Field Marshal

Overview

The Field Marshal is the most senior military position in the Empire - they are elected by vote of those who sit on the Imperial Military Council to provide the Empire with leadership for a major battle involving the Empire's heroes. They serve only for a single battle, the position of Field Marshal has no role in the ongoing military campaigns involving the Imperial armies. The position is mostly ceremonial with few legal powers but it is prestigious - nearly half of those who have sat on The Throne have served as Field Marshal at some point during their life.

Responsibilities

A Field Marshal is responsible for the success or failure of the Imperial heroes who travel through the Sentinel Gate to do battle with the barbarians. They have the ultimate authority for determining the plan for the battle although in practice they have to do so in concert with the generals of the Military Council - as they have no power to order generals or individuals to fight.

The Field Marshal is legally required to report to the Senate on the conduct and outcome of a battle, including any exceptional actions undertaken by individuals or banners under her command, as well as explaining any failures that took place.

Obligations

The Field Marshal must present the Senate with an official account of the conduct and outcome of a battle, it is a criminal offence for a Field Marshal who survives a battle to fail to do so. If the Field Marshal does not survive the battle, then tradition dictates that those Imperial generals who do survive must draw straws to see who will fulfil the obligation.

In 134YE, the Marcher Field Marshal Rose Hale of Meade burned to death in a wicker man before she could account for the battle before the Senate. Although her friar argued that Rose had acted virtuously, accepting responsibility for the disastrous strike on the Jotun position near Meade, she was excoriated for her cowardice in the Senate and excommunicated post-mortem by the Synod. The Conclave only narrowly failed to pass a declaration to summon her shade using Whispers through the Black Gate to address an extraordinary session of the Senate. Chasina of the Stone Souls Chapter, Archmage of Winter declared that "alive or dead, Rose Hale will do her duty and account for those who died today."

Limitations

The Field Marshal is a largely ceremonial position - although they authorize the battle plan adopted by the Imperial generals, they have do not have the legal authority to order a citizen of the Empire to fight as they command. Although the most brilliant Field Marshals have been able to use their success to browbeat generals to follow an unpopular plan, most of those who are granted the position more than once begin their career by providing leadership to achieve consensus amongst Council members.

Likewise the Field Marshal does not have the legal authority to compel Imperial citizens to fight or serve. An Imperial general can give orders to members of their army who are on campaign with them - but no Imperial citizen can legally give orders to the heroes and heroines who volunteer to risk their lives by going through the Sentinel Gate. A new Field Marshal is best advised to use the Imperial generals and their subordinates as a chain of command to communicate their wishes.

Powers

Right of Address

The Field Marshal has the Right of Address for the Senate Session that follows their battle. By tradition this is usually the first issue put to the Senate by the civil service. Because of the formalism of the power, it is not normally necessary for a Field Marshal to inform the civil service in advance of their intention to address the Senate.

The Final Say

At some point during their deliberations the Military Council must vote to elect a Field Marshal for each battle they are planning. Only the Field Marshal has the authority to set the battle plan that will be employed by the Empire. In practice the battle plan is sometimes decided before the Field Marshal is selected - in effect the selection then becomes a formal vote of approval for the agreed battle plan.

The Equine Rod

The Field Marshal was once granted possession of an Imperial artefact, the Equine Rod, an ancient baton topped with a horses head that is both a potential magical item and a symbol of office. The Equine Rod was lost in 364YE when the Field Marshal Isold de Rousillon, the adopted niece of Emperor Hugh was caught in a trap by Grendel raiders and slaughtered. A non-magical replacement for the Equine Rod was lost when Empress Britta was killed in 376YE.

Leadership

Although the Field Marshal does not have the legal power to issue orders to Imperial citizens on the battlefield, they are expected to give instructions and direction to the Imperial generals present and to those serving under them. They can't legally compel a citizen to follow orders, but there is a clear expectation from most Imperial citizens that those present on the battlefield will act on any reasonable instruction. It is not illegal for a citizen to defy the instructions of the Field Marshal but those who do so openly usually find themselves punished by their fellow citizens, especially the Cardinals and priests of the Synod and the other generals of the Military Council, if they cannot justify their actions.

It is possible to commit a crime by actively undermining a Field Marshal (or any Imperial general). Any attempt to interfere with the leadership of a battle, for example by changing instructions or acting to prevent them from reaching their destination is classed as subverting the agencies of the state and can carry a heavy penalty.

Imperial Title

Although the Field Marshal does have some legal powers, it is not considered to be an Imperial title under the terms of the constitution. This is because of the extremely limited tenure of the position - a successful Field Marshal may be called upon multiple times, but each appointment effectively lasts for a single day. It is common, though not obligatory, for the Empress to assume the position of Field Marshal when she is present.

Proxies

A Field Marshal may never appoint a proxy - even if they are dead or dying.

Selection of a Field Marshal

The Military Council select the Field Marshal for each battle, by vote when a unanimous candidate cannot be agreed upon. This is often surprisingly contentious; consensus is the ideal and is often reached, but if it cannot be generally agreed upon, then all suggested candidates are put to the vote, with the candidate receiving the least votes being eliminated each time until only one remains.

Removing a Field Marshal

The Military Council are legally required to decide who will be the Field Marshal by the night before a battle begins. The Council may change their mind at any point up to this time, by majority of all the Imperial generals in position.

OOC Design Notes

The idea that the Empire does not legally enforce a chain of command reflects the design goals of Empire - to place an emphasis on the agency of individual players. Players who think in terms of modern notions of professional soldiers, even from the medieval period might question how realistic this arrangement is. Traditional military dogma presents the idea that a clear unified chain-of-command backed by legal punishment for those who do not follow orders is the most effective approach.

Some historical accounts of war do reflect the Empire approach however - the story of Achilles in the fall of Troy is one of an independent hero, serving under his own cognizance and not beholden to the Greek kings. Although Empire uses the medieval period as its primary historical inspiration, the influence of earlier periods and cultures permeates the setting. In particular, the setting is founded on the notion that the players - those who attend the summits at Anvil - are the heroes of the Empire - not the foot-soldiers.

The reason we chose this approach for Empire is because the out-of-character enjoyment of the Empire players is critically more important than the in-character triumph of the Empire. Most live roleplayers who go on to the Empire battlefield are looking to enjoy themselves as heroes acting on their own agency, not find themselves subjugated to a chain-of-command that robs them of their independence in return for enhanced battlefield efficacy. In Empire you can't be ordered to go and fight away on the other side of the battlefield from your friends in your group, you can't be ordered to hold a reserve position if you want to get stuck into the fight.

Of course players are free to choose characters and groups who are more disciplined and who employ a more rigid chain of command if they wish. A Highguard chapter, an Imperial Orc legion, or a Marcher household might well encourage everyone to follow orders to the letter - the better to reflect the disciplined character of those nations. But a Wintermark band of Frayed seeking a good death or a group of Freeborn corsairs can choose a different path.

Groups should expect to face the wrath of the Empire if they refuse to follow the instructions of the Field Marshal and the Imperial generals - they can expect to be denounced by the Senate they risk being revoked or excommunicated by the Imperial Synod, even by their own National Assembly. The Empire is not forgiving of those whose actions imperil their compatriots on the battlefield - and it possesses tools to punish them if the action is sufficiently blatant or egregious to move people to act. But these judgements are down to other players through the political system - they will not usually derive from our NPC magistrates through the legal system.