Legio IV Lordaeric

The revered  Lucius Ignaeus Marius  has been appointed by the most respected Provincial Military Governor of Lordaeron,  General Sextus Kladius  III, to govern in his name the northernmost outpost of the province, under the greater command of  Legio Lordaeric IV.

The wise and honourable Praetor Lucius Ignaeus of the fabled line of  Marius  has commanded this document be penned in order to codify his expectations of all men under the banner of  Cohort I - Lordaeric IV. These high-minded ideals represent the principles of your Emperor, your Senate and your Praetor. There is no part of this Empire which is not great & glorious, and your Praetor commands only the highest standards from the Legionnaires protecting it. Those incapable of abiding by the strictures here written will be punished according to the codes listed by the honourable Praetor.

Code

 * 1) For all Legionnaires and Officers to follow Imperial law and decree, and to bear in mind that whilst the natives of this foreign land are savages, we are bound by Imperial Law to respect their customs. They will be treated first and foremost as Imperial citizens under the rule and protection of the Emperor.
 * 2) For all Legionnaires and Officers of the Legio IV Lordaeric to be garrisoned within the Outpost Northfold and ready to march for the Great Wall of Thoradin I. All soldiers must be prepared to break camp and march at the discretion of the wise Praetor and his justly appointed Prefects.
 * 3) It is essential that respect for local traditions and customs be maintained. That local customs are not impeded, that no injustices against local religions, groups or persons are inflicted. Those legionaries that do commit one such act against the residents of Lordaeric will forfeit the protection that Imperial law affords them as soldiers of the Empire.
 * 4) Any soldier who dares defy the edicts here listed by the venerable Praetor will be subject to the fierceness of his wrath, for which his subordinates shall be the vessel. Crimes and punishments have been listed below, that the sinful and black-hearted might know what form his justice will take, and fear it.

Laxness
Your Praetor has commanded that all men on duty are to be alert, watchful, and present of mind. Laziness on duty will be punished by the slothful soldier taking part in every patrol sent out for one week hence, and taking the forefront position in the formations thereof, that he might learn the importance of care and vigilance.

Murder
The esteemed Praetor refuses to accept that a soldier ever has cause to strike another soldier down, except in self defence. Any soldier who slays one of his brothers shall, in turn, be slain. The executioners shall be the friends of the slain soldier. Failing that, the respected Centurion shall do the deed. In situations where the slayer can justify his deed as self defence or the defence of another, he shall be beaten bloody but his life preserved.

Banditry
Your compassionate Praetor holds in high regard the principle of protecting the weakest in Imperial society, and so any man found to have engaged in banditry (to include thievery, destruction of crops, livestock, etc) against the local populace shall be surrendered to their justice. Should he live, the merciful Praetor will permit him to return to his duties a humbler man than when he left.

Contempt for Native Culture
In his wisdom, the Praetor believes firmly that a true soldier of the Empire must not hold those under his protection in contempt. It is anathema to the wishes of the Praetor, the Senate and the Emperor for a man under imperial command to actively seek to destroy a shrine, disrupt a ritual or otherwise impose himself upon the hallowed traditions and customs of the native people. The punishment shall be adjusted to fit the crime - in the most minor cases, a written or verbal apology may suffice, while the most major infractions may be dealt with by the soldier being surrendered to the offended group to serve a period of time as a labourer amongst them, that the soldier might witness and receive their generosity.

Sedition
If a soldier is found to have actively conspired against the hallowed Praetor or any of his justly appointed officers, that soldier shall be subjected to vigorous questioning at the hands of the Centurion, with the purpose of uncovering his confederates. Should he repent his wicked mindedness and reveal those who have conspired with him, he shall receive the Praetor's mercy. For those who refuse to repent and refuse to reveal their confederates, there is only exile - total exclusion from imperial society.

Insubordination
Duty is the first son of order, and obedience is the first son of duty. Soldiers are expected to obey commands from their superior without question. While the learned Praetor, in his wisdom, understands that men are flawed and perfection is only for Tyr himself, it is his belief that every man must ultimately know his place beneath other, greater men. If a soldier under his command demonstrates himself to be insubordinate, he shall be tied to a post and lashed, for a total of five lashes. Should his peers refuse to lash him, they shall have demonstrated their own insubordination, and must undergo the same punishment.

In extreme situations, or where reason is given for the belief that there may be a wider conspiracy, or in the case of a suppressed mutiny, the merciful Praetor will command the decimation of just one out of each five Legionnaires under his command. One man from five will be taken and his comrades will beat him to death, knowing that this fate might have been their own. Where conventional methods fail, blood will wash the stain of sedition from our ranks.