Free State Militia

The creation of the Free State Militia can be traced back to the rough and deadly day to day life on what was once the Imperial frontier. While the many communities of the frontier were subject to oppressive laws and restrictions on free trade, they were left to fend for themselves against fleets of deadly pirates. When the Imperials did show up, it was typically to extort supplies or hunt down fugitives who had escaped to the frontier.
In order to survive the communities of the frontier banded together, forming militias to protect their interests. The years passed and the militia forces grew in size and complexity, slowly pacifying the chaotic frontier. The burgeoning Sanctum-Imperial war and other issues drew Imperial attention away, and the Free States silently and bloodlessly broke free of Imperial control.
During the Sanctum-Imperial War, the Free State militias saw an opportunity. While officially remaining neutral, many provided covert support to the Sanctum Alliance, seeing the war as a way to solidify their independence and gain enough bargaining chips to hold off a future Imperial invasion attempt. They ambushed supply convoys, sabotaged Yrddestone mining operations, and harassed patrols, utilizing hit-and-run strategies that they'd mastered in their battles against the pirate fleets.
When the treaty was signed, and the Free States officially recognized as a separate entity, the disparate militias formalized their alliance. Recognizing that the both the pirate fleets and the Imperial navy would one day return in strength, they agreed to maintain their shared defense force. The modern Militia, while not as highly trained or numerous as its contemporaries, does have a solid command structure and chain of command. The head of the Militia is the Council, a group of men and women sent from every major region of the States.

Recruitment and Training

Formalized military training within the Free States varies greatly depending upon the region. Some of the more wealthy settlements have permanent peacekeepers and defense forces, while the poorer areas either rely on mercenaries sent by Council or by the simple fact that they're too poor to draw interest from bandits or pirates.
Regions that can afford to maintain a constant defense force are led by a regional Captain, who is in charge of running training sessions created by the council. These boot camps teach the basics of military strategy, weapons handling, and cooperative tactics. While ruthless and grueling, they are essential for bringing the diverse groups within the States together as functional units.
Nivora occasionally offers its resources to the Militia. Skilled instructors from Nivora's military academies or the city’s prestigious Guilds might travel to different territories, offering specialized courses in aetherial engine maintenance, magitech weapon repair, or advanced combat tactics. This cooperation, however, is always a delicate balancing act of the city’s neutral status against the inhabitant's desire to share knowledge.

Equipment

The Militia is chronically underfunded and must rely on ingenuity, scavenging, and careful negotiation to obtain the resources they need.
The resourcefulness of airship salvagers, combined with savvy trade deals negotiated with the Nivora Trade Union, provide a vital lifeline. Scrap metal is reforged into weapons, damaged airships repaired and modified for military use, and obsolete Magitech repurposed into more efficient (though sometimes unstable) versions.
Militia units share what resources they can – pooling Yrddestones for common defense projects, lending their most skilled mechanics to neighboring communities, and bartering for rare components or specialized weapons. The most volatile resource of the Militia, however, is its manpower. As they are largely a volunteer force, they are under a constant threat of attrition – individuals returning to their families or seeking more lucrative (and less deadly) opportunities.

Notable Units

Frostfang Raiders

Fearsome warriors mounted on armored Snow Griffins – majestic creatures native to the treacherous mountain ranges surrounding Frostwatch. These riders are skilled in aerial combat, diving from the clouds at their targets, their ice-enchanted lances piercing armor and scattering enemy formations. They are known for being fearless in battle, flying headlong into scathing incoming fire and driving back foes far more numerous.

Whisperwind Rangers

Skilled archers and trackers who prefer stealth and precise strikes over open warfare. They move silently through the forests, utilizing camouflage, traps, and ambush tactics to whittle down their enemies. Their bows and arrows are made from wood taken from shrines deep within the Mystwood, and it is said they carry a touch of the forest’s magic. Once fired they always strike true, even altering the wind itself to ensure it.

Skybreakers

A mercenary battalion and the Militia's most skilled infantry, known for their unwavering discipline and their brutal effectiveness in close combat. They train in the harshest conditions, their endurance legendary, and their axes, forged with metals mined from deep below Frostwatch and imbued with runes that amplify cold, are feared throughout Yrdde. They fly into battle aboard Militia battle-barges and ram enemy ships. Once locked in place, they throw themselves onto the enemy vessel and seize control.

"The Free State Militia, bless their scrappy little souls… They're like a mismatched engine cobbled together from salvaged parts— noisy, unpredictable, and liable to explode at any moment. You’ve got your grizzled veterans who still spit every time they hear the word "Emperor," your wide-eyed idealists who think freedom means never having to follow orders, and your opportunistic mercenaries just in it for the crowns. Their training’s a joke compared to the Empire’s fancy academies – mostly shouting, drunken brawls disguised as sparring matches, and enough blind luck to make Elysia herself raise an eyebrow. And their equipment? Don't get me started. Half of it's older than my grandmother and just as likely to misfire. But you know what? They've got heart. That stubborn, scrappy spirit that just won’t quit, the same one that won them their independence in the first place. And in a world where empires clash and ancient monsters whisper in the dark, sometimes a bit of heart, a touch of chaos, and a really good shot with a scavenged magitech rifle is all you need to survive." - E Dawnstrider

From Wreckage, We Rise

Ruling Organization

The Free States