Gold Shields
The Gold Shields1 were an elite band of warriors who fought for the ancient kingdom of Hekólía, one of the successor states of the Paþarían Empire, which ruled the southern (and occasionally the eastern) Meldon Plain before the rise of the Sikíron Empire.
The Gold Shields were originally a paþarían legion who briefly ruled a city-state in the chaos following the fall of Paþaría, the remnants of which became a group of wandering mercenaries after the fall of their city before eventually swearing fealty to the king of Hekólía. The band was notable for focusing solely on a person's skills rather than status within society for recruitment, and members were expected treat and protect each others as if they were family. This great loyalty to each other, combined with excellent organization and training, made the band one of the most formidable group of warriors in central Adynía for centuries.
The name, as with the Scarlet Shields of neighbouring Þerakkía, referred to the distinctive shields carried by the warriors, which had golden decorative elements, sometimes even covering the entire front of the shield. Eagle or falcon wings were another symbol of the band, particularly in its early days, which was inherited from the original legion's standard, while lion imagery became more prominent later on.
The Gold Shields were originally a paþarían legion who briefly ruled a city-state in the chaos following the fall of Paþaría, the remnants of which became a group of wandering mercenaries after the fall of their city before eventually swearing fealty to the king of Hekólía. The band was notable for focusing solely on a person's skills rather than status within society for recruitment, and members were expected treat and protect each others as if they were family. This great loyalty to each other, combined with excellent organization and training, made the band one of the most formidable group of warriors in central Adynía for centuries.
The name, as with the Scarlet Shields of neighbouring Þerakkía, referred to the distinctive shields carried by the warriors, which had golden decorative elements, sometimes even covering the entire front of the shield. Eagle or falcon wings were another symbol of the band, particularly in its early days, which was inherited from the original legion's standard, while lion imagery became more prominent later on.
Composition
Equipment
Armour mostly consisted of cuirasses, helmets and greaves of all kinds, and members of the band were also required to wear long paþarían-style tunics, preferably blue, which became one of their signature equipment as shorter tunics gradually became the norm among Nemirkíans.
Weaponry
Spears and -to lesser extent- swords were the main weapons of the Gold Shields, arcane martial arts were used extensively as well to counter the limited access to enchanted weapons and arms.
1Original icelandic: Gullskildir, singular: Gullskjöldur.
by Lappalingur
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