2nd Division - “Romans”

I. Hierarchical Framework

The 2nd Division, The Romans, is the regime's shieldwall, forged in the echoes of Terra's ancient past and modernized for the defense of galactic dominions. The hierarchy of the Division mimics the Imperial Martial-Civic Command Doctrine, where every Legion, Regiment, and Cohort, and garrison operates with dual command structures: military command and civic governance.

Supreme Command (Division Level):

• General of the Romans: General Axia Camilla
• Command Seat: Bastion Palatina, located within the Praetorian Citadel of UCG Homeworld
• Title: "Legata Aeterna," or "Eternal Marshal," reserved for guardians of Regime heartlands.

Command Sub-Ranks:

• Praetorian Primarch: Executive enforcer of homeworld defense strategy.
• Magistrate-Militant: Oversees civil order in wartime occupation zones.
• Legatus Primaris: Planetary garrison overlords and planetary governors.
• Tribunus Strategos: Commanders of Corps and Field Legions.
• Optio-Colonels: Battalion-level senior officers for planetary field campaigns.

Under this structure, civic enforcement, military defense, and ideological oversight are indistinguishable, ensuring absolute UCG dominance wherever a Roman boot steps.

II. High Command Integration

The 2nd Division operates as the keystone of the DMDF's defensive theater, reporting directly to the Grand General of the Dawns March Defense Force. It is the largest Division by volume, controlling 15 Corps and over 90 planet-bound legions, making it the most widely distributed defensive unit in the DMDF.

Key roles in High Command include:

• Oversight of all Planetary Regiment Defense Zones (PRDZs) within the Outer Colonies and Core Bastions.
• Permanent advisory seat on the UCG Strategic Defense Council, tasked with maintaining Regime occupation order across liberated systems.
• Maintains back-channel coordination with the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Internal Affairs to assist in planetary purges, ideological stabilization, and post-war restructuring.

III. Unified Combat Command Integration

The Romans are aligned under UNIDEFCOM (Unified Defense Command), the combat branch dedicated to planetary defense, counter-rebellion, and inter-system stabilization. Their combined role is to protect, entrench, and preserve.

UNIDEFCOM Combat Functions:

• Planetary Fortress Operations (PFO): Establish hardened Regime strongholds on high-risk worlds.
• Population Stabilization Mandates (PSM): Reinforce loyalty in colonized populations post-conquest.
• Defensive Grid Integration (DGI): Interface with planetary orbital platforms and anchor station batteries.
• Civic Order Enforcement: Riot suppression, civilian conscription security, and martial law.

The Romans also coordinate defensive alert protocols with VAST and SPECOPCOM for rapid reinforcement on high-priority planetary holdings.

IV. Division Corps Structure

The 2nd Division – "Romans" is a martial colossus within the DMDF, operating under a unique organizational model where the traditional "Company" level is replaced with the Cohort, a fully autonomous, self-sustaining battlefield unit. Each Corps within the Romans is commanded by a Lieutenant General (LTGEN), selected from the most doctrinally loyal and tactically brilliant officers in the Regime. Corps are both tactical entities and cultural pillars within the Division, with centuries of tradition and battlefield honors binding their leaders to the Phoenix Standard of the Romans.

1st Corps – I Praetorian (Elite Guard Corps)

The Praetorian is the honor guard and strike elite of the Romans, tasked with protecting high-value command nodes, executing precision decapitation strikes, and acting as the Division's last-resort intervention force. Composed of the most decorated Cohorts from across the Division, the I Praetorian operates with advanced wargear and near-total operational autonomy.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Lysandra Drakova | Praetorean Primarch, "The Unyielding Flame" – Known for holding the Ordan Line against three times his number for nine days without resupply.

2nd Corps – I Centurion (Shock Garrison)

The Centurion functions as the Romans' fortress breaker and fortress keeper, deploying to capture and hold critical strongpoints in both offensive and defensive campaigns. Their doctrine focuses on shock ingress, rapid fortification, and prolonged garrison under siege.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Gaius Terenor, "Iron Wall of Klando" – Architect of the Klando Defensive Web during the Xi Boötis campaigns.

3rd Corps – II Centurion (Urban Fortress Garrison)

II Centurion specializes in dense urban warfare, street-to-street sieges, and defensive bastion construction within cities. They are the masters of chokepoint annihilation and civil pacification.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Lucilla Vorenus, "Dame Bastion" – Celebrated for orchestrating the nine-month defense of Stravoss Prime's capital arcology.

4th–8th Corps – I–V Legionary (Rapid Reaction Forces)

The I–V Legionary Corps forms the Division's high-mobility strike arm, designed for rapid deployment across planetary theaters, orbital drop insertion, and immediate response to emergent threats. They operate as the Romans' first wave in multi-vector assaults, often holding key positions until heavier assets arrive.
Corps Commanders:

• 4th Corps (I Legionary): LTGEN Severan Corveth, "The First Spear"
• 5th Corps (II Legionary): LTGEN Varrus Delthane, "Stormrider"
• 6th Corps (III Legionary): LTGEN Hadrien Myrr, "Breaker of Gates"
• 7th Corps (IV Legionary): LTGEN Orrick Falst, "The Iron Howl"
• 8th Corps (V Legionary): LTGEN Cassian Draeve, "The Crimson Pike"

9th–18th Corps – I–X Tribunates (Planetary Defense Forces)

The Tribunate Corps are the Romans' planetary defense bastions, charged with fortifying and holding Regime worlds against insurgency, invasion, or siege. Each Tribunate operates as a self-contained garrison army, integrating infantry, armor, artillery, and local defense networks. They maintain permanent planetary deployment, acting as the iron backbone of UCG territorial control.
Corps Commanders:

• 9th Corps (I Tribunate): LTGEN Tavien Rull, "Bulwark of Dawn"
• 10th Corps (II Tribunate): LTGEN Marros Quint, "The Stone Vigil"
• 11th Corps (III Tribunate): LTGEN Vexius Harrow, "The Black Rampart"
• 12th Corps (IV Tribunate): LTGEN Corvina Selm, "Steel Matron"
• 13th Corps (V Tribunate): LTGEN Arrion Vesk, "Defender of the Circle"
• 14th Corps (VI Tribunate): LTGEN Lucern Voss, "Guardian of the Helice Gate"
• 15th Corps (VII Tribunate): LTGEN Theron Castor, "Sentinel of the Flame"
• 16th Corps (VIII Tribunate): LTGEN Sabinus Kreel, "The Unbreaking Line"
• 17th Corps (IX Tribunate): LTGEN Kaelus Varn, "Bastion Eternal"
• 18th Corps (X Tribunate): LTGEN Mirella Durn, "Shield of Continuance".

V. Command Philosophy & Deployment Doctrine

The Romans operate under the "Bulwark Eternal Mandate", an unshakable doctrine that demands:

1. Zero Withdrawal Protocol: Once deployed, no Roman Legion shall retreat. The territory must either be held or turned to ruin.
2. Civic Supremacy Doctrine: The Romans are not only soldiers, they are governors, judges, and the flamebearers of UCG order.
3. Punitive Purity Clause: Any world that resists full integration shall be subjected to immediate planetary-wide martial restructuring.
4. Seal and Sanctify Directive: All critical worlds must possess at least one Legionary Shrine of Obedience, a spiritual-military temple to Regime sacrifice.

They are rarely used for first-strike invasion campaigns but are deployed immediately after Pantheon conquests to secure and hold territory for decades. Their most significant victories often occur after the battle is over, during the long, unrelenting enforcement of peace.

VI. Key Personnel Table

VII. Cohort Structure (Romans-Specific)

Within the 2nd Division "Romans", the term Cohort holds a distinct and honored definition. Unlike other DMDF formations, where Companies form the basic operational building block, the Romans employ Cohorts as their company-equivalent unit. Each Cohort is a self-sufficient tactical entity designed to operate in both independent strike actions and as part of larger regimental formations. This redefinition ensures that Roman doctrine remains rooted in its ancient-inspired identity while fully aligning with the new Military Unit Tree Codex.

Size & Composition:

A Roman Cohort consists of approximately 800 Legionaries with a 50-man Headquarters Element, structured into multiple 10platoons under the direct command of a Cohort Centurion. Supporting assets, such as engineering detachments, reconnaissance scouts, and close-support elements, are embedded within each Cohort, granting it the capacity to act as a modular battlefield instrument without reliance on external company-level command.

Operational Role:

Cohorts serve as the core maneuver element of the Romans. Whether tasked with breaching fortified positions, holding urban strongpoints, or executing rapid deployment spearheads, each Cohort is trained to perform with the autonomy of a full tactical company while preserving the disciplined cohesion of the Legion. This makes them adaptable to siege warfare, mobile assault, and defensive holding actions with equal proficiency.

Cultural Identity:

For the Romans, Cohorts are more than organizational units; they are brotherhoods of honor. Cohort identity is deeply ingrained, with names, banners, and heraldry passed down through generations of Legionaries. Rivalry between Cohorts is fierce but functional, driving constant competition in training exercises and campaign performance. Victorious Cohorts earn the right to bear additional battle honors on their standards, a visible reminder of their legacy within the Division.

Command Philosophy:

The Cohort Centurion wields near-absolute authority over their unit in the field, reporting directly to their Regimental Tribune. This fosters decisive leadership and battlefield agility, with decisions made at the Cohort level capable of influencing Division-wide engagements. The Romans regard a Cohort's Centurion as both a tactical commander and a custodian of the Cohort’s honor.

"Let the stars know this truth: before the Flame took root, we bled. But now we are armored in duty, sharpened by doctrine, and led by those who do not bend. The Romans are not guardians of the past. We are the architects of permanence. Where the Pantheons burn, we build. Where others retreat, we remain. And where doubt festers, we crush it beneath iron heels."

— General Axia Camilla, from the Citadel of Bastion Palatina

I. Cultural Ethos

The 2nd Division, The Romans, is the eternal spine of the Regime, the unshakable Legion that forms the martial heart of UCG territory. Their culture is defined by unflinching loyalty, disciplinary perfection, and the absolute belief that the strength of a civilization is proven not in conquest, but in how it endures. While the Pantheons may strike first, the Romans are the line that shall never break.

Core Beliefs:

• Order is forged, not granted.
• Defense is not a reaction; it is dominion.
• We do not bend. We do not yield. We do not waver.
• Service without glory is still sacred.
• The Regime does not ask. It demands. We answer.

Every Roman trooper is not merely a soldier; they are a guardian of the Flame's legacy, a torchbearer for civilization's permanence. In Roman culture, war is not a moment; it is a structure, and they are the masons of history.

II. Virtues of the Legion

Roman culture is framed around the Five Eternal Virtues, each of which governs every aspect of a legionnaire's conduct, from deployment to peacetime garrison duty.

The Five Eternal Virtues:

1. Honos (Honor):
2. The soul of a Roman. It is kept pure through sacrifice, service, and self-restraint.
3. Officium (Duty):
4. The guiding Flame. Orders are followed not from fear, but from pride.
5. Disciplina (Discipline):
6. Flawless formations, daily drills, ritualized obedience. Sloppiness is heresy.
7. Fortitudo (Strength):
8. Not brute force, but mental endurance. Romans survive the siege; they are the siege.
9. Aeternitas (Eternity):
10. Every Roman sees their name not as an individual, but as a stone in the Regime Wall. They serve, so the Regime stands forever.

All Legionaries are drilled not only in combat, but in symbolic philosophy. From the moment they enter the 2nd Division, they are told:

"You do not fight for yourself. You fight so that someone, centuries from now, might never have to."

III. Social Structure and Discipline

Roman units follow a quasi-imperial social hierarchy, deeply informed by classical Terran legions and reborn under Regime doctrine.

• Legions act as families. Betraying your unit is tantamount to betraying your blood.
• Each unit is assigned a Flame Preceptor, who oversees not only combat drills but psychological resilience and ideological clarity.
• Shame Marks are tattooed onto those who flee battle or disobey direct orders. Redemption must be earned through frontline service.
• Guardian Valor Bands metal circlets worn on the forearm are awarded for consecutive years of garrison defense, riot suppression, or campaign deployments without failure.
• Guardian Valor Bands are awarded on entry of service within the Romans.

Romans train daily even in garrison. Martial discipline is not a response to war; it is life itself. Within the 2nd Division, every movement, salute, and breath is ritualized with purpose.

IV. Ceremonial Rites and Customs

The 2nd Division's culture is rich with ancient-echoing rites, infused with militaristic pageantry and absolute reverence for structure.

The Oath of the Wall

Every Roman recites this before deployment or when reassigned to a new world:

"I am the Wall. I hold. I bleed, and still I hold. I burn, and still I hold. Until the end, or until the Regime calls me home."

The Guardian Valor Rite

Each legionnaire is issued a personal Cohors Virtutis Custodum (Guardian Valor Band) upon entering the Division. If it is lost in battle, they must forge a new one with their own hands under Flame supervision, unless recovered. Valor Bands mark years of service, honors, and are usually made from symbolic metals.

The Trium Ordinis

Upon successfully defending a world from invasion, the leading officers conduct a public parade of fire and judgment, marching through the heart of the settlement, executing traitors or insurgents in uniform while reading from the Lex Regium.

The Last March

Fallen Romans are not buried. Their Bands and Armor are melted into the outer shell of the Legion Halls on their garrisoned world. Their names etched, their fire added to the Wall.

V. Worldview and Enemy Perception

The Romans view the galaxy through the lens of order and obligation. They do not hate the enemy; they reject them as flawed, as unworthy of civilization.

Enemy Classification:

• UNSC / UEG: "The Broken Empire" - A shadow of what it could have been; fragile and treacherous.
• Insurgents: "False Sons" - Their betrayal is not just tactical, it is personal. They abandoned the Regime that gave them structure.
• Aliens (Exiled, Covenant Remnants): "The Lawless Flame" - Wildfire creatures. Dangerous. Unclean. Cannot be reasoned with, only contained.
• Xeno-Worshippers / Heretics: "Ashborn Apostates" - The most hated. Romans consider their extermination a spiritual obligation.

Romans are not emotionally reactive. They do not scream in battle. They do not mock their enemies. They stand, they form, they kill, and when necessary, they cleanse.

VI. Internal Language & Legion Mantras

Within the Division, Roman soldiers use a distinct martial lexicon, elevated and ceremonial, yet deeply rooted in function.

Common Terms:

• Centurion's Breath: Silence before engagement.
• Falling Flame: Term for a retreat (rarely invoked).
• Final Scutum: The shield raised over a dying comrade.
• Chain of Legacy: A phrase denoting one's connection to historic UCG battles.

Call-and-Response Chants:

• "What is your duty?"
• "TO STAND."
• "Who do you hold for?"
• "THE REGIME."
• "What cannot fall?"
• "THE WALL. THE LEGION. THE FLAME."

These are chanted during drills, deployment preps, and upon the lighting of garrison torches across fortified UCG bastions.

VII. Legacy and Cultural Footprint

The Romans are synonymous with permanence. Their statues line the plazas of major UCG core worlds. Their campaigns are studied in Dawns Wardens Academies as the ideal of military endurance.

Their most sacred legacy remains The 27-Year Defense of Ardent's Reach, where ten Roman Legions held against Exiled reinforcements without orbital support, eating stone-baked ration bricks and sleeping atop the bones of fallen enemies. Not one Legion broke rank. Not one Roman surrendered. That world still bears their sigil, carved into the mountainside.

Newly ascended officers from other divisions often seek training tours with the Romans, not to learn how to strike, but how to endure.

“You wish to know what the Romans believe? We believe in the wall. In the flame behind it. In the people who sleep beneath it. And in the oath we swore before the wall was even built. We do not beg for victory. We outlast it. We do not fear death. We build around it. The others may fall. The others may burn. But when the stars forget their own names, the Romans shall still be standing.”

— General Axia Camilla, Senate Chamber Declaration

I. Oath of the Eternal Wall

The 2nd Division, The Romans, is publicly positioned as the Regime's unbreakable bastion, its most disciplined guardians, and the architects of enduring planetary order. Where the Pantheons advance as the Regime spear, the Romans stand as its shield, committed to order without collapse, and defense without compromise.

Their public identity revolves around loyalty, endurance, and discipline, not as performance, but as structural necessity. Their presence on a world is a signal to allies and enemies alike: "This world will not fall."

"The 2nd Division shall serve as the unyielding force of defensive permanence, a deterrent through discipline, a stabilizer of frontier settlements, and a vanguard of Regime endurance across all volatile systems."

— Official Mandate (Codified 2541, Senate Writ III-IV)

II. Declared Objectives of Service

The Romans maintain a structured agenda within the Regime's military doctrine. Their goals are not merely tactical; they are philosophical declarations of UCG permanence.

1. Protect the Heart of the Regime

The Romans are entrusted with the defense of Regime Territories, vital frontier strongholds, and key industrial systems that serve as the economic and logistical lifeblood of the UCG. Their deployments are always strategic, meant to preserve the spine of the Regime civilization.

• Regime civilians are taught that "when the Romans arrive, the collapse ends."
• In cultural broadcasts, the 2nd Division is called "The Guard of the Flame's Shadow."

2. Maintain Order and Civil Loyalty

Romans are frequently deployed during times of unrest or ideological decay. Their public role extends to riot suppression, loyalty indoctrination, and symbolic martial oversight of newly absorbed systems.

• The Romans are taught never to fire the first shot at civilians, but once order is declared breached, their response is precise and overwhelming.
• Planetary governors often request a Roman detachment not for war, but for dignified control.

3. Serve as the Moral and Military Example

The Romans are the gold standard of Regime conduct, a model of what military life should be. Their drills are open to public viewing, their garrison reviews are aired in Regime academies, and their codes of discipline are mandatory curriculum in Flame Cadet schools.

III. The Doctrine of Discipline

At the core of the Romans' public agenda is the Doctrine of Discipline, a policy-first ethos backed by the Ministry of War Doctrine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Stated Doctrinal Points:

• Order Is Salvation: Disorder is the first sign of rebellion; it must be corrected before it spreads.
• Presence Is Prevention: A Roman formation on a world is worth more than a thousand speeches.
• Structure Is Sanctity: Chaos cannot thrive where every citizen knows their place, and every soldier holds the Wall.

This doctrine forms the civil-military contract with the people of the UCG: you give loyalty, we give permanence.

"Where we stand, the world will not fall. Where you kneel, we will not abandon you. But where you rise against us, you shall not rise twice."

IV. Messaging and Civil Perception

The Regime public perceives the 2nd Division as the steady hand, the silent strength, and the living monument to duty. They are not glamorized like the Pantheons or feared like the Asgardians; they are respected.

• Children in frontier academies are taught to emulate Roman cadence and chant their virtues in morning pledges.
• Wartime holovids frequently depict Roman soldiers placing protective barriers over civilians or guarding archives with impassive resolve while artillery lands in the distance.
• In post-conflict zones, statues of Roman Legionnaires are erected holding shields over cradles, libraries, or symbols of culture.

Famous Slogans:

• "Endure First. Ask Never. Obey Always."
• "The Wall Will Not Break. Because We Will Not."
• "Duty Does Not Sleep. Neither Do We."

Their image is deliberate: noble, silent, unshakable.

V. Political Function and Strategic Deployment

The Romans are more than a military Division; they are a political instrument of unity.

When the Regime seeks to:

• Legitimize a contested colony's allegiance
• Demonstrate commitment to planetary allies
• Quell ideological unrest without complete occupation
• Mark the border between the Regime and the UNSC/URF/Exile Zones

…it is often a Roman Cohort that is deployed.

They are the line in the sand, both literal and symbolic.

• During the Fall of Braddock Gate, the Romans stood at the transit gates and allowed all civilians to pass before collapsing the infrastructure to trap insurgents inside.
• In the Siege of Varastel, they held the outer ring walls of the fortress for 212 hours with no food drops, because the oath did not allow retreat.

Their presence calms Regime loyalists, warns enemies, and reassures the Senate that the UCG Flame is not flickering.

VI. Public Promises and Planetary Vows

Every time the Romans land on a world, they deliver a formal proclamation to the ruling governor or planetary citizenry, called the Vow of Aeternity.

“We are not the sword. We are the wall. And the wall does not falter. Not before rebels. Not before xenos. Not before time. You serve the Regime. We serve you. This ground will be held. Until we are ash. Or until the stars forget their names.”

— Vow of Aeternity

These vows are engraved in blacksteel tablets placed in city centers. If a Roman force is wiped out, the last living squad leader is tasked with returning to burn the tablet, so that no promise of protection remains unfulfilled.

VII. Enduring Legacy in Civil Space

The 2nd Division has cultivated a reputation not as a strike force, but as the cement of the UCG's walls.

• UCG citizens refer to periods of peace as "Roman Years", times marked by order, clean law, and Flame loyalty.
• Inward-facing propaganda teaches that if every citizen emulated a Roman, there would never be war again.
• Most Regime planets now require at least one Roman Regiment to be stationed within capital districts, even during peacetime.

The Senate itself maintains a ceremonial Roman honor guard known as the Legion of the Still Flame, all drawn from 2nd Division veterans who never broke formation during service.

“We do not ask for your praise. We do not demand your thanks. We ask for your faith. For the quiet, unspoken loyalty that binds all things together. You need not cheer us. But when the skies darken, and the flames roar beyond the gates, you will know who stands between them and you. And we will not move.”

— General Axia Camilla, Broadcast to Civilian Settlements

I. Role Within the DMDF

The 2nd Division, The Romans, serves as the defensive bastion of the Dawns March Defense Force. Where the Pantheons burn paths through enemy lines, the Romans are the shield that holds territory. They specialize in fortified warfare, garrison command, and long-term planetary defense, ensuring that once Regime territory is claimed, it remains secure.

Their primary duty is to occupy and fortify newly secured worlds, converting them into fortress-planets bristling with Regime defenses. The Romans are also entrusted with protecting core worlds, anchor stations, and strategic assets essential to the survival of the UCG." "The Romans are the last Wall. And the last Wall does not fall."

, Grand General Ethan Sanders, Military Council Decree, 2566

Their presence on a planet is both military and symbolic: they are the promise of protection to loyalists and the end of hope for rebels.

II. Corps of the Romans

The Corps of the 2nd Division, The Romans, are the stones of the Wall that never breaks. Each Corps specializes in a different aspect of defensive and stabilizing warfare, from fortified planetary garrisons to mobile shielded counterattacks. While the Pantheons embody offense, the Romans embody resilience, the principle that no enemy, no matter how strong, can breach what is properly defended.

Each Corps carries the dual burden of protection and judgment: they guard the Regime holdings while enforcing martial order upon every world they occupy. Their motto reflects their purpose:

"We defend so that the Flame may rule forever."

The Romans are organized into fifteen Corps, each with a unique purpose, but unified under the doctrine of absolute endurance. Below are their primary operational branches and their mottos in UCG Regime Latin.

1st Corps – I Praetorian (Elite Guard Corps)

The Praetorian is the honor guard and strike elite of the Romans, tasked with protecting high-value command nodes, executing precision decapitation strikes, and acting as the Division's last-resort intervention force. Composed of the most decorated Cohorts from across the Division, the I Praetorian operates with advanced wargear and near-total operational autonomy.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Lysandra Drakova | Praetorean Primarch, "The Unyielding Flame" – Known for holding the Ordan Line against three times his number for nine days without resupply.

Specialization & Role:

• Acts as the last line of defense for Division and Regime command structures, safeguarding Exarchal envoys, High Marshals, and planetary governors.
• Deploys as a shock spearhead for decapitation strikes against enemy leadership and critical infrastructure.
• Serves as the ceremonial face of the Romans during state functions, embodying the prestige and lethal authority of the Division.

Primary Duties:

• Guarding and securing Regime command centers, war councils, and ceremonial processions.
• Leading initial breaches in high-profile operations, often under conditions of extreme risk and exposure.
• Maintaining an unbroken readiness posture, with rapid-deployment capability from orbital drop to direct teleport insertion.
• Acting as the Division's judgmental blade, executing punitive raids against enemies of the Regime to set psychological precedent.

Culutre

The Praetorian embodies the mythic ideal of the Romans: flawless discipline, unwavering loyalty, and ceremonial perfection bound to lethal precision. Their culture is one of ritualized excellence, where every action, from weapons maintenance to battlefield maneuver, is performed with a precision bordering on sacred rite. To serve in the Praetorian is to stand as living proof of the Regime's divine mandate.

Members wear blackened armor with gold-inlaid edges, each Cohort bearing a unique heraldic standard embroidered in crimson thread, denoting their honors. The Corps maintains a tradition known as The Vigil of the Phoenix, a silent, 24-hour armed watch over the Division's command standard before any major deployment. Failure to meet the Corps' exacting standards is not merely frowned upon; it is considered a spiritual failing, and such a soldier will not March with the unit until they have undergone a whole ritual of atonement.

They hold themselves apart from the rest of the Division, not out of arrogance, but from the belief that proximity to the heart of command demands unassailable perfection. Rivalries are rare within the Corps, as their cohesion is absolute, but the Praetorians regard every other Corps as a younger sibling to be shielded, judged, and, if necessary, corrected.

2nd Corps – I Centurion (Shock Garrison)

The Centurion functions as the Romans' fortress breaker and fortress keeper, deploying to capture and hold critical strongpoints in both offensive and defensive campaigns. Their doctrine focuses on shock ingress, rapid fortification, and prolonged garrison under siege.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Gaius Terenor, "Iron Wall of Klando" – Architect of the Klando Defensive Web during the Xi Boötis campaigns.

Specialization & Role:

• Offensive capture of fortified locations through overwhelming initial assault, followed by immediate garrison establishment.
• Deployment to critical warzones to shore up failing defenses and turn battles through shock counterattack.
• Acting as theRomans' siege engineers, capable of transforming captured enemy infrastructure into Regime bastions within hours.

Primary Duties:

• Breaking defensive lines with coordinated artillery barrages and close-quarters breach tactics.
• Constructing and reinforcing strongholds in contested or newly conquered territory.
• Serving as a rapid-response reinforcement for other Corps under extreme battlefield pressure.
• Leading mixed-arms integration between infantry Cohorts, mechanized armor, and heavy siege ordnance.

Culutre

The I Centurion is steeped in a culture of relentless fortification and defiance. Their members pride themselves on never yielding a position once taken, and their war songs speak of walls that stand until the stars fade. The Corps trains in a manner designed to mimic siege conditions: ration scarcity, reduced resupply, and prolonged isolation from reinforcement. This breeds a collective stoicism and an unshakable resolve in the face of sustained assault.

Tradition dictates that every soldier in I Centurion carries a segment of captured enemy fortification in their kit, be it a brick, shard of plating, or piece of barricade. These are kept until the soldier wins another siege, at which point the old fragment is ceremonially burned in a pyre of crushed stone and steel, signifying the eternal cycle of conquest and renewal.

Among the Romans, a Centurion is often seen as the Division's anchor, a force that can be trusted to hold when all else falters. Their rivalry with II Centurion is fierce, each claiming superiority in static defense, though I Centurion mocks their urban counterparts for "hiding in buildings instead of making them."

3rd Corps – II Centurion (Urban Fortress Garrison)

II Centurion specializes in dense urban warfare, street-to-street sieges, and defensive bastion construction within cities. They are the masters of chokepoint annihilation and civil pacification.
Corps Commander: LTGEN Lucilla Vorenus, "Dame Bastion" – Celebrated for orchestrating the nine-month defense of Stravoss Prime's capital arcology.

Specialization & Role:

• Dominating dense population centers through calculated force projection and targeted suppression campaigns.
• Engineering defensive chokepoints designed to nullify numerically superior enemy forces.
• Implementing civil pacification operations in conquered cities, integrating military command with Regime governance.

Primary Duties:

• Coordinating building-to-building sweeps, securing rooftops, tunnels, and vertical approaches.
• Constructing defensive barricades and automated kill-zones throughout urban centers.
• Orchestrating mass civilian compliance through public displays of Regime strength and enforcement of doctrinal law.
• Direct liaison with Doctrine Enforcement Units to ensure ideological alignment of the civilian population.

Culutre

The II Centurion lives and breathes the war of walls and streets. Their culture is intensely localised; every operation is viewed as a reclamation of order from chaos, and every city they secure is treated as a prize worthy of unyielding defense. They speak of cities as living beings, to be tamed, fortified, and made to serve the Flame.

Within their ranks, it is tradition for each Cohort to adopt the symbol of the city they have most famously defended or conquered. These symbols are painted onto shields and armor pauldrons, creating a mosaic of heraldry that reflects centuries of urban campaigns. Their battle drills often incorporate mock civilian crowds, ensuring readiness for the chaos of populated warzones.

II Centurion soldiers carry themselves with a quiet pride, believing that while open-field battles may win territory, it is the mastery of cities that wins wars. Their rivalry with I Centurion is more philosophical than hostile, both claiming they are the true masters of defense, but in vastly different arenas.

4th–8th Corps – I–V Legionary (Rapid Reaction Forces)

The I–V Legionary Corps forms the Division's high-mobility strike arm, designed for rapid deployment across planetary theaters, orbital drop insertion, and immediate response to emergent threats. They operate as the Romans' first wave in multi-vector assaults, often holding key positions until heavier assets arrive.

Corps Commanders:

• 4th Corps (I Legionary): LTGEN Severan Corveth, "The First Spear"
• 5th Corps (II Legionary): LTGEN Varrus Delthane, "Stormrider"
• 6th Corps (III Legionary): LTGEN Hadrien Myrr, "Breaker of Gates"
• 7th Corps (IV Legionary): LTGEN Orrick Falst, "The Iron Howl"
• 8th Corps (V Legionary): LTGEN Cassian Draeve, "The Crimson Pike"

Specialization & Role:

• Rapid-response to emergent threats, often deploying within hours of receiving orders.
• Execution of orbital drop assaults, planetary raids, and interdiction strikes against supply lines.
• Operating as flexible combat reserves during major campaigns, capable of reinforcing multiple sectors in sequence.

Primary Duties:

• Establishing forward operating bases (FOBs) in hostile territory within minimal timeframes.
• Striking enemy forces before they can fully mobilize or entrench.
• Maintaining high readiness levels for multi-vector assaults, ensuring simultaneous pressure across a battlespace.
• Supporting other Corps as maneuver specialists, delivering flanking assaults or rapid extraction under fire.

Culutre

The Legionary Corps cultivates a culture of speed, initiative, and aggressive maneuver warfare. They view themselves as the tip of the spear, the first to arrive, the first to strike, and often the first to bleed. Their lives are measured in deployments, and they take pride in mobilizing faster than any other element of the Division.

Legionary traditions revolve around the First Step, a ritual in which a unit's first soldier to set foot on enemy ground during a drop earns the right to carry the Cohort's Vanguard Mark for the remainder of the campaign. Legionary armor is often marked with hazard striping, orbital descent scorch marks, and visible wear as a badge of honor; polishing armor to parade condition is seen as a waste of time unless ordered by the Division command.

In terms of rivalry, the Legionaries maintain a respectful but constant competition with the I Praetorian, claiming that while the Praetorians are the blade's edge, the Legionaries are the hand that thrusts it forward.

9th–18th Corps – I–X Tribunates (Planetary Defense Forces)

The Tribunate Corps are the Romans' planetary defense bastions, charged with fortifying and holding Regime worlds against insurgency, invasion, or siege. Each Tribunate operates as a self-contained garrison army, integrating infantry, armor, artillery, and local defense networks. They maintain permanent planetary deployment, acting as the iron backbone of UCG territorial control.

Corps Commanders:

• 9th Corps (I Tribunate): LTGEN Tavien Rull, "Bulwark of Dawn"
• 10th Corps (II Tribunate): LTGEN Marros Quint, "The Stone Vigil"
• 11th Corps (III Tribunate): LTGEN Vexius Harrow, "The Black Rampart"
• 12th Corps (IV Tribunate): LTGEN Corvina Selm, "Steel Matron"
• 13th Corps (V Tribunate): LTGEN Arrion Vesk, "Defender of the Circle"
• 14th Corps (VI Tribunate): LTGEN Lucern Voss, "Guardian of the Helice Gate"
• 15th Corps (VII Tribunate): LTGEN Theron Castor, "Sentinel of the Flame"
• 16th Corps (VIII Tribunate): LTGEN Sabinus Kreel, "The Unbreaking Line"
• 17th Corps (IX Tribunate): LTGEN Kaelus Varn, "Bastion Eternal"
• 18th Corps (X Tribunate): LTGEN Mirella Durn, "Shield of Continuance"

Specialization & Role:

• Conducting long-term planetary defense and counterinsurgency operations.
• Integrating planetary militia forces under DMDF command for a unified defense doctrine.
• Acting as training hubs for local forces, indoctrinating populations into Regime loyalty through visible military dominance.

Primary Duties:

• Fortifying planetary infrastructure against siege or orbital bombardment.
• Maintaining constant readiness through live-drill cycles and wargames with other Corps.
• Enforcing the regime law and doctrine in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs agents.
• Acting as the first line of resistance in the event of a planetary-scale invasion

Culutre

The Tribunates embody the permanent garrison spirit of the Romans, immovable, ever-present, and deeply entrenched in the worlds they defend. Their culture is one of guardianship and integration; they are not just defenders of a planet, but enforcers of the Regime in all aspects of life.

Tribunate soldiers are often locals of the planets they defend, giving them both intimate terrain knowledge and strong personal ties to their garrison worlds. They practice The Oath of Ground, a formal vow taken before a campaign or siege that binds them to hold their position until relieved or dead. This oath is sealed with the pressing of the soldier's palm into a bowl of the planet's soil, kept in the Regime archives until their death.

While they rarely engage in inter-Corps rivalries, the Tribunates are highly competitive among themselves, each boasting of the unbreached status of their fortifications. Among the rest of the Division, they are viewed as steadfast pillars, less glamorous than the mobile strike elements, but without whom the Romans' conquests would crumble.

III. Strategic Role in Galactic Campaigns

The Romans' strategic importance lies in their ability to hold worlds indefinitely. They are the anchoring force in UCG campaigns, ensuring conquered territories remain loyal and secure.

Core Strategic Functions:

• Garrison and Stabilization: Establish order and martial law post-conquest.
• Orbital Defense Integration: Oversee planetary orbital weapon platforms and anchor station coordination.
• Siege Mastery: Outlast sieges with overwhelming defensive firepower and attrition tactics.
• Counter-Rebellion Operations: Suppress insurgents with rapid reaction and total lockdown strategies.

During the Genesis Saga, the Romans were pivotal in:

• The 27-Year Defense of Ardent's Reach: Held against relentless Exiled assaults, never losing a single Wall segment.
• The Iron Gate Sieges (2563): Successfully defended seven strategic choke points across the Qusdar System.
• Grave Sky Over Xi Boötis (2570): 10th Corps, 4th Legion, 10th Cohort, fortified defensive zones long enough for UCG evacuation and counterattack maneuvers.

Romans turn planets into fortress-stars, ensuring that once they claim a world, it remains Regime property forever.

IV. Reputation and Legacy

The Romans are known throughout the galaxy as the Wall that cannot be broken. They are revered by loyalists as living bastions, feared by rebels as the unending watch, and respected by their enemies for their unwavering endurance.

• Among UCG citizens: They are protectors, the ones who do not abandon their posts no matter the odds.
• Among enemies: They are inevitability personified, they do not retreat, they do not collapse, they only advance by holding.

Roman legacy is enshrined in:

• Blacksteel tablets in city centers, bearing the Vow of Aeternity.
• Walls engraved with the names of defenders who never faltered.
• Stories of sieges where the Romans stood surrounded, starving, but unbroken until relief arrived, or they became the relief themselves.

"When the Romans arrive, the war does not end. It simply waits for the enemy to exhaust itself against the Wall."

The 2nd Division, The Romans, is the immovable fortress of the UCG. They do not seek glory through speed or brutality. They achieve victory through discipline, resilience, and unyielding faith in the Flame. Wherever they stand, the Regime stands forever.

"Walls are not built to talk. They are built to hold. And we hold, until the stars themselves fade."

— General Axia Camilla, Address to the Legion Cohorts

I. Strategic Role in Regime Diplomacy

The 2nd Division, The Romans, fulfills a unique and foundational role in the diplomatic machinery of the UCG Regime. As the defensive cornerstone and martial garrison division, they are tasked not with initiating conflict, but with projecting unchallenged stability across volatile and frontier-aligned systems.

Their presence on a world represents finality of ownership, permanent occupation, and strategic silence. A Roman deployment tells other powers:

"This world belongs to the Regime. You may orbit it. You may remember it. But you will never take it."

Romans do not broker treaties. They enforce outcomes. Once they arrive, there is no debate, no council, no quarter.

II. Relations with the UNSC / UEG Remnants

Status: Defensive Hostility

Classification: "The Unworthy Heirs"

The Romans regard the UNSC and its UEG successors as illegitimate inheritors of human authority, failed stewards who have squandered both civilization and structure. Where Pantheons annihilate and Wolves erase, the Romans serve as the long grind against the UEG's memory.

• Roman deployments near UEG-friendly systems serve as diplomatic statements, making it clear that Regime rule is absolute and restorationist ideology will not be tolerated.
• In past engagements, the Romans have refused ceasefire requests unless confirmed via UCG High Marshal Council, maintaining defensive fire zones for months at a time.

"Let the UNSC talk of diplomacy and memory. We hold the present. And they hold nothing."
, General Axia Camilla, Strategic Defense Address, 2559

III. Relations with Xeno Species and Former Covenant Forces

Status: Absolute Hostility / Containment Doctrine

Classification: "The Foreign Infection"

Romans maintain zero tolerance toward xeno' presence within Regime territory. Their public stance reinforces that even peaceful aliens or neutral species represent biological and ideological destabilization of human space.

The Romans operate under the Protocol of the Eternal Vigil, which authorizes garrison units to:

• Purge alien structures from Regime colonies.
• Prevent cohabitation zones from forming, even via civilian trade.
• Erect Flame Sanctums in memory of planets where humanity bled from alien hands.
• Notable Incidents:
• Yulan Minor Defense Barrier: Romans blockaded a Covenant-sympathetic planet for 8 years without violating the ceasefire, starving the population until insurgents surrendered.
• Cerulean Wastes Incident: A Roman force deployed to intercept a Sangheili emissary attempted for UEG-initiated peace talks; the Sangheili were "disarmed permanently."

Romans are not sent to speak to aliens. They are sent to remind them that the Regime exists, and that they do not belong.

IV. Relations with Insurgents and Separatist Cells

Status: Martial Containment / Targeted Eradication

Classification: "The Fractured Sons"

Insurgents, especially those of human origin, are considered fractures in the Wall of Regime unity. The Romans hold these enemies in mournful contempt, never underestimating them, but always viewing them as failures of loyalty and discipline.

• Roman doctrine states that internal betrayal is worse than external attack, and therefore must be corrected without hesitation but without spectacle.
• Roman forces often initiate public military tribunals after crushing insurgent strongholds, using visible sentencing and execution as a reaffirmation of Flame Law.
• Famous Campaigns:
• The Sand Vigil of Zhur-Ka: Roman cohorts surrounded a rebel city and waited 72 days in formation without firing. When the city opened its gates, 300,000 rebels were taken alive and sentenced in the Ash Courts.
• The Seven Pillars of Daron II: Roman engineers collapsed seven underground separatist networks without destroying civilian surface infrastructure.

, Colonel Rhal Daranex, Justice of Flame, 2554

"They were born of us. That makes their betrayal worse. And their punishment is eternal."

V. Relations with Non-Aligned and Border Powers

Status: Silent Observation / Readiness Doctrine

Classification: "The Line Not Yet Crossed"

Where other divisions may engage in dramatic standoffs, the Romans are often stationed near non-aligned systems as a silent deterrent. Their garrisons, bastions, and anchored walls serve as the last visual warning before the Regime enacts territorial expansion or ideological enforcement.

• These systems often find themselves under economic pressure, navigation restriction, and sensor intrusion, yet never receive official Regime threats, only the sight of Roman legions assembling just beyond their borders.

"We do not breach the line. We are the line. Step across it, and you learn what that means."
, Warden Commander Lortan Viess, Station Sentinel Primaris, 2566

In rare cases, minor factions may be allowed to operate under Regime observation, but only if tribute is paid and the Flame Doctrine is upheld in local policy. Romans have been known to install compliance beacons and demand civic purges of xeno elements before agreeing to non-aggression.

VI. Symbolic Messaging and Tactical Diplomacy

The Romans rarely communicate in words. Their formations, banners, and presence are their message.

• A wall of Legionnaires marching silently through a city square speaks louder than any ambassador.
• Orbital rings of defense stations forming above a politically unstable colony imply that rebellion is not only futile, it has already failed.
• Roman commanders often leave blackstone monoliths behind on conquered or integrated worlds, engraved only with:

"The Regime Watches. The Romans Wait."

Their tactical diplomacy is rooted in unrelenting stillness. They offer no first strike, no bluster, no drama, only readiness. And in that readiness, there is fear.

VII. Reputation Among Friend and Foe

Within the DMDF, Romans are revered as pillars of Regime dignity. Among civilians, they are respected, if not feared, symbols of peace through suppression.

To the enemy, however, the Romans are not monsters or gods. They are the machine, the implacable wall, the March that never stops. Insurgent cells call them "The Stone Flame." Alien warbands refer to them as "The Shield that Hunts."

"They do not chase. They move forward. And if you're in the way… You become part of the ground."
, UNSC Marine Log, Blacksite Tyreon, final entry, 2561

“There are no debates. There are no promises. There is the Regime, and there is its silence. We are the enforcers of that silence. We do not cross lines. We build them. And once we build them, they do not fall. This is not a negotiation. This is permanence.”

— General Axia Camilla, Public Address to Regime Colonies

I. The Foundation of Roman Law

The 2nd Division, The Romans, is governed by a strict code derived from the DMDF Codex Juris Bellum and codified within their own Legatum Aeternum, the Eternal Law of the Wall. This code emphasizes discipline, loyalty, and the sacred duty of defense. Unlike the aggressive fire-borne justice of the Pantheons, Roman law is cold, enduring, and absolute.

Their laws function as both military statutes and civil governance on worlds where they are stationed. Roman law serves not only the soldiers but the citizens who live under their protection, making it the most structured and widely applied legal system among the DMDF divisions.

“A wall is only as strong as its laws. Break them, and the wall breaks with you.”

— General Axia Camilla, Preface to Legatum Aeternum

II. Creation and Custodianship of Laws

Roman laws are structured into three layers known as The Pillars of Aeternity:

1. Pillar of Command: Edicts issued by the General of the Romans, stored in the Lex Regium archives at Bastion Palatina.
2. Pillar of Cohort: Laws specific to garrisons and defensive sectors, set by Legatus Primaris and ratified by Flame Magistrates.
3. Pillar of Citizenry: Regulations applied to civilian populations under Roman jurisdiction, ensuring order within occupied or fortified worlds.

Laws are recorded in Obsidian Tablets of Judgment, placed at city centers under Roman control. Civilians and soldiers alike are expected to read and memorize these directives.

III. Core Roman Laws

The Roman laws are vast, but several universal statutes define their legal identity:

1. Law of the Wall

"No post may fall. No guard may leave."
Desertion or abandonment of assigned defensive positions results in immediate execution, carried out by the soldier's cohort.

2. Law of Eternal Watch

"The watch never sleeps."
Failure to maintain scheduled patrols, neglecting defensive duties, or allowing a breach through negligence results in hard labor under armed guard until atonement is achieved.

3. Law of Obedience

"The chain does not break."
Orders from superior officers are considered absolute law. Defiance results in tribunal sentencing and possible execution.

4. Law of Civil Sanctity

"Citizens under the Wall are under the Flame."
Civilians under Roman protection must obey the Regime statutes. Any act of treason, harboring rebels, or sheltering xeno relics results in collective penalty, often a full purge of the settlement.

5. Law of the Oath Tablet

“A promise once etched may never be broken."
Each garrison maintains an Oath Tablet, where vows to defend are inscribed. Soldiers who fail to uphold these vows are stripped of name, rank, and memory, removed from the rolls entirely.

IV. Enforcement Structure

The enforcement of Roman law is ritualized and visible, reinforcing the perception of the 2nd Division as an unmovable authority.

• Magistrate-Militants: Senior officers serving as both military judges and civic overseers.
• Legion Wardens: Enforcers of Corps-level discipline, empowered to deliver punishment on the spot.
• Flame Justicars: Special operatives tasked with rooting out corruption, treason, or heresy within Roman ranks and local populations.

Judgment is typically passed in public tribunals at fortified plazas, with penalties administered on the spot to prevent doubt or delay.

V. Punishments Under Roman Law

Roman punishments are designed to reinforce the sanctity of the wall and to deter violations. They range from disciplinary correction to total erasure.

Common Punishments:

• Stone Burdening: Offenders carry weighted armor or stones while maintaining guard duty for weeks.
• The Watch Without Rest: 168-hour shifts without sleep, under stimulant regulation, as punishment for dereliction.
• Flagellation at the Gate: Public lashing at the fortress entrance, symbolizing purification through pain.
• Execution by Wall Spear: Treason is punished by impalement and burning of the body at the base of the wall.
• Name Erasure: The most severe penalty; records destroyed, ashes scattered, identity forgotten.

Civilian punishments often involve forced conscription into the labor force, resource and asset seizures, or settlement restructuring under Roman control.

VI. Flexibility and Reach of the Law

Roman law is known for being rigid but deliberate. Unlike the merciless immediacy of the Knights or the Wolves' clandestine eradications, Roman law allows brief opportunities for atonement, but only once.

• Soldiers may reclaim honor through The Shield Penance (fighting while carrying triple weight).
• Civilians may redeem treasonous settlements through the Tribute of Loyalty (surrender of resources, labor, and rebel leaders).

There are no loopholes for leaders. High-ranking officers caught breaking the law are punished more harshly than the common soldier.

“If the highest brick crumbles, the wall collapses. So the highest brick must burn brighter.”

— Marshal Judge Livia Renar, Ardent’s Reach Tribunal

VII. Influence on Civil Populations

Roman law extends far beyond military ranks. It shapes civilian behavior in fortified settlements and garrisoned worlds:

• Citizens become highly regimented, operating under strict observation and monitoring, and daily loyalty affirmations.
• Markets, schools, and workforces follow schedules dictated by Legion Time, where every hour aligns with garrison readiness.
• Local leaders must swear oaths directly to Roman commanders, reinforcing a hierarchy of Flame and stone.

This legal presence transforms planets into fortresses, where order is visible, law is immediate, and loyalty is carved into stone.

VIII. Legacy of the Wall's Judgment

The Romans' legal system is considered the most predictable and fair within the DMDF, if harshly so. It commands respect from loyalists, fear from rebels, and awe from neutral observers. To serve under Roman law is to live in constant discipline. To defy it is to be crushed beneath it.

On worlds that survived Roman sieges, memorials still stand: burned shields and blackstone tablets etched with the phrase:

"The Wall Held. The Law Stood."

“We do not create laws for convenience. We do not change them for comfort. They are stone, and we are the mortar. Break them, and the wall breaks. And when the wall breaks, everything falls. That is why we hold the law as we hold the line, with our lives.”

— General Axia Camilla, Address at Bastion Palatina

I. Education Structure and Purpose

The educational system of the 2nd Division is built around discipline first, strength second. Roman education transforms recruits into immovable defenders and unyielding enforcers of order. Training focuses on:

• Fortification Warfare: Mastery of defense grids, siege survival, and holding tactics.
• Psychological Endurance: Training soldiers to maintain composure under prolonged siege conditions.
• Civil-Military Governance: Preparing troops to enforce martial law and maintain loyalty among civilian populations.

Unlike other divisions, Roman education also emphasizes patience and law; they are taught that victory comes not through speed, but through outlasting every enemy.

"The wall does not move. The wall does not fear. The wall only stands, and in standing, it wins."
, General Axia Camilla, Bastion Academy Address, 2566

II. Doctrinal Education

Training begins at Bastion Academies, sprawling citadel-schools built across UCG strongholds. Education here blends Flame Doctrine with The Wall Creed, the philosophical foundation of Roman service.

• Subjects Taught:
• History of the Regime, fortified worlds, and legendary sieges.
• Legal enforcement under martial law and the doctrine of eternal loyalty.
• Defensive military science, reading terrain, fortifying choke points, and integrating shield grids.
• Instruction Methods:
• Long endurance marches carrying heavy loads under strict time limits.
• Extended "Silent Guard" sessions where recruits stand immobile for hours under harsh conditions.
• Flame lectures reinforcing the oath: "The wall protects. The wall never falters."

Failure to meet doctrinal expectations results in reassignment to lower divisions or forced removal from service.

III. Combat and Tactical Training

Roman training shifts into Combat Academia, where recruits master defensive combat, siege resistance, and coordinated response under pressure.

• Core Combat Curriculum:
• Urban defense and barricade warfare.
• Counter-siege tactics, including trench defense and shield-wall coordination.
• Mastery of defensive artillery and planetary shield integration.
• Facility Specialization:
• Fortress Bastions: Simulate prolonged sieges with starvation, bombardment, and relentless waves of enemy drones.
• Iron Gates: Choke-point training grounds where recruits must hold against overwhelming forces.
• Oath Walls: Massive training walls scaled under live fire, testing willpower as much as skill.

Graduates of Roman Combat Academies are said to be able to hold a breach against ten times their number.

IV. The Oath Trials

The final proving for a Roman recruit is the Oath Trial, a ceremonial and brutal test where candidates must defend an assigned stronghold against continuous simulated and live assaults.

• Trial Objectives:
• Hold the wall or gate at all costs.
• Maintain order among "civilian" actors during crisis scenarios.
• Survive isolation periods under psychological stress.
• Survival Rate:
  Approximately 70% pass. Those who fail are demoted to garrison auxiliaries, while those who abandon their posts are executed for breaking the oath.

At the conclusion, successful candidates engrave their name into the Oath Tablet, which is then enshrined within the academy.

V. Disparity and Access

Roman education is given to all Roman recruits upon acceptance into the Roman ranks. However, Roman's education is accessible to all Regime citizens who meet the physical and loyalty requirements. This is to ensure that even those citizens who were not selected in the Warden Corps for DMDF can continue their education to help serve in the defense of their lands. The intensity of training ensures that only the most disciplined and loyal graduates join the full cohort service.

• Recruits begin with a broad Flame Doctrine education, focusing on order and loyalty.
• Veterans gain access to advanced fortress command schools and siege warfare academies.
• Officers are trained in civil administration, planetary defense coordination, and psychological warfare.

Children of Roman veterans are often granted early admission to Bastion Academies, giving them an edge in indoctrination and discipline.

VI. Culture of Education

Roman education is deeply ritualized, shaping not just soldiers but keepers of order.

• Ash Wall Ceremonies: Recruits carve their vows into a wall segment that is ritually burned, symbolizing rebirth as a defender.
• Silence Hours: Daily enforced silence periods to build patience and mental control.
• Legacy Studies: Recruits study legendary last stands and vow to uphold those standards in their service.

This culture breeds calm, methodical warriors who hold the line without hesitation.

VII. Reputation and Legacy of Roman Education

Roman training is renowned across the galaxy for producing soldiers who do not break, even under the harshest conditions.

• Rebels fear their discipline under pressure, knowing Romans will not be lured into reckless mistakes.
• UNSC intelligence compares them to siege masters of ancient history, calling them "walls with rifles."
• Even alien commanders respect their ability to outlast technologically superior forces through sheer determination and coordination.

Their education creates not only fighters but symbols of endurance, whose presence assures allies and terrifies enemies.

"We are not taught to win quickly. We are taught to never lose. And we do not.”

— Marshal Judge Livia Renar, Bastion Address