Legion of the Dead
"We die in the eyes of our brothers so we can fight without fear. It offers redemption for the greatest sacrifice."The Legion of the Dead is an independent branch of the dwarven army that answers directly to the Assembly of Orzammar. It is considered to be the most intimidating and devastating force in the dwarven military and many attribute this to the fact that the Legionnaires consider themselves to be already dead.
Structure
The Legion is a military organization not unlike the Wardens in that it accepts anyone from any level of society. Many join the Legion to avoid punishment for various crimes or to regain their honor. Others join to have their debts forgiven, thus restoring their Houses' lost honor. Some even join for the glory, and the Legion accepts them all the same.
Technically non-dwarves may also join the Legion, but this is very rare aside from one exception. Units of the Legion of the Dead are sometimes supported by Wardens in their ranks. These warriors leave Ferelden to go to Orzammar to honor a pact with the dwarves by fighting until the end against the Deep Roads monstrosities. The rest of their life, presumably, is spent fighting in an attempt for a heroic warrior's death.
Culture
"The Legion accepts all. So I was told by one of the Legionnaires himself, a dwarf who waited quietly at the entrance to the Deep Roads for the rest of his unit to assemble. They gathered slowly, each equipped with heavy armor and fine weapons, each painted with grim tattoos applied at their funerals the night previous. For that is the nature of the Legion. They are all dead. Any dwarf may join the Legion, so long as he is willing to give up everything he has. The funeral rites are somber: a final goodbye is said to family and loved ones, any material goods are dispersed to heirs and last words are said, and then it is done. The new Legionnaire marches out into the Deep Roads, to begin their fight against the monstrosities lurking in the Deep Roads. This is a personal fight, for that Legionnaire will hunt the monstrosities that took everything from their people until the day they die. Most legionnaires never get a chance to return home. Even if the opportunity would somehow arise, which it won't, Legionnaires joke with themselves that they wouldn't even be welcomed back. It seems that most dwarves perceive the Legionnaires as "heroes", but the kind of heroes that are better saved for folk lore rather than meeting in real life. Many tell themselves that there's little place in societies for people who know only violence and bloodshed. They find themselves too different, and their minds change in such a way that to their families they would be unrecognizable, perhaps even horrific. I imagine it's difficult to get over, but each and every one of them eventually come to terms with that that. This group hopes to reach the fabled fortress of Bownammar, once the Legion's home. The fortress is held in their memory as the City of the Dead, a place where the greatest of their Paragons were laid to rest and where the history of the Legion, as well as the history of many Paragons, literally lives in the Stone. It has been lost and won time and time again, so much so that the Memories has lost track. However, a commander explained to me that the last time Bownammar was lost was over a decade ago and it hasn't been successfully reclaimed since. Bownammar is a holy place, its one of many great blows against the dwarven kingdoms, and its recapture would be a glorious signal to all of Orzammar. But capture it or no, all of these warriors will die in the Deep Roads. It is a sobering thought, and I now know why the dwarves say the Legion's charge is the battlefield's most frightening sight. They have nothing left to lose."
Second Death
When a Legionnaire dies, there is a second funeral to return them to the Stone. If it is possible to do so, the remaining Legionnaires bury their fallen brethren. The bodies of the dead are placed in sarcophagi which are sealed within graves in order to protect them from being defiled by the monsters of the Deep Road. The nature of the Legion, however, means that as their numbers dwindle the very last of them will not be buried and given their return to the Stone.Public Agenda
Beyond just killing what the Deep Roads throws at them, the Legion of the Dead also bears the unique responsibility of purifying the Stone from a corruption called the gangue. The gangue is described as "the waste and the unstable rock that must be cut away from the Stone." It is the toxic influence contaminating the Stone, and whose harmful influence impedes all dwarves from achieving prosperity. The Legion of the Dead must carve out the worst of themselves as a prerequisite to face the gangue. Even then, a Legionnaire is only allowed to do this when adorned in specifically crafted heavy armor made for just such a task.
Type
Military Order
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Location
Related Ethnicities
Comments