Hobgoblin Legion
Hobgoblins live in martial societies called Legions . Each legion is governed by a Warlord whose position is earned through a contest of martial prowess. In a challenge both sides must rally forces to their side which are then represented by figures on a board representing the territory controlled by the Legion . The pair engage in a game of strategy observed by the foremost commanders of the Legion who determine the feasibility and outcome of their comparative tactical decisions until a final deciding battle is reached upon the board. Both sides are then able to rally forces relative to the final confrontation and engage in the battle in real life under the observation of the Legion with the victor earning the title of Warlord.
Demographics
Hobgoblin Legions tend to have majority Hobgoblin populations with slaves most often dwelling in farmlands on its outskirts or as a minority of house staff for the leadership. Though outsiders may be granted the honorary status as a legionnaire with permission to remain this practice is extremely rare resulting in small non-goblinoid species.
Hobgoblins tend to make up at least 80% of the population of a legion with Bugbears often being the largest minority population at around 10% of their numbers. Goblins are allowed to join the legion but are often considered second class citizens, above non-goblinoids but below their taller and stronger kin. As a result they tend to prefer to dwell in nearby warrens often mining metals and precious resources for the legion in exchange for protection.
In terms of work every legionnaire is a soldier but also expected to learn a second trade for periods of peace. Those injured and unable to fight are expected to master their trade and oversee their units resources when their able bodied kin depart to war.
Government
Beneath the Warlord society is divided into commands each of which is managed by a Captain. Captains are responsible for an aspect of the Legion livelihood such as food, education, defence, offence, livestock or otherwise. Within these all Hobgoblins fall into a standard military hierarchy serving and rising as the needs of the Legion demand.
Legions are governed by Warlords, a titled claimed by the most strategically minded and martially skilled member of the Legion. The Warlord is responsible for the overall direction of the state with a final say on any matter but often leads general management to a set of officers chosen from among their trusted and most capable legionnaires. These officers are responsible for the employment, wellbeing and behaviour of the legionnaires beneath them, known as units, with each acting as a self-sufficient block within the legion. In this way forces can be taken out of the Legion to go to war without the entire state's economy collapsing.
Defences
Legions boast an outer wall around their territory. This tends to be a basic palisade with watch towers placed within eyeshot of each other or two at gates in and out of it. The palisade is patrolled by rotating Units who during their tenure are responsible for its maintenance, defence and improvement. The watchtowers possess beacons with different coloured bags of fire tint that can be ignited in the event of attack and identify the direction from which they advance with each colour representing a compass direction.
In the event of attack the Unit on guard is expected to delay their advance whilst alerting the Legion who can meet them in the field before they meet the Legion settlement proper. Should they reach the settlement proper they are however met with a wall, often wide enough for three hobgoblins to walk side by side, the lower layer which can be filled with barricades forming kill zones and choke points then a commercial district whose structures tend to be sealed off before reaching the higher tier where the halls act as miniature keeps each needing to be stormed.
As a result of this most assaults on Legions tend to act as sieges which Legions bypass through often hidden tunnels in and out of the legion allowing them to ambush their besiegers from behind. Where Goblin warrens are vassalized these often form secret entrances with the locations to and from at times known only to the Legion itself.
Districts
Hobgoblin architecture tends to be brutalist and efficient favouring defensive enduring structures over aesthetic beauty. Traditionally the Legion has an outer wall around its territory and an inner wall around its core settlement. Where possible legions then tend to have three tiers to their settlements a lower residential tier, a middle commercial tier and a higher command tier.
The residential tier surrounds the lowest layer and contains housing for all but the officers and Warlord of the Legion. It is most often the largest layer and designed to aid in the defence of the Legion if needed. Houses are structurally uniform with small additions often marking the military prowess of the current or former residents. New homes are constructed within the space at the need of the Legion. The painting of the houses can however alter greatly with Hobgoblins often depicting the colours of the residents units and often images of great ancestors achievements, myths of the gods or other fantastic sights. These murals are often used to define homes with Hobgoblin streets being otherwise identified by a number, which denotes the wall facing ring road it lies on, and a letter which denotes the perpendicular street it is closest too. While most homes can be found with this method with some ease the use of the mural description provides an additional identifying feature.
The middle commercial tier is where all business and trades occur. At the intersection of these two districts, and at the intersection of the middle and higher, shrines often line the roadside to assorted ederic gods that act as communal shrines as oppose to the personal shrines kept by many Hobgoblins. The commercial district is the least uniform with structures designed to reflect the needs of the craftsman and are organised not by trade but by Unit. This ensures that when a unit leaves for war those that remain within it are able to easily access all their units structures to fulfil basic maintenance needs.
The higher tier is often the least brutalist with more fearsome features such as spikes being employed to mark the skulls of the great foes of the Legion. Each unit possesses a Hall here within which their officer resides and all major unit activity occurs including celebrations of war, awarding of medals and rank or the enactment of justice. These halls are only decorated by the spoils of the Unit except for a single shrine to a patron deity and a wall of names of all those who have led the Unit since its founding.
The largest structure at the centre of these halls is that of the Warlord. This structure boasts spoils from all the greatest achievements of the Legion and a throne constructed from the melted blade of every leader defeated by the legion. This hall is used for announcements and major decisions and often holds councils of the Warlord and their officers.
Assets
Hobgoblin Legions tend to be very well armed with close quarters and ranged weapons for every legionnaire kept by their Unit. These tend to be well maintained and technologically up to date with their contemporaries as though Hobgoblins are not known for their innovations in weapon design they are capable at recreating captured weaponry. Ensuring the Legion is able to compete militarily is the highest purpose of the group and thus the technological equivalency of their means is highly valued. This also often means Legions possess high quality weaponry for sale on new technological innovation which they often exchange to allied or vassal nations for other needed supplies.
Legions often preserve stores of other valuable materials to provide their needs for a year in the event of a siege though beyond that tend to trade it for various valuables that can be exchanged or martial advantages.
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