10th Legion

The 10th Legion was formed a very short while after the betrayal of the 3rd Legion. The initial members of the Legion were formed by hundreds of people across Aranna who saw The Radiant Youth in a dream. He called them together to bring balance and justice to The Empire Of Stars.

Formation[]

The 3rd Legion had become problematic for the Empire Of Stars. Their generals and leaders had become fat and jealous of everyone else. In order to increase their own wealth, they planned to overthrow the emperor and rule as their own leaders.

The Radiant Youth saw this coming and decided that it would cause many problems. The Empire Of Stars had nine legions so far and it was time to call upon the creation of the 10th Legion. He appeared to hundreds of men and women of many races in a dream, urging them to gather in the capital city of Iliyara and put a stop to the threat of the 3rd Legion.

The Attack on the 3rd Legion[]

The new leaders of the 10th Legion attempted to negotiate with the leaders of the 3rd Legion. However they were unwilling to co-operate and many refused to acknowledge that they planned on assaulting Iliyara. The 10th Legion's hand was forced and a massive battle was fought, only a few miles south of the capital.

The results of the battle are unusual. The 3rd Legion suffered a humilating defeat even though they were more accustomed to the ways of battle due to hundreds of years of experience, over the newly formed 10th Legion. While the 10th Legion did suffer considerable casualties, they managed to send the survivors of the 3rd Legion running in sheer panic.

The War of Legions[]

Upon the death of Emperor Veransk III, Zaramoth the Unmaker was crowned as the new Emperor of the Empire of Stars. He called upon the empires legions to swear fealty to him, as they had done so for countless leaders beforehand. Zaramoths status as a ruler of south eastern Aranna was already known to everyone. He was powerful, cruel, a shrewd tactician and rarely lost a battle. All of the empires legions quickly swore their loyalty to him, preferring this to being quickly slaughtered. The 10th Legion however, refused to bow to someone who they saw as a usurper.

Zaramoths army was already massively powerful, and the addition of thirteen battle hardened and ready legions only made it all the more powerful. The 10th Legionnaire commanders were aware that declining effectively forfeited their life should they stay, so they quickly made arrangements for the entire legion to retreat to the region called Ehb. The terrain was already all too familiar for them due to previous incursions and battles so they dug in and prepared for the worst.

Zaramoth, meanwhile, refused to allow them to run away so quickly. The War of Legions had begun, with Iliyara and the surrounding empire in a civil war. The 10th Legion and small other legion deserters on the defensive and Zaramoths Legions on the offensive, bolstered by his own army. Aranna was quickly drowned in blood as any resistance was quickly crushed. Zaramoth had no interest in ever taking captives. Either prisoners would swear fealty to him or die.

The 10th Legion lost many fortresses and castle to the oncoming tidal wave of death that was their former comrades in the other legions. Surprisingly however, the 10th Legion managed to weather the worst of the War of Legions with minimal casualties, mostly in thanks to the efforts of their leader, Karese Noanni.

Liberation of Ehb[]

From this day forth, there shall be nothing accomplished that was not purchased with the blood of these valiant hearts. - Karese Noanni

Until now, Ehb had always been a meager province of the Empire of Stars. When the War of Legions began, the Seck had largely been in control of the territories, swiftly pushing aside previously held imperial garrisons and taking control of Wesrin Cross to house their guild spiders and constructing Fortress Kroth.

The 10th Legions most turbulent and bloody battle in liberating Ehb from the Seck was in western Ehb, near the now modern day site of the Crypt of the Sacred Blood. As Legion Commander Karese Noanni surveyed the dead following the battle, he instructed that a space be cleared in the center and excavations be begun. All of the Legions dead were interred here following the battle.

The 10th Legion was fortunate that they had saved many engineers during the War of Legions, and quickly set about to construct Castle Ehb following the liberation of Ehb. Built on a massive hill of solid granite and flanked by Dragon's Rathe, Castle Ehb commanded a view for miles in all directions. Karese Noanni described it as "the most perfect thing made by human hands I've ever seen."

Inside, they stored the artifacts they had claimed from Iliyara during their cecession from the Empire of Stars and deep within their magical creation, the Vault of Eternity, they imprisoned the captives from their final battle for the Liberation of Ehb. Their leader, Gom and his second in command, Gresh were placed in captivity within the deepest confines of this prison, as they were far to dangerous to be executed through normal means. It was the Legions Mages hopes that they would instead suffer from death by aging which would atone for the atrocities they committed during the Secks brief takeover of Ehb.

However, with Ehb secured and no more battles to be fought, the 10th Legion faced a new problem.

The Kingdom of Ehb[]

"Under all the stars, there is nothing more wretched than a soldier without an enemy to fight. I've had enough of blood that a hectare of soil, a spade and a mule will content me well until my end, if it must, but what am I to do with these youths of fire?"

By 1E 844, Karese Noanni had been the leading the 10th Legion for over twenty years. Under his guidance, the Legion had become one of the most versatile and capable military factions ever known in the history of Aranna, enduring the difficult Pacification of the Lescanza, surviving the War of Legions with minimal casualties and finally liberating Ehb from the Seck.

The 10th Legion, however, faced a new problem. Dwindling food supplies, a shortage of farmers and a massive overabundance of legionnaires would quickly destroy the legion from within. On the first day of 845, Karese Noanni addressed the frozen, apprehensive assembly of his men. He declared that the 10th Legion in it's current form simply could not survive for much longer.

In order to capitalize on their good fortune in liberating Ehb, it would mean a near complete dismantling of everything they had ever known and constructing a new kingdom to withstand the complete ravages of time. Immediately, the legion called for Karese Noanni to assume the throne, but he graciously declined. The new kingdom would still need an army and he was dutifully adamant in leading it through the difficult times to come. Refugees were still coming in from the Empire and the Plain of Tears, where the War of Legions was still ravaging the land. Karese Noanni expected that soon more visitors would arrive of a less benevolent nature. Ehbs good fortunes would soon be known to the world.

Legion soldiers[]

The 10th Legion was comprised of four different soldiers - swordsman, archer, mage and engineer.

Swordsmen were the backbone of the Legion and vastly swamped the numbers of Mages and Engineers. They mostly wielded blades and iron shields. Many dwarves were known to use massive two handed axes which could split a man in two.

Archers were a slightly of a smaller number than swordsman and were incredibly important in the battlefield. A large group could easily fire continous volleys of arrows which would turn areas into death pits for enemies.

Mages were undoubtably one of the most important members of the battlefield. Their ability to empower the troops with magic made them sometimes the key to changing the direction of a fight. Mages were however only of a small number.

Engineers are probably the most unrecognised of the army. Most of the time, the purpose of the engineers was to manage and maintain catapults and other artillery. They would also often be used to contruct defenses for soldiers. They comprised of only 5% of the 10th Legion.

Town Garrison[]

In most towns, the 10th Legion divides up it's system into a selection of swordsmen, archers and a Guard Captain.

In most cases, soldiers will be posted at the walls, watching for any enemies who may creep up to attack. The Guard Captain can often be found near the middle of the village.

During the time of Dungeon Siege I, Glacern did not have a Guard Captain, rather it had an Overseer called Ibsen Yamas and Lieutenant Shea. This is because it was a military town where soldiers were directed from. Glacern also had an abnormally large station of archers. Though it is likely because the harsh snow makes it difficult for swordsmen to fight in and the mountainous terrain gives archers an attack bonus.

Dungeon Siege 3[]

By the events of Dungeon Siege 3, it seems the soldier loadout in the 10th Legion has changed. Due to the advancements in technology, it seems that the 10th Legion now uses cannon in place of catapults (Which can now be fired by soldiers, thus elimating the need for Engineers) and uses rifles in place of bows.