Ranger Outfits

*"There's no way to make this easy, so I'm just going to tell you straight. You've chosen the wrong path in life. Doesn't matter the how and why. I'm just telling you that you made the wrong choices, and it's best if you can just come to terms with that. Guilt, grief, or just plain old hesitation is going to get you killed out here. I've seen more young men and women die in that forest than most people have just seen. I have lived this long out here because I train. Because I paid attention to what others around here taught me. So, if you want to start making the right choices, the first thing you should choose to do is listen to what I have to tell you. Between me and the two axes I'm going to hand you, that'll keep you alive at least for another month or two."* - **Legendary Head Ranger Gowyr in his regular speech to new recruits.**

Ranger Outfits are the organizations which a person joins to become a Ranger. There are many Ranger Outfits throughout the Great Forest, and they all operate autonomously from each other. They exist because they are needed, and they fund and equip themselves by a duty that all Tribes pay to their regional Outfits. As an organization, Ranger Outfits are responsible for a few very important jobs within Tribal society. They are lawmen and peace keepers. They are also primarily responsible for hunting down and executing dangerous creatures of the forest which can range between man-eating beasts to those who have been Wild possessed. Without them, Tribal life would not be possible as villages would be overrun by monsters and the laws of society would break down. As such, Ranger Oufits are highly respected organizations, but because of some of their more ignominious duties are always kept at arm's length from the Tribes.

## Outfit Organization

Ranger Outfits have a simple hierarchy of Rangers and a Head Ranger. The Head Ranger is the master in charge of the outfit and acts with complete authority over the actions of the Outfit. The ranks of Rangers only fall into two categories, Ranger and Veteran Ranger. One earns the title of Veteran Ranger by simply surviving long enough in the Outfit. Rangers have very little need for structure and organization beyond this hierarchy. Typically this is because Ranger Outfits are very few in number but also because the life of a Ranger is so dangerous that getting ambitious or excited about career opportunities more or less seems like a distraction that will just simply get you killed.

Under the authority of their Head Ranger, Ranger Outfits act in accordance to the Tribal laws that govern the land. Therefore, Ranger Outfits are most often called upon by the request of a local Chieftain and often to resolve a dispute or help in protection of the village. Since it is by Tribal law that the villages all pay a duty to maintain the Rangers, which takes the form of regular payment through supplies, food, and equipment, effectively Ranger Outfits are also controlled at large by the Tribes that they serve. It is the duty of the Head Ranger to decide which calls they will answer and how the Outfit will operate, but ultimately, the Outfit must answer to all of the local Tribes at large in one form or another.

Further, Ranger Outfits also answer to Bear Shamans when called upon. Bear Shamans play an extremely important role for the Rangers as they often act as the people who are responsible for diffusing the magic in their bodies to ensure they don't succumb to The Wild. Further, because the goals and missions of Bear Shamans, as mysterious as they often are, are seen as loftier and of higher priority than those of villages. Thus, any given Ranger Outfit is likely also answering to several local Bear Shamans within the area.

Becoming a Head Ranger is often simply by being the most veteran person in the outfit when the previous Head Ranger dies. If you survive for that length of time, it also likely means that you are a very capable and dangerous person in your own right and will make a fine replacement.

## Roles of the Organization

Ranger Outfits have two primary purposes. The first is that they serve as law enforcement and peace keepers between the Tribes. There are many Tribal norms that each Tribe is expected to follow, especially when it comes to the rites of the Gathering or from treaties or negotiations. When such a law is violated, the Ranger Outfit is often responsible then for bringing resolution to the issue and for dispensing justice. This job can often be violent as Rangers do not maintain a court of law. They simply assess the situation at hand and then dispense justice where dictated by the Head Ranger.

Secondly, Rangers are also responsible for the overall safety of all the Tribes in a region. Tribes can become threatened in many ways. The most common threats come from the Great Forest. Particularly violent or mutated creates in the forest may attack people in the forest or even attack villages and livestock. When this happens, the Ranger Outfit may be summoned by a messenger from a Chieftain to come and assist with removal of the creature. Other threats also include people who have become fully possessed by The Wild and who are now aggressive and attacking others. These monsters must also be put down, and it is the job of Rangers to stalk and execute them. Lastly, Rangers may also be summoned to act as extra protection for a village in the case of hostilities between Tribes. This may mean making sure that violence between two Tribes does not spill over into neighboring Tribes, or it may mean simply acting as protectors of non-combatants ensuring that a war between Tribes doesn't spill over onto the populace of a village in a direct way.

Rangers also serve Bear Shamans on a regular basis. The goals of Bear Shamans are often cloaked in mystery, but when called upon to do so, Rangers are expected to assist Bear Shamans in any way that they can. Such goals can range from seemingly benign journeys through the forest for no apparent reason all the way up to the capture of a particularly dangerous or errant Chieftain of a local Tribe.

## Serving within a Ranger Outfit

The life of a Ranger is harsh, difficult, and deadly. All of their roles within Tribal society almost always involve risking their lives for one purpose or another. Thus, the life of a Ranger often ends bloodily. Therefore, to serve in a Ranger Outfit is not something that most aspire for. Indeed, most Rangers are forced to join the Outfit, likely because of a crime they have committed or due to exile from a village. There are some, however, who believe that the life of a Ranger is an escape from village life and willingly sign up. Most later regret that choice.

A Ranger serves until death or until he ages out at around 45. During his or her service, the Ranger is expected to follow the leadership of the current Head Ranger as he is both their law and their commander. Ranger Outfits operate on a code of conduct that is as ancient as the Tribes. Rangers are expected to bear no children. They are expected to not engage in friendships or relations with the Tribes. They are expected to serve without question, their Head Ranger. They are expected to, above all else, protect the lives and property of the Tribes. Lastly, they are expected to, unless otherwise ordered, stay with their Outfit at all times. A Ranger who leaves the Outfit without orders is considered a traitor and that is punishable by death. Violating any of the above codes is also often punished through martial means all the way up to execution. Therefore, once a Ranger is committed to serving, it is unlikely that he ever leaves and certainly unlikely that he violates the code of conduct.

Because of their code, Ranger Outfits are often aloof when it comes to interaction with the Tribes. When Rangers come into a village, they often do not parlay with the Tribesfolk and keep to themselves. They will address the Chieftain or Elders directly, and many times, they don't even stay within the village but camp in the nearby woods. As such, Ranger Outfits give an air of mystery about them, and the average Tribesman barely even sees them come and go.

When on a mission, Rangers are expected to complete the mission to the best of their ability, but should they find themselves incapable, they are to return for reinforcements to the Outfit proper. For example, if Rangers are tasked with ending a threat posed by a creature of the forest, only to discover that the creature is far more powerful than they expected, rather than throwing their lives away, they are expected to return and get more Rangers. Rangers are practical in all regards. Since they constantly live on the edge of death, they more than anyone know the difference between bravery and stupidity. Yet, brave and heroic they can be! Many Tribesfolk see the Rangers as heroes of the region, people who stalwartly march into the forest to destroy the greatest monsters therein. Tales are told of the exploits of Rangers, and few of them ever come close to hitting the mark of reality.

## Outfit Stations

Rangers often set-up their headquarters within an area of the forest that they clear, similar to a village. These are known as Outfit Stations. There, they construct crude buildings and roofs over their heads. This area will then serve multiple purposes, becoming the training grounds for new recruits, a place to resupply, and a place to gather. The Head Ranger often has quarters in the station and remains there executing his duty for planning the next missions of the Rangers.

Outfit Stations are located all over the Great Forest. To the untrained outsider, they would simply appear as more villages. Stations are constructed by the local Tribes who all come together to construct the station. Most stations are actually quite ancient, and the Rangers are responsible for the maintenance of the station. They receive supplies from the nearby Tribes via duties, and they use those supply to keep the station and the individual Rangers in operation.

Nothing about an Outfit Station is grand. They are purely utilitarian with crude structures that are hastily constructed. Even the home of the Head Ranger will be crude by Chieftain standards. Most Outfit Stations do have a meeting hall similar to villages where they can conduct business and to house visitors. Often, the meeting hall is the nicest structure in the station. Other structures in the station will be dedicated to the work of Rangers from metal working buildings to crafting areas.

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--Neil (talk) 17:16, 24 October 2016 (AST)