Overview
The Homeguard is a conscripted militia, founded by the Royal Council in the early days of the Unification of Glas (exact date pending). The Homeguard's purpose is to provide a competent garrision force to hold rear area positions and free up Royal troops for offensive campaigns. Originally, the Homeguard was equipped entirely as a pike unit due to the scarcity of firearms. However, after the siege of lakefort, Homeguard units were issued with muskets as well as pikes, although still in a lower proportion to regular units.
History
As the Royal Army reclaimed large swathes of Glas from the invading Greenskin forces, it quickly found its manpower to be insufficient for both garrisoning captured territory and maintaining the offensive against the enemy. To prevent their forces from being whittled away in penny garrisons or leaving rear areas dangerously undefended, the Royal Council authorized the creation of a conscripted militia force composed of eligible adults living near strategic garrisons. These forces would train several times a month while still tending to their normal jobs, usually as peasant farmers.
Battle of Lakefort
In 3 KV, an Elven delegation and several members of the Royal Council were touring the hinterlands of Royal Glas (that is, the territory controlled by Royal forces) when they were set upon by a Goblin raiding party. Retreating to the Lakefort, with its garrison of 50 Homeguard pikemen, they endured a siege of three days before a relief force from Slánhitír could reach them. The Goblin party was not equipped for a siege and found their attempts to scale the walls futile with the makeshift ladders they were able to produce.
Aftermath
Despite repulsing the Goblin attack against Lakefort, the situation raised numerous concerns about the readiness of the Homeguard to fulfill its duties. It had no ranged firepower whatsoever, and only won the battle due to the delegation party being accomponied by Royal Arquabusiers and /k/ommandos who were able to turn the tide of the battle. Royal analysts have confirmed that if the delegation had not been present in the area to add its firepower to the fortress, the garrison would have certainly been overrun.
This weakness highlighted a need to increase both the firepower and the manpower of the Homeguard. However, new recruitment efforts were hampered by the tenuous food situation still afflicting the island and the subsequent reluctance for adult males to take time away from their farms. However, those few that did respond to the muster were disproportionately issued with muskets, as a way to at least partially offset the Guard's defficiencies.
Compensation
Due to the pre-currency economic conditions of rural Glas, the Homeguard was not paid in solid currency, which they would not have had much use for anyways. Instead, they were compensated by the issuing of increased rations which, on an island only barely off the brink of starvation, was a convincing offer for many. Additionally, those who joined the Homeguard were granted homes in the immediate vicinity of a fortified position, and would have a guarenteed spot for themselves and their families inside the walls in the event of an attack. Even in fortresses located close to the border, this was often safer than an undefended village further to the rear, as Goblins were known to avoid fortified positions and attempt to strike undefended territory whenever possible.
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