The Ruitis Guard
The Ruitis Guard, also known simply as the Guard, is the security force of the country as well as the majority of the Ruitis military. Normally patrolling streets and defending villages from wildlife, this group makes up the guards, police, and bounty hunters of Ruitis. Although high in numbers on paper, many of the number are simply trained and available for combat and do not actually work in the guard.
Composition
Manpower
Unstoppable Numbers, on Paper:
The Ruitis Guard is numbered at about 975,000 men, however a majority of this force is "retired". In reality, only about 400,000 are actively in the guard. However, the full number of 975,000 men can be called at any time if the king deems it fit, keeping the numbers realistically high. Each 18 year old citizen of Ruitis is required to take 4 years of service in the military, after which they have to choice to continue working in the military, or alternatively go into another field with a monetary reward based on their performance during their four years.
Magical Combatants of Ruitis: The Magical Combatants of Ruitis are a group of ~25,000 magical casters who are on call at any given time. Of the 25,000 magical casters, only ~1,000 actively partake in military operations, with the rest either working in other fields (~20,000) or working in the military in a management field (~4,000). The lowest spell casters in the MCR are 3rd level and the highest are 7th, with a median of 5th.
Magical Combatants of Ruitis: The Magical Combatants of Ruitis are a group of ~25,000 magical casters who are on call at any given time. Of the 25,000 magical casters, only ~1,000 actively partake in military operations, with the rest either working in other fields (~20,000) or working in the military in a management field (~4,000). The lowest spell casters in the MCR are 3rd level and the highest are 7th, with a median of 5th.
Equipment
War Machines:
War Machines are armored carriages powered by a high wizard's magic, who is protected inside of it. These carriages are much quicker than the Kojan Defender, but are much weaker. War Machines are coated with a much thinner line of metal than Defenders and have multiple noticeable windows on the sides, as well as two doors on the back. These doors and windows are for quick access for the soldiers that sit inside the machines who attack out the windows with crossbows and swords. These machines are not operated by Ruitis very much, they were rapidly designed and built within the first 25 years of the Giant-Goliath war beginning, and since then have been left at military bases to collect dust and rust. As of 740 Ruitis only keeps 10 actively maintained, and they are only used in the rare case a monster such as a dragon or demon poses a threat.
The Normal: The equipment of Ruitis is quite basic in comparison to its neighbor, however it is well maintained. Swords, crossbows, ballista, cannons, and polearms are all ready for combat at any given time, and many are actively trained and tested in the field against beasts and monsters.
The Normal: The equipment of Ruitis is quite basic in comparison to its neighbor, however it is well maintained. Swords, crossbows, ballista, cannons, and polearms are all ready for combat at any given time, and many are actively trained and tested in the field against beasts and monsters.
Weaponry
Swords:
Although Guardsmen are trained in a range of weaponry, swords are the weapon Guardsmen are universally trained in. The the short sword is the basis of all weapons, and therefore is in the arsenal of nearly every combatant. Longswords are reserved for the higher skilled, however every soldier can at the very least properly hold one. These two blades are the most used, however other blades have some notoriety as well. Dagger proficiency is universal in Ruitis itself, and therefore the Guard is well trained in them as well, although they are unused and serve only as a last resort. Bastard swords and other heavy handed weapons are unpopular among the guard, with only a few captains choosing to use the blade. Rapiers and other finesse blades are owned by many high ranking Guardsmen, however this is more due to their elegant shape and expensive look than actual function.
Bows and Crossbows: While sword ability is known by all guardsmen, bows and crossbows are known by only about 80% of the military. Additionally, this ability is only to adequacy, actual proficiency is only achieved by about 30% of the Guard. This proficiency is only in crossbows and short bows, long bows and heavy crossbows are a rare proficiency achieved only by the captains of archery based units.
Polearms: Polearms are taught to Guardsmen looking to become stationed in Rue or near a Lord. These weapons are useful for keeping individuals at bay without actively killing them, which is helpful in a civilian area. Polearms don't see much use out of combat to the point that guard-wide proficiency is needed, which has led to them being a sign of rank.
Bows and Crossbows: While sword ability is known by all guardsmen, bows and crossbows are known by only about 80% of the military. Additionally, this ability is only to adequacy, actual proficiency is only achieved by about 30% of the Guard. This proficiency is only in crossbows and short bows, long bows and heavy crossbows are a rare proficiency achieved only by the captains of archery based units.
Polearms: Polearms are taught to Guardsmen looking to become stationed in Rue or near a Lord. These weapons are useful for keeping individuals at bay without actively killing them, which is helpful in a civilian area. Polearms don't see much use out of combat to the point that guard-wide proficiency is needed, which has led to them being a sign of rank.
Structure
The King:
The King sits at the very top of the military, and has done so since the first Rue. The king has the final say in all major operations and at any time can "veto" a lower rank's orders. The king is not required to actually engage in combat, however it is not uncommon for him to do so.
The Royal Governor: The Royal Governor, despite being the second in the ranking, actually has very little power over the military. The only reason the Royal Governor is at such a high rank is due to him being the bridge between the king and the Head of the Guard. Once the Head of the Guard is put into power, only the king can remove him: even if the Royal Governor is changed, the King decides whether the Head of the Guard is replaced. However, the Royal Governor is still the Head of the Guard's supervisor, and all report are sent to the Royal Governor, unless in active war.
The Head of the Guard: The Head of the Guard leads the Guard a majority of the time. The Head of the Guard decides how the guard is split across Ruitis, normally using information given by the Royal Governor to make his decisions. The Head of the Guard also decides how the military is controlled and trained. This includes basic training, veteran training, and master training, as well as what the Guard needs at the moment. The Head of the Guard appoints Captains (see below) and gives them their men based on how many the Captain requests and how many the Head believes they need. Finally, the Head of the Guard is the Captain and protector of Rue and the final step of the Guard in defense of the king.
Captains: Captains are middle management of the Guard and the supervisors of units (see below). Captains are appointed by the Head of the Guard to oversee a group of units in a region as well as individual soldiers in the region. Captains normally live in or near a Lord's residence and coordinate the Guard's work from there. Each unit's lieutenant reports to the Captain, who reports to the Head of the Guard. While captains oversee and command units, they do not make them: when a Captain needs a force for defense or hunting of a beast, he makes a request with the Head of the Guard. The Head then sends a unit to the Captain who uses them accordingly, issuing orders to the lieutenant who relays it to the soldiers
Units: Units are the lowest section of the Guard, and their members make up nearly the entire population of the Guard. Units contain two ranks: Lieutenant and Soldier, with one Lieutenant per unit. Units consist of a number of soldiers ranging from 12 to 60, with a number of ranged soldiers on a 1:5 ratio to close range. This means every unit has at minimum two ranged soldiers and 10 close ranged soldiers, however this ratio is simply a minimum and some units have 8 archers and only 4 close ranged soldiers.
Lieutenants: Lieutenants are the lowest supervisors in the Guard and handle day to day activities of the soldiers they control. A soldier progresses to lieutenant when they have served for at least 10 years and their record shows they can handle management of soldiers. Lieutenants are the leaders of a unit, and bear the brunt of Captains' wrath if the unit fails its mission, meaning it is a very tiring and soul crushing rank. However, if a lieutenant proves their ability to lead, they may be promoted to Captain by the Head of the Guard, which brings a hefty pay raise and the removal of constant work.
Soldiers: Soldiers make up almost all of the Guard and vary in ability. Soldiers are the grunts of the Guard, they are the ones most often wandering on patrols or actually fighting in the line of duty, and because of this they are the most seen as well. This means that a Captain's or Lieutenant's bad decision will lead to the soldier dealing with a protest or riot, which will leave the soldiers as the direct enemy of the protestors.
The Royal Governor: The Royal Governor, despite being the second in the ranking, actually has very little power over the military. The only reason the Royal Governor is at such a high rank is due to him being the bridge between the king and the Head of the Guard. Once the Head of the Guard is put into power, only the king can remove him: even if the Royal Governor is changed, the King decides whether the Head of the Guard is replaced. However, the Royal Governor is still the Head of the Guard's supervisor, and all report are sent to the Royal Governor, unless in active war.
The Head of the Guard: The Head of the Guard leads the Guard a majority of the time. The Head of the Guard decides how the guard is split across Ruitis, normally using information given by the Royal Governor to make his decisions. The Head of the Guard also decides how the military is controlled and trained. This includes basic training, veteran training, and master training, as well as what the Guard needs at the moment. The Head of the Guard appoints Captains (see below) and gives them their men based on how many the Captain requests and how many the Head believes they need. Finally, the Head of the Guard is the Captain and protector of Rue and the final step of the Guard in defense of the king.
Captains: Captains are middle management of the Guard and the supervisors of units (see below). Captains are appointed by the Head of the Guard to oversee a group of units in a region as well as individual soldiers in the region. Captains normally live in or near a Lord's residence and coordinate the Guard's work from there. Each unit's lieutenant reports to the Captain, who reports to the Head of the Guard. While captains oversee and command units, they do not make them: when a Captain needs a force for defense or hunting of a beast, he makes a request with the Head of the Guard. The Head then sends a unit to the Captain who uses them accordingly, issuing orders to the lieutenant who relays it to the soldiers
Units: Units are the lowest section of the Guard, and their members make up nearly the entire population of the Guard. Units contain two ranks: Lieutenant and Soldier, with one Lieutenant per unit. Units consist of a number of soldiers ranging from 12 to 60, with a number of ranged soldiers on a 1:5 ratio to close range. This means every unit has at minimum two ranged soldiers and 10 close ranged soldiers, however this ratio is simply a minimum and some units have 8 archers and only 4 close ranged soldiers.
Lieutenants: Lieutenants are the lowest supervisors in the Guard and handle day to day activities of the soldiers they control. A soldier progresses to lieutenant when they have served for at least 10 years and their record shows they can handle management of soldiers. Lieutenants are the leaders of a unit, and bear the brunt of Captains' wrath if the unit fails its mission, meaning it is a very tiring and soul crushing rank. However, if a lieutenant proves their ability to lead, they may be promoted to Captain by the Head of the Guard, which brings a hefty pay raise and the removal of constant work.
Soldiers: Soldiers make up almost all of the Guard and vary in ability. Soldiers are the grunts of the Guard, they are the ones most often wandering on patrols or actually fighting in the line of duty, and because of this they are the most seen as well. This means that a Captain's or Lieutenant's bad decision will lead to the soldier dealing with a protest or riot, which will leave the soldiers as the direct enemy of the protestors.
Tactics
Overpower and Distract:
Units are trained to overpower and distract their enemies. When a unit sees an enemy, the archers will move into hidden positions and await the signal. Once in place, the unit will signal the archers to attack, normally a discreet flash or a bird call, at which point the archers will unleash constant arrow hellfire on the enemy unit. In the chaos to find the attackers, the enemy will be too distracted to fully prepare themselves as the full close range unit comes down on the enemy. Due to other nations having smaller units (Kojark, for instance, uses units half as large), units can easily overpower the enemy while risking minimal casualties.
Retreating Rainfall: Retreating Rainfall is a tactic used by the few units with a majority of archers. This unit is based on constant retreat while dealing high damage to the enemy. The archers split themselves into two lines 10 feet apart and the first line fires on the target. As soon as the arrow flies, the first line moves back 20 feet and reloads. Once the first line passes the second, they fire, moving back 10 feet when the arrow HITS the target. This leads to a constant rainfall of arrows on the enemy, who struggle to make ground as the archers constantly move back.
Operation Shortsight: Shortsight is a dated tactic conceived during the beginnings of the Giant-Goliath war. Based on the 1:5 ratio, the tactic was designed for handling a singular Giant, with a possibility of taking down two. The tactic was based on the idea of a singular giant enemy in the southern forest of Ruitis, with each unit engaged being able to kill a single giant. Each archer would hide in the trees around the giant or where the giant would come, while the close range soldiers hid in the bushes and approached the giant using the cover of trees. Once every soldier is in place or the giant notices a soldier/archer, the archers take out the eyes of the giants. As soon as the giants eyes are removed, two soldiers run from the trees and slice the heels of the giants, bringing them to the ground. Once the giant is on the ground, it would realistically swing its weapon near its legs, which allows four soldiers to approach its front and slice at the ears, preferably removing them. Ideally, the giant would be blinded and deaf, or at the very least blinded. While the giant attempted to gauge its surroundings, possibly by smell, the remaining four soldiers who have stayed hidden will run forward and throw bottles of oil, alcohol, etc. onto the giant, before the archers light their arrows and fire once again, burning the giant to death as well as stopping the possibility of Oni or Troll regeneration. This resource heavy tactic was made in the case the Giants attacked with a small group, and a number of units equal to the number of giants could be sent to intercept. The tactic was never meant to actually work in a war, instead it was used as a comforter for the citizens and soldiers of Ruitis at the start of the war.
Lockdown: This tactic is used solely when a war machine is in play. This tactic was created in the case of a large scale, attrition based conflict in the plains of Ruitis. The war machine is tasked with getting as close to the enemy as possible, or to an injured unit, firing crossbows and swinging swords along the way. Once the war machine reaches the location of interest, every soldier exits the machine but one and the wizard inside begins casting Tiny Hut. The soldiers only goal is to protect the wizard inside the machine. Once Tiny Hut is finished casting, the Wizard leave the machine and heals any injured soldier. This tactic allows Ruitis two possible operations: an unstoppable medic and a creator of new soldiers. The wizard can heal any soldier who enters the Hut, and can also keep the enemy out. Alternatively, the Wizard can reanimate the dead corpses of the enemy via the soldiers dragging the corpses into the hut.
Retreating Rainfall: Retreating Rainfall is a tactic used by the few units with a majority of archers. This unit is based on constant retreat while dealing high damage to the enemy. The archers split themselves into two lines 10 feet apart and the first line fires on the target. As soon as the arrow flies, the first line moves back 20 feet and reloads. Once the first line passes the second, they fire, moving back 10 feet when the arrow HITS the target. This leads to a constant rainfall of arrows on the enemy, who struggle to make ground as the archers constantly move back.
Operation Shortsight: Shortsight is a dated tactic conceived during the beginnings of the Giant-Goliath war. Based on the 1:5 ratio, the tactic was designed for handling a singular Giant, with a possibility of taking down two. The tactic was based on the idea of a singular giant enemy in the southern forest of Ruitis, with each unit engaged being able to kill a single giant. Each archer would hide in the trees around the giant or where the giant would come, while the close range soldiers hid in the bushes and approached the giant using the cover of trees. Once every soldier is in place or the giant notices a soldier/archer, the archers take out the eyes of the giants. As soon as the giants eyes are removed, two soldiers run from the trees and slice the heels of the giants, bringing them to the ground. Once the giant is on the ground, it would realistically swing its weapon near its legs, which allows four soldiers to approach its front and slice at the ears, preferably removing them. Ideally, the giant would be blinded and deaf, or at the very least blinded. While the giant attempted to gauge its surroundings, possibly by smell, the remaining four soldiers who have stayed hidden will run forward and throw bottles of oil, alcohol, etc. onto the giant, before the archers light their arrows and fire once again, burning the giant to death as well as stopping the possibility of Oni or Troll regeneration. This resource heavy tactic was made in the case the Giants attacked with a small group, and a number of units equal to the number of giants could be sent to intercept. The tactic was never meant to actually work in a war, instead it was used as a comforter for the citizens and soldiers of Ruitis at the start of the war.
Lockdown: This tactic is used solely when a war machine is in play. This tactic was created in the case of a large scale, attrition based conflict in the plains of Ruitis. The war machine is tasked with getting as close to the enemy as possible, or to an injured unit, firing crossbows and swinging swords along the way. Once the war machine reaches the location of interest, every soldier exits the machine but one and the wizard inside begins casting Tiny Hut. The soldiers only goal is to protect the wizard inside the machine. Once Tiny Hut is finished casting, the Wizard leave the machine and heals any injured soldier. This tactic allows Ruitis two possible operations: an unstoppable medic and a creator of new soldiers. The wizard can heal any soldier who enters the Hut, and can also keep the enemy out. Alternatively, the Wizard can reanimate the dead corpses of the enemy via the soldiers dragging the corpses into the hut.
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