Drachenburg: Military, Guards, Muster Numbers: Peace and Wartime
Drachenburg's City Guards and Soliders — The Stone Guard (Die Steinwache)
“Rock does not move.”
The Stone Guard is a hybrid force: part police department, part standing army, and part siege-engineering corps. Because Drachenburg is a city-state, there is no distinction between the soldier on the wall and the guard on the street corner.
Gameplay (Character Class):
A Drachenburg Soldier, or "Stone Guard", is a character of the class @Soldier and has the subclass Drachenburg Soldier.
1. Recruitment: The Iron Tithe
Drachenburg does not rely on a feudal levy or expensive foreign mercenaries. It relies on civic duty enforced by law.
The Iron Tithe: Every household in Drachenburg, from the poorest foundry worker to the wealthiest spice merchant, owes the city "One Shield." This usually means the second-born child of every family is conscripted into the military academy in Northborough (Iron-Root Bastion) for a mandatory two-year service term upon turning 16.
Social Impact: This creates a highly disciplined populace. Even a baker or a scribe likely knows how to load a heavy crossbow and hold a shield wall.
The "Career Stone": After the two-year Tithe, most return to civilian life. Those who choose to remain become Career Soldiers. These form the officer corps, the Sky-Watch engineers, and the elite heavy infantry. They are paid well and given housing in the Northborough barracks.
The "Foreign" Loophole: Drachenburg rarely hires mercenary companies, viewing them as unreliable. Instead, foreigners wishing to gain citizenship can bypass the expensive application fees by serving a 5-year contract in the Stone Guard (usually assigned to the dangerous Eastborough or Southborough patrols).
2. Organization: The Watch System
The Stone Guard is not organized into marching legions for open-field warfare. It is organized into static "Watches" assigned to specific geography.
Unit Structure:
The Squad (A "Brick"): 8–10 soldiers led by a Sergeant (Feldwebel).
The Company (A "Wall"): ~100 soldiers led by a Captain (Hauptmann).
The Watch (A "District"): 200–2,000 soldiers (depending on status) led by a Castellan (Burgmeister).
The Four Watches:
The North Watch ("The Iron Heads"): The elite. Composed entirely of "Career Stone." They man the @Trachenwacht fortress, the heavy siege engines, and the Sky-Harpoons. They rarely patrol streets; they prepare for war.
The South Watch ("The Gatekeepers"): The largest active force. They man the @Drachenburg: South City Gate, handle customs/immigration, and patrol the chaotic Southborough slums. They are hardened, cynical, and adept at urban policing.
The East Watch ("The Soot-Cloaks"): Rough, brawling soldiers who police the Foundry District. They often swap halberds for warhammers and maces. They work closely with the Dwarf foreman unions. They man the @Drachenburg: South East City Gateand the @Drachenburg: East City Gate
The West Watch ("The Gilded Shields"): The "cushy" posting. They patrol Westborough, the wealthy merchant and tourist district. Their armor is polished brighter, their capes are cleaner, and they are mostly there to stop pickpockets and look impressive for foreign dignitaries. They man the @Drachenburg: South West City Gate and the @Drachenburg: West City Gate
The Central Watch ("The Painted Shields"): Guarding the wealthy Mediborough and the Hall of Dragons, this unit serves as the polished "face" of the military. Its ranks are a unique mix of highly decorated veterans earning a comfortable pre-retirement post and the children of wealthy nobles fulfilling their "Iron Tithe" in safety. They are known for their mirror-polished armor, diplomatic tact, and the daily "Changing of the Scales" drill, prioritizing ceremonial perfection and imposing presence over the gritty policing of the outer districts.
3. Officer Hierarchy
The hierarchy reflects the city’s practical, industrial nature.
Lugal (High Commander): Currently @Lugal Mathis Droste. The ultimate authority. He dictates grand strategy and defense spending.
High Castellan (Ober-Burgmeister): The operational general of the city. He sits in the Trachenwacht war room and coordinates the four Watches.
Castellan (Burgmeister): Commander of a specific Watch (e.g., Castellan of the South).
Captain (Hauptmann): Commander of a gatehouse, a specific stretch of wall, or a borough precinct.
Sergeant (Feldwebel): The backbone of the guard. Recognizable by a black plume on their helmet.
Stone (Stein): The common soldier.
4. Uniform & Equipment
Livery: The colors are Earth and Fire.
Tunic/Tabard: Grey-green (like pine needles in shadow) and Slate Grey.
The Motif: A distinctive "Mountain Chevron" pattern in muted Red-Orange on the chest and shield—three upward-pointing chevrons representing the repeating peaks of the Trachen Zahne.
Armor:
"The Heavy Plate": Unlike standard city guards in other kingdoms who wear chain shirts or leather, the Stone Guard wears 3/4 Plate Armor (breastplate, pauldrons, tassets, and greaves).
The "Weight": As per Iron-Root training, the armor is slightly thicker and heavier than standard plate, lined with heavy wool to resist cold and bludgeoning damage.
Helmet: A Sallet helm with a rigid gorget (neck guard) to protect against shrapnel and downward strikes from wyverns.
Weapons:
Primary: The Halberd. Essential for wall defense (hooking ladders, striking reach) and anti-cavalry work.
Ranged: Heavy Arbalest (Windlass Crossbow). Every guard carries one. It punches through armor better than a longbow and works in the tight confines of the Wall Arteries.
Sidearm: A heavy, short-bladed messer or arming sword for tunnel fighting.
5. Rituals & Doctrine
Doctrine: "The Anvil"
The Stone Guard does not sally forth to meet enemies in the field. Their doctrine is Immovability. They force the enemy to break themselves against the walls. If an army approaches, the Guard retreats inside, seals the gates, and turns the city into a meat grinder.
Field Operations (The Rare Sortie)
On the rare occasion they must leave the walls (e.g., to clear a blockage in the pass), they form a "Walking Wall"—a dense block of shields and halberds that moves slowly and inexorably, flanked by crossbowmen. They do not charge; they advance and crush.
Ritual: "The Weighing"
Graduation from the Iron-Root Bastion involves "The Weighing." A recruit is dressed in full heavy plate and handed their halberd and shield. They must stand at attention in the courtyard for one full hour without collapsing, shaking, or dropping a weapon. If they fall, they fail.
Drachenburg's Muster Capacity — Muster Numbers — Militia Size
Drachenburg is a wealthy, dense trade city with a population of approx. 40,000–50,000 people.
Peacetime "Active" Muster: ~1,200 Soldiers
This represents the professional "Career Stone" and the current rotation of "Iron Tithe" conscripts.
Distribution:
400 patrolling Southborough/Gates (High activity).
300 in Northborough (Training/Reserve/Sky-Watch).
200 in Eastborough.
100 in Westborough.
200 spread along the Wall/Arteries on maintenance and watch duty.
Wartime "Full" Muster: ~7,500 Defenders
This happens when the "Great Horn" is blown.
Composition:
1,200 Active Stone Guard.
~4,000 "Reserve" Citizens (Those who finished their Iron Tithe in the last 10 years and are called up to man the walls).
~2,000 Guild Militia (The merchant guards, the foundry workers with hammers, etc.).
Note: This number is sufficient to man the entire 100-foot wall circuit in three rotating 8-hour shifts, ensuring the defense never sleeps.