Calexian Guard

The Calexian guard was a elite group of foreign mercenary soldiers who's purpose was to protect the Essanian Emperor and his immediate family, including the Empress and the prince and princess. This included protecting him wherever he went, including on the battlefield, where they also gave support to the regular infantry in combat.

Recruitment

Most soldiers recruited to serve as a calexian guard were of Rumalian origins. Their warrior-like culture, which produced strong and capable warriors, such as the Jargs, meant that they were highly valued mercenaries and very sought after by the Empire.

Composition

Manpower

At its highest number, the Calexian guard numbered close to 12 000 mercenary soldiers, but their numbers usualy sat around 8000 soldiers strong, separated into two or three legions. About half of them were Elemental Mages of the Ice, Stone and Fire types. This proportion varied and generaly trended downwards as the years passed. Shapeshifters and Soulstriders also began to be recruited, although they were only really used in specialised roles, such as ambushes or in logistics, respectively.

Equipment

Every Calexian guard, whether they were human, elemental Mage, shapeshifters or Soulstriders, was equiped with a large, oval shield, made of hard wood reenforced by steel rims.
They also had good quality armour, usualy coming in two types: A chainmail vest that covered from the neck to the knees and also the arms up to the wrists and a lamminar vest, composed of metal squares with rounded edges, which are tied together with leather thongings. It created a highly deflective surface, which protected the soldiers from blows of both swords and arrows. Both the Calexian guard and the Essanian heavy cavalry wore this type of armour in combat.

Weaponry

Many calexi mages that came from Rumalia continued to use their own weapons, or made new weapons based on the ones they already knew.
The hafted axe, a two-handed axe with a long shaft nearly 2 metres long was a staple of Rumalian weaponry and remained populair in the Calexian guard for all of its existance.
Some Elemental mages also had specialised one-edged swords called a tahern, which reacted to their powers and made for a frightning sight for their enemies on the battlefield.

Type

Infantry

Founding

793 Bc

Dissolution

1 bc

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Decorated/Honored

History

A group of Rumalian mercenaries were used by the Essanian army during their first war against the kingdom of Darnia, which lasted from the year 804 Bc to 798 Bc and resulted in a Essanian victory, in large part due to the ferocity of the mercenaries. The emperor was so impressed by their performance that he made them into an elite unit of the army. Later, they also began to be used as personal guard to the royal family and palace guards.

During the crisis of the three Emperors, from 581 to 538 Bc, the Calexian guard found itself split on different loyalties, but them rallying to emperor Jatinian in 544 Bc, assured his victory. In 538, the empire was split in half to ease the burden of rule. The Calexian guard became split and remained that way until the fall of the empire.

In 171 Bc, anger over the lack of security of mages against the rise of Sokralist miltants, lead to a massive rebellion in Gysia, which manages to take over the capital of the Eastern Empire. Only after many day was the Calexian guard in the castle killed by their far more numerous enemy.

In the year 31 Bc, during the seige and sack of Carathenga, a large portion of the Calexian guard fall victim to The Blight. The last of the Calexians guards are killed in the City of Tareghasi during the coup-d'etat that ended the Empire in 1 bc.

Legacy

The Calexian guard's legacy can be mostly seen within Mercenary guilds which opperate all over Arros and Enaskia. Many of them were modeled after the Calexian guard, bth in terms of training and tactics. Also, it is rather common for members of these organisations to call themselves "Calexi" as the title is still prestigious to this day. Some countries in Enaskia still have units called Calexi, or named something similar, most notably the The commonwealth and their Kalaxin Legions.