Generals

Ranks of Generals within Unified Castia

1. Minister-General

Despite its unique title, the rank of Minister-General is the lowest ranking position of governing authority possible within Unified Castia. It is a position held by those in positions of gubernatorial authority over the smallest territorial delegations, which are primarily townships and occassionally smaller or less populated provinces, most notably in and around Cerala. The position is roughly equivocal to a second-rank General or Minister in terms of recompense and carries a slight prestige in contemporary Unified Castia due to King Maathen's prodigious professional origin as Minister-General of Nord. Ironically, Nord has become too large for the position of Minister-General and is now governed by a Mayor, a specfic sub-designation of second rank ministers.

2. Third-Rank General

Third-rank generals are the most common and populous general class within contemporary Unified Castia and typically hold positions all across the kingdoms as esteemed captains of guards, police forces, local militia, and strategic advisors to governing Ministers, Mayors, and occassionally Minister-Generals. Ironically, despite the higher cultural prestige associated with the position of general, third-rank general is a notoriously poorly salaried Imperial position and as such, individuals of this rank are often suprisingly humble in means.

During times of war, or if war is called, third-rank generals are either demoted to Commander or promoted to Second-rank general on a case-by-case basis as there is no wartime position equivocal to a third-rank general.

3. Second-Rank General

Second-rank generals are the second most populous general class within contemporary Unified Castia and typically hold positions of strategic advisement, martial education, guard and militia regional administration, and occassionally, city or province level governorship, especially in regions associated with frequent conflict. Unlike the position of Third-Rank General, Second-Rank Generals are compensated at a level substantially above Second-Rank Ministers and hold substantial power and economic and cultural authority.

During wartime, or when wartime is called, second-rank generals assume command of militias anywhere between 750 and 2500 soldiers broken into companies under the control of commanders. They are the lowest ranked generals of wartime and often participate direclty in front-line combat rather than hold strategic post.

4. First-Rank General

First-rank generals are the second most esteemed general class within contemporary Unified Castia and are exceedingly rare. As of the year 3095, there were only 56 first-rank generals in active service across the Kingdoms, with 21 of them residing in and around Violl in direct service to the Unified General. The other occupy various strategic, governing, and instructional positions across the Kingdoms with at least one first-rank General occupying the appointed specialty position of High General in each Kingdom directly beneath the Governor.

First-rank generals, then, hold immense power over the strategic and structural functioning of Unified Castia. A notable and commonly cited issue is the overwhelming dominance of males in the position of first-rank general, with only 6 female first-rank generals in active service in 3096. Surprisingly, this number has declined every year since General Osten was named Unified General. Despite Osten's own clear affiliation with the gender politics of martiality in Castia, her tenure has seen a marked disinterest in the campaign initiated during the Unifying Wars to diversify and meritocracize the Castian armed forces spearheaded by the former Unified General. These policies have also led to a decrease in Ceralan ranked officers and a very limited integration of Fassenian ranked officers into the contepmorary corps, with only 2 first-rank generals posessing Ceralan heritage in 3095 and 0 Fassenians.

During wartime, or when wartime is called, first-rank generals command armies of between 2,500 and 10,000 troops and participate in combat only as necessary, operating primarily at strategic levels and on the rare occasion when a duel is called.

5. Unified General

Not so much a rank, as position, Unified General is a position of supreme authority in Unified Castia appointed directly by the King and counterpart to the Unified Minister, who, in times of war, assumes rank over even the Unified Minister, while in peactime, both are of equal rank. As such, the Unified General is responsible for the entirety of the martial, punitive, and protective operations of Unified Castia as well as most aspects of diplomatic and international relations.
The position is currently held and has been held since 3082 by Dianthus Osten.

During times of war, the Unified General is responsible for the entirety of the Unified Forces and in direct command of the Imperial Militia, an army of 8,000 stationed in and around Violl at all times in direct service to the King or reigning sovereign.