Imperial Army

By many thought to be the strongest military power in the whole world, that also costs an insane ammounts of funds to finance, making many imperial organizations and ministries cooperating to keep it afloat. With most of the money from imperial treasure going into insatiable hole that Imperial Army budget is.
On the other hand it is believed (a belief reinforced by many military succesess) to be able to face even a wide alliance of rebelious vassal states, not to mention foreign powers like Kasytian Empire and Amnerian Tyranny simultaneously. However, with the insanely big territory of Imperium of Karadia it is also nearly stretched to the limit, regularly undergoing period of unshakable might and weaknesses, that tend to coincide with periods of crises in Imperium as a whole.

Structure

Imperial Army structure was, in its core, inherited from Imperium of Menoria, with fused elements from the Itavian Empire who, despite falling to the Falon the Conqueror managed to influence its destroyers on many levels. During long history of Imperium the overall number of changes was surprisingly small, with most of the 'reforms' focusing on stomping out corruption among officer cadre.
Official head of an Imperial Army is, of course, Imperator himself. He rules it by his collective proxy, the Council of Generals, in fact akin to a general staff of Imperial Army. It is made from most succesful (either on a battlefield or during political maneuvers) generals on Imperial Army (with their number varying and only few of them having defined position, the rest being a sort of advisory group.
Council of Generals resides, of course, in Falon-nir. In a vast building, filled with archives and officials trying to ensure that Imperial Army is well organized and supplied, not to mention keeping track of appointments, rewards and so on at least among officer cadre. On one hand it tends to undergo periods of general disrepair, on other can sometime act very quickly and precise especially when situation is grim.
Beneath the Council of Generals lies the level of Regional Commands, in most cases limited to a single general-rank officer that is tasked with coordinating actions of forces garrisoned in 'his' Provinces – they are in fact in most cases nearly powerless, recruited from officers that advanced through political means. This is mostly an administrative position, with Council of Generals or Imperator himself appointing his replacement in moment of regional crisis (officially simply a Grand Emperor proxy, but in fact a person of nearly infinite power). Because of an Imperium-wide system of teleports, the proxy always reaches the area of problem fast enough.
Provincial Commands are, too, commanded by generals, advanced by either political and military achievements. The first are preferred in a Royal and Imperial Provinces, where local countries are more than capable of counteracting provincial-level threats and where political mastery is actually more important than military qualifications to avoid offending people. Military-centered general are preferred in Legate and Governor Provinces, where threats tend to require fast reactions, and there is no country strong enough for Imperium to be afraid of offending. Automatic sorting is achieved – at least mostly – by the safe provinces being more 'profitable', while those more troubling being less profitable, but giving bigger chances for the Council of Generals and/or Imperator notice you.
Imperial Army is divided into so called 'divisions' – system imported from Imperium of Menoria – with each at least nominally made up from 10 000 line soldiers (with real numbers in fact drifting occasionally from 6-12 thousands). Every division is supplied during peace time by a local area left for military settlements, called military districts, with land plots inherited only if each generation of family 'produces' sufficient number of recruits for the Imperial Army.
Divisions tend to be assigned one per province, unless it is too small or poor to supply the local IA forces – in such cases a smaller formations, called Brigade, is garrisoned there. They can have between 2 to 8 thousands of line soldiers. They, too, are commanded by generals, that are however considered a tier lower from 'real' generals.
Each Division is internally assembled differently, but with more or less similar building blocks used. Namely, regiments (commandered by colonels) that, too, are imported from Imperium of Menoria. They are typically 2000 strong. Beneath are 500 strong batallions (commandered by optio – name coming from Itavian Empire, 200 strong companies (commandered by centurions) and 100 strong platoons under command of lieutenants (once again name from Menoria). Lowest tier is ultimately a 10 people strong squad commandered by decurion.
Each division is tailored to fit local terrain the best, with for example, division stationed on primarily flat and empty plains made ~80% from cavalry formations, while in Niflheim cavalry is practically absent and replaced by lightly armored infantry.

Public Agenda

Imperial Army exists to serve the Grand Emperors and to protect Imperium of Karadia from enemies both domestic and outside. It is called when a revolt happens (as long as its antiimperial, or tries to change society structure in some radical way), when some local mage goes daemon lord and adventurer prove insufficient to subjugate him, when Tyranny of Amner or Kasytian Empire try something funny, and so on.
It is no surprise that Imperial Army is considered the most important asset of Imperium as a whole, followed closely by Imperial Magic Guild, forming backbone of the Grand Empire and its main mean of both defense and expansion.

Assets

Military Districts in whole Imperium, with pretty much everything there is (including slaves, land and even nature itself) that serve as a basic source of income to finance gargantuan Imperial Army, while also supply its forces with much needed alchemical ingredients and metal.
Soldiers equipped in standarized, mass produced equipment, made mostly from Imperial Steel (a particularly steel alloy, with heightened sharpness and resistance, while lowered weight and an ability to slice through magic). With sorcerer in every squad, and mage company on division level, capable of ensuing that enemy won't manage to defeat the imperial forces by high leveled magic attacks, while being able to reinforce their assaults by summoned daemons marching in the vanguard of imperial attack.
Number of elite reconaissance and assault formations, recruited from members of special, sometimes rather elusive species (including shapeshifters, orks, sharptalons, succubi and so on), selected for their roles and recruited by Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Ability to call on a local vassal of Imperium of Karadia to lend local armed forces (and hire adventurers) in moments of crisis to bolster their ranks. This is one of their most important assets, as otherwise Imperial Army divisions would nearly always fight massively outnumbered, with the massive territory of Imperium meaning that mobilizing forces in time to combat even local threats would be impossible.

Demography and Population

It is estimated that Imperial Army is made up from approximately 1 750 000 of line soldiers, with at least 500 000 of support personel – making it the biggest organisation of Imperium of Karadia. It is divided internally between several smaller 'groups', namely:
Provincional Army: Approx. 1 000 000 soldiers stationed in provinces of Imperium, tasked in upholding peace, pacifying local threats and serving as a reminder that Grand Empire exists... and sees everything, or at least a lot.
Central Army: Approx 100 000 soldiers (in most cases considered elite) that are stationed in Imperial Provinces of Itavia and North Arrica, tasked with serving as a bulwark of imperial core provinces and a strategic reserve.
Border Army: Approx. 650 000 soldiers that are stationed along the borders considered 'problematic' by the Imperium. Further divided into several Armies of varied strenght under common commanders, with command over them considered the highest honour achievable by imperial generals.

Border Army - Armies

1st. Imperial Army (~200 000) is stationed in Akhad and Inrythia, tasked with repelling invasions from Kasytian Empire, while simultaneously ensuring loyalty of Kingdom of Inrythia and Hezranian Caliphate. It is mostly cavalry, both light and heavy.
2nd. Imperial Army (~200 000) is stationed in eastern Kingdom of Visenia mostly around Dragonbone Mountains, tasked with ensuring continuous existence of Diretian Freedom and repelling assaults from both Amnerian Tyranny and Ice Kingdoms. It is formed from a central contingent of heavy infantry, supported by heavy and light cavalry.
3rd. Imperial Army (~50 000) is stationed in southern Kingdom of Niflheim and, together with a sizable detachment of Imperial Navy is responsible for repelling assaults from Ice Kingdom. Mostly light and heavy infantry.
4th. Imperial Army (~100 000) is stationed in southern Vhessan Empire and Hellana tasked with ensuing that Nikopolan Hegemony will not attempt to expand, causing more countries to fall from the Imperial Religion sphere of influence, while officially being a reserve for 1st. And 2nd. Armies. Mostly heavy infantry.
5th. Imperial Army (~50 000) is stationed in Dragarian Isles, responsible for ensuring that Ice Kingdom will not attempt to expand in that direction, while repelling any attacks from Eagle Empire together with a significant Imperial Navy detachment. Mostly light and heavy infantry.
6th. Imperial Army (~50 000) is stationed in Northern Lana and United Kingdom of Ceveria to serve as an imperial bridgehead on Lana continent and helping to repel beastmen raids and possible insurections against the Imperium. Mostly light and heavy infantry, but with significant heavy cavalry forces.

Type

Military, Armed Forces