So, in the 10th Pass on PernMUSH the Hold Guard is not to be confused with a military entity, but rather a sort of police force. The Guard defends the harmony of the Hold, keeping the peace.
It is expected that each Guard will use this chain of command in his or her roleplay. It is not proper to go directly to the Lady or Lord with a concern about a Guard issue as they have enough business in their roles to attend to.
Patrols
Wander the public areas, meeting and greeting residents and guests alike.
Patrols include areas away from the Hold proper, beaches, pathes and roads.
Hold Watch
Lingering in the Hold proper, generally the courtyard and Great Hall, again
meeting and greeting residents and guests. Assisting a burdened Hold worker
even if it's opening a door, or pulling out a chair.
Tower Watch
There is a tower standing at the corner of the Barracks that gives a guard a
splendid view of the courtyard, practice fields, and the Great Gates as well
as some distance down the road outside. Usually a guard is alone in the tower
but it is a post that could be roleplayed.
Weapons Training
Cadets and Guards alike are expected to train with the
available weapons.
Armory Maintenance
It's a duty, usually a terrible task because it includes cleaning and
maintaining the weapon's stock and storage area. (It's something to complain
about.)
Ceremonial Guard
Just what it says. If there is a special occassion then there will be guards
there in full dress uniforms looking pretty and doing their jobs. If there's
no requirement for a 'dressed' detail then the guards will drill and train.
(Ceremonial Guard will no longer be considered a day off if nothing is
happening).
Escorts
Guards serve as is an escort to leaders visiting the Hold or the Holder as he
and she travel. As such, Guards must be very trustworthy because they would be
the ones the leaders would trust their lives.
Day Off
A day off for a Guard does not mean they are not obligated to the Hold's
security for the day. Southern Boll is also the Guard's home and if something
is amiss it is one's duty to at least report it to an on duty guard or staff
person. It's still good to greet people as they arrive and lend a hand to
those in need. Cadets do not have days off except on special occasions
determined by the Captain or Lady and Lord Holders.
Other Duties
Tithe guard, extra duties during Gathers and Hold events where there may be a
large influx of guests, natural disasters and man-made disasters may put a
guard in a position where he or she is performing unusual tasks such as
clean-up, reconstruction, assisting Healers with wounded and any number of
tasks. A guard is a utility person for all occasions and is expected to help
wherever possible.
Generally regular guards are not permitted to leave the Hold to travel Pern without permission from an officer or the Lady and Lord Holder. Cadets are not permitted to leave until such time as they have completed their training.
It is expected that every guard will become thoroughly familiar with Southern Boll, paying attention to the locations of all the public areas. Study the maps and read the descs they may be useful in the future.
The Captain will study these reports, confer with other Guards, and at some point promote the Cadet to full Guardsman. A Cadet can expect to be a Cadet for a minimum of 6 Pernese months (6 RL wks). This is the rank most Guards will remain for the duration of their careers. Guards patrol, train, run drills and generally are the most important part of the Guard.
Certain Guards have special status within the Guard. These people are called upon by the Captain to supervise other guards or perform special duties. These duties might be to serve as a Quartermaster or Head Trainer. Others with skills of subtly and keen observation may be called upon from time to time to serve as a special investigator if undercover work is needed to keep the Hold's peace.
The Captain is the ranking Guard. The Captain of the Guard establishes policies for his personnel and generally administers all the business of the Guard Corp. He or she is usually promoted from one of the special leadership positions in the Guardsman rank by the Lady. The Captain answers only to the Lady and Lord Holder. The Captain is effectively a part of the senior Hold Staff, and must represent the Hold accordingly. He or she may be sent to other Holds, Crafthalls or Weyrs to deliver sensitive information, although the Hold Harper will most likely perform that duty through his Craft.
A Captain has little more influence on Hold policy than a Cadet, and all players of Guard characters can initiate plots themselves. The Captain acts as a coordinator to make sure plots within the ranks are agreed upon by all parties and approves plots involving criminal actions. The Holder has the final say in any tinyplot matters, but anything that will effect the cohesiveness of the guards should be brought to the attention of the Captain.
The Captain is not there to run plots on their own, neither is he/she physically capable of keeping track of every plot in the Hold. If something happens in roleplay which affects guards in any way, +mail the Captain this as a pseudo-report so he/she can keep up to date as they would In Character.
The ultimate goal is not to become Captain, but to find something your character is good at and make it fit In Character. Developing a character that is three-dimensional in RP and personality to increase the level of RP. If being a leader is what you're good at, show this. If being a follower is, this is good, too.
Avoid angstful plots with maiming, multiple murders, etc. If it's a good impetus for roleplay, a dead body with a mystery surrounding it is great. Coordinate with close-by Weyrs as they are often willing to conduct Hold-Weyr plots.
Any Guards can recruit others to join the Guard, but the Captain or Holder are the only ones who can add the person to the knot. Either can approve entry into the Guards. When recruiting, be careful if the player is completely new. They should know what they're getting into. Emphasize that a Guard is not a warrior in the classic sense - we don't want any sword and sorcery types. Guards fight as a last resort only, preferring to exhaust all other options before doing so.
The uniforms were designed by Captain Ryglenn.
Daily Uniform
The daily hot weather general purpose uniform of the guards is
designed to be functional and cool despite the temperatures at South Boll.
Each guard is issued several pairs of white cotton shorts that cover the thigh
and are pocketless; a white belt with a small bronze buckle may or may not be
worn. The daily shirt issued will be a lightweight, sleeveless button-up
cotton shirt of white also; on the left breast there is an emblem for South
Boll embroidered in red and some gold.
Dress Uniform
The South Boll Guard's dress uniform is as follows, after completion
of Cadet training this will be issued also: A white flax blouse with long
sleeves and epaulettes, again the South Boll emblem is embroidered on the left
breast. The trousers are white, kept bloused atop polished black wherhide
boots that reach mid-shin. The outer seam of the legs are stitched with a red
tripe that should remain straight if the trousers are bloused properly.
Having to be required to maintain two uniforms it is necessary for each player of a guard character to have some means of 'changing' according to his or her duties. If you can devise your own means of accomplishing this feat feel free. If you are at a loss you may use the following code with your character to do so:
&ON me=$wear *:@pemit me=You put on [v(%0)].;&wear me=[v(%0)]
@edit me/desc=$,%r%t[u(wear)]
Write the clothing desc as an attribute like so &wear0 me= For example,
just add however many others you need afterward. To change simply type 'wear
wear0' or 'wear wear2' for whichever desc you would like to append to your
physical description.
Today, the Guards of Southern Boll are thoroughly trained in close-quarters,
weaponless combat as most of his/her, career will be spent within the Hold
where an armed guard is generally not necessary. Included in each Guard's
training however, is the mastery of several actual weapons; to enhance the
close-quarters skills and give a guard an 'edge' knifefighting
skills are taught. The longbow and crossbow as well as the spear are the only
other 'edged' weapons that are available and chosing one over the other in
often the case; rarely are such weapons used on a human.
Some of the older guards were trained in the use of the sling, bolo and
slingshot and if a newer guard wishes to take up any of them it is not
discouraged. One should be warned though; these particular weapons are
difficult to master and can result in injury to the trainee more often than to
bystanders. Once mastered, these weapons are useful to subdue someone as they
flee and are not likely to mortally wound anyone.
&wear1 me=WEAPONS AND TRAINING
Guards of Pern do not have the luxury of advanced weaponry, and truth be told
there is no need of them. Available, however, are simple weapons, the longbow,
crossbow, spear, bolo, sling, slingshot, daggers and finally his mind and
body; the combination of the last being the most important and preferred
'weapon' to be used in the Guard's duties.