City Guard

he Marn City Guard, unlike the untrained thugs who laughably pass for guards in many settings, are tough, skilled, trained, and can call in all sorts of weaponry, magical, and clerical assistance. The harsh reality of living in a secluded little piece of hell has hardened these men into formidable opponents and killed all the weaklings who couldn't watch their backs. Indeed, the guard can function like a small military if the need arises.

Men

The Marn City Guard in front of Fort Omenbryn.

Of Marn's 20,000 inhabitants approximately 600 are guardsmen, with an additional thousand or so citizens trained as regular militia. This is about 1 in every 12 people, and does not include the civilian helpers (such as healers) who are called upon when needed, nor does it include the Battlemages. Nearly all the guardsmen are human or half-elven males, although eligibility is open to any Marnain citizen older than 17 years of age. They are held in high esteem by many of the citizens, and showing disrespect to the Marn City Guard is punishable by a severe beating and/or imprisonment, and is generally considered a greater offense than any other petty crime.

The guard are headed by High Constable Thomnas Oslun; a large, overbearing man in his late 50's who has been serving with the guard his whole life. In times of need he serves as a sort of general, coordinating large actions. Most other management duties are performed by the Captain of the guard, Camulous Smithson, who deals with the men more directly than Oslun. Camulous is a surprisingly adept fighter for a human, toughened by training with other humans and elves and used to dealing with the worst of the worst.

Although magic is illegal and the Marn City Guard have no mages in their ranks, the need for battlefield magical support and healing led to the creation of the mysterious Battlemages. These mages are few in number and serve the judges directly, bypassing Camulous and Oslun's authority. They wear similar armor, but can be distinguished from the regular guard by their red leather gloves and lack of helmets.

Armor & Equipment

All guardsmen wear a mixture of treated leather and plate armor manufactured specifically for them in Marn using techniques perfected over the years by the collaborative efforts of the best gnomish, elven and human smiths. The armor is a simple and efficient affair, unadorned with decorative frills. Plates of metal are strapped over a black leather bodysuit which is treated using a secret technique which gives it the protective value of fireproof kevlar. The metal is able to offer impressive stopping power while remaining light enough to allow its wearers full mobility. Guardsman can run around, dive and roll without much trouble. The treated leather under-suit provides excellent protection against slashing and piercing attacks between the plates. The suit is topped off with a sallet-style helmet. These helmets are elegantly curved and can be worn with a neck guard (known as a bevor) and a raisable visor, or without either.

Many of the guardsmen who patrol the inner parts of the city are issued maces because they can be used effectively in both lethal and non-lethal manners. The maces are made of metal and have heavy, blunted, 5 star flanged heads. They are quite effective at breaking limbs, even on large opponents. When not issued maces for peaceful patrols the guard prefer to carry well crafted arming swords which have blades of just over two feet long, however the men are allowed to carry their own swords and may bring their personal preferences to the field. A small shield or buckler to accompany the sword is optional, and while unnecessary with the armor can be effective for parrying and delivering blows.

Guarding key areas of the city and called upon as support in times of crisis are numerous archers and crossbowmen. The guardsmen of more elven ancestry frequently prefer bows, while others swear by the power and ease of use a good crossbow can bring.

When swords and arrows are not enough, the guard also have an assortment of gnomish and human weapons to draw upon. These include cannons, mortars, and strange, often complicated artillery pieces. Pistols and rifles are also available but are rare and almost always crafted by gnomes, which means that they are prone to strange quirks and misfires.

Jurisdiction & Limitations

Although the guardsmen usually operate within the restrictions of the laws laid down by the First Settlers, they take many liberties when dealing with criminals and do not answer to any other supervisory body. Whether or not the guard should be accountable to the Judges of Religious, Cultural and Ethical Enforcement is an issue of much debate, and most guardsmen would say that they do not. The Judges, of course, would love to have this authority but the citizenry favor the guard over the Battlemages.

The purview of the city guard encompasses all non-magical offenses like murder, theft, and disorderly conduct. They can beat, arrest, and kill people as long as they can provide a reasonable amount of proof that it was necessary. Camulous and Oslun have the authority to serve as magistrates in civil disputes when necessary, and there are also citizen magistrates appointed by the people who deal with petty disputes. Guardsmen have the authority to arrest or kill people who use magic in the city, but often call on the Battlemages for help in these cases. It is difficult for a guardsman to prove that someone has used magic, while a Battlemage does not need proof.

Marn Military Court

Headed by the High Inquisitor.

The Marn Military Court is an authority responsible for handling discipline within the City Guard. Its primary function is to uphold the City Guard's code of conduct and ensure that all rules and regulations are followed. The court prefers that commanding officers deal with most infractions and only involves itself when a serious offense has been committed; however, it may be called upon to deal with minor disputes and grievances should an officer desire its presence.

The court has full power to sentence offenders within the City Guard, and its punishments range from simple penalties to expulsion. It may assign life sentences and the death penalty for particularly heinous crimes, but justices are required to confer with both the City Guard leadership and civilian government representatives in these special cases.

The court itself is rather small. It is headed by one high inquisitor and two lieutenant inquisitors, and its jury consists of a handful of esteemed guards, both active and retired. Both the High Constable and Captain of the Guard have seats on the court and may involve themselves with cases at their discretion. While they do not have an official veto over the court's decisions, the inquisitors are very considerate of their wishes when devising sentences.

Importantly, the Marn Military Court is composed entirely of guards and only involves itself with the civilian government in very rare instances. Its inquisitors are seasoned and well-respected guards, and they are exempt from all other duties while serving on the court. The court itself is located beneath the Guard HQ and consists of one court chamber and several offices.

It also accepts complaints from citizens who feel they have been unjustly treated by the City Guard; however, it very rarely receives any because it does not take complaints anonymously, and most citizens don't want to be on the Guard's bad side. The court only investigates these claims if they provide good reason to believe that a serious crime has been committed by the offending guard.

Ranks

Guards are officially on-duty 12 hours per day.

• 8 hours are spent on patrol or assigned duty
• 1 hour is allocated for completion of patrol reports
• 3 hours per day are allocated for daily training and required monthly physicals
• 1 hour is allocated for meals and breaks

Rosters rotate, although some guardsmen have the same 'beat' or duty, due to aptitude, preference, or ineptitude. Typically, Auxiliary services are also organized by Watch to ensure coverage. A despatch pool of guardsmen are on-call at Omenbryn for each watch.

All guardsmen are provided a weapon, standard armor, under garments, meals (3/day), toiletries, and a bunk at Fort Omenbryn (see current wiki post for weapons and armor detail). Guards receive annual reviews for promotions; however, ad hoc promotions may occur based on demonstrated leadership and experience. Integrity comes into play the higher up one advances in the guard.

High Constable The High Constable is peer to the Chief Justice and City Mayor.

The current High Constable is Thomnus Oslun (see above)

Captain There is only one Captain of the Guards. The Captain reports to the High Constable and oversees the entire Marnian Guard operation.

The Captain must ride a horse, be proficient in hand-to-hand and a variety of weapons use. He must read, write, and do complex math. The Captain must also provide strategic leadership for the Guard.

The Captain receives 300 Bishani per month.

Current Captain: Camulous Smithson

Lieutenant The Lieutenant rank was instituted with the introduction of Internal Affairs and is available only to Internal Affairs. As with the other ranks, Lieutenant has five grades.

Lieutenants are assigned horses and must read, write, and do maths.

• L5 - High Inquisitor - 275 Bishani/ month
• L4 - Inquisitor, IV - 265 Bishani / month
• L3 - Inquisitor, III - 260 Bishani /month
• L2 - Inquisitor, II - 255 Bishani /month
• L1 - Inquisitor, I - 250 Bishani / month

Sergeant Sergeants report to the Captain and make up the primary leadership of the guard. Sergeant rank is typically not obtained unless one has been in service for a minimum of 5 years, demonstrated leadership skills, team skills, and experience.

Sergeant class must be able to read, write, and perform mathematical calculations. Sergeants are expected to manage people, schedules, and materials. As with Constables, Sergeant classes are provided standard guardsmen benefits and horses. Sergeants bunk at the Fort, when on-duty.

The Sergeant ranks are:

• S5 - Sergeant, V - earns 225 Bishani/month
• S4 - Sergeant, IV - earns 220 Bishani/month
• S3 - Sergeant, III - earns 215 Bishani/month
• S2 - Sergeant, II - earns 210 Bishani/month
• S1 - Sergeant, I - earns 205 Bishani/month

Sergeants can be specialists. Classes include:

• Sergeant of the Watch - responsible for overseeing assigned watch duties, rosters, etc. Levels S1 - S5 are eligible for this position.

• Warden - a specialist sergeant title, responsible for overseeing Omenbryn prison operations and prisoner treatment. To be warden, one must be an S3 or above.

• Staff Sergeant - a specialist sergeant title responsible for overseeing Auxillary services for his or her assigned watch. Levels S1 - S5 are eligible for this position.

• Drill sergeant - a specialist sergeant title responsible for ensuring guardsmen are properly trained in hand-to-hand, weapons use and armor maintenance, triage, supplemental educational needs (reading, writing, maths),

Constable Constables are the first line leaders of the guardsmen and report to Sergeant class. Constables are typically in service from two years to retirement, receiving promotion from GV after demonstrating leadership skills and experience. Constables typically represent Calvary in the Marn military and are assigned horses for mobility during their watch. Constables receive the same benefits as Guardsmen, with the addition of a horse and horse tack.

Constable Ranks:

• C5 - Constable, V - Receives 200 Bishani/month
• C4 - Constable, IV - Receives 190 Bishani/month
• C3 - Constable, III - Receives 185 Bishani/month
• C2 - Constable, II - Receives 180 Bishani/month
• C1 - Constable, I - Receives 175 Bishani/month

Guardsmen Guardsmen make up the bulk of the Marnian Guard. Guardsmen receive a monthly salary for their services and five ranks exist within this level.

All guardsmen are provided a weapon, standard armor, under garments, meals (3/day), medical care, toiletries, and a bunk at Fort Omenbryn. Proficiencies are encouraged to ensure a broad range of tactical weapons use when needed. Proficiencies include range weapons (bow, cross bow), artillery (cannons), pikes, mace, hand-to-hand, and sword (single, dual, broad) to name a few.

Guardsmen represent the Infantry of the Marnian Army and the bulk of the Watch personnel.

Clerks and Support Services personnel are typically Guardsmen performing specialist duties, but these roles can be performed by any rank.

Guard Ranks:

• G5 - Guardsman, V - Receives 170 Bishani/month
• G4 - Guardsman, IV - Receives 165 Bishani/month
• G3 - Guardsman, III - Receives 160 Bishani/month
• G2 - Guardsman, II - Receives 155 Bishani/month
• G1 - Guardsman, I - Receives 150 Bishani/month