Imperial Legion The Imperial Legion , Imperial Army , or Ruby Ranks is the main armed force of the Reman Empire and the Third Empire of Cyrodiil , and is a large military organization in universe . Background . Taking inspiration from the real - world , the Imperial Legion similarly proclaims itself to be the most disciplined and effective military & police force in history , and that it preserves the peace and rule of law in the Empire . In , the Nerevarine may join the Legion , perform tasks for them , and eventually rise in rank up to the highest one , the " Knight of the Imperial Dragon . " While playing heavily into the previous installment of the series , " Morrowind ' s " sequel , , featured the Legion , yet gave the Hero of Kvatch no opportunity to sign up as a legionnaire . In , the Dragonborn can join the Legion regardless of who they sided with in " Unbound . " The Legion also captured and attempted to behead the Dragonborn upon entering Skyrim , beginning the game , because they believe that they are affiliated with the Stormcloaks , along with Lokir , Ralof , and Ulfric Stormcloak . History . First Era . Alessian Empire . The predecessor to the Imperial Legions were the Alessian Legions . These Legions were led by Morihaus during their siege of the White - Gold Tower against the Ayleid s . The Alessian Empire had slave camps , where people who had to serve as slaves were brought to . During one of the cohort patrols in High Rock , some Legionnaires were killed by a band of mercenaries . The mercenaries had little success , as their attacks were parried and blocked , while getting cut down . In Skyrim , the Legions fought against Kjoric the White , and successfully killed the King during the Battle of Sungard . While the Pact of Chieftains was electing his successor , the Legions were also reclaiming the southern lands of Skyrim that it had lost . One of the key elements marking the end of the Alessian Empire was the failed invasion of the Colovian Estates . The Emperor Gorieus , following years of disease and the king of Skingrad being new , thought to unify Cyrodiil through the use of the Legions . He marched to Skingrad with overwhelming numbers , but was ambushed . When King Rislav of Skingrad spoke to the Emperor , he let his hawk fly , a signal his archers had been waiting for . While the Legions were in the pass , they had nowhere to go and were easy targets for the Colovian archers . After a long chase by the Legions in an attempt to slay Rislav , they met the army of Kvatch , the Legions likely still outnumbered their foe , but they were exhausted and morale was low . After an hour of fighting , they fled to what is now the Imperial Reserve , and went further north and east from there . Another noteworthy battle in High Rock is the Battle of Glenumbra Moors , where the Direnni and the Bretons fought against the Alessian forces . Hoag Merkiller , High King of the Nords , was also slain in this battle . Blackwater War . During the First Era , the Imperial Legion existed as part of the Reman Empire . A notable war in the First Era called the Blackwater War erupted around 1E 2811 , during which the Fourth Legion attempted to take and maintain control over Black Marsh . Their Argonian opponents , however , were easily able to use the Legion ' s ineffective equipment and tactics in the swamps to their advantage . By 1E 2820 , the forces in Black Marsh had been destroyed . By 1E 2823 , the Legion had adapted to Black Marsh ' s climate with more fitting equipment and tactics . In 1E 2828 , the Legion accidentally started a massive fire known as the " Great Burn , " which destroyed a significant portion of the province during its three - year rampage , again forcing the Legion to retreat . However , by 1E 2837 the Legion had won the war and officially claimed Black Marsh for the Empire . Second Era . Three Banners War . During the Alliance War , the Imperial Legion was mostly fighting the Daedra invading the Imperial City . Despite this , the Legions were also fighting the other alliances , mainly the Daggerfall Covenant . Daggerfall Covenant . In the lands of High Rock , the Seventh Legion held the Bangkorai Garrison , effectively blocking off half of the Bangkorai region from Covenant reinforcements . The Legion was also making headway to capturing the city of Evermore , largely through the aid of spies and its duke , Duke Renchant , being cooperative . However , this attempt failed , and in a supposed parley , Septima Tharn demanded the unconditional surrender of Evermore . Queen Arzhela tried to stab Septima in her rage , but Septima was using an illusion , after this the Seventh Legion tried to kill the Queen . In this same region , they raided the Knights of Saint Pelin at Martyr ' s Crossing , and stole their supplies . They did this due to Martyr ' s Crossing being an important trade route between north - and south Bangkorai . The last of the Legion ' s known successes is the capturing of Hallin ' s Stand , also in Bangkorai , due to the Hall of Heroes being located close to it . Their success is attributed due to them attacking at night and due to working with a spy . High Rock wasn ' t the only province plagued by the Legion , in the province of Hammerfell , the Legion held Satakalaam , due to them being in league with the Withered Hand . Aldmeri Dominion . While nowhere near as significant as its victories against the Covenant , the Legion also held a bit of territory in Aldmeri lands . The Legion held the city of Arenthia and the Vile Manse with Colovian Legions and were making headway to conquering Vinedusk Village . Their forces used in their assault of the village were stationed in an encampment located just outside the city . The Legion also held some minor territory in Malabal Tor , in the Crimson Cove . These soldiers were known as Crimson Raider s , and were originally suspected to be pirates . They had been raiding ships of the Dominion , sometimes up to a dozen a month . Ebonheart Pact . Unlike the Dominion and the Covenant , the Pact was untouched by the Legions ' forces . Cyrodiil . In the province of Cyrodiil , a lot of the Legion was in active duty . Legion forces were scattered across the wilds to keep an eye out for Pact , Covenant and Dominion movement . The Legions also engaged in combat with Covenant , Pact and Dominion units . Specifically , the Legion under the command of Captain Jena Apinia , who eventually fled the Imperial City when her Legion was on a break , due to the Planemeld starting . In their retreat they exterminated over half of Bravil ' s population , due to what they considered was the only way possible to prevent the people ( and soldiers ) from starving , while others , including Queen Ayrenn , took to calling it a massacre and labeled the Captain as a war criminal . The bulk of this Legion was eventually sent to retake the city , adding more Legion soldiers to the fight on the Imperial Bridges , who were trying to kill Molag Bal ' s Daedra despite being unable to get over to the island through normal means . In the Imperial City itself , the vast majority of Legion Zero had already betrayed the Empire , and sworn loyalty to Mannimarco and his Worm Cult , as well as Molag Bal , except for a handful of Legion soldiers , who made an improvised garrison in the Nobles District . In the city of Cheydinhal , a rebellion broke out as a result of the Legionnaires stationed there going rogue after the Empire ' s collapse . The reason as to why the rebellion broke out is not clear . One of the rebel leaders claims it is for domination over Cheydinhal and nothing else , the other claims it was because the soldiers forced the townsfolk to keep them fed , and because of forceful enlistment . Tiber Wars . After the Alliance War had ended , Tamriel was at relative peace . Tiber Septim , who had been a General of Cuhlecain in the past , became Emperor after the death of his lord . The Tiber Wars were a result of Tiber Septim being set on his path to conqeur Tamriel by the Greybeards . It started in 2E 854 or 2E 855 and lasted until 3E 0 . After Tiber Septim beat the Nord - Breton alliance at Sancre Tor , he had the troops needed to conquer the Heartlands from the Imperial Battlemages . After Cyrodiil had been unified Cuhlecain died . Talos was then crowned Emperor by Zurin Arctus , his battlemage . Septim found the initial administration of a fully united Cyrodiil a time - consuming task , as such , he sent the Underking to deal with the Imperial expansion into the provinces of High Rock and Skyrim . High Rock was easily conqeured by the Empire , and the Bretons were largely welcoming of the new Empire . The governor of High Rock , Titus Alorius , put down most rebels in the land , and resolved the feuding between kings with tact and skill , which resulted in the Empire being seen positively . By 2E 864 , High Rock was solidified by the Empire . Skyrim ' s conquest is largely unknown . What is known is that Hammerfell ' s conquest made Skyrim ' s look like a ballet . It is also known that the Warchiefs of Danstrar fought against Septim ' s forces . After Skyrim was conquered , the Nord Kings expected to outlast Septim ' s Empire , just as they had done with the previous ones . Black Marsh was the third nation to be invaded and conqeured by Tiber Septim . Combat between the Legions and Argonians was recorded in 2E 861 . Tiber Septim invaded the coastlines of Black Marsh , but avoided the unimportant inner swamps . Most of Black Marsh eventually joined through a treaty . Hammerfell was the next nation to fall to Talosian conquest . The High King of Hammerfell , Thassad II , feared Imperial invasion . In order to prevent the Empire from invading Hammerfell , he signed a pact with the Forebears to ensure unity . After the death of Thassad , this pact turned void , as the Crowns and Forebears both tried to claim ownership over Hammerfell . The Forebears were losing the war , and when defeat was certain , they signed a pact with the Emperor , to allow his Legions to claim parts of Hammerfell in return for his aid during their Civil War . When Baron Volag disappeared at the end of the war , these terms were rendered void , and all of Hammerfell was claimed by the Empire . After a civil war on Stros M ' Kai proved successful , Sentinel followed in its steps . Tiber Septim , not wanting Hammerfell to rebel against him , came to Stros M ' Kai to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Stros M ' kai with Baron Volag and Iszara . With Morrowind surrounded by Imperial territory , Septim decided to launch an invasion on Morrowind . The Legions assembled at the border between Cyrodiil and Morrowind , and invasion fleets prepared in Skyrim . The Dunmer were not united in their ideas of how to act . The Telvanni remained neutral , Hlaalu proposed accommodation , while the Dres , Redoran , and Indoril wanted to fight until the death . Small border skirmishes took place between the Legions and Dunmer in Black Marsh , but the swampy terrain did not suit either for warfare . To combat the Legions near Blacklight , Kragenmoor , Cormar View , and Silgrad Tower , the Dunmer only had small militias aided by Redoran Mercenaries and House nobles , alongside Buoyant Armigers and Ordinator s . This became even more troubling for the Dunmer when only the Redoran wanted to defend the western border , as the Indoril and Dres wanted to wage a guerilla war against the Empire . One of the battles that took place during these wars was the battle of Mournhold , which laid waste to the city . When Vivec himself appeared to announce that Morrowind would join the Empire under gracious circumstances to the native people , he was met with an awkward silence . The Dres and Indoril still stood strong in wishing to resist to the death , while the Redoran , who now had an excuse to not lose most of their territory , joined the side of House Hlaalu in supporting accommodation . The Telvanni , seeing which way the situation was going , also joined the Hlaalu in supporting accommodation . Many of the Indoril , after being forced into joining the Empire , committed suicide , resulting in the Hlaalu gaining a lot of power in Morrowind . The next province to fall was either Elsweyr or Valenwood . Elsweyr had a pact with the Second Aldmeri Dominion , a military alliance . The city of Senchal was raided by the Third Legion after the city had refused to surrender . When Elsweyr fell exactly is unknown . Valenwood had joined the Dominion as a result of the Thalmor gaining power in Valenwood with the support of Camoran Anaxemes . When the Third Empire started to take shape , the Dominion tightened its grip on Valenwood , Bosmer tribes fought against Colovian forces along the Strid River , until the Empire became unified . Both sides then made up camp at their sides of the border , both waiting for the decisive battle . When the Dominion tried to fight the Empire ' s forces they lost a great many times , with the Colovians calling them the " Old Mary Dominion , " as a reference to the weak offense the Dominion offered on the land . Contrary to the land battles , at sea the Aldmeri Navy crushed the Imperial Navy , and ruled the seas from the Cape of the Blue Divide until the Topal Bay . Both Valenwood and the Summerset Isles fell to Tiber Septim when he used the Numidium to conqeur the remaining provinces of Tamriel . Third Era . The Legion fought in several wars and conflicts during the Third Era , among them the War of the Red Diamond , and they also fought in the conflict of the Camoran Usurper . War of the Red Diamond . The War of the Red Diamond was a war fought between the loyal forces of Kintyra Septim II and Potema Septim as a result over a throne dispute , and started in 3E 121 . While the forces of Kintyra were loyalists to the Empire , those of Potema were the nobility that had become disgruntled by the Empire . As most of Potema ' s allies were located in High Rock and Skyrim , the rebels were initially successful , and slaughtered the Legions stationed there . They also incited riots and insurrections everywhere they went . Six years later , Potema saw her last victory , in the battle of Falconstar . In this fight , Potema and Lord Vhokken attacked the Argonian forces of Magnus Septim , eventually resulting in Magnus retreating . In the same year the son of Potema , Uriel Septim III , fought in the battle of ichidag . However , the prince was outnumbered and outmatched , resulting in his army losing and the prince getting captured by Cephorus Septim . While being transported to Gilane , the prince ' s carriage got attacked by an angry mob , resulting in his death and Cephorus proclaiming himself Emperor . As a result of the death of the prince , many of Potema ' s allies decided to switch sides and support Cephorus ' claim for the throne . With Potema losing allies , she started making pacts with the Daedra and necromancers , which resulted in her losing even more allies . In 3E 127 Potema ' s army had been pushed back to Solitude , and ten years later , this army was pushed back to the Blue Palace itself , where they were beaten . Invasion of Akavir . In 3E 270 , Emperor Uriel Septim V created plans of conqeuring Akavir . Shortly after these plans were made , the Emperor would begin his conquest of the small island kingdoms between Tamriel and Akavir . The first island to be conqeured was Roscrea , which was claimed in 3E 271 , followed by Cathnoquey in 3E 276 , Yneslea in 3E 279 , and Esroniet in 3E 284 . Esroniet itself was not conqeured in one go , Black Harbor , a port of the island , was conqeured in 3E 282 and immediately renovated for the Emperor ' s invasion plans , at the same time , he ordered the building of the ships that would carry his Legions over to Akavir . When Prince Bashomon of Esroniet yielded Esroniet to the Emperor in 3E 284 , the Emperor ' s full attention was focused on the invasion of Akavir . In 2E 285 and 2E 286 , ships were sent out to Akavir to scout the lands , with Blades on board to find information about the land . The Tsaesci , whose kingdom lies to the southwest of Akavir , was based on the scouting forces , chosen for the initial landing of the Emperor ' s forces . At the same time , the Emperor was gathering his Legions and navy which was called the " Expeditionary Force . " A new Far East Fleet created for the invasion , which dwarfed the rest of the Imperial Navy . Four Legions , the Fifth , Seventh , Tenth , and Fourteenth Legion were chosen for the initial landing , with the Ninth and Seventeenth Legion s being chosen as reinforcements when the coastline was conqeured . The reasoning for this decision was the idea that there would be little resistance , supply lines would be difficult to manage , and , most importantly , the Fleet could only transport four Legions at once . The invasion itself started on 23rd Rain ' s Hand , 2E 288 , with the Expeditionary Force leaving Black Harbor . Only 6 weeks later , due to fair weather , the invasion force arrived on Akavir and claimed a Tsaesci port due to its proximity to Tamriel , as well as its location being near a fertile river , which provided easy access to the interior as well as easy foraging . When the Legions settled the town , they named it Septimia , created fortifications surrounding it , and built a port suitable for the Far East Fleet . Meanwhile , the Emperor , alongside two other Legions , advanced through Akavir , discovering rich well - watered fields in the area , as well as another abandoned settlement , which the Legions took over , and renamed to Ionith , where the Emperor put his headquarters due to its location being better suited for domination of the surrounding lands . Though no fighting had taken place , enemy forces were spotted by the Legions , who were chased away by Imperial scouts . One of the things the Emperor ' s army lacked was cavalry due to the limited room for transport on the Fleet , at the time , the Imperial Legion Battlemages made up for this with magical reconnaissance . Instead of the Emperor pushing onward into Akavir , he sent Imperial Legion Messenger s to find out who ruled the lands in an attempt to make them yield by the mere sight of the Legions . While the messengers were being sent , the remaining forces of the four Legions started with building a road between Septimia and Ionith , including fortified guard posts along the river . Despite this , communications between the two cities was slow , as messengers were constantly attacked on the road . The two Legions that had remained on Tamriel were originally meant to travel to Akavir after the port of Septimia was fitting for the navy , but this plan was changed to instead transport colonists . This was decided to ensure that the Legions did not have to rely on the fleet for supplies , but instead create their own . Additionally unrest came to Yneslea , and the two reinforcement Legions would be better used there , due to securing the supply lines of the fleet . When the colonists arrived some cavalry was brought along as well , which resulted in the small Akaviri raids coming to an end . Additionally , Tsaesci emissaries arrived in Ionith to talk about peace negotiations . In the winter season the Expeditionary Force had limited supplies due to heavy storms on the seas to Tamriel , and any foraging or scouting unit got killed by Tsaesci raiders , who also took over some forts during blizzards , while other forts were just abandoned by the Legions . On the 5th of Sun ' s Dawn , a Tsaesci force marched to Ionith , claiming to offer peace from their king . This proved to be a trick , as the Tsaesci killed the Imperial guards watching over one of the city gates , allowing a great number of their allies to march in . The soldiers of the Tenth Legion spotted the Tsaesci , and sounded the alarm , after which the remaining Tsaesci inside the city were hunted down . This was also the end of the negotiations between the Tsaesci and the Empire . Since spring , the weather had turned increasingly worse , and would stay that way for months , resulting in supply fleets getting greatly weakened by storms . The Emperor decided to send his Battlemages with the fleet in order to combat the weather , as the storm had caused the fleet to shrink in size , no longer being able to transport the four Legions already on Akavir . The Elder Council urged the Emperor to sail back to Tamriel , but due to the decrease of fleet capacity , the Emperor decided not to . From this point onward , disaster became inevitable . Communications between Imperial Battlemages were bad , as the mages on Akavir stated their power was weaker than normally . Even communications between master and pupil of years of training were bad . It is unknown if Akaviri wizards played a part in this , but the Commission of the invasion did order the Imperial War college to study the magical abilities of the Tsaesci , in the event that the Empire would cross with them again . In mid - Sun ' s Height , the Emperor marched out of Ionith with his Legions , safe for small garrisons left behind in Septimia and Ionith , as he had learned of a Tsaesci force assembling to the north of the city past a mountain . The Emperor wanted to smash this force before they could invade , and take their supplies , as the Imperial supplies were running low . Though the Emperor and his Legions successfully defeated the Tsaesci and captured one of their nobles , they were forced to retreat by Tsaesci warriors , who made the Emperor lose a large amount of forces on his way back to Ionith . When he had returned to the city , the Tsaesci besieged Ionith , as well as Septimia . The Imperial Battlemages had to use their magical powers to create water to sustain the armies , instead of harming the enemies , which was a skill that the War College , normally , did not focus on . Though the Far East Fleet arrived safely in Black Harbor , thanks to the Imperial Battlemages aboard the ship , it had gotten no chance to return due to great storms that damaged Esroniet in 289 . In Frostfall , the Fleet was sent out to Akavir again , and , after a long silence between Akavir and Tamriel , communications were made between the Emperor ' s battlemage and the battlemages of Tamriel . The Emperor ' s battlemage reported that the city of Ionith still held out , and the Fleet alongside the Emperor ' s forces quickly made a plan to fall back from Akavir . The Emperor and his Legions would break out of Ionith and fall back to Septimia , where the fleet would meet them and sail them back to Tamriel . However , only a small force of the Emperor ' s army arrived at Septimia . Two days before the fleet arrived , the Emperor decided to break out of Ionith , successfully fighting through the Tsaesci ' s armies at first , until being surrounded by an overwhelming army on the road to Septimia . The Emperor and the Tenth Legion fought a heroic last stand to give a remnant of the Fourteenth Legion a chance to reach Septimia . Two soldiers of the Tenth Legion also managed to escape during the victory celebrations of the Tsaesci , who reported that they had seen the Emperor die by arrows as he rallied the Shield Wall of their Legion . When the Fleet arrived , Septimia ' s garrison was under heavy assault by the Tsaesci , and through the aid of the Imperial Battlemages aboard the Fleet , the Tsaesci were pushed back for long enough to get the survivors of the failed invasion on the ships , after which they returned to Tamriel . The Imperial Commission and Elder Council realised that the Empire , in its state at the time , had no chance against the Akaviri , and would not have a chance in the foreseeable future . Solstheim . When the East Empire Company found a source of ebony on the island of Solstheim , the Legion created Fort Frostmoth to defend the Company ' s employees . This garrison would eventually get attacked by werewolves during the Bloodmoon Prophecy , resulting in the garrison becoming greatly weakened . A few years after Raven Rock was built , the Nord s of Solstheim tried to conqeur the island from the Legion and the East Empire Trading Company . Though unsuccessful , the Nords did kill a lot of Imperial Soldiers on the island . Oblivion Crisis . A noteworthy event for the Legions was the Oblivion Crisis . As a result of the murder of Emperor Uriel Septim VII and his three heirs , Geldall , Enman , and Ebel , no new Emperor of the Dragonblood was crowned in time to relight the Dragonfires , resulting in the creation of Oblivion Gate s by the Mythic Dawn . The Oblivion Crisis was devastating for the Imperial provinces , originally starting at the Colovian city of Kvatch in an attempt to find Martin Septim , gates to Oblivion started to appear all across Tamriel . The Legions in Cyrodiil were greatly outnumbered , with soldiers only being sent to Kvatch and Sutch . Some soldiers from southern Cyrodiil were called up north to defend the capital , but in the midst of this unit , near Pell ' s Gate , a Gate to Oblivion appeared , which killed off around half of his forces , including their commander . After this , the Imperial Captain Tertius Ione , mustered farmers and hunters from the countryside and sacrificed himself , alongside half of his men , to close the gate . Following his death and the destruction of the gate , the town called Ione was built , named in his honor . The Legions from Fort Swampmoth in Black Marsh were recalled due to the An - Xileel and other Argonian s successfully beating the Daedra back , the Redoran Dunmer claim that the Legions were recalled from Morrowind and Solstheim , however the Legions in the provinces , besides Black Marsh , were not recalled according to High Chancellor Ocato . According to Ocato , this was because of a mixture of the Legions already being fully committed , and the political situation of the Empire . Whatever the case , the lack of troops in Cyrodiil resulted in the Cyrodiilic counties having to fend for themselves during the Crisis . If the Hero of Kvatch aided the cities of Cyrodiil , they would send aid to Bruma , which would become subject to a plan of the Blades to retrieve the Amulet of Kings . If the Hero did not aid the other cities , Bruma would send their own , weaker , millitia instead . After the Amulet was retrieved from Paradise , Martin Septim , a bastard child of Uriel VII , made his way to the Imperial City and was crowned Emperor . His plan was to light the Dragonfires as soon as he was crowned , but only a moment after he became Emperor , an Imperial Legion Messenger arrived with the news that Oblivion Gates were created all across the city . Legion soldiers from the Imperial Legion Offices arrived at the Imperial Palace to defend the new Emperor and Ocato while they made their way to the Temple of the One . At the Temple District , three Oblivion Gates had opened , and Mehrunes Dagon himself had crossed over to Tamriel in an attempt to come out as the victor . While Legion soldiers were trying to defeat the Daedra as they came out of the gates , and tried to distract the Daedric Prince of Destruction , Martin and the Hero of Kvatch rushed into the Temple of the One . Martin had realised that Dagon had destroyed the Covenant with Akatosh by entering Tamriel , when the Hero mentioned the Amulet of Kings , which gave Martin an idea . By smashing the Amulet of Kings , Martin became an Avatar of Akatosh , and battled Dagon . Upon being victorious , the Dragon turned into stone , and the Gates from Oblivion were sealed forever . With the latest crisis ended , the Septim dynasty was gone , but this was only the start of the Empire crumbling . Many of the provinces had become uneasy with the Empire , and after the latest crisis , most decided to abandon it . The counties of Bravil and Leyawiin also seceded . Fourth Era . One of the noteworthy events is the Umbriel Crisis . The Flying City of Umbriel , the city that devoured souls in the early Fourth Era , had a course directed for the Imperial City , and as it neared the Heartland , the Imperial Legion , along with the Synod and the College of Whispers , tried to mount several attacks upon the Flying City . The Imperial Mages cast Levitation spells so the Legion could reach Umbriel . Unfortunately , the Umbriel War Machine proved too great a force , and the Legionnaires were killed off before they could breach Umbriel . After the Oblivion Crisis and the Umbriel Invasion , the Legion was greatly weakened , and the once great fighting force had declined greatly . As to how the Legion was weaker than before is unclear . Great War . Some 130 years later , the Aldmeri Dominion attacked the Empire in what is known as the Great War . With the Legions in a weak state , and the Empire unprepared for the vicious Aldmeri assault , the Legion suffered heavy casualties . Initially the Legions had heavy losses , losing most of Hammerfell and nearly all of Colovia . Morale in the Legions was so low that when the Emperor regrouped in Skyrim groups of Nordic deserters abandoned the Legion , thinking it was doomed . In the Battle of the Red Ring , the Legion surrounded and destroyed Lord Naarifin ' s forces stationed in the Imperial City . Though it was a prominent victory that halted the Dominion ' s invasion , and gave the Empire the leverage necessary to sign the White - Gold Concordat and end the war , members of the Legion and Blades alike recognised that if the war had continued the Empire would likely have lost . The Concordat was meant to buy the Empire time to recover before the next war with the Dominion takes place . Skyrim Civil War . Several years after the Great War , part of the Legion would be dispatched to Skyrim to stop the Stormcloak Rebellion and end the Civil War . As of 4E 201 , the Legion holds 4 Holds ( Haafingar , Hjaalmarch , Falkreath Hold and The Reach ) under full Imperial control , with Whiterun being marked as " Imperial " but being neutral . When General Tullius got sent to Skyrim in 4E 201 , he really turned things around for the Empire . Under his leadership the Legion started massacring the Stormcloaks and slowly pushing them back . Tullius managed to capture Ulfric Stormcloak at Darkwater Crossing in an ambush , after which Ulfric was scheduled for execution at Helgen . However , due to Alduin returning , Ulfric managed to escape . The Legion is currently stationing soldiers in the Rift , threatening Ulfric ' s southern flank , and ( unsuccessfully ) attempting to conquer Winterhold , so that Ulfric ' s forces have to stay at Windhelm . Legate Fasendil , the Imperial Legate of the Rift was put in Skyrim due to his knowledge of the Thalmor , as he was present during the Night of Green Fire . The Legate assumes the Thalmor are behind the unrest in Skyrim , and is proven right by the . Duties . Intended as the sole militaristic force behind Cyrodiil ' s seat of power , the Legion operates in conjunction with the Imperial City ' s police - force , the Imperial Watch . Their headquarters are situated in the Imperial City . The Legion is the primary fighting force of the Cyrodilic Empires , Cyrodilic cities and towns most often have City Guards , while Nordic cities and towns have Hold Guard s , which are Legion soldiers serving the counties and Holds for police duties and law enforcement in the Imperial provinces . Imperial Soldiers also patrol the roads of the Imperial provinces , protect nobles , and are allowed to seize property of arrested criminals . Under normal circumstances the Imperial City has at least one Legion stationed within . Training . The Legion looks for upstanding citizens who show superior endurance , soldierly virtue , and a trustworthy personality . A Legion soldier is supposed to be a model of the duties of Imperial citizenship . To be able to join the Legion each soldier must be trained and become proficient in the skills of Long Blade , Spear , Blunt Weapon , Block , and Heavy armor . Imperial soldiers must be able to block quickly and move quickly while in heavy armor . Soldiers are also trained to be able to march long distances with heavy packs and to preform the complex maneuvers that soldiers will preform in real battle . Furthermore , knights are trained to be able to block blows with just their heavy armor , no shield . If the Nerevarine or the Last Dragonborn join the Legion neither of them have to undergo any type of training . Although , in both cases the Legion was in desperate need of new soldiers . Oath . New recruits must take the oath binding them to the service of the Emperor and the Legion : " Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor . . . and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire . May those above judge me , and those below take me , if I fail in my duty . Long live the Emperor ! Long live the Empire ! " Battle organization and ranking . The Legion fights only on land . Aquatic operations are carried out by their counterpart , the Imperial Navy . To better defend against magic - using foes , the Empire employed the use of Imperial Battlemages , these battlemages form the Shadow Legion . The Legion also makes use of the Phalanx formation , Diamond Formation , Wedge Formation and Shield Walls . They further are mighty warriors , no one can defeat them when they march in rows in open fields , however , in the Ashlands and the wilderness , the Dunmer are able to defeat them . Some sources suggest the fighting strength of the Imperial Legion : " The Infernal City " mentions that a Legion numbers 5 , 000 Legionnaires , and given the highest Legion mentioned is the 18th Legion , then the Imperial Legion has at least 115 , 000 troops when at full strength . Each Legion is further subdivided in Cohorts which are given orders by a centurion . As of " Skyrim " , the rank structure is similar to that of the historical . Excluding the potential recruitment of the Last Dragonborn , there are 10 Legate s within the province of Skyrim . Historically , a legate commanded a legion . Additionally , the rank of General actually did exist , and it was applied to someone who generally commanded more than one legion . As there is no mention of exactly how many legions were in Skyrim , the actual fighting strength of the Imperial Legion in Skyrim is , in fact , unknown . Types of soldiers in the Legion . The Legion uses a variety of soldiers , which consist of the following units , light and heavy cavalry , heavily armored knights , berserkers , skirmishers , archers , scouts , pikemen , troopers and foot knights . The Legion also uses Battlemages , artillery , and levies . As well as rams . During the Third Era , Imperial Battlemages also used Dragons , but it is unknown if the Legion still has any Dragons remaining . Officers of the Imperial Legion . Commander of the Imperial Legion . The highest achievable rank , appointed by the Emperor / Empress . This rank commands every officer and legionnaire in the Imperial legion . They take orders directly from the Emperor . There can only be one Commander at a time , if one is to fall in battle or by other means , a General would usually take the position . General . One of the highest achieveable ranks in the legion , appointed by either the Emperor , High Chancellor , or Commander . Generals carry out the duties assigned to them by stated ranks . Under normal circumstances , a General commands one Legion , however , a General is also able to command several Legions at a time . Captain . Captains are the commanding officers of town garrisons . Legate . Legates are the right hand to the Captains of the Imperial Legion , carrying out tasks and duties presented by the generals . As well as acting as an extra set of hands . They also command cohorts of a Legion . Lieutenant . Lieutenants are tasked with commanding larger groups of soldiers usually several cohorts at a time . Centurion . Imperial Centurions are in charge of the Palace Guard in the Imperial City . They also command Imperial Cohorts of a Legion . Sergeant . The first officer rank and the most common in the legion . These are basic officers commanding multiple troops at a time , usually a small cohort . Types of arms and armor in the Legion . The Legion uses a variety of materials . Light armor is used for scouts , skirmishers , archers and light cavalry . The most common materials for light armor are fur , leather and chainmail armor , which are readily available throughout the Empire . Mithril , elven and glass are considered rare . Heavy armor is used for the frontline infantry , heavy cavalry , foot knights , pikemen , troopers and officers . The most common materials for heavy armor are iron and steel , with dwarven , orcish , ebony and daedric being rare . The Legion uses many materials for their arms , which are listed from cheapest and least desirable , to most expensive and most desirable : iron , steel , silver , dwarven , elven , glass and daedric . Enchanted weapons and armor are also used by the Legion , but since the Mages Guild was used to enchant armor , it is unknown if the Legion still uses enchanted armor . In the event of a crisis behind enemy lines , Legion Soldiers may sell excess materials to noncombatants . These materials must not have a significant military application . The gold required in this manner must be used to secure swift passage back to the Legion that the soldier belongs to . Uniforms . The armor used by the Legion is different in between many timelines : Upon retiring from the Imperial Legion , soldiers are allowed to keep their Legion armor . Types of weapons in the Legion . The Imperial Legion mainly uses the Imperial Sword or Steel Sword s for its army , however the Legion also makes use of some other weapons , such as pikes , the Imperial Broadsword , the Imperial Shortsword , spears , claymores and the Imperial Bow . In , another Imperial styled weapon is wielded by General Falx Carius . This weapon is Champion ' s Cudgel , a warhammer which has the symbol of the Empire engraved onto its side . Other Imperial styled weapons also exist in . These weapons are axes , maces , great swords , battle axes , mauls , daggers , and staffs . The designs for many of the weapons used by the Legion are quite advanced compared to the Roman Military , which is what the Imperial Legion is based on . The Imperial Sword and the Imperial Shortsword both have similar designs . Both swords start off thinner than the end of the blade is . This gives the broadswords greater hacking strength , while the Imperial Shortswords have a greater thrust damage due to how light the blade is . All three Imperial swords possess wooden handles . An advanced design feature that is possessed by all three swords is that on both sides of the weapon a thin strip of metal has been removed . This decreases the weight of the sword while taking away very little durability to the blade . Finally , the Imperial Broadswords and Shortswords have unique blade guards . Instead of having a traditional blade guard that stops a blade upon hitting it , these swords have curved blade guards that cause other blades to slide off and away from the sword and its owner . These technological advantages could very well be a major contributing factor to why the Imperial Legion remained the best fighting force on Tamriel for centuries . Types of siege engines in the Legion . The Imperial Legion is known to use four siege machines , the catapult , battering ram , trebuchet and ballista . The Imperial Siege Engine is a card in " Legends " that has the image of a battering ram . It is manned by an unknown amount of Imperial soldiers , but it has two heavily armored soldiers manning the front of it . Furthermore , it appears to have an armored roof , and its ram consists of a log with a metal spike attached to the end of it . During the events of the Skyrim Civil War , the Legion made use of simple wooden catapults . The catapults appeared at the Battle of Windhelm , and were at the Imperial camp to the east of the city . The catapult could be manned by one person . When the catapult is activated , it will fire a projectile . Upon activating it again , a small crank will begin to move and the catapult will be brought back to the firing position to be loaded . The Legion generally uses firepots for their catapults , as well as their trebuchets , though normal boulders are also used as ammunition for catapults . Divisions . As of the Fourth Era , average fighting strength of each Legion is comprised of 5 , 000 Legionnaires . Forts and Bases . The Imperial Legion has secured many strategic locations for their forts to control the vast amounts of land in the Empire . During the events of " Online " the Legion made use of many different kinds of bases . In " Morrowind " , the Legion made us of many large forts that were in prime condition . Oddly , the Imperial Legion in " Oblivion " makes no use of any forts . In the Skyrim Civil War during the events of " Skyrim " the Legion occupied old forts , many of which were falling apart and had to be repaired using wood defenses . Forts and Bases in Elder Scrolls Online . The Legion also had a strong presence in the following cities , Arenthia , Cheydinhal , Dune , Elden Root , Imperial City , Rawl ' kha , Satakalaam , Vinedusk Village , and Wayrest . Forts and Bases in Morrowind . The Legion in Morrowind also had a strong presence in the cities of Pelagiad , Gnisis , and Mournhold . Forts and Bases in Oblivion . The Legion in Cyrodiil had only one base during the events of Oblivion , the Prison District of the Imperial City . The old forts that dot Cyrodiil seem to have no value to the Imperial Legion and they are instead occupied by various bandits and necromancers . Forts and Bases in Skyrim . The following forts are only under Imperial control if the Last Dragonborn sides with the Legion during the Skyrim Civil War . Artifacts . The Imperial Legion has several artifacts , this is a list of the known artifacts . Commanding ranks for a Legion . The Imperial Legion has had multiple different ranks commanding a Legion , the most common one being a General . Books . The following are books related to the Imperial Legion :