by Jez Cajiao
100/100
N/A
Revebrace of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This armor covers the upper arms and connects to both the Vambraces and the Pauldrons. It is made of interlocked scales of Highsteel laid over toughened leather. It gives a bonus of +2 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Vambraces of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This armor covers the lower arms and connects to both the Revebraces and the Gauntlets. It is made of interlocked scales of Highsteel laid over toughened leather. It gives a bonus of +2 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Culet of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This armor covers the groin and connects to both the cuirass and the Cuisse. It is made of interlocked scales of Highsteel laid over toughened leather with larger, solid sections in place to cover vital areas. It gives a bonus of +4 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Helm of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This helmet is made of Highsteel and formed into two separate pieces, a face shield that can be raised or lowered, then locked into place, and a main section to enclose the head. The Legion Helm also comes with the facility to add a plume (not attached). It gives a bonus of +4 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Gauntlets of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
These Gauntlets connect to the Vambraces to form a fitting seal and are constructed of individual sections of Highsteel, with a mixture of scales and plate construction for added protection. They grant a bonus of +4 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Greaves of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
This chest armor is made of vertical strips of blackened Highsteel laid over toughened leather. It gives a bonus of +5 to stealth. All attacks made when undetected will do extra damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
Sabatons of Faithful Service
Further Description Yes/No
Details:
These armored boots are made of Highsteel and are constructed to be both protective and comfortable, and grant a bonus of +2 to resisting physical damage.
Rarity
Magical
Durability
Charge:
Rare
No
100/100
N/A
I looked the details over and nodded to myself in satisfaction. Yes, I was losing a lot of Stamina doing everything, but with the increased protection, it was worth that. Add to that, I looked fucking badass!
The armor was beautiful, a combination of the classic ‘Paladin’ style in fantasy movies, mixed with old school ‘Roman Legionnaire.’ With the way everything linked together, the flexibility and sheer artistry of it, damn if it didn’t look like more than a hint of ‘Super Soldier’ style thrown in.
Thorn had set up a mirror and was going around tightening straps and marking the correct places for them to be set to, while explaining carefully how, and in which order, I needed to remove them.
“As our Lord, I don’t expect you to maintain your armor, not the way the standard Legionnaire does, of course. Even so, it would be good for you to understand the various parts and how they work and are repaired, just in case of accidents in the field,” she pointed out.
I nodded my thanks and lifted my helm off, turning it around in my hands and examining it.
“So, when I first met Augustus, he had a great big plume on the top of his helmet…” I said, quirking an eyebrow at Thorn.
“It’s removable,” she said simply. “When it’s attached, it looks great, but…”
“But it catches on things, cleans ceilings of spiders, and can give the enemy an easy way to expose your throat?” I asked, and she snorted, nodding.
“We call ‘em ‘cleaners’, as they either clean a roof, a seat, or clean your head right back, so that the blood can get out…”
“Well, they look great, they do, but they’re insane. Having something on your armor that doesn’t add to its defense, and in fact, makes it easier to kill you? Why?” I asked, shaking my head.
“For tradition’s sake,” Romanus said shrugging. “When I took over as Prefect, the General and I agreed that they are useless beyond formal occasions. Augustus wore his when he came to greet you, but none of the rest did, and they’ve been packed away since. Prior to my own rise to Prefect, and my predecessor’s rise to General, they were worn at all times… where you might get spotted by higher officers…”
“So the Legionnaires took them off as soon as they left the city?” I asked, snorting at his mischievous smirk. “How about we just accept that I’m very informal, I don’t need sunshine blowing up my arse, and I sure as hell don’t need plumes and trumpets and so on?” I offered, and Thorn let out a groan of thanks, calling out in a loud voice: “Everyone! Lose the ‘cleaners.’ Lord Jax says he doesn’t want to see them!”
Instantly, there arose a chorus of grunts, laughter, and general relief, and I looked at Thorn questioningly.
“Legion Tribune Alistor had ordered that all Legionnaires make sure their plumes were ready for parade, at all times, ‘just in case’, last night, sir,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye. “We had the excuse of the armor for yourself and your people to avoid doing it yet, but we were looking at a minimum of a week of work for all of us, dying and reattaching horsehair to fix them all up. Most legionnaires packed them away at the bottom of their kit bags when we left the city…”
“Nice,” I said wincing. “Okay, formal declaration time, then.” I glanced over at Romanus. “Do you see any real use for the plumes?” I asked, and he shook his head firmly, as did Restun. “Then as of now, I formally declare the plumes to be obsolete. They serve no purpose in my Legion, and therefore must be discarded,” I stated firmly. “If you see a real requirement for them for formal events, I will permit the officers to retain them, but unless you feel that need…” I paused, and Restun, Romanus, and Thorn all shook their heads. “Excellent. Scrap them all, then.”
Attention, Legionnaires!
As of now, by Imperial Decree, all plumes are declared obsolete and are to be discarded. No longer shall the Legion wear them, by the Order of High Lord Jax, Imperial Scion and Lord of Dravith.
The notification that overrode mine, and every other Legionnaire’s, vision made me flinch for a second, but the cheers rising in the distance and all around made me grin, even as I silently wished I could see Alistor’s face right then. Idiot, wasting time on that shit, I thought to myself.
“You just earned a place in every Armorer’s nightly prayers with that.” Thorn beamed so widely that I started to worry the top of her head might fall off.
“I’ll take them! I
can always use more interventions with the Gods!” I laughed. “Anyway, anything else we need to look at, Romanus, or are you happy with those orders?” He thought for several seconds before speaking up.
“Loot,” he said seriously. “As adventurers, I know loot gets divided up equally. For soldiers, they receive a portion of the loot, while the commander takes the rest. In the Legion, all loot is handed in, and depending on the loot, occasionally a bonus in coin is paid out. Whatever isn’t needed by the Legion is put up for auction, offered first to the Legionnaires, and if they don’t want it, it goes to the city auction houses. It’ll be in the Legionnaires heads that this might change, with you being here now, so best to address it straight away. Are you happy for this to continue as it is?” he asked, and I rubbed my chin in consideration.
“Yes, and no,” I said finally. “If there’s something powerful, magical or otherwise, the treasury gets first refusal on it, and we pay a fair bonus for finding it. Otherwise, for gold and mundane valuables, since the Legionnaires will be receiving pay as well, they get to keep half. The rest goes to the treasury. Does that seem fair?” I asked, and Romanus started in surprise, gaping at Restun. They exchanged a long look then turned back to me.
“Half is incredibly generous, Jax… a Legionnaire usually receives ten percent…” Romanus said slowly. “Perhaps a slightly lower amount would be appropriate?”
“I’ll be taking the magical items they find for the treasury, depending on what they are,” I pointed out.
“They’ve always given those up,” Romanus countered. “How about twenty-five percent?” he suggested tactfully. “I know that it seems fair to give them half, and it is, but the Legionnaires are also provided everything, from food, to clothes, to wages, to medical care. They are given homes, training, all of it. To give them half on top of all that…”
“Hmmm, well, okay. I hadn’t thought about that…” I admitted, and Romanus grinned at me.
“That’s what you need us for. And believe me, that’s still a huge increase for the average Legionnaire. As to the Skillbooks, Spells, and related items… will you be allowing Legionnaires to bid in an internal auction before they’re offered externally? It’s traditionally how they have gained such things, if their role didn’t specifically require them.”
“No,” I said flatly, and I saw his face stiffen slightly. “If the Legionnaires want a spell, they can explain why they need it, and if we have it available, and there is no greater need for it, they’ll be granted the item. Maybe I will offer one as a bonus for bravery or something, but it won’t be charged for. I refuse to hoard such things for simple hoarding’s sake. Real power is only useful if you use it, and our people will be at the shitty end of combat too often as it is.” I paused for a moment, considering. “I and others that are skilled in using spells will also teach certain spells to the Legionnaires, as time goes on. I’m thinking that every Legionnaire should be able to use a healing spell, a ranged attack, and a buff or something, at the very least, with more powerful spells being reserved for those that have a real aptitude for it. This is how the Legions used to be.” I abruptly remembered, then forced the memory away, in case Amon used it to pour in his grief again. In that split second, I’d seen enough, though; a marching formation of the Legion, firing barrages of what had looked like Firebolts, hundreds and hundreds of them slamming into screaming and charging hordes of undead, while an Imperial Battlemage had fought with a Lich, summoning spells that almost warped reality. Amon sat atop Shustic, ready and waiting, but allowing the Legion to carry the day.
“All Legionnaires?” Romanus asked slowly. “Not just those who are most in need of the spells, like the Praetoria? All Legionnaires, from the lowest to the high, able to use spells?” he repeated, and I nodded, cocking my head to the side.
“Is that a problem? They have Abilities from their Classes anyway, right?” I asked, and he rose from his crate, clapping me on the shoulders with both hands, gripping tightly, and looking me in the eye.
“Jax, you have given the Legion a future, offered to pay us more, provided a real reason for us to exist, and now you ask if it’s all right that you intend to train us all in the magic that only a fraction of a fraction could ever afford? Son, believe me, the Legion is used to far, far less.”
“They don’t deserve less, though,” I said flatly, and he blinked as he released my shoulders, his eyes watery. “The Legion risks its people’s lives every goddamn day for shits who don’t care. Well, I care, and so does the Empire, and fuck those assholes who take and take. I’ll spend lives when I have to; I need to do that, and I accept that now. But when I can, I’ll make sure those who follow me are gaining as I do, growing as I do, and living their lives to the fullest. To do less…” I said, shaking my head.
“I know,” Romanus agreed, smiling understandingly. “When you talk like that, it makes our hearts sing. Too long, we’ve been dismissed, despised…”
“No more. Never again if we win, either,” I said fervently, and Restun snorted.
“Well, an easy fix there, then. We just have to kill them all until there’s none left, eh?” he quipped, a faint smile on his face.
“Damn right,” I said simply. “Right; let’s get a move on. I need to go kill something.” I grinned with excitement, and they laughed, separating to let me walk out and around the small private section to the area where the others waited.
Chapter Eleven
I joined the rest of the group, noticing that most were equipped with the same Legion Scout armor that I wore; Jian, Arrin, Stephanos and Miren anyway. Lydia wore heavier ‘Full’ Legion armor, as I termed it in my head, as did Grizz. Bane shifted nearby, and I realized that he wore something similar to the gear that Yen and Tang wore now, different from the simple armor they’d worn in our first encounter.
I looked closer and saw that I’d been wrong; they were wearing the same armor, but the various bits that had been removed to it to make it look less uniform, less…quality… were improved.
Instead, they wore the gear with pride, the scruffy accents and changes were covered by distinct Legion-made panels, and it gleamed darkly. Their ‘Praetorian Scout’ armor was similar to mine, but it was smoother; its lines just seemed to…flow. The metal was blackened and much more of it was scale than solid, but it looked amazing.
Bane didn’t wear it, not fully, but he’d had sections of his armor replaced with parts of one, while sections of other unfamiliar kit had been added in. Original bits of his Mer armor that looked like animal shells had been removed, and new, more… graceful pieces had taken their place.
“Damn, man…” I said appreciatively, whistling quietly as I looked it over. He spread his arms out, inviting everyone to see it. “That looks great; can you hide as efficiently as before with it?” I asked, and he shook his head slightly, but seemed unconcerned.
“Not as easily as when my old armor was new and intact, but the damage my armor had taken of late meant its bonuses weren’t working anymore, so this is a marked improvement. Add to that, it’s far, far better for defense, and it’s a clear upgrade.”
The next ten minutes or so were taken up with us checking out each other’s armor and gear, and I asked Thorn quietly why Miren, Arrin, and Stephanos didn’t have full sets of gear. Now that I’d looked properly, they had the cuirass, vambraces, and greaves, along with helms, but that was all.
“Weight,” she said simply, glancing in their direction. “They are too weak to carry the full set; even with this much-reduced version, they will tire easily, and you’ll have to factor that into your plans. I’m sorry, Jax, but our Legionnaires are physically stronger than your people. I mean no offense, but a Legionnaire is made to endure physical training for a year before he or she is blooded. Then their real training begins, as they are guided through their point allocation. We force them to build a body as perfect as possible without the points, then invest them in certain areas, depending on their chosen specialty.”
“All Legionnair
es are Legionnaires first,” Restun added, stepping in and taking over the conversation. “They are trained to fight as a unit, to hold the line, and to face the worst the realm can throw at us, but some, like Yen and Tang, are naturally adapted to be scouts. They are guided down this path, while others, such as Thorn, are clearly skilled as makers. There is no dishonor in choosing not to be a front-line Legionnaire, for we are all the Legion, and all can fight when the need comes,” he said firmly.
“Cool.” I reached an apologetic hand out to the armorer. “I meant no disrespect, Thorn. I literally didn’t understand where their gear was, that was all. I didn’t know if you’d run out.”