White Wings of Hellingdom
The White Wings of Hellingdom, more commonly called the White Wings (or the White Witches by their enemies), is the all-female troops of soliders in the army of the Theocracy of Hellingdom. They received their name for their unique flyin mounts - white wyverns, which each White Wing is bonded to. They are the trump card of Hellingdom's army, as the nation's difficult terrain makes it highly costly to maintain infantry or armored troops. The heart and soul of each unit of the White Wings is a white dragon, the rarity of which is why there are relatively few White Wing units operating at any given time. The white dragon typically flies alone, however there have been times in which the dragon chose one of the Wings as their rider, creating a devastatingly powerful combination.
The White Wings swear loyalty to the Church of Abundance, to the Ephor Vesper, and to the ruler of the theocracy - Philia, the Mother of Dawn. They are led by two Grand Commanders - the Sudasharna Miraear Morningdove and her whire dragon mount, Zothrus.
Composition
Manpower
The White Wings operate in small units of 15-45 mounted soldiers on their wyvern mounts. Such a unit is typically supported by a handful of land units consisting of mages, recoinnassance, and medical personnel. A key member of each White Wing unit - and the reason why there are so few of them in number - is a white dragon, which lends their support to the unit both in terms of recoinassance, strategy, and direct firepower, if such aid becomes necessary. At least five of the mounted Wings are proficient in healing magic, and they comprise the in-the-air healing sub-unit that provides support to the Wings and, if needed, delivers them to the on-land support personnel. They are always the last to engage in direct combat with the enemy.
Weaponry
White Wings fight primarily at range, thus their wyverns are their main weapons, fighting with tail barb projectiles, claws, and teeth. Some wyverns awaken to innate magical abilities, allowing them to spit ice. When in melee combat, the Wings are equipped with lances and spears to allow them to fight while mounted.
Vehicles
Each Wing is bonded to a wyvern at the beginning of their training. The pair trains and lives together, forming a close connection that allows them to become one during battle. The wyverns function as both aerial mounts and weapons of attack, as well as being able to rescue their rider should they fall unconscious or be grievously wounded in battle.
Support units do not use wyverns, instead using carts moved by domesticated dire wolves to move supplies and equipment. Horses are very rarely used, as they are difficult to acclimate to the severe climates of Hellingdom, however riding elk, moose, and deer is common.
Tactics
Despite serving as the core of Hellingdom's army, the White Wings are not as numerous as one might suspect. This is because they do not openly engage in direct warfare, instead using diversive tactics and taking advantage of Hellingdom's mountanous and snow-covered terrain in order to harass the enemy and exhaust their strength and resources with minimal losses on the side of the Wings.
Training
Not every willing soldier is fit to join the ranks of the White Wings. For starters, they must be female - it has been shown that the white wyverns used as the signature mounts of the Wings take almost explusively to females. Furthermore, the potential recruit must go through standard military training and show high resilience and aptitude in both strategic and military skills. They are then tested as part of an entrance exam - a gauntlet of near-deadly exercizes, during which the potential recruit will be evaluated both by the superiors of the Wings and by Almarac, the ancient white dragon that serves as commander of the wyverns and dragons of the White Wings. Should the recruit pass these challenges, they are presented with a wyvern egg - a great honor and a final test. Not all are born with the capacity to awaken a wyvern from its egg. Those who do are bonded with their wyvern and are allowed to join the ranks of the White Wins.
The White Wing recruits are trained rigorously in the art of aerial combat, specifically in combat in harsh environmental conditions. They learn to fight amidst a blizzard, during an avalanche, surrounded by falling rocks, and in near total darkness. They also learn subtrefuge, stealth, and close combat while mounted.
Recruits that show aptitude for magic undergo special training and typically take longer to graduate to being a full-fledged soldier. Those with arcane abilities very rarely stay among the White Wings and are often moved to support functions, learning to assist from the ground using wide-range spells. Meanwhile, those who show an affinity towards divine healing magics train both in the strategies of wyvern-mounted combat, but also harness their magical abilities under a priest of the Sanctus Medicus. They learn additional strategies to keep themselves and their teammates alive.
Once placed in squadrons, White Wings undergo group training as well as individual training. They learn to perform complex dives and other maneuvers while within close-quarters with each-other, as well as learning each-others' strengths and weaknesses in order to work as a team. Finally, squadrons are introduced to their white dragon, who also participates in training. Even after graduating, all squadrons must go through maintenance training both individually and as a group to avoid getting rusty or over-confident.
Logistics
Recruitment
The White Wings are an official branch of Hellingdom's military and thus have open enlistment from among soldiers who have gone through basic training. Only those who show sufficient ability are recommended for the honor of becoming a White Wing, and even among these only a few pass through the rigorous testing. Only women are allowed to partake in the tests (although a man has once become a White Wing, despite the wyverns' notorious preference towards women). The greatest test at the end of all the others - and the one that, in the end, determines the result - is whether the aspiring recruit can awaken a wyvern egg to hatch. If this happens, the wyvern is bonded to the recruit, allowing them both to pass to training.
With white wings and clear hearts,We stand before the rising sun,To swear the Abundance above,On our lives, her nation will thrive.-- Oath of the White Wings