The Fianna

The Shield region is vast and encompasses several dozen small kingdoms and sub-regions. One tradition that encompasses all, from Sciath in the east to the sea in the west, and that is the Fianna. These bands of warriors from noble families form one of the most important defenses for the region, as their wanderings are expected to stop at the summons of a high king or queen, at which point they rally to the defense of their land. Though the Republic only made an incursion this far on one occasion, the other peoples living on the Northern Continent have an equally proud warrior tradition, and a war leader gathering an army to carve out land for themselves is a common story. The Fianna are by definition landless and typically come from second children who stand to inherit no property but still know how to fight; their children must be brought up in the same tradition to have the rights of a warrior. They train extensively in Republic battle tactics, ambushes, one on one combat, and devote themselves to mastering as many weapons as they can get their hands on, to include firearms. Should the Shield be invaded they can meet their opponents as a unified phalanx or as murderous ghosts launching hit and run raids from the woods.
Tradition dictates that from Samhain to Beltaine, the Fianna are hosted by landed lords who in turn expect them to help keep the peace and deal with bandits or outlaws in their land. From Beltaine to Samhain, the Fianna live off the land, hunting and hiring themselves out to make their living. Though as warriors they can get away with far more than regular citizens, Fianna are forbidden from banditry; to engage in this sort of behavior is to invite reprisal from other Fianna bands seeking to defend the honor of their position, and no noble will host them come winter, ensuring that Fianna who turn to banditry rarely last long.