:: ABOUT KEROON HOLD ::

[pending updates...]




:: People of the Hold ::
Lord Holder: Lord Izayan
Lady Holder: (Soon to be Lady Verilyn)
Heir Presumptive: Changhui & twin Jiyu
Steward: Derris (NPC)
Headwoman: (unspecified)


:: Curfew ::
In order to help maintain the peace within Keroon, the entire territory upholds a curfew beginning at 12:00 Midnight. After that time, anyone found by street patrols out on the streets, may be detained by the guard and spend the night in jail or given other moderate punishment.

:: Hold Guard ::
Each Hold has its own methods of keeping the peace and training their Guard.
In Keroon, the barracks and bath house given to the Guard are located either within the Hold itself on the lower levels or in structures adjacent to the Main Hold.
Women are restricted from being employed in the service of the Guard of Keroon.

:: Guard Strictures ::

• Do not stray from the Code of the Guard (Justice/ Right Conduct, Courage/ Valor/ Confidence, Benevolence/ Mercy, Respect/ Courtesy, Sincerity/ Honesty, Honour/ Earning Respect, Loyalty/ Obedience/ Devotion, Filial Piety/ Respect for Elders, Wisdom/ Resourcefulness)
  
• Desertion is not permitted
  
• There will be no raising funds without permission
  
• There will be no taking up of litigious matters without permission
  
• Private conflicts are not permitted-Never fail to strike down an enemy. (Either you or he will die.)
  

:: Guard Training ::
Begins at a special school for the Guard around the age of 12, the same time of a typical apprenticeship.The school is located at Keroon Hold itself and resembles a small crafthall. All apprentices are trained at this hall and are later dispersed with a Squad Division to various parts of Keroon's territory to assist in keeping the peace. Based on the strict evaluation of multiple instructors on an individual basis, levels of skill are taught and tried in the areas of hand-to-hand combat and other various weapons. Since many of the skills taught are lethal, students are under strict supervision and do not follow the usual pattern of rank-increase or furthering of education that other crafts follow, based more on age.

:: Guard Duties ::

• Keeping their barracks and bathhouse clean
  
• Manning watch towers/ guard towers
  
• Patrolling the streets of the hold
  
• Patrolling surrounding lands of the hold
  
• Assisting hold citizens in matters of dispute unable to be resolved without outside moderation
  
• Tracking down, interrogating and carrying out the punishment of criminals
  
• Providing overall security for the Hold, the Holder and its citizens
  

As the peace-keepers of Pern's Holds, Telgar Hold Guard are rarely allowed to use lethal force. Beyond the use of hand-to-hand combat, the Jutte is the first weapon the Guard is allowed to call upon. Typically, this is preferred by the Guard over hand-to-hand for the sake of implying that the Guard are above brawling and employ a more refined method of carrying out their work. The Jutte is a non-lethal stick-like weapon made of iron, used to disarm and disable trouble makers; the cord knotted at its end used to bind their arms to keep them from fighting back when they are arrested. A typical Guardsman can have a man disarmed and his arms behind his back and fully bound by the cord in a matter of 8-10 seconds. A Jutte is solely employed for use by the Hold Guard and is viewed as a badge of their authority. Jutte are a sheathed on the same hip as the sword and would appear to be a long-knife to those unfamiliar with the weaponry of the Guard.

If the situation calls for any more serious measures however, the sword is used. It may be used in unison with the Jutte, but this can only be achieved by the strongest members of the Guard as the level of skill and strength required to do so are significant. In a typical encounter involving the drawing of a blade by a Guard member, the fight is over so quickly that bystanders were probably only vaguely aware that any swords had been drawn at all by the time a victor was determined. Such is the level of skill maintained by the Guard.


:: Guard Standard Uniform ::

• Semi-loose fitting pants and matching wrap-around tunic-shirt in a dark, nearly black color similar to phthalo green (Hex triplet #123524).
  
• Low, black leather boots.
  
• Two-tone surcoat-like garment in Sea Green (Hex triplet #2E8B57) and darker Dartmouth Green (Hex triplet #00703C) measuring past the knees, with no closures except for the wide belt that ties about the waist, which is coloured in the near black phthalo green (Hex triplet #123524).
  
• Black leather arm guards.
  

:: Guard Standard Issue Weapons ::

• Jutte and arresting cord (Sheathed on the left hip above the sword)
  
• Geom Sword (Sheathed on the left hip below the Jutte. Keroon swords are more easily recognized by the circular pommel sometimes large, sun-shaped, and very decorative).
  
• Long Knife (Tucked at the back of the belt where it ties)
  

:: Determining a Guardsman's Rank ::
The make of the sword a man carries, can show his rank. The higher ranking the officer, the higher the quality his sword will be, and the more highly decorated it will be. Round sword pommels are common, as are sword lanyards. Pommels and lanyards in specific, are more often more decorative than other parts of the sword, since they are very visible.