Heartseekers

"Evenstar! Evenstar!"

"To the heart!"

-Common battle cries of the Sixth Angelic Legion

The sixth of the Angelic Legions, the Heartseekers and their Seraph Azazel number among the eight Fallen legions who rebelled against Ynoch near the end of the Angelic Conquest. Once, they were among the most exalted and admired of the legions. Not mere warriors, the Sixth were artists, diplomats and scholars, each of them educated to be as savvy culturally as they were martially. Rigid and exact, they turned war into an art form, so that when the last war was fought, art might flourish in all places. But the Heartseekers have fallen farther than any of their brother legions. Led by their Seraph, the Sixth Legion descended into the blackest depths of depravity and debauchery, and splintered into hedonistic warbands all intent on self gratification above all else.

Organization
Though always an averaged sized legion, none other could exceed the Heartseekers in their pomp, formalities and titles. The most notable aspect of the legion's organization which distinguishes it from its brother legions is the division of the rank and file troops and low officers from the high officers and elite units. The former were grouped into what was known in the legion as the Peerage, those exceptional hopefuls who had been accepted into the vaulted ranks of the Sixth Legion. The Gentry, by contrast, were those who had advanced through the ranks by demonstration of excellence, and where thus exalted above their less distinguished peers. This created a culture of intense competition within the legion, which unfortunately grew into full on elitism as time went on. Of course, after the legion's fall, it largely broke down into warbands based on cults of personality centered on their leaders.

Before the Fall, the height of the legion's power saw it standing at 110,000 warriors. Though the glory of the legion and its Seraph saw them with many eager volunteers to join their ranks, the Heartseekers low rate of acceptance and rigid requirements resulted in them remain as one of the mid sized legions. Many were lost in the Fall, as members of the legion remained loyal to Ynoch and had to be culled, and more succumbed to the battles against the Ascendant Ynochim. Since then, the various warbands the legion splintered into have well replaced their old numbers, and have even exceeded them, swelling to number over 130,000 strong. However, many of the new recruits drawn from the Abyss lack the mettle of their predecessors, as the legion's previous exacting standards have fallen by the wayside, and their previous order and cohesion has vanished completely.

Arch-Chamberlains of Sovereignties - Favored of the Seraph
Within the Sixth Legion, performance and favor is everything, and one can rise or fall through the ranks based on both. The legion's Arch-Chamberlains are the highest performing officers within the legion. Every Arch-Chamberlain was honored with command over one of the legion's Sovereignties, their largest units (equivalent to a Division in most other legions), which numbered twenty thousand warriors at the legion's height, being composed of four Grand Parliaments. Every Arch-Chamberlain lead one of those Grand Parliaments, with the remaining three in their Sovereignty being subordinate to them.

The Argent Vigil - Personal Attendants of the Evenstar
Azazel's personal Ophanim bodyguards numbered seven warriors, and were distinguished from other members of the legion by their gleaming silver armor, from which they derived their name: The Argent Vigil. In order to be selected to the vaulted company of the Vigil, whose chief concern was the martial defense of their Seraph, one needed to prove themselves to be one of the finest masters of combat in the legion.

However, the Vigil served more purposes than merely guarding Azazel's person. The Lord of the Sixth was one of the Seraphim who was most apt to employ his Ophanim by sending them on missions away from his side. Every member of the Vigil also held the position of Prime Constablemeaning that they could both be sent directly by Azazel to evaluate any unit that caught his eye, or be made to speak with his voice in any diplomatic matters.

Lord High Commodore
The Lord High Commodores lead seventeen of the legion's twenty two Grand Parliaments, with the remaining five being lead by the Arch-Chamberlains. Every Grand Parliament numbered around five thousand legionaries, and was the equivalent of a Battalion in most other legions.

Cavaliers
Elite veterans of the Sixth Legion were known as Cavaliers. Every Grand Parliament possessed two standard Parliaments worth of them.

The Luminary Guard
One formation of Cavaliers were exalted above even the others: The Luminary Guard. Tracing their origins back to the legion's first campaign against the El'sherah pantheon, the Guard began with the two Estates that survived their Seraph's foolhardy and prideful foray into the enemy trap which necessitated his rescue by his brother Raphael. From then on, the two units were made one, and fought beneath Azazel's direct command at all times, accompanying him everywhere, without exception, as his honor guard. To be among the Three Hundred was a tremendous honor, for the Seraph personally picked every one of the legionaries within his Luminary Guard, selecting those from the already prestigious Cavalier veterans to join the legion's most envied unit. The Guard was commanded by the Captain-Eminent, who also holds the title of Sovereign of the Three Hundred, despite their unit's small size.

Lord Prefect- First of the Gentry
Every Grand Parliament was divided into eight standard Parliaments, which were lead by a Lord Prefect, and number six hundred and twenty five Heartseekers. This more moderate unit size is at odds with well the above average size of Sovereignties and Grand Parliaments, and allowed for more varied units for the higher up command staff to work with when executing the legion's typically complex and precise battle strategies.

Lord Prefects were also notable for being the first rank that numbered itself among the Gentry, a term for the legion's well proven high officers, who were elevated above the already noble members of the Peerage.

Constables - Maintainers of Excellence
Constables were members of the Peerage selected to serve as the eyes and ears of the Gentry. Every officer of Lord Prefect rank or higher had several Constables in their service, who would be dispatched from battle to battle to serve alongside other units and then report back to their superiors on their performance, and also to convey their master's will and act as their diplomats. Based on what the Constables observed, the evaluated units might see their ranking in the legion's public leaderboards rise or fall, which could bring them pride or shame. For this reason, their presence was often met with tension and intense glory seeking.

Constables who served Lord Prefects were dispatched to Squads, oftentimes the command Squads of the Lord Prefect's subordinate Captains. Constables in service to High Commodores would more commonly serve with Lord Prefects, though occasionally would be dispatched to observe promising Captains a High Commodore had taken interest in. A Constable in service to an Arch-Chamberlain rarely left the side of a High Commodore. Azazel's Argent Vigil all would serve him as Prime Constables from time to time, and were rarely dispatched at all, but whenever they were, any unit who they accompanied would not only have the honor of fighting alongside one of the legion's most prestigious members, but also know that the eye of their soul-sire was directly upon them.

Captains - Highest of the Peerage
The Sixth's Company formations numbered one hundred and twenty five warriors, and were commanded by a Captain. Captains were the highest of the low officers, the final members of the Peerage before one could reach the exalted ranks of the Gentry.

Squad
The squad units of the Heartseekers numbered thirteen or fourteen members, with nine squads within each Company, and were lead as per legion standards by a Sergeant. The reason their numbers fluctuated, a fact at odds with the otherwise rigid nature of the legion, was due to the alternating presences of Constables, representatives of the ranking Lord Prefect, sent to evaluate the Squad's performance so that every unit could be ranked against their peers.

The Peerage- Legionaries
The basic legionaries of the Heartseekers identified themselves as the Peerage; they were part of an elite fraternity of noble warriors. Every one of them was not merely a soldier, but a walking embodiment of the excellence that Azazel hoped the Dream would one day provide for all mankind. Every Peer of the legion was required to be culturally educated, eloquent, and refined in their sensibilities, an exemplar to all who looked upon them.

Combat Doctrine
Before ever engaging in battle, the Heartseekers first order was to exhaust all attempts at diplomacy and negotiation, dispatching Constables to negotiate with them.

When battle was necessary, however, the Sixth Legion favored swiftness, precision, and order in their battle plans. As their lower level units were small and numerous, the Sixth used this trait to execute extremely complex battle plans to steadily dismantle their foes. Successful strategies were incorporated into legion records and used whenever possible, while also being supplemented with new additions in the legion's constant desire to improve.

The Records of Primacy
Though every one of the legions keeps records of battles lost and won, and details of mission performance, none place such importance on them as the Heartseekers. Every unit within the legion, from Sovereignty to Equeriate, is ranked against other corresponding units within the Records of Primacy, which are available for all members of the legion to access, so that they might know where they stand in comparison to their peers.

Training and Recruitment Doctrine
The Sixth Legion had one of the highest rates of volunteers for recruitment among all the Angelic Legions. They also had one of the largest number of failed aspirants, as a result of their stringent conditions of acceptance. Most recruits were drawn from the nobility and elites of conquered worlds, as they commonly grew up with the education and knowledge of social intricacies that the legion required from its members, in addition to martial training. Those from humbler backgrounds had a more difficult time becoming Manorials, the term the legion applied for aspiring members in training, but through hard work and perseverance, even the humblest peasant could rise to the exalted ranks of the Heartseekers.

In addition to being trained in personal combat and battle strategy, Manorials were also given classical education, and had to familiarize themselves with all manner of cultural subjects, such as poetry, philosophy, and sculpture. Every one of them was instructed in the arts of refined decorum and eloquent speech, so that they might find themselves at ease when treating with royalty.

Governmental Doctrine
Worlds conquered by the Heartseekers once found the first order of business to be the humiliation of any figures of prominence who resisted being conquered. Ever eager to flaunt their supremacy, the legion usually paraded defeated foes through the streets of conquered cities, often clad in gleaming fetters or suspended by floating gilded cages.

Following that, legionaries were usually dispatched to the remnants of the realm's ruling class, to begin top down reforms to the systems of governance. Prominent singers and other artists were also commissioned to sing songs and dedicate wondrous works to the glories of the legion and the Dream, and idols to false gods torn down and replaced with those dedicated to the Lord of Eden, utterly surpassing them in beauty. Alterations to infrastructure usually focused on ensuring basic needs were met, so that citizens might have the necessary free time to dedicating themselves to the arts and merging their cultures with the Ynochian.

In modern days, things are much different. Any world visited by the Heartseekers can usually expect to be ravaged, plundered for all its drugs, its citizens defiled and tortured horrifically, and any monuments and artworks that are erected to be twisted and depraved.

Heraldry
The banner of the Heartseekers is one of the most elaborate of the angelic legions. A purple field, upon which is a ring of silver stars. Set within the ring is a red heart with silver wings, burning with golden flames. The royal purple is representative of the legion's elite status, embodying the fact that each one of them is a noble. The stars are derived from the Seraph's epithet of Evenstar, and also represent the legion's circle of high achieving members. The heart is the legion's main focus; reaching the hearts of those they conquer to exalt them to greatness, raising them high upon silvered wings. The golden flames that burn around the heart were implemented after the legion's campaign alongside the Morningstars against the Tuatha De Dannan, to signify the eternal friendship between the legions and their Seraphim.

Since the Fall, the disparate warbands the Heartseekers splintered into fly all manner of bizarre and twisted colors, made from all manner of repugnant materials.

Battlegear
The standard gear for a Peer of the Sixth Legion was purple battleplate, chased with silver lining. Officers of the Gentry were marked with a silver crest upon their helms, resembling pairs of wings. Lord Prefects sported a single pair, and Lord High Commodores two. Arch-Chamberlains had armor lined with gold rather than the usual silver, while their helms bore a set of triple golden wings. Members of the Argent Vigil were clad in armor of pure silver.