The Sunshield Company

Leadership

Each of the regiments feature one standardizing aspect, the higher leadership of each regiment is commanded by a number of soldiers who fill important positions both within the battlefield and without. The Shieldcaller of the First Regiment holds overall command of the entire company, but defers specific commands to the other regiments respective commanders. When there is a need to meet, a council of the Shieldcallers can be held at the Shieldbearer's Lodge.

The Shieldcaller is the overall leader of any regiments within the Sunshield Company. As show of their might, to be called Shieldcaller requires a show of their martial prowess, they must travel deep into the jungle of Bhorum-Khar and single-handedly slay one of the native Feathered Drakes that inhibat the interior. An ornament is then crafted from the red feathers of the slain drake and adorned upon a hoop at the base of their halberd. Among the many ceremonial positions held by the Shieldcallers, their title empowers them to call the Sunshield Cohort's shields to bear. With a blow of their warhorns, the whole of the front rank locks their positions in place. With a second blow of the horn, the 2nd rank readies their shields over the heads of the first rank, protecting them from arrow fire.

When the need arises for the Shieldcaller to relay information between other cohorts across large distances, it is the responsibillity of the Signal Master to command their hornblowers and banner-bearers to send signals across the lines. A good Signal Master with a well trained compliment can relay commands across miles within a matter of minutes and indeed has been the most important part in many battles fought by the company.

A Master of the Guard's role is to oversee the training of the regiment to ensure that they are always held to the highest standard, and ready for battle at a moment's notice. They are unique in their abillity to make command of anyone without regard for rank and title, save of course for the Shieldcaller.

Although each cohort includes a banner bearer among their ranks, the Bearer of the Ancient is a ceremonial flag bearer whose sole job is to hoist the regimental standard higher and prouder than any other of the cohorts. Each regiment's Ancient is unique among the regiments, hanging to the right of the bearer, it is the flag of the Company, a golden sun upon a white and red field that hangs to their left so that any combatants know they face the Sunshield Company.

Regimental Organization

A traditional regiment within the Sunshield Company was never truly set into stone, however the cohort system used remained consistent. There would be at any time two Sunshield Cohorts for every one Thaneguard Cohort, and after their establishment, one Terrrowclaw Cohort for every four Thaneguard Cohorts. In addition to these, supply units of the Wagonmaster's Cohort and Dockmaster's Cohort would be assigned to a regiment as needed, but were never alligned to specific regiments. Formed in the traditional ways of Dwarven defensive combat, the Sunshield Cohort which makes up the largest portion of the Sunshield Company, work in groups of fourty, seperated into rank and files of twenty and two. Armed with the distincitive Tower Shield and pointed halberds, the Dwarves interlock shields protecting themselves fully from missle fire or spear's thrust.

The Thaneguard Cohort was the principal offensive force within the company until the establishment of the Terrorclaw Cohort. The Thaneguard's skill with Halberd was for a time, unmatched across all mercenary bands and only truly rivaled by among Dwarvenkind by the most elite of guards of the Orimid Empire. A typical unit of Thaneguard Warriors would be made of twenty Halberdiers led by their Seargant-in-arms.

The last addition to the standard regiment of the company were the addition of the Terrorclaw Cohort, an all-orc batallion of lightly armored agressive fighters who's expertise with their eponymous Terrorwclaws would form unrecoverable wedges in the enemy lines that then flood in with members from the Sunshield Cohort.

Logistics & Supply Trains

As part of the Sunshield Company's defensive mastery, their logistical prowess is known throughout, being able to provide a constant stream of provisions, new weapons and troops to any field of battle no matter the climate, conditions or conflict. When battling along waterways, it is the responsibillities of the Engineer Cohort to construct temporary docks for the Dockmasters to be able to resupply the troops. When the fighting is at it's fiercest among the plains and forests, it is the supply trains of the Wagonmaster's Cohort that are needed to ferry materiel across mountain paths, dry chaparral and ice-hewn tundra.

The Supplymaster's Cohorts

An army cannot win battles based solely on the bravery of their soldiers, their strength of arms or the intelligence of their commanders. Battles and Wars are all to often won instead by those whose responsibllities it is to supply, requip and reinforce the fighting men. As such, it is these aspects that made the Dockmaster's Cohort and Wagonmaster's Cohort integral to the functioning of the Sunshield Company.

The Terrorclaw Cohort

The Terrorclaw Cohort was an all-Orc Cohort of elite shock troops equipped with tri-pointed serrated claw weapons. Rather than the traditional Sunshield of which the company was named after, the Terrorclaw Cohort were equipped with arm guards with which they could deflect blows with their off hand swipe or stab with their main.

After everyone cooled it with the racism, Orcs developed a unique system opposite the Dwarves with a light focus on defense and strong focus on offense.

Above all else, regimental comraderie is championed as qualities most honored among the company. Despite the influence of Dwarvensun Culutural ties that inspired the initial founding of the Company, these traditions and indeed Amanite Religion were greatly reduced in importance through their history until they held only tacit importance.

The culture of the earliest years were marked by extreme hostility towards the Orcs of nearby Frost-Silver Island who had fled from the island after Oramun Grudgecaller's campaigns of uprooting the natives. It was only over the course of the three hundred years between 490 and the decision of 801 that Orcs were even allowed in to the company, and it would be a further decade of tense relations between the Orcs and Dwarves of the Company before they began to be accepted following a period of particularly intense fighting during the Waymarch Campaigns.

Shieldbearer's Lodge

Shieldbearer's Lodge was constructed in 613 on the island of Lesser Anhar just off the coaast of Bhorum-Khar as a retreat for the soldiers between contracts.

Corruption Within the Shieldbearer's Lodge

Founding and Early Years (479-523)

Founded in the year 479 by a small cohort of Shieldmasters of the Thanedom of The Toggul, the Sunshield Company's first Shieldcaller was Oramun Grudgebearer who was the commander of the Thane's Personal Retinue. When the Dwarvensun culture started getting adapted by the Dwarves of Toggul, a rift was formed between the Nobility who kept with the old traditions and the smallfolk who adopted the new, the Thane of Toggul allowed for the practice of these new culutural and religious traditions. Among these was the departure of those who, following the Origanite Sect of their new Amanite Faith, left for places like Bharbadihr or Dhomrahm.

When the first of the pilgrims made it ashore on the island of Bhorum-Khar, the Orcs, now native to the island were hostile to the invading Dwarven settlers and conflict quickly broke out. It was the actions of Oramun Grudgebearer and those of the Thane's Retinue who had left with him, that forced the Orcs away from the coast and from this Dhomrahm was founded. In the first decade of the Sunshield Company's existence, they led campaign after campaign fighting the Orcs back until nearly the whole of the Island was under Dwarven control. When at last, in 490 the whole of the island was firmly under control, the Sunshield Company could turn it's sights outwards.

First Conflicts (524-616)

The Sunshield Company was hired by the King of Old Rudora in 526 to help during Benalon Ulanala's wars of conquest. While they fought valiantly during the Siege Of Old Rudora, as defeat drew near, and wishing to save themselves unnecessary casualties, the Sunshield Company laid down their arms and were allowed to depart by the Aelves. In an effort to win favors with the comapny, before setting sail back for Dhomram, Benalon shared what remained of the Rudoran coffers with them, allowing some measure of payment was still granted to their soldiers.

In 616, the Sunshield Company took a contract to last in perpetuity to serve as the personal guards to the Thane of Dhomram, and security to the whole of the island. Considering the relatively isolated nature of the island, this was largely a ceremonial position granted to those who would be too old to fight among the ranks, or who had simply earned a reprieve from combat through their own bravery.

Integration of the Orcs (616-887)

With much of the Dwarven population suffering under the Plague of the Green Inferno at the time, and a need for reinforcements during the the decision was made in 801 to allow for the employment of Orcish soldiers in the Company, which at that point had refused them. The long ongoing contract, fighting in the Waymarch Campaigns grinding to a stalemate between the human kingdoms of The Kingdom of Damnosand the Calpurnian Kingdom, led to high attrition among the mercenary companies both sides employed. Initially the prejudices of the Dwarves caused conflict between the two, however the displays of might and bravery by the Orcs caused a change among the soldiers which would eventually make it's way back to Bhorum-Khar and lead to a thaw in relations between the two races.

Later Conflicts & Corruption Within Shieldbearer's Lodge (888-900)

When Khan Calanthor of the Great Dorei approached the gates of Khaantz' Fall in 888 threatening to sack the whole of the Confederacy of The Frensari, it was the Sunshield Company and their mastery of Defensive Warfare that was called upon. The ensuing Battle of Khaantz's Fall was a decisive victory for the Aelven-Dwarven Alliance and would prove to be the last great victory for the Company.

In 908, the Sunshield Company fought on the side of the The Grand Duchy of Irinoff during the The First Khirinan War.

The Disaster at Bordahn (901-912)

When riots threatened the city of Bordahn in 912, and nearly all of the guard conscripted fighting to defend against the Orimid Empire in the Second Great Dwarven War, it was the Sunshield Company hired to provide security to the city. How exactly events transpired are unclear, but the result ended in a massacre of the rioters by the Sunshield Company, leaving yet another black stain upon their record, and would ultimately lead to the cancellation of their long standing contract as protectors of Dhomram.

Final Years (913-914)

The company was disbanded in 914 following decades of growing corruption within the organization, the status of Orc soldiers within the company and a long string of low quality contracts, culiminating in the companies entry into the First Khirinan War. When the Green Inferno began ravaging the country and the war was ended, Grand Duke Georgi I Valrak proved unable to pay the full sums owed to the company, citing expectations from their war coffers to cover the costs.

Much of the Orcish soldiers of the Sunshield Company would resettle in nearby Frost-Silver Island and construct Fortress Kregkor from which two Mercenary Companies would be formed, The Sons of the Condor and The Foetid Hands.