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The Specularum City Guard

by AllanP

One thing that always bothered me in GAZ1 was the description of the City Guard (The Guard Phorsis - also known as the 1st Division of the Karameikan Military.

It seems to me that the City Guard would have 3 main roles:

Now, there are 4 gates in the newer, outer wall, and 4 corresponding gates in the original city wall, plus the gate on the Duke's/King's Road entrance and of course (as discussed elsewhere) the inner and outer sea gate. (Note that the River Fort outside Mirror Bay is under the control of the Karameikan Navy according to K:KoA)

The GAZ1 description (page 25) says that the City Guard is composed of 244 troops (that may be a misprint for 224 as the basic military unit is a Squadron of up to 14 troops). If you assumed at any one time, half of them were at rest (sleeping), then there's only 122 or 112) troops to man the 9 wall gates, plus the Hightower and the sea gates and patrol the city. In fact t the text says the City Guard is composed of "...4 Companies, full strength spread across the city eight guardhouses with one squadron each and four with two squadrons each."

It doesn't sound enough for a Specularum (or Mirros) -sized population, a city which is busy at all times of the day and night.

My first draft suggestion for the City Guard structure is as follows:

1st Division Karameikos Militia
The City Guard - The Guard Phorsis

The Division consists of 4 Regiments:

Each of the Regiments consists of 4 Companies, and each Company consists of 3 Squadrons.(A Squadron is up to 14 troops, so if my math is correct, at full strength the 1st Division/City Guard would be 4 x 4 x3 x14 = 672 troops). The 3 Squadrons in each Company operate on a 3-shift system: Day Watch, Mid Watch and Night Watch; so one Squadron is on duty while the others are resting/on standby.

The Duke's/Kin's Wall Regiment posts a Company at each of the 4 outer gates - North Gate, Westron Road Gate, Farmer's Road Gate and Coastal Road Gate. They man the gates, checking on travellers, incoming goods, supporting the tax collectors and other gate officials, patrolling the battlements, etc..

Similarly, the City Wall Regiment posts a Company at each of the corresponding gates on the inner wall and perform similar duties there.

The Mirror Bay Regiment has 1 Company in the Hightower, 1 Company on the connected inner and outer Sea Gates, 1 Company on the Duke's/King's Road Gate (which leads into the Stronghold/Radu District), and 1 Company on the gate which leads from the Stronghold District into the main city. (Duties similar to those of the Wall Regiments).

The Street Regiment has 1 Company at each of 4 guardhouses in the main part of the city (1 in the North End District, 1 centrally near the Grand Market/Merchant District/Old Quarter, 1 in the South End, and 1on the edge of Bricktop District closest to The Hill). The Day/Midnight Watch Squadrons patrol their areas.

I'm assuming that the gate from the main city into the Church District is only closed in times of jeopardy.

That's my first thoughts on the City Guard. I'd appreciate any comments. (After all, I'm bound to have overlooked something)