Her Lady's Cavalry

Shardholm's Mounted Battalion

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Overview

Her Lady's Cavalry is an elite branch of Shardholm's military comprised of highly trained mounted dragoons supported by heavily armored shock cavalry. Around five hundred soldiers makeup Shardholm's proud cavalry, organized into the Royal Dragoons of the Left-Wing and the Shardknights of the Right-Wing under the command of no less than a Colonel. Together, they form the fierce hammer and anvil employed by Her Lady's Military to crush their enemies and hold out against impossible odds. They arose in the turbulent years after The Fall, formed to cull the rising Unfallen hordes that threatened to swallow the Shardlands.

In the wake of The Rebirth, these Shardknights and Royal Dragoons have set aside their war against the undead and instead patrol the surrounding lands of Shardholm, maintaining the peace and sovereignty of the Shards. Where Shardholm's Vanguard serves to bolster the relations that bind the Shards as one, Her Lady's Cavalry is tasked with maintaining their connecting infrastructure alongside keeping the many expanding nation-states of Haven from interfering in the affairs of Shardholm. In recent years, countless battles have broken out between the patrolling Cavalry Wings and the City of Marble's oppressive forces to the east. While to the south, tensions grow between patrols and the Unfallen of Grinwalde as the Calvarymen's deep distrust for the undead provoke hostilities with the flourishing undead nation.

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Equipment

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Royal Dragoons

The soldiers of the Left-Wing of Her Lady's Cavalry serve as the city's light mounted infantry. They are each equipped with the intent to deploy and dismount during combat rapidly; therefore, they usually prefer the moderate protection offered by half-plate or densely woven chainmail. They lack any formal kit but are known to use a vast array of weaponry, including swords, axes, shields, and maces. In place of helms, many Royal Dragoons prefer elaborately decorated hats with a particular love for Alapico plumage.

Light Mounted Infantry

The swift-footed steeds of the Royal Dragoons are warhorses bred for their speed and stamina. Left lightly armored, these Coursers can cover great distances before requiring rest and are vital to their rider's rapid deployment across the Shardlands. Their training allows their rider to dismount in the thick of battle with the knowledge that their trusted steed will find them when they are needed again. Like Shardknights, many Dragoons adorn their steeds with the heraldry of their household and that of Shardholm itself.

Shardknights

The soldiers of the Right-Wing of Her Lady's Cavalry serve as the dedicated heavy cavalry of Shardholm's armed forces. They are each equipped with the most exceptional plate mail the city smithies have to offer formed from the highest quality steel. From within their shells of polished metal, they wield mighty weapons designed to be used best atop their steeds. Lances and polearms being the favorite weapons of the Shardknights, alongside their standard longsword, which serve as their sidearm.

Heavy Cavalry

The proud stallions of the Shardknights are spectacular warhorses bred for their strength and size. These Destrier mounts, clad in thick layers of protective steel, tower over most men to create a terrifying and devastating force on the battlefield. Trained never to spook or throw their rider, these horses allow Shardknights to charge into the thick of combat without fear or worry. Many Shardknights adorn their steeds with the sigils of their noble bloodlines and Shardholm, treating them like honored family members.

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Training

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Elite Cavalrymen

Each Cavalryman is a highly trained combatant, skilled in both mounted and unmounted combat. They receive some of the most rigorous and grueling training of any soldier in Her Lady's Military, to forge them into deadly killing machines that excel at holding ground and pushing back their enemy. On Horseback, Her Lady's Cavalry originally trained to smash through Unfallen hordes and slaughter with neat and cold efficiency. The Right-Wing's Shardknights exemplify these traits, receiving most of their training in horsemanship and weaponry that excels in their devastating charges. On foot, Her Lady's Cavalry receives training that prepares them to endure beyond all odds and hold the line at any cost. The Left-Wing focuses much of their training on these ideals, believing that a single Royal Dragoon should be worth ten men in any battle, and that defeat should only come with the cold embrace of death. The brutal training regiments of Her Lady's Cavalry see many potential recruits, incapable of enduring its hardships, drummed out of the elite organization long before their official service. Among the military and much of the city residents, Cavalrymen are well respected for their unique service to Shardholm and the years they spent defending the city during from the Unfallen menace.

Life-long Commitment

The selection process of recruits for Her Lady's Cavalry is often as stringent as the training itself. Training for the elite cavalry begins at a young age, with many potential recruits being groomed by their families from birth to serve. All recruits must have at least four years of experience in Her Lady's Military before joining the cavalry, with those lacking noble lineage requiring some distinguishing service to Shardholm for entry. Over the next decade, these fledgling Cavalrymen have their training and ideals pounded into them like iron on an anvil. Those who survive and prove up to the organization's draconian standards are accepted into their ranks, joining either the Right-Wing Shardknights or the Left-Wing Royal Dragoons. This commitment to the cavalry is a life-long oath, with Cavalrymen barred from returning to service within the rest of Her Lady's Military. Even retired Cavalrymen are considered emergency auxiliary forces, required to return to service when called upon in times of strife. The would-be recruits drummed out of the cavalry are held to a similar standard, forbidden from ever returning to the ranks of the military. Those seeking to continue their military service often join the Shardholm Navy as their only avenue of continued service.

There are 2 secrets on this page.

General Information

Type

Cavalry

Founding

4th year of Fall

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Veteran

Used by

• Her Lady's Military

Command Hierarchy

Commandant of the Cavalry
Cavalry Major
Cavalry Captain
Wing Lieutenant
Wing Sergeant
Lance Corporal
Cavalryman

Unit Divisions

Battalion
Wing
Lance

Alternative Name(s)

Shardknights, Royal Dragoons, Her Lady's Hammer and Anvil, The Cavolo, Her Lady's Horsemen.

Veterans of the Fall

Her Lady's Cavalry are veterans of The Fall, and many still hold a deep-seated hatred for the Unfallen for their many atrocities. Many Cavalrymen believe the Unfallen cannot be trusted and it is only a matter of time before they turn against the living once more.

Cavalry Commanders

• Commandant Lorenzo Galvin - A Hulmsworn's and commander of Her Lady's Cavalry, he is well respected by nearly all who serve in Shardholm's armed forces.
• Major Arcturus Morlan - The current commander of the Right-Wing of Her Lady's Cavalry, his strict and harsh hand demands absolute obedience among his men.
• Captain Hector Vatia - The current commander of the Left-Wing of Her Lady's Cavalry, famous for his swordsmanship.

Knowledge of Shardholm's History is required to know this secret.

Serving in Her Lady's Cavalry or hailing from a Hulmsworn House is required to know this secret.