Kingsguard

Some of the Heralds most trusted and elite fighters, the Kingsguard are personally selected by the Sovereign and General.

## Overview

The Kingsguard are in many regards some of the best the Heralds can offer. Among their most elite combatants, they serve as the personal bodyguard of the Sovereign, and a few can always be seen in her presence, in the background, eternally watchful.

As part of their duties, the Kingsguard act as advisers in various matters of state. Although the Sovereign is the one to ultimately decide how much weight their word carries, the input of the Kingsguard is valued. Due to their numbers and reach, the Kingsguard will often be the ones doing outreach into the faction at large, gauging mood and morale, or shutting down dangerous ideas. They should aspire to be visible and reachable to the members of the faction, and act as the Sovereign’s representatives - as such, they should be exemplary kirins in their own regard.

Their most important duty, however, is battlefield command. It falls on the Kingsguard to lead their fellow kirins in combat, acting as leaders of the regional patrols. In their role between the high command and the common soldier, they must have the capacity to obey orders as well as give them - a duty demanding great discipline, but also the ability to adapt to changing situations to ensure victory. Kingsguards and their patrols are allowed to operate fairly independently - but the other side of independence is personal responsibility for failure.

There are a few hundred Kingsguard in service at any given time, most of them out in the field. It’s not usual for a Kingsguard to act mostly as a battlefield commander (rarely returning to Hrag-Ba’al), or mainly a bodyguard/adviser, depending on where they are stationed. The Kingsguard can not decide their station - that is up to the Sovereign and General.

### **Selection**

All Kingsguard were trained soldiers before the God’s War, and most of them are ex-Dragon Hoplites. They are selected not only for their combat ability, but also their loyalty and capacity to lead others. As such, Kingsguard are expected to be at least somewhat people-oriented and able to solve conflicts among the Hoplites in their control.

The Kingsguard are selected personally from among the Hoplites by the Sovereign and/or the General. There is no application process nor petitions - new recruits into the guard are made completely on the leader’s discretion. Candidates are picked out for a trial period, and if they perform as expected, officially appointed into the Kingsguard.

## Rank Rewards

1. At 25 AP | You stand as one of the greatest warriors in your herd. Receive a **Tier 1 Talent** early (for your first talent only).
2. At 50 AP | You are wise enough to know that a soldier is only as good as their gear. Receive one **Weapon** and one piece of **Armor** of your choosing for free.
3. At 75 AP | Your enemy may be uncultured, but they aren't fools on the battlefield. Receive **+15 SP** to cunning or agility.
4. At 100 AP | A companion who can fight at your side would be useful. Receive an **Aodhian Level 2 Familiar (except rare)** for free, should you have a familiar slot for them.