The Defenders of the Rest
Caleb Puff is known as the Father of Layman's Belt thanks to his great sacrifice and the seismic waves of influence it sent across the Planet and all of its people, but his legacy didn't end there. His two sons Daedelus and Lancelot worked tirelessly alongside Granny Brooks, their mother, to help build up the Belt and its cities and bring them to prosper. Daedelus and Granny Brooks worked with many others to establish the Council of the Belt, the magitecknocracy that rules over Layman's Belt led by the best scientists, engineers and mages around. Meanwhile, Lancelot was working on a way to defend the Eligni people, first in Caleb's Rest, then across the Belt. The solution? The Defenders of the Rest.
The Defenders are composed mostly of volunteers from all denizens of the Belt. Eligni, Gnomes, Dwarves and the Faekind all volunteer to join the Defenders of the Rest for small or large parts of their life, hoping to contribute to the safety and security of their homes. The Defenders' main focus is guarding the people of the Belt, posing as the town or city guards in most areas, solving petty crimes and sorting out disputes. As there have been no wars on the Belt so far, it's not been seen as a necessity to have a standing army comprised of trained soldiers, so it has made do with accepting those who choose to serve the Defenders and their fellow person, standing by their motto, "Do for them, as for us". Lancelot's logic behind the Defenders is that any person who joins should be of the mind to defend their fellow person no matter the cost, as they would do for you. This has led to an incredibly passionate guard force, though training can be a struggle, as many of the most experienced Eligni tend to leave at random to pursue a new career path. There are still a good number of fully trained and equipped soldiers, led by Lancelot himself. These few ranks, known as the Moth's Watch, exist to fight against some of the strange creatures that sometimes come attached to the Blinkers as they soar around the Belt, as well as to defend the Belt against any potential interlopers, as Lance is still unsure of the safety of the lands.
The Defenders of the Rest aren't controlled by the Council of the Belt and are technically a private militia, but they listen to all commands that come from the Council. Though Daedelus has held a seat on the Council in the past, Lancelot has never held a seat, preferring to personally oversee and train the Moth's Watch to ensure they are always ready should the need arise. Throughout the past few decades, the Defenders have proved invaluable, providing a calming virgil over the many denizens of the Belt, as well as fighting back a few extraplanar monstrosities that have emerged from Blinekrs.
Structure
At the head of the Defenders is Lancelot Puff himself, and below him are a small number of Generals, then the trained soldiers. Somewhat removed from this hierarchy are then the guardsmen, led by the Officers and the General Officers.
Public Agenda
The agenda of the Defenders of the Rest is simple: guard the lands of Layman's Belt, recruit the best of the best from amongst them, and be ready to defend the Belt should it ever come to it. Lancelot has made it clear that the Defenders will not be forced to ally with any other military force on the Belt should they choose not to, and that all are free to come and go from the Defenders as they should wish. All that a Defender needs to have to join is courage, bravery and a love for their fellow person.
Assets
Though not directed by the Council of the Belt, they are allocated a good amount of funds in order to ensure that all guardsfolk are well-equipped and properly trained, as well as well-paid. Other than this, the Defenders accept donations, often from inventors and blacksmiths grateful to the guardsfolk for putting out renegade fires or stopping the rampage of a broken machine. The ranks of trained soldiers, known as the Moth's Watch, are funded entirely by donations and Lancelot himself.
"Do for them, as for us"
Founding Date
4E 23
Type
Military, Other
Alternative Names
The Defenders
Training Level
Trained
Veterancy Level
Trained
Demonym
Defenders
Leader
Ruling Organization
Founders
Location
