14th Legion

The 14th Legion was raised in 500 I.C in the city of Hispalis, and it would train in the surroundings of the city for the next six months before being deemed fit for active service.   The 14th Legion claims to be the oldest legion in Derica as it can date the use of the name, 14th Legion, back to the Dercian Republic were the legion were raised by the senate to garrison a section of the border. Still, only a few decades later, the legion was supposed to have been destroyed, or that's what scholars believe, as no mention of the legion can be found until 200 years later when it mentioned that a newly raised Legion with the same name was taking part in the civil war that ended the Republic, following this, it becomes much easier to follow the history of the Legion, but during the First unification war the Legion was destroyed several times. Still, as the state needed legions, the 14 were reinstated shortly afterwards.   Many of the other Legions dismiss the claim that the 14th is the oldest Legion as they believe that a legion that has once been destroyed stays destroyed and that a new Legion that reuses the name and number of the last legion cant claim the honours of the previous Legion.  

Notable characters

Kaeso Dillius Leptis

Kaeso were a young man who, at the age of 19, joined the 14th Legion in 1100. After the end of the training, he would end up in the VII Cohort of the Legion as a raw recruit, and he would slowly rise through the ranks of the Legion. When his contract was up after 20 years, he would enjoy a couple of years as a civilian but would rejoin the Legion and were given the rank of Centurion in the first Cohort. Kaeso were present at the Battle of the lone Castle and were one of the centurions in the 14th Legion when the news reached them from the 9th Legion that queen Krea Astalles two other legions and the queen were under attack from the Principality of Clifia tried to make his Cohort ready faster so they could join up with the 9th Legion and march towards the battle. Still, by the time the 14th was ready to march out, the 9th had already left, and he would feel shame for not being able to reach the battlefield faster and that the 9th Legion got all the glory instead.

Banners/symbols

The Legion uses a red banner with a yellow square in the centre and a laurel wreath in the middle of the yellow.  

successes

soldiers in the 14 Legion will claim that one of the major successes of the legion is the fact that it feels impossible for anyone to truly destroy the legion as even if the legion has been destroyed many times ever since the 14th was first created the 14th Legion is always reinstated as a fighting unit.

Failures

Many during the time and afterwards have said that the biggest failure of the Legion was when they failed to move out of their camp in time to link up with the 9th legion when the two legions got news about the Battle of the lone Castle.  

Their defining moment

The Legions defining moment came after The war of Western expansion when the legion along with the 9th and the remains of the two other Legions from the battle of the lone castle, were marching towards Pearlhal with queen Krea Astalles leading the army, where she could camp the legions outside the walls in clear view from the city was after she would enter the city and use the victory from the battle to proclaim herself empress. The 14th was proud of this moment in Dercian history and that they were there to witness it.

Structure

Legatus Legionis:

The overall Legionary commander of the legion.  

Tribunus Laticlavius:

Generally young and with little experience, the person would typically be second in command.  

Praefectus Castrorum:

When the legion made camp, this one would be in command of the overall base and the third in command of the legion.  

Tribuni Angusticlavii:

There would be fifteen with this rank in the 14th legion, typically career officers taking care of the administrative tasks when not engaged with the enemy.   The larger-than-usual number of administrative officers has been criticized by other legions saying that the 14th is more of an administrative legion than a frontline unit as it's supposed to be.  

Primus Pilus:

The commanding officer of the first cohort and senior Centurion of the entire legion, service in this rank would allow entry into the lower noble class.

Trivia

• The 14th Legion consists entirely of elves.
• The legion number has been reinstated multiple times.
• The Legion was allowed to use the symbol of the Dercian Republic after the Legion was reinstated during the imperial time.