I'd like to thank Marco and Lee of Angry Robot for having faith in my ambitious idea, and Matt Keefe and Guy Haley for their continuing help and support.
Gav Thorpe works from Nottingham, England, and has written more than a dozen novels and even more short stories. Growing up in a tedious town just north of London, he originally intended to be an illustrator but after acknowledging an inability to draw or paint he turned his hand to writing.
Gav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop on the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 before going freelance in 2008. It is claimed (albeit solely by our Gav, frankly) that he is merely a puppet of a mechanical hamster called Dennis that intends to take over the world via the global communications network. When not writing, Gav enjoys playing games, cooking, pro-wrestling and smiling wryly. mechanicalhamster.wordpress.com Extras…
The empire of Greater Askhor has existed for more than two centuries. Over that time, it has relentlessly expanded, bringing a disparate group of peoples under its common banner. Guided by the wisdom laid down in the Book of Askhos, the empire has been brought together not only by military conquest but by advanced trade, technology and organisation. This section looks at some of the factors that make Greater Askhor such a powerful force. Time The need for accurate timekeeping was met by Askhos during his formation of the first legions. By use of water clocks and meticulously made watch candles, the offices of state and war can adhere to a routine common across all of the empire.
Askhan time is based upon the rota of duties employed by the legions. The basic element of time is the watches, which run from the start of the day in the following order: Dawnwatch (the official start of the day); Low Watch; Noon Watch; High Watch; Duskwatch; Howling Watch (or simply Howling); Midnight Watch (or Midwatch); Gravewatch.
Each watch is further divided into four equal hours, so the Askhan day is broken into 32 hours in total. The accepted format is to number the hour of the particular watch. For instance, second hour of Gravewatch, or first hour of High Watch. In everyday use this is contracted, so that one might refer to "second Grave" or "first High".
In legion camps and major towns, the start of each watch is signalled by an established pattern of bell rings or horn notes, followed by a number of chimes or blasts equivalent to the hour.
While the Brotherhood has a centralised calendar for taxation systems and organising agriculture, its use is not so widespread as that of the clock and many parts of the empire retain their tribal dating systems. Based upon complex solar and lunar observations, only a few academics understand this calendar outside of the Brotherhood. The only widely accepted date is that of midsummer (where it can be determined) and it is on this day that a new Askhan year starts. Distance and other measurements As with the gauging of time, most distances in the empire are derived from legion origins. The Askhan mile is a well established measure based upon the distance a legion can march at a regulated pace. One mile is one tenth of the distance covered in a full watch of marching, so the average marching speed of a legion is two and a half miles per hour.
Other measurements are graded by the Brotherhood, including the "pack" (based on the weight of a legionnaire's wargear), "heft"(the weight of an Askhan spear) and "cast" (seventy paces, the distance a javelin can be reliably thrown). Various commonly agreed crafts, engineering, masonic and trade weights and measures are also used, particularly in the oldest parts of the empire.
Coinage is based on a metric system devised by the Brotherhood. The highest value unit of currency is the Askharin, a gold-based coin whose weight is also a universal measure. An Askharin is worth one hundred sindins, which are half the size and made of a silver alloy. A sindin is worth ten innats, usually called "tins' due to the metal used in their alloy. There is no formal imperial mint and individual governors and even nobles are free to make their own coinage, subject to appraisal and approval by the Brotherhood. When dealing with imperial contracts, a system of promissory notes are used, and in recent decades these have become a form of paper money when large sums are involved. In many parts of the empire, barter is still the preferred method of trade. Iron is rarer and more valued than gold, but it still in such short supply that by royal decree it cannot be used as coinage. Politics The empire is divided into a number of provinces, run on behalf of the king by appointed governors. Each province is a semi-autonomous state, responsible for the raising of taxes and legions, and the payment of imperial contracts and pensions, in addition to providing an agreed stipend to the Crown that is reviewed every ten years. In practice, trade taxes are levied by the Brotherhood and so are consistent across all provinces, while property and personal taxes depend upon the individual circumstances and governors in charge.
The king has absolute rule in law, though he is advised by the High Brother of the Brotherhood, the Council of Governors and various crafts, academic and trade representatives. Alongside this civic administration is a more complex network of influence originating from the ancient noble families, provincial kings and tribal chieftains brought into the fold of Greater Askhor. The majority of non-noble families do not have the wealth for independent investment or trade and are directly employed by the empire or rely upon pensions or contracts originating from the king and governors. The Blood The Book of Askhos has a considerable section dedicated to the rights and responsibilities of his descendants. In law, the word of the Blood is sacrosanct and any judgement made by one of the Blood is absolute unless directly overruled by the king. By right, all members of the Blood are granted the dual ranks of Prince and General, although in recent generations not all princes have pursued military ambition.
A Prince of the Blood has the right to requisition any resource he requires from a provincial governor. Many Princes of the Blood serve as governors in their later years, although in recent generations the law has been amended so that a prince who does so must relinquish the title of general and may only command legions attached to his position as Governor. Some unruly princes have been forced into Governorship in the past to curb their powers. The Governors The Governor is the head of imperial power within each province, second in authority only to a member of the Blood. Appointed by the king, a governor essentially leases his province from the empire through the provision of taxation and supply of soldiers. Within the laws of the empire, he is free to run whatever system of government he wishes within his province. In reality, provinces are run on autocratic principles, with contracted agreements to other bodies such as colleges, merchants' organisations and the nobility.
A governor is required to maintain at least one legion for the defence of the province; the expense of which is deducted from any taxation levied by the king. The king can also compel a governor to raise new legions as required, again at the expense of the Crown. As raising a legion can be a costly and time-consuming business, most governors maintain several in existence in readiness to respond to the king's requests. A governor has nominal command of all legions in his province, unless they are under the authority of one of the Blood or a general named by the king.
The Brotherhood The High Brother is leader of the Brotherhood and enjoys considerable authority in matters of commerce and law, subject to approval by the king. Individual precincts are empowered to levy taxes, adjudicate disputes, impose judicial sanctions and prosecute criminal law on behalf of the governors and the king.
In addition, the Brotherhood provides personnel for managing the essential tasks of the empire. This ranges from arbitrating trade disputes, managing the maintenance of waterways, roads and other infrastructure, providing supplies and payment to the legions, overseeing the minting of coinage, and several banking duties for the nobility and merchants.
While an individual Brother has little legal authority on his own, as a representative of the Brotherhood he is by extension a direct servant of the king. Any person, even a governor, who defies the wishes of a Brother would need a very good reason to do so, and can expect repercussions if found to be obstructing the running of the empire. The Legions It was Askhos who revolutionised the strategy and tactics of war at the founding of the empire. The First King established a professional body of fighting men from the retinues of the Askhan tribal chieftains and organised them into the First Legion. Welldrilled, well-equipped and well-rewarded, these soldiers were more than a match for the tribal warbands they faced and after several crushing victories over the disorganised militia forces of other chieftains in Askhor, their mere existence was enough to subjugate all of the Askhan people to Askhos's rule. Emulating their new king, subservient tribal leaders adopted the legion principles, and with license from Askhos the conquest of Greater Askhor began.
As the empire was established, wary of rebellion, Askhos bought off the legions from their commanders, rewarding the chieftains with the lands they had conquered. The system of governorships was established and the legions were all subsumed into Crown control. All legions swear direct loyalty to the king, and are considered soldiers of the empire rather than any individual prince, governor or general.
In theory, legionnaires are drawn from all across Greater Askhor. In practice, the logistics of raising and recruitment mean that a legion will generally be drawn from the populace of a particular province. Each raising of a legion is given a sequential number; if a legion is destroyed in battle or otherwise disbanded, its number becomes available for the next one created. Certain legions have continued to exist since the time of Askhos through continual replacement of losses, while others had been raised and fallen several times. This means that a legion's number is no sure indication of the length of its current existence, though on principle the First Legion is constantly maintained and so its history is unbroken since it was created by Askhos. Several other legions have earned great distinction in the many campaigns of the empire, either in their current incarnation or in previous raisings.
Each legion bears an icon of Askhos as its army standard. It is on this golden placard that every legionnaire swears his loyalty. It is a matter of pride that no legion icon has ever fallen in battle. Even during the few defeats suffered by a legion, the icon has always been brought back to safety, ready to be raised again at the legion's next founding.
When more than one legion is present, it is termed an army. Command of an army falls to the longest-serving First Captain. This grants the title of First Commander. Above this comes the rank of General. Only the king may appoint the general, and it confers a form of pseudo-Blood status in regards to the law and the command of legions. While a First Commander is subject to the instructions of a governor, a General is not, and can only receive orders from one of the Blood. Generals are usually appointed for a specific campaign of conquest, although its duration is for life unless the rank is later renounced by the king. Like governors, Generals are permitted to raise their own legions at the expense of the Crown, and may even do so at their own expense. By ancient law a General may claim any conquered territories for himself, although to do so he must surrender part of any proceeds from such gains to the Crown. By extension, any lands conquered by a legion must be offered to the soldiers of the legion for lease or purchase, and it is from these rights of conquest that many legionnaires and officers are able to retire after serving their minimum ten years of duty.
At the time of King Lutaar's ascension to the Crown, there were thirty-three legions in existence, though by the end of his reign this had been reduce to twenty. The highest number of legions recorded is forty-eight, during a rapid expansion of the empire that ended about a decade before the start of Lutaar's reign. Organisation Askhos's greatest innovation in creating the legions was to approach the formation of the army from a bottom-up approach. Traditionally, tribal chieftains and their nobles each gathered about them a body or retainers who were equipped to fight, supplemented during raids and times of war by armed militia. Therefore the size and quality of troops varied widely depending upon the individual wealth of the nobility and the number of men who were loyal to them.
Askhos established the idea of the company; a set body of men 160-strong that formed the foundation of a legion. The number was chosen in concert with the new concept of the phalanx as a fighting formation. Each company has eight sergeants; in standard phalanx formation they are each responsible for two ranks of troops. There are four Third Captains per company, who are in turn commanded by a single Second Captain. All are numbered within the 160 soldiers and expected to fight in rank.
A minimum of ten companies is required for a force to qualify as a legion, but ideally a new legion will number between twenty and thirty companies, giving a rough manpower of four to five thousand men. Regardless of size, a legion is commanded by its First Captain. A First Captain is supported by a staff of Second and Third Captains, the number dependent on the size of the legion, but typically one Second Captain and two Third Captains for every five companies. The staff officers act as messengers and subordinate battlefield commands, and take on responsibilities for supplies, recruitment, training and the running of the camp.
All legionnaires are required to learn skills necessary for the functioning of the legion. There are no non-combatants in a legion, even engineers, surgeons and armourers must be able to fight. Such men with these prestigious additional duties are usually given the rank of at least Third Captain.
Since the discovery of kolubrids in the grasslands of Maasra, there is an additional cavalry wing to many legions. The size of this varies with the availability of kolubrids, and so is typically larger in legions raised in the hotwards provinces of Nalanor, Okhar and Maasra. Between two hundred and four hundred kolubrid riders is typical, divided into squadrons fifty-strong.
Legionnaire Any man of the legions may call himself a legionnaire, and it is an honorific kept until death. A legionnaire is a professional soldier, paid from the legion coffers. All training and equipment is also paid for, as is basic accommodation, food and drink whilst in the legion. Some additional benefits can be bought or hired whilst in camp, though their price effectively limits their availability to officers. Food and shelter are often better than that available to labourers and other menial workers, so there is no shortage of able men willing to fight in the legions.
A legionnaire is expected to lay down his life for the empire; in fact if he survives grievous wounds in battle and is unable to fight he will be slain so that he does not become a burden. In return, he receives a salary that can be paid in coin, salt and other produce, or accumulated as an allotment of land available on his retirement. In addition, should a legionnaire be slain whilst on duty, his immediate family may claim his pay as a war pension, extending to sixty years after his death. Such generosity is balanced by the rigorous training, harsh discipline and long campaigns that are the lot of the imperial legionnaire.
A legionnaire is provided with his weapons, kit and armour by the legion, though replacements for breakages outside of battle must be paid for by him. This gear is divided into march kit and camp kit. A legionnaire's march kit is carried at all times, though when in camp or on hard labours outside camp, a legionnaire is permitted to divest himself of his pack and wargear as long as he is never more than ten paces away. March kit consists of a pair of hard-soled sandals, a stiffened leather kilt, water canteen, woollen undershirt, bronze breastplate, single-bladed bronze knife and sheath, whetstone, leather belt, bronze helmet and a spear. In addition, a legionnaire's camp kit includes a bed roll, replacement sandal soles and belt, five replacement spear tips, a wooden cup and bowl, a bundle of wooden faggots for firemaking, a spare undershirt, helmet crest and a money pouch. Often legionnaires treat their money pouch as march kit.
When campaigning in coldwards climes or expected to fight into the winter, legionnaires must also be provided with a hooded woollen cloak, a tarred waterproof sack, two pairs of knee-length stockings and woollen gloves. Though seen as generous by many, these provisions have allowed legions to fight in exceptionally poor weather when other warriors would be forced to remain in camp or even return to their homes.
A legionnaire is also entitled to two meals per day, at breakfast and at night. When supplies allow, both of these meals must contain some form of meat, a rarity for many folk of lower social standing. Standard march fare is a starchy porridge of ground oats or grain, and Second Captains that wish to engender greater loyalty in their troops will often provide sugar, honey or salt at their own expense. The evening meal must also contain some form of vegetable or fruit. Flat loaves of unleavened bread are used as march rations, which can be supplemented with honey, jam or other fillings at the legionnaire's own expense.
Alcohol is permitted in camp, and each legionnaire has a ration of weak beer every day. Stronger drinks such as wine and mead are often given out as rewards for dutiful service. Legionnaires are permitted to carry additional alcohol in their camp kit, but any drunkenness in camp is punishable by company flogging, while any dereliction of duty is punished by death, so legionnaires are moderate drinkers when on duty.
A legionnaire must serve for at least ten years, at which point he is eligible to leave the military and take his pension. He has the choice of continuing to stay with the legion, signing on for further stints of five years at a time. Officers of Second Captain rank and above may not retire until they have served for fifteen years, and if they choose not to do so at this time, their commitment is for life.