Oathkeeper Cavaliers

Lore

Founded in 1068, roughly 50 years after the Lions Guard Cataphracts , this was House Ironhelm Answer. Similar in their use, training and deployment, Oathkeeper Cavalier's act as personal escorts and bodyguards to family members of Ironhelm and other important ambassadors. Typically working in groups of 4-6, with the exception of Al Zufra Ironhelm who commands 20.

These soldiers start as boys between the age of 7 and 10. Lower class dwarven boys (other races are excluded, which is unusual) must steal an rotgut lizard egg from a nest in the Red Waste Desert. This is no easy feat and every year dozens of dwarves don’t return. Once stolen and the egg hatches, the lizard and would be soldier bond together for roughly 5-7 years, where they are then put through a series of tasks to ensure only the best move on. Between the age of 15 and 30, military training occurs every day, learning small unit tactics, bodyguard protection and some basic survival skills. There are normally 200 of these apprentices in Hammerfall Mines . Apprentices are paid, but it is effectively the same as a common soldier, roughly 5 silver pieces a week.

Once over the age of 30, apprentices can be selected to join the Oathkeepers. Typically there are 200 Oathkeepers at any given time. The service term is 45 years, meaning roughly only 5 apprentices are called up each year. It is possible for an apprentice to challenge their way onto the Oathkeepers, but that is very rare.

Once an apprentice is over 40, they are considered too old to start thier service, and are ejected from the program, surrendering their rotgut lizard when they leave. Most of these apprentices find work as sellsowrds or join the Iron Dome Spears or Frost Axman as the training they have received is far better than the other military branches.

Due to the value of the people they protect, it is common that each Oathkeeper will have 2-3 rotgut mounts killed from under them. The mounts are then replaced either through an internal egg program, or taking the mount of a washed out apprentice.

These elite warriors primarily travel in the deserts and grassland steps, meaning the warm climates prevent the use of heavy steel armours. Lammelar armour is most common. As well as special training with bastard swords, to be used in one hand, though some of the troop leaders have been known to change gear that suits them better, for example the 6 favourite guards of Al Zufra wear rippled cold steal plate armour, gifted for saving his life during an assassination attempt. Each suit of this special plate is rumoured to have cost 10,000 gold pieces, more than the annual tax revenues from smaller houses like House Stormrider or House Evergreen

Upon retirement Oathkeepers typically turn into ambassadors for the head of house, being sent out to the betterment of the house, now accompanied by Oathkeepers of their own.