Watchers of the Reaches

The Jacks of All Trades

In the Eastern Reaches, all sorts of enemies make themselves known. The most common are the Ophidians, an unorganized but brutish army of snakefolk that have the numbers and strength to overwhelm even the most skilled swordsmen of the Abral Islands. What this requires is a tactical mind from all commanders in the Watchers, so that they can work around the plans of the Ophidians (which usually are just throwing themselves at an army or city until they win or retreat), and strength to repel them (as much strength as they can muster, at least).   The Jihdi Empire's army is a different story. Their greatest force are the ninjas that, generally, don't target larger armies. It is against the Jihdi ninjas that the Watchers of the Reaches get their names, as they must keep an eye out for all kinds of subterfuge and learn to spot all tactics utilized by the Jihdi. This is not to say that the Jihdi do not have a more traditional army, as their soldiers often learn directly from Leigong, God of Strength and Battle, but this army has been used so few times that the Watchers of the Reaches have never actually fought against them. Their strength and tactics are saved for when they are truly needed, an event that has yet to happen.   When it comes to the dangers of the Uncharted Desert to their south (be it Emetian Worldbreakers, Gnomish troublemakers, or beasts of the desert under the Dragon Lord Nammat the Unseen), the Watchers of the Reach must be prepared for anything at any time, as these forces are not organized but are always dangerous.   They may face forces from Moroza on occasion, though they don't clash often enough for it to matter.   When it comes to the Kamejin and Tainuki armies of the Abral Islands, this is where the immense skill of the Watchers of the Reaches comes into play. They must stand toe-to-toe with some of the greatest swordsmen in the world, a feat no other army save for perhaps the Elven Guard can achieve regularly. They are capable of all of this and more thanks to the intense training undergone by recruits hoping to join the Watchers of the Reaches.  

Command

The Watchers of the Reach are too far to ever come into much contact with the King, and so they take orders instead from the Marquess or Marchioness of the Eastern Reaches. The Marquess has to step foot on more battlefields than most nobles do due to their location, and most of them (depending on the Marquess at the time) will undergo much of the same training as the Watchers themselves do.  

Manpower

There are, depending on the era, different sizes of the Watchers of the Reaches, however they are on average around 5,000 strong, though this includes about 2,000 recruits in Ortoise who lend their support without actually being Watchers, instead training there before going off to other parts of the army. This makes for about 3,000 actual members of the Watchers of the Reaches.  

Weapons

The weapons of the Watchers of the Reaches are probably their greatest downside, as Geltic blacksmiths are not as skilled as those in surrounding regions, particularly the Abrals. Some higher-ranking soldiers can commission Kamejin smiths (or Dwarven ones, if they prefer) to make them weapons, but otherwise they're left with rather standard, non-enchanted weapons.  

Upkeep

With the funding of the Marquess, as well as the money already going to Ortoise to train new soldiers, the Watchers are well-maintained. They never lack for funding like the other divisions of the Geltic army might due to distance from Nerodil.  

Recruitment and Training

Soldiers recruited into the Watchers of the Reaches are, for the most part, those who are shown to have above average results in multiple areas of training. A soldier in the Watchers must be capable of anything, and so it is only for those who can handle it all.   The Watchers of the Reaches have longer periods of training than all other soldiers in the Kingdom of Man, which is easier because the city where most soldiers are trained at, Ortoise, is in the Eastern Reaches, so they can take time out of the years they are patrolling the Reaches to train.   Like the Jihdi, they too learn from Leigong. The Marquess or Marchioness of the Eastern Reaches usually strikes a deal with the Jihdi Empire and Temple of Leigong to allow their new recruits in the Watchers to train at the temple in exchange for whatever the Empress of the Jihdi wants at the time (usually resources for the temple, as its easier for the Marquess to get it there than the Empress.   Leigong's teachings help the Watchers of the Reach to grow stronger, resembling warrior monks more than the soldiers towards the western edges of the same kingdom's army. They are more patient, waiting to strike until the right time has come.   Alongside Leigong's teachings, it is also a regular occurrence for them to travel across the strait to Moroza, training in the ice to build up their resilience. Drills are run in the freezing cold of the far north, with soldiers bathing in the ice water as long as they can. The training in Ortoise also goes longer, with regular exercises to test their reflexes, reaction time, and other important skills.  

Spider Hunters

The training gained by the Watchers of the Reaches in non-practical combat scenarios is nothing compared to their everyday troubles with the spiders of Nyx. The Temple of the Goddess is within the Eastern Reaches, and her spiders flood out of it daily, causing trouble for the Kingdom of Man.   The Watchers of the Reaches rotate who among them must hunt down the spiders each day, making it a hazing ritual for new recruits. Sometimes its hordes of small spiders, making it difficult to find them all, whereas other days it might be a few large spiders, making the difficulty whether the recruit is even capable of facing them down alone. Either way, it keeps them prepared for anything, as the daily challenge from Nyx is different each time.  

Duty

The duty of the Watchers of the Reaches is to, as the name implies, watch the Eastern Reaches of the Kingdom of Man. The borders have changed throughout history, as the Kingdom of Man conquered land or (in some cases, such as with the founding of the City State of Potota, lost land), but whatever is considered part of the Eastern Reaches, the Watchers must keep guard over it.   During periods where the Eastern Reaches are not under the Kingdom of Man, such as during a majority of the Age of Plague, the Watchers instead answer to whoever rules over the Eastern Reaches, doing the same job under a new kingdom. Usually this is still the Marquess, who at that time takes up the title of King, Regent, or Magnificence.