Transportation
Movement of the Royal Dwarven Military
A well-developed military is nothing without its equipment; weapons, armor, and supplies are all brought to the front lines so that Soldiers can keep fighting. However, none of this matters without the transportation, which is the means of moving men, women, animals, and equipment to the battle, allowing the fight to continue. Every part of war will pass through the hands of those who specialize in movement, transport of all things great and small. From the lowest rank Soldier to the most important implement of war, all of these items will pass from their homeland to the field of war in the hands of the Transportation Corps, one of many core parts of the Hammerfalls.
The Transportation Corps is one of the Combat Services divisions of the Hammerfalls, specializing in the deployment and transport of all Soldiers, weapons, and equipment of the Royal Dwarven Military from its original location to the field of battle. The men and women who choose to attend the Golden Anvil and eventually join the Transportation Corps are considered to possess a breadth of knowledge that falls somewhere between the specialties of the Hammerfalls and Scriptwroughts, combining knowledge of magic, logistics, and animal husbandry that is necessary for their specific duties. This in-depth and unique parcel of knowledge makes the Dwarves unmatched when it comes to moving and supplying their large, structured military.
While Infantry and Field Artillery were the first divisions of the Hammerfalls to form, the Transportation Corps and the other Combat Services divisions were not far behind. Those who fought on the front lines could not succeed without the organized movement of Soldiers, weapons, and supplies to the battlefield, and the continued movement and supply provided by the Transportation Corps. While the other divisions of the Hammerfalls often provided equipment, none of it would be useful without the specialties of those who could move all manner of things throughout danger and chaos, leading animals and people through the worst of everything to the front lines.
Structure
The Transportation Corps specializes in all things transportation, including some magical and animal-related things that are often confused for the specialties of other divisions. From magic circles to wagons and other vehicles, as well as the animals that pull them, the Transportation Corps makes sure all parts of traveling and moving from their home base to their battlefield base of operations go smoothly with no issues. When paired with the other Combat Services divisions, such as the Quartermaster Corps and Ordnance, 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 Transportation Corps may spend some time studying in the other Dwarven academies, depending on their specialty, as many of their specialties have crossovers with the Scriptwroughts and Stoneshapers.
Vehicles
All vehicles fall under the purview of the Transportation Corps, including mobile weapons that must be brought to the battlefield. The men and women in this division are tasked with the acquisition and utilization of these vehicles to and from the battlefield. In the past, this division also provided maintenance for all vehicles, but as the number of mobile weapons increased, the task of repairing vehicles, weapons, or otherwise fell to Ordnance. Any duty related to vehicles that is not maintenance is still the job of the Transportation Corps. During peacetime, these people are often caravan drivers or otherwise drive a variety of vehicles throughout the tunnels of the Great Furnaces. Their knowledge of the tunnels and the conditions, especially of the Old Dwarven Road, is paramount to the fast and accurate movement of large groups of Soldiers and equipment. Oftentimes, outside of battle, these people spend their time intimately learning their individual vehicles so they are ready for the worst of conditions when their division is needed.Navigation
Navigators specialize in map reading, map making, and overall navigation within the Dwarven Kingdom and outside its borders. These men and women are tasked with working with the drivers of the specialized vehicles and utilizing knowledge of the vehicle, conditions, and navigation to safely and quickly move a caravan from one point to another. Most commonly, the knowledge of Dwarven navigation within the tunnels is the most important, but some members of this division are extremely knowledgeable about celestial navigation and the world outside of the Dwarven Kingdom and across the Northern Continent. In peacetime, many of these people are navigators for caravans or surveyors for mining groups, working to map new mines and ore veins within the maps of existing lodes. As Dwarves are not a seafaring people, they do not focus on or specialize in any type of nautical navigation, but a small number of Dwarves with this expertise are kept in contact in case their knowledge is needed for any reason.
Animal Caretakers
Once part of the Quartermaster Corps, Animal Handling and Animal Caretakers were separated between the Cleric Corps and the Transportation Corps so that each could fulfill different duties related to the animals that were essential to the Royal Dwarven Military. The Cleric Corps as Animal Handlers serves as the trainers of the variety of animals utilized by the military, whereas the Transportation Corps takes care of the daily needs of the animals on and off the battlefield. These men and women are often the ones who lead these animals into battle, and the daily caretaking ritual builds a bond that allows this to happen without fear. During peacetime, these animal caretakers are tasked with caring for the military's large number of animals and building the strong bonds that will aid them later. This is one of the few divisions in the Transportation Corps that retains all of its duties between war and peacetime, as the animals must be cared for no matter what. It is also common for this division to work closely with the Cleric Corps during peacetime to facilitate training and finding new animals that may be helpful to the mission.Magical Transportation
Magical Transportation is often thought to fall under one of the many duties of the Scriptwroughts, but was early on established as part of the Transportation Corps, as this division must work closely with those in the Vehicles and Navigation divisions to most accurately utilize this ability. Those in this division may work with members of the Scriptwroughts, depending on the size or strength of the magic circle needed, but this magic is only used in battles that are relatively stationary or have lasted a great deal of time. Magic circles are rarely used in most battles due to the time, manpower, and magic ability needed to create and sustain them at a specific level. During peacetime, those in the Magical Transportation division may be asked to travel across the Dwarven Kingdom and establish magic circles in strategic areas that could then be utilized in times of war. Much of their work is done when there is little pressure or a deadline, ensuring that the magic is established correctly and will not cause harm with use. This is one of the few divisions that is far busier in times of peace than of war.
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
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Location
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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