The Dragonlancers

The Imperial Dragonlancers are the finest warriors of the Empire of Zerua, the pinnacle of the military aristocracy and the most lauded heroes of the empire. Every dragonlancer is simultaneously an accomplished draconic sorcerer and warrior, experienced in spellcasting while mounted and amidst active combat. They have turned the tide of many battles, and feature prominently in Zeruan legends and media.
Dragonlancers, regardless of their birth or background, are defacto aristocrats. They have little difficulty marrying or being adopted into prestigious families. The current Spouse-Empress of Zerua is a Dragonlancer, which is not an uncommon thing historically.

Composition

Manpower

There are an impressive number of dragonlancers given the amount of training, experience, and funding each one requires: around 2,000 trained and designated dragonlancers currently exist, though not all are on active duty.

Equipment

Dragonlancers decorate themselves in dragon-inspired, red-and-gold-painted armor. The armor contains a number of well-protected hidden pouches for spell components. Their helmets are hand-crafted to depict something similar to their faces warped into a monstrous, draconic grin. Their mounts wear similar barding. 
Dragonlancer Dragomanders wear tiny barding of their own, made to help protect and camouflage them in battle.

Structure

Not all dragonlancers are equal. There is a strict hierarchy within their divisions:

• Five Dragonlance Paragons manage the five divisions of active dragonlancers (each containing 300-400 warriors)
• Dragonlancer Captains manage groups of 50-100 warriors
• Squadrons of 5 - 10 warriors are led by Dragonlancer Knights

Tactics

Dragonlancers are the heavy cavalry of the Zeruan empire, and they make up for their small numbers with explosive magical potential. Their favorite tactic is the spell-charge, when mass-impact spells are launched into enemy lines moments before the cavalry charge hits. Dragonlancers undergo careful training to determine who launches their mass-impact spells when, as to best drag out the spell barrage for maximum disruption of enemy formations. Spell charges are notoriously effective against massed non-elite infantry, to the point where dragonlancers can cut directly through the center of an enemy's front line.
When in smaller numbers, dragonlancers tend towards slightly lighter cavalry equipment and tactics. If a charge is untenable, the focus is on causing as much damage as possible with minimal risk. A prime example is skirmishing with front line infantry by riding parallel to the enemy line while using a 'burning hands spell' to maximize the destructive ability of the spell without necessarily exposing oneself to enemy attacks.

Training

Dragonlancers draw from the ranks of the common sorcerous cavalry (to train in arcane arts) and from the ranks of the sorcerous elites (to train in the martial arts). Training takes place in isolated estates, where one's former rank and title are temporarily suspended and dragonlancer rank is imposed instead. The training in these estates is said to be intense enough to require healers on site.

Logistics

Upkeep

Dragonlancers are incredibly expensive to support. Their steeds must be well-trained to not bolt from the spells being cast. Training them is even more expensive.

Type

Cavalry

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Decorated/Honored

Used by

• Empire of Zerua