Themiclesian Marine Corps (according to November Magazine)

Themiclesian Marine Corps
房冗人, bjang-njung-njing
Active	1318 – now
Country	Themiclesia
Branch	Navy
Type	Naval infantry Naval aviation (helicopters)
Role	Boarding Landing
Size	7,553 (active) 5,220 (in reserve)
Part of	Ministry of Defence
Nickname(s)	Wandering Legion, Star Children
Patron	Venus (planet)
Colours	Blue, verdigris, silver
Commanders
Captain-general	Margaret Skur

The Themiclesian Marine Corps (房冗人, bjang-njung′-njing) is the naval infantry branch of the Themiclesian Navy (航, gang) and performs a range of tangent and peripheral duties.

Name and translation

Themiclesian Marines acquired their Tyrannian names confronted with Tyrannian Royal Marines, who fought them in 1791 during the Raid on Rad and gave them their present name. Hallians and Sylvans prior to this regularly called them the Exercitus Thimiensis, "Themiclesian Army". The term Exercitus Thimiensis was even used by Themiclesian diplomats. In modern times, this is deprecated due to confusion with the similarly-named Themiclesian Army, which would have been called just "Army" in the early modern period. "Themiclesian Marine Corps" is the sanctioned translation of the Shinasthana bjang-njung-njing (舫冗人) since around 1810.

Themiclesians do not use bjang-njung-njing to translate "marine corps" in general; rather, the term st′jur′-prjang (水兵, "maritime army") is used. This is because, domestically, st′jur-prjang refers to the lake-based naval infantry that was part of the militia, which predates the institutional Navy by several centuries. st′jur-prjang being the more inutitive term, it is preferred in translating foreign terms.

bjang (房) is a proper name for a cabin located in the stern of a ship and constrats with stjit (室), a cabin in the bow of a ship. Both pjang and stjit are compared to parts of terrestrial buildings. There is currently disagreement about the proper reading of bjang: the 3rd Regiment, formed in 1524 and the oldest extant unit, reads it as bjang, while the 4th and 5th Regiments, both dating to the Pan-Septentrion War, read it as pjang’ instead. Philologically, bjang is likely the correct reading, since it is homophonous with the root word bjang (房, lit. "rear chamber"), and also pjang’ means jib. Various theories have been forwarded to explain their confusion by individuals who "have good reason to distinguish them".

The word njung-njing (冗人) means "passenger". Currently, this term is still used to identify passengers on both ships and aircraft, but not passengers on road vehicles. The source of this name is uncontroversially linked to the archaic custom that all passengers on ships sailing beyond the coastline are required to bear arms for its defence, under the captain's direction.

Since the word "marine" is used in a variety of translations of Shinasthana terms into Tyrannian, the Themiclesian Marines, in conjunction with the Society of Law Archivists, have instated guidelines for its servicepersons to observe. These guidelines are not binding outside the Marine Corps but are recognized in the press and some academic circles. When referring to servicepersons in the Marines, the term "marine" or "marines" is preferred, since it is a common noun for a soldier in a fleet. Referring to the Themiclesian Marine Corps or using it as a modifier, the spelling "Marines" (capitalized and plural) is appropriate. The upper-case and singular "Marine" is used exclusivley with respect to the Marine Prefect, who oversees the protection of forests and wildlife in Themiclesia. The guidelines further state that in all correspondence with foreign militaries, "the customs and usages thereof should in all cases be respected and preferred." For descriptive literature not addressed to foreign militaries, the Common Manual of Style (endorsed by the Consortium of Themiclesian Universities) is authoritative.

History

Early centuries

Main article: Themiclesian Navy § History

The original distinction between sailors and "passengers" is first attested in an royal edict dating to 503, forbidding passengers (anyone not a crew member) from defecting to enemies in case the ship was attacked. Maritime historian C. Larter belives these laws evidence the "increased militarization of the Rjang merchant navy, seeking to utilize every person onboard." However, he also recognizes that the role of passengers in these situations is "murky at best".

The oceanic navy was organized in 810 as a merchant then military fleet to fend off Hallians attacking Themiclesian outposts in Columbia and to control over the prized Maracaibean trade, which brought much gold to Themiclesia. In ensuing naval conflicts, enemy fleets, replenished locally, carried more troops. In comparison, Themiclesia carried ten months' provision to cover the four-month voyage to and from Meridia. If Themiclesia wished to match enemy deployments, ships would be set aside for grain storage; such ships would be weakly defended and useless in combat. Thus, many Themiclesia vessels were less crewed than their opponents. Good manoeuvring compensated to some extent, but the court searched for a permanent solution. A second problem arose that if experienced sailors died or were captured, the craft could be paralysed; carrying substitute crew created the same problem with provisions. As a result, the 503 statute was extended to the military navy, ordering the fleet's physicians, scribes, craftsmen, and priests to fight with the crew; however, such specialized officers were valuable to the fleet, and their engagement was considered a desperate measure.

In the Themiclesian fleet, crew member both manned the vessel and boarded enemy ships, a combination of duties that provisions constraints reinforced; however, it was then observed that enemy fleets were frequently augmented by soldiers that were not part of the ships' crew. Themiclesians called them passengers, like their own non-crew officers. After the capture of Portcullia, Themiclesians or their allies were found there in predictable numbers. After 945, that every Themiclesian there or elsewhere in Meridia was liable to be pressed and procure their own provisions, as long as the fleet compensated them with money, which could be transported much more easily than bulky grain. From that point, the fleet expecting battle would sail to Meridia with a small crew, press men into service for battle, and release them as soon as it was finished. Since these individuals were not sailors and served largely the same role as soldiers on enemy fleets, they were called passengers.

The first passengers augmented ships lacking sailors, navigating while crew members were aboard enemy craft; however, around 1050, crew and passenger were both used for combat, and by 1200, pressed men were responsible for most of it. The press was exceptionally unpopular with Themiclesians abroad engaging in commerce. Those who could afford it hired substitutes when it was imposed. Additionally, as the number of passengers waxed, they also became prone to mutinies, which hampered several important operations in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Revolt of 1279

In 1279, a number of Meridian states entered into an alliance and assembled a fleet to rival the Themiclesian one. Hostilities opened some time in 1280. Themiclesian archival sources provide that the enemy was spirited but poorly co-ordinated; however, many historians contend that the Meridian states fielded well-built ships and expert mariners that flustered Themiclesian admirals. The Themiclesians invaded two of the major allies at the same time, which caused the Meridian fleet to split and rush in their aid. In one, the Themiclesian fleet laid in wait and ambushed one of halves and won a victory at not-insignificant cost, but in the other, the Themiclesian troops were facing stern local opposition. Shortly after this victory, the passengers who took the first Meridian city refused to set sail to assist those in the other, having learned that the battle was hard and proclaiming that they were promised only one battle. This delay permitted the standoff to reach the other city, where the passengers defected to the Meridian alliance, knowing that the fleet was quagmired and unable to reinforce their position in a reasonable amount of time. The Meridian admirals promised that they would be sent to Portcullia unharmed. The campaign of 1279-80 severely weakened Themiclesian military standing, and it is generally agreed as the most significant factor in founding permanent units of passengers in 1318.

Wax Tablet Case

Main article: Wax Table Case (1370)

Formula

The entry of Sylva into the race for colonies in Meridia has prompted Themiclesia to expand its fleet. In 1518, the Admiralty devised an formula for calculating how many marines were required on each ship. Advocates of the formula stated that, since ships and marines were both fixed costs, expenditure on either can be mathematically optimized. Beneath the optimum, the likelihood of capture increases dramatically, while above the optimum, deployment carried diminishing returns. This was compared to the current value of the ship they defended. Opponents of the formula asserted that it does not factor in the enemies and thus must be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the court adopted the formula, and the size of the Marine Corps seems to have followed it closely for the next two centuries.

Mutiny at Trjung-gengh

Four regiments of the Columbian Colonial Army were re-assigned to the authority of the Admiralty in 1731. Due to a history of conflicts with that force, the fleet docked at Trjung-gengh (中亙; now in Camia) turned away the four regiments in Jan. 1732. The fleet combined this with other grievances and refused to sail until addressed. While this took place at peace, the court was gravely troubled. The new regiments were required to take an oath before the crew of the ship on which they served, swearing to defend them as much as themselves. This is remarkable as it shows significant Casaterran influence, Themiclesians rarely swearing oaths before this time.

Mutiny at Smljin-ts′jêng

On August 2, 1740, the 11th Regiment of Marines mutinied at Smljin-ts′jêng (神清; now in Camia). Some of the regiment had been caned for a minor offence with a number of sailors. The sailors received their captain's protection, which commuted caning into amercement, but the marines did not enjoy the same. The mutineers barricaded themselves at a small, defensible position at Smljin-ts′jêng, presenting their grievances on an ensign, demanding, amongst other things, equal treatment. However, the fleet set sail on the night of the 5th, leaving the 11th in their barricade. The court disbanded the 11th on Nov. 22, 1740. While the grievance was not addressed, the Passenger Offences Act was amended in 1741, effectively granting their petition.

Maverican War

Main article: Maverican Wars

While the Marines saw combat against Ostlandic marines during both Maverican Wars, the conflict for which they are most famous occurred in 1768, known as the Great Firefight. The Colonial Army massacred and intentionally caused a famine for the locals in retribution for their revolt, but it also encumbered the navy's revictualing, which relied on plentiful Maverican grain. The admirals ordered marines to investigate and resettle dispossessed Mavericans, contradicting the Colonial Army's policies. Skirmishes then broke out between the two forces, the most deadly occurring on September 1, 1768, with 281 casualties. The locals support the Marines who appeared to be fighting for their security. The Colonial Army took this as proof that the Admiralty was in league with them and imported two regiments from the subcontinent to expel the marines. Vindictive Colonial Army officers threw captives into the sea.

Raid on Rad

Main article: Raid on Rad

Commissioning evolutions

Main article: Sale of commisisons in the Themiclesian military

Historically, the Marines have been more open to appointing officers from the rank-and-file than other forces based in the Demesne Land. This is ordinarily thought to be the consequence of making appointments away from the metropole and the Ministry of Administration, which would have preferred appointing serving bureaucrats (見任吏) or members of the landed gentry (郡邦士), who were either formerly bureaucrats or related to them. However, as the statutory gentry expanded to include rich graingers, merchants, and (later) industrialists, the ratio of gentleman to non-gentleman amongst Marines officers shifted in favour of the former, who formerly accounted for less than a tenth of them. By 1850, the gentry formed the entire officer corps. Scholars describe this phenomenon as harmonization with mainstream Themiclesian society.

Like many regiments in the 19th century, the Marines also sold active and reserve commissions. In some ways, the 1850 law restricting new commissions to graduates of the Army Academy encouraged sales since the concern of appointing unqualified officers abated. While only a small fraction of officers were usually absent in the mid-19th century, they represented half of them by 1890. The expansion of the Academy as a liberal-arts university also meant that many officers had no expertise in leading military units, which meant reliance on petty officers. The Admiralty sought to control this issue by putting units with absentee commanders in reserve, but ultimately it was not possible to reserve all of them. This situation persisted until the 1930s and is accurately reflected in A Movie Director and a Geologist, a fictionalized novel about the Dayashinese infiltration of the Marine Corps, aided by many officers' total lack of military experience.

Salary reform

In 1820, the Lord of Rjai-lang was Navy Secretary and worked to eliminate corruption, which he attributed to excessive reliance on officers, who inflated troops numbers and assessed fictitious fines to private their men's salaries. To this he introduced the Casaterran use of primary documents to enhance control, on the argument that if every salary payment was checked against the recipient's own calculations, embezzlement could not exist and willingness to fight would increase. Marines were ordered to invoice the Demesne Exchequer for the salaries directly, instead of the Naval Purse. The reasoning is that bureaucrats have done this for centuries without trouble. In 1821, the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty reported that marines were not tested for literacy and numeracy at enlistment, and from private letters, historians understood this policy as an unmitigated disaster. Scores of marines went hungry or found themselves hounded to suicide by debt collectors. Many were kept alive through the petty cash or the private largess of officers. The policy was reversed after three years, when it became obvious that rebellion was at hand.

Battle of Rafts

Main article: Battle of Rafts (1840s)

Battle of Liang-la

Main article: Battle of Liang-la

Mediatization

Main article: Mediatization of the forces (Themiclesia)

Trjuk's reforms

Main article: Trjuk Krjên-magh

Trjuk Krjên-magh, the colonel who surrendered the Isle of Liang, became Captain-general in 1870. He was silently hated and despised by most officers; however, he also introduced a number of important reforms that, historians believe, would not have been possible if he did not take this office. In 1871, he secured a law that exempted marines from the militia fine, which was nominally assessed on all able-bodied males not participating in militias. Next year, Trjuk abolished the Spiritual Benevolence, which was taxed on salaries for the upkeep of the Naval Cult but had become a device of embezzlement, since the Cult was obsolete. In 1874, he appointed the first accountants to supervise the Marine Corps' purse. In 1875, he pioneered an initiative to teach ordinary marines to read, write, and count, which made them less susceptible to abuse from superiors and gave them a small chance to become officers. By 1880, he had increased the marines' effective salaries by a fifth while reducing the running costs. C. Larter says that Trjuk "made the Marine Corps a lot less superstitious, oppressive, and medieval."

Textbook crisis

In 1887, the text Child's Tear (芻子淚, tsrjo-tsje′-rjebh), a long, tragic poem about a child starving in the streets, was included in the list of recommended texts for primary curricula. The poet's brother was seized by the marines, aged 16, and has not been heard of since. The poet recounts puerile hopes that he may return one day with candies (of which Meridia was famous and dates the poem to the late 1500s) and some wealth but gradually consigns himself to believe his brother's corpse is now in the ocean, gnawed on by fish. The poet contrasts what happened to the physical body of his brother (eaten by fishes) to his personhood (lost to the treasury). Critics read that the poet believed his brother's life was exactly like expendable tax money. The Marines lobbied to hav the text retracted, to no avail.

Merger

Between 1910 and 1916, several leaders of the Marine Corps advocated for merger with the Capital Defence Force, one of three professional armies then. They believed that more advanced tactics and better equipment could thus be introduced to naval use, though some historians doubt these stipulations. At any rate, the Admiralty was highly opposed to this plan, stating to Parliament that the "CDF has no naval experience" when the matter was tabled. First Admiral Dek was particularly suspicious of the plans, in an era when half or more of Marines officers were graduates of the Army Academy. In Commons committee, Dek testified that nothing would be gained from merger, resulting in the bill's retraction. The 1916 amendment to the Naval Academy Act established a seminar for Marines officers; however, until 1955, this was considered a second-rate qualification.

Recruitment and discipline

Most Themiclesian infantry and cavalry regiments, both militia and professional, were associated with counties or towns where they exclusively recruited or at least had priority to recruit. Marines did not have such counties set aside for them and relied, in the 18th century, on impressment in coastal areas to replenish its ranks. It was outlawed in 1801 to press civilians into the navy as marines, so the Admiralty faced stern opposition from local militias where, what they might do, and when to recruit. It arranged with certain counties in the 1810s to recruit men who did not join the local militia, but these individuals proved difficult to solicit, since few who found five days of local service unacceptable would assent to 20 years with the Navy. Flyers expounding that marines received a fixed salary were banned by many magistrates and alderman as obstacles to fill their militia quotas. As a result, the strength of each regiment was fell from 1,250 to 910. Restrictions on naval recruitment tightened in the 1830s as young men left agriculture to find work in the cities. In 1847, the Marines began recruiting in Rim-tsi and Kien-k'ang rather than compete with rural militias, which were short-handed as urbanization intensified.

Thus, until well-into the next century, most marines came from urban backgrounds, creating a pervasive cultural contrast with sailors, who tend to come from coastal towns. While the recruitment problem was resolved on paper, a primarily-urban marine corps led to other issues unforeseen by the Admiralty. Recent research suggests that most recruits were young, unemployed men of many descriptions. Some were child labourers fired because they outgrew the small machines in which they worked, while others were dismissed stealing from factory products, arguing with supervisors, or simply from folding companies. Often such men lived amongst petty criminals in lawless urban slums, subsisted on a near-starvation diet of adulterated foods, or were stunted in their physical and mental development due to the harsh, unforgiving industrial environment. As a result, gambling, drunkenness, larceny, assault, and other misdemeanours plagued the navy's reputation. Though many captains-general attempted to alter this situation, low wages constrained recruitment to those who otherwise had no stable income, and as the social revolution continued, those with no income were associated with laziness, unskillfulness, irresponsibility, and, ultimately, moral turpitude and criminality.

While most marines worked close to naval installations, they were a subject of both internal and external criticism. Sailors frequently maligned marines as criminals without compelling evidence or ridiculed them for their urban background or, in many instances, physical weakness. Their uniforms, designed at the turn of the 19th century to inspire confidence and gentrifying respectability, were held in irony against their perceived nature as lowlifes. There are instances where marines who did not have a life of crime turning to stealing after enlistment. While some martial spirit or traditional dignity may have been used as a device to discountenance such behaviour, their understanding was perceived as a privilege of learnedness. Before compulsory education was introduced, most marines could not read or write much more than their names. Indeed, officers were a class of individuals wholly distinct from the enlistment. Just as social characteristics of the lower class interwine with the image of enlisted men, so did middle-class rearing with that of their officers. Some academic works consider interface between society and institution a corrupted continuation of the age-old distinction between gentry and commoner, though the Marine Corps had been a more egaltarian place prior to the 1800s.

In 1919, the City of Rjem-tsi banned marines from visiting certain districts and commercial establishments citing their unruly behaviour that offended the people living and socializing there. Though the Admiralty public protested, First Admiral Gap rhetorically asked his secretary "if [the City] can be blamed." Traditional sources of authority, such as the Naval Tribunes, were abolished following ambitious reforms but never truly replaced. In the past, with Themiclesians supported primarily by the family structure, the ultimate threat against poor behaviour was collective punishment: mutineers were reminded that their families were vulnerable if they were not, and tribunes, as royal record-keepers, positively emphasized the government's ability to hold their relations to answer. Industrialization enabled at least urban-dwelling Themiclesians to eke out an individual existence, and degradation of public records meant that many marines (who were urban-dwellers) had no families on file that could suffer the consequences, or even shame, of their delinquency. Furthermore, capital punishment was abolished in 1853, which meant that ship captains could no longer throw marines overboard except in a true emergency. Lapsing discipline, arising at a confluence of causes, was never truly solved before social programmes were introduced to ameliorate the terrible suffering of the lowest classes of industrial Themiclesia.

In a desperate measure in 1921, the Admiralty asked the newly-formed Themiclesian Coast Guard to keep unattired or drunken marines and those with obviously-stolen items from going into the city. This policy created much resentment amongst marines, since sailors could move freely even if bare-chested or inebriated. An absurd amount of fistfights ensued between the two services, and marines prefered bootleg spirits to dutied ones because it meant defying the Coast Guard. A newspaper article by a retired Marines officer in 1923 pointed out that excise on alcohol was virtually nil, so there is little economy buying bootleg and possibly-adulterated drinks. There remains a friendly rivalry between the services today in the game of "Hunt" (邍). It reprises many a bootleger pursuit by the Coast Guard of a marine with his coattail pockets laden with alcohol, though today they are not confined to their canonical roles in this game. The primary challenge for the "marine" to run at full speed without breaking or losing the bottles while escaping the "coast guard" catching up from a set distance away. The "marine" cannot simply take the bottles out of his pocket and run with them in his hands as this historically aroused suspicion. The "coast guard" wins if he catches up with the "marine" or if the latter exposes or breaks the bottles, while the "marine" wins if he can stave off apprehension and hand over his wares to the umpire at the end of the course.

Prairie War

The government passed the Special Conscription Act, 1935 to conscript organized men before the general public in response to mounting pressure from Menghean volunteers in Dzhungestan. The 1st and 2nd Regiments of Marines were sent to the front this way with a litany of others units not initially involved there. Anticipating a naval invasion from Camia, the Marines were ordered to recruit starting in 1937, progressing at a snail's pace as most able-bodied men were already conscripted or on notice for conscription. Dayashinese immigrants, feared regional discrimination, which was known to be rife in some units, responded to the the lobby encouraging them to join the Marines instead, where they would form a majority in the new regiments; some have called this phenomenon a "group-buy mentality", where minorities could band up and create or enforce a friendly environment. In 1940, Dayashinese men accounted for over 80% of the entire enlistment and 65% of the force.

End of commission sales

On September 1, 1936, the Marines obtained permission to forbid the resale of their commissions, which occurred at an alarming rate as officers raced to exit the military due to impending war. Though not expected to be involved directly in combat, the high proportion of absentee officers meant the Marines had an immediate shortage of them. Though official statements exhorted all commission-holders "to present oneself at the earliest possible time," there is speculation that the prohibition on commission resales was intended to halt the precipitous fall of lower commission prices, which would ultimately endanger those of higher commissions. In the 20s and 30s, the Marines were fasionable for figures like aspiring politicians and renowned editors to be commissioned in, as it was urban, socially active, and possessed a serviceable petty officer system that liberated the officer from routine duties, allowing them to reap social benefits. Though touted as a wartime measure, the sale of commissions never resumed after the war.

PSW and infiltration

Main articles: Yamabe Oshimaro and Anabe Matakoshi

After the 1st and 2nd Regiments were re-organized for combat at the eastern front, the remaining marines, numbering some 950, were assigned shipboard and logistics duties in the city of Tonning, which was a major naval port. These duties expanded to the outskirts of Rim-tsi in early 1936 and then the coastal prefectures of Lêng, Tsjinh-′an, and Prjin. The royal household and government evacuated to Rim-tsi in November 1936. The Dayashinese Imperial Special Operations Group (D/ISOG) sent infiltrators to surrender and then join the Marines, due to their predictable region of operation near the seat of the government. Assassination attempts thereby carried out occurred between 1940 and 1941, and on two occasions the assassin was only foiled before the royal presence. This caused the royal court to move to Gwrjang-′an (永安宮) Palace in early 1941 and then to the even more secluded Grui-ljang Palace (淮陽宮) in the same year. The Navy Secretary refused to step down after these incidents became public, causing Lord Nrar (戁君), Captain-general of Marines, to commit suicide after being cleared of suspicion.

The 1st and 2nd Regiments were returned to naval control in the re-organization of 1943.

In Menghe

The Marines were mostly seen with naval convoys that shipped men and goods to Menghe starting in 1946, not experiencing combat at sea or on land. An altercation occurred with the military cinemas set up in Menghe, originally for Themiclesian soldiers but admitting Menghen civilians, provided vacant seats; however, marines were not part of the South Expedition Army and thus not entitled to free admission. On Feb. 4, 1947, one marine first entered a scuffle with a ticketing clerk, complaining that they were treating the locals better than fellow soldiers, and then vociferated obscenities before the cinema, "creating a gross disturbance of the peace". Eventually, an officer pacified him, paying for his ticket. In March, he was fined three months' wages under the confessed charge of conduct unbecoming. The identity of this anime-loving marine was only revealed in 1990, who, in his old age, said that "anime is for humans of every colour, religion, and sex; it is unfair to exclude access to anime on regimental grounds."

Current roles

The Themiclesian Marines currently have four distinct roles, as defined by the Admiralty's White Paper on Naval Defence, 2003.

1. Protection of the Themiclesian fleet and naval installations from land-based and personnel threats;
2. Conversion of foreign naval and land assets in support of naval operations;
3. Defence of areas not assigned to the Army's military districts and Themiclesia's "small islands" in the Halu'an Sea; and
4. Certain diplomatic and ceremonial duties.

Equipment

Gunpowder era

Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇) landing platform dock

Currently

• The Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇, grjar-gwjen-lêng′) landing platform dock was introduced in 2000.

Culture

Religion

Venus on the dawning horizon

For a few centuries, the Themiclesian Marines resembled many of the units pledged by minorities to the royal court in terms of their symbolisms and mythology. The most prominent figure that has been recorded by contemporaries to be worshiped by marines is the planet Venus. Venus was called smrjang (爽) in Themiclesian astronomy, literally "dawning". This is consistent with the cross-cultural mythical position of Venus as the morning star. Authorities have discussed the relevance of the morning star to the Marines, if it was a belief adopted from a different culture or created by the fleet's reliance on astrology. Research into the Marines' archives have yielded no useful description of this belief due to its bias towards written records of an administrative nature, and due to changing recruitment practices in the 18th century it practically left no trace in the modern unit. Its absence from official records stands in stark contrast with multiple accounts of entire ships of marines bowing their heads at the rising of Venus. Another source of information are several airs that call upon Venus to protect marines, who address themselves as "sons of stars and the great dawning star".

Plush bears

In 1901, toy manufacturer C. C. & Co. first introduced a line of "soldier bears" at the 12" and 16" size ranges, wearing Marines frock coats. They sold exceedingly well, over 500,000 units by 1910. However, rather perceiving the bears as wearing Marines uniform, much of the public instead believed that the Marines changed their uniforms to match the bears, ostensibly to improve their own recognizability. This misconception made it into both chambers of Parliament before First Admiral Ram published on the The Capital Correspondent an 1839 picture showing that Marines uniforms have not changed much since then, proving that the Marine Corps did not manipulate public imagination. The bears remain available from C. C. & Co. to this day, and the Marines themselves have embraced this plush bear by handing it out as prizes for competitions and at public-relations events. In 1981, it was reported in the news that the Marines pressed C. C. & Co. for a 30% discount on a 10,000-bear order; the company said that it could not "co-operate with the government without raising prices for the public."

Professionalism

Chang and Beecky (1984) asserts that some of the activities of the Themiclesian Marines in the 19th century were remarkably similar to trade guilds of the day. Craftsmen continued to migrate to major cities, particularly close to coast, after the restarting of trade with neighbouring states in 1796. Urban-dwelling craftsmen built on the medieval institution of trade guilds and, many enriched through enterprise, began to develop professional pride. It was not only founded on excellence in one's skill, but also the resulting economic security.

Non-regionalism

The Themiclesian Marines are a non-regional force, like the rest of the Navy and the TAF. Recruits since the 1500s were placed into its units without regard for origin, though it is assumed that most recruits are from the coastal areas, where recruitment took place. The Navy has recruited foreign sailors, or even impressed them from formerly hostile fleets, to replenish its own crew, especially after engagements with large casualties. The same applies to marines, though the subject of impressment would be ordinary civilians, rather than sailors. Since the recruitment of Dayashinese-Themiclesians in 1938, Dayashinese has also been added as an official language, though the main spoken language still appears to be Shinasthana, with foreign terms primarily appearing as jargon.

Emblem and Sylvanate name

The seal, adopted in 1843, consisted of a globe with orange longitudinal and latitudinal lines and red equator and prime meridian over a dark-blue field with the asterisms of the Great Dipper and the Boat. Three concentric rings, at various positions of obliquity, of gold, silver, and bronze, encircled the globe, representing the orbits of the sun and moon. The field was encircled by a thick verdigris border with increments. The rings represent a traditional navigational instrument, whose functions were comparable to a sextant. The asterisms were key pointers for celestial navigation, the Great Dipper pointing to the north in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Boat to the south in the Southern.

In 1872, the outer ring was added, with the Sylvanate translation added from sinister to dexter, like the Tyrannian text today, reading Legio Vectorum Thimiensis ("Themiclesian Passenger Legion"). Tyrannian was substituted in 1890. Notably, the Shinasthana text was only added in 1979; this is typical for Themiclesian unit sigils, which were adopted expressly for the purpose of identification by foreigners.

Liberalism

Stereotypically, Themiclesian marines are Liberals, espousing their values of minimalism, efficiency, and personal liberties. It is indeed true that before the PSW, military officers openly wore their political affiliations, and many Marines officers were members of the Liberal Party. However, this impression is only true for officers, since commoners were not enfranchised until 1901, voting in general elections for the first time in 1904. Before this, a marine's salary even at the highest non-commissioned rate was less than one third of the qualifications to vote, and little suggests that ordinary marines held meaningful political opinions.

Around 1830, the middle class began to explore military careers, which previously had been limited to the aristocracy. Given weak aristocratic interest due to the negative reputation of the Marines, the middle class came to fill its offices, espeically under Liberal encouragement. As the middle class were predominantly Liberals, so did they carry their affiliations into the institution.

Progressivism

Main article: Sexual orientation and gender identity in the Themiclesian military

The Admiralty has gone to great lengths to portray the Marines as a progressive force. During the post-war era, the government wished to retain an international military presence or capability, to repay "debts of honour" to the states which assisted Themiclesia. The defence establishment sought to give them the character of motorized and naval infantry at the same time. Being too under-manned to specialize into different branches, this required the adoption of special vehicles and other equipment.

In the landmark case of Tro v. R., the court ruled in 1951 that the prohibition of females from taking combat roles was unlawful in the Consolidated Army. While the Staff Board was taken aback by the decision, the Marines announced on Dec. 18, 1951 that they "intend to respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential." At the time, Marines divided battalions into first through third lines, depending on the width of the front they were expected to hold; first-lines, which had the widest frontage and least depth, were initially not open to females. The Air Force announced 20 days later that they would abolish all regulations on the grounds of sex.

Sexuality

In recent scholarship, it was discovered that sexual abuse of marines, a minority on most ships, was a suppressed fact of naval life until the late 19th century. After 1882 and until 1971, the ill-defined "carnal knowledge" between naval servicepersons was prohibited on penalty of imprisonment or expulsion. The rule did not, until 1957, extend to civilians or members of other services. In the early 20th century, it was seen as progressive in some academic circles to discourage homosexuality and conservative to be agnostic; this arose under Casaterran influence, which boasted a considerable body of (now discredited) academic work asserting that homosexuality impaired effectiveness. By the 60s, much of the work stigmatizing homosexuality in the forces was found unsatisfactory. In 1971, the law was amended to decriminalize homosexual contact.

Despite this, the Marines have proven notably recalcitrant to changing social attitudes regarding homosexuality. Interviews from the 90s suggest that homosexuality is still identified as effeminate or corrupt, or at any rate an "ambiguous vice". Fragmentary evidence also document that the history of their sexual abuse was utilized as a emotional or rhetorical device for their training, or mentally to fortify or motivate them in some way. In 1998, Pvt. H. B. Kon hanged himself in his barracks, accusing officers by name to have done nothing to prevent his peers from verbally and physically abusing him for his sexual attraction to sailors on the SSS Go-ning. While the Ministry of Defence attempted to conceal his accusations, Kon had arranged an e-mail to be dispatch after his suicide automatically, in anticipation of the MoD's cover-up. A royal commission was issued in 2000 to investigate institutional prejudice and inaction in the Marine Corps and the 22nd Infantry Division, a unit that made headlines for a similar reason in 1992.

Unit names

Current units

A solar glory, after which the 1st Regiment was named in 1399

In the unit renumbering scheme of 1971, marines have started numbering at 201, since the Themiclesian Army are not using 2XX as unit numbers. This makes it less likely for unit numbers to be confused, which was a serious problem in the Pan-Septentrion War, in which each prefecture started numbering at 1. This meant there were as many "1st Regiments" as there were prefectures.

• 3rd → 203rd Regiment—Star Chasers (追星, tjur-stsêng), acquired by voice vote in 1918, in reference to the ancient traditions of celestial navigation that the Marines performed.
• 4th → 204th Regiment—Glory Seekers (榮益, gwrjing′-′ik).
• 5th → 205th Regiment—Sharpshooters (循射, sghjul-mljagh). But "sharpshooter" is homophonous with "missed by a long shot" (夷射, lir-m-ljagh) in many dialects, including the one most marines speak.

Former units

A circumscribed halo—the phenomenon after which the 2nd Regiment was named in 1548

This list is incomplete. For centuries, Themiclesian military units were named after auspicious natural phenomena or clouds, which were regarded as the portend of coming greatness and good fortune. Blem Mar, a 16th-century Themiclesian diarist, says that the navy's regiments all have "complimentary names" to bolster their confidence in the uncertainty and peril of oceanic travel, just as crews name their vessels. Becuase a great fire burnt down sections the Citadel of Kien-k'ang in 1792 and again in 1841, most of the disbanded regiments' names have been lost. While government authorities have used numbering to distinguish regiments from each other, debate continues whether numbers have been re-assigned at some point in history and if a regiment was in fact two regiments having used the same number at different times.

• 1st Regiment—Spectre (絢光, hwin-kwang), conscripted to the East Expedition Force in 1935.
• 2nd Regiment—Circumscribed Halo (繞虹, n-ngjawh-gong), as above.
• 6th Regiment—disbanded 1842.
• 7th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 8th Regiment—active 1512 – 1600, fate unclear, possibly lost in Meridia or amalgamated into another regiment.
• 9th Regiment—Aurora (極彩, grjek-ts′e′), disbanded 1810.
• 10th Regiment—disbanded 1860.
• 11th Regiment—disbanded 1740, due to mutiny.
• 12th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 13th Regiment—sank in 1762 off the coast of Camia.
• 14th Regiment—lost in Camia c. 1750.
• 15th Regiment—captured and massacred by the Tussle Nation of inland Columbia, c. 1710.
• 16th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 17th Regiment—lost in Meridia.
• 18th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 19th Regiment—disbanded 1868.
• 20th Regiment—disbanded 1869.

Nickname

As the Themiclesian Marines were not associated with specific counties and recruited without regard for local borders, they were frequently called the "Wandering Legion" (遊旅) in coastal areas, where locals more frequently saw them. This name became their primary appellation in the 15th century, and surviving letters demonstrate that marines most frequently called themselves "wandering soldiers" (遊卒). Contemporaneously, soldiers in other armies also used similar phrases to describe themselves, such as "guard soldiers" (衛卒), "Demesne soldiers" (縣官卒), or "Capital Marshal's soldiers" (中尉卒). In contrast, the term "passengers" (冗人) was considered officious. Terminological doublets like this were very common in Themiclesia and reflected contrasting worldviews held by the elite, which sought political and legalistic continuity, and those by commoners, which was usually frank and substantial.

Poetically, the Themiclesian Marines' songbook call marines "sons of stars" (參孫), referring to their religious belief in Venus as the morning star.

The only known native nickname that was applied to the Marines as a whole is lok (毓), usually translated as "metropolitans". In 1879, a Lt. Gaw had his cravat woven out of peacock feathers, so that he could be called "featherneck", as a jest towards Tyrannian Royal Marines and Camian Marines after them, who were nicknamed "leathernecks" due to their leather stocks. The peacock cravat was later donated to a private collection, and in 2019 it attracted the opinions of modern marines, that it was "very pixelated".

Sports

Casaterran-style bare-knuckle boxing became popular in the Navy in the 19th century as it required very little equipment or premise, and marines frequently placed highly in the Navy's boxing matches, though winning the championship only once, in 1879. Some sports historians attribute this to gamesmanship, while others comment that street fighting was very common in lower-class urban communities whence marines typically originated, resulting in a proficiency that other naval servicepersons found difficult to match. This argument is supported by the observation that the Marines lost their standing after open recruitment was enacted in 1947, which allowed all services to recruit freely throughout the country. Bare-knuckle boxing was nationally banned in 1960 as a blood sport.

In the 1950s, the Themiclesian Air Force entered a rivalry with the Marines in tennis. The 1949 match between them, with a score of 13-11, 6-3, 6-8, 10-12, and 7-5 and lasting three hours, was the most-attended inter-service sports event up to that time, attracting over 2,000 servicepersons. In 1953, the TAF banned the Marines from the Upper Themiclesia Championships (邦陰算, prong-′rjum-stsorh), claiming that marines were training during working hours and were, effectively, professional athletes. In response, the Marines hosted a new event and sent out invitations to a great number of regiments and units, creating a schism that briefly drew public attention. TAF maintained its policy that service members may not replace their work with "sports and diversions", but the Marines claimed that sports enhanced team spirit and was a bona fide part of their work. The schism persisted until 1970, when the "open era" began. At this point, the TAF had banned most of the forces from Upper Themiclesia and earned the animus and scorn of many commentators and veterans.  

Criminality

Marines who injure officers or crew members were been thrown off their ships prior to the 18th century without trial, under a captain's ancient prerogative to maintain order on his vessel. Non-violent offenders are subject to the ordinary naval law, which included caning, up to 2,400 strokes, as its primary punishment. It was not uncommon for caning sentences to cause death. Officers were allowed to exchange (贖) caning for amercement, but since officers tended to be wealthy by background, the amercement figures were effectively unpayable for enlisted rates, who had little savings after mandatory contributions and expenses on food, clothes, and weapons.  

In the 18th century, attorneys were further empowered to enforce laws in the navy, which reduced ad hoc punishments and corruption to some extent. The naval law was changed in 1710 reducing caning to a new maximum of 600 strokes and introducing imprisonment. Most marines sentenced to prison turned up in the Tonning West Jail, which was operated by the Exchequer and mainly held tax evaders, fraudsters, counterfeiters, gamblers, and debtors. This continued even after the Navy built a dedicated prison in 1827. While the conditions at Tonning West were hardly harsh, many emerged from it with negative equity, but an exceptional marine made $600 in prison, enough to buy him a house and his service contract back.

Uniforms

See also: Uniforms of Themiclesian armed forces

Themiclesian Marines' dress uniforms

The Navy Ministry commissioned uniforms for the naval establishment in 1809. It included a blue woolen jacket, waistcoat, cravat, shirt, trousers, and shoes. Collars were worn standing up, secured by the cravat, often a bow. Since uniforms were procured individually, considerable variation existed in colour and cut; as long as garments fell within the vague wording of the regulations, it was deemed acceptable. The new uniforms were initially shared between sailors and marines; however, different dressing habits, conditioned by their respective environments, soon took hold. Sailors frequently forewent the waistcoat and jacket, to avoid spoiling these garments while working, and captains augmented uniforms at their own expense. While sailors' uniforms seemed to follow the international trend towards spread collar and loose cravat, marines' uniforms followed civilian fashions instead.

The main dress uniform was updated in 1837 for a rounder look and was unchanged until 1880. A frock coat was introduced in 1837 for daytime drilling and informal meals. It was knee-lengthed and combined with a teal waistcoat and matching cravat. Tailoring uniforms being costly, many new recruits bought coats from dischargees, provided matching figures. Since the cut of both uniforms followed civilian fashion, a mixture of fashion eras is sometimes seen on photographs. In one case, a single set of uniform (dating to 1848) was sold four times and still in use in 1863. High-ranking officers were often seen out-of-uniform for a variety of reasons. The under-waistcoat fell out of use after 1860, but the waistcoat's lapels were cut from a different fabric since 1862, restoring the lost contrast.

By 1900, the stand-up collars and silk cravat appeared antiquated, but replacing them would stretch beyond what regulations permitted. In the civilian world, the frock coat gave way to the morning coat, and the lounge suit gained acceptance as informal wear. The Themiclesian Air Force adopted a no-lapel uniform in the style of the Tyrannian Royal Army, prompting a number of regiments to imitate it. In 1901, the Admiralty announced new uniforms for the fleet, but the Marine Corps did not follow suit as was customary. In 1923, a lounge suit was adopted for day use, following the TAF, in addition to a drab uniform for field work. The waistcoat was eliminated for both. Collars were worn folded down, making way for a four-in-hand necktie. The frock coat was promoted to full-dress status, both day and night; the tail coat was withdrawn from uniform regulations, though for many years marines were still expected to furnish their own "tails" attending formal civilian functions at night or appearing at court.

Oath

See also: Oathtaking in Themiclesia

Due to disruptions arising from the Columbian Colonial Army's augmentations in 1732, new marines regiments were required by law to take an oath before the ship on which they served, before they were allowed to board the ship. The oath, originally established for former members of the Colonial Army, was made mandatory for all members of the force in 1780, under a consideration of fairness.

I, A.B., swear, in naval war, I shall observe all laws of passenger aboard and defend your bodies as my own body and this ship as my home. In the event I do not do as I say, let me be abandoned.

To this, the captain or his mate would reply that he would treat marines as well as his crew, making no "unlawful distinctions". In 1830, a new oath was added for individuals of aristocratic origin, who may not swear on life or limb, as they may only be judged by the emperor or their social peers.

I, A.B., peer [or gentlemen, as the case may be] declare upon my honour that I shall do right to each man under my charge, and I shall love, protect, and do every thing ought to others, as the law and accepted customs of this fleet require. This is my word of honour.

Scandals

Club (1979)

Main article: Marines Club (Themiclesia)

Pervert (2019)

Main article: Pervert incident (2019)

In the 2019 deployment to Idacua, Themiclesian marines captured drug cartel members and paramilitary personnel thereby retained. Amongst them is the International Liberty Front, noted for their anarcho-capitalist beliefs. On Nov. 20, that group tweeted that at least one of its members were taken prisoner, warning that any abuse would be reported. Captain-general Geoffrey Gwjang (王晞, gwjang-l′jei) reportedly took insult and allowed an official tweet calling the ILF "perverts". Reception has been overwhelmingly negative, with many satires appearing on the same platform, using the word "pervert" to put off those voicing legitimate complaints or concerns, e.g. the landlord of a leaky house calling a complaining tenant "pervert". By the end of November, "pervert" has become an Internet meme. Gwjang was dismissed on Dec. 28, 2019, replaced with Colonel Margaret Sui. She says that the conduct of the Themiclesian Marines in Idacua "can stand up to the entire world's scrutiny" but apologizes for the "inappropriate tweet".

List of leaders

• Lord Tsjêng-gar (清河君, ts′jêng-gar-kljur): Apr. 22 – May 3, 1348, later Prime Minister of Themiclesia.
• Pjang Ngjam (方巖): Jun. 23, 1745 – Nov. 12, 1749, pianist.
• Lord M′reng (顭君): Nov. 30, 1870 – Feb. 15, 1880, mathematician.
• Dr. Geoffrey Gwjang L′jei (王晞): May 4, 2016 – Jan. 31, 2020, archaeologist.
• Dr. Margaret Skul: since Jan. 31, computer scientist.

See also

• Themiclesia
• Deep Mission Troops
• Dayashina