The Mountain Scouts

Bounding down the mountainside came a goat as large as a horse and on it, clothed in rough fur armor, rode a weatherbeaten man. His crooked face broke into a smile "Caius, it's been too long."
Kiran Blackwell-Biography of Lord Fenton Caius

Founded just two years after the refugees entered the valley, the Mountain Scouts guard the pass into the valley and scout through the mountains for signs of new routes in and out of the valley.

Structure

Leadership Hierarchy

Major

As head of the Mountain Scouts, the Major's main office is based in the town of Oss. Troop movements, recruitment, and basic training are organized by the Major and the acquisition of goods and weapons. Runners carry messages to and from the Major and their subordinates, and in times of crisis, the Major will move to a location closer to the area of danger. While the Major may have risen through the ranks of the Mountain Scouts, it is a position elected by the Oss Chamber, a relic of the days when the valley was first discovered. While few Majors with no experience in the Mountain Scouts have been elected to the role, it is not unheard of for the Oss Chamber to put in one of their own when they see the scouts moving out of their control.

Captain

As the head of an individual troop, a Captain is responsible for the day to day operations in the field. Each is assigned to a specific pass or region of the mountains and organize patrols, emergency acquisitions, and advanced training.

Sergeant

Each Sergeant heads up a unit of troops five strong and is in command when out on patrol.

Organizational Structure

Major's Office

• The Major
• Defense Advisor
• Secretary of Acquisitions
• Training
  • Head of Recruitment
  • Trainers
  • Recruits
• Runner Corp
  • Head of Communications
  • Five to ten Runners
• Support Staff
  • Cook
  • Medical Officer
  • Armorer

Field Bases

• Captain
• Secretary
• Five to twenty Troops (depending on the size of the region)
• Support Staff
  • Cook
  • Medical Officer
  • Armorer
  • Families of Soldiers

Troops

• Sergeant
• Tracker
• Runner
• Pathfinder
• Two to three Privates

Public Agenda

To protect the valley from external threats and to provide assistance in times of internal strife

Assets

Oss

• Major's Office
• Several Supply Warehouses
• Barracks
• Training Yard
• Major's House

Vedan

• Barracks
• Sergeant's Office
• Supply Warehouse

Zasev and Kor

• Barracks

Five fortified towers on each of the passes into the valley, three ships, and parcels of land used to grow food to offset tax burden on the cites.
Around 400 soldiers, runners, and support staff are engaged by the Mountain Scouts at any given time, but that number swells in times of danger.

History

Early Years

Founded during the first meeting of the Oss Chamber, the Mountain Scouts started as a small group of six volunteers led by Wren Stout, one of the original refugee vanguards. They spent much of the first summer backtracking their original path and destroying any evidence of their passing. They also spent some time mapping the route and discovering a few caves and shelters that could be used in an escape in case the Longostan warriorstracked them through the mountains.

Under the leadership of Wren, the Scouts focused on mapping both the Valley and the surrounding mountains. Their numbers swelled to around fifty and began to train for a potential invasion. During the first murder investigation, the Scouts cemented themselves as a police force, establishing the yearly Tanze as a method for trying criminals and resolving conflicts.

When Wren retired after thirty years as Major, the Oss Chamber started to exercise more influence on the Scouts, directing their focus from internal issues towards the mountains. Over the next couple of decades, the mountains were well mapped and small bases near the passes. It was around this time that Oss and the new towns of Kor and Zasev began to levy taxes to support the Scouts. It would be several decades before the separationists in Vedan would begin supporting the Scouts.

Expansion

In the year 53, Martin Booth was elected Major and began aggressively expanding the influence and tasks that the Scouts undertook. Barracks were opened in all major towns, and the Keis was used to begin weeding out dissidents. During his tenure, Martin was able to gain influence over several of the Counselors on the Oss Chamber and slowly increased the percentage of taxes that funded the Scouts. After over a decade of careful preparation,

Booth dissolved the Chamber using the power of the Keis, taking control of the city of Oss in the year 68.
This event sparked the Valley's first civil war, but Martin had overestimated his ability to keep control of the situation. While his position initially seemed strong, nearly a sixth of the Mountain Scouts broke away from his control and led the rest of the Valley in retaking Oss. After two years of violent fighting, Martin was removed from power and tried by the newly reorganized and independent Keis. He and many of his officers were found guilty of crimes against the Valley and executed.

Refocus

In the wake of the rebellion, the Mountain Scout's power was heavily scaled back in both funding and responsibilities. Their policing activities were handed over to localized militia, and the newly created Lawkeepers took over the Tanza. The mountain passes became their only authorized area of operation, and for many years the Scouts served the Valley well.

The Second Rebellion

A hundred years since their founding, the Scouts were no longer a prestigious organization. Its ranks were filled with those who had no other options. Criminals were offered postings as an alternative to time served in the Gaiole. The pay was low enough that only those truly desperate would volunteer to join. Dissent brewed in the ranks, and the Major slowly lost control over operations.
Many of those in the Scouts began to see themselves as separate from the Valley. In a few cases, several generations of the same family lived entirely in the mountains serving as Scouts. It would take some time for open rebellion to spread through the ranks, but in the year 134, the troops from the west pass swept down onto the Keis, raiding the armory and burning many of the documents of law and record.
A long campaign would be waged against the scouts. The scouts would conduct raids against the Valley, and the militias would conduct retaliatory excursions into the mountains. Eventually, blockades were used to starve out the passes one by one. Only a few of the Scouts escaped these escaping justice. These would harry the Valley for years before finally signing the Peace Accord of The White Hall.

Disbandment

After the second rebellion, the Oss Chamber was pressured by the other cities to disband the Scouts, and after much discussion, the last Major ended his watch. The militias took over the passes where soldiers would take tours of duty a year or two long before returning to their home.

When the Mountain Scouts were disbanded, many of their descendants continued to live in the mountains, a semi-autonomous nation.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Founding Date

2/1/16

Type

Military, Special Operations Force

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Parent Organization

Oss' Chamber

Location

Oss

Controlled Territories

• The Eastern Pass