Cendizan Imperial Ranger
The Cendizan Rangers, also sometimes known as the Imperial Rangers, are an elite group of special forces operatives acting alongside the Cendizan Empire's military. They perform numerous roles... acting as long-range scouts, mobile guardsmen, spies, diplomats, commandos, and even as military police when needed. While less than 150 rangers remain active throughout the empire, they have gained much respect for their diligent service and extraordinary skill.
Function[]
The Cendizan Rangers were initially formed as a domestic defense force for the expanding empire. The Hero Emperor wished to concentrate all of his/her forces on the continuous growth of the nation, and so needed a group of soldiers who would be able to deal with the various bands of outlaws and criminals menacing the roads and wilderness. He/she needed a small group, so that the empire's military would still be as effective as possible in its wars of conquest, and for this reason they also needed to be highly mobile and able to act independently. This eventually lead to the formation of the Rangers, a small but highly skilled force of fighters adept at traversing the wilderness, quickly traveling over great distances, and also dealing with potentially superior numbers of enemies. They proved effective, to the point that only a few years after their formation most of Cendiza's central lands were largely free of bandits. Their success prompted the imperial government to widen their range of roles, giving them a military function. The Rangers became long range scouts and spies beyond the empire's borders, acting as special forces troops during wartime by disrupting enemy armies before battles occured. Of course, this generalization of their function lead to newly increased criminal activity within Cendiza, the smaller groups of rangers acting as domestic guard becoming hard pressed to contain banditry throughout the nation's territory.
Skills[]
Cendizan Rangers are expected to fulfill a wide range of tasks, and as such are given extensive training. They are profficient in single-combat, tracking, wilderness survival, investigation, marksmanship, and sometimes diplomacy if the need arises. A single Cendizan Ranger is trained to go far beyond enemy lines, potentiall surviving alone for months with no support. They are generally expected to be adept at stealth, as the rangers are few in number and they go to great lengths to avoid casualties. For this reason as well rangers prefer ranged combat over melee, as it places them at less risk. They still train extensively in melee combat, the general expectation being that rangers can take care of themselves in any given situation. Imperial Rangers are also adept at investigation. As the empire places most of its armed forces on the front lines during its frequent wars of expansion, town guards and security forces are sparse. This means that people often rely on the rangers to deal with crime inside of settlements, and they have become well known for shrewd and thorough detective work.
Equipment[]
Imperial Rangers prefer practicality over all else. They often wear heavily modified armor of either mail, plate, or leather, preferring easy movement and mobility (plate armor on rangers is often sparse and light). They generally carry large amounts of supplies and equipment at all times, since they often travel through large expanses of wilderness and far beyond the empire's borders on their missions. The trademark weapon for Rangers is the Cendizan Repeating Crossbow, a relatively new piece of technology which places multiple bolts on a rack and reloads the weapon with a simple lever, allowing the user to fire at almost the same rate as ordinary bowmen. They also carry various sidearms, including daggers and small axes which can be used as practical tools as well as weapons. Swords are not uncommon among rangers, though many of them forgo larger weapons due to the extra weight. The typical "uniform" for a Ranger will often include a wide-brimmed piece of headgear, whether it is an ordinary hat or metal kettle helm, and either a cloak or long coat in order to survive harsher environments.