history and formation

The Heathen Army is a large group of elite warriors, unrelenting raiders, and ingenious siege engineers founded by the Blackwood family sometime after the great burning. In this time, they were simply known as the Raven’s Guard, but as time passed other groups joined to create a massive force to rival that of the Væringjar Guard, the legendary army of the Jarls of the Rhynelands. The Raven’s Guard and Væringjar Guard clashed for years. Over the course of these years the Væringjar Guard started calling their cunning and fierce enemies the Heathen Army because of their unrelenting and fervor fueled tactics. However, the Jarl of the Rhynelands noticed their other features, the strategy and logistics implemented by their leaders, the ingenuity of their engineers, and their ability to quickly adjust on the fly. He offered them a peace, the men and women of the Heathen Army would keep their lands and titles in exchange they would become a force for the Rhynelands. On this day both the Blackwoods and Rhynes made peace, forming the Great Heathen Army.

Chain of Command and unit Make up

List of postions

Team

A team will be made up of soldiers from the rank of Private to Specialist, with a team leader who holds the rank of Corporal. teams will vary based on troop make up but should have 4-8 soldiers of basic and advanced positions.

Squad

A squad will be made up of 2-3 teams each with the same focus and equipment. The Squad is the heart of a platoon, while it's still focused in only one subject its size allows it to operate battle drills and out maneuver the enemy.

Platoon

A Platoon is where the units are the most diverse and is made of 4-5 squads. Platoons are lead by a Lieutenant who has passed officer training, a specialization fitting of the unit and well as basic horsemanship.

Company

A Company is made up of 3-5 platoons, each with their own focus and lead by a company commander or Captain. A Captain is the low level tactician, capable of moving several platoons into optimal fighting positions.

March

A March is made up of 3-5 companies each following the same basic set up with the exception of the last company who is a Siege company. The March is commanded by a Marshall and co led by a Major who acts as his XO. The Marshall is the last rank the grand Marshall can assign

Army Enlisted

Recruit

A recruit is a male or female who has agreed to participate in the Army but has not completed Standard Training or Officer Standard Training. Recruits are never sent into battle but are permitted to work with the Militia.

Private

An enlisted recruit who has completed Standard Training, a soldier with no command authority.

specialist

An experienced soldier who performs exceptionally well, superior to a Private but with no command authority.

Corporal

An enlisted soldier who has shown exceptional ability in combat and leadership. A Corporal will typically command a small unit of soldiers.

Sergeant

An experienced soldier who performs exceptionally well in a leadership role. A Sergeant will typically command a squad sized element.

Army Officers

Lieutenant

Vornair civilians or enlisted soldiers may apply or be invited to Officer Standard Training. Upon completion, they will receive the rank of Lieutenant. Prerequisites include excellent skill in combat and leadership. A Lieutenant will typically command a platoon sized element.

Captain

An officer who has shown above average ability in leadership. A Captain will typically command a company sized element.

Major

A Major is an officer who has show exceptional skills and is working as an XO for a Marshall or a leader of one of the support Cores.

Army Positions

Each soldier will be placed in the area of their choosing ranging from support jobs to combat positions. These include

Combat

Infantry - they are the backbone of the military. they are the first and last line of attack and all other units are there to support them. they are expected to be master of melee focused on closing with and destroying the enemy.

Cavalry - they are the Heathens mounted fighters. They will be training in mounted fighting, learning how to use the many animals of Elyria to chase down and destroy our enemies.

Archers - the mid to long range support. They're tasked with taking enemies out with a hail of arrows, and overpowering their defenses with numbers and accuracy. They will be trained in use of bows as well as a basic understanding of melee combat encase they are engaged

Siege Workers – they are the hammers of our forces using overpowering weapons to destroy units from a distance and creating mass fear in the enemy. they are expected to work as a team, using true efficiency to send large amounts of fire into the enemy.

Support

Medics – these men and women are the healers of our forces, they are responsible for researching and administering treatments to our troops in and out of combat so that they can keep fighting. They are not expected to take part in the fight, but will be trained to defend themselves encase they are engaged. See our medical school for more information

Engineers – these are the builders and the workers of the Army, ranging from mason workers to sappers. A member of the Engineering core will work closely with that of the supply core to both build our own defenses and destroy that of our enemies.

Intel – the members of the Intel core are our scouts, Rangers and messengers. Each member of the Intel core will have a separate focus and will often operate in small teams. For more information regarding these troops you'll have to contact a member of this core.

note about enlisted and officer duties

There has been talk in other forums about how Army life is all about hurry up and wait. as I have been a member of the U.S. Army for over seven years I understand this fairly well, and know how it can make people want to leave an quite. this is why the Heathen Army will have the duty system. this system makes it so that each solder has more free time then they will know what to do with by splitting up duties between OPC, NPC, and Players. In most cases OPC and NPC duties will be the same, such as guard duty, patrols and training skills, player duties on the other hand will fall more in line with actual PVP or PVE oriented activity's such as hunting down criminals, taking out bandits camps and removing corrupt Nobles under the kings and dukes permissions. A player will only need to preform a few missions a week while there OPC handles the lesser of the duties for them. in return this is how they maintain there standing in the Heathen army, but are free to do what they wish as they whish when free. In the end this is the best way we could find to eliminate the hurry up and wait game, while still preforming like a regular army.

Benefits

All soldiers will be paid a wage. Officers will have higher wages. All soldiers will be issued standard equipment, including armor, weapons, and other gear needed for their duties. Officers will likely get higher quality or nicer-looking equipment. After being enlisted for 20 years (80 days), soldiers will gain possession of any equipment issued to them. If they leave the army before that, they will be required to return their equipment. All soldiers will be given lodging in a barracks in or near the area where they will be posted. If there is either not an available barracks or chooses not to stay in it in favor of establishing their own residence, then a stipend will be issued for lodging. All soldiers will be given training (both character skill and player skill training) and unlimited access to training facilities. All soldiers will be able to eat for free at a mess hall near their barracks. when not on the march, contracts that become available to the kingdom, such as crafting orders and bounty hunting, will be first offered to members of the Heathen army. In times of war solders who preform well in battle and assist in taking new lands for the kingdom will be granted titles and power fitting of there accomplishments.

Qualifications to Join

Anyone who enjoys PvP, defending their Kingdom, or participation in large scale battles may be interested in joining the army. We are looking for people aspiring to all of the ranks and specializations. Realistically, with such a large area to cover as a Kingdom, there are a lot of officer positions to fill. During the pre-launch MUD, KoE, and exposition we are looking to fill out many officer positions as possible to help cover that large area and help recruit when more people come in at launch. This offer also extends to other PVP groups looking to take part in a full army, your groups position will be based off of the numbers your group already has in it, and your leadership ability's. This could mean you end up as anything from a squad to a full March, giving you complete jurisdiction on how that unit is formed.

contact information

If you have any questions or wish to join contact Doc Glocke, King Evelake Rhyne I, Xaelic or Oxener Blackwood on the kingdom Discord