Unsurpassable Guard of House Mnemon
The Unsurpassable Guard of House Mnemon are a military formation serving within the Realm, funded and commanded by the Dynastic Great House Mnemon. While each of the Great Houses maintained House Guard to supplement Imperial Legion forces operating on the Blessed Isle and protect their interests in the satrapies, the House Guard of House Mnemon were particularly known for their Legion-like drill and heavier equipment, more heavy foot than typical slinger or horse auxiliaries.
House Mnemon was permitted to maintain larger House forces in the Scarlet Prefecture than the other Houses, officially for defense of the Crystal Palace, though some viewed the move as counterbalancing other Houses with greater influence amongst the Legions, where Mnemon reach was not significant.
Soldiers of the Unsurpassable Guard of House Mnemon bear diamond-shaped shields painted with the mon of House Mnemon, and a distinctive pot helm with very narrow eye and mouth slit and a flared falange over the back of the neck, and are otherwise equipped as heavy infantry with reinforced breastplates, Spetum polearms, swords, and throwing needles. The Unsurpassable Guard have a sinister reputation, for it is known that demons are involved in their training, a fact underlined by their equipment: the Mnemon House Guard are armed and armoured not with steel, but with weapons of Firmin Ichor, gleaming black and alien next to the mundane soldiers of Creation. Where it has seen battle, it has historically supplemented its lack of Dragonblooded, artillery, and true auxiliary archers & cavalry through temporarily attached House Mnemon sorcerers and summoned demons.
The Mnemon House Guard is organized according to the standard unit formations of the Realm: five soldiers to a Fang, five fangs to a Scale, and five scales to a Talon. They do not make use of wings, instead placing five talons in each Dragon, of which the Guard can field ten. Officers are likewise ranked scalelord, talonlord, and dragonlord, Fanglords are not officially appointed: each fang’s leader holds authority only temporarily at the whim of their scalelord, though this allows some meritocracy. Though it is only a rumour and not known as fact outside the upper echelons of the Crystal House, all officers of the Mnemon House Guard are all descendants of Princess Mnemon by blood. Scalelords and some talonlords are the illegitimate children of Mnemon Dynasts who cannot be acknowledged or adopted for political reasons... particularly Godblooded offspring from pairings with spirits and demons whose official existence would be problematic for a House that claims to be Immaculately devout. Mnemon believes no drop of her blood must be wasted, and every drop must serve, so such children receive reward and responsibility according to their usefulness, just like any other. Let the Ledaals drown inauspicious babies and the Peleps set them against each other, the House of Crystal cares for all its children.
A few talonlords and the dragonlords are Dynasts who bear the Mnemon name: the most senior have experience in the Imperial Legions, from where they retire to the luxury and power of the House Guard upper echelons as a reward for their continued loyalty to Mnemon. Dragonlords are always Exalts, while talonlords are unExalted Dynasts. There is no strategoi, nor senior commander over the Unsurpassable Guard... each Dragonlord answers to Mnemon herself.
The soldiers of the Mnemon House Guard have historically been slaves, raised in a manner reminiscent of the Silent Legion, though without most of that forces’ mysterious sorceries and alchemical concoctions. However, since the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress, the Mnemon House Guard has been expanded in terms of equipment and troops, to the cost of the Imperial Legions and concern of several other Great Houses. The traditional five Dragons garrisoned in the Crystal Palace have been increased by an unclear number (many believing the rumour the garrison now stands at ten Dragons), with remaining Dragons dispersed to form the elite core of new formations made up of former Legion soldiers from the disbanded 20th Imperial Legion, 21st Imperial Legion, and 22nd Imperial Legion, the armouries of those Legions also coming under direct control of House Mnemon. It is unclear exactly how effective integration of former Legionnaires has been, but it is known that former Legion troops are being re-equipped with Firmin Ichor weaponry as troops similar to Legion medium infantry and skirmishers. After absorption reports were confirmed of several units being disbanded and purges amongst the officer corps to remove those whose loyalty to Mnemon was questioned. Additional troops have also been raised and significant heavy equipment added to Unsurpassable Guard armouries, stripped from the disbanded Legions.
Estimates as to the strength and deployment of the Mnemon House Guard are unclear, but are likely in the vicinity of fifteen Dragons of heavy infantry, thirty dragons of medium infantry, and fifteen dragons of skirmishers, plus three fangs of warstriders and specialist scales of sorcerers or demons.
