Knights, Riders & the Guard

[Queen Amedessa of Conté]

Tortall is quite obviously at a point where they do not send out knights on destriers to lance through their enemies on the battlefield. This said, it makes it somewhat tedious to keep on the tradition of pages, squires and knights. So I see myself as having two options:

First, the process of pagehood/squirehood/knighthood becomes a medium of education for noble children. Pagehood and Squirehood would indicate the level of etiquette, diplomacy, subject mater, etc. they would be learning and Knighthood would indicate that they completed their training. Not sure how the Chamber of the Ordeal would play into this, if at all.

Second, it could be "modernized" to the military training of the day–– an education option for nobles who seek to make military men (and women, I suppose) out of their children. You know, like future generals and the like. We just run into trouble there because the Guard and the Riders exist as military segments consisting of Commoners.

I personally like the idea of Commoners being in charge with Tortall's defense (it seems the least complicated option), with a few nobles dotted amongst their (hem, higher) ranks. If the pages/squires/knights followed the first suggestion as a form of education, they could be easily taught weaponry and warfare as a requisite to their education.

I suppose I could model them after what I set up for the Naval Academy... hm.


Anybody care to refresh my memory on the canon Riders and Guard? I don't remember much about them, but am I right in assuming that they consisted mainly of Commoners?

Also wondering, would Riders be more equivalent to cavalry or to dragoons?

[Rhys Marhan]

Here is a good site for canon information on the Riders: tamorapierce.wikia.com/wiki/Queen's_Riders

I personally think they are more of a calvary unit based upon what little information the books give about actual Rider groups. They are rather different however, as they are more archery dependent as opposed to swords or arms and don't use the big warhorses of the calvary. The Rider trainees seem to be simply back up archers when placed in a battle situation however. When not in a battle situation, the Riders are also used many times as a back up police force to go after criminals who have taken flight or are hiding out in the wilderness.

The Wiki doesn't have any information on the King's Guard yet, but from what I remember, the Guard is a smaller force who are primarily responsible for the safety of the castle and Royal Family. It does seem that they are also used in a small capacity in the army however, perhaps to guard high-ranked officers (I thinkCoram was in the Guard and took a bullet for Duke Gareth, although maybe he was just in the army?).

The King's Own on the other hand is a now large force (by Trickster's) and plays a key role in enforcing the laws and acts as a strong calvary force during battles. The Own is used as a sort of long arm of the King, aiding during disasters, guarding the King when he goes out on long trips and ensuring everyone knows their sovereigns are keeping an eye over the realm.

And yes, the Riders, Guard and King's Own are mostly comprised of commoners, although younger, less prominent nobles are known to go into the Own and Riders. There is also the general army, which is made up of all commoners, including petty criminals.

I think within the board's setting the Own would be more of a true calvary unit than the Riders as they are trained to fight primarily on horseback with real chargers, and had more of a set military structure than the Riders. Perhaps the Riders would be a special forces group adapted into the Own during this setting? (they were already working very closely in PotS) They could be the scouts and light calvary more suited to fight in a guerrilla setting. But that's just my two cents...