While not a large force, the Phantom Legion is the personal bodyguard of Slothjemia’s monarch. All members are invited to serve by the commander of the legion, and are drawn from among the various military units of Slothjemia. Such invitations are extended to those that exemplify the best qualities of honesty, integrity, self-sacrifice, and valor¹. Primarily concerned with the safety of the Empress, members of the legion might also be assigned to guard other persons in the royal family, or to perform specific tasks on behalf of the monarch that require a certain level of “armed persuasion.” There are about two thousand members of the Phantom Legion at any given time and are normally found in and around areas containing the Queen or her family.

The first members of the Phantom Legion were the elements of the first king of Slothjemia’s military, the former mercenaries that were drawn to the swamp orc’s banner when he built Boardhum Keep. The rest of the army actually formed around this core, making the Phantom Legion the oldest of Slothjemia’s military units. Their first battle was taking down Delbert, the lich known as “The Eternal Fog of Damnation.” The men that took part in that fight were knighted by Manfriedreich the First, thus making the Knighthood of the Phantom Legion the first Slothjemian knighthood, as well. Cloaked as they are in the trappings of tradition and secrecy, the individuals chosen for the Phantom Legion are enigmatic to say the least. Alternating between being boldly flamboyant and the heroes of public acclaim, and being as stealthy as shadows on a moonless night, they are fearsome and deadly, heroic and humble.

Many members of the Phantom Legion are often found among the dragon riders of the Black Guard, the army dedicated to the protection of Slothjemia’s royal family. Elite in their own right, the rest of the Black Guard are still not necessarily members of the Phantom Legion. Commonly mistaken as such, it is a grave offense to pretend being a member of the Phantom Legion. There is no uniformity in how the Phantom Legion are equipped, and while their uniforms resemble those of other military units, they are rarely encountered when they are not clad in armor that obscures the uniforms. They often (but not necessarily) hold normal military ranks but are rarely assigned to any formations outside of the Black Guard, and even this does not subject them to the normal chains of command within that unit since they answer directly to the commander of the legion who in turn answers only to the Queen. Even the Herzgraf has no sway over these knights unless they are ordered by the Queen to heed his commands for a particular task. The knighthood of the Phantom Legion is a third tier award, and the ribbon is silver, black, and silver. Often this is the only sure way to identify a member.

 

¹ In game terms Phantom Legion members are never less than 10th level in their respective classes. All of them have some military training and background, but they may not be currently serving in the Black Guards and instead appear to work in most any civilian capacity related to their abilities.