10th Legion, Lords of the Hunt

The wilds of these lands are dangerous to anyone no matter how well trained they are but to us, we feel right at home in the wilderness more than any other man, and rather than just survive in it we thrive with all of its wealth and wonder - Centurion of the 10th

Structure

Legatus: The Legatus or general is in charge of the entire legion under his command, obeying their orders. They also have political influence as well.
Tribune: The second of the Legtus that carries out orders under them and ensures that reports on all parts of the legion are given to him when they are preoccupied with other duties.
Praefect: The third in command and in charge of maintaining the legion's supplies, equipment, and construction. They ensure that everything is in order and that the men are disciplined.
Primus Pilus: The veteran centurions of the legion that run the cohorts, each one has decades of experience and is an expert in warfare. They can act independently in battle when they see a change in a situation and adapt to it.
Centurion : The backbone of imperial officers in the legion, they ensure that their troops stay in line by any means, most of them are respected or feared by their men.
Optio : The second in command of a Centurion that aids them in daily duties and orders. Often take over when they cannot and can read and write messages for them.

Culture

We are men of the wilds, for we live for the hunt. For the hunt gives us life and purpose in our service. May they be man or beast, none shall escape from our watchful gaze for long- 10th Legion Pledge

Being a Member

You will never see civilization again if you end up here. You might as well have decided to forget who you once were because they are dead and buried for what you signed up for in the 10th Legion. Here, they take the survival of the fittest to the heart, and whatever you were taught that was important no longer matters, only the hunt matters. Here you have to keep your senses and wits about as you are in the wilderness where something is going to try to make you its next meal sooner or later. You will have to learn quickly how to survive by any means necessary. What does it indeed mean to live if you never risk your life in the struggles that this world has to offer? To kill those who would try to kill you, may they be man or beast, for the same reason: to survive. What better place to learn this than the very wilderness that so many try to avoid due to its dangers? To become a hunter of all things does show that you are the dominant creature to ever step foot in the wild country, to no longer hide in fear of the unknown, for you will experience it first hand and strike it down with those hands. You will become something more than a man; you will become one with your surroundings that many have forgotten by those who have left these untamed lands. This makes you far more dangerous than any man can be, and the beasts of these lands will bend to your will as well, for you have the power to bend them to your will, and you no longer fear them. As for the beasts that don't, their meat will feed you, their fur shall keep you warm, and their prized parts shall be trophies to your victories over them. That is the reason why only the hunt matters for you are never more alive when you put your life on the line and the life of another in the balance.

What People Think of You

Some may respect the 10th Legion, but to others, they are treated like they were savages that they hunt. No one understands why they live the way they do and why they are so fixated on treating everything like a hunt. But no one will disrespect them when they are around because they don't take too kindly to those who are "civilized," treating them more like sheep since they often never fight back, and the beast they keep around them keeps it that way, or there would be a blood bath more often than there should be. But no one can deny that they get results done when they are sent into the wilds where very few men ever go for death await those unprepared to face them. But they go into it without a second thought and take pleasure in it. Often came back with trophies, for they dared challenge them, not caring if they were men or beasts. But their defiance of authority can be as much of a problem, but how can you get someone to listen to you when they kill monsters for a living and only seem to respect their fellow legions or those of a considerable rank, for they lead the empire? It only seems that they are tolerated, and their service is still required no matter how far they are willing to go for their sacred "hunt."

Public Agenda

The 1️0th Legion has been assigned to deal with threats that are found in the wilderness within the borders of the Vatian Empire and eliminate them.

Assets

War Beasts: The legion has many beasts at its command used to fight in battle. Each one is trained to follow their commands and obey their call.
Hunting Armour: Modified Lorica segmentata armor that is not as loud-sounding nor reflective as the standard. However, it does not sacrifice protection as it is combined with different materials to make it light and durable.
Hunter's Shadows: The elite scouts that the legion uses, their skill in stealth and recon, are considered some of the best in the empire. It is hard to detect and allows them to move around without being noticed, making it easy for prey or an enemy to fall into an ambush easily.

History

Rise of the Hunters

The 10th Legion has had something of a mythical status since its early days as they were one of the first legions sent off beyond the borders of the empire into the harsh and untamed wilderness of the Wild Lands where no Vatian had ever gone before during the Barbarian Wars in an attempt to create outposts to charter the region for further invasions into it. Most believed it was a fool's errand, and many thought that one legion would never be able to accomplish the task, let alone come back alive. After many months with no answer, the legion was believed to be lost, and resources were sent elsewhere until the unexpected happened. A lone rider came to deliver a message from the 10th Legion. They were confused to see the Legionary before them as he looked like a barbarian if it weren't for his armor and weapons. He wore animal skins across his body, his face was not shaved, and it did not seem that he had bathed for weeks. But what seemed more shocking were the scars on his body; some came from blades and arrows, and most looked like they came from the beasts that roamed in the Wild Lands. What he told was considered unbelievable to them even more as the legion had gained a foothold in the region and was pressing more profoundly into the territory at an alarming rate. Something that was considered impossible by many if it wasn't for the proof the reinforcing legions gave them when they sent into reinforcing them.
The legion itself was unrecognizable when they finally met with them. It appeared they went full native, as they all wore animal skins of all beasts; their weapons and armor had been altered and modified. They looked like wild animals more than men. The truth was the 10th went through hell when they entered the Wild Lands as they were constantly dealing with poor weather, starvation, and threats from both man and beast. But rather than parishing to the elements, they instead decided to adapt to their new hostile environment to ensure victory and, most of all, their survival. They realized that being civilized didn't mean it was a sure way to make it out alive in the wilderness, as the civilized were often the easiest to sneak upon. So they turned themselves into an army of survivalists, skilled in living off the harsh landscape, and acted more like hunters, using their training and discipline to get the drop on anything that stood in their way. This change in appearance and tactics would catch the barbarians off guard in the region, allowing the legion to advance and claim land quickly, and the wildlife was no match for them either. This would further aid them as more legions joined them in the campaigns during the wars, and by the time it was finally over, the 10th were rewarded for conquering the wilderness that seemed all but impossible to do. But they would forever be changed by it as what was once Vatian soldiers were now men of the wild that seemed to prefer to stay that way and not return to their everyday lives and due to their experience, they continue to be just that only being sent into the most dangerous places in the Western Lands to carry out the will of the empire by their means.

Into the Wilds

The 10th may look like a legion but act far from it as they tend to follow their way of handling things when in the wilderness as they believe that the civilized have no place in such a place to survive properly. They create their own culture surrounded by the idea of survival of the fittest and honing their instincts to that of an untamed nature. They also dominate everything around them by hunting and bending the beasts of the land to their will, creating a hunting tradition that can raise one through the ranks rather than traditionally. They named themselves the lords of the hunt for that reason alone and stuck to their traditions like a plant to water. Depending on the situation, this can both be a blessing and a curse, as it can lead to the legion being successful in their assignments but can cause them to go to extremes that might be more hazardous than beneficial.
Another problem is that the legion often lives out in the wilderness rather than in settlement, often living off the land and disciplining themselves to become more skilled as time passes. It was somewhat challenging to find them in some cases as they tended to know how to stay hidden despite being an army. However, their skills are still considered renowned as their senses and reflexes have been heightened since they were in the wilderness for so long. It makes them the best soldiers to be sent into uncharted territory and see their tasks completed. There have been many cases where the 10th have been sent to handle threats that are too much to handle for a standard legion as they have no experience in dealing with such harsh conditions, unlike them, and they seem to enjoy it too much. It makes it feel more like a game than a life or death situation; rather than competing with each other, they work more like a pack of wolves, with each one playing their part and even sacrificing themselves to complete their mission.

Hunting the Hunters

Hunting centers around the very being of the 10th as it is something that every member of the legion does. But it is more than just survival; it is to prove that they can track down and finish off their prey. Wearing what you kill is just one way to confirm this. However, the real challenge they often face is the predators found in the wilderness. While the legion's main task is crushing all threats of rebellion in the wilderness, their secondary task is to deal with threats that live within these places when they start attacking settlements or roads. The beasts and monsters are often too hard to handle in some cases for everyday hunters, and the skills the legion has to offer are frequently sent in to deal with them. This is the right choice as their experience helps them much better than most.
It is also considered a challenge to them as the only way to show who a real hunter is is to hunt something that can fight back and is far more dangerous than you. This is why they jump at the chance to fight something rather than rebels, as they are often accessible to handle. Once they are sent on the hunt, they will continue until their prey is killed or die trying. Once that task is complete, the Legionary who delivers the killing blow will be rewarded by wearing the skin of the slain beast and making a trophy out of a part of it. The legion will use every part of the beast to create things of use, such as leather, tents, and anything that it might have a use. Everything you see that the legion has is often made from some animal, as everything should be used to honor the kill properly.

in venari (On the Hunt)

Founding Date

887 BCA

Type

Military, Army

Alternative Names

10th

Formation Type

Legionary

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Demonym

Legionaries

Leader

Gaius Lucien Trajan

Ruling Organization

Vatian Empire

Leader Title

Legatus

Parent Organization

Imperial Legions

Related Ethnicities

• Vatian

Rite of Passage

by midjourney

Most of you will never earn your mark because you are too weak and will perish should you fail to bring out the beast that lies dormant within you; only then shall your hunt truly begin. - Centurion of the 10th

Fresh recruits are never treated like legion members until they prove themselves worthy of all the hunts to come. This is often done through trails known as the Hunter's Mark, putting them through hell as they prove they can be capable hunters. It is also meant to beat the civilized out of them as it will not help them because only beasts can survive where they're going. Once they pass the trial, preferably without being killed in the process, they will go out to hunt a predator and bring back the kill or at least a part of it to prove they did it. Once that is done, if they weren't killed during the trial, they wear the hide of the animal that they died as proof of their rites of passage. Along with their armor being modified to suit their needs for the hunts, they will go on.

Beasts of War

by midjourney

The beasts of these lands are killers as nature has intended them to be, but their will is not unbreakable; it only takes a greater will to put them in line to make them obey. - 10th Legion Beast Master

Besides being masters of their craft, the 10th is known for another skill of theirs, the taming of beasts. Not of war hounds and horses, but Jackalopes and Great Bears, beast that was believed far too wild to be tamed for the use of man. But the legion has its ways to dominate many beasts and break them to their will, and by doing so, they become far more dangerous than ever before. With these war beasts at their side, the probability of success in battle and on a hunt becomes much higher than ever before. What is more terrifying is that the beasts that serve them are trained to follow their commands, making them much more lethal when being sent into battle and targeting anyone they don't recognize by scent.

Forged in the Wilderness

by midjourney

The legion has taught me one thing about those who were served: they chose to become complacent and docile to the world around them and act like lambs to the slaughter when danger came near. Only we are genuinely prepared to face what lives beyond the walls that create docility and laziness. - Legatus Trajan

The legion is never found near large settlements or areas primarily populated, which is a rare sight to see when they do. This is mainly because the legion no longer considers itself a part of the civilization because of how they live their lives in the legion. They mostly see those living in civilized societies as lazy and weak and consider them more as livestock that run in fear at first sight of trouble. Where they are entirely dependent on themselves and know how to be thankful for every meal they get to survive. They are often only found in the wilderness waiting for orders or carrying them out, though how they manage to feed themselves for long periods due to them being an army is a mystery to many. This has caused them to be problematic when it comes to authority since the idea of a proper leader is being out in the field with their mean and sharing the burden, so any lazy politician or rich sleaze bag will not get their attention. Unless it comes from a military member or a high-ranking official, they only follow their orders. That is, of course, if the messenger manages to survive long enough to find them as they can be hard to find as the wilderness can be a prominent place to search for a legion, especially in their case as they tend to camouflage themselves with the environment nothing get the drop on them.