"Back off! Nobody touches Mister Garibaldi!"
- —Anonymous bodyguard[1a]
A bodyguard of the Empire
A bodyguard, also called an honour guard when they protect a monarch, noble or other high-ranking official, are the typical hired henchmen who are found all across the Known World. Old Worlders claim Altdorf merchants are so dishonest they can't even trust themselves with their own lives -- thus they pay bodyguards to look after their assets.
More elite troops, usually drawn from a nation's professional military forces, serve as the honour guard for monarchs and other high-ranking nobles and government officials.
Role[]
"In a major metropolis, it's all too easy to end up with a knife in your back."
- —Bodyguard follower Description in Total War: Warhammer.[5]
The Old World is, of course, a dangerous place and its cities are no exception. It's all too easy to end up with a knife in the back on the crowded streets of a major metropolis like Nuln or Middenheim. The rich and powerful use bodyguards to protect themselves from thieves and common riffraff. While many look like the thugs they actually are, others are gussied up in the livery of the noble or merchant house they serve. Some of the groups are so big that they are practically private armies.[2a]
Despite its dangers, the life of a bodyguard is envied by their peers. After all, bodyguards must constantly follow their employers, who are invariably of a higher social rank than they are, and thus can sometimes partake in luxuries that would be inaccessible to them otherwise.[3a]
Bodyguards are often employed by the paymasters of mercenary armies to protect them during and outside of battle. When serving in this role, they gather together to form a single unit called the Paymaster's Bodyguards that will never leave the paymaster or their chest.[4a]
Notable Bodyguards[]
- Vespero - Vespero is one of the most infamous hired killers and bodyguards on the market.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Career Compendium (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 31
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 2a: pg. 33
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 3a: pg. 110
- 4: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 4a: pp. 19-20
- 5: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)