Fighting Men of the Westron Baronies

The Westron inhabited civilized parts of the Valley of the Old Ones certainly has a lot of opportunities for those who take up the life of the sword.  In game terms there are certainly three broad classes of fighting men.  These are the Paladins (which have already been touched on), the Rangers (an in depth article is coming soon on these wilderness trekking self appointed protectors of the good and innocent) and of course the largest group - fighting men (or fighting women).

Fighting men can come from all social classes.  This means that they can range from lowly peasant warriors (with rude armor, often made of hide or semi-cured leather) up through knights of various feudal orders, with the best of equipment and training.

Depending on the social structure that the player's character comes from, as well as the desire of the player to have his/her character in an organized body, the player can make a number of choices - some of which are detailed here:

• Freebooter - the "typical" adventuring freesword.  This is a fighter who takes up quests, and pursues wealth and glory where he can find it.  Usually by taking on missions, with several companions, of adventure - whether it is exploring some ancient site reputed to have treasure, or the campaign against some outlying bandits or monsters.  The goal is to rely on a strong arm and a sharp sword to earn a living, with little structure or organization.
• Baronial Armsman - fighting men can gain employ in the service of the many Baronies in the Valley in several different capacities.  The most common is as a soldier in the household army of a Baron.  Or, one could be a Knight or squired to a Knight.  There are also body guards, and castle guards.  Some Barons also have small bands of warriors kept in reserve for special missions (protecting traveling dignitaries; questing for treasure or information; special missions against enemies; etc).
• Northguard - this is a border patrol, sometimes affiliated with the Northern Rangers, that patrol the borders of the Westron lands against encroachments and invasions of massed barbarian warriors of the Storm King tribes.
• Sunguard - similar to the Northguard, this is a loose organization that is dedicated to protecting the southern Baronies against the evils of the cannibal warriors of the Sun King's tribes.
• Holy Warriors - many of the religious orders and sects of the Westron Church have armed bodies of soldiery that serve them - whether it is protecting shrines or accompanying traveling clergy
• Mercenaries - usually organized into small companies of from 10 to 100, mercenaries are often commanded by a reasonably experienced Captain, and often specialize in some sort of combat, as a unit (pikemen, archers, horse scouts, etc).  They will be hired out to all the possible employers listed above, and perhaps more (henchmen for an adventuring party, bodyguards for a wizard seeking spell components, carrying out a personal raid of vendetta for a merchant or Baron, etc).

In short, the Valley is a dangerous place, not only from all the possible sites of adventure, but also the wild lands between the sparsely populated baronies.  In such a setting, the possible employment of a fighting man is varied, but always available.