1st Marine Guard
The 1st Marine Guard of the Realm Merchant Marine, under sponsorship of House V’neef, is a military force whose ostensible purpose is to defend the Realm’s merchant shipping. Under the direction of its sponsoring House, the Marine Guard has embarked on a program of expanding its landward capabilities so it might better serve as a security force for V’neef satrapies and a counter to the Legions of other Houses in the event of civil war. As part of the Realm merchant marine, the 1st Marine Guard is ultimately answerable to Archnavarchos V’neef Ririon.
The 1st Marine Guard is commanded by a Navarch and divided into ten Dragons, each commanded by an Archtrierarch and made up of two Wings of infantry and 3 military vessels. Each ship is commanded by a Trierarch. Each Wing is also commanded by a Trierarch, and consists of two Talons and a support/engineering scale. Each Talon is commanded by a Talonlord and consists of two light infantry Scales, two medium infantry Scales, and two fire Scales, as well as an artillery fang. Each Scale is commanded by a Scalelord and consists of five Fangs. Each Fang consists of a Fanglord and four regulars. Marine Guard units are, like the Legions, made up of infantry: mounted forces do not fight well aboard ship. The Guard lack the armoured heavy infantry seen in Legion ranks, the ‘heavy’ units of the Guard instead equipped as are Legion medium infantry, with spear, tower shield, and reinforced buff jacket. Medium infantry are capable land combatants but much less useful aboard ships, and continue to make up a minority of troops in the Guard. The bulk of Guard troops are light infantry, equipped with short chopping blades, buff jackets, and javelins for throwing, and are well at home fighting aboard ships though their light armour leaves them more vulnerable ashore. Additionally, the 1st Marine Guard employs 'Fire Scales', equipped with firedust weaponry. Artillery in the 1st Marine Guard consists of light and heavy fire cannon, with the occasional fixed sailcutter, heavy ballista, or gigantic fire cannon stationed in defense of a port. The 1st also commands the bulk of V’neef’s few warstriders, with a full Warstrider Fang attatched to the unit's headquarters and organized along Imperial Legion lines. Marine Guard troops do not follow the fortified encampment practices of the Legions, nor do they carry the equipment for such.
The 1st through 4th Dragons of the 1st Marine Guard are deployed in Qishi Prefecture, the 5th through 8th Dragons are deployed in Arjuf, and the remaining two Dragons are deployed to Merchant Marine and House V'neef facilities across the Northern and Eastern Blessed Isle.
