Tawdic Guard

In the early days of the Empire, as Lord Almeida Kassar unified the Imperial forces in the name of Medaka, he encouraged the Emperor to only allow those of true Tawdic blood to serve in the capital, particularly in the Emperor's palace. And so, it was decided that the Imperial Legions and the Tawdic Guard would forever be separate. Although the Tawdic Guard follows the same structure as the Legions, it is comprised of much smaller numbers. In total, the Tawdic Guard only amounted to five Legions, divided into two groups. The first was the Tawdic City Guard. This was made up of three Legions, and was solely responsible for maintaining the peace and protection of the capital. Easily recognized by their white tunics, the City Guard enforced law and order in peace times, and defended the city in times of war. While any Imperial citizen could join the Army's Legions, only a true Tawdonian could ever serve in the City Guard. The remaining two Legions of the Tawdic Guard were the Praetorian Guard. In their purple capes, the Praetorian Guard held the sole responsibility of protecting the Emperor and his family. For centuries, these two units changed little to none.

Throughout all of the conflicts, infighting, and difficult times, the Tawdic Guard survived. The City Guard was more necessary than ever, as Emperors changed almost yearly, the population was stricken by plague, the Legions of the Army crumbled, and war erupted between Imperial cities. Today, they are still highly visible throughout the capital, keeping the peace, enforcing the laws, and protecting the people. They serve as the city's police, fire brigade, prison guards, and at times even magistrates, judges, and executioners. In order to enlist, a person must be able to prove at least five generations of Tawdic blood line in their family. Terms of service range from ten to forty years, and during this time, the Guardsman, their spouse, and their children are exempt from the ten sovereign citizenship fee as part of their benefits. Retired Guards often go on to become local magistrates outside of the capital, and their judgment carries a great deal of weight with Imperial citizens both inside and out of the Empire.

The Praetorians are the elite even amongst the Tawdic Guard. Garnered from within the City Guard, these soldiers serve for life. The Praetorian Creed places the unit above all other allegiances, and all swear a blood oath to the Emperor. Due to the high turnover of Emperors, as well as the Praetorian presence in all aspects of the Emperor's life and dealings, all also swear an oath of silence, allowing them only to speak with other Praetorians. In this way, any information they may be privilege to during their term of service never leaves the unit. Rituals are performed to enforce this blood oath, and the penalty for breaking these is final death. On rare occasions, a Praetorian may be relieved of active service, most often due to illness or injury which prevents them from being able to serve. In the past, this relief of service used to come at the hands of a blade, but today, they are allowed to live even after their release from the Guard. However, they are not allowed to leave the capital city, and must maintain their vow of silence. They may also be recalled at any time.

Today, the City Guard is led by Senior Legate Marius Tyr of House Daoud. A veteran of the Guard, he is a just man, who keeps the peace of the capital with unwavering iron rule. He answers directly to the Emperor alone, and his authority supersedes even that of General Isenulf's, although the two cooperate quite closely and maintain an amicable relation. The Praetorians are commanded by Honour Commander Iberiano Debrez, who has held the position for over three decades. An aged man, he served as a City Guardsman during the Plague, and moved to the Praetorians in 361. Little is known of him outside the Praetorians, other than that he has served the Emperors faithfully for his entire career.