While Redguards are known far and wide as the greatest warriors of Tamriel. They however often make for ill disciplined soldiers, their pride and fierce independence of spirit makes them more suitable as scouts or skirmishers, then as front line soldiers. Knowing this the Redguards of hammerfell have organized their highly mobile army into a force that relies on speed and fierce hit and run battles. Where smaller Redguard forces can easily defeat armies of comparable size. The average light
Redguard solider is grabbed in fine mail over hard boiled leather,
armed with razor sharp and finely made scimitars (or as Nords call them, curved swords) supplemented by shields, lighter leather armor is worn by
light archers or
scouts, the latter who often wield a tanned leather shield,
High ranked Knights act as battlefield commanders and are well armored in heavy mail. The Ra-gada have a strong and reliable
heavy infantry, and equally strong
cavalry forces. Although horse archers are less armoured than their High Rock knight counterparts, these horsemen are much faster and versatile. Redguard
Blademaster heavy infantry have vast staying power, and can weather almost any foe. Overall, the redguards thus have the potential to become an unstoppable military power. Hammerfell organizes their forces from the ten-man yaban (literally "ten"), the hundred-man sinos ("one hundred"), the thousand-man ragun ("thousand"), and the final divisional-level unit, the ten-thousand-man tomba.
Modern day redguard military now have a multitude of ranks for each division. A Yaban is lead by Sword Captains, who answer to the sinos Knight Captains, whom themselves are overseen by Knight Superiors who command an entire ragun. Tomba are lead typically by generals, or Overswords, who are directly under the command of Vanquisher Temijen. The actual standing army of Hammerfell are the 'Lance Defenders' which is a coalition of knight orders who all ultimately pay fealty to Vanquisher Temijen. The Lance Defenders, though new to the scene of Tamriel, can be considered to be one of the strongest armies on the continent. As a lack of a centralized government has always kept Hammerfell from ever fully exploiting it's martial prowess. Despite its infancy they are already well renowned for their heroism and acts of valor in the field of combat in classic Redguard honor. They range from young nobles who join as Knight Superiors to farmers who join as Knight Captains. The equitably well-disciplined army was made possible through Hammerfell's military and martial heritage. All loyal Hammerfell citizens are eligible to join the Lance Defenders by taking an oath in one of the institutions many chapter houses. Although the oath is available to non-humans/mer/beast-folk provided they are citizens, extra measures have been imposed on non-humans to ensure their loyalty, due to the fact that Hammerfell was predominantly human nation.
Nobles are actively expected to take the oath, and are generally given positions of leadership. Non-nobles form part of the militia with an initial service of two years. The first six months consist of an extensive training regimes based heavily on lessons form legendary Ansei Frandar Hunding’s Book of Circles, before starting active duty, such as patrolling Hammerfell's borders or guarding its cities and towns, and due to the seafaring culture of Yokudan's many also take part in sea patrols. After the two-year service came to an end, the Lance Defender may choose to continue his or her role, or return to his or her former life. In times of conflict the individual is to be called back into service.
Training could take one of three paths, including basic combat training often in harsh heart of the Alik'r using grueling initiation test, leadership training, or training in the protection of key personnel, often Hammerfell's rare and very few
Alik'r War Wizards. Training is conducted in a range of weapons, primarily focused on The Way Of The Sword, and covers subjects such as defense of others and battlefield awareness, in addition to basic combat with survival training.
Various Land Forces:
Alik'r Spearmen, The Alik'r Desert are filled with many warlike bands. From these are levied fierce and brave warriors wielding spears and bucklers, with alik'r kilij, a type of heavy curved blade for piercing heavy armor. While being incredibly well suited to their desert terrain, their lack of heavy armour makes these soldiers somewhat exposed to archery. They are however skilled warriors all the same.
Alik'r Warbands, Life in Hammerfell's dry environment is full of hardship. Food and water are not easy to come by and most of the wealth is unevenly distributed by the warrior elite, for only the strong survive in Hammerfell. Thus many men of Hammerfell, especially young ones, flock to the Ra-Gadian army banner eager for glory and plunder. Protected by leather vests or light mail, with scimitars, spears and small round shields in their hands, these war bands march in large numbers to engage the bulk of the enemy force and screen their archers from cavalry charges, while the elites take up more favorable tactical positions. Hardened by life under the blistering Alik'r sun, these sons of Hammerfell are not afraid to fight and prove themselves in battle and they fight with a great ferocity.
Serpent Guard, there are many knightly orders across all of Harmmerfell. When the Crowns and Forebears joined forces, Temijen decreed a new order of knights specifically tasked with the protection of Hammerfell's ruling class. These men are natural born killers, cunning and deadly as the serpents for which they are named, and all are masters handpicked from the Hall of the Virtues of War who have survived their walkabout, making them the deadliest blademasters on Tamriel. Their scale mail coats cover almost their entire bodies including the head, leaving only a narrow opening for the eyes so that they may unnerve their foes with a cold-blooded poisonous stare while their wicked scimitars deal a swift and fatal blow. The Serpent Guard are utterly devoted to Vanquisher Temijen. A division of the Serpent Guard make up mounted crops in and of themselves, Only the most skilled and devoted join the Mounted Serpent Guard and this makes it, arguably, the elite Cavalry unit in the Lance Defenders. Mounted on the finest mounts from the Great Southern Savannah's of Hammerfell, they are the heaviest mounted unit available within the army, wearing plate and scale-mail armour that provides good protection. These bodyguards are made up of seasoned warriors who are closest to Lord Temijen, and this combination creates the perfect soldier to protect what is most important, the royalty. They wield a Great Lance and a small cavalry shield for protection and are, therefore, best used as shock troops and charge in with their King and General. There are few soldiers in Tamriel that will not be crushed under their charge.
Alik'r skirmishers, The desert of Alik'r is a land that is hostile to all life, a place where the water is scarce and the heat is relentless. Although almost none on Tamriel could live in these conditions, there are those who made this place their home, and they are the Redguards. Even though there are not many things to hunt in Hammerfell, for the desert is too hot to cultivate in some areas, there are still many skilled hunters who had to adapt to these conditions to survive, and those adaptations make them skilled and enduring archers. If the need arises, these hunters would protect their homes from any threat with their bows, and it was their skills at skirmishing that helped the Redguards prevail against the hated elves. Even though they are only equipped with a simple composite bow and a scimitar, the life in the desert has turned them into fearsome warriors, and the general that doesn't consider them a major factor on the battlefield will be taken by surprise.
Alik'r Riders, The desert of Alik'r, home of the Redguards, is a desolated land where every day is a constant fight for survival. The smaller communities of Redguards have to travel quite often while searching for food or water in the desert, and many of them became nomads and produce excellent horse archers. Accustomed to life in the saddle these hardy bowmen come from the poorer level of Ra-gada society; the nomads. Alik'r Riders thus represent the classic nomadic warriors: well-trained, mounted fighters sweeping out of the barren wastes. They live their lives and fighting their battles from the saddle. These desert riders are not bound to land and property, save for their most important possessions, their mounts. The heat of the desert makes armour unpopular with these men, but their loose-fitting robes give them protection both from the sun, and spent missiles or light blows, while making them highly maneuverable troops who pepper the enemy with arrows, and use their speed to stay out of harm's way. They have maces for use on anyone who gets too close and are also usually armed with spears or shortbows with these fast moving units proving to be most effective against other light troops, or harassing enemy flanks where they can stay out of harm's way. The Desert Riders are amongst the best fast cavalry in the world, having spent most of their life in the saddle. Their skill with the bow while mounted is legendary, and only the Bosmer can outclass them in terms of missile warfare. They are trained to ride almost before they can walk and to fight from the saddle before they can talk.Since being inducted into the Lance Defenders, they are usually deployed in front of the main Ra-gada battle line with the mission of disrupting and harrying the enemy advance as much as possible.
Ra-gada Pikemen/Axemen, Hailing from Southern Hammerfell, these warriors are used to counter cavalry and they do a very good job. Armed with a 12 foot pike, they are able to form a defensive "spear-wall" that is capable of stopping even the heaviest cavalry charges in their tracks. They are equipped with scale-mail vests that give good protection for the body but lack effective head protection, preferring instead to wear the traditional Ra-gada headdress. These pikemen don't wield a shield, their pike being so heavy it requires two hands to hold, which leaves them vulnerable to missile fire. It was said these men were inspired by the pike-men of their northern neighbors from High Rock. Variations in the east are also trained to wield and are armed with a large axe, 'tabar', similar to a traditional Nordic axe capable of cleaving a man nearly in two. These well armoured, elite troops are formidable on the battle field too as elite heavy infantry adorned in armoured in mail. They are expected to lead the infantry charge into battle with courage and honor. and often called the 'warrior wave'.
Gallant Lancers, Considering the vastness of north the Alik'r Desert and the huge Grasslands of southern Hammerfell, it is no surprise that many Redguard men learn to ride as children, and though many join the knight orders, many also join this regiment, as a feudal cavalry, holding land in exchange for military service. Considered medium cavalry, these lancers are used as shock troops or for completing a rout and running down fleeing troops. They are equipped with a slightly lighter lance than that of their High Rock neighbors, but are extremely deadly wielding it. They wear fine light armour made from hardened leather, wield a small, light round shield, and are an integral part of any Hammerfell army. The Heavy Lancers of the Defenders, Temijen's first standing army of Hammerfell, are drawn from the wealthier nobles who can afford the armour needed by close combat troops. They make solid cavalry who can ride down poorer quality infantry, while having enough mobility for flanking moves, though are still at a disadvantage against other heavy cavalry. The steeds used by the Gallants are are breed from the stables of Aswala Stables and are also known as Yokudan Chargers, and no breed of horse is more closely associated with the Knights of the Desert than the Yokudan Charger. Indeed, the Yokudan Charger is the mightiest of breeds, the pride of all who trade in horseflesh in Hammerfell. Faced with the heat and harsh terrain of the Alik'r, lesser horses falter and die, while the Yokudan Charger survives, even thrives. The Charger reacts to a challenge like his rider the Gallant: head up, nostrils flaring, ever prepared to show his or her mettle. These horsemen have no equals.
Blademasters: Any true son of Hammerfell is a swordsman (or women) first and a farmer, trader or boatman second. The culture of warfare is taught in the very air of Hammerfell, it is sung of in every song, by blade not by bard, from time immemorial through the beauty that is the Sword-Singers. For Hammerfell, the sword could be just as much the symbol of their nation as the bow. These swordsmen are simplistic but rough and ready soldiers, many gradates of the Hall of the Virtues of War, who are raised from those talented sword-masters and sent out to fight at a moment's notice. Although they have limited skills on the field standing rank and file, they are a sturdy and dependable element of the infantry regiments.
Hel Korei
Hel Korei are household knightly cavalry regiments loyal to Temijen. Formed from noble sons trained from a young age within the heart of the desolate wastes of Alik’r as a test of endurance and discipline, the young men must then go on to pass further entry examinations to join this corps. Once enrolled, these soldiers rank even above the Blademasters and are their mounted equivalent. These men are equipped with lances and maces, with both man and horse being armoured. Hel Korei are a match for any other cavalry in hand to hand combat, the Knights of the Ebon Blade recruit solely from the ranks of the Tukta-Bologra.
Alik'r Steeds
Horses are highly prized in Alik'r amongst both the crowns and forbears of the coast and the lords of the inland deserts.The Redguards are rightfully proud of their cavalry.The horses of Alik'r are fiery and fleet of foot, like no other steed bred by man or mer. Should you ask at the markets of Sentinel whence did such noble bloodlines spring, every man will have a different answer for you, delivered with a smile and awry look here, one shall say, they are surely stolen by Ahmad bin-Yusuf Reis, the famous corsair captain, straight from the stables of The Herd-mother herself. Another will immediately interrupt him, saying:fie! It is when the Yokudan's of old sailed to their new land, and brought back steeds never before seen by men or mer of Tamreil. Nay, a third one shall assuredly interject, they are spirits of the desert, bound in the form of a horse by Onsi himself, and given as gifts to men for striving to find the true path of the blade. It is popularly supposed that the horses of Alik'r are descended from Yokudan horses brought over from the west many centuries ago. They are graceful and swift creatures, among the fastest in Nirn. Much like the masters who ride them to battle and war. Steeds are specially bred for their speed and agility, and after many generations of well-practiced husbandry among the desert tribes of the Alik'r, their Steeds are among the swiftest in the Tamriel. With the horses being prided on their ability to gallop rather than labor Alik'r Steeds are less able to carry heavy weight like those found in Skyrim.
Camel Riders
The Redguard's have dubbed the camel "the ship of the desert". True, this beast is the most common conveyance across a seemingly endless sea of dust and sand, but that‘s not the reason for the name. Camels are called ships because they sway back and forth beneath their riders. To the uninitiated, this endless wobbling can cause nausea, much like the swaying of a boat beneath ocean swells. Most Ra Gada mount a camel by bending its neck toward the ground, using it as foothold, and then swinging up into the saddle. This demands experience in handling camels as well as acrobatic talent that comes naturally to many redguards. Those who haven‘t mastered this technique must force the camel onto all fours, and then quickly climb onto the beast. The rider‘s weight signals the camel to rise.Camel-riding is in itself a physical challenge. Some nomads ride with their legs astride. Most kneel, however-even when the camel is at a full gallop. This feat takes exceptional balance and endurance. Camel Riders are brave and notoriously savage warriors, who navigate their way across the shifting sands of the Alik'r by an uncanny instinct unfathomable and mysterious to mere city dwellers. They are guided as much by their knowledge of the deep desert, as by their desert-born mounts and, some would say, by their taste for blood! A nomadic desert people, Camel Riders are hardy but unruly troops. Well suited to desert fighting, these warriors let the heat of the desert sap the strength of those that pursue them. These units excel at taking out other cavalry units, as horses dislike the smell and appearance of camels.
War Scorpions, These gargantuan beasts come from the southern reaches of the Alik'r Desert. Until the coming of the Ra-Gada in the eight hundreds of the First Era, the deserts were populated only by monstrous beasts, including giant scorpions. Normally used as simple beasts of burden by the Dune Dweller Redguards, they have been converted for use in war. Carrying a mighty tower on their backs, they are able to carry many Redguard archers and warriors, allowing them to fire on the enemy from above while the scorpion's pincers and mandibles decimate the ranks below.
The Knight orders(other):
Hammerfell is also home to several large and influential knight orders. Before Temijen came into power, Hammerfell had no true standing army, relying on Noble funded Knight institutions. Temijen worked many years to stamp out several of these knight orders and build them from the ground up, well changing leadership of others in order to create a force of orders loyal foremost to him and the ruling class of Hammerfell.
Order of Diagna: Reborn during the conflict that was the Dominion invasion of Hammerfell, A order of Sword-singers came slowly back into power and proved an astounding aid in combating the Thalmor forces and their allies. In present day they have several chapter houses in Hammerfell, while their current Knight Commander is a Ansei by the name of Xoana Sabela and she resides and rules her order from the Hall of the Virtues of War. The past four to five years as seen a relearning of many ancient and lost techniques once common place among the Ansei. Only a handful of true Ansei now exist among the sword-singers, and even these have only achieved the first form of Shehei. This new order of Diagna originated from Herne; when the Ra’Gada immigrated to Tamriel, a small group remained on Herne rather than continue to Tamriel proper. This community continued to survive in isolation, developing its own tiny subculture more closely related to the old Yokudan ways than any surviving Redguard communities in Hammerfell.
~ The Way of the Sword ~The path of an Ansei is a path of honor and righteousness, guided by legendary Ansei Frandar Hunding’s Book of Circles.
• A Sword-singer must eradicate any who take advantage of the helpless or commit heinous crimes for their own selfish means.
• A Sword-singer must never capture or manipulate a human soul.
• A Sword-singer must not join the Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood. Indeed, destroying the Dark Brotherhood is essential.
• A Sword-singer’s walkabout is a constant quest for knowledge and skill with the blade. Sword-Singers must relearn and remodel their crystal creations, in an attempt to rediscover the methods of Yokudan crystal making.
Curu'Alak: An order of knights who came into prominence during the war with the Dominion, many Curu'Alak are former members of the Knights of Stendarr, and a few were once apart of the Vigilant of Stendarr. As the war with the Dominion waged on in Hammerfell, it became evident that the magic superior altmer held a significant advantage in wizardry. To combat this, a new group of warriors, known as witchhunters, were especially trained and equipped to fight against mages. These mage hunters proved to be invaluable in the war effort. The effectiveness of Curu'Alak was in due part to a new herb found on some regions of hammerfell's desert. This herb was capable of being fashioned into a potion by a skilled alchemist to drain ones magicka. It had the added effect of causing the own who digested it to become highly resistant to hostile magicka, though even magic such as the skin spell, water-breathing, or even healing was also in effective on those using the herb, they were also immune to mind effecting magic such as illusions. Experts in stalking their prey and tracking down rogue mages, the Curu'alak possess many experts in the art of subterfuge and stealth.
The Order of the Lotus
This order of warriors based in Lainbon and Shadymarch and strict followers of the Goddess Morwha, was first established to protect and treat those citizens in the after math of the great war and continued resistance of Hammerfell afterward. The organization was later assimilated into the Lance Defenders, and still holds some of Hammerfells most skilled an talented of healers and warrior priest. Dressed in white and green tabards, they have since been a welcome sight in any battlefield. The Order also largely handles the logistics and supplies of the Lance Defenders.
The Knights of the Ebon BladeZealous followers of the Citadel of Ebonarm have always had a strong presence in Hammerfell, in the region around the Alik'r desert. A resurgence has seen them steadily claim in prominence and power over the last decade, with many seeking the strong arm of the Ebon god of war in the aftermath of the Dominion invasion. The order became charged with fighting in the resistance wars to force out the elven forces. Becoming renowned for their heavy cavalry forces and tactics, Temijen wisely incorporated the order into the Lance Defenders as a strong shock cavalry force. Well trained, armed with lances and well armoured for both warriors and mounts are covered with mail armour from head to toe, with captains garbed in full ebony, this order of elite knights are more than a match for most on the battlefield. Their equipment and fighting style has been influenced by their Breton foes mixing in old Ra gada style of combat, as they emphasis heavy armour and shock tactics merging with composite bows and shower shooting more than the light cavalry skirmisher tactics of their forebears.
Daughters of LekiThe tradition of the Bladedancers derives from a Crown king of Rihad Tariq's reign, a man who fathered so many daughters that not even he had the means to take care of them. One day, he was met by a strange woman of seldom seen beauty who went by the name of Dazalim. She told him that she would take care of his daughters for him, thus solving his problem. Even though the King could not see anything but her eyes for the mysterious veil she wore, the Great King was enchanted by her appearance and hypnotically accepted. Thus, what was to be known as the Bladedancers, or the Dread Daughters of Leki, was born. After close to two decades, these dangerous yet sensual warrior women would appear in Hammerfell out of nowhere, and would become the first all women knight order. Though initially being mocked by the male soldiers, this attitude soon changed when their throats were slit. Today, Bladedancers are respected as the deadly warriors they are, and all but the most foolhardy fear facing them in battle. A Bladedancer of the battlefield is an awe-inspiring sight. The seemingly brittle girls move swiftly forward, leaping and twirling in the wind, their twin blades slashing up and down in a dance both beautiful and terrifying. Combined with their innocent look and beauty, it takes a strong willed man to strike against them, something the Bladedancers use to their advantage. Their training allows specializing in various fighting styles, each suited to different situations. Only the most skilled swordsmen can hope to stand a chance against a Bladedancer in single combat, and often, not even that is enough.
Alik'r DervishesIn the west of the Great Desert of Alik'r lies the land of the Dervish. These archaic warrior tribe is known throughout Hammerfell for the exceptional skill their warriors show in battle, and all a devote zealot madmen of Satakal. Despite the fact that they make no use of magic, they are experts at sowing death through the ranks of the enemy forces. Some of this can be addressed to the fact that they cover their weapons in the poison of the rare black scorpion, a monstrosity that lives only in their lands sand whose venom can cause lethal injuries and hallucinations of despair, but mostly due their unique fighting style; Desert Wind. Dervishes are an unstoppable force on the battlefield, spinning through enemy ranks before they even have the chance to strike, slicing up anyone in the path. They are fierce religious fighters who enter a state of controlled violence when they enter battle. Their religious beliefs combined with their undoubted skill in battle make them a terrible opponent indeed. The name 'Whirling Dervish' has a historical source, the swordsmanship of these nomads, which is unparalleled in Tamriel. Wielding twin scimitars, units of Dervish swordsmen can cut through lesser opponents like butter.
Navy: A skilled seafaring people before they even stepped foot on Hammerfell, it should come as no surprise that the Redguards of Hammerfell have some of the finest mariners in all of Tamriel, and have the continents second best navy. While their ships may not be as magically empowered as the High Elves, few can match the naval prowess of the Redguards and their crafts are swift and
possess the most skilled seamen in all Tamrielic kingdoms. Accomplished seamen, their ships are fast and maneuverable, with excellent ramming and missile capabilities. Their current naval strength numbers in roughly 300 warships of various kinds, with 10,200 sailors and perhaps as many as 8,000 marines.
Tactics:
Redguards are known to be the greatest swordsmen in Tamriel and their armies boast skilled mounted archers and horsemen, though lack magical support. The Redguards don't believe in giving their enemies time to set up defenses. With highly mobile and mounted units, they have little trouble in achieving the battle ground of their favor. Redguards rely heavily on fast devastating offensives, all in the hopes of causing mass chaos in enemy lines. In battle of recent days, they usually drive their war scorpions into the enemy's ranks, causing terror and panic; with their foes in disarray, the Redguard then fling spears and loose arrows down upon them from the covered canvas frame atop their giant scorpions native to their desert. They excel in tough broken terrain where large formations and strategies give way to small unit tactics and individual martial prowess of a warrior. The redguards know if they can quickly come to grips with their enemy they can defeat any foe. Their greatest strengths are also their greatest weaknesses however, for while they are unmatched warriors, their warriors lack the hard-line discipline of Imperil soldiery.
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