Sentinel Rangers

A little known, but widely respected organization that takes responsibility for the well being of people as well as the lands they live in.
There are several ranks within the organization and some level of specialization occurs, but all active members are expected to be comfortable, in towns, deserts, forests, mountains and any other type of environment they may be called to labor in.
They are trained in the use of knife, bow, sword, spear, quarterstaff as well as many unconventional sorts of weapons. The know how to live off of the land, can build shelters, rafts, small boats, make rope, tan hides and any other skill needed to be self sufficient.
Mostly the members of the Sentinels work either solo or in small groups of no more than three. They are not a force designed to wage war or defend towns or communities from armies. Rather they labor to ensure a sort of equilibrium between humans and nature.
For example, Sentinels will intervene to prevent unwarranted lumbering or clear-cutting merely for profit. They check for excessive or cruel methods of trapping or hunting. The maintain fire towers to watch for forest fires or fires on the plains.
They know plants well and can avoid those that are dangerous as well as healing ones. They can snare a rabbit, deter a wolf, move silently through forest or plain, climb cliffs, and swim long distances. They are what most boys and some girls want to be when they grow up.
While they have a small hall in Teller Town most of their organization meets outside of town. Those not on urgent assignment will gather four times a year, in different places on Egg Island to report on their activities of the past quarter, make sure records are made of them, and induct new members.
New inductees are assigned two or more advanced Sentinels to teach them, and the training is rugged, even brutal for those unused to a survival lifestyle. Most Sentinels come from less settled areas, the smaller hamlets or hunting and trapping settlements like Spinify Village as they are much more used to hard work and living in or near wilderness.
The Rangers also patrol and handle banditry, and have official, if not publicized authority to administer capital punishment as needed.
All rangers are literate, if they do not enter the organization with such skills, they are taught. Each Sentinal, at the time of his or her induction, when official training has ended, will demonstrate that they have learned the knots of survival as well as the Sentinal knots which identify individuals in the organization. They are to know the Sentinal and his or her associated knot on sight. They must also present to the group their own personal knot.

Composition

Manpower

It is estimated that across the Island there are between 500 and 1000 Sentinels.

Weaponry

• Bow
• Sword
• Staff - Quarter or half.
• Knife
• Spear

Other unconventional weapons are used as circumstances warrant.

Training

Mostly woods craft plus physical and mental endurance. Long hours without sleep, fording rivers and streams - icy, mucky or swampy. Make a fire, create a shelter, make a bow and arrows, fashion traps, kill and skin animals. Tan hides, smoke meat and fish etc. Build a raft or coracle, rig a sail, row or pole a watercraft. Ascend a mountain, rappel a cliff, locate caves, fashion torches
Learn to read the movements of man and beast, spot nascent fires, identify diseased trees, understand the flight of birds, read the clouds and winds to be weather-wise.
Treat wounds, set bones, offer comfort to the fearful or dying. Speak softly, reveal strength in ones gaze and ones words. Know when to be ruthless and when to be compassionate.
Read the human character, understand body language, determine if a person is dangerous or frightened. How to render justice and deliver capital punishment.

See Summercamp 2020 for all my articles.

by No attribution provided

Type

Special Forces

Overall training Level

Professional