Royal Guard¶
Elite personal guard of a Lord or Sovereign. Protects the ruler and defends the Palace from within.
A royal guard is led by a Captain of the Guard. Below him are Royal Guards standing at posts throughout the Palace and escorting the ruler when he moves. Larger royal guards add Guard Officers who supervise shifts and posts, and an Inner Guard of elites in constant attendance on the ruler. The guard is quartered within the Palace, with a Guard room near the gate. A Lord's Guard is small; a Sovereign's Royal Guard runs much larger, with officers at each wing and an Inner Guard beside the throne.
Each guardsman swears an Oath to defend the ruler with his life. The guard works in Shifts around the clock. Posts cover the ruler's chambers at all hours, the audience spaces when in session, the palace gate, and the private wing entries. On an Escort, the guard accompanies the ruler whenever he moves beyond his private wing. Its Authority is to defend the person of the ruler, detain anyone threatening him, and act on his direct orders; it defers to the Watch for ordinary civil matters. A royal guard may lean toward a Personality such as loyal, imperious, or suspicious.
Factions¶
ROYAL GUARD (town)¶
Small Military faction
Alignment typically Lawful Neutral | PB +3
The Lord's personal guard. Based at the Palace.
Creatures¶
Captain of the Guard. The Lord's commander. Plate armor, shield, longsword; royal livery. Wears a signet. [1x Captain]
Royal Guards. Trusted men hand-picked from the Lord's veterans. Chain mail, longswords, shields; royal livery. [12x Veteran]
Features¶
Oath. Each guardsman swears to defend the Lord with his life. Oath-breaking is treason.
Shifts. Three shifts of 8 hours. Each fields four guardsmen on duty.
Posts. The Lord's chambers at all hours; the Reception and Great halls when in session; the palace gate; the private wing entry.
Escort. Four guardsmen accompany the Lord whenever he moves beyond his private wing.
Authority. May detain anyone threatening the Lord on sight. Defers to the Watch for ordinary civil matters. Takes direct orders only from the Lord.
Personality. Loyal. Devoted to the Lord personally.
ROYAL GUARD (city)¶
Medium Military faction
Alignment typically Lawful Neutral | PB +3
The Sovereign's personal guard. Based at the Grand Palace.
Creatures¶
Captain of the Guard. The Sovereign's commander. Plate armor, shield, longsword; royal livery with gold trim. Wears a signet. [1x Captain]
Guard Officers. Supervise shifts and wing posts. Chain mail, longswords, shields; officers' royal livery. [3x Veteran]
Royal Guards. Hand-picked from the kingdom's veterans. Chain mail, longswords, shields; royal livery. [40x Veteran]
Inner Guard. The Sovereign's closest guards; stand in constant attendance. Chain mail, longswords, shields; royal livery with gold trim. [4x Veteran]
Features¶
Oath. Each guardsman swears to defend the Sovereign with his life. Oath-breaking is treason.
Shifts. Three shifts of 8 hours. Each fields about a third of the roster.
Posts. The Sovereign's chambers at all hours, held by the Inner Guard. The Throne room when in session. The Grand Reception hall, the private wing entries, the grand gate, and the vault approach.
Escort. Eight guardsmen plus two of the Inner Guard accompany the Sovereign whenever he moves beyond the private wing.
Authority. May detain anyone threatening the Sovereign on sight. Defers to the Watch for ordinary civil matters. Takes direct orders only from the Sovereign.
Personality. Imperious. Position goes to the head.