Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Hyokoku (Hyojin: Hyokoku kyōwa kokugun), known informally as the "Leopard Forces," are the military forces of Hyokoku. The Armed Forces are comprised of three service branches: the Leopard Army, the Hyojin Navy, and the Hyojin Air Force.

Command Structure
The Armed Forces are a part of the Ministry of National Defense. The supreme commander of the Armed Forces is the Chancellor of Hyokoku, while the ranking officer holds the title Joint Operational Commander, and is a general or admiral.

The National Defense Commission
The National Defense Commission (NDC) is the highest command body in the Armed Forces. It consists of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Minister for National Defense, the Joint Operational Commander, the Secretary of Defense Intelligence, and the chiefs of staff of each of the military's three service branches.

History
The modern Hyojin Armed Forces can trace their heritage to the establishment of colonial militias in 17th century Hyokoku. These militias were made up entirely of volunteers, and were mostly privately armed young men who banned together to defend their settlement from Huascan raids. In the First Hyojin-Huascan War, when Chancellor Yamauchi Ihaia declared the formation of a "Grand Army of Hyokoku" consisting of 3,000 men from the local town militias. After their stunning victory at Nahualac, the Hyojin began referring to their soldiers as "Leopard Soldiers" in mockery of the Huascan god of war, which took the physical form of a Great Northern Leopard on Mytas.

The Sacking of Ahmor
The Leopard Army was formally created in 1682 under the Shokkai's "Army Act," nationalizing the country's militias to create a force about 10,000-strong. In 1683, after a season of drilling and preparations, the Leopard Army marched north to attack the Huascan capital of Ahmor. The city's natural defenses, situated in the southern Ryukibas, were formidable, as were its walls. Ahmor was weakened however by rampant diseases, which had decimated the city's population by the late 1680s. Hyojin troops and their indigenous allies laid siege to Ahmor for a week before breaking through the walls and pillaging the capital. An estimated 20,000 Huascans are believed to have been killed during the sacking.