Garka Royal Revenants

"We laugh in the face of death," The Wraith told us, a bit too matter-of-fact to be a joke.
Sergei forced a chuckle as he struggled with his bonds, "You've already lost. We're alive, for Death's sake!"
Our captor's skull seemed to sneer at the choice of Horseman, "I hear your Death's become very hungry recently," it hissed, "For mages, even more so."
"Now, now," I said, nerves getting the better of me, "There's no need to get hostile."

The Royal Revenants are assigned to protect the body and interests of the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Garka. To a Wraith, becoming a Revenant allows them to "fulfil their purpose with most satisfaction", not sacrificing their values for the reason they were created.
Royal Sentinels are seen as the epitome of honour and chivalry, with stories of courtship amongst the royals rife. Their oath to serve, even when their aether dries up, is a innately romantic concept to a typical Wraith.
The only Royal Revenants the outside would be aware about are the Aethereals - operatives sent outside of Garka to maintain their borders and collect intelligence on foreign countries. Though their intent remains a mystery, their sudden appearances are enough to scare the living. As a result, foreign soldiers think Aethereals are more widespread than they are.

Composition

Manpower

The Royal Revenants are made up of 60-80 guards, 40-50 stealth operatives and 10 commanders. The force has a pool of 100-120 craftsmen and medics.

Weaponry

Weapons vary amongst the Royal Revenants. Safe bets are weapons made of steel and iron, ranging from swords to battle axes. A Sentinel will typically carry a lance and a shield.
Those adept at harnessing the aether, especially Aethereals, make weapons out of aether that deal damage to both the body and its spirit. Being pierced with a knife of aether will make a living being unconscious from the impact. Forging weapons this way will drain considerable aether from the user.

Structure

Royal Bonemaster

Known also as "Steward of the Bones", the Bonemaster takes the role of commander in the Wraith military. Even special forces like the Royal Revenants need a set of commanders to connect with through the aether. These commanders give "Compellants", which act as replacement "Orders" from mages. Notably, this is more of a communication channel rather than direct control over a soldier.
A typical Bonemaster will command a squad of 6 guards. Stealth operatives are more independent, so a commander will be assigned a squad of 12 operatives.

Royal Sentinels

Sentinels make up the bulk of the Royal Revenants. Their task is to serve and protect the Garka Royal Family, whilst also monitoring high importance public events. Able to withstand withdrawal from the aether better than standard soldiers, they are used to improvising and tackling one-of-a-kind threats. A Royal Sentinel is for the most part disposal, able to revive themselves through the aether.

Royal Aethereals

Aethereals are the stealth unit of any military division in Garka. Able to change their bond to the aether, they are often called the Wraith's response to mages. Unlike Sentinels, who can only revive themselves with great effort, Aethereals are trained to reform or diassemble on a whim. A horror story of living soldiers, Aethereals hiding amongst the bones of real dead in foreign battlefields is an effective strategy.
These elite operatives are more independent of their chain of command, so tend to rank low in promotion or patronage. Their talents for espionage, however, are royally appreciated.

Royal Squires

Squires are individually assigned to a Sentinel. Usually, a squad of Aethereals will share their squire. These parts of the military are not acting combatants, but more akin to craftsmen or medics. They renew diminished aether for their masters and maintain their weapons and armour. A squire is truly in action at the beginning or end of a skirmish, preparing the Royal Revenants for war.
They are unable to promote themselves, since they're not directly trained in combat. Squires have their own internal rankings and their own commanders, the Taskmasters.

Training

A Royal Revenant is trained extensively to lessen their links with the aether - long-held since their times of being under mage control. It's not undertaken lightly, with recruits who quit being driven mad by the withdrawal or extinguishing their own aether. Once mastered, however, they can undertake missions independently for a longer period of time. Aethereals are masters of this, able to control it almost as well as living beings.
Weapons training is a regular part of life in place of a living being's sleeping and eating. Though they are no stranger to leisure, a Royal Revenant is encouraged to hold their service to the crown above their own wellbeing. Soldiers in this unit will typically train with their real weapons against each other, doubling as training to reassemble upon being struck.

Logistics

Upkeep

The primary cost of upkeep still comes from the loss of life. Aether withdrawal is not sustainable in the long-term for Wraiths, but something a typical Revenant would happily do for the honour of Garka. Soldiers that "join the aether" have their assets donated to the remaining Royal Revenants for future use.

Recruitment

Wraiths have to be already part of the military to be considered for a Revenant position. Soldiers that may not be accepted by the conventional army - those who find themselves unmoved by conventional Compellants or able to more independently use their aether - are given more attention. A recruitment pool is submitted by Bonemasters of each legion whenever there's need for a replacement.
Loyalty to the crown is an assumed requirement that all candidates must fulfil unconditionally. A soldier must have been part of the military for more than 5 years.

History

In the year 899, the Wars of Torment ended, bringing the new age of mage warfare to a close. Necromancy was used on the front to revive armies of the dead, with or without their knowledge. Once peace between Wiccan and wizards was achieved, the Wraiths' purpose was destroyed.
Fearing they would simply continue killing, the mages brought their undead to an unhabitated region and separated from mortals. In turn, the undead turned from their masters and set about building their own nation.
With the coronation of the first Wraithlord of Garka, they also assigned the Royal Family a military force for their protection. This came to be known as the Royal Revenants.

Historical loyalties

Initially, the Revenants were only loyal to their Wraithlord, since this was the only way they could recognise authority. As the years advanced and the Wraiths separated further from their creators, they began to accept more abstract ideas of command.

Type

Special Forces

Founding

900

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Decorated/Honored