Armies of the kingdom

## Armies and warriors of the kingdom

All the lords of the realm are expected
to have sworn warriors in their retinues, ranging from a handful of
men-at-arms amongst the poorer provincial lords to the legions
serving in the king's own. Apart from the official armies of the
nobles, several mercenary companies exist throughout the realm,
offering their services in return for coin instead of fealty. Most
lords and sworn men look down at those who sell their swords, but
these same lords are more than happy to hire the extra manpower
witout question if the need arises.

## Nobles and royalty

The kingdom is ruled by the high king,
supported by the various nobles that are spread throughout the realm.

### The high king

The king is the head of the dragon clan
and the undisputed ruler of the realm. The capital of Caer Angleadd
is by far the largest city in the entire kingdom, with a standing
army of 2500 men. The king's own is the largest armed force in the
kingdom, and in times of war he can call upon three times that number
to muster a force capable of defeating any foe that threatens his
rule. Service in the capital is viewed as a great honor, and every
year hundreds of eager and hopefull warriors attend the choosing in
an attempt to gain a position. Only the finest are ever selected
however, so the vast majority is turned away.

The king's own usually tend to the
safety of the crownlands, but any jarl can petition the king for aid
in times of need. More often than not the jarls will try their best
to avoid this however, since petitioning the king also means that the
crown will pass judgement in the conflict and thereby bypassing the
jarl's own jurisdiction.

###

### The jarls

There are 18 jarls in the kingdom, each
standing as overlord over a vast domain and several lesser lords. The
power and influence of the jarls vary to a great degree however, all
depending on the wealth of their lands. The jarl of Caer Faarn for
example commands several hundred men-at-arms, funding his armies and
court by a florishing trading-port in the city. At Caer Pevvyn to the
far east however, the jarl has a single company of men under his
banner as his lands are still mostly wilderness and scattered
settlements.

### The hersirs

Hersirs are rulers over prominent
domains in their own right, but owes fealty and men to the jarls. A
hersir usually commands at least a couple lesser lords, and some of
the more prominent ones holds almost as much power as a lesser jarl.
The military power of a hersir ranges from a couple dozen and up
towards a hundred.

### The lords

Common lords are amongst the lowest of
the nobles in the kingdom. Most hold a single town or keep, with
smaller villages and farmsteads to support them. Lords usually have a
warband numbering from a handful of men and up to maybe two dozen.
Most of them are ill-equipped to deal with threats greater than
marauding bandits, and it is not uncommon for the various lords to
call on alliances or hiring mercenaries to deal with bigger issues.

### The land-holders

Land-holders are the lowest rank of
nobles in the kingdom, usually younger sons of other lords that have
been given a small demesne to rule in order to support themselves.
Many of them are little more than a farmer with a sword. Most of the
land-holders have but a few men-at-arms in their service, relying on
their overlords for any military needs.

## Mercenaries

There are many kinds of mercenaries
operating in the kingdom. All of them require a charter approved by
the king, but how they operate vary greatly. Due to ancient laws it's
illegal for any mercenary company to operate with more than a dozen
soldiers on one contract, unless ordered so by either a jarl or the
king.

### The Oathsworn

The oathsworn are often called the
poor-man's army. They have several companies stationed in different
areas of the kingdom, hiring out men to caravans or nobles in need.
They will accept almost anyone into their ranks as long as they
provide their own equipment and handle themselves according to the
set rules of the company. They are known to be honorable and always
upholding their bargains. In total they number close to 500 men,
though most commanders usually have just a dozen or two on their
payroll at any time.

###

### The Free Brothers

The brothers are a loose collection of
mercenaries all answering to a single commander in their stronghold
outside Caer Darin. Less structured than the oathsworn, the brothers
tend to only sign on to fighting with noble armies, claiming that
their superior skill would be wasted on simple guard duties. They
number just under 200 soldiers, but tend to be better equipped than
other sellswords. Noone can join the brothers unless personally
approved by their commander.

### The Guardians

The guardians specialize in protecting
travellers and caravans, only rarely offering their services to
armies. They are led by the five captains, who each commands 8
ten-man squads. Most of their operations are along the wild frontier
to the east, where they strive to keep the growing settlements of the
kingdom safe and supplied.

### The Wanderers

The wanderers are not exactly a company,
but rather a loose brotherhood of individuals. Having no commanders
or leaders, the wanderers usually operate either alone or in small
groups, offering their services to whoever can pay them. Of all the
mercenaries in the kingdom, the wanderers have the strictest set of
rules. These rules deals with such things as never killing
surrendering foes, as well as never killing those unable to defend
themselves or robbing people. If in combat however they are known to
be brutally efficient. They are also by far the best soldiers for
hire, and their reputation has kept them in business for centuries.
Since they have no formal structure their numbers are unknown, but it
also opens up for that any member of their «order» stands free to
negotiate his own contracts.