Man-at-Arms

A Man-at-Arms, or Gendarme, is a professional soldier. They come in two variants; the highborn (commonly Gentry) or low-born.

Career

Qualifications

Most nations accept low-born men-at-arms only in certain roles, but other than that, most nations do not, per say, discriminate between men and women when it comes to service with armed forces - though culturally, women are encouraged not to pursue military careers, and when joining, women tend to land in non-combat roles, as preservation of the life of the female members of society is vital to the continuation of society. This also means that women are rarely drafted or called into service, or in any way encouraged to take up arms, but female soldiers are not at all unheard of, and nations that culturally prepare their civilians for war through archery contests, hunting traditions and frequent public melees encourage women to train and practice as well, as the protection of their homelands could easily fall to them when all the first picks have already died on the field of battle. Being able-bodied and military aged is, however, the only actual requirements in most cases - many demand that recruits are known to them and they must hail from specific families or at the very least be from specific regions.

Career Progression

The rank structure varies from region to region and culture to culture, but generally follows this pattern:

1. Private - Privates make up the bulk of any armed force.
2. Specialist - Specialists are often not full-time militants and serve special roles, such as field physician, field diviner or even a siege engineer, but also includes less impressive (but equally important roles) such as Quartermaster, Chef and many others. Certain Special positions also warrant obtaining this rank; such as the Guideon, the Bugler, the Batman and so forth.
3. Corporal - Corporals are assistant-sergeants who stand a reasonable chance of being promoted to the coveted rank of Sergeant.
4. Sergeant - Among the most coveted ranks, Sergeant is the highest rank a low-born can generally assume to ever advance to. Sergeants lead squads, but the senior most sergeant of a formation will often have much more responsibility than a mere squad. Sergeants are the actual leaders on the front who ensure that the orders issued are executed.
5. Sergeant Major - A Sergeant Major is a permanent rank used in larger formations, that work together, who fulfills the role that would normally fall upon the senior most sergeant. Having a designated person to fill this role is practical, but it does require the formations in question to be able to come together with a high frequency - much more commonly, promotion to Sergeant Major is a brevited promotion that lasts only until the formations change.
6. Staff Sergeant - A Staff Sergeant is the third-in-command of any platoon, being responsible for executing the orders of their superiors within the platoon. Becoming a Staff Sergeant is a tremendous honor.
7. Cornet - A Cornet is a junior officer, known to act as a signal man, messenger and runner. The rank seen in use outside of extremely well established armies, as this role is often filled by a Personal Squire.
8. Lieutenant - Lieutenants are Platoon Commanders, typically commanding two squads of cavalry, but in case of infantry, archer or logistical units, it could even be more.
9. Staff Sergeant Major - Master Sergeant is an optional rank found in larger formations where there are multiple companies, and serves as the second-in-command to the Company Commanders.
10. Commander - Commander is an optional rank found in larger formations where there are multiple companies, and serves as the Commander of a Company.
11. Chief Staff Sergeant - A Chief Staff Sergeant, also commonly called the "First Sergeant", is the second-in-command of the entire formation.
12. Captain - A Captain is the leader of a formation.
13. Colonel - A Leader of multiple formations, typically a temporary rank, but frequently found in professional armies.

Payment & Reimbursement

The pay of soldiering is commonly 2 GP per day, though the pay does vary by rank and function. This low pay is offset by the soldier having room and board provided, as well as receiving an equipment allowance, and being given free land for their service.

Other Benefits

Men-at-Arms are rewarded with a tract of land that they can either settle on, or rent out to tenants. The size of the tract of land depends on the rank of the service-member. Additionally, men-at-arms are entitled to be residents of the primary settlement of their employer, along with their immediate family, but are themselves required to live in the barracks when they are not on leave. The land serves as their retirement pension, with the intention that they should live off this land once they can no longer serve as soldiers.

Perception

Purpose

Warfare, Security, Defense and Policing.

Social Status

Men-At-Arms are generally well regarded due to the authority vested in them. A Man-at-Arms, even a low-born private, would have cause to be treated reasonably by royalty as well as common man, but that said, the social perception of soldiers is marred by years of bad experiences with the soldiery.

Demographics

Not everyone can serve as soldiers - some have to remain and be the very society that the soldiers aim to protect and fight for. As such, usually only one person from each household serves in such a role.

Type

Military

Demand

Most nations are always in short supply and rely on a form of draft to ensure their numbers swell.