Guardsmen Militia

"It had been a long day, and all I wanted now was to reach the outpost of Stonekeep before the sun went down. As I approached the Crossroads of Yew, I suddenly felt an uneasiness that had not been there before. As if I was being watched. I pulled my cloak closer, to fend off the chill of the oncoming night. Suddenly, one of the shadows to my left detached itself from the surrounding. 'Halt there.' a voice, with a Yewish accent clearly stated. 'Well met, stranger', I ventured, hoping that civility would keep the man with a peaceful mind. 'State your name and business, citizen.' I replied quickly; 'Bren of Minoc, sirrah. I'm delivering a document for Stonekeep.' A moment of silence answered me, and then three more shadows came to form themselves."

The Waywatchers are the sworn protectors of the forests and roads and the eyes and ears of the Militia. Their ability to scout is used to forewarn Stonekeep of any enemy armies heading towards it, and with their efforts the woods of Yew are a relatively safe place. In war they are often used to estimate enemy size and to strike at key enemies, such as sorcerers and shamans, where their poisonous blades come well in hand.

Uniform

• Waywatchers wear the regular guardsmen uniform but have their boots dyed in a special dark green shade found in the Waywatcher tower.
• Instead of a coif they wear a bandana, coloured in the Waywatcher's dark green.
• Their armour is a full set of barbed leather armour dyed dark green in the Waywatcher tower.
• Waywatchers prefer a kryss in combat (poisoned in most occasions), but may also use spears, staves and bows.
• For obvious reasons they never use shields.

Roleplaying a Waywatcher

• Waywatchers are fiercely protective of the woods and roads, and will do anything to keep them safe.
• Waywatchers spend a lot of their time out in the woods, often staying out for days in a row, hunting down stray orcs and bandits. After returning, they often bring back large packs of meat and goods to supply other guardsmen.
• Waywatchers often move hidden even within Stonekeep so as to hide the real number of guardsmen awake.
• Waywatchers rarely drink while working. Though when returning from the wilds, they often rumble as badly or worse than the Merry Men!
• Waywatchers often operate in bands of two, using sign-language to communicate.
• Waywatchers are the only guardsmen allowed to use poison, applied by a herbalist, never created by themselves.
• Waywatchers cut off the escape route of troublemakers — if someone poses a potential threat, Waywatchers stealth to block the most likely retreat-route, trapping the target if possible.
• All Waywatchers are allowed to use Ostards as their mounts, mainly for scouting operations.

Sample Quotes

• "Pssst... over here!"
• "By your leave sir, I will go find the villains."
• "Thirty of 'em sir, armed to the teeth and marching this way."
• "Watch that blade Rookie, the poison on it could drop a Wyrm!"
• "Don't look so surprised, 'tis not a good expression to die with."

Source: grd-europa.co.uk (2009) and guvadan.net (2007)