Ordnance
Arsenal of the Royal Dwarven Military
Warfare does not occur without some sort of weapon, a metal axe, a wooden bow, battle-hardened fists, all ready for the next target, the next fight. These weapons do not appear overnight, created by skilled craftsmen over hours or trained into the flesh through days of repetition. While logistics and the art of war are important, none of that matters when the implements of war do not exist, either broken from use or still an idea waiting to be crafted. Someone must supply, create, and repair the instruments of war that all use in battle. These men and women study weapons and their uses, learning how to forge better, repair stronger, and bring hope with their creations. Without these people, war cannot continue, moving forward to an end where the same weapons will not be needed.
The Ordnance Corps is one of the Combat Services divisions of the Hammerfalls, specializing in all things weaponry, including metallurgy, maintenance, and smithing. The men and women who choose to attend the Golden Anvil and eventually join the Ordnance Corps will gain a wide variety of knowledge relating to weaponry, some of which will take them to the School of Mines to finish their training. While not as robust in scope as the Quartermaster Corps, the Ordnance Corps will still employ a number of Master Dwarves, Blacksmiths, and Metallurgists to fulfill their duties and make sure the Royal Dwarven Military is outfitted to the best of their abilities.
While Infantry and Field Artillery were the first divisions of the Hammerfalls to form, the Ordnance Corps and the other Combat Services divisions were not far behind. Those who fought on the front lines could not succeed without stores of weapons, and those who could create more and repair those that had broken. This need made Ordnance the first of the Combat Services divisions to form alongside the Quartermaster Corps as weaponry and supply went hand in hand. Even in times of peace, these people still serve as Blacksmiths, Metallurgists, and other craftsmen, providing the Dwarven Kingdom with a variety of weaponry.
Structure
The Ordnance Corps specializes in all things weaponry, which extends far beyond the creation of the original weapon. Specialty weapons made from the world's rare metals, overall maintenance, and keeping vehicles moving are major parts of what this corps does. When paired with the other Combat Services divisions, such as the Quartermaster Corps and Transportation, all equipment and supplies needed for the Royal Dwarven Military are taken care of and can be easily accessed on the front lines during a conflict.
Those who wish to join these divisions will have to announce their intention to join a Combat Services specialty early on in their schooling at the Golden Anvil. Pathways are established at the Golden Anvil to help people specialize in one of the combat divisions, but trainees will not fully choose their division and individual specialty until much later in their careers. Those in the Ordnance Corps are some of the first to specialize in the art of making weapons and working with the magical alloys of the world require many years to learn.
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is the most complex of the Ordnance Corps specialties as it combines craftsmanship with a hint of alchemy in order to properly combine the various metals of the world into usable substances. The men and women who work as part of the Metallurgy division are often Master Dwarves, specializing in combining the special metals of the world into complex alloys that provide specific advantages when applied to various weapons and armor. Those in this division work carefully alongside those of the Smithing division to create weapons and armor that are sturdy and can be imbued with enchantments by the Scriptwroughts if necessary. Almost all in this division are Master Dwarves, and the Metallurgy division boasts the second largest collection of these certified craftsmen in the Royal Dwarven Military. If these craftsmen do not utilize their skills as part of the Quartermaster Corps, they join the Ordnance Corps to make deadly weapons, ammunition, and armor that will be supplied to other parts of the Royal Dwarven Military and deployed on the front lines in any type of conflict.Smithing
Smithing is the catch-all division of the Ordnance Corps, as it includes all members of the Royal Dwarven Military that work on the creation of weapons, ammunition, and armor that do not require an alloy. This includes all wooden, stone, and otherwise non-metal items, such as bows, trebuchets, catapults, leather armor, and all other items of battle, no matter the size. While each individual may specialize in a certain material, the manufacturing of everything battle-ready falls under this division. This division also has a handful of Master Dwarves, but only one for each type of material used. There is never more than a handful at a time, and these people perform quality control on all items produced by the Smithing division. One out of every ten weapons and armor pieces is tested in a variety of ways to ensure that the items are created to a standard that will protect the users in the worst of circumstances. If an item fails, the Dwarf who created it may be required to complete extra schooling as well as take a greater time while creating items under the supervision of one of the Master Dwarves.
Maintenance
All weapons are armor that are created by the Ordnance Corps and utilized by all parts of the Royal Dwarven Military will eventually come back to the Maintenance division to be evaluated and repaired if possible. This division specializes in the repair of weapons and armor that does not hinder the structural soundness or usability of an item. When an item comes for repairs, it is evaluated to see if the damage can easily be repaired without compromising the item or if it is best to salvage the item and use parts for other repairs or to be returned to the Smithing division to be used on a new weapon. A small portion of this division is dedicated to the salvaging of metals, leather, and cloth from the various items that are beyond repair. Cloth and leather armor too damaged for repair may be used to patch repairable armor, while metal armor is often recycled to the Smithing division to create new armor. Weapons and armor created from alloys will be returned to the Metallurgy division if possible to be smelted into something new or used in a new alloy.Mechanical
The newest division of the Ordnance Corps, the Mechanical division, is tasked with the repair and maintenance of all vehicles and mobile weapons used by the Royal Dwarven Military. In the past, this division was tied to Transportation, but as the number of mobile weapons increased, it made more sense to task the repair of these weapons and vehicles to the part of the Hammerfalls that repaired all weapons. The Mechanical division works closely with the other divisions of the Ordnance Corps, but their work is on a much larger scale due to the nature of the repairs they do. During peacetime, these people are also repairers of a variety of vehicles. Horse-drawn or other animal-drawn carts are the most common in the tunnels of the Dwarven Kingdom and are commonly used by everyone, including the Royal Dwarven Military in times of conflict. Repair shops for these vehicles are found in every major city and most medium-sized villages throughout the kingdom. During wartime, these people continue their occupations with the added duties of repairing weapons such as catapults and trebuchets that are moved to the battlefield.
Leadership
For such a large military, leadership is paramount to success on and off the battlefield. This is equally true for the Hammerfalls, which is the largest corps of the Royal Dwarven Military and is structured into the largest number of divisions. Overall, the Hammerfalls are led by a battle-tested General who has served many centuries in the Royal Dwarven Military. A handful of other ranked officers serve beneath this General and run the daily operations of the Hammerfalls, including things like recruitment, pay, and other over-arching issues. Beneath this, each of the divisions has its own leadership structure. A General leads the various divisions and then a series of ranked officers as the division breaks into smaller and smaller units, each with a similar command structure and duty. At the smallest scale, a unit will consist of twenty Soldiers led by a lower-ranked officer specializing in one specific thing within their division.
Type
Military Order
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Experienced
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I really like all of these articles about the different sections of the dwarven military, because you really show how each part is massively important to keeping things running smoothly.
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