Sootguard of Kharahal
Public Agenda
The Sootguard stand as the only military force that defends Kharahal from aggressors, outside and in. To this end, the 'Guard serve as both a police force as well as a mostly defensive military force, comprised mostly of volunteer part-time members from the mines and the forges.
Assets
During their city patrols, members of the guard tend to wear reinforced leathers over their normal civilian clothes though, when battle commences, these guards equip metal plates over these under layers. So ingenious is this design that members of the Guard can equip a full suit of heavy armour within a minute, so long as they are already wearing their patrol leathers. In terms of arms, members of the 'Guard tend to wield hammers and battle picks with shields for close quarters, crossbows for range and halberds for polearms.
Within Kharahal, the Sootguard maintain three major fortifications, the Mahan and Forge Compounds, as well as the Coalkeep. Each of these fortifications have been upgraded over the years in order to take advantage of new technologies, such as the plethora of ranged positions to make use of the repeating crossbows. Outside of Kharahal, however, the 'Guard maintain a number of small lookout posts, border outposts and a limited road patrol. Guardsmen rotate between locations over the years, mostly out of a general rule to keep units fluid, though some more rigid permanent units are still present.
Within Kharahal, the Sootguard maintain three major fortifications, the Mahan and Forge Compounds, as well as the Coalkeep. Each of these fortifications have been upgraded over the years in order to take advantage of new technologies, such as the plethora of ranged positions to make use of the repeating crossbows. Outside of Kharahal, however, the 'Guard maintain a number of small lookout posts, border outposts and a limited road patrol. Guardsmen rotate between locations over the years, mostly out of a general rule to keep units fluid, though some more rigid permanent units are still present.
History
When the Qivdaram armies marched around the base of the Great Eastern Range, after shattering the army of adventurers at the Battle of Agzild River, many in the Frontier began to despair. Those that they had relied upon for defence had fallen, and now there was nothing to stop the oncoming horde, as the Erunur and Erukai simple moved out of the invader's way. Battles in the Eastern Ferric League were brutal and reports of catastrophic losses did nothing for the moral of the defenders, though it did not stop their attempts. When the elite Balian Cavalry from the West arrived and began to support the Garia defence effort, it also drew the ire and attention of Qivdaram commanders, whom sought to cut off this pest from their support and supplies, moving an army of one thousand soldiers to take and hold the vital trade town of Kharahal.
Kharahal, always an independent settlement, was not promised protections by the League, and had already begun to make plans for their own defence even before the defeat of the Adventurers. A small force of mercenaries, mostly Siraen Fian and former members of the Anvil's Mercy, were hired by the then Custodian to train a militia and prepare the towns defences. Harassment positions were established along the southern crevasse, a wooden gatehouse built with flanking towers, and countless positions all throughout the city streets behind. Five hundred volunteers from the miners and blacksmiths of the city trained and drilled for months until the word came that they were under threat, when the first Forge-General made the announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Sootguard, as of this moment, we are at war".
The following is an excerpt from the diary of Wldru Qviass, Captain of the 18th Armoured Brigade; "We were told that all that stood before us was a simple little mining town, and that we'd have more trouble holding the damn place than taking it. Whoever said that was an idiot that completely underestimated these crazy people, if they could even be considered that. It took use nearly a week, six days, to even reach their southern gatehouse, and that was after we discovered that the entire northern side of the city is haunted by the souls of countless undead. One way in, and they fortified it to the Hells and back. We lost so many making it to that fucking Gate, and then we had to break it.
If it weren't for the powerful magics our brigade artillery had at their disposal, we might have been stopped there, but we weren't. I remember that, at the time, I naively though that this was it, they'd put up a tough fight but we'd gotten past the gate, it was over. By the Pathfinder, I was stupid then, the crazy bastards had set up choke points, barricades, hidden murder holes and pike-lines all throughout the city. And, if that weren't bad enough, turns out that when you use your muscles to dig and bend metal, it makes 'em strong, turning our enemies into a wall of steel and muscle. Seemed like our previous victories had little effect on them either, their moral was strong as the damned Dourai Battlemasters.
We'd only just made it halfway through their town when it came, the order to withdraw, as strategic command realized that taking Kharahal was taking too long, with too many losses. A militia of soot and grit defeated one of the greatest armies this world has ever seen, and I find myself in awe of what they accomplished. It makes me wonder, if this one city could resist us, what lies beyond as we carve our path further west?"
The surprising victory of the Sootguard against the Qivdaram was a huge moral booster for the allied forces, if a force of militia could win, why not a professional army? It was this additional resolve, as well as the Sootguard's strategic deployment to boost moral, that is often argued as one of the factors that tuned the tide of the war. Whatever the case, the Sootguard still stand as Kharahal's defenders to this day, ready to fight tooth and nail for their homes against anyone dumb enough to try and invade.
Kharahal, always an independent settlement, was not promised protections by the League, and had already begun to make plans for their own defence even before the defeat of the Adventurers. A small force of mercenaries, mostly Siraen Fian and former members of the Anvil's Mercy, were hired by the then Custodian to train a militia and prepare the towns defences. Harassment positions were established along the southern crevasse, a wooden gatehouse built with flanking towers, and countless positions all throughout the city streets behind. Five hundred volunteers from the miners and blacksmiths of the city trained and drilled for months until the word came that they were under threat, when the first Forge-General made the announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Sootguard, as of this moment, we are at war".
The following is an excerpt from the diary of Wldru Qviass, Captain of the 18th Armoured Brigade; "We were told that all that stood before us was a simple little mining town, and that we'd have more trouble holding the damn place than taking it. Whoever said that was an idiot that completely underestimated these crazy people, if they could even be considered that. It took use nearly a week, six days, to even reach their southern gatehouse, and that was after we discovered that the entire northern side of the city is haunted by the souls of countless undead. One way in, and they fortified it to the Hells and back. We lost so many making it to that fucking Gate, and then we had to break it.
If it weren't for the powerful magics our brigade artillery had at their disposal, we might have been stopped there, but we weren't. I remember that, at the time, I naively though that this was it, they'd put up a tough fight but we'd gotten past the gate, it was over. By the Pathfinder, I was stupid then, the crazy bastards had set up choke points, barricades, hidden murder holes and pike-lines all throughout the city. And, if that weren't bad enough, turns out that when you use your muscles to dig and bend metal, it makes 'em strong, turning our enemies into a wall of steel and muscle. Seemed like our previous victories had little effect on them either, their moral was strong as the damned Dourai Battlemasters.
We'd only just made it halfway through their town when it came, the order to withdraw, as strategic command realized that taking Kharahal was taking too long, with too many losses. A militia of soot and grit defeated one of the greatest armies this world has ever seen, and I find myself in awe of what they accomplished. It makes me wonder, if this one city could resist us, what lies beyond as we carve our path further west?"
The surprising victory of the Sootguard against the Qivdaram was a huge moral booster for the allied forces, if a force of militia could win, why not a professional army? It was this additional resolve, as well as the Sootguard's strategic deployment to boost moral, that is often argued as one of the factors that tuned the tide of the war. Whatever the case, the Sootguard still stand as Kharahal's defenders to this day, ready to fight tooth and nail for their homes against anyone dumb enough to try and invade.
From the Forge to the Field
Founding Date
71 SA
Type
Military Order
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Guardsman
Leader Title
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
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