Spirearch's Guard

## About

A specific military force intended to directly serve the Spirearch. All of the High Houses are required to send at least one of their children to serve for at least a year, although it normally does not seem to involve a great deal of hardship.

### Location

The headquarters and the training center for the Guard is located at the Spirearch Manor.

### Tradition

Young nobles volunteer a year's service to the guard—a mark of status.

### Exemption

The only surviving heir to a house may exempt themselves from service to he guard.

### Requirements

Members of the Guard must be physically capable and fit; however, there seem to be few prerequisites except for noble blood. For instance, it is not necessary to know how to handle a gauntlet before arriving.

### Numbers

* The Guard has over 3000 regular guardsmen in active Government. (Book ref?)
* In the year of book one, there are forty new recruits and nearly the same number in returning veterans.

### Duties / Function

* The duties seem to be mostly policing of crime within the Spire. And, also to defend if attacked by rival Spires.
* Generally coordinate humanitarian efforts.

### Uniforms

* Exercise uniform: grey, shapeless tunic and trousers.
* Active duty uniform: "functional livery" — smile white shirt with dark blue trousers and a jacket, the arms and legs bearing gold piping at the seams.

* Formal uniform:

### Recruit Training

Recruit trading begins with daily morning running around the Spire through the various Habbles. Followed by Inquisition training (fight training) which consists of Gauntlet and blade training—wooden at first, advancing to live swords later. In the afternoon there are lectures on Spire politics, such as: the various Habbles, their laws, their relationships to each other, so on. Open-hand combat training: normally taught after the initial training course, but a new recruit may learn and practice techniques on their own time.

### Members of the Spirearch's Guard

**Trainees / Recruits**:

* Gwen Lancaster
* Bridget Tagwynn

**Veteran Guardsmen**:

* Benedict Sorellin-Lancaster
* Reginald Astor
* Barnabus Astor

**Officers**:

* Captain Cavallo: in charge of recruit training

Plus:

* Rowl (only somewhat officially)

## Connections

* Lord Albion
* Spirearch Manor
* Spirearch
* Spire Albion
* Habble Morning

## Events

### *Aeronaut's Windlass*

Gwen Lancaster and Bridget Tagwynn are newly recruited into the Guard. Gwen's cousin, Benedict Sorellin-Lancaster is doing his third year in the Guard. Another veteran guardsman is Reginald Astor, a snobbish bully who is followed by an enterage of fellow aristocratic guardsmen, challenges Bridget to a duel. The new recruits were reassigned to active duty and given functional livery after the Auroran attack.

The entrance to the Habble Landing Shipyards had about a dozen bodies of dead Guardsmen, piled in a heap. hey died defending the exit from the Habble against the Auroran Marines.

## Book References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 9, p. 102
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 4
3. ↑ *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 9, p. 101
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 20
5. ↑ *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 5
6. ↑ *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 3
7. ↑ *Aeronaut's Windlass*, ch. 60, p.