The Blackcoats

Let others worry over honor. Our concern is victory, do what needs to be done.

— Tobias Bryant addressing a group of recruits on their first day

Originally a mercenary company in the service of Duke Galavan Lockheed during the Talsian Secession Wars known as Ruldans Reavers, the company gained a great deal of notoriety after the Dukes bastard son Morganthe Lockheed took control of the company during the Siege of Gwinsurd. After the young man took over the company he completely changed the company's tactics, focusing on brutal and effective strategies that often took his enemies off guard. During this period many of the companies enemies noted that the men had taken to wearing black great coats over their armor to help them blend into their surroundings. Thus the company gained a reputation as The Blackcoats.
Winning battle after battle, including some where their unusual tactics turned the tide, the company was eventually noticed by the young Queen Vestria who was so impressed by their skill in battle she shocked the nation by naming them her personal honor guard. From there they were deployed in engagements around the continent earning a fearsome reputation as dishonorable but effective fighters.
In the years that followed Talsian Queens routinely increased the power of the organization to more easily react to and deal with problems facing the state. Recently Queen Amarie II has officially declared that the organization answers only to her orders and is bound to no law but her own. While this move has caused mass political outrage among her rivals it has never the less been effective at solidifying the young queens power as the Blackcoats quickly and effectively eliminated her enemies.

Structure

1. Lord Captain - The leader of the company. Takes his orders directly from the queen and directly selects the lieutenants.
2. Lieutenants - Leaders of smaller squads during wartime engagements. However outside of battle all members are considered equal and so their authority tends to be limited to what the Lord Captain gives them.
3. Blackcoats - Full members of the company, once a trainee has ascended to this rank they are considered equals within the group and given free reign outside of wartime.
4. Bluecoats - Trainees within the order are given blue coats and kept under strict watch and on constant training regiments. They are often looked after and trained by a small group of veterans. They have little to no autonomy until they either drop out or ascend to the rank of proper Blackcoat.

Public Agenda

To defend the country and the interests of the country at all costs at home and abroad. To defend the queen as her personal bodyguard and military company.

Assets

• Nearly unlimited access to the national treasury.
• Several castles in the Eastern Breethwood
• Several ships ranging in size from small sloops to several ships of the line.
• Access to experienced crews held in reserve to man their ships.
• Fortress Teldeemer

For victory, til ruin.

Founding Date

722 AA

Type

Military, Special Operations Force

Alternative Names

Black Ghosts, Coats, Black Bastards, Haunters, Nightmen, The Queens Fingers

Parent Organization

Talsian

Location

Ezel

The modern incarnation of the Black coats only superficially resembles the organization from it's foundation. Functioning now less as a full military unit and more as an independent secret service unit. The group mainly works independently and under orders of the Queen, dealing with threats to the nation by their own judgement and on their own or in small squads. In the last twenty years the group has only been deployed as a military unit twice; once during a border skirmish with Sard and once during a short lived rebellion by the northern dukes.