Lothern Sea Guard

"Eataine does not field a citizen militia as all the other provinces do, instead contributing the Lothern Sea Guard to the Phoenix King's armies. Unlike the normal levy, they are not only called up in times of need, but remain at arms at all times. The riches of our people are great, and the legends greater still, so there is never any shortage of villainous cut-throats who will stoop to any depths to steal their way into our fair capital and plunder our ancestral wealth. "

—Recounted by Unthwe Windrider, Herald of the Phoenix King.^[3a]

The Lothern Sea Guard are the specialised High Elf citizen-militia of the Kingdom of Eataine on Ulthuan, fighting as effectively on land as at sea, and are equally resolute when defending the walls and fields of the city of Lothern as they are when battling on the deck of a ship.^[1a]

These dangerous duties require the Sea Guard to maintain a flexible armoury. The vast majority are well-trained in the use of spear, shield and bow — the better to combine the finest aspects of the spear and archer regiments of other cities and realms. Indeed, it is a point of pride in Lothern that the discipline of their warriors far surpasses that of any found elsewhere in Ulthuan.^[1a]

When the armies of Ulthuan go to war, the Lothern Sea Guard play a crucial part, crewing the many Asur warships and acting as the vanguard for the oncoming host. As their vessels hove to land, the Sea Guard disembark to secure the beachheads that enable the rest of the army to come ashore. Scarce has the first keel brushed against the shore when the first Elves have debarked, ranks swiftly thickening as more warriors arrive. Shields braced, the Sea Guard advance in tight formation through the churning foam, spears lowered and bows ready.^[1a]

Role[]

"The Sea Guard patrol the shores around Lothern and man the many batteries of Eagle Claw bolt throwers that overlook the harbor approaches. They also form a corps of marines to crew the many sleek vessels of our fleet that circle the world in its long patrols. As space is always at a premium on board ship, the Seaguard are traditionally armed with both bow and spear, allowing their commanders to fight with twice the strength their small numbers might apply. "

—Recounted by Unthwe Windrider, Herald of the Phoenix King.^[3a]

As every High Elven kingdom provides Spear and Archer regiments in Ulthuan's defence, Lothern provides the Sea Guard. Since the Lothern Sea Guard make up the majority of fighting crew for the High Elf fleets, they are very valuable to Ulthuan's defense. Their ability to fight at sea easily translates to their prowess on land, defending the walls of Lothern with resolute day and night.^[2a]

Most of Ulthuan's soldiers are only in service part time, only being called to arms in times of great need, this is because there aren't enough Elves to maintain the large armies all the time. However the Sea Guard is always kept at strength and are mostly full-time warriors. In times of war the Sea Guard play crucial roles, crewing warships and securing beachheads, therefore enabling the rest of the army to come ashore.^[2a]

The job of a Sea Guard is to fulfill the dangerous task of defending their vessels from attacking forces, mounting boarding actions against enemy ships, and attacking coastal positions. In order to fulfill their dangerous task, they are armed with both spears and bows, combing the best aspects of the High Elf Spearmen and Archers. Any who have witnessed the Lothern Sea Guard in battle can attest to their learned skills, disembarking effortlessly from their boats while the kneel brushes against the shore. Then advancing in a disciplined formation through the churning foam, spears lowered and bows at the ready, straight in the enemy ranks.^[2a]

When not in active service the Sea Guard regiments are garrisoned in Lothern, where they maintain a large number of well equipped barracks. The barracks, like any structure of Elven creation, look elegant from the outside, however the Repeater Bolt Throwers mounted in the ornate minarets and upon the shimmering blue-tiled roofs bear solemn testament to their martial purpose. The Sea Guard are constantly striving to protect Lothern (Ulthuan's greatest city), for Lothern is the only city where a non-Elf can walk freely in Ulthuan. Each Sea Guard regiment spends three seasons of the year actively patrolling the seas around their island home and protecting the Elven colonies, the remaining quarter is spent recruiting new warriors and honing their skills. While other seafaring nations, like the Norse, Marienburg and even the Empire, proclaim the excellence of their own ship-borne warriors, there is no doubt that the Sea Guard are the finest marines in the Old World and beyond.^[2a]