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Military Orders of the Eternal Truth

by Giampaolo Agosta

The military orders of the Eternal Truth include two warrior branches, a priestly branch, and an order for military wizards. All of them are commonly employed by the Ylari Army, in various capacities.
Warriors are employed as palace guards, scouts, and elite mounted archers.
Priests are equally common as palace guards and as healers and political and religious advisers in the divisional command units.
Wizards have their own units in the army.
Other knights receive special duties as trainers, bodyguards, envoys, or agents. This is more common for higher level knights and members of the Order of the Rose.
Among the Rose Knights, seven are chosen to compose a council that directs the day-to-day operations of the order.

Order of the Pike	~345
Order of the Arrow	~295
Order of the Spell	~275
Order of the Mace	~325
Total	~1260
Order of the Rose	~80 (plus the leaders)

Of the knights, nearly 1100 are in the army. The following units include members of the Orders:

2 Palace Guard of the Caliph, Order of the Pike	248
Order of the Pike scouts	20
1 Order of the Arrow Peace Guard	124
2 Regular Horse Archers	88
1 Palace Guard of the Caliph, Order of the Mace	124
Priest Command Units	200
2 Order of the Spell Mounted Wizards	248

for a total of 1052 men, plus a handful of officers in the regular units, chosen from the upper ranks of the orders or among the Knights of the Rose.

Of these units, the Palace Guard is garrisoned in the Caliph's palace in the city of Ylaruam.
The mounted wizards are a special attack force, and are deployed where needed, which mostly means in Dythestenia and Nithia. When free from active duty, they train with instructors from the University in Ylaruam.
Scouts and Mounted Archers are always busy, and roam the wilderness regions at the request of the Provincial Secretaries.
Priests from the command units are quartered in all major towns and villages where the levied units are expected to muster when called. They act as military advisers to the town leaders, and report to the central command on the activities of the local sheiks.