Royal Air Arm of Vesryn

**The Royal Air Arm** (RAA) was the aerial warfare force of the Empire of Greater Vesryn. The service was known primarily for its use and development of the airship as a front-line combat vessel. Vesryn would come to utilise advanced airships in large numbers, dedicating a tremendous amount of resources to maintaining their technological and numerical superiority.

The Royal Air Arm included the Royal Flying Corps, which maintained the country's long standing tradition of fielding griffon riders as an elite military unit.

## Information

### Structure and Growth

The predecessor of the Royal Air Arm was the griffon cavalry, which served underneath the Royal Army. With the inception of these cavalry units in 535 H.E, the service initially consisted of an aerial squadron and a logistics squadron, with the aerial squadron consisting of three flights each commanded by a relevant lord. The service continued this way until more recent reformations in 1460 B.E, where the overwhelming clamour amongst the forces for a disciplined system was enough to institute reforms.

With the introduction of the position of Sky Marshal, the Royal Air Arm was eventually founded in 1495 B.E. A rank structure was established, with a strict set of rules designed to introduce discipline and order to a force plagued with bravado and independent airmen.

With the development of durable cannon and airship technology and its eventual adoption by both the nations of Auvais-Chane and Leoben in 1511 B.E, the Royal Air Arm was expanded to include multiple warships with a fleet of logistical and civilian airships working on contract to support full-time operations.

During the Imperial Era, Vesryn maintained three fully-staffed fleets of twelve warships. These fleets were required by the decree of the Sky Marshal to have "at all times, one heavily armoured ship of the line serving as flagship, two light or heavy frigates, a flotilla of supporting smaller warships and at least three logistical vessels to supply the fleet." Additional marines, airmen and griffon riders were often incorporated into these fleets, although in the case of the latter they often worked within their own command, using the fleets as transports of opportunity.

### Recruitment and Ranks

The Royal Air Arm in its early years often restricted its recruitment to the larger cities of the Astran Isles, but with the development of the kingdom as a regional power and later with the rapid growth of the nation it extended recruitment to the colonies and dominions of the Empire. In times of desperation or in war, it was known to conscript from the population, including the peasantry. These men and women were often carpenters, butchers and other useful professions, but they were also often farmers, drunkards and criminals and had to undergo basic courses at the Royal Flying Academy in Hawkrun.

The Royal Flying Corps never adopted this practice. As training riders for griffons was a slow and unforgiving process, candidates were selected from the top fifty recruits as decided by annual tests. Preference was given to those without families or attachments, and those who survived the training process were often regarded as elite soldiers, prized even in times of war. As such, conscripts who found themselves being selected as part of the Royal Flying Corps were often special or extraordinary individuals.

Both the Royal Air Arm and the Royal Flying Corps kept to the same rank structure. As the airmen of the corps were technically a branch of the overall service, there was little difference in rank superiority between the two.

### Uniforms and Honours

With the creation of a strict rank structure, methods of recognising and distinguishing commissioned officers from the rank-and-file peasantry were needed. In combat, the use of battle flags and standards had served the Vesryne forces well in the past. These methods were not changed, and given the limited availability of materials and colours with which to paint armours and distinguish soldiers in combat with, a complex system of horn calls was outsourced to the Hawkrun Guild of Musicians with relatively successful results.

Furthermore, to promote esprit de corps amongst the forces, dress uniforms were issued for state and military events. At the start of the Imperial Era, three medals were also available for issue, as well as multiple rewards of pension and stipend increases. Members of the Royal Air Arm and Royal Flying Corps were also expected to ascend to knighthood or to peerage at a certain rank. Despite this, the purchase of commissions was explicitly forbidden, a practice that many of Vesryn's neighbours continued well into the Imperial Era.