Military and Paramilitary Organizations and Orders in Tamriel: The Imperial Legion

So given my own military background and my love of military science and history throughout ages, I've often wondered on how exactly military and paramilitary groups have been and/or are managed by the various political and governmental factions of Tamriel. While there is often talk of Knightly Orders, Mercenary Groups, Militias, Guard Forces, and so on and so forth, I haven't quite been able to find much information on how exactly they are organized and what their places in their respective regions' military capabilities are. So this is going to mix speculation with a gathering of information and of course, as I am by no means very well versed in TES lore, a great deal of questions.

Obviously the first and primary organization to come to mind is the Imperial Legion. It is arguably the largest combined arms military in Tamriel, has been for some time, and is also perhaps the largest to date in the continent's history. It obviously borrows heavily from the real-world Roman Legions in its battlefield tactics, service culture, and general aesthetic, but seems to operate more closely to modern-day armed forces at least in terms of recruitment (and recruit diversity), advancement in rank, paygrade, and occupational specialties: at least by appearances, it's an incredibly progressive organization for the setting, especially due to its acceptance of and provision of equal opportunities for traditionally marginalized races such as Orcs.

Due to gameplay circumstances, we do not have much information on the nature of basic or advanced training regimens and how varied or specialized they are, but there is indication that the Legion employs a wide variety of troop occupations beyond the standard foot infantryman or archer/marksman, and that even among these two classifications there is a variety in equipment. The standard infantrymen are normally depicted as being equipped with a sword and shield, but Morrowind's depiction gives somewhat of an insight into how varied the average Legionnaire's skillset is expected to be upon entry into active service. There is certainly an emphasis on the use of shields and long blades, as it would be an important component of unit tactics, but there is also stress on skill with blunt weapons and spears, and it's likely that Legion not only employs a wide variety of arms, but expects and perhaps trains its troops to be proficient in the use of all of them. Given this stress on flexibility, it seems as though Legion recruits may begin with the same base of training in ranged and close-quarters combat disciplines, and may branch out into their respective specializations after their initial familiarizations. Thus marksmen may be proficient in the use of swords, blunt weapons, and spears, but then trained specifically in archery, and foot infantry may be proficient in the use of bows and arrows, but then may be trained specifically in a particular melee discipline. In this way it would also mirror modern military training practices, and indeed it seems as though there are more mirrors between modern-day real-world militaries and the Legion than there are with any other Tamrielic military groups. As for other battlefield roles, it would seem to be that they might require even further specialized training due to their elite connotations, but I believe they would still receive the same base of standardized training: groups such as the Imperial Cavalry (which may include lancers, horse archers, and mounted swordsmen), and the Order of Battlemages (which raises a great number of possibilities, perhaps including destruction-focused combat mages, dedicated healers, conjurers, and various other support personnel such as those trained in such arts as mysticism, illusion, and alteration) seem to be two of these more elite specialties.

In peacetime the Legion seems to be a standing army that is responsible for patrolling roads and manning garrisons, and it seems that at least in Cyrodiil, it is responsible for providing the Guardsmen that comprise Town/County Guards and bodyguard details for Nobles and other important persons and officials. It's worth noting that in Morrowind, these bodyguard details (such as the Duke's Guard) are referred to as elite troops assigned to the Imperial Guard, a distinct unit or billet in the Legion, whereas in Oblivion the Imperial Guard are simply Legionnaires acting as sentries and law enforcement (though this may also just be a matter of wording, rather than an implication that all guardsmen are elite personnel). During wartime, the Legion acts as a standard military, and I would imagine it swells its frontline ranks with personnel through a combination of levies, socially pressured volunteering, and perhaps reassignment of Guardsmen.

However, discussion of the Legion also brings up certain questions. For example, the Imperial Order of Knights, how exactly it relates to the command structure of the Legion, its level of autonomy and/or lack thereof, and even its status as a proper Knightly Order. It would seem that Imperial Knights are accorded some measure of independence compared to the rank-and-file enlistedmen and officers, and indeed some may be found on individual assignments rather than actions as part of a unit. However, at least on Vvardenfell, there is also no distinction made between standard officer ranks (as seen in Skyrim) and Knightly ranks: the highest ranking Legion superiors tend to be members of the Order of Knights, and the highest ranking Legion official on Vvardenfell is Knight of the Imperial Dragon. There is a simultaneously inextricable link and particular distinction made between the Legion proper and the Imperial Knights, confusing the nature of the relationship between the two groups.

Further questions would be regarding the very infrequently mentioned Imperial Navy and its relationship with the Legion, whether it is a subordinate organization or a separate branch of a broader Imperial Military, the nature of the relationship between local provincial militias such as in Skyrim with the Legion (as it seems that, at least according to gameplay, Imperial-aligned Hold guardsmen and especially those of Haafingar and Solitude seem to be affiliated with the Legion), and where the distinctions between armed forces and law enforcement begin and end with Legionnaires.

I suppose that would be it for now, though I may think of more later. Certainly open to feedback, corrections, etcetera.