At the time of the revolution, Lodona was a prestigious empire with a constantly-conquering military behind all its successes. Before Lodona was an imperialist state, the military only served as a defense force as Lodona lacked the resources to go and seek colonies like some of its neighboring nations. After the Fated War almost 100 years before the revolution, Lodona became bent on becoming the leader of the world. Factories and the military grew exponentially with each following year. The empire gained colonies and effectively swallowed its neighboring imperialists. Because of this, Lodona has a complex military full of positions and reasons for its existence. When the Era of Industry arrived, the Royal Army became just a side to the military, now including motorized vehicles and planes and airships.

The Royal Guard

The Royal Guard were formed by Guardsman Cornwallis just years before the Sacking of the First Anastasia. Cornwallis wanted an elite force specifically assigned to the protection of Lodona's finest cities. He also wanted them to be separate from the Royal Army and not under the command of generals, but of the Royal Iudex and the Royal Family. During their early years, Royal Guards were nothing more than well-groomed and fashionable soldiers. After the Sacking, they became something different entirely. After the Sacking, in which Guardsman Cornwallis was killed, the Royal Iudex demanded to make the Royal Guard the most feared defense force in the world. Ten years later, they found out how they would do it. Edward Nighton, the most famous of the Nighton clan, invented a sort of armored suit that was tough enough to deflect bullets and light enough for soldiers to wear. Nighton wished for these armored suits to be used on the front lines, but when men who wore these suits fought in open war conflict, they were often blown away by artillery and lacked the movement capabilities to last with marching infantry. Thus, the suits were moved to home defense. There, Nighton continued his research and added features to the armor, making them more effective and easier to use. The Royal Iudex told him they wanted the suits to be used for the Royal Guard. Without much choice, he accepted. What came to be was the Nighton Steam Knight Suit. Not only did these suits possess hydraulics to help users lift heavier objects, it made them almost completely bullet-proof and slightly anti-explosion proof. These suits made the Royal Guard the most intimidating faction of war. They could not move as fast as unarmored infantry, but they didn't need to.

The Royal Guard use their own ranks and ranks do not crossover to the Royal Army. They are absolutely loyal to the Royal Iudex and the Royal Family. They have the ability to arrest citizens much like the Royal Constables. They often investigate crime in relation to the Royals. This made them unpopular with the normal folk as they appeared to be oppressive soldiers that brutally kept the peace. Although many could argue that this is not the case as they rarely arrested people and were more known for keeping the Royals safe from harm.

The Royal Army

During the Era of Industry, Lodona was the most powerful military might in the world, followed closely by the Norseland Confederacy. The Royal Army, at this time, was on every continent, defending colonies or taking new ones for the ceaseless empire. They were a diverse army that took recruits from colonies.

Every Royal Army branch did not allow women to enter unless they were sentenced. One unique law for Lodona was that they could sentence tried criminals to enter the Royal Army and be in it until their sentence was over. If often quartered jail sentence lengths, but also greatly increased the likelihood that the sentence would not be served in total due to premature death. This was the only way women could enter the Royal Army. With only 2 weeks of training, criminals were then sent to the front lines as infantry and unable to gain any ranks, no matter the quality of service. It was not a particularly odd sight to see chained men and women being stuffed in military transports. In fact, when people did see this sort of thing, they often cheered as they knew the ruffians would be likely never to return. In fact, the mortality of sentenced soldiers was over 90%! It became part of criminal soldier training for them to not die like a fool, but to "make sure to die shooting or die saving a proper soldier's life." The 10% that did serve their sentence in full were never congratulated upon returning to their homes and they were never arrested again. They were not even counted as veterans to the Royal Veteran Society.

Royal Sentinels

The Sentinels were a branch of Royal Guard that operated in the Royal Army. They rarely were seen by Lodonans as they operated solely on the front lines. They used suits of armor that were designed by Cassandra Nighton, the renowned daughter of Edward Nighton. She developed light armor suits that were more effective for mobility. They could last with infantry and act as stormtroopers, breaking in on enemy strongholds. Sentinels were never as known as the Royal Guard, but they held some of the most courageous men ever. Women were not allowed to be Sentinels if they were sentenced to combat as Sentinels did not have hydraulic arms to aid them carrying weapons. The average Sentinel suit, called Nighton Storm Infantry Outfits, weighed almost 125 pounds. That combined with a 20 pound Wolf Automatic Carbines made for a tiresome carry weight. Sentinels were always large men that had insane levels of fitness to sustain in combat. The average height of a Sentinel was 6' 5". Lodona impressed quite a few potential Sentinels. If you were a Lododan man if any race and very large, you had the chance of being forcibly enlisted to the Sentinel Corps. Despite their armor and protection, Sentinels did not have high survival rates as they spearheaded attacks and were often the last of their squad, thus being overwhelmed by enemies.

Royal Arsonist Corps

The Royal Arsonist Corps (RAC) was a a military branch that specialized in flamethrowers. The first flamethrowers were used in the Battle of Bridges where flame troopers prevented cavalry units from entering the battle by creating walls of fire. Flamethrowers became prominent during the First Desert War where both Lodona and the Eastern Republics used flamethrowers to rid trenchs of their soldiers by cooking them alive. Royal Commander Eugene Commerce was the founder of the Arsonist Corps. Though not as used as the Sentinels in the Royal Army, the RAC has made their reputation in skirmishes on the colony borders. In forests, jungles, and mountains, Arsonists would burn entire sections of wilderness to kill guerilla warriors. Lodona has used them to intimidate rebels in colonies by burning their leaders alive. Because of this, they have a nasty reputation even to Lodona. Honorable soldiers refuse to become Arsonists and thus the job mainly falls to impressed prisoners or criminals. The suits that Arsonists wore did not entirely protect the user from harmful gases that the flamethrowers create. Their lungs would be rotten up in just three years of service. This is known as the "Fire's Karma" and is believed to be a curse that the Arsonists must deal with for their terrifying actions in "humane" warfare.

The Royal Infantry AKA The Lodona Tide

The true backbone of the Royal Army, the Royal Infantry was such a vast army that it was dubbed "The Lodona Tide."

Royal Gunners

Royal Shock Troopers AKA "Hell Raisers"

By the second half of the Third Desert War, automatic weapons were popping up throughout the imperial armies. The Norselands were making submachine guns for their Valkyries, so to keep up with this, the Lodona Royal Engineers came up with their own machine guns that could be operated by one person. These "Hellbringer" submachine guns then led to the creation of the Shock Trooper Corps. The Shock Troopers had one mission: to charge and disrupt enemy strongholds. This task had been for the Sentinels before, but because of the advances in technology, the Sentinels were losing value. By the time of the revolution, they were mostly replaced with Shock Troopers and/or combinations of both. The Shock Troopers saw first use against the Norseland Valkyries in the colony of Requiem. They defeated the Valkyrie swarm and captured many of them and more importantly, putting themselves on top as the most dangerous stormtrooper type infantry. Their success and their weapons gave them the nickname "Hell Raisers" that they proudly wore on their uniforms. Their insignia became a lion with a flaming mane.

Hell Raisers were equipped with Hellbringer submachine guns, 2-5 heavy grenades, a pistol of their choice, and an anti-tank device of their choice. They wore no armor as they were specialized to carry as much fighting equipment as possible while still being able to sprint long distances. Hell Raisers endured intense training, even compared to Royal Guards. They were few in number, but they were certain to change the momentum against any foe, even the resilient Norseland Confederacy.

Hell Raiser in the Dread Desert during the small skirmishes between Lodona and the Eastern Republics by the time of the revolution.

Royal Dragoons

Although the name could mean cavalry, the Dragoon branch of military actually referred to the tanks and automobiles of war. They were first called "metal dragoons" when the first armored automobiles saw combat. "Dragoon" became the military term for drivers of these metallic beasts. Dragoons drove cars as well as tanks, but the tank drivers were also called "tankers."

The Royal Air Service

Royal Chemical Brigades

In the last year of the Second Desert War and throughout the Third Desert War, warfare was not only becoming heavily mechanized, but the rise of chemical warfare was spreading as well. Toxic gasses and acid started to see use. The Royal Army, always being on the cutting edge of technology, was not the first to use harmful gas, but was the first military to use it in mass quantities. When the Republican troops fortified themselves in the eastern parts of the Dread Desert, the Royal Army issued "Chemical Brigades" to gas them out of their pillboxes and trenches.

Royal Cavalry

Royal Artillery

Royal Officers and the Royal Constables/Police

Loyalist Volunteers

There was no such thing as a "Loyalist" before the revolution. The Loyalist faction only appeared when the revolution began. People of all classes ran in fear from the warmongering Nationalists in order to save themselves. Some men and women, which was a first for the Royals, volunteered themselves to serve the government forces for a very limited amount of time. Most enlisted for six months max. Volunteers were never given uniforms, but were instructed to wear anything white, so as to help the Royal Army identify them from the red Nationalists. The volunteers were handed a LSR and some ammunition. They were told to supply everything else. They then were placed in "militia regiments" and then commanded over by a Royal Officer. Up to 25,000 men and women became volunteers in the Loyalist armies. Though this may seem significant, it was underwhelming compared to the Nationalist Legion. They also lacked the Nationalist's fanaticism and thus were easily forced to retreat. Even with these volunteers, the Royal Army still did a tremendous amount of the fighting for the government.

Loyalist Noble Officers

Soon after the revolution began, nobles began to realize that the war may last longer than they anticipated. They had sent their maids, butlers, servants, and courtesans to fight as Volunteers and they still had yet to return. At this point, the moderates between the warring factions started to be forced to take sides. Lodona was being forced to pull the Royal Army from key colonies, losing them in the process to rivaling imperialists. The nobles realized that it would be suicide for Lodona if the motherland lost all of its child colonies, so they finally put down tea or crumpets to join the war as volunteers. However, unlike the working people that were enlisted as simple soldiers, the nobles could buy themselves ranks, even if they were noblewomen. Without any training, they became officers in the Loyalist Volunteer armies. Of course this was not good for the Loyalists as their leaders now were narcissistic nobles who did not care about their lives. However, several noblemen were actually veterans of war and could lead to some extent. Some nobles became loved generals in the revolution, but most were awful and only a few perished in the war they had entered.

Loyalist Spies

Probably the most influential position of the Loyalists, the Spies were exceptionally vital in the revolution. The Blue Prince started up a spy ring for the Royals and placed Beatrice Bradshaw at the head of it. The Loyalist Spies were 60% women and most of them were plucked from the Volunteers. Lady Bradshaw trained them and instructed them on how to spy upon the Nationalists and Unionists. It was an incredible success and the main reason the Nationalists did not take Anastasia. The Spies helped find out who was supplying the rebels with guns and ammunition and who was commanding their forces. Because of the Spies, the Royal Army confronted the Norseland supply trains and fought Norseland mercenaries who were on their way to aid the Nationalists. One of the most notable Spies was Elysia Bell.

Nationalist Avengers

The Nationalist's version of the Royal Guard were the Avengers. The Avengers were Nationalist soldiers placed in Protector Exosuits created by Iris Sherwin, a Loyalist. Nationalists stole the design from her and captured her as well, forcing her to aid with the creation of more Protector Exosuits. Because of their early victories against the Loyalists, they were dubbed the "Avengers" by the people. Charles Valentine was impressed with these men and women who served in the exosuits and made them heroes for the people. Valentine even had his own Protector Exosuit created for himself. Avengers became huge threats to the Royal Army. Their suits did not have the protective qualities of the Royal Guard, but they had more freedom of movement and their armor was made of light alloys that allowed them to keep fighting even when tired. Their armor was also easily removed, making Avenger squads flexible and mobile on long distances. Iris Sherwin also designed them to be used quietly, so she made sure their armor did not rattle with movement. So it was hard to hear one coming unless one paid close attention. Their signature helmets became faces of demons to the Loyalists.

Nationalist's Crimson Legion

The Nationalist army, or the "Legion" as they called themselves, was the second largest army in the revolution, second, of course, to the Royal Army. Unlike their Unionist brothers, their army stretched all across the Lodona motherland. Their numbers swelled to 1.3 million troops by the peak of the revolution. Over 300,000 Nationalist Legionaries were in Anastasia, which vastly outnumbered the Loyalists and Royal Army in the Capital. They were led by Charles Valentine, a mysterious man that urged his troops to have no mercy for the government or those who would dare protect it. They were an organized army and not a rebellious mob like other revolutionary armies. Edward McBaine, a weapons dealer and financier of the Nationalists, helped in the creation of the Legion through mercenaries acquired from the Norselands and weapons from anywhere he could find them. Even before the revolution's start, Valentine and McBaine had been training men and women to fight. They knew it was going to be a prolonged war and not a quick overthrow of the Lodona government.

The Legion was composed of 85% men and 15% women, the highest concentration of women combatants in Lodona. To make sure their message was clear, they wore red clothes. They did have a uniform by the second year of the revolution, but the majority still did not possess the material to have a uniform. They refused to wear any yellow or blue so that they would not in any way look like the Lodona Royal Army. So most of the clothes Nationalists wore when they did not have the red uniforms were black or brown. Nationalists loved red so much that they would even use animal blood (as with the Royal Army stopping them from getting supplies like red dye) to stain their clothes.

Legionaries used weapons from every country in the world. Plenty of their weapons were beyond 50 years old. Even with McBaine heading the weapon finances, many Legionaries lacked ammunition or even guns. Those who did not possess weapons were told to take risks and scavenge battlefields for anything useful. They often did this during battles and were shot while in no-man's land or in Royal territory. Since they also were majority factory workers, they did not have many trained medics or doctors. Those that they did gain were deserters of the Royal Army, such as Dr. Timothy Wayne Turner. Because of this, most Nationalists died of disease from even the simplest of wounds. In Lodona's more wild parts, Nationalists constantly had problems gaining footholds as they would succumb to sickness while the Royal Army's prestigious healthcare systems kept their soldiers alive and well.

Despite all their disadvantages, the Nationalist Legion was a force to reckon with. They were resourceful and fanatical. No where in the world was there a more unified force. Men and women from less-than-humble beginnings took up arms and became warriors against the government. Though it was clear they understood nothing about actual "freedom" they still fought to better their and their family's lives.

Nationalist Hell Hounds

With the sudden rise of armored automobiles, some thought it would be a great idea to use them as hit-and-run flamethrower units. Nationalists, using modified C-2 Whiterunners with a mounted flamethrower, began to race through the streets, sending the vile flames into anything they drove passed. They soon earned the name "Hell Hounds." There was never many of these modified automobiles as most remained in their standard form, retaining range and suppression. The Hell Hounds tried to see combat outside of Anastasia, but the open fields made them easy targets. Being in gas operated vehicles tossing flames out from the roof also made working in them quite dangerous. Almost a quarter of Hell Hounds ended up destroying themselves.

Nationalist Pursuers

The only real airborne branch of military that the Nationalist's possessed, the Pursuers were a terrifying bunch of daredevil pilots that took to the sky to rain death upon Loyalists below. Their pilots were all previously commercial pilots of zeppelins, airships, or air delivery transports. Not being able to make their own planes of war, they simply added guns to their delivery planes. The pilot squads were led by Elizabeth Daniel, who also acted as a spy. Lady Daniel was a skilled delivery pilot before the revolution began, and thus she was the best Pursuer that Nationalists had. The Pursuers used their bi-planes to hunt down RAS fighters or bombers. Not being as well-equipped as their Royal counterparts, they were often demolished by the aerial aces of the Royal Air Service. However, they did make an impact on the war when the Norseland Confederacy began to supply them with better equipment and better planes. The Norseland planes were some of the best in the world and turned the tables on the RAS. Now Pursuers could track down enemy bombers and shoot them down or they could even disable enemy planes and salvage the parts for their own benefit. The Nationalists never had a proper airforce, but the Pursuers tried to fill the whole with their laughably small numbers.

Nationalist Watchers

The Watchers as they were called by Loyalists was a small group of Nationalist women spies that worked for Arthur Daniel. There is no knowledge of how many there were, but it is reasonable to suggest there was less than 30. The Watchers were Nationalists that could infiltrate Loyalist positions and even find a way to the other side of the White Wall. Chief among these spies was Eliz Daniel, the young wife of Master Daniel. Serving mainly as a pilot in the revolution, she also acted as a spy. She and the Watchers would steal Royal documents, poison officers, and perform various acts of espionage. Their impact was not the largest on the revolution, but in Anastasia, they did make their name known. Six Watchers were executed by the Royal Guards, which seemed to have halted many Watcher plans, as their activity dwindled beyond this point. This is the main reason why it is thought that there were very few of them to begin with.

Union Party Soldiers

When Sabrina Garner took over the Unionist Party, she brought the Nationalist's violent tendencies with her. Unlike Isaac Benjamin, who simply wanted protection and better working environments for factories, Garner wanted the destruction of the current economy and government and it be replaced by a more equal society. Her soldiers were all factory workers, untrained and undisciplined. Unlike the Nationalists, who had both mercenaries from the Norselands and weapon dealers, Garner's forces had nothing but the factories and were not in large numbers as some workers turned into Loyalists. The Unionist army, which was called the Worker's Brigade, was the smallest army in the revolution, topping at 4,500 soldiers. These men and women, who most had never used a gun before, were armed with Garner Experimental Rifles, well, if they were lucky to get one. Most stole and scavenged for surplus rifles left behind from the many Lodona wars. They were purple homemade vests that symbolized their true "royalty" and Garner's leadership. Garner proclaimed herself chief of the army, but she never participated in the battles they had in Anastasia. The Unionist soldiers were often just armed gangs that patrolled the Capital, looking for a fight. They saw roughly 15% of the battles in the Lodona Revolution and only had 2 accounted victories against Loyalist troops or the Royal Army.

Union Party Operators

In the small army of 4,500, there was a small sect that became known as the Operators. They were a group of 200 Unionist soldiers led by Nigel Jerryson, a former friend of Isaac Benjamin. Because of their lives being spent in steel factories, these Operators were skilled in mechanics and understood how the metal beasts of war operated. Jerryson, soon after the revolution had begun, spoke with Sabrina Garner on the issue that the Royal Army could bring the tanks and landships of war upon them. He wanted to create a group of their best warriors to be equipped with the sole purpose of sabotaging vehicles and scrapping metal for their factories. Garner gave him her permission and the Operators were born. These 200, of which 187 died in the revolution, including Jerryson, were the biggest threat to the Royal Army that the Unionists ever brought up to the table. They would often be in enemy territory, scouting out for tank brigades in or outside of Anastasia. With their tools and expertise, they would dismantle or break engines, tracks, or guns. They rarely fought themselves and were told to give up on sight if caught by Royals. The order did not work as they were quite often shot before they could surrender. During the revolution, they disabled 130 vehicles.

Republican People's Army

In the Orient Lands, there is an empire that used to be comprised of hundreds of individual nations. Hanshiro the Harbinger conquered one small nation at a time until they were all under one leader. It was then that it became the Republics of the East Orient. Because of their separate cultures all being mashed into one, they formed a unique language that combined the languages of old. Hanshiro was a master of uniting people, especially conquered people. Instead of forcing the conquered nations to be just like his, he decided to have them all assimilate into one massive culture that was founded upon their similarities rather than their differences.

The People's Army is the largest fighting force in the world. Their numbers triple the fighting force of the Norseland (including its colony forces) and almost double the forces of Lodona. There are two reasons for this: The Eastern Republics are the largest nation in terms of land and men of the age of 17 are required to enlist in the army. Because every boy has to be trained according to the law, women in the Republic are the actual governing sex. The Republics contain representatives from every state, called "jotai's" which are dominated by females and they represent their jotai's to the Central Government, which is led by a 101 men and women and a Great Omo, which is the true ruler of the land.

The People's Army have never had the best technology compared to their imperialist rivals. Their success as a nation comes from their unity and their aggressive strategies. As they began to industrialize, they stretched their borders slowly, gaining grounds in places they thought they didn't need before. Every new colony/nation under their control had to also make their young men enlist in the army, thus any men they lost in their conquests were quickly replaced.

Equipment for the People's Army was not as scarce as would be believed. The factories of the Eastern Republics were stretched throughout the whole nation. Women tirelessly worked in the steel mills and the forges to create every weapon and bullet they could. Every soldier was handed a helmet, a breastplate, a tanto, a stick grenade, a standard rifle, and 20 rounds. This was minimal compared to the equipment used by the Royal Army, but it was sufficient for a new recruit in war.

Republican Guardians

The Guardians were a military branch that appeared during the Desert Wars due to being cut off by Lodona adavnces into Republican territory. At first, they were simple infantrymen who survived on their own, but by the Third Desert War, they were a special forces unit that operated behind enemy lines within the sand dunes of the Dread Desert.

Republican Sky Dragons

Republican Iron Samurai

In the Age of Industry, there was a race to see who could create the best "armored infantry" in the wars. The Norseland created the Valkyries and the Zealots, the Lodona Empire made Sentinels and the Royal Guards, the Makri made Prowlers, and the Republics made Iron Samurais. The Iron Samurai, often referred to as "The Iron Hand of the Great Omo" were brilliantly designed exo-suits that ran on steam. Unlike the Sentinels and Royal Guards, who used massive steel plates as armor, the Iron Samurai used several thinner plates and folded each layer over the other like a stack of paper. It proved to be reliable enough as bullet-resistant armor to be used in combat. Most of the Iron Samurai, like the Royal Guard, stayed back to protect the homeland, but many made their way to the Dread Desert to fight the imperials in the Desert Wars. They were truly frightening to the Royal Army, who saw them as metal monsters waving swords about and firing large guns. Their impact on the war was not as much as their counterpart Sentinels, but their presence alone brought fear to the enemy.

Army of the Seven Lords

North of the Forgone Mountains is a nation of seven different countries. This is the Norseland Confederacy. Norseland is a imperial nation that is ruled by the Seven Lords, who each rule their own country. Although these countries are called countries, they more resemble states. The Norseland Confederacy started as a true confederate state, but with time they evolved to a more federalist union, but kept the name.

The Army of the Seven Lords was one of the most advanced armies in the world.

Norseland Pirates

Norseland Pillagers

Norseland Raiders

The Raiders of the Norseland were the standard infantrymen. They were called "Raiders" from their early years of sacking nearby cities for the glory of the Seven Lords, otherwise, they do not connect to their name at all in modern times. The Raiders were the backbone of the Norseland military, always enduring extreme temperatures and extreme environments such as the Forgone Mountains.

Norseland Zealots

Norseland Valkyries

The Valkyries were a women-only military branch. They served much like regular infantry, but possessed light armor and acted as shock troopers in the mountains. They were founded by Anette Tordis the First Valkyrie. Tordis demanded that the Seven Lords would allow women to enlist in the Norseland Army. Six of the Seven agreed to grant her her wish. The Valkyries were created and thousands of women enlisted into the program to aid their glorious empire. The first battle they fought in was the Battle of Wings where the Norseland Confederacy faced the forces of the Colonial Forces of the Lodona Requiem Colony. It was a huge victory for the Confederacy and the Valkyries led the charges against the enemy. Because of their success, the Seven Lords decided to invest into the Valkyries, improving their weapons and gadgets. Their armor was improved, being only slightly based off the Steam-powered suits of the Royal Guards. They received small automatic weapons for charging masses of infantry and were given Ragnarok Rifles for medium-long range. Because of the Confederate ferocity and brutal tactics, these women became a feared force in the world of imperial nations fighting for every inch of ground. By the time of the Lodona revolution, the Valkyries made up 20% of the Confederate military. They were the largest woman force ever created.

Wastelander Scout

The men and women of the Dread Deserts were called "Wastelanders." Before Abigail Arklight took over as their Governess, they were simple oil/diamond traders. After the First Desert War between Lodona and the Eastern Republics, Governess Arklight concluded that they would need a protecting force, as both of the imperial beasts would never let their home be peaceful. She, with the help of mercenaries from the Norselands, trained a military force to become some sort of national guard. They were called Scouts. Because they would never match the numbers of the imperials, they were trained in guerrilla warfare and desert survival. They were scavengers of battlefields by the imperials, picking up weapons and supplies from dead soldiers. They were never to engage with battling imperials and only were assigned to protect Wastelander villages or to ward off imperials if they encroach on peaceful lands. They used a variety of weapons, including Destroyer Rifles and LSRs. If it could help, they would use it. They even sometimes captured armored vehicles to store in their desert villages.

Makri Striders

Makri Prowlers