Armies of Bast

Arms bearing the heat of the sun, flash forward, a practiced grace.

Their salvation is of the earth, they don't understand.

What is something of this earth, to the fires of the sun?

A Bast poet on the war with Al Renya in the year 207

The Bast Oligarchy armies are considered the most deadly in all of Lanmet, both due to their great organisation and their abundance of metal weaponry.

Formations

Shimmering Host

Leadership: A Tempered One advised by two Observant
Structure: Three or four Illuminated Rays totaling 10,000-15,000 combatants
Role: An entire army, used for large scale operations such as war.

Illuminated Ray

Leadership: Illuminate
Structure: Five Scavenging Swarms totaling 5,000 combatants
Role: Securing a large objective, independent from the rest of the Shimmering Host

Scavenging Swarm

Leadership: Wretchlord
Structure: 10 Horizons totaling 1,000 combatants, also a messenger corp of Wretches
Role: Post battle looting, running logistics such as messages and securing camp sites

Horizon

Leadership: Lightclad
Structure: 100 combatants and a number of Wretches based on preference and need
Role: Individual objectives such as securing a location

Psalm

Leadership: Molten
Structure: 25 combatants and 10 Wretches
Role: Vanguard deployment, scouting, policing areas, guard duty

Poem

Leadership: Most experienced soldier
Structure: Five combatants and two Wretches
Role: Independent squads for any Psalm duties

Ranks

Arms of Light

Equipment: Metal weapon and shield, flowing brightly coloured cloth robes
Role: Front-line infantry

Wretch

Equipment: Stone blades, slings
Role: Post-battle scavenging for metal, emergency reserves, message carrying and construction work. They are slaves until they perform exceptional service such as a large haul of metal post battle.

Molten

Equipment: Increasing amount of metal equipment, upon gaining a full armour set they are promoted to Lightclad
Role: Officer training with a small squad

Lightclad

Equipment: A full set of metal armour with a weapon and a shield
Role: Tactical orders outside of combat, inside combat to be shock infantry

Wretchlord

Equipment: None provided, they are expected to bring their personal Wretches to the service.
Role: Management of Wretches for tasks such as message running. Seen as a Observant in training.

Illuminate

Equipment: Fully armed and armoured in metal, the same gear as a Lightclad.
Role: Tactics, command and inspiring troops

Mudlord

Equipment: They have a full set of metal gear for emergencies but are expected to wear common robes and be in a command position instead of combat.
Role: Translating Observants advice into battlefield tactics. This role is forbidden to The First People and a political nightmare as it requires keeping favour of the Observants.

Observant

Equipment: They provide forces of Wretches to the army in exchange for the role.
Role: Offering "advice" to the army, this role does not require military skill, only to provide funds and forces.

Tempered One

Equipment: A full set of metal gear, personalised and styled.
Role: They serve for life (sometimes ending in execution for incompetence or treason) and have leave to command or enter battle themselves.

Current Shimmering Hosts

The Waiting Beast

A Shimmering Host that is kept in reserve. The members of it carry on other duties in their day to day life but take up military training to stay ready. Unlike the other armies it only has one active Observant.

Subduing Light

The Shimmering Host at Watcher. The Tempered One for the army has outlived several of his Observants and many assassination attempts. The Dost Liberation Movement and the Renyan Unitary both view him as a major threat and a top priority.

Firstsworn

A Shimmering Host located in Offering. It was the first of the armies and is in charge of defending the homeland. It is slightly below full man count.