Provincial Guard
Overview
The Provincial Guard is charged with enforcing the the Laws of Transdariania and the Criminal Code of Transdariania in all areas outside the jurisdiction of any city, town, or settlement, and within the province of Transdariania. The Provincial Guard is not bound to a certain floxod or knightly order but instead to the Sithire themselves. They travel about the province at large, both patrolling the public areas and the borders of a given province. The Provincial Guard has been recently created, thanks to the Interim Council of the post-Civil War Drache, and has replaced the traditional Border Guard that was founded by the Kingdom of Arangoth itself.
Infrastructure
The number of Provincial Guards patrolling a given region is dependent on the population of the region in question, but the general ratio of Provincial Guards to Civic Guards is approximately 1:4, which is to say that for every four Civic Guards employed by a town or settlement, one Provincial Guard will base operations from that location. Provincial Guards typically deploy on patrol alone or in pairs, and for that reason rank among the Provincial Guard is largely a recognition of merit rather than a position of command. Notable exceptions to this rule occur at or above the rank of Ranger-Lieutenant/Spell-Lieutenant. Each town or settlement employing four or more Provincial Guardsmen is overseen by a guardsman holding the rank of Ranger-Lieutenant/Spell-Lieutenant or higher, who assigns patrol-routes and communicates by runner with the High Ranger-General in Drache. No Guardsman holding a lesser rank than Ranger-Lieutenant/Spell-Lieutenant may oversee the Provincial Guard stationed in any town or settlement. Due to the highly administrative nature of the responsibilities at this level of rank, it is generally bestowed only upon such servicemen as have shown proof of some modicum of higher learning, or who have otherwise distinguished themselves as capable of managing such responsibilities.
It is common for an untried Tracker-Recruit to be deployed paired with a more senior member of the guard, and in those cases seniority determines command if no ranking guard is present. Under the circumstances that the Provincial Guard be called into action en-masse as an emergency military force, or in situations where the Provincial Guard are called to assemble for banquet or ceremony, rank is observed as with any other military organization.
Towns and villages served by fewer than sixteen Civic Guards or served by a Civic Guard Sherriff (Aptentrod) are included in the patrol routes of guardsmen from larger settlements.
Uniform Regulations
Guard formal/parade/banquet uniform is black tunic, pants and boots, with a forest green stripe down the outside seams of the pants, and a forest green cloak clasped by a pin that denotes rank. The basic insignia of the guard is wrought of bronze in the shape of a drawn recurve bow with black enamel inlaid in the negative space except for a bronze dragon, which has different symbols around that indicate the rank of the guard (As indicated on the table below). Forest green armbands embroidered with the guard insignia and the individual's rank in bronze thread are worn on the upper arms over the tunic. Officers above the rank of Corporal are given a bronze-braided rope worn on the left shoulder, and officers above Lieutenant are given a bronze silk sash to wear under their swordbelts. Decorations and medals are worn on the right breast. Trackers are issued ceremonial hunting horns, while Non-Commissioned Officers are issued ornate ceremonial shortbows. Commissioned Officers are issued ceremonial curved recurve bows. If approved by the captain, issued ceremonial equipment may be replaced with other pieces that the guardsman supplies for the formal uniform.
| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Tracker Recruit/Spell Recruit | Base Insignia |
| Tracker/Spellcaster | Base Insignia +1 White Arrow/Flame |
| Tracker Corporal/Spell-Corporal | Base Insignia +2 White Arrows/Flames |
| Ranger-Sergeant/Spell-Sergeant | Base Insignia +2 Silver Arrows/Flames |
| Ranger-Lieutenant/Spell-Lieutenant | Base Insignia +1 Gold Arrow/Flame |
| Ranger-Commander/Spell-Commander | Base Insignia +2 Gold Arrows/Flames |
| High Ranger-General | Gold Insignia, Silver Inlay |
Magic-using Guards may substitute a black robe for the tunic and trousers of their dress uniform if they so desire. The robe has forest green trim at the cuffs, collar, and hem for guardsmen; officers' robes have a pattern of dragon scales embroidered on the trim in bronze thread. Spellcasters carry carved wooden staves as ceremonial weapons; officers carry staves with a bronze dragon's head ornament atop it.
Uniform on patrol does not have to conform with the formal dress standards of the guard, though the green cloak is required, as is the insignia pin. Alternately, a pair of green armbands embroidered with the guard insignia and rank can be substituted for the cloak in hot weather. The rank pin can be worn on the breast or the belt if the cloak is not worn, so long as it is prominently displayed. Individual equipment and armor are allowed on patrol. Because the guards tend to be highly trained in their unique abilities, equipment for patrols is not standardized and left to the individual guard's discretion.
Available Resources
The base of operations in Drache is a multi-story affair officially named "The Tracker's Lodge", found near the infamous Fort Cybil, built by Asnerith Dreth during the Civil War. Often simply called "home" by most Trackers (the colloquial title used to refer to a member of the Provincial Guard upon official membership), it has a renowned armory and library as well as barracks available to any Tracker or Ranger not currently dispatched on patrol.
Training
Due to the small-squad infrastructure of the Provincial Guard and the scattered nature of their deployment, no scheduled training is provided. There is a small training yard at the Tracker's Lodge where Trackers who wish to sharpen their combat skills are encouraged to do so.
Weapons and Armor
The armory is known specifically for the quality of null-magic items found within, which are known largely to be the only non-shackle null-magic items to be utilized by employees of the province. Everything from crossbows to halberds can be found within, each with a null-magic variant in case of a magical threat from within Drache. Though magical learning and use is largely unregulated, magic use is largely unpredictable within the armory, and as such precautions must be taken. There are, of course, mundane weaponry and armor found within, but these are masterwork at best.
Education
The library is renowned for an entirely polar reason, as it is the primary magical research facility regarding medicine. Various infections and plagues are being worked on at any given time, though the cures to such ailments are generally so expensive they are only employed in the highest echelons of the province's citizenry. Additionally, every new recruit without knowledge of basic first-aid and field dressing or without healing magic is required to attend a one-week primer on the subject of mundane treatment of wounds, poisons, and trauma in the field.
Healing
Due to the widely scattered deployment of the Provincial Guard, no centralized healing organization is employed. Each tracker is issued a writ from the High Ranger-General insuring payment of healing expenses with an undefined amount. These writs are required to be exchanged for a written record of the transaction in which they were used. Failure to submit reciept on requisition of a new writ is subject to termination of service. Any Guardsman suspected of exchanging his or her writ for its cash value is subject to termination of service and prosecution for larceny in a court-marshal overseen by a commissioned officer.
Death Benefits
In the event that a Guardsman should lose his or her life in the line of duty, the Provincial Guard will cover funerary expenses assuming the remains of the Guardsman can be recovered. Regardless of recovery, the Guardsman's full salary will be paid to the family of the deceased for a period of one year.
Recruitment
Recruitment occurs from within the servicemen of Transdariania, or amongst individuals who have distinguished themselves as servants of the Sithrangel or as identified by the High Ranger-General. The Provincial Guard will never recruit a walk-on. Seeing as their purview is so wide, and purpose so great, only the best are allowed to join their ranks. Applications are never accepted, but instead guardsmen/bannermen/sailors are hand-picked by their superiors for this station. Declining is always an option, though rarely occurs. Training time for recruits varies depending on their level of skill, but takes roughly six months following recruitment. It covers every ounce of knowledge needed to be safe and effective in the field. Field tests or written exams may be utilized to speed the training process in the case that a recruit's knowledge is deemed to be advanced, and by these means the orientation and mentorship programs may be bypassed to more quickly place recruits in the field for assignment.
These assignments include an absolute slew of activities, from reconnaissance to shock troop-esque raids, but each is well within the skills of the chosen Trackers for the job. The Provincial Guard will, notably, be recruited on occasion into a war, but only if the forces supplied by Floxods are not sufficient for the war effort. This has never occurred in the past.
Current Roster
A current roster can be found on the Officials listing.