Guardsmen
Guardians of the Realm | |
| Successor | The Praetorians, The Lionhearts, Parlusian Knights Assembly, Free Religion Templars |
|---|---|
| Established | 1000 |
| Founded at | Tianem |
| Type | Civilian Reserve Militia |
| Purpose | Peacekeeping |
| Headquarters | Kaer Ronan, Caren Milos, Al Sharem |
Guard-Commander | Leland Hersch |
Guard-Commander | James Atwell |
Guard-Commander | Amstan Quakehill |
| Affiliations | Parlusian Human Council |
"Respect the humble guardsman. He has not Gods to give him power, no unique genetics, no shower of praise, he is a shop owner, a farmer, a blacksmith. He is all this and even less and even then, when the realm is torn asunder, and fear grips his heart, he has held the line. For hundreds of years, like his brothers and sisters before him, he has held the line."
Origin
The Guardsmen were formed in response to the Zero Year agricultural crisis. Poor soil, infested crops, and dying livestock threatened countless farmsteads and held the realm’s starving agricultural economy at knife point. The Guardsmen were little more than united farmsteads of all sizes banding together to come up with an action plan to save what remained of their farms and jumpstart their territory’s agricultural economy. In response to new everyday abominations threatening the safety and wellbeing of critically important livestock, the farmers began arming themselves and enlisting the help of priests and blacksmiths to sharpen their minds and weapons. The average life expectancy of a Guardsman at the time was 32, as putting yourself in the line of fire of unclassified entities was a surefire way to get yourself killed. The Guardsmen only ever survived by being nearly wiped out on several occasions, rebuilding, adapting, and fighting. Then doing it all over again like that until the first chapter houses and schools were formed. The Guardsmen began offering their services to one of the many desperate towns and settlements plagued by violence. It was the Guardsmen who often answered the call. They became guardians for the lost, weak, and desperate. Guardians against the evil that plagued the land, a sword in the darkness if you will.
Knighthood, Tenets, and Values
Tenets and Values
The Guardsmen varied in motivation and alignment, but upheld the same tenets of protection, selflessness, and swordsmanship. The Guardsmen’s tenets would go on to be the first Paladin Oaths, that would inspire countless other religious and military sects. Among these tenets were the following:
- Loyalty. Never accept gifts or favors from fiends or those who truck with them. Stay true to your order, your comrades, and your duty.
- Destroy Undeath. The foul monsters created by the dark magics of necromancy are a cruel mockery of life and must be hunted down and destroyed wherever they exist.
- Shield the Innocent. You are a shield for the defenseless. Power has been given to you so that you may protect those who cannot protect themselves, especially those who don't know how to fight or are unjustly made victims of violence.
- Courage. You must be willing to do what needs to be done for the sake of order, even in the face of overwhelming odds. If you don't act, then who will?
- Responsibility. You must deal with the consequences of your actions, and you are responsible for fulfilling your duties and obligations.
- Vigilance. The threats you face are cunning, powerful, and subversive. Be ever alert for their corruption.
- Discipline. You are the shield against the endless terrors that lie beyond the stars. Your blade must be forever sharp and your mind keen to survive what lies beyond.
- Discipline the Soul. You must marshal the discipline to overcome failings within yourself that threaten to dim the glory of you and your friends.
- Peace. Violence is a weapon of last resort. Diplomacy and understanding are the paths to long-lasting peace.
- Innocence. All people begin life in an innocent state, and it is their environment or the influence of dark forces that drives them to evil. By setting the proper example and working to heal the wounds of a deeply flawed world, you can set anyone on a righteous path.
- Patience. Change takes time. Those who have walked the path of the wicked must be given reminders to keep them honest and true. Once you have planted the seed of righteousness in a creature, you must work day after day to allow it to survive and then flourish.
Knighthood
The Guardians were the first to openly practice of deputizing one another as a means of quickly recognizing a potential member’s feats and granting them all the necessary honors needed to fight as a recognized Guardsmen. This was so that the militia’s name could spread and show a sense of unity and scale to neighboring towns. This practice became known as ‘knighting’ and was quickly adopted by the realm’s broader militaries who used it as a means of wealthy, dignified titles for loyal bannermen. Knights who were knighted in this manner were Bannerbound, while Guardsmen were bound to the first oaths of the first knights. This of course created a divided decades down the road between heroic knights of lore, and the often nameless, dark metal farmhands of old.
Guardsmen Schools/Chapters, Service, and Organization
Any humanoid of sound mind and body may make the pilgrimage to one of three major Guardsmen schools to attempt to enlist, endure physical and mental training of at least a year, and hope to receive the Guardsmen’s Cross. Enlisting requires surrendering ones possessions on their persons to the chapter, and taking an immortal vow of service. The immortal vow is just that, service until one dies. Older Guardsmen, or those gravely wounded, may elect to work at the school as a groundskeeper, smith, scribe, or cook. Some take the vow to do just that in lieu of the more well known combat roll in a Battle Chapter. The vow states that after a certain length of time, a Guardsmen may return home and await their call to arms, which must be answered under penalty of death. There is no vow of chastity, surrendering of one’s wealth or property, or regrettable tattoos, only a lifelong promise to answer the call to arms when summoned.
A Guardsman school is typically home to younger students, teachers and instructors, and staff, any of whom may be recognized Guardsmen with the capacity for armed service. When a Guardsmen receives their school’s emblem, sometimes called the Guardsmen Cross, they are effectively knighted and therein given the title ‘Ser’. Female Guardsmen unanimously assume the title of ‘Ser’ as well, and only Bannerbound Knights take the title of ‘Lady’ to differentiate.
The ranks and organization of a Guardsmen Battle Chapter is typically as follows:
3 Chapters (Schools) made up of 10 Companies, with 20 Squads in each company. Cadets receive no honors until their graduation and receipt of the Guardsman Cross. When entered into service Guardsmen begin as Adepts, then work their way up the ranks as Knight-Adepts, Sergeant, Knight Sergeant, Lieutenant, Battlemaster, Knight-Commander.
Kaer Ronan
Also known as Caer a'Ruihrdan in the D’valisian dialect of Parlusian, Kaer Ronan is a Guardsmen keep located in Kaer Ronan valley, right off Gwenllech river where Guardsmen of the School of the Manticore are trained.
The castle can only be reached by "The Watchman’s Trail", nicknamed "The Jaw", which is easy to miss and encircles the keep. The outpost is where Guardsmen of the Manticore undertake strict physical and mental training, eventually taking the Guardsman’s oath. Guardsmen still tend to rest here between their assignments—usually during the winter, after which they set out on the road again and await the call to arms.
The keep's name is a nod to an ancient sea in the area, indicated by the presence of fossilized sea creatures embedded in the stones on which it was built.
Notable Guardsmen include: