'Áerenadh Hhiádh

General description

The king of the Duiniken has two types of personal guards: the Tua C'iat, a group of thirteen Men and women around him as a mix of personal body guards and intelligence. The 'Áerenadh Hhiádh are a second guard, assigned to keep the Téter Táhh safe.

Altogether there are 120 Men in the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh. These Men work in four shifts as to not tire out too much. While the length of day an night varies during the seasons, an extra caretaker to track the shift changes is employed. Members of the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh guard mainly the hallways and entryways but are also trained to know all the secret passages in the palace to either enable a quick escape for the king in case of danger or to move through the palace far more quickly thn the regular layout would allow one to.

Equipment

While on guard duty, wearing a rust-coloured cape is mandatory. As the Téter Táhh is mostly white or light grey in colour due to the building materials used, the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh stick out as a badge of protection from their surroundings. The cape is made of linen, making it ideal as an upper garment for all weather conditions. During the summer it is often folded over the head for protection against the sun. In the winter it is wrapped around the body more tightly to keep the body heat. Under windy conditions, there is a mode of folding it around chest and shoulders. The cape is discarded during emergencies, as the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh profit greatly from the stealth their whiteish regular uniform provides. This focus on stealth also shows in their boots. While they are sturdy and hardened as military footwear should be, the soles are stuffed with pads made from fabric and an elastic material called Sróman. With this the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh can move around silently.

The weaponry consists of a dagger, called gilad, and a staff, called kelihh. What makes this combination special is, that there is a fixture for the gilad on the kelihh, so it can be transformed into a spear. 'Áerenadh Hhiádh are also trained to use bow and arrow. While this is not part of their carry-around equipment, there are hidden stashes all around the Téter Táhh, which the Men can easily access in case of an emergency. Overall, though, carrying weapons publicly is not too well regarded, so most of the time the kelihh, which could pass as a mere walking stick or a cane, is the only weapon seen on a member of the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh.

For protection, metal shin plates and gauntlets made of leather, silk and steel wire, which is sewn into the fabric are worn. The body is protected by a vest made from the same materials, leather, silk and steel, with the winter variant being thicker and more insulating than the summer variant. This type of armour contributes greatly to this guards flexibility.

Recruitment and relationship to other military

While the Tua C'iat consists of children of the high aristocracy of the Duiniken, the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh are orphaned children taken into royal custody and trained and indoctrinated from a young age. To maintain and guarantee the utmost loyalty to the royal family, 'Áerenadh are trained rigorously, but also treated extremely well and taken care of physically and psychologically. Members exiting the guard because of injuries or old age are rewarded with a small piece of farmland and a small set of servants to help manage the property. Special women who received a sort of consort training are ordered to become acquainted with them to help them start a family. Every year dozens of women decide to go through that training to get a chance of eventually ending up with a 'Áerenadh Hhiádh veteran, due not only to the esteemed status of the troop, but also as a symbol of love to their homeland.

The form of recruitment shows well, that these guards are far separated from regular military personell, who get into service either by their own volition or get conscripted, both at an advanced age of around 16 to 18 years. Regular soldiers, while being respected in society, are not met with the same awe as the 'Áerenadh Hhiádh, as they are not in immediate contact with the kind and his kinsmen. The Duiniken king is tremendously important to the people and those close to the king are part of the deep reverance he receives.

Type

Security