The Frostguard
Watchers of the Baleful Mountains
We are the howling death !Frostguard battlecry
ETERNAL GUARDIANS
The Baleful Mountains are treacherous, filled with desperate bandits and infested with savage orcs. For merchants, there are two reasonable ways to pass the mountains safely : dwarven tunnels and the Frostguard.
The Frostguard are a battalion of Icevalians trained in ambushes and mountain combat. Due to the requirements of their position, each of them is a trained warrior possessing incredible stamina. Contrary to more traditionnal troops, even the nobles have to follow the rough purgatory that is the training, and need to climb the ranks to be an officer, though this is slightly easier.
Atop of the chain of command is the Grand Marshall. Leader of the faction, he wields Vinterfël into battle and is in charge of Northern Star, their strongest bastion and headquarters. However, as time went on, his role in combat was rarer, and he is now more of a diplomat between his organization and the Duranian court. The current Grand Marshall is Bjorn.
Below him are the Marshalls, each one of them is in charge of a castle and a varying number of Tower captains. They are always four of them, as Ulric friends were. Sometimes, they are dispatched to important battle, like the raid of Castle Obürn, but mostly stay in their fortifications managing the defense of their territories. The current Marshalls are Laura, Olen, Ifnir and Vendya.
The Tower captains are the lieutenants of the Marshalls and, as their name suggests, they are all assigned to a tower. They organize patrols and convoy defense, joining them when the situation calls for it, and sometimes launch raids against monster dens or bandit outpost. The ones leading the patrols are the sergeants, leading squads of a dozen of soldiers. Each squad is chosen for their skills and its members form a synergy between each other. Some people are fooled by their low ranks and think of them as cannon-fodder. In truth, their rigorous training and hard origins make them a force to not be underestimated. Many bandits learn it too late. A odd part of the unit, sometimes dismissed as just rumours, are the fabled White Rangers. They are the eyes of the Frostguard, spotting dangerous places and reporting to the Marshalls. Some say they're spirits, others ice demons that made a pact with the Frostguard. In truth, only the Grand Marshall knows, and even he might not know the truth. Despite their secrets, the White Rangers are an important part of the guard, working as scouts and, on some occasions, assassins.TRAINING
New recruits must endure a 3 months training in the camps of a certain castle where they learn skills like hand-to-hand combat, archery and sword fight. They also hike in the mountains for 2 hours each morning while carrying their equipment, and run for 500 m in the afternoon. This kind of training focuses mostly on building endurance. After this, they learn more tactical skills like coordinating with their squads and fighting together in low risk missions for another 3 months.
However, every recruit must one day carry on The Long Watch, a tradition within the Frostguard's rank where the recruits must go to their towers and patrol outside for the whole night without pause. Many incidents happen during this, as spirits and Snow Ghasts often come harass the tired and nervous men. Thankfully, few are fatal, and most can be healed with rest, medicine and the occasionnal healing magic
Date of creation:
289 A.S
Location:
The Baleful Mountains
Role:
Safekeeping trading routes with the Sakura empire
Influence:
The entire Baleful Mountains
Main base:
Northern Star
IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
Northern Star:
A gigantic underground fortress serving as a homebase to the organisation, led by the Grand Marshall.
The Silver Tower:
One of the first tower to have been built, its first captain was Tyrhel.
Winter Gate:Castle of Marshall Vendya, guarding Mount Uria from the Hardkil tribe.
Comments