Overview
The Thalassai legions are Thalassai's national military. Helena builds the army that ends the Internal Thalassai War and creates its hierarchy, naming the strongest mages imperators and placing legati, centurions, and rank-and-file legionaries beneath them. She leaves the older archon title as Thalassai's civil and regional office.
The legions defend Thalassai, keep public order, train combat mages, defend the coast, evacuate civilians, protect reconstruction, and answer threats from the southern darkness. Under Thalena's rule, their hierarchy, patrols, and mage training keep crime low. The legions pursue rogue mages as direct threats.
Command and Ranks
Aelius, Hadrian, and Marcellus lead the legions as imperators. Aelius is responsible for military order in Chronasis, Hadrian is based in Pyrenis, and Marcellus carries military responsibilities around Terranova, Aetherion, naval defense, and later battlefield command.
Marcellus joins naval defense when his combat abilities are needed at sea.
Navy
The Thalassai navy is the naval branch of the legions. Admiral Pontarius, a former archon of water, commands it.
Its ships map waters around Xolterra, evacuate island villages, defend the coast, and sail on long expeditions. Pontarius monitors the eastern storms and southern darkness for the archons and sends ships toward Terranova, eastern Valrindor, the Plains of Eternity, Teryndal, and Irrathis.
Legati
Legati are the second-highest military rank in Thalassai, below imperators and above centurions and rank-and-file legionaries. They are generally level seven or higher, and some active battlefield legati are level eight. Virel enters the legions through Hadrian's recommendation, rises to centurion, passes Hadrian's promotion tests, and becomes a legatus.
Legion training is disciplined and practical. Soldiers spar with enchanted and mundane weapons, drill tactics, refine techniques, and train in places such as the Pyrenis military academy, the Pyrenis colosseum, and the Chronasis colosseum. Legati also guard city perimeters, reinforce barriers, accompany imperators to political gatherings, and fight as elite battlefield forces.
Military and Political Functions
The legions operate across Thalassai as a military force and, after Thalena's disappearance, as part of the country's political order. They guard city perimeters, reinforce city defenses, prepare soldiers for darkness-born creatures such as umbral stalkers, and send forces to fronts at Terranova and Pyrenis.
The legions gain formal voting power during the selection of a new Chronasis archon. Ignaros proposes that Thalassai's imperators and legati be allowed to vote, and their votes join the archons' nomination of Cassian for the office.
Secrets and Mysteries
The legions descend from Helena's hidden army of survivors and recruited mages, a force she builds after driving Thalassai into the Internal Thalassai War. After the Internal Thalassai War, she leaves Thalassai's rebuilt leadership to the imperators and commanders before later ruling as Thalena.