Larm's Militia: The Home Guard

Larm is not a walled settlement, and it is easily accessible to merchants, travelers, and scoundrels, alike. To make up for this vulnerability, the noble houses from far off Dolmvay provided bodies to travel north and join the ranks of a small town guard. These initial recruits were often too young, too old, or too self-interested to be of much use. As Larm's population and ambitions expanded, it became clear that something approaching a standing army would be required.

According to the founding charter signed by the noble houses of Dolmvay, Larm was forbidden from raising its own army. But a purely defensive militia was technically permissible under the law. This loophole was all that the early Magistrates of Larm needed, and by village proclamation, the Home Guard was created.

The Home Guard protects Larm from outside threats, both real and perceived. They protect Larm's economic interests in the forests, the hills, along the river, and in the fields. Merchants are assured that their goods will make it to market and that their investments will be protected.

Guard Captain Gylan Allard leads the Home Guard and sees to it that it is only slightly corrupt. There is pride in protecting one's home, there is honor in defending the innocent, but at the end of the day, a man needs to make a little coin for himself.

Over the years, the Home Guard has grown to 100 men and has chased down bandits, rousted out highwaymen, and even subdued a monstrous owlbear that was devouring the fall harvest in the apple orchards. But the recent threats posed by the sabotage of the copper mines and the strange Witch Trees are pushing the Home Guard to its limit.

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