The Empire of Alterac Military Ranks

## Introduction

The Imperial Republic of Alterac, more commonly referred to simply as the Republic of Alterac or the Empire of Alterac, is a highly militant northern Eliadic nation, and with its large military are many ranks. These ranks are all fairly recent, having been adopted around the early 2900's with the empire's formation and its subsequent modernization. Military ranks since the ancient Alteraci kingdom's formation however have been used as honorifics, where when exchanging formalities, one may present themself with their military title before their surname. (E.g, a Valla named Brage Olathorn would present himself as "Valla Olathorn.")

Additionally, the Alteraci Military measures their generals' competency with a metric known as the Darthan's Metric of Success, or DMS. With DMS, a general's performance in active duty will all be factored into their score after a battle, with things such as casualty count, soldier performance, and the overall outcome of the battle calculated into a score between 1 and 10, and the mean of all these scores will be the unit's DMS. DMS plays a large role in the Alteraci military, the score greatly influencing a general's prestige, and with some ranks a certain DMS threshold may even be required to be eligible for promotion.

## Army Ranks

### 1. Belowar - Emperor in Chief:

**Average Pay -** 5,500 Nordens/Hour

The *Emperor in Chief* is one of the many titles of the Alteraci Emperor, and said title grants the emperor command over the entire state's military. That being said, the *Emperor in Chief* has the final say in all of the state's military affairs and can command the direction of the military in any direction he pleases.

### **2. Valla - Leader of a Vallate (100,000 Men)**

**Average Pay -** 1,000 Nordens/Hour

The *Valla* title is given to those commanding a *Vallate*, a body consisting of 100,000 troops. To become a *Valla* is considered by many to be "the greatest honor known to c*aewardaer* (lesser men, as distinct from the emperor)." Being eligible for promotion to *Valla* is however very restrictive, where one must have achieved tenure as a *Cardep*, have served for at least 10 years in active duty, and must have DMS score above 8.0.

Once becoming a *Valla* however, one has a great deal of freedom and mobility, and can choose to position their *Vallate* wherever they please unless ordered otherwise by the *Belowar*. With their personal freedom, many *Vallas* choose to avoid combat and simply command from their outposts, acting as military governors in a sense.

### **3. Cardep - Leader of a Cardepas (25,000 Men)**

**Average Pay -** 650 Nordens/Hour

The *Cardep* is the leader of a *Cardepas*, a body consisting of 25,000 soldiers. To become a *Cardep*, one must have served at least 5 years in active duty, and must have a DMS score above 5.0. *Cardeps* are often given the task to participate in active duty, since most battles are lead by at least one or two *Cardepas* but not an entire *Vallate*. With 4 *Cardeps* serving under a *Valla*, these *Cardeps* are often quite rivalrous to one another, hoping to distinguish themself from the other 3.

This is because if a *Cardep* distinguishes himself and has a DMS score above 7.0, he may be eligible for tenure, meaning that he has a permanent position as a *Cardep* and may not be demoted or discharged by anyone except the *Belowar.* This also grants the *Cardep* the chance to become a *Valla*, and there are many cases in which a tenured *Cardep* serves to replace his *Valla* once the *Valla* dies or resigns.

### **4. Tycha - Leader of a Tychate (5,000 Men)**

**Average Pay -** 450 Nordens/Hour

A *Tycha*, while commanding half the troops of a *Praedar*, is considered to carry a more prestigious role in his respective *Cardepas*. To become a *Tycha*, one must have served at least 3 years in active duty, must have a DMS score above 5.0 (meaning they must have played a leadership role in the past), and must have a Certificate of Excellence in Martial Strategy, the only rank in the military which requires such a certificate. This is because a *Tychate* takes on a unique role in their given *Cardep*as where they will play a more mobile role on the battlefield, often taking flank position or otherwise putting their 5,000 men in dangerous positions to try and sabotage the enemy's strategy.

### **5. Praedar - Leader of a Praedom (10,000 Men)**

**Average Pay -** 400 Nordens/Hour

A *Praedar* will play a very straightforward role in the military—leading their men into battle under the guidance of their *Cardep*. Becoming a *Praedar* is simple; as long as someone has served at least 3 years in active duty, they may be eligible for promotion. A *Praedar* will not only serve closely beside their *Cardep,* but also the *Cardepas'* other respective *Praedar*. Even while on the battlefield with a *Cardep* however, the *Praedar* will often lead his men independently, but will be performing the same battle plan as discussed prior to the battle with the *Cardep, Tycha,* and other *Praedar.* However only in rare instances where a battle only calls for 10,000 men will a *Praedar* lead his men into battle alone.

### **6. Genseld - Leader of a Genselate (1,000 Men)**

Average Pay - 200 Nordens/Hour

A *Genseld* is a simple leadership role primarily used to train soldiers into becoming *Praedars*, although rarely holds any actual responsibility. To become a *Genseld*, one must simply receive promotion by their respective *Praedar* or *Tycha*, and men who demonstrate discipline and leadership qualities are often selected. A *Genseld* will often distribute the word of the *Praedar* to the body of 1,000 men under their supervision, and will help keep the men in line. That being said however, *Genselds* rarely actually strategize or command their men in battle unless specifically ordered to do so by their *Praedar*.

### **7. Demac - Soldier**

Average Pay - 100 Nordens/Hour

A *Demac*, roughly translating to "Nationalist" is the rank given to men who have become full fledged soldiers. To become a *Demac*, one must simply receive a passing grade in the Alteraci Course for Military Preparation, or ACMP, which is a 1 month course preparing soldiers on the basics duties expected of a *Demac*. The word *Demac* does not serve as an official title, but merely a rank.

### **8. Ziloc - Trainee**

Average Pay - 50 Nordens/Hour

A Ziloc is a newly enlisted soldier making his way through the Alteraci Course for Military Preparation, or ACMP. During this one month course, *Zilocs* are trained in the basic duties expected of a *Demac* such as shooting and reloading a gun, making their bed, and even preparing military rations for eating. *Zilocs* are rarely discharged in the middle of the course, but are instead graded throughout their month of enlistment, and at the end of the month, those with a passing grade will move on to become *Demacs*.