The Hand of Doom
The Hand of Doom is a Hobgoblin military organization led by the indomitable Azarr Kul. They are worshippers of the Queen of Dragons, Tiamat. The Hand is split into five legions, each related to one of Tiamats chromatic dragon colors.
Though the legions are largely equal, The Black Hand are the special agents and carry out the administrative functions of the armies. They command the least numbers, but the most elite and specialized of the legions ranks.
The Wyrmcaller and high ranking clerics of Tiamat are capable of administering the Blessing of Tiamat. It makes the bearer more like the dragon aspect of the blessings source. Most often this results in an elemental resistance and a shift in the personality closer to the chromatic dragon. Other time it manifests as potent abilities such as a breath weapon or wings. The high ranking Legatus are those that have truly embraced the blessing and have transformed into Half-Dragons.
The legions structure is similar to that of old Hyperborea, why is uncertain but the titles and positions are almost identical.
Structure
It is unsure exactly how they got the structure for their organization or why they would mimic humans, but its structure loosely follows that of old Hyperborea.
Imperator - The leader, the warlord, the tyrant. The Imperator is the supreme commander of the legions and his word is law above all else. Azarr Kul leads The Hand of Doom and is an exceptionally intelligent battle commander. He recognizes the weaknesses of his legion and is willing to subjugate others rather than destroy them if it benefits his needs.
High Wyrmlord - The High Wyrmlord is a special position similar to Imperator in that there is only one. High Wyrmlord Zeynas commands the negotiation, diplomacy and worship of the chromatic dragon and Tiamat herself. It is her servants, the feared Castrorum, that ensure that the fealty to Tiamat is unquestioned. While there is a Legatus in charge of the Black Hand, she takes direct charge in order to further her goals.
The Legion
The Hand of Doom is broken down into The Five Hands, each representing a different chromatic aspect of Tiamat. These are organized into Legions A legion consists of a number of Centuries, which fluctuates depending on the availability of troops and number of soldiers available. The legions draw from their villages to the east and come from the dozens of ancestral tribes that were conquered by Azarr Kul Legatus - As there are five Legions, there are five Legatus. The Legatus is the supreme leader in charge of the legion, and they owe their allegiance only to the Imperator. Each of the Legatus have fully devoted themselves to the cause of The Hand of Doom and received the blessing of the dragon. Optio - Second in Command of the legion. Should the Legatus fall, they take up the rank of Legatus. The Hand of Doom are careful to never have both the Optio and the Legatus in the same place at the same time, to prevent the possibility of a legion becoming leaderless due to assassination. The Optio is usually Praefectus Castrorum - The Castrorum are he only member of a legion not directly subservient to the Legatus, and the Praefectus Castrorum is placed in this position by the High Wyrmlord herself. This Hobgoblin Cleric is in charge of discipline and religious fervor, and is capable of performing the ceremony to gift their followers with the blessing. Castrorum - Directly under the leadership of their Praefectus, the Castrorum are the legions battle clerics. They administer healing, but more importantly ensure that those under their command Praefectus Tribuni - The Tribuni are the name given to the Hobgoblin Spell Casters, and the Praefectus is the supreme caster in charge of a legion. The Tribuni are trained in battle casting and communication, and the Praefectus is especially powerful. Tribuni - The primary spellcasters of the legion, they are independent of a century but like the Castrorum are assigned to acting units when necessary. The Tribuni handle the day-to-day spellcasting and . Training Tribuni are often assigned to scouting units, where they Bugbears - Bugbears are too unruly to be considered an official unit, and are often goaded or beaten into serving units when desired. They are expert scouts, and are often sent ahead of Hobgoblin forces to raid or discover what lay ahead.The Century
The century is the main structure of Hobgoblin units, and are a self-contained and functional unit of battle. A varied amount of Centuries make up the legion. Each Century is made up of 10 Contubernium, bringing the total number to one hundred Hobgoblins. The Centuries organization varies, and consists of a mix of unit types. Centurion - The Centurion is the leader of a Century. They follow the orders of the Legatus but are often given autonomy on how to carry out their orders.Contubernium
This is the smallest structure of Hobgoblin battle and consists of 10 Individual Hobgoblins. Each is individually trained and kitted to be self sufficient. They carry all the gear necessary to fight and survive, including their own gear for trench digging and palisade construction. Decanus - The Leader of a Contubernium, the Decanus is the sergeant of the Hobgoblin infantry. Each is specialized towards a specific task, and are specially trained to fight in their chosen method of battle. Contubernium are either Velites (Light Skirmishers), Hastati (Longbow), Principes (Heavy Infantry) or Triarii (Heavy Elite Infantry). Principes are by far the most common type of infantry unit found. To be inducted into the Triarii they must receive the blessing of the dragon.Auxiliaries
Allies to the Hobgoblins are considered Auxiliaries. These are attached to Legions and report directly to the Legatus, but are often delegated further to the command of a Centurion. They make use of Kobolds mounted on Worgs and conquered Humans mounted on cavalry. The Hobgoblins are notoriously poor cavalrymen and have no official standing mounted forces, and as such rely on auxiliaries to supplement their more mobile needs. The Ogres of the hills have long warred with the Trolls in a losing battle. The Hobgoblins offered them dominion of the mountains in return for the destruction of the Trolls. After the defeat, many ogres gladly serve the legions, often serving as shock troops and pulling baggage trains. The most deadly forces the Hand can call are their Dragon allies. As The Hand continues their conquest, more dragons seek to join them in order to receive favor.Public Agenda
The Hand of Doom seeks to conquer the Frostgale Taiga and secure it for their own people.
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