Militant Order: Marshals

(~10,000 of all different classes; no restrictions)

The Marshals are individuals that roam Yithi and Zhi (and sometimes further) offering a traveling system of justice to the outlying villages. A Marshal's visitation is often a time of quiet celebration, as long-standing civil disputes can be adjudicated, wrongs can be fixed, and pleas can be carried to the provincial capital or even the Council of Seers themselves. Marshals answer only to their own organization, which is operated directly by the Prince's Council, and act as an important check on the power that might be used for corrupt purposes by less-honorable tribal leaders. A Marshal's report is given great weight, and many a Chieftain has faced eviction or even conviction based on the word of a Marshal alone.

While Marshals answer to Sherriffs, who in turn answer to the Prince's Council, Marshals often have a great deal of independence, and are often not seen for months at a time. As a result, they are expected to exercise their own judgment in most cases, relying on precedent, loyalty to the Crown, and practicality to dispense justice. This is formalized in the Marshals' Vow, a ceremony held in public in the capital; a Vowday is considered a holiday in the capital.

History

As Yithi built his nation, he realized that his dream, so hard-fought and bitterly-won, lay in risk of chieftains or warlords who might seek power in his name. Drawing some of his closest friends together, Yithi asked each for twenty names of people that could be trusted to honor and uphold the spirit of the dream, and be imbued with the authority to dispense justice--summarily in some cases--without being unduly influenced or corrupted. Close to four hundred were made the first Marshals, and Yithi specifically chose several of those close to him--who were then never given a formal place in the Council as a result--to form the rest of the organization.

By the time of Yithi's passing, Marshals had been firmly established as a force dedicated to the furtherance of Yithi's dream. Bolstered by direct access to Yithi himself in the earliest days, Marshals were credited with heading off numerous potential revolts or civil uprisings by identifying corruption among chieftains but also by clearing the roads of bandits and marauders. It took little time for Zhi to officially invite the Marshals to extend their activities to within their borders, and it is rumored the Tragekian Hordes are considering extending some sort of partnership with the Marshals to help oversee (and hopefully calm) the barely-controlled chaos that characterizes Tragekian domestic life.

Today, close to ten thousand Marshals roam Yithi and Zhi (and beyond), providing recourse to those that otherwise have none. Some operate alone, while others build small bands to accompany them, sometimes taking on an apprentice, who will later (if they survive) take the Marshals' Vow as well. Some Marshals remain close to urban settings, acting as an adjunct to the city watch (while keeping on eye on said authority), while others prefer the hills and grasslands and move from village to village.

Organization

Each Marshal ostensibly reports to a Sherriff (one for each of the twenty-four tribes) who in turn reports directly to the Prince's Council, but in practice each Marshal operates independently, contacting a Sherriff only when extreme authority is required (such as investigation of a high-ranking noble or city leader) or when the Sherriff has a high-priority mission. Marshals are permitted to set their own jurisdiction, and pursue their own investigations, and while it is rare, they sometimes collaborate if their investigations and jurisdictions overlap.

Some Marshals journey outside of Yithi and Zhi, either in pursuit of criminals who have escaped Yithian Law. Some Marshals specialize in this, returning home only to find new names they must hunt. It is rumored that some Marshals are actually acting more in the guise of spies or intelligence agencies for Yithian leaders, gathering information and/or periodically removing an individual that threatens the nation.

Rank

Officially, Marshals have no rank amongst themselves other than that of "Marshal", "Sherriff", and then the Prince's Council. Unofficially, Marshals recognize an informal hierarchy among their ranks based on their experience, tenure, and expertise. It is not unusual for Marshals to come together to work on a case, informally designating one of their number to lead the effort, and then come to another case and designate a different leader. These rankings are always temporary, and it has been known to be a source of ill will amongst their number when the hierarchy is not universally accepted.

Relationships

Officially, the Marshals as an organization do not have any connections with any other organization other than the Prince's Council--as an organization dedicated to peace and justice within Yithi, there is no reason to have formal connections with other organizations. However, individual Marshals often have long-standing connections (and even partnerships) with various organizations across Azgaarnoth, and the further east one travels in Azgaarnoth, the more common it is to see a Marshal in any walk of life imaginable.

Merchant Guilds have a veritable love-hate relationship with the Marshals. On the one hand, the Marshals represent law and the Prince, and merchants despise piracy and the plunder of their goods. On the other hand, merchants often have a deep dislike of paying taxes, tariffs, or import duties, and many Guilds operate trade routes "below the rader" (smuggling) in order to maximize profits--which the Marshals, as officiers of the Prince's justice, seek to shut down. Nearly every Merchant Guild has an equal number of stories of a Marshal confiscating their goods or ruling against them in a judicial matter, as well as those of a Marshal ruling for them against a rival Guild or hunting down a pirate band.

Marshals are often quite willing to work with Rogues Guilds--both within and outside the borders of Yithia and Zhi--when access to the Guilds can help track down onerous Lawbreakers. (Most Marshals do not concern themselves with material crimes.) Some Rogues Guilds, however, are antithetical to Marshal interference, and long-standing (generational) feuds between Marshals and Rogues Guilds are not uncommon. Assassins operating within Yithi, in particular, are not welcome. (Ironically, assassins working as Marshals are not only tolerated, but embraced, since assassination is often a viable tool of justice.) More than one rogue seeking an exit from their Guild has fled to the Marshals for safety, and periodically Guilds attempt to infiltrate the Marshals' ranks using the same approach.

Marshals have a distant-but-respectful relationship with the Draconic Order; they respect the Order's commitment to upholding law and justice, but often feel the Order does so to benefit Liria and the old Empire, rather than taking Yithian interests into account. Still, it is common to see Draconic Knight and Marshal work together for some period of time (sometimes an extended length of time) to accomplish some task, and Draconic Order chapterhouses in Yithia often have well-established relationships (and rules!) with Marshals nearby.

With respect to other Militant Orders, Marshals often keep their distance, feeling the Kaevarian Templar are too busy looking up to the heavens to see what is going on in front of their noses, and the Dread Knights are Dradehalian and therefore simply not to be trusted. (Marshals have been found in Dradehalia, typically accused of covert operations, and almost universally executed, so the feelings are mutual.)

Despite numerous overtures from various noble Houses over the centuries, the Marshals have no official standing with any House, though again many Marshals have personal contacts. (In fact, many Marshals have retired their Cloak and married into one House or another--but always for love, and they steadfastly refuse to involve their former partner Marshals in the Great Game of the Houses.) Those Marshals who oversee areas in the far west of Yithi, or travel outside of Yithi borders, will tend to cultivate some relationship with one or more of the noble Houses of Liria; the rest find the customs and rules and Great Game to be fruitless and silly, and will often work with nobility only grudgingly.

Veterans of Mercenary Companies, particularly those who have familiarity with Yithi and Zhi, often withdraw from military service and petition to join the Marshals. Not all make it--while most have the martial skills necessary, being a Marshal is more than being able to kill someone. Many mercenaries make for effective partners and "supplemental muscle", however, and it is common for Marshals to have mercenary friends they will recruit for particular missions or cases.

Because they are often called to adjudicate legal issues, they often find themselves doing so between different religions, and so Marshals are generally religiously unaffiliated, and will not pursue any religious agenda of any kind unless it directly threatens Yithi itself. (Most Marshals will point out that Yithi himself was religiously agnostic.) However, Marshals generally are very aware of the various religious institutions in the areas in which they travel, and will proffer respect, support, and small donations, usually in exchange for information and/or divine support (such as healing or divine favor) during a mission or case. Clerics of the Pantheon, particularly those of law and justice, are welcome among the Marshals, as are those who preserve the cosmic balance. Most Marshals have zero patience for the "pitiful squabbling" of the Al'Uma, though, and will have a difficult time taking any of the Prophets' teachings seriously. If any religion calls to the Marshals, it is often Druidism or spiritualism.

Marshals do, however, often find themselves working in close quarters with various Mage Schools, and as a result Yithi is home to a greater-than-typical number of school campuses across the land. Magi are welcome among the Marshals, and several Marshals have been known to spend time studying in a school to gain some knowledge and skills in the arcane.

Particularly in the lands of Zhi, Marshals have a similar relationship with the various Monastic Orders that are found there. Many monks find the Marshal lifestyle quite compatible with their monastic one, but most monks prefer to remain partners rather than becoming Marshals, since the Marshals' Vow (and its dedication to the Yithi state) will often conflict with the loyalties required of monastic vows.

Composition

Marshals may be of any class or race, though a tendency towards Hordish races and martial and roguish classes are more typical. Any Marshal has to be able to hold their own in a fight, as well as be able to conduct an investigation and/or pursue leads, so generally Marshals are well-rounded individuals with some reasonable survival skills. Arcane or divine skills are also often helpful, and as a result it is not uncommon to see Marshals multi-class to improve their chances.

Marshals are generally at least 3rd level (in at least one class) before they are permitted to take their Marshal's Vow; more commonly, Marshals take the Vow somewhere in the 6th to 8th level range (assuming they have at least one class of 5th level or higher). Most Marshals encountered "in the wild" are between 8th and 12th level.