, newtscale, Templar, boiled Netch leather and silver armors. In Morrowind the Legion's armor looks very similar to that of the Roman Legions.
• In Oblivion the Legion made use of steel plate armor. The armor looked like a combination of medieval armor and Roman armor, though the Imperial Watchmen made use of the Imperial horseman helmet, which looked more like a hoplite helmet. The palace guards also had more decorative armor than the normal Legion soldiers.
• In Legends the Legion made use of steel plate armor, more similar to the armor in The Elder Scrolls Online than the plate armor in Oblivion.
• In Skyrim the Legions makes use of leather, studded and steel armor. The appearances of the light armors is similar to that of the Roman auxiliaries in border provinces of the Roman Empire. Most of the Legion in Skyrim makes use of the light armors instead of the heavy armor. The soldiers in Skyrim are mostly a militia,^[204] as they largely consist of scouts and skirmishers instead of soldiers meant for full-on combat.^[230]

Upon retiring from the Imperial Legion, soldiers are allowed to keep their Legion armor.^[328][329]

Weapons[]

The Imperial Legion mainly uses the Imperial Sword^{[330][331][332]} or steel swords^[333][334] for its army, however the Legion also makes use of some other weapons, such as pikes,^[279][211] the commonly used Imperial Broadsword,^[312] the standard Imperial Shortsword,^[335][312] spears,^{[336][337][335]} claymores^[334][279] and the Imperial Bow.^[330] In The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn, another Imperial styled weapon is wielded by General Falx Carius. This weapon is Champion's Cudgel, a warhammer which has the symbol of the Empire engraved onto its side. Other Imperial styled weapons also exist in The Elder Scrolls Online. These weapons are axes, maces, great swords, battle axes, mauls, daggers, and staffs.^[331] Imperial light cavalry makes use of sabers, while longswords is the standard weapon of Imperial officers.^[312]

The wooden short bow is the standard issue bow for the Legions, while the long bow is also used. While the Legion did mass-produce crossbows, they were less popular among its soldiers than the short and long bows.^[312]

Imperial weaponry of the second Era consisted of a combination of the colors red, silver, and gold. Imperial Shields often bore an Imperial crest or a ruby in a case of bronze or gold, alongside the wood from Cyrodiil's forests. Legionnaires would use red leather as much as possible on their grips to match their armor and their weaponry. Imperial axe heads had designs of red and copper, as well as carved pommels. This carving sometimes extended to the surface of the Imperial maces and axes. Some Legionnaires use the symbol of one of the major cities of Cyrodiil as carvings.^[327]

Siege engines[]

The Imperial Legion is known to use four siege machines, the catapult,^{[338][339][340]} battering ram,^[341] trebuchet^[342] and ballista.^{[343][344][345]}

The Imperial Siege Engine is a card in Legends that has the image of a battering ram. It is manned by an unknown amount of Imperial soldiers, but it has two heavily armored soldiers manning the front of it. Furthermore, it appears to have an armored roof, and its ram consists of a log with a metal spike attached to the end of it.^[341]

During the events of the Skyrim Civil War, the Legion made use of simple wooden catapults. The catapults appeared at the Battle of Windhelm, and were at the Imperial camp to the east of the city. The catapult could be manned by one person.^[346] When the catapult is activated, it will fire a projectile. Upon activating it again, a small crank will begin to move and the catapult will be brought back to the firing position to be loaded. The Legion generally uses firepots for their catapults,^[347] as well as their trebuchets,^[342] though normal boulders are also used as ammunition for catapults.^[340]

Divisions[]

As of the Fourth Era, average fighting strength of each Legion is comprised of 5,000 Legionnaires.^[265]

• Legion Zero – involved with Molag Bal's invasion of the Imperial City.^[43]
• Second Legion – partially stationed in Valenwood during the Reman Empire,^[348] later involved in the Colovian Revolt.
• Third Legion – involved with the Tiber Wars.^[60]
• Fourth Legion – commanded by Augurius Bucco; fought in the Blackwater War in Black Marsh^[18]
• Fifth Legion – involved with the Invasion of Akavir.^[79]
• Sixth Legion - A Legion station in Craglorn during the 2nd Era.
• Seventh Legion – involved with the Invasion of Akavir.^[79]
• Eighth Legion – fought during the Great War^[185]
• Ninth Legion – involved with the Blackwater War and Invasion of Akavir.^[79]
• Tenth Legion – involved with the Invasion of Akavir and the Great War.^[185]
• Twelfth Legion – appears in An Elder Scrolls Novel: Lord of Souls.^[265]
• Thirteenth Legion – sent by Emperor Aquilarios to Senchal in 2E 578 to help restore order after the Knahaten Flu had ravaged the area.^[source?]
• Fourteenth Legion – involved with the Invasion of Akavir.^[79]
• Fifteenth Legion - involved with the defending of Orsinium during the Fourth Era.^[265]
• Seventeenth Legion – involved with the Invasion of Akavir.^[79]
• Eighteenth Legion – mentioned nominally in An Elder Scrolls Novel: The Infernal City.^[187]
• Hawkmoth Legion – an Imperial Legion stationed in the city of Ebonheart during the Third Era.^[349]
• West Weald Legion – involved with the expansion of Imperial territory into Reaper's March.^[293]
• Legion of Chorrol – an Imperial Legion situated at the city of Chorrol.^[350]
• Cygnus Irregulars – helped the Euraxian Legion led by Prefect Calo^[source?]
• Deathshead Legion – an Imperial Legion which was located in Gnisis during The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The only Legion garrison in Morrowind that didn't have its full strength.^[82]
  • Shadow Legion – the Battlemage division of the Legion.^[351]
  • Imperial Guard – the elite guard division of the Legion, tasked with the protection of the Emperor and his representatives in the provinces.^[352]
  • Diamond Marines – The Imperial marines. A Legion of these marines was present during the Blackwater War, near the city-states of Lilmoth and Archon.^[23]

Forts and bases[]

The Imperial Legion has secured many strategic locations for their forts to control the vast amounts of land in the Empire. During the events of Online the Legion made use of many different kinds of bases. In Morrowind, the Legion made us of many large forts that were in prime condition. Oddly, the Imperial Legion in Oblivion makes no use of any forts. In the Skyrim Civil War during the events of Skyrim the Legion occupied old forts, many of which were falling apart and had to be repaired using wood defenses.

The Elder Scrolls Online[]

• Bangkorai Garrison
• Martyr's Crossing
• Nchu Duabthar Threshold, but only during the quest "The Parley"
• Old Tower
• The gates of Craglorn
• Several large fortifications throughout Cyrodiil
• Hallin's Stand
• Keeps in Cyrodiil (formerly)
• The Vile Manse

The Legion also had a strong presence in the following cities, Arenthia, Cheydinhal, Dune, Elden Root, Imperial City, Rawl'kha, Satakalaam, Vinedusk Village, and Wayrest.

Morrowind[]

• Moonmoth Legion Fort
• Fort Pelagiad
• Hawkmoth Legion Garrison
• Buckmoth Legion Fort
• Fort Firemoth
• Fort Frostmoth
• Fort Darius

The Legion in Morrowind also had a strong presence in the cities of Pelagiad, Gnisis, and Mournhold.

Oblivion[]

The Legion in Cyrodiil had only one base during the events of Oblivion, the Prison District of the Imperial City. The old forts that dot Cyrodiil seem to have no value to the Imperial Legion and they are instead occupied by various bandits and necromancers.

Skyrim[]

• Castle Dour
• Fort Neugrad
• Fort Snowhawk
• Fort Sungard
• Eastmarch Imperial Camp
• Rift Imperial Camp
• Winterhold Imperial Camp
• Pale Imperial Camp

The following forts are only under Imperial control if the Last Dragonborn sides with the Legion during the Skyrim Civil War.

• Fort Greymoor
• Fort Hraggstad
• Fort Amol
• Fort Dunstad
• Fort Greenwall
• Fort Kastav

Artifacts[]

The Imperial Legion has several artifacts, this is a list of the known artifacts.

• Lord's Mail
• Chrysamere
• Ward of Akavir

Commanding ranks[]

The Imperial Legion has had multiple different ranks commanding a Legion, the most common one being a General.

Normal Commanders[]

• In The Elder Scrolls Online: Imperial City there is a normal Legion Commander of Legion Zero.^[43]

Generals[]

• During the First Era, the Legions of Piety and Grace were commanded by General Priscus Mactator.^[11]
• During the late-Third Era, General Darius commanded the Deathshead Legion.^[290]
• During the Alliance War of the Second Era, the Legion of the West Weald was commanded by a General.^[293]
• During the Alliance War of the Second Era, the Second Legion was commanded by a General.^[5]
• During the Tiber Wars of the late-Second Era, the Third Legion was commanded by a General.^[60]
• During the Fourth Era, the Legion under the command of General Takar tried to invade Umbriel.^[191]
• During the Blackwater War, the Fourth Legion was commanded by a General.^[18][20][23]
• During the late-Third Era, the Legions of Black Marsh and Morrowind are recorded to have been led by Generals.^[121]
• During the Alliance War of the Second Era, the Seventh Legion was led by the Magus General Septima Tharn.^[353]

Captains[]

• During the Alliance War of the Second Era, a Captain commanded a Legion.^[40]

Legates[]

• During the Great War of the Fourth Era, a Legate commanded the Tenth Legion.^[185]

Gallery[]

The Imperial banner as it appears in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

The Imperial banner as it appears in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The Imperial banner as it appears in The Elder Scrolls Online.

Imperial Soldiers, as seen in The Elder Scrolls: Legends.

An Imperial Soldier, as seen in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

An Imperial Soldier, as seen in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

An Imperial Legion Captain, three Imperial Legion Soldiers, and two Imperial Legion Archers outside of Fort Sutch, as seen in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

An Imperial Phalanx pikeman as seen in Card Art for Legends.

An Imperial War Horse, used by the Imperial Cavalry.

An Imperial wardog, the mascot of the Second Legion.

Armors used by Imperial Centurions and Tribunes.

Sources[]

The following books are related to the Imperial Legion:

• Centurion's Signet – A note regarding the first Orc to become a Legion centurion and Orcish honor.
• The Great War – A book detailing the war between the Third Aldmeri Dominion and the Third Empire in the Fourth Era.
• Ordo Legionis – An introduction to the Imperial Legion.
• Manual of Armor – A book detailing which kinds of armor should be reserved for which Legion soldiers.
• Manual of Arms – A book detailing the weaponry used by part of the Legion.
• Letter to the Grand Marshall of the Imperial Legion – A letter to the Grand Marshall regarding the invasion of the Battlespire.
• The Blackwater War – A 7-volume book series regarding the invasion of Black Marsh by the Second Empire.
• On Morrowind – A book detailing the conquering of Morrowind.
• The Butcher of Bravil – A journal of a Legion Captain detailing why she and her Legion massacred the population of Bravil during the Alliance War.
• The Wolf and the Dragon – A book about Kvatch defending itself against numerous invasion attempts by Anvil.
• The Founding of Southpoint – A book about Governor Zantonius of Southpoint and his deeds in the Legion.
• Basic Provisioning Guide – A book detailing how Imperial Soldiers should gather provisions.
• Eulogy for Emperor Varen – A note by Abnur Tharn celebrating the victory of Emperor Varen Aquilarios over Emperor Leovic.
• The Holds of Skyrim – An introduction to the province of Skyrim, meant for use by Legion officers from Cyrodiil.
• Report: Disaster at Ionith – A book detailing the invasion of Akavir under the command of Emperor Uriel Septim V.
• Ice and Chitin – An account of how a Legion commander was able to escape from a Nordic ambush during the Tiber Wars.
• The Battle of Sancre Tor – A book detailing how the Imperial General Talos was able to achieve victory against a Nord-Breton alliance in the battle of Sancre Tor.
• Yours for the Taking! – A pamphlet used by the West Weald Legion to justify an Imperial invasion of the Arenthian Vale, as decreed by the Count of Skingrad and the Elder Council.
• Second Cohort Orders – The orders for the Second Cohort of the Seventh Legion which conquered part of Bangkorai during the Alliance War.
• Eyewitness to the Wall – A journal regarding the rebellion of the Second Legion, led Varen Aquilarios, against the Longhouse Emperors.
• The Fall and Rise of Reman's Bluff – A book describing the Legion's deeds and needs located at Reman's Bluff during the First Era.
• Arx Corinium — First Seed Report – An Imperial report describing the failure of a Legion fort in Black Marsh.
• An Ancient Love Letter – A love letter written by a member of the Second Legion.
• On the Spirits of the Hel Shira – A letter to Septima Tharn, informing her that a Legion member has learned how to control the spirits of Hel Shira.
• Septima Tharn's Leadership Maxims – A book describing how the important figures of the Imperial Legions should behave when at war.
• Report: Quality of Recruits – A book describing the training of people who used to work for the temple, with a request to use these troops as healers instead of normal soldiers.
• Imperial Condolences – A letter from the Imperial Legion informing Lu'ah Al-Skaven of her husband's death for the Empire.
• Rislav the Righteous – A book describing how an Emperor along with his Alessian Army got defeated by the Kings of Skingrad and Kvatch.
• Imperial Recall Orders – A military order by Captain Virgilus ordering all men under his command to head to the Imperial City during the Alliance War.
• A Looter's Paradise – A book describing how Fort Sphinxmoth became a looter's paradise when its Imperial garrison left.
• Thibaut's Cairn and its History – A book about how the Cohort under the command of Thibault of Kvatch became the cause of a crypt being built.
• Cohort Briefing: Arenthia – A briefing for the West Weald Legion regarding the invasion of Arenthia.
• The Ivory Lord: A Hero Born, V. 1, V. 2, and V. 3 – A book series about how a Breton and a band of mercenaries fought Alessian forces.
• Arms and Armor of the Imperial Champion: Hall Steward Longinus Attius – A book detailing the arms and armor used by the Imperials, including Third Legion Centurion, Longinus Attius.

Appearances[]

• The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
  • The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Elder Scrolls Online
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Imperial City
  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Dark Brotherhood
• The Elder Scrolls: Legends
• The Elder Scrolls: Blades (mentioned only)

References[]

External links[]

• The Imperial Library has articles on the Imperial Legion