Hammerer Bodyguard

The Thane (leader) of all of Barkarin and his direct kin are entitled by dwarvern law to the unswerving and undeviating loyalty to the death of an elite bodyguard. This bodyguard by tradition wield runed double-handed sledgehammers.

To enter the Hammerer bodyguard one must volunteer as the oaths one is required to take must be taken fully and cannot be done so under duress or because one would not refuse a command. Being a Hammerer is something respected by all mountain dwarves nevertheless it is neither prestigious or advantageous for advancement in the dwarvern military or society. Hammerers serve for life and cannot be promoted into other military positions. A hammerer forsakes his rights to speak in the Thaneclave (if he had such a right due to his achievements or birth) from the moment he swears his oath. He is no longer his own man for he has been given to the Thane, his opinions, strengths, words and deeds are now the Thane’s. Hammerers can have families, homes and are paid, but they cannot move beyond what they now are. Part of the oath is that these dwarves voluntarily surrender all they could ever have become to defend the Thane and his line for the rest of their lives.

There have been Hammerers who have fallen short of their oaths. However there are so few that every new Hammerer is taught their names in their first year. They are called the ‘Befouled’ and there have been eleven of them since the unit’s conception and one of the those in the very first squad.

The Hammerers wear blue rather than the usual Barkarin red which makes them standout in any military collection clearly signalling to all the location of the Thane on the battlefield. The Captain of the bodyguard carries magical gear that has been passed down to those of his position for generations. Over the years others amongst the guard have begun to do likewise with their more powerful possessions leaving them in trust with the unit for new members to pick up when they prove worthy. The bearer of the Thane’s standard is one such.

When Hammerers become to old to lift their hammers they are no longer permitted to guard the Thane in the field, however they remain Hammerers and a part of his bodyguard. Usually they take up positions usually filled by servants and some of them operate as the Thane’s spymasters and personal strategists.

Two Thanes have been murdered whilst under the protection of the Hammerer bodyguard. In one case not a single member of the bodyguard survived the attack. In the other not one of the assassins did. The second of those assassinations provoked a war and the new Thane assigned each of the bodyguard who had survived the killing of his father to his personal watch when he led the charge into the enemy. On that day they each wore a black band across their foreheads. Only one of the black banded Hammers lived through that bloody day and he was made the new Captain of the guard. He never removed the black band and it was buried with him when he finally passed.

More Thane’s have died in open battle with their bodyguards about them. Yet every time this has been the case one of two events has also coincided with that: all his bodyguard died too, probably before he did and/or every last enemy unit that attacked his position has been obliterated to a man. Due to the story of Captain Blackband any Hammerer who survives an attack where his Thane falls wears a black band around his forehead from then on. No one ever mentions these bands or even looks at them, but all dwarves know what they represent. A dwarf who has lost one Thane will not lose another! Black bands are known to seldom be worn long. Hammerers who have failed (even when they could have done no more) want to die and die right!