Roadwardens

“Most people hide behind their walls and stay in their villages, fearful to step out onto the roads that connect our settlements like islands of light in a sea of darkness. We are the watchful eyes that keep these slender threads of civilization safe.”

—Marco der Alt

The Empire is an enormous and wild place. Outside of the major cities, the impact and presence of its citizens drops off quickly, giving way to mile after mile of untamed forest and lonely hollows. All manner of danger lurks in these savage places, waiting to prey on the unwary and ill prepared. Normal bandits and highwaymen are easily the most common, but least dangerous threat that travellers can expect to encounter. Greenskins, Beastmen, and even minions of Chaos hold sway in the places avoided by good citizens of the Empire.

The trails and roads that cut through the wilderness are a double-edged sword for the Empire. While these narrow paths help connect distant towns, villages, and cities together, they also serve as a magnet for evil creatures, thieves, and murderers alike. In order to protect the roads and those who travel on them, the citizens of the Empire rely on the Roadwardens to patrol, acting as troubleshooters that allow the goods and people to travel safely from place to place. These brave Roadwardens are few in number, but vitally important. Without them, the Empire would surely falter and succumb to the many enemies that seek to see it and all of Humanity destroyed.

Purpose
The Roadwardens patrol the roadways that interlink the far-flung villages and cities of the Empire. They serve many roles: scouts for larger forces, sheriffs empowered with the might of the law, and warriors who take on bandits, Orcs, Beastmen, and worse threats head on. Some Roadwardens claim a single stretch of road as their charge, while others place a vast swath of land under their protection. Their knowledge of the land and its inhabitants means that Roadwardens are often consulted for information or asked to do dual duty as couriers, shuttling messages from settlement to settlement as they make their rounds.

Roadwardens put their lives on the line every day. Considering the relatively dismal pay, dangerous working conditions, and long stretches of time away from civilization, only those with an iron will and solid dedication to the safety of the Empire last for long. Of course, the exploits of valiant (or notorious) Roadwardens are celebrated in legend and song, so the lure of fame and adventure helps to bring in new recruits.

History
While there have always been individuals and small groups of citizens that have patrolled the highways and meandering roads of the Empire, there was never a concerted effort to combine their efforts or pool together resources and knowledge. All of this changed in the year 1706IC when Emperor Sigismund V received numerous letters and warnings from counts in Stirland about numerous deaths, robberies, and disappearances along its roadways. By his decree, those already patrolling the roads on behalf of their local leaders were granted a new status as official Roadwardens and given writs that gave them impressive legal powers in order to help stop banditry. Little did Emperor Sigismund realize that the real reason for the problems were not Human bandits, but raids by Orcs and Goblins in preparation for their massive assault on the Empire in 1707IC, led by the Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw. Averland, The Mootland, and Wissenland (then Solland) were decimated, Nuln sacked, and Sigismund himself killed in battle a year later.

Although their patron had died, the Roadwardens helped to push back the onslaught of Orcs and protected vital supplies coming from the west. After the Orcs had been destroyed, the Roadwardens, now official and flush with men drafted to their cause, flourished and spread throughout the Empire. Every province drafted their own laws that required a certain number of Roadwardens to patrol the highways and roads of their realm.

Over the years, the power and authority of the Roadwardens has waxed and waned, depending on who was sitting on the throne, money and manpower available, and the current political mood. Scholars have noted that the more corrupt or incompetent the Emperor, the more lax the Roadwardens who were charged in protecting His roads. For example, in the year 2101IC, corrupt Roadwardens in Nordland brought commerce to a grinding halt when a charismatic leader named Abelhard Trachsel turned several bands into a highly competent army of brigands, known as “Trachsel’s Rough Riders.” It took a combination of Knights and Outriders from the Imperial Army over two years to round up the last of the Trachsel’s ex-Roadwarden force. When finally captured, parts of Trachsel’s body were sent to Roadwardens throughout the Empire as a reminder of what happens when they exceeded their authority. This dark time is something that every recruit is reminded of and few ever speak of openly. 1a

Otherwise, Roadwardens abound in the history of the Empire, with particularly brave and diligent individuals serving as the basis for many fireside stories and epic tales filled with hyperbole. One such example is the man known as “Felix the Black.” This rakish Roadwarden dressed in the finest black clothing and carried a brace of pistols that were a gift from the Dwarf Lords of Karaz-A-Karak. According to legend, Felix the Black and has ebon horse could move a hundred miles each night and his accuracy was such that he could, from a hundred yards away, shoot the buckles off of a bandit’s belt, causing his pants to fall to his feet. He singlehandedly captured dozens of notorious brigands, killed the foul Beastman known as Ungeror Three Horn and his massive herd, and saved nearly a hundred young maidens from certain doom. Despite the obvious exaggerations, Felix the Black did exist, nearly two hundred and fifty years ago, and was responsible for many heroic deeds. Most Roadwardens love the stories of this legendary figure and add their own embellishments when in their cups. Most strive to be spoken of in such high regard in the years to come.

The Roadwardens Today
With the Storm of Chaos over, it is a dark time for the Roadwardens. The massive attacks by the forces of Chaos killed many of its members, who were among the first to witness the approaching armies. The far-flung bands of Roadwardens are hard pressed to bring on new members, all the while patrolling increasingly larger and larger territories that might be desperately short of supplies and assistance. In order to increase their ranks, Roadwardens have been taking in capable citizens of all sorts, including ex-Soldiers, Mercenaries, and more than a few repentant Outlaws who use their skills and knowledge against the same people alongside of whom they once rode.

Since the passing of the Storm of Chaos, the Roadwardens have struggled to regain some of their lost numbers. There are old bases that need to be rebuilt or even recaptured, or if these cannot be salvaged, new ones to be built. In an effort to bring the Roadwardens back to their former status, key members of the Elector Counts have set aside large sums of coin to reforge the organisation. Of course, every time this money passes from hand to hand some is skimmed off the top, and relatively little has made it to the Captains of the Roadwarden bases, who write letters back to their superiors and lament their situation to sympathetic, but relatively disinterested, ears.

Some see the current plight of the Roadwardens as a blessing, allowing its members to shed old ties and obligations, and root out some of the corruption inherent in the system. New recruits are taught to steer clear of the tangle of favours and obligations at the local level. Some may not even have to bother with these old arrangements, as the Storm killed off many people, shifting the dynamics of power. Indeed, this power vacuum makes things interesting for the average Roadwarden, with many of the waystations and forts that could once be relied upon for food, shelter, and additional men, simply wiped out.

Source
pg. 114 115
 * Warhammer Fantasy RPG 2nd ED -- Tome of Salvation