The Legions of Orsimer
An overview of Orcish membership in the Imperial Legion
by Cantinia Varus, Imperial Historical Society
The Imperial Legions, as much a symbol of the Empire as the Dragon itself, have always had a policy of membership based on merit and ability, not on race or status. Knowing this, it should come to nobody's surprise that, following the Miracle of Peace 10 years ago, which saw the establishment of the Kingdom of Orsinium under the rule of King Gortwog (and the subsequent grant of citizenship to the Orcish people), that they quickly became a staple of the Legions.
Though the talks regarding Orcish citizenship and the legitimacy of Orsinium were slow ones due to the then ongoing power shift in the Iliac Bay, the Legion was, in contrast, very eager to adopt the Orcs into its ranks, a move some would say bolstered the talks in favor of the Orcs (whether this was the intention or not is a matter of light debate). After allowing Orcish Legionnaires, they were quickly put to work as both smiths and soldiers, primarily within the Bay region for a short while, to ensure peace, then spreading to the rest of the Empire from there. As part of Orsinium's citizenship dealings, the kingdom offered a sort of tithe to the Legion, wherein a specific percentage of able-bodied Orsimer living within Orsinium would be drafted into the Imperial Legions for service, with little complaint from the Orcs themselves, already respecting both martial prowess and the Legions highly for possessing as such.
In that time, a decade has passed, and Orcish integration into the Legion is more or less complete, with Orcish Legionnaires being as common a sight in a Legion fort as their Imperial or Nord brothers-in-arms. Though few have reached the highest rankings of the Legion, this is more due to their length of service being a comparatively short one, rather than any lack of ability. On the contrary, those few high ranking Orsimer are unprecedented, given the aforementioned length of service it typically takes to reach those heights, only further showcasing the extraordinary martial ability of the Orcish people.
Of course, the introduction of Orcs into the highly esteemed Imperial Legion hasn't been without controversy. Cultural preservationists within Imperial society hold the view that allowing Orcs (among other races) into the ranks of the Legion has a corrupting influence on Imperial culture, and can only lead to the downfall of the Empire. Of course, other views, including the Imperial Legion's official stance on the matter, declare such accusations as silly, as, in their words, any member of any race willing to join the Legion must already value Imperial culture to some extent, and corrupting it would run counter to those values, ensuring that our culture remains pure and steadfast in the face of adversity.
Overall, the introduction of Orcs as both citizens and soldiers of the Empire has been a great boon to the strength of the Legion, and to their already outstanding ability to protect the people of the Empire, a fact that I'm sure King Gortwog is proud of, and for good reason. With the newfound help from the Orcish people, the Legion, more than ever before, can be trusted to keep the Empire in safe hands.