Skyguard

A skyguard soldier, proudly holding his standard issue 9mm automatic pistol

The Skyguard are the main military and police force of Ikaanos. They are ruthless in their enforcement of all laws and the nobility's will, knowing that they hold a monopoly on the authorized use of physical force within the realm.

They work closely with the Ikaanos City Milita to ward off cultists, bandits, and monsters, and they also patrol most of north and central Ikaanos City. Roughly 11,000 men strong, they are based in Fort Hamilton, in Hamilton Square. They answer to the Mayor of Ikaanos, currently Philip Lancour, though their policing operations generally delegated to his appointee The Lord Commander of Law, and their military operations are under command of the Lord Commander of War, who is appointed by their own senior officers. Recruits must endure eight months of grueling training to join up, but for many the perks are well worth it, as soldiers of the Skyguard gain access to barracks' sex slaves plus immunity for a variety of offenses.

History

The Skyguard was formed sometime around the year 2300, during the Great Chaos. House Cyker, then newly risen to prominence, was instrumental in providing the Skyguard with arms and armor. This new army provided much-needed stability and security to Ikaanos and the surrounding area. When the Great Chaos ended, the Skyguard continued on as a much needed military and police force to defend Ikaanos against outside attack as well as internal turmoil.

The Skyguard fought in the Border Wars with the Kingdom of David in 2483 to 2488.

Duties

The Skyguard has a multitude of duties. The most important is patrolling the crime-ridden streets of Ikaanos City and the surrounding regions, but in wartime the Skyguard becomes the main military force of Ikaanos as well. This can cause problems, as any major war would lead to the Skyguard having to choose between stretching itself thin by policing Ikaanos and fighting, or abandoning policing duties altogether to focus on the war. The Ikaanos City Militia can supplement the Skyguard forces either by acting as an improvised police force or as a relatively untrained but numerous military force to put bodies on the front lines. Even still, the people will suffer as the Skyguard either leaves policing the city in the hands of poorly trained and overly enthusiastic militiamen, or else is distracted by the war allowing criminals to be much bolder.

The Skyguard patrols most of Ikaanos City, though they have not patrolled Watery Eyes in decades. Instead, the Mayor has delegated that duty to the Scandinavian tribes living in Westside. There seems to be a fair amount of corruption within the Skyguard, as there are many criminal enterprises that pay a "Freebooter's Hold" to local Skyguard officials in exchange for a significant amount of operational leeway. In addition, the Skyguard is not quite as effective at combating raider groups within the city as they'd like people to believe. At least one abandoned Skyguard fortress still stands in Westside as a monument to their failure to impose law on the slums.

Organization

Leadership

At the top of the Skyguard's organizational structure is The Mayor of Ikaanos, whose formal title is High Commander of the Skyguard. Below him are two individuals; the Lord Commander of War and the Lord Commander of Law. While the High Commander has ultimate control, the Lord Commanders of War and Law are responsible for running the Skyguard in their respective areas. The High Commander cannot be expected to know every aspect of war or of law, and nor could they be expected to act as Mayor and rule Ikaanos while also commanding armies or the police force. As such, the High Commander delegates much of his responsibilities to the two Lord Commanders.

The Lord Commander of Law takes care of the day-to-day policing of the city. He makes decisions about when and where to deploy special teams for raids on high value targets, how to respond to civil disturbances, and allocation of patrols to hot-spots, among other things. The Mayor is much more involved with this side of things, as the Skyguard is most active within the capital. The current Mayor Lancour in particular seems to be quite hands-on in regards to policing, and has often taken control of things and issued standing orders himself rather than delegating them to the Lord Commander of Law.

The position of Lord Commander of Law is a highly sought after one. It is an appointed position, with the High Commander making the appointment. Although the High Commander can technically appoint anyone, the Lord Commander of Law has been appointed from the senior ranks of the Nobility for as far back as anyone can remember. In this way, the sitting Mayor can curry favor with whichever Noble house he chooses to appoint a member from. The Lord Commander of Law has a number of subordinates who advise him on the best course of action, and so the position is considered a reasonably comfortable one. The current Lord Commander of Law is Lord Horace Salmore, a middle-aged, balding, fat man who is happy to let the Mayor take the reigns so he can spend more time enjoying the "perks" of holding such a high position.

The Lord Commander of War is another story entirely. Unlike the Lord Commander of Law, the Lord Commander of War is appointed from the ranks of the Skyguard via a vote held by the senior officers. It is done this way so as to ensure the military always has competent leadership. This tradition dates back to the Great Chaos and the formation of the Skyguard itself. It is expressly forbidden for anyone to use financial or political means to influence the outcome of this election. The Lord Commander of War must be chosen based on merit. There have been several instances throughout history of members of the Nobility trying to nudge the election in favor of someone from their house. Each time, the Nobles responsible were caught and stripped of all titles and holdings. Even as corrupt and screwed up as the Skyguard is now, some traditions are still treated extremely seriously.

The Lord Commander of War is responsible for everything pertaining to war. In times of peace, he has little to do and spends his time allocating border patrols, managing the garrisons of fortifications, and making plans and strategies for both defense and offense against any of Ikaanos' potential enemies. In wartime, he coordinates the defense of the realm and campaigns against the enemy as well as advising the High Commander on overarching strategy.

The current Lord Commander of War is Lord Mykel Dornham, a 39-year-old veteran of the Border Wars. He is widely respected by the men for his willingness to lead from the front (a trait that has earned him his fair share of scars) and for his victories during the Border Wars. Ikaanos' enemies view him with some degree of apprehension, as he has a reputation for cruelty towards prisoners of war and enemy civilians both.

Unit Structure

The Skyguard is organized into eleven regiments of about 1,000 men each. Each regiment is subdivided into two 500-man battalions. Each battalion is divided into five companies of 100. Each company is divided into four platoons of 25. A platoon consists of two squads of 12 men (11 and a corporal) plus a sergeant. These squads are then typically subdivided into three groups of four for patrol duty within the city.

The Skyguard has a modified structure for peacetime that focuses on policing. A "Sheriff" oversees each district and is responsible for the Skyguard forces assigned there. The structure is much more fluid when in peacetime, with most units broken down into much smaller groups that operate more like a traditional police force than an army. These units can be quickly reconstituted into a properly organized army in the event of a war breaking out.

Notable Units

The First, Second, and Third Companies of the First Regiment make up the personal guard of the High Commander and the two Lord Commanders, and are equipped with top-of-the-line gear. Almost every man in the three companies is a veteran soldier of the Border Wars, and they serve with a discipline and skill unmatched by any other unit. The Second Company, which serves as Lord Commander Dornham's personal guard, is particularly notable. Lord Dornham trains them himself and routinely deploys them, unlike the Mayor and the Lord Commander of Law who keep their guards close at hand. They are his "Immortals" and can occasionally be spotted headed into the lawless areas of Ikaanos to ruin the day of some would-be bandit warlord or other convenient foe to keep their skills sharp through the spilling of blood. The Immortals are made up almost entirely of heavily armed and armored soldiers that sacrifice speed and versatility for extreme firepower and endurance.

Equipment

The standard issue gear for a rank-and-file Skyguard trooper is a 9mm sidearm and 30.06 bolt-action rifle, as well as a protective Kevlar vest. Officers and higher-ranking NCOs are typically armed with automatic weapons and may have full Combat Armor.