The Kingdom of Pompiers

The Royal Armies

Royal Officers

Since the mid-ninth century military reforms of Quiglemaine I, the Royal Armies, the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines have preferred to draw their officers at one of the various Royal Military Academies. The families of the young men who matriculate to these academies are obliged to pay the sizable tuition, although rare students enjoy royal patronage or the patronage of various lords and Peers of the Realm.

After four years at the academy, the cadets receive a Royal Commission of Office. They are then sent to their respective regiments amongst the Royal Armies, and entered into the regimental rolls.

Warrants of Office

The tradition of warrants of office evolved from the navy, where for centuries lords and commanders have awarded warrants of office to technical experts and ship masters.

In the Armies of Pompiers, the first warrants came from the King, starting in the late seventh century, who awarded Royal Warrants to adventurers who were thereupon obliged to take upon certain military or paramilitary tasks. Although not bestowing upon the recipients a formal military rank, such Royal Warrants compelled soldiers of the King to not interfere with such trusted agents, and to help them in whatever way possible.

Currently, any Peer of the Realm or any military commander in exercise of his office may issue a warrant of office. Such Warrant Officers are granted a middle place between the regularly commissioned officers and the enlisted soldiers. In the Royal Armies, a Royal Warrant of Office notarized by a royal magistrate is, by law, recorded in the Royal Officers Rolls, so that regardless of his future circumstances, the rank, position and service of the individual in question can be verified by anyone with access desirous of confirming a Warrant Officer's rank.

After the military reforms of Quiglemaine I, five ranks of Warrant Officers were established. The authority required to create such Warrant Officers is described as follows:

Warrant Officer of the First Rank: must be created by a Company Commander or above. The warrant is provisional until it can be confirmed by both a battalion and regimental-level commander. (2nd-3rd level fighters)

Warrant Officer of the Second Rank: must be created by a Field Grade Officer or above. The warrant is provisional until it can be confirmed by a regimental-level commander. (4th level fighters)

Warrant Officer of the Third Rank: must be created by a Regimental Commander of the rank of Colonel or above. The warrant is provisional until it can be confirmed by a brigadier. (5th-6th level fighters)

Warrant Officer of the Fourth Rank: must be nominated by a Major General or above. The rank must be confirmed by the Crown, or in the case of the Cardinal Armies or a royal army commanded by a Peer of the Realm, then a Peer of the Realm. (6th level fighters+)

Warrant Officer of the Fifth Rank: must be nominated by a Commanding General of one of the Royal Armies. The rank must be confirmed by the Crown, or in the case of the Cardinal Armies or a royal army commanded by a Peer of the Realm, then a Peer of the Realm. (high-level fighters)

Warrant Officer Pay, Arms and Equipment

Warrant Officers of any rank are obliged to pay for their own equipment, arms, armor, food, servants, maintenance and upkeep. Tents and uniforms are expected to be provided by them. Due to their peculiar place in the military, the pay of warrant officers is usually agreed upon by the creating officer before the actual warrant of office is signed. Adventurers can often expect the handsome sum of 100 g.p. per level.

Warrant Officer Insignia

Similar to the regularly commissioned Royal Officers, Royal Warrant Officers sport their insignia on leather or metal tabs descending from their right shoulders that cover their right breast. Royal Warrant Officers however sport the Golden Dragon of the Royal House (House Auldaurum Draco). The Golden Dragon is often painted on, or is signified by a metallic brooch of the gold dragon, usually painted iron, or sometimes burnished copper or bronze. For those who can afford it, the dragon is actually of gold. Upon promotions, Warrant Officers pin golden lozenges that crown the golden dragon, until at the highest rank, four such diamonds or lozenges crown the Golden Dragon. Warrant Officers servicing under armies of the Peers of the Realm do not sport the Royal Dragon, but rather wear the established crest of the various Peers.

Customs, Duties and Common Assignments of Warrant Officers

The Royal Army maintains a very small corps of permanent junior warrant officers as technical experts. They are almost always drawn from enlisted ranks, and often specialize in armor and weapons repair, siege weapons, and sometimes mundane healing. Beyond this warrant officers are created on a temporary basis to pursue certain specified military tasks. On occasion, royal magistrates or garrison commanders are plagued by various monsters, and so instead of sending their soldiers to pursue powerful foes in deep dungeons, they will offer warrant officer rank to parties of adventurers, thereby allowing them not be harassed by enlisted soldiers and the vast majority of commoners. Usually such warrant officers will hold their actual warrants of office, which will grant them certain authorities as spelled out in the warrants. Upon completion of their assignment, the warrant will usually be null and void or otherwise expired, for the warrant generally gives no authority beyond the prescribed provisions.

Knighthood and the Military

Although varying between the various Domains of the Peers, the attainment of knighthood, whether granted by a Peer of the Realm or the Crown, requires enrollment in the reserves of the Cardinal Armies (the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Armies). Each Domain of the Peers maintains its own administrative reserve unit, usually a division, which is responsible for marshaling the domain's reserves when called upon by the King. In times of peace, enrollment in such administrative divisions is automatic.

Knights are not necessarily granted officer status when called upon by the King for war. Even if properly knighted and in good standing, those knighted by Peers of the Realm are often not of knightly birth, and therefore denied officer status. Such inferior knights are in military terms identified as members of the serjeantry, and help compose such ranks when called upon for war. Those actually knighted by the King are of superior status, and are always enrolled as officers.

During the current War of the Siblings, the Royal Armies are enrolling officers from outside the military academies. As in the case of the Cardinal Armies, the Royal Armies will grant officer rank to knights of the knightly class, and restrict junior knights born to commoners to the serjeantry.