professions and trade
Professions and trade
Contents:
Guardians
The concept of Guardians stems from dragons' historical communal protection of eggs. Dragons would leave their eggs in grottoes protected by their community’s most powerful. After the Unification, the Guardians were created, a group of four powerful dragons with one of each primordial element. Guardians go through extensive elemental training, and have high mastery.
Guardians have an unspoken authority as hands of the Warfang Council—they are looked to for guidance from the people, and can even command/dismiss guards, captains, soldiers, and lieutenants in the absence of their superiors, and fully command the Templars. There is a group of Guardians in Warfang City, Titan Fields, and Concurrent Skies. There are also the Elder Guardians.
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History
In the beginning of the empire of Warfang, there was only one set of Guardians who, on top of guarding the eggs of dragonkind, was also its leaders. Before portals, it was too dangerous for dragons on other continents to bring their eggs across the sea, so new groups of Guardians were made from the would-be successors of the original Guardians. These new Guardians were to be ruled by the original Guardians.
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When the original Guardians found themselves unable to handle their Guardian duties as well as their leadership duties, they once again parted with their successors, who would from then on guard the eggs of Warfang mainland, while the original Guardians became the Elder Guardians—the heads of the new Warfang Council, the leadership of Warfang alongside the four most prominent families, one of each primordial element. This system continues to date.
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Apprentices and Succession
When the time comes to prepare for a Guardian to step down, the other Guardians of that same element will select apprentices. These can in theory be any dragon of the given element— a retired Commander, a dragon finishing their military service, a child studying at the temple, or even a child raised in the streets. It only depends if they meet the criteria to be Guardian; relatively high elemental mastery (for their age), the potential for future high mastery, and the drive and desire to be Guardian out of a good-natured wish to protect and guide the children of the future.
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Each Guardian of the given element may select 5 to 15 apprentices. These apprentices can be from any walk of life, clan dragons and clanless alike, however, most potential apprentices presented to them are from clans, due to Guardians' position in high society, and the resources clans possess to train their children. These apprentices needn't all be selected at once.
The Guardian will meet their apprentices frequently to get to know them and train them. During this process they will judge who are and who aren't cut for the job. Due to difference in age, some apprentices will be more powerful than younger ones—however age is taken into account. If an older apprentice is more powerful than a young apprentice, the older one may still be dropped in favor of the younger if the younger has the potential to be more powerful when the same age, and/or if their drive and nature are stronger. Younger apprentices can also remain Guardians for longer.
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After a few years (this varies), all the Guardians of the relevant element will present their remaining apprentices (about 1 to 4) to the Elder Guardians. The Elder Guardian of the relevant element will then take over and start training the apprentices. Once they have grown familiar with the apprentices, the Elder Guardians will send home many who don't make the cut, until around five apprentices are left. This can take years. When there are only a handful apprentices left, personality and drive are no longer a question, only mastery and potential. The remaining apprentices become fully devoted to their training—this is now a full-time occupation. They will barely have time for other things—they train every day, for most of the day. If the apprentice has a previous occupation or study, they must abandon it. Once an apprentice can no longer keep up with the rest, they are sent home permanently.
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This continues until only one apprentice is left. This apprentice then becomes future Guardian, and they gain additional training to prepare them for the job.
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Apprentices rejected based on their motivation or personality (i.e. wanting to become Guardian for the power, or not seeming willing to die protecting the egg grottoes) will be rejected from becoming apprentices again. Few exceptions are made. Apprentices rejected based on another simply being more powerful may be accepted again, and will go through the process over again.
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Duty
Guardians cannot prioritize anything above their duty. They cannot be clan leaders while they are Guardians (if they are clanless upon achieving Guardianhood and want a clan, someone else in their immediate family must be named leader—but the Guardian themselves cannot take orders from the clan leader), and while they may have children, they must be able to choose duty over their own offspring.
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Guardians live in the temple they are assigned to and have their own quarters in the egg grottoes. On certain days they will train temple students, though this is occasional. While the grottoes are closed for visitors, the Guardians will check on the eggs, to ensure they are healthy and be alert of when they may hatch. During the days/hours visitors are allowed, Guardians stand by to defend the eggs—though due to the strict rules of who are allowed in and where they are allowed, threats to eggs from visitors are few are far between. It is mainly Templars who allow visitors in and escort them to and from their eggs/grottoes.
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When an egg is on the verge of hatching, its parents and family will be alerted, and they will be allowed into a separate room too be present for the birth, both outside and inside visiting hours. A Master of Healing is on standby should complications arise. Once the hatchling is freed from its egg and all is well, the family takes it home.
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When Guardians have free time outside of visiting hours, they may train their element, visit family or friends, or attend formal gatherings related to their duties, etc., however, at least two Guardians must be near the grottoes at all times. Remaining Guardians may enjoy personal company in their quarters or around the temple, read/write, or rest with intermittent patrols of the grottoes.
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Interim Guardians
Sometimes a Guardian dies abruptly before they retire, or something happens to them leaving them suddenly unable to do their duty. A temple can go a short time with only three Guardians, if waiting for a final apprentice to finish their training, but usually an Interim Guardian is selected. An Interim Guardian is a dragon temporarily filling the role of the former Guardian until a trained successor can take their place. Interim Guardians are often the last apprentice in a selection to be sent home, as they possess the qualities of a Guardian as well as most of the training. Interim Guardians can in theory be anyone strong and worthy enough, but their nature and abilities must be well known to the public, and the remaining Guardians and the Elder Guardians must approve. Once a successor is ready, the Interim Guardian must step down, but the position itself is still honorable.
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Military Service
Every able-bodied dragon has a responsibility of military service. Warfang has many ongoing wars, and a constant need for soldiers. When a dragon is around 24 years old, they're called in for service.
The mandatory service period is two years, plus a three month training period.
Warfang Guard
Strength: ~50,000
The Warfang Guard is considered part of the military. Recruits in training have two paths: Guard, and Soldier. Becoming a Guard is attractive to many, as it means a significantly smaller chance to end up in combat. Guards are sent to all Warfang settlements, where they enforce Warfang's laws, keep the peace, and are the first line of defense if a settlement is attacked.
In theory.
In reality, the Warfang Guard is known to be corrupt. Because most dragons don’t want to be sent to war, the Guard gets the most applicants. Many have to be turned away and sent to the army. Officially, selection into the guard is based on performance and suitable personality as a recruit. What’s painfully evident however, is that wealth is the answer. Dragons from rich families and clans make up the bulk of the Guard’s higher ranks. As such, they select other rich dragons into the guard—often because their clans don’t want their children to die in the wars (this may force dragons into the guard, even if they wanted to be noble and serve as a soldier). Otherwise they may be bribed, but they are greedy. If the bribe is too small, they arrest you for the crime of bribery. The Guard has a habit of looking the other way when it comes to clan dragons, especially if any victims aren’t in clans nor sufficiently rich. The Guard is respected by high society, and despised by the rest.
The Warfang Guard is divided into five Sectors, each commanded by a Chief, who answers to the Head Chief, Chief Isrun, the Frostspear Matriarch—who in turn answers to the Warfang Council.
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Warfang City is an entire sector to itself, and is divided into Districts, which are led by Commanders, with multiple Captains each commanding and organizing Patrols of Guards. The other four Sectors are divided similarly, but covering multiple settlements. A small settlement may have only a Captain and a handful of Guards, or a single Captain presiding over multiple small settlements.
Sector One is Warfang City.
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15 districts, each with 10 to 20 patrols.
Sector Two is the rest of Warfang mainland.
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25 districts, each with 15 to 30 patrols.
Sector Three is Titan Fields.
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25 districts, each with 15 to 25 patrols.
Sector Four is Concurrent Skies.
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25 districts, each with 20 to 30 patrols.
Sector Five is Agni Flats.
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10 districts, each with 10 to 20 patrols.
The Warfang Guard requires some armor; a headpiece, neck protection, and a collar displaying the Guard insignia and rank. Greaves may be used, but are not paid for by the Guard. Guards do not wear full armor, but may change into more armor if needed (and if they have it). The headpiece is mandatory for Guards, but not for Captains, Commanders, or Chiefs.
Becoming a Captain takes 10-20 years of service to be eligible, and becoming a Commander can take as much as 40 years. For many, the rank of Commander is the ceiling. When an existing Chief retires or dies, a new one is chosen from existing senior commanders.
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Unique roles
Like the Army, the Guard also has unique roles in their ranks. The standard role of the Guard is to patrol the streets and ward against crimes, investigate and arrest when crimes do occur, and protect settlements and cities. Other roles include;
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Investigator
Investigators are called to crime scenes and are tasked with finding out what happened, how it happened, and who is responsible. They'll take statements from witnesses and victims and build a profile on the perpetrator to track them down. Investigators are usually only called where a deeper look is needed. If someone was pickpocketed in the markets, regular guards will just make note and report it. Investigators are called where there is a crime scene and standard Guards can't take the time or are able to gather necessary information. Most of the time, Investigators will find what clues there are and speak to who they can, but if there were no witnesses or suspects then the case is reported and shelved with the intent to bring it back if another perpetrator is believed to be the same. When it comes to clans and higher society, Investigators are often pushed much further due to there being more coin at stake, or the crime has been especially grievous.
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While there is no way for a dragon to detect and compare DNA, Investigators are trained to be sensitive to magic, and are able to detect any elements that may have been used recently, or detect if spells have been used.
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Intelligence
Intelligence Guards rarely take to the streets, keeping to their offices where they hoard information on citizens and criminals alike. They sort and compare reports and cases, and keep track of all the inner workings of their sector—including that of organized crime. In short, if there's any information the Guard might need, their intelligence offices either have it, or they have a parchment that confirms they don't have it. When more information is needed on something, Intelligence Guards find it. They may even work undercover, pay off criminals, or hire criminals to attain this information—with their Commander's approval. There are different levels of confidentiality to the information the Guard stores, and any given Intelligence Guard cannot access any or them all. Privacy is not a concern, but information leaks are, especially when it comes to information pertaining to clans or high-profile individuals. Mid-level confidentiality information can only be accessed by a handful of Captains in Intelligence, higher levels have to be attained by the sector's Commander of Intelligence, and the highest level of confidentiality has to be retrieved by the Chief of the Sector.
All information is stored in vaults with Master-level enchantments, with copies at different locations.
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Wardens
Sometimes crimes do not warrant execution, but also require more than immediate physical/financial punishment, or criminals need to remain detained during investigation, especially if they are facing execution. In these situations, there are dungeons guarded full-time by special guards, wardens.
Wardens are in charge of guarding prisoners, sentenced or otherwise, transporting them to and from cells, and delivering them food. This is an assignment, and a guard may be in this role for a year or more until they can be considered for a change, but it's also a role someone can stay in their whole career. There is very little opportunity for promotion in this role however. There are dungeons in all major cities, then a few outside the cities for all other settlements in the sector, making less than ten dungeons in each sector. Most are commanded by a single Captain, who reports to the Commander of that district.
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Sanctuary Wardens
A special group of Wardens are the Sanctuary Wardens. These have the same duties as regular Wardens, but they guard only one place; Sanctuary, the home of dark dragons on Warfang land.
Becoming a Warden for Sanctuary is highly selective. Firstly, they can only be ice dragons, due to the extremely low temperatures and the deadly, eternal blizzard that surrounds the Sanctuary island (a result of an ancient Elemental's suicide fury).
Recruits for Sanctuary are thoroughly assessed. They cannot have 'misplaced' sympathy for dark dragons, they must be able to follow orders no matter what, and they must have at least Skilled elemental mastery, usually higher. Sanctuary Wardens are often compared to Templars as a result. The Sanctuary Commander has always been a Frostspear, as have many of its Captains and many of the Guards.
No one knows exactly what happens on Sanctuary, as its wardens are bound by strict orders of non-disclosure.
The promotion rate of Sanctuary Wardens are virtually stagnant, with promotions only happening if a Captain or the Commander resigns from the role or from the Guard. If this happens, another Sanctuary Warden is selected for promotion. Due to the slow rate of promotions, and the 'inherent danger' of working with dark dragons, Sanctuary Wardens have a high bonus to their salary.
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Executioners
Due to the costs of incarceration, most grievous crimes are punished by execution. For this, the Guard has a special role, executioner. This is not a full time role, but an addition to the standard Guard or Warden role. The role of executioner is applied for, and executioners are chosen with selectiveness that varies depending on demand and competition. It gives a Guard a bonus to their salary, on account of the dangers of being an executioner, as associates and families of the executed may target the executioner. Maintaining anonymity is difficult for dragons, as they have so many varying identifiable qualities. This makes Executioner an undesirable role for many, and the salary bonus of executioners rise and fall with demand. Most executions are not public anymore, unless there is an example to be made.
Commanders and Chiefs cannot be Executioners, and promotion into these ranks removes the role of Executioner.
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Warfang Army
Strength: ~150,000
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While not unpleasantly corrupt, the Army is a better place if you're from a clan. Clan status and connections can help steer you into a non-combat role, such as navigator, scout, hunter, messenger, etc. For those that embrace combat, clan status may lead to easier promotions. Overall, however, the Army tends to humble a dragon. A soldier can be clanless or from a clan, but both are the same rank. Riches mean nothing on a battlefield, something that's beat into you during training. Your superiors must be obeyed, even if they're from a 'lesser' clan, or clanless. Disrespecting chain of command is extremely frowned upon, and being kicked out of the Army is a shame for any dragon regardless of status. Disobeying orders can lead to a prison sentence.
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Armor
The Warfang Army does not pay for their soldiers' armor. Armor must be paid for by the soldier or their family/clan. This is expensive, and often a dragon chooses only pieces for their vital areas rather than full armor. Clan dragons are generally recognized by having complete armor—particularly colored armor displaying clan crests. Many soldiers have to make do with their natural defenses.
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Organization
Similar to the Guard, the Army is divided into 20 Divisions, each commanded by a General. All twenty Generals answer to the Army General, Tordner of Stormbringer, who in turn answers to the Warfang Council.
Each division is divided into several Regiments, each under a Commander, Regiments are then divided into Platoons, commanded by Lieutenants. Not all Lieutenants have command positions.
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First Division through Twentieth Division are commanded by Generals, all of which are commanded by General Tordner, as such there are only twenty-one Generals. 1st Regiment through 246th Regiment are commanded by Commanders. There are only 246 Commanders​ in the Army.
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Each Division has 10 to 13 Commanders and Regiments (1st Regiment. 3rd Regiment, 45th Regiment, etc.) First Division has the 1st Regiment through the 12th Regiment, Second Division has the 13th Regiment through the 24th Regiment, and so on.
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Each Regiment has Infantry Platoons, a Scout Platoon, a Hunter Platoon, a Healer Platoon, and Logistics Platoons. Logistics Platoons include navigators, scribes, and messengers. Platoons are named according to their function, such as 1st Infantry Platoon, 1st Healer Platoon, 30th Logistics Platoon, 50th Scout Platoon, etc.
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A Soldier's full assignment could go as follows; Third Division, 30th Regiment, 30th Healer Platoon. Usually, they will only give their Regiment if inquired. "Soldier (name) of the 30th Regiment."
The Headquarters of all twenty Divisions is in the Army Fort in Warfang City, but every Division can be deployed anywhere in the realm.
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First Division, commanded by General Tormer of Stormbringer
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1st Regiment through 12th Regiment
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First Division, 1st Regiment is commanded by Commander Lynerius of Stormbringer​
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Commander Lynerius' squire is Lieutenant Raii​
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4 Regiment Lieutenants
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1st Infantry Platoon through 13th Infantry Platoon
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~455 Infantry​ (13 Lieutenants)
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1st Healer Platoon through 3rd Healer Platoon
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~90 Healers (3 Lieutenants)
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1st Hunter Platoon through 5th Hunter Platoon
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~75 Hunters​ (5 Lieutenants)
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1st Scout Platoon
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​~30 Scouts (1 Lieutenant)
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1st Logistics Platoon
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~15 Messengers, ~10 Navigators, ~10 Scribes​ (3 Lieutenants)
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1st through 4th Guard Platoon​​
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~80 Guards​ (4 Lieutenants)​
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~770 soldiers (32 Lieutenants)​
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Second Division
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13th Regiment through 24th Regiment
Third Division
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25th Regiment through 36th Regiment
Fourth Division
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37th Regiment through 49th Regiment
Fifth Division
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50th Regiment through 63rd Regiment
Sixth Division
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64th Regiment through 75th Regiment
Seventh Division
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76th Regiment through 86th Regiment
Eighth Division
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87th Regiment through 99th Regiment
Ninth Division
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100th Regiment through 110th Regiment
Tenth Division
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111th Regiment through 124th Regiment
Eleventh Division
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125th Regiment through 136th Regiment
Twelfth Division
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137th Regiment through 149th Regiment
Thirteenth Division
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150th Regiment through 161st Regiment
Fourteenth Division
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162th Regiment through 175th Regiment
Fifteenth Division
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176th Regiment through 187th Regiment
Sixteenth Division
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188th Regiment through 199th Regiment
Seventeenth Division
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200th Regiment through 210th Regiment
Eighteenth Division
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211th Regiment through 222nd Regiment
Nineteenth Division
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223rd Regiment through 233rd Regiment
Twentieth Division
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234th Regiment through 245th Regiment
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This division is dedicated to the training of recruits
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Rank
In the Army, rank is attained through years of service, combat ability, and command potential. Lieutenant requires 10-15 years of service, Commander requires at least 35 years, and General is a minimum of 50 years. Attaining rank is a competitive process and not a guarantee of long service.
Some clans will pay their children out of military service altogether, by ‘giving their worth in coin’. This is legal, and helps fund the war effort. Naturally, this price is too much for most families to pay.
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Unique roles
Not every soldier's primary job is to fight. Below is a list of roles a soldier may take. In formal titles, this role will replace rank, i.e. "Scout Ignis'." These roles may have soldiers and lieutenants, but not commanders. Vitrually all new recruits serve two or more years in Infantry, as special roles tend to be filled by career soldiers.
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Hunter
When deployed, divisions and/or regiments need food. While supplies are brought along, rations are kept as last resorts. Hunters take down large prey and forage for edible fruits, vegetables, and roots. This is a full-time job during deployment, and a vital one, so hunters do not participate in combat unless necessary.
Hunters are extensively taught to identify what's edible and what's toxic, as well as how to take down certain prey and what to watch out for (such as magic-draining leeches, or acid spitters). Every regiment must have at least 5% of its total number be hunters, which can be split into groups, each with a senior (often a Lieutenant) hunter designated as Lead Hunter.
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Navigator
Navigator is another non-combat role. It is a navigator's job to help their commander navigate their division en-route to their destination, as well as locate optimal camp sites and mapping where they go. Navigators need to know how to read and draw maps, plot a course, and read the stars. Every regiment has at least one senior navigator, and one or more junior navigators.
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Scout
Scouts have a dangerous occupation. While not intended for combat, scouts go in small teams or even alone to scout enemy territory—assessing their numbers, strength, positions, and defenses. Scouts must be quick, quiet, and cool-headed. They may be spotted by the enemy, or even captured and/or killed. They must be strong enough to have a chance to fight their way out of this possibility, but their main objective is to avoid confrontations— if spotted, they must try to escape and report back to their Commander. If this entails abandoning fellow scouts, so be it—a scout must be able to make this sacrifice. They must also keep the enemy from finding their camp at all cost, whether that means leading pursuers away (even if this means suicide), or to withhold knowledge under gruesome torture.
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Healer
Army healers may be non-combatants, but they will frequently find themselves near the midst of a raging battle. Healers specialize in non-elemental magic to heal wounds. While red magic crystals are effective, they're a limited quantity and are kept exclusively for emergencies. During deployment, it is a healer's job to gather red crystals, assess and maintain the health of their soldiers, tend to the sick or wounded, and save their soldiers from certain death.
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During battle, healers stay behind the front lines, tending to the wounded that are brought away from it. Healers need to know how to make fast and often hard decisions—such as letting a young soldier die to instead save a badly wounded Commander, or preserve their energy if saving someone will take too much. Sometimes they may only have time to stop a soldier's bleeding before moving on to the next.
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Healers aren't easily distinguished among other soldiers, they have a small mark on their armor that the enemy won't see unless close. If the enemy identifies a healer, they WILL target them. If a platoon/regiment loses their healers, the battle may very well be lost. As such, healers have soldiers assigned to them as guards.
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Guard
Guards are soldiers whose combat prowess is reserved for specific tasks. Guards may be assigned to a healer, Commander, or General's side as protection, or they may be in charge of guarding a camp, supplies, or prisoners. The more important something is, the stronger the guards assigned to it will be. A Commander may send guards to the front lines as regular combatants if needed.
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Scribe
Another non-combat role, scribes are soldiers in charge of putting ink to paper for their Lieutenant, Commander, or General. This may be mission reports, updates, emergency requests, inquiries, etc. Anything their superior wants written, they write. Scribes are quick with a quill, either by hand or magic, often writing down words as their superior speaks.
Scribes are also in charge of sending these letters to headquarters or permanent camps, using simple magic wherein the letter they wrote burns up, then reappears where it is destined to. This only works on a location basis—letters cannot be sent to an individual whose location is unknown. The sender must also have physically visited the letter's destination at least once. This system is good for urgent messages to a known and safe location—but if it needs to go to a temporary camp, or elsewhere unsecure or a place the scribe hasn't been, the letter is handed to a messenger.
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Scribe is a no-promotion role. Scribes are always only Soldiers, and spending time in this role does not make them eligible for promotion into other roles.
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Messenger
Messengers have an obvious role—they ferry letters or commands to a destination, wherever a scribe's magic cannot reach. Often, they receive verbal messages that are too urgent to even write down, and relay them to the recipients. Messengers must be capable of long-sustained and fast flight, and as such is popular with wind and electric dragons.
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Messenger is a no-promotion role. Messengers are always only Soldiers, and spending time in this role does not make them eligible for promotion into other roles.
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Knight
Knight isn't a role, per se, but a label of honor. A dragon Knight is a soldier (or guard) of such high merit they are appointed by the Elder Guardians themselves, and receive the title through ceremony. Knighthood may be awarded to any role, or even posthumously, but it is a rare title to receive. Commander Lynerius is a popularly-known Dragon Knight, though he never introduces himself as such. Generals are always knighted.
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Squire
Squires are Soldiers or Lieutenants in service of a Commander or General. They act as bannerbearers and aides, helping their superiors put on and take off armor (which they are also in charge of maintaining/cleaning), and are otherwise on the ready to do anything their superior asks of them, even menial things such as fetching them food or drink, or cleaning their tents. Commanders and Generals choose their own squires, most often soldiers from clans that are allies of their own.
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Squires are at their superior's side almost always, and it's their close one-on-one relationship that makes squires a target of soldier gossip. Squires are said to cater to all of their superior's needs, including those sexual in nature. Bored soldiers love to ogle and guess whether or not a squire sleeps with their Commander/General. This is not forbidden, but superiors who abuse their rank against any soldier risks severe punishment.
Warfang Templars
Strength: ~1000
The Warfang Templars is a recent addition to the military. Templars have only one duty; defend the temples and the egg grottoes. They are independent from the military, taking no orders from Generals or Chiefs alike, but take their orders from an independent chain of command with Guardians at the very top.
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History
When the founder of clan Earthwood, Tierra, achieved the rank of Chief in 2452, she was eligible to found a Clan. Her family were commonly in the patrols dedicated to temple protection, however, she knew this system was flawed. The Guard had too many other duties and regulations making it difficult to defend the temples, so, with her newfound powers, Tierra founded a new order; the Order of Templars, whose sole job was the protection of the temples—including the protection of the dragon eggs alongside the Guardians.
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Rank & Chain of Command
The Templar Order has only one rank; Templar. Positions of authority are given temporarily when necessary and individuals are rotated between each time.
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Templars do not answer to any Chief or any General unlike the rest of the military—they answer only to the Guardians, with the Warfang Council at the very top.
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Selection Process & Criteria
Only the best of the best are chosen to become Templars. The Order chooses their recruits from seasoned soldiers (rarely from the Guard), who demonstrate strength both physical and elemental, unyielding loyalty, and a certain character. Most Templars are chosen over the age of 70.
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Templars have Experienced element mastery at minimum, often more, but character and strength of mind is prioritized above elemental strength. Templars need to be level-headed, professional, loyal to the death, and must prioritize their duty above all else.
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A Templar can witness the brutal murder of a civilian, and they will still not leave their post. Absolutely nothing can budge them, other than a threat to the temple or its Guardians. Unless dismissed, a Templar cannot leave their post to save even the life of their own family. Given this selection criteria, most Templars are thought to have hearts of stone.
For a Templar to abandon their post for 'selfish' reasons is grounds for execution with disgrace to their name, and that of their blood. If a Templar is from a clan (a dragon becoming a Templar gives a significant boost to their family's chances of earning clanhood) and abandons their post, their entire clan risks being disgraced, losing clan status, and being shunned from society.
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As such, while being a tremendous honor, the invitation to become a Templar is one that is often declined.
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Templars also need to be in top shape. They cannot have missing eyes or limbs including wings—only a missing tail tip or single toe can be overlooked. They must have perfect hearing, perfect vision, high strength, stamina, and speed. Any health issues results in a potential recruit being passed over—they may even be passed up for a lack of a sense of smell! The more potential recruits they have to choose from, the stricter the requirements become. If selection is scarce, rarely does the Templar standards drop.
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Duty and Day to Day
Templars guard the temples at every hour of every day. Warfang City itself has about 600 Templars divided between the Warfang City Temple and the Ancestor Temple, leaving each Temple with about 100 Templars guarding it at any given moment. The Titan Fields and Concurrent Skies Temple have 200 Templars each, with about 65 Templars active at any given moment. These numbers fluctuate often, and in times of need, Templars will work overtime, in which case the number of active Templars will more than double.
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Upon daily arrival, a Templar is assigned to an outpost where they have full overview of a section of the Temple, and the Templar previously holding this outpost will be dismissed. A Templar will stay here for several hours keeping watch, until another Templar takes their post and they can have downtime to eat, rest, and if given leave, can make a quick stop home or attend some other duty. They will come back after a few hours, and take another post. After another several hours, they are dismissed and go home to be with their families and rest for the next day.
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Templars are also assigned to keep watch inside the egg grottoes, aiding the Guardians in the protection of the eggs and escorting parents and families to and from the grottoes.
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For the most part, the life of a Templar is uneventful, but they are required to stay sharp and participate in regular training and reassessments to ensure their abilities are up to expectation.
List of Occupations
Below is a list of occupations a dragon may have;
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High Class Occupations
Occupations that yield a high salary and status in dragon society, usually entered by dragons already in a high position, such as clan dragons.
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Elder Guardians (Senior Guardians elected to the Warfang Council, the highest possible position in Warfang society)
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Warfang Council (Beside the Elder Guardians, the Council is made up of the leaders of the main five most powerful clans. This is usually in addition to a career. The Council decides their nation's politics, decides its wars and questions of peace, its expansion, its laws, and so on.)
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Guardians (information above)
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General/Chief (Army/Guard)
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Dragon Master (excluding Master of Education—Dragon Masters are appointed by the Warfang Council as experts in their field of study)
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Templar (information above)
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Judge (a Justice elected by the Warfang Council to sentence criminals in their place)
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Minister (a Justice elected by the Warfang Council to write and suggest new laws, amendments or removals to existing laws, as well as regulations on trade and the taxation of trade and land.)
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High-Middle Class Occupations
These occupations have varied salary and standing in society, dependent on the quality and demand of the dragon's work.
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Masters of Education (information above—usually just middle class, with other factors like clan status bumping up to high class)
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Commanders (Army or Guard)
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Justice (Justices act as representatives for dragons in trials, arguing their client's innocence or the guilt of the opposing Justice's client to a Judge. Often permanently hired by multiple clients. Justices with reputations good enough to be hired as a clan's Justice are considered part of high society)
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High-Middle-Low Class Occupations
These occupations have extremely varied salary and standing in society, widely dependent on the quality and demand of the dragon's work.
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Lieutenant/Captain (Army/Guard - usually middle class but influenced by role, achievements and existing clan status)
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Scholars (dragons dedicated to a field of study, either independently or studying under a senior Scholar or Master. Can be hired by clans, temples, the council, or by individuals, or can sell their work. Scholars can cover any topic from magic, the elements, nature, stars, the sea, fauna, individual elements (their own, often acting as private teachers). Status depends on notoriety and income)
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Healer (a magic-focused dragon who heals illnesses and wounds with magic, herbs, and gems. Senior and noteworthy healers may be designated Masters of Healing by the Warfang Council. Class and income dependent on skill and reputation)
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Jeweler (a dragon who makes jewelry - often a family affair, and the very best jewelers are clans themselves, who make top quality, expensive jewelry for other clans)
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Artist (a dragon who uses their paws or magic to create illustrations, usually with paint. Often employed by temples, scholars, and clans)
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Sculptor (like artists, sculptors carve figures out of stone or build them with clay. Very popular with temples and clans, and are often earth or fire dragons, though ice dragons popularly make ice sculptures)
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Architect (some one who designs buildings. Often electric dragons)
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Blacksmith (a dragon that crafts weapons, armor, or other things with metal. Often fire dragons)
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Clothier (a dragon that makes clothes - much like jewelers, this can be a family affair, and richer and more reputable clothiers can acquire more expensive materials and sell to clans)
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Merchant (a dragon that acquires and sells items. Solo merchants are usually low to middle class, but merchants that hire other merchants to do this work and benefiting from it can get to high class with high value wares)
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Middle-Low Class Occupations
The standing of these occupations depend on who the dragon is hired by. Being hired by clans as these occupations (usually selected based on reputation or connections) make one considered middle class based on income.
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Soldier/Guard (Ranks - soldier is usually low-class, guard is middle-class, but both are affected by personal accomplishments and time in service)
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Caretaker (a dragon who raises the children of other dragons whenever those are working or otherwise occupied. Often under employment by clans to take care of their children, or employed by temples to raise orphans.)
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Servant (a dragon employed by other dragons to perform domestic tasks. Very commonly employed by clans. Servants to the largest clans are often decently well off)
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Potter (someone who crafts ceramic, clay, or stone pots, plates, vases, cups, etc. Often fire dragons)
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Low Class Occupations
These occupations are ones a dragon can get into immediately with no experience or study, and are thus saturated and paid little.
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Hunter (a dragon venturing into the wilds by themselves or with a group to catch prey, then selling the catches to a butcher for coin. Either freelance or hired to do this)
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Forager (like hunters, these venture into the wilds and gather berries, herbs, wild vegetables & fruits, and roots, then sell these to healers or vendors. Either freelance or hired to do this)
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Crop Keeper (a dragon that raises crops of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and/or berries, then sell these to vendors or directly to clans or institutions. Crop keepers are overwhelmingly earth dragons)
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Livestock Keeper (like crop keepers, a livestock keeper raises and breeds animals for slaughter and consumption. Commonly fire and ice dragons)
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Butcher (someone who buys fresh carcasses, skinning them then selling all their parts. Pelts, horns, and bones are sold as well as the meat. Butchers use magic or enchanted crystals to protect against spoiling and rot.)
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Scribe (civilian - a scribe is employed most often by scholars to write down their research or their book, then copy it. Once the first version is completed, a scribe can rather easily use enchantments to create virtually endless copies, only needing quills, ink, and paper.)
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Builder (someone who constructs buildings, usually with stone or metal. Often earth dragons)
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Miner (a dragon who mines for minerals/metals and/or crystals. Often electric dragons)
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...and more.