The Boatswains

"My hands as your tools, my feet to go where you cannot, my eyes and ears as your own and my life as your shield."
Part of the oath Boatswains swear to the crown

History:

When Berand Moran died in 53 AK, his son Jael took the throne of the still fledgling kingdom of Lassara He was immediately faced with powerful opposition from the other noble houses and even some members of his own family. Many nobles hoped for a weak king and some of the other high houses expected to use the uncertainty of a transitional period to cease more territory or power within the young nation.

Jael's reign only lasted for four years and ended with his death, officially an accident but rumoured to have been an asassination by another political party. Jael's lack of an heir placed his younger brother Gerron on the throne, who vowed not to end like his brother. So began a period during which the kings of Lassara consolidated their internal power, hardly diverting ressources to securing the nation's borders. This task was mostly left to Houses Blye and Istion in the north and south respectively. King Gerron founded the Boatswains in the year of his coronation as the extended arm of the crown. They were to be an agency that could work in the shadows or the open, wherever needed and was loyal to the king foremost and his house second. The crown needed this powerful weapon in the internal political game of the high houses, not officially a military organization but an agency devoted to intelligence and covert operations. This luxury was swiftly denied to the other noble houses by law. Of course almost all nobles in the country employ spies secretly but one of the advantages the Boatswains have is their ability to operate in the open and with the authority of the crown as well as hidden in the dark.

The organization has been loyal to House Moran and the kings throughout the history of the kingdom, dealing with any betrayal by individuals swiftly, efficiently and harshly. In the early years of its existence most members of the Boatswains were devoted to their cause, risking life and limb for their purpose. A Boatswain's first priority is to accomplish their mission and if they cannot, make sure their mates learn why and what to do about it in the future. During the most recent centuries recruit numbers for the Boatswains have gone down and the organization was forced to take in less idealistic characters whose devotion can sometimes be found lacking.

Organizational Structure:

The Boatswains' official commander is always the current ruler themselves and under them an agent called the 'First Mate'. The kings and queens and certain members of the royal family they deem trustworthy are the only people outside the organization who know the identity of the First Mate. Every Boatswain's moast sacred oath after loyalty to the crown is to protect the anonymity of the First Mate, if necessary with their life. The current First Mate is a man named Borale.

There are no set ranks under the First Mate within the organization. Leadership over certain strategical positions, missions and projects is delegated when necessary and fluid. This leaves the command structure of the organization much less vulnerable to infiltration or assassination than more rigid hierarchies. Some positions that are traditionally in place at all times are the spymaster of Lassa, the capital, the 'ambassadors' within the other four high houses and the grey priest. This agent is a Boatswain operating within the religious orders of Blyeholm. Even these positions shift often when the ones holding them are put to different tasks and others take their place. The number of Boatswains in the kingdom fluctuates as well. Being a Boatswain is hardly a life free of risk. Death often comes swiftly and early. The organization is always looking for those who show the necessary prerequisites for joining. For that matter the recruiters of the agency don't discriminate by origin, age or former profession. The Boatswains are known to offer pardons to criminals should they be ready to swear to serve the crown and become Boatswains themselves. The deciding factor in the finding of new recruits is skill. Does someone show the qualifications needed for the job? If so, they are always worth looking into.

What skills is the organization looking for? There is not a certain set of abilities that is required, due to the multitude of tasks the Boatswains fulfill for their king. Obviously any skills to accomplish missions while hidden and without raising much suspicion are sought for but there are more official positions within the agency as well. Besides spies, assassins and former thieves, the Boatswains also employ knights, scholars, mages or paladins.

Training:

A large number of Boatswains is recruited at an adult age out of former professions where the recruit would have already learnt many skills that they would use as agents. Still there are always skills that could be needed in the secret service to the crown and some men or women are recruited at a younger age, if they show exceptional talent in a field the Boatswains' recruiters are looking for. To facilitate the necessary training there are several facilities throughout the country, most of them within territory traditionally held by House Moran, but some of them are scattered throughout other houses' lands as well. Adult recruits usually just learn the rules and regulations that are part of their new lives and are then sent on assignment, coming back to training as full agents only when a certain skill is needed. Young recruits have to follow a much harsher path. Rigid discipline, training during every waking hour and instruction on the virtues of loyalty, duty and honour. These young men and women, as a result of those hardships, often end up in leadership positions or are entrusted more sensitive missions than adult recruits.

The Three Sails:

The Boatswains serve the crown and the kingdom. They help the common people as well as nobles if their missions allow it and they rely on help and information from all sides as well. If someone is in need of the Boatswains' assistance or has vital information for them, they can mark a window in their home with the traditional symbol of the agency: Three triangles, representing stylized sails. No matter how small that mark is, the Boatswains can be expected to find it. Misuse of the symbol is punished severely. The symbol is used by the Boatswains themselves as well to mark hiding spots, documents and any other thing they deem necessary. There are subtle details a Boatswain puts on their own mark so members of the organization can always discern between a mark left by a mate or an outsider.

Type

Covert Ops

Founding

57 AK

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