Redcoats - JanLetovanec/laurasia-worldbuilding GitHub Wiki

Redcoats

Redcoats are the lawmen of the Lynxian cities. They are the force of law - for better or worse. Or such is the ideal. The country-side usually rely on other forms of law enforcement - usually skilled individuals, mercenary companies, or ex-adventurers.

Brief history

Formally, they are a military unit - a relic from the fractured past of the Lynxian empire. However, for the most part at least, they act as a civilian unit, largely independent of military power-structure. The name, obviously, comes from the red coats - their iconic uniform. Originally this was the attire of the battalion lead by the Empress of Iron. These soldiers were kept away in cities, away from all the further fighting - partly for strategic reasons, partly as a token of gratitude for their support. Soon enough, since these veteran soldiers were not being deployed, many chose to apply their talents in keeping the streets safe. Many outsiders joined in, many veterans opted out. And so, over the years, this archaic title became the law enforcement unit we know and love today.

Specialty

As outlined, Reds are a peace-keeping force among the cities of Lynxia. They are relatively good at prosecuting individuals, suppressing riots and securing sites within urban areas of Lynxia. They take care of the city's security and occasionally set-up raids and inspections of criminal hide-outs.

However, Lynxian country-side and other remote settlements usually rely on some other form of protection.

At the end of the day the Reds are just ordinary men and women (for the most part). Some can be bribed, some might require back-scratching and some will be loyal to the crown. But beware - the law has a habit of having its way in the end in Lynxia. Until then though, you may be able to avoid justice and bend the law.

Structure

Redcoats is technically a branch of military and as such, it is sworn fealty to the Crown. More realistically, however, they are more autonomous and usually follow orders of the city council in each region.

In times of war, any military officer can always assume command of a Redcoat unit (provided they out-rank the current officer-in-command).

As for this day, Redcoats are divided into 3 divisions, based on their nature of work:

  • Redcoats Enforcment Division - making up the bulk of the Redcoats forces, the R.E.D. is tasked with the day to day operations of the Redcoats.
  • Redcoats Advanced Engineering Division - mostly utility units of various kinds - surgeons, engineers and special equipment units. They supply and/or support other units, but can function on their own, though on smaller scale.
  • **Redcoats Investigative Division - by far, the least numerous division. Originally intended as an anti-magic unit, they are now mainly tasked with investigation.

See also