Guard (Tantras)

The Guard was the police and defense force of the city of Tantras in the Vast.

Base of operations
The Guard were based in the Sea Tower in the city of Tantras, standing on the coast at the southern side of the bay opening. The Sea Tower was the city's main fortress, and held armories and training areas for soldiers.

The Guard also maintained ballista batteries on the coast and on either side of the entrance of the harbor mouth, together with a a chain-boom barrier strung across it, and catapults mounted on coast towers. The Guard also manned the gates and towers encircling the city.

When preparing for war, the Guard would commandeer inns and privately owned buildings around the city for use as army barracks and recruiting posts.

Organization
In 1358 DR, shortly after the Time of Troubles, the Guard was commanded by Lassalar Ormitar, who was also head of the Ormitar noble house and a member of the High Council that governed Tantras. Although the Guard was directly responsible to the Council, its loyalties lay with Lassalar, who was more serious about restricting merchant freedoms in favor of law and order.

The Guard consisted of about 900 male and female fighters. They typically formed units of fourteen, with one sergeant leading. Officers commanded multiple units and sections of the city, such as the harbor. There were standing garrisons of thirty crossbowmen to protect the harbor and man the ballista batteries there. Wizards and clerics could also be called upon for help.

Tantras also had a reserve militia of about 6,000 that could be called up when needed. However, these were mostly not professionals but folk with other jobs and thus they were considered poor-quality troops.

Members of the Guard had the following ranks:

Activities
The Guard's duties were to both defend the city of Tantras and to police it.

Tactics
The Guard regularly patrolled the city with fourteen-strong mobile units. If more than one unit was required, an officer joined them to take command. Crossbowmen and wizards were called in emergencies.

Upon encountering trouble, a Guard patrol's standard approach was to resolve the matter peacefully, by calling for all parties to put away their weapons and answer their questions. However, in a situation in which native Tantrans were in danger, they would attack first and ask questions later—using a speak with dead spell if need be. The many priests common in Tantras made this a practical response.

Possessions
Soldiers of the Guard were outfitted in blue oiled plate mail armor emblazoned with the coat of arms of Tantras: three silver stars over a silver breaking wave on a field of royal blue, called the "blue and silver". Regular soldiers carried spears, short swords, and daggers, while sergeants carried longswords and maces, and officers wielded maces, morningstars, or short swords. Ranged units possessed crossbows or operated ballistae.

History
During the Time of Troubles of the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR, Tantras mustered its troops in preparation for an attack from Zhentil Keep. To that end, the Guard commandeered several inns—such as the Roaring Lion and Gulder's Good Grubb—and other privately owned buildings for use as barracks and recruiting posts. Halemar's Fine Blades, an armorer and weaponsmithy, was also task with crafting for the army.