The Archenriders

The Ridesmen of Archendale are the most alert and deadly members of an aggressive and suspicious populace and spend much of their time at practice in the skills of war. A visitor dismissing them as local thicknecks is making a great, perhaps fatal, mistake. - Volothamp Geddarm, Volo's Guide to the Dalelands

The Archenriders are the full time military force of Archendale, tasked as both soldiers and peacekeepers across the Arkhen Vale and to the borders of Archendale's lands. Ride Champion Dheren Ogresbane commands this 600 man force and is responsible to oversee its training and supply as well. Archenriders are also known as Ridesmen and are meant to serve as a medium cavalry force, but often find themselves fighting in an infantry role because of the rough terrain of the dalelands.
At any given time only five of 10 rides are on active duty and are mustered in and out on two month shifts.Three rides are always stationed within Swordpoint, a fourth polices Archenbridge and its surrounding areas, and the fifth is stationed in the village of White Ford to watch the western borders; the remaining ridesmen are expected to be ready to muster within only a few days of notice. While active ridesmen split their time between training and performing military and peacekeeping duties across Archendale.

Composition

Manpower

The Archenriders number 600 strong and are divided into 10 regiments of 60 men apiece known as Rides, each Ride is further divided into half a dozen companies of 10 men apiece.

Equipment

Ridesmen are provided with horses, saddles, chainmail armor, shields, longswords, lances, and longbows, but are allowed to supplement their equipment with weapons or armor they purchase themselves. While on patrol they are provided with two days of rations for themselves and their mounts, 20 arrows, two torches, and a bedroll for if they need to set up a camp.

Structure

The Red Sword is Lord Champion Commander of Archendale's armies and Ride Champion Dheren Ogresbane  is commander of the Archenriders. Each Ride is commanded by a Ride Commander, and a Ride Captain commands each company. Other ranks are informal and based mostly off of experience and merit.

Tactics

The Archenriders prefer to fight as medium cavalry, but because of the rocky and forested terrain of Archendale more often fight as heavy infantry; Archenriders use their mounts for the best battlefield mobility they can get in any case. The mix of longbows, longswords, lances, and shields allows them a measure of tactical flexibility and a ride will usually deploy 1 in 3 of its warriors to act as archers to provide covering fire for their brothers in arms while the remainder usually perform a pincer attack with about half of the men in a frontal attack while the remaining members attack from a flank or behind. On the defensive they prefer defense in detail and in a melee Archenriders prefer to stay close to one another so that they may back each other up.

Training

Ridesmen are trained in the use of light, medium, and heavy armor, shields, animal handling, and simple and martial weapons. They also drill extensively in the use of the catapults and ballistae used to protect Swordpoint and Archenbridge. New recruits are mustered the day after Greengrass and are trained in these skills until the winter solstice before they are assigned to their own rides and companies; all ridesmen will continue to drill for two hours every day while on rotation.

Logistics

Auxilia

Retired Ridesmen may find themselves called to arms once again if the need is dire as it was after many riders were killed or wounded in the recent war with Sembia. Ride Captains and Commanders can order a muster for local Militia forces if necessary.

Upkeep

A typical Archenrider receives a stipend of 200 gold for their six months of deployment in addition to being clothed, housed, and fed to a modest standard. Ride captains and Ride commanders must have served at least 10 years as a Ridesman; captains receive an additional 100 gold and ride commanders another 150 on top of that, but both ranks are expected to endure the same conditions as their men, or pay for better on their own. The Ride Champion lives year round in the private quarters of Swordpoint unless they are in the field and live to a standard that could make minor nobility envious.

Recruitment

To join the Archenriders a prospective member must be an adult of their species and able to sit upon a standard sized horse; a policy that automatically excludes dwarves, haflings, and gnomes based on their short statures. An Archenrider must also own or be the scion of a family with property within Archendale, a business, home, farmstead, or similar property will suffice. Archenriders regardless of experience swear to serve for 10 years and may choose to serve for up to three terms before retirement.

History

Half of all the Archenriders were lost in battle against invading Sembian forces from 1483 to 1485, the majority during the Siege of Swordpoint and as a result Archendale became a more dangerous place. Even now with it's numbers restored there is endless work to be done returning Archendale's version of law and order outside Archenbridge and White Ford, a full third of the Dale is more akin to a frontier than lands settled for generations and the Archenriders are stretched thin.

Famous Members

The Black Bulls

Ride Commander Nesren Starpeak and her ride were known as The Black Bulls for their toughness and stubborn tenacity. In the first weeks of the Siege of Swordpoint the Sembian attackers deployed a cannon which quickly destroyed significant portions of the palisade above the earthworks and caused the defenders of the castle to retreat into the inner bailey. On the 17th of Uktar 1483 the Sembians repositioned the cannon to fire upon the inner castle and the first volleys breached the south tower of the gatehouse, but Commander Starpeak and the Black Bulls sallied forward to fight off any Sembians who tried to make it through the gap. The Black Bulls were killed to a man, but not before destroying the Sembian cannon and allowing the other defenders to repair the breach.

Brof Simplebrook

Legend tells of a half orc Ridesman named Brof Simplebrook who could wield a greatsword in one hand with his shield. Tales of Brof's exploits in the wilderness and taverns are virtually mythical two centuries after his demise. He was the Third Ride Champion, and the only non human to hold the rank.

Type

Cavalry

Founding

1235 DR

Overall training Level

Professional

Assumed Veterancy

Experienced

Used by

• The Swords of Archendale