The Shining Empire is the foremost military power known to Materia.
Jin-Mao Huang built his empire chiefly by conquest. His terrible dragonfire and singular martial skill are key to his success, but even a god cannot conquer a world alone. Gods have been felled before, be it by demon lords or at the hands of mortal armies. So the Shining Emperor ensures that his soldiers are the best-fed, best-armed, and best-disciplined war machine in the world.
The Imperial Armies contrast with most other mortal armies in several important ways. The main body of the armies is professional. Soldiers are recruited as teenagers, trained and drilled in the Eight Tower Encampment just outside of the imperial capital city, and organized into legions of roughly 500 soldiers. These foot soldiers are trained in the use of the round shield, spear, side sword, and composite bow, and resources permitting they are equipped with all four when on the march. This offers great tactical flexibility to their generals. Auxiliary units such as skirmishers and heavy cavalry are levied when the circumstances demand it, and as such tend to be considered unreliable in traditional imperial military theory. Clever generals have deployed them to great effect in many of the Empire’s wars in the last 1794 years, but they tend to receive few accolades and fewer ballads; the glory is chiefly to the Emperor himself and then to his generals and devoted, fearless legions.
The legion is considered the unit of maneuver, although when the Imperial Armies are on the move it is rare for fewer than three legions to march together. One of the reasons for this is that each legion is headed by a single captain, and it is considered poor strategy to bring less than three captains—and a general above them—to a major theater. Captains possess an important voice in war planning and deliberations, and the Imperial Armies trust in deliberative, careful planning, bringing alternatives and contingencies to any engagement.
The generals of the Imperial Armies are selected from among the few Mandarin who have direct experience in soldiering. Almost all soldiers who go on to become Mandarin are rigorously instructed in military theory and practice as well as logistics, diplomacy, and politics, in the hopes that they may be suitable generals.
The legions themselves are cohesive institutions with regalia, battle-songs, and historians. Their most recognizable symbols are their banners. Most legions fly single or double banners with bold colors and striking patterns, so better to be seen in a chaotic battle. Captainship of a legion is prestigious, the dream of every young recruit.
One legion among them warrants special attention: the Immortal Legion. The Immortal Legion is said to be the Emperor’s first legion, originating when he raised an army of scarecrows with his magic, thoughtless and fearless, dim but strong, to take a foe by surprise. The legion survives to this day, though the soldiers are now made of leather and steel by the emperor’s finest smiths, and with his magic he now bestows upon them considerable mental faculties to complement their incredible strength and fortitude.