[Guard - Era XI] Riparian Guard Recruitment Centre

[BlueberryKitty]

The Command Center was located at the main entrance to the Military compound. It was a three story building, that extended toward the right from the edges of the compound. It had many offices, Rooms for teaching, Chambers for meetings, and Housing of the Military Leaders from other cities, A Chamber of War, and other ancillary rooms.

The recruitment office is directly to the left of the Entrance hall and needs no introduction from the Secretary of the Staff. The recruiting office was a small room which displayed pictures of the Riparian Guards and plaques on the wall commemorating special achievements of the Guards. A recruiting sergeant sat at a desk in this room and waited for those who wish to join up to come to see him.

"Serale Citizen, I am recruiting Sergeant Qual'irh. Please take a seat and ask any questions that you might have about life in the Riparian guard. If you have already made your decision then please fill in this enrollment form."

Name :

Race:

City of origin:

Training:
Please State any previous Training you have completed:

Any other information that can help use to Sort you into the correct Squadron:

[Silian Ma'Alizzart]

Name: Silian Ma'Alizzart

Race: Vysstichi

City of origin: N/A

Previous Training: NONE (since entering city)

There is nothing special about me, except that I prefer swiftness over power. My weapon of choice is the shortsword.

[BlueberryKitty]

(Silian? There should be more here than just the form yes? RPing? *pokes.* )

[Ranel Wright]

"Ah! Might this be where I can inquire about gaining employment with the local guard?" Said a man just past his teen years. His hair was a golden blonde and his face held a rather pleasant smile as he walked up to the recruitment desk.

"I'm afraid I am in a bit of a financial bind right now and I am in a need for work. I'll admit it's a bit of a wim but the only other person I know who has work runs a tavern. And serving alcohol to that particular breed of drunk doesn't seem exactly wonderful if you catch my drift. Bessides. This is fine work. My father used to do it back when he was alive. Always wanted me to join too."

The fact that that career had been the death of him slipped Ran's mind. Many things slipped his mind when he thought of his parents. Not that it ever bothered him.

"Though before I'd join I'd need to know how much the job would pay and whay kind of training I could get out of it."

[BlueberryKitty]

The recruiting officer for the Riparian Guard, Sergeant Qual'irh, looked up from his desk as soon as the human entered the office. The officer was a slender elf, with bright lavender eyes and hair that glistened nearly silver in the light. The tips of his pointed ears peeked through the argent locks. He placed a welcoming smile upon his face, and paused what he had been doing to give the new possible recruit his full attention. "Serale to you, Citizen, and yes indeed the Riparian Guard is always recruiting members. As for your questions, the pay is incremental based upon your rank within the guard. A private having completed his initial training receives thirty-two crowns per cycle, in addition to room and board. Your expenses are paid for while you are a member of the guard, including food and clothing. Incidentals and previous debts are of course not included.

"As for training, the list of what we have available is included in the Riparian Guard Handbook. They are of course the Long and Short swords, dagger, spear, halberd, axe, war hammer, and bow. After completion of your basic training you will be of course allowed to choose from the additional training skills offered."

[Ranel Wright]

Ran briefly glanced over the book but didn't have time to read it just now. He'd make a point of doing so later though. For now he was sold on the idea. "Sounds great sir. I hope I can be usefull!" he said signing the form:

Name : Ranel Wright

Race: Human

City of origin:Riparia

Training:
Please State any previous Training you have completed: None

Any other information that can help use to Sort you into the correct Squadron: I'm no fan of violence and preffer to be direct in my apprach rather than secretive. Therefore stealth would probably not be the best area for me. Other than that I'm glad to help. I have a good knowledge of the wilderness around Centripax having grown up there and would be glad to lend my knowlege to the guard in any way I can.

"I hope that will be adequit." he said to himself more than anyone else as he filled out any other details he may have missed.

Lastly he addressed the question of specialization in weapory. "I'd preffer to learn a longsword if I could. It was my father's speciallty. I'd like to not break tradition."

"Will there be anything else you'd be needing of me?"

[BlueberryKitty]

"No, recruit. There is nothing else I need from you this brightening. You are advised to return to your home, and make whatever arrangements are necessary for your stay with the Guard. For the next six cycles, your home will be the barracks. No leave will be granted whatsoever until you are finished with the recruit training. Six cycles- and after you complete that level of training you will receive a one cycle leave. The barracks will be your home for as long as you serve in the Guard, though you will have free time to take care of whatever personal obligations you might accrue after you initial training. Have I made myself clear, recruit?" The officer took on a more military tone of voice, though he wasn't quite barking the way his training sargeant would.

"Bring any weapons you may already own to the barracks at 0500 tomorrow. Personal effects may be stowed in your trunk, but I guarantee you that you won't be needing many of them. Once we've gotten you settled with your squad, uniforms will be issued and then training will begin. I hope you're in shape, recruit." The recruiting officer smiled, knowing exactly what Ranel was in for come the morrow.

[Ranel Wright]

"Sir!" He said giving a polite salute.

He was indeed in shape. But just hearing the mans tone told him that it wouldn't be enough.

Not enough at all.

He then left and went home to gather up his things. His belongings where sparse. He was never a fan of living lavishly. He took some clothing, a necklace once worn by his mother, a ring once warn by his father, and his weapons.

He'd sell the place bofore the night was out. He'd not be needing it much longer.

[Angus Stonefist]

A seemingly eternal twilight, with wild red and orange streaks across the deep blue sky, had fallen upon Riparia when Angus Stonefist entered the Riparian Guard Recruitment Center. Stepping into the Entrance Hall, the red-haired and -bearded dwarf stopped to regain his bearings, looking in all directions. "Into the buildin', then take a left, he said," Angus mused, shifting his pack from one sore shoulder to the other. Finally turning in the right direction, the dwarf strode on into the Recruitment Center. "Hope he weren't aimin' t' make a fool outta me with bad directions..."

This proved to not be the case. As Angus entered the Center proper, his eyebrows rose, impressed. He took in the entire room, especially the pictures and plaques concerning the Riparian Guard and their exploits. Mixed feelings stirred within the dwarf. One one hand, he was proud that he had chosen such an accomplished and honorable force to join. On the other hand, he felt a little smaller than his four foot frame would indicate, wondering if he could live up to what those before him had already done. Part of him wondered if he was making the right choice, and he probably would have held an internal debate with himself for hours had he not heard the voice of another being within the room:

"Serale Citizen, I am recruiting Sergeant Qual'irh. Please take a seat and ask any questions that you might have about life in the Riparian guard. If you have already made your decision then please fill in this enrollment form."

Glad that he had been prompted to action, Angus was tempted to fill out the form immediately and get it over with. However, dwarven pragmatism stayed his feet and hand. Fools march in where angels fear to tread, he reminded himself. Better to ask questions now than find out the hard way later. Steeling himself, the dwarf walked forward and took a seat.

"And serale t' you too, Sergeant Qual'irh," Angus replied, lowering his pack to the ground beside his chair. "I done marched in t'day t' join the Guard. But, I just gotta ask yeh before I put any quill t' paper. What's a regular day in the Guard like? How long an' tough is basic training? What sorta things canna be trained in? An' lastly..." the dwarf unconsciously clenched his fists as he spoke, "What all canna do fer the city as one o' the Guard?"

[BlueberryKitty]

The dwarf before him claimed his perch upon the wooden chair, and it amused the elfin Sargeant slightly that his height simply did not change. He did have some valid questions though, and it was always a wise thing to understand what one was getting himself into before getting into it. An answer was deserving.

"Well, every brightening in the Guard is the same when you are a new recruit. You wake up early, work hard, and fall into bed exhausted. But, at the end of the course, you'll be a better dwarf for it. We train you to defend not only yourself, but to work in a team and use the weapon of your choice if you can't already use one. After your initial training, brightenings tend to fall into more of a pattern. Wake up is sounded at 0530 and assembly is held at 0600 for announcements, duty assignments and the orders of the brightening. We take a brisk light run at 0630, so that when everyone gets back they want their Rosyun at 0800. Three hours are spent training in whatever skill you have chosen, and then seven and a half hours are allocated to City Duty. At 2000 hours, you are expected to spend an hour cleaning your barracks, caring for your equipment and yourself. Pracenda is at 2100 hours, and lights out is at 2500. Of course not everyone does City duty at the same hours- that time rotates. Duty shifts are seven and a half hours long, with four shifts a brightening. You will work one shift every brightening with the exception of the two free brightenings each soldier is awarded per two cycles. Permission to leave the Guard Compound must be obtained from your Squad Leader.

"Initial training is tough, very tough. It has to be, to put you into the proper physical shape for being a Guard. As to what you can train in? Longsword,
Shortsword , Dagger, Spear, Halberd, Any Axes, War Hammer, Any Bow, Tracking, Stealth, Survival, Camouflage, Herbal Healing, Cooking, Horse Riding, Military Engineering,Blacksmithing. Think that's enough for you to learn?" Sergeant Qual'irh grinned.

"What you can do for the city of Riparia is up to you. We give you the opportunity to serve her by protecting her, guarding her, escorting her, and caring for her. Details of Guards help with cleaning the city not only by removing the criminal and drunk, but also by fixing up destroyed buildings, helping in the park, and such like. We often are hired to guard the City Officials, and keep watch at businesses or city festivals. The variety is endless, though some of the duties are volunteer only; which means "in addition" to your regular guard duties."

"Did you have any more questions, Sir?" The elf waited patiently. Elves were very good at waiting patiently. He was fairly sure that this recruit would have several more questions spawned simply from the explanations he'd just received.

[Angus Stonefist]

Angus listened very carefully, sitting on the edge of his seat, to the sergeant. Each sentence, every word, seemed to carry the weight and intensity of the decision he had to make. Should he join the Riparian Guard, as he had planned, or remain a civilian? The uncertainty inside reduced, but the dwarf still felt uneasy. He knew there was more to ask, but what?

Several silent moments passed before Angus realized what else he wanted to know. "Uh, just a few, Sergeant," the dwarf said, running over the questions in his head to make sure he had everything he wanted to ask. "Uh, for one, what kinda soldiers make up a squad? Are, uh, squads ever sent outta th' city? And, if I sign up t'day... er..." Angus paused for a moment, not sure of how the sergeant would respond to his last question. "...would ye happen t' know of a place I can stay th' darkenin'? As ye can see..." The dwarf lifted up his pack for a moment for the sergeant to see. "...I pretty much walked int' town with all I own on muh back."

Angus suspected before he entered the city that he would need to seek out an Inn to stay at, whether he was successful at joining the Guard or not. However, he figuratively bit his tongue and waited to see if the sergeant's suspicions correlated with his own.

[BlueberryKitty]

"Squads are made up of varied individuals- they are put together based upon who joins the Guard at relatively the same time. We don't separate our Guards based on race, we simply expect everyone to get along." Before joining the Riparian Guard, Sargeant Qual'irh would have spat at some hairy dwarf who entered the same room as himself, and left immediately. However, in the eras since his own initiation his behaviours had been modified. While the elf would probably never have a short, bearded best friend, he could work alongside dwarves and orc and humans pleasantly enough.

"It is rare for a squad to be sent outside of the city on any purpose other than running. It is possible you might be sent to the Capitol, as an escort or messenger. It certainly won't be happening any time soon." Sargeant Qual'irh smiled. Recruits were always eager to escape the compound before their initial training was finished, but unless they decided to quit such things just didn't happen. The training was as much mental as it was physical, and both of them were very demanding.

"If you have no business to wrap up before you begin your tenure with us, then I can go ahead and put you into a barracks this afternoon. You can stay there, wake up with the rest of the boys, and have your first rosyun at the Mess. Sound alright with you?"

[Angus Stonefist]

As Sergeant Qual'irh answered his questions, Angus felt the doubt inside him begin to evaporate. Although he would never admit it to any other, he was most relieved that finding an Inn would not be necessary. The dwarf had never enjoyed staying at lodgings that were less than permanent. It made him feel... uneasy. No matter what he did during the day, Angus needed to feel like he belonged wherever he slept at night. On those few days between the family farm and Riparia, the dwarf had only retired when exhaustion forced the issue.

Although Riparia certainly qualified as a brand new locale for him, Angus was sure that the barracks would eventually become as a home for him. That was far more important to the dwarf than food or weapons or pay. Against honor, he wasn't so sure. However, Angus soon realized that his thoughts had drifted again, and that the Sergeant was waiting for an answer. Not wanting to be rude, nor have a Sergeant on his bad side, the dwarf noisily cleared his throat. "Er, yeah, that sounds right fine with me," Angus responded, trying to sound as casual and confident as he could, not wanting the anxiety of his thoughts to break through and affect his voice.

Unable to think of anything else to say, the dwarf grabbed an enrollment form, quill, and inkpot and started to fill it out. He wrote slowly and carefully to prevent writing scribbles instead of words; hard labor on the family farm had not encouraged extensive practice with letters. At last, Angus finished and handed the form to the sergeant. The form read:

Name: Angus Stonefist

Race: Dwarf

City of origin: farm west of Natura

Training:
Please State any previous Training you have completed: no previous training

Any other information that can help use to Sort you into the correct Squadron: some experience with physical labor

[BlueberryKitty]

The elfin sargeant leaned forward, watching the dwarf fill in the form with a sort of bored curiosity. Once the document was complete, he whisked it away and read it over from right-side up. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary to be seen, and so with a flourish the elf took up his own quill, began scribbling into his ledger book, and then filed the form away in his desk.

"Very well, Recruit Stonefist. If you'll follow me, we'll just go ahead and get you set up with uniforms and into your barracks. You would do well to read over this document this darkening, before your first brightening in training." The elf placed a copy of the Riparian Guard Handbook on the desk before the dwarf. With customary Elfin grace, Sargeant Qual'irh stood and moved for the door to his office. Clearly he expected the dwarf to gather his things and follow, hastily.

They moved through the recruitment centre into the Guard Compound itself. A large area with stone walls surrounding, there were many different buildings hidden away behind the recruitement centre and behind the front gates. The only entry into the compound was between these two gates, and the Sargeant and Recruit were not exceptions. Sargeant Qual'irh smiled as he paused to identify himself to the Guards on gate duty. "Sargeant Chray'see Qual'irh, Riparian Recruitment escorting Recruite Angus Stonefist to his barracks."

The pair of guards on duty, clad in their daily uniforms and both with swords and longspears armed, glanced between the elf and the dwarf for a moment. The Sargeant was well-known to nearly every Guard in Riparia, and it was definitely not unusual for him to escort new recruits through the gates. With a nod, they waved the pair through and into the sunny compound.

Green grass grew brightly in a square, surrounded by gravel pathways that intersected squarely. Tall stone buildings rose majestically into the sky, a full three stories high in some cases. An iron cannon stood before the centre building with dark blue flags waving idly in the breeze above. That was obviously headquarters, where the offices were. To the right stood three very long, low buildings with many windows running down it's length. A good bet was that these were the barracks for the Guards. On the left stood several smaller, nicer looking individual homes. Presumably these were for the officers and their families.

Sargeant Qual'irh kept walking. He escorted Angus behind the offices, to another largish building where the supplies were kept, and where the kitchens and messhall were as well. Entering this building, the lack of sun made it feel very much cooler. The room before them was filled with long wooden tables and wooden benches, where the Guards took their meals. A window was to the left, where the cooks served the meals to those waiting in line; another door was to the right leading into the supply compound.

The supply room was again large, but most of it's visible contents were blocked from view by a large window constructed of wood. Behind this window was a counter that functioned as a desk, and two Guards serving as Supply Officers. A human lad was in the distance, sorting and inventorying the items held on lengths of shelves, a katta came forward to greet the Sargeant and the recruit. "Sera'a Sargeant." The golden eyes fell on the dwarf with an appraising look. No one needed to tell this katta that he was a recruit and was in need of a uniform.

"Sargeant P'rrrrah." Qual'irh rolled the 'r' sound with his tongue. "I've a fresh recruit here, Stonefist, who needs outfitting if you would."

"Mhmm. One moment." The katta disappeared into the forest of shelves, to begin selecting the items Angus would need during his stay with the Guard. With eras of practice at such things, he returned shortly with a stack of three pairs of dark blue trousers. All were short enough for Angus' dwarven height, and wide enough for his waist. They didn't fit absolutely perfectly, but what military uniform ever did? A few alterations with a needle and they'd fit just fine. The katta moved off once more, returning with a pair of dark navy trousers of fine wool, with a stripe of red piping down the side. These were obviously dress formals.

More trips found three white cotton undershirts, three dark blue daily tunics, one navy blue wool formal tunic. four pair wool socks, shiney black boots, a blue cap, a set of bedsheets and one blanket, a laundry bag, a shaving kit with comb and razor, a dufflebag for storage and a backpack for travelling, a waterskin, a bar of soap and two towels. At last, the pile on the counter stopped growing. Sargeant P'rrrah took up a quill, and began marking the equipment as being out in the name of the new recruit. "That's the starting outfit. Should you find yourself in need of any other items, simply ask permission to requisition them from your squad sargeant, and bring the signed form to Supply. From there we can issue you just about anything you can manage to convince your Sarge you need." He finished that with a wink to Angus, and a grin at Sargeant Qual'irh.

[Verai Marcel]

Timestamp: Brightening 12 of Aperitus, Summer of Era XI In the Age of the Darkening

Verai walked into the office, gazing at all the pictures and plaques as she entered before turning her attention to the man seated in front of her. "Serale, Sergeant Qual'irh," she said politely as she sat down. "I've already decided to join, so I'll just fill out this form..."

Name : Verai Marcel
Race: Human, half-Kemite
City of origin: Paxia
Training: Basic bastard sword, basic dagger throwing, basic horseback riding
Any other information that can help use to Sort you into the correct Squadron:

Verai stared at the last question and decided to just leave it blank. She wasn't sure what kind of information would be useful, if any at all. She would just let fate decide which squadron was best for her. She was about to hand the form back, but then she stopped, and quickly scribbled something in at the last second:

Any other information that can help use to Sort you into the correct Squadron: I learn quickly.

She handed back the form to the sergeant. "So what do I need to do now, Sergeant?"