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Provost's Guard

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"Dog eyes. Dog ears. Dog instinct."
—Ahuda to the trainees[src]

The Provost's Guard is a force whose purpose is to enforce the laws and keep the peace in Corus, the capital of Tortall. The Guard was created in 127 HE by King Baird III[1][2].

The Lord Provost is the administrator of the Guard, which is a civilian, not military force. The first man to hold this position was Padraig haMinch[2]

Contents

[edit] Provost's Guard in 246 HE

Much detail is known about the Guard as it was during the 240's. This was the time of Rebakah Cooper's service.

[edit] Slang

Guards were referred to as "Dogs", trainee guards as "Puppies", and guard stations as "kennels". When a group of dogs took up a challenge, it was a "Growl". The holding cells for kennel prisoners were known as "cages"

This slang became popular in 177 HE[1][2], and died out around 320 HE[3].

[edit] Organization

Each district of Corus had its own kennel, with a permanent set of Dogs assigned there. Dogs who did well attempted to get reassigned to better kennels, in districts that were less dangerous and more lucrative. Each kennel had various personnel assigned to it, including one or more mages.

Cage Dogs are those who are assigned to guard and question prisoners, making an extra living with the bribes they get from the families of those in custody, which is supposed to buy them some better treatment as cage Dogs are normally quite rough with the prisoners.[4] Street Dogs are those who patrol the city, investigate crime, and capture criminals.

In each kennel, there were three watches: day, evening, and night. Each watch was supervised by a Watch Sergent. In addition to these three watches, there was a fourth watch, which covered all three watches on their Court Days and off days.[2] The most incompetent dogs, including drunks, were generally assigned to the Night Watch, where they would do the least damage. In the poorer parts of the city, Evening Watch was by far the most dangerous.

Dogs within their watches were paired with another Dog, in more-or-less permanent partnership. Trainee dogs were assigned to an experienced pair.

[edit] Gear

The uniform of the Provost's Guard is black and consists of a tunic, which is short-sleeved in summer, breeches and boots. On a leather belt a purse, a water flask, daggers, a baton and rawhide cords for prisoner taking are fastened. Trainee Guards wear a white trim on their tunic.[5]

Depending on when and there Dogs do their duty, they also add further protecting gear like a gorget (mail plate cover for the neck, like a collar) or gloves with mail sewn onto them[6]. This extra protection is especially important in the Cesspool on Evening Watch.

[edit] Training

The first year of training is made up of theoretical work and combat practice only. The trainees live together in barracks for this. Afterwards they are assigned to their districts and watches to serve a year as Trainee Guards, so-called "Puppies", together with experienced pairs of Guards. The combat practice continues for four years of street duty, which includes the year as Puppy as well as the first three years as a guardsman or guardswoman[7].

One in ten Puppies die on duty[8].

The trainees are taught to always be on their guard, because Dogs make enemies. That's also why Dogs are supposed to leave their home through different exits and not the same one every time, because developing habits might get them killed.[9]

[edit] Customs

[edit] Finances

Dogs, lacking the proper resources and funding from the realm's coffers, supplemented their revenue with the Happy Bag, a form of protection money donated from businesses and individuals in the kennel's district. The happy bag funds were pooled and went to pay for things like funerals for guards killed in the line of duty.

Individual Dogs also customarily took bribes and purloined stolen goods. If the personal bribe exceeded a silver noble a third of it went into the Happy Bag[10].

The Crown paid for half of the meals which Dogs took on duty[11].

[edit] Burials

The Provost's Guard has its own burial ground and when burying one of their fellows Dogs usually dress in their uniforms. Lord Gershom speaks for every dead Dog on his or her burial[12]. When a Puppy dies the parent Dogs sing "The Puppy's Lullaby" to show him or her the road to the Peaceful Realms.[8]

[edit] Known members of the Provost's Guard

[edit] Corus

[edit] Jane Street kennel (Lower City)

Most information is known about Evening Watch in the Lower City, as this is Beka's watch. The District Commander in 246 HE is Vannic ha Minch, the Watch Commander of Evening Watch Sir Acton of Fenrigh, the Watch Sergeant is Kebibi Ahuda, who also supervises combat practise, and the mage on duty is Fulk[13], although he dies in April of 246 HE.

There are six Corporals on Evening Watch and twenty-five Senior Guards.[13] Among the Corporals are Finian Karel, who is a Desk Corporal and normally makes sure every pair of Guards is where it is supposed to be, Nyler Jewel, the most senior street Dog and partner to Osgyth Yoav. Clara Goodwin, partner to .Matthias Tunstall and training partner to Rebakah Cooper, is also a Corporal. Another Corporal is Greengage. The Senior Guards include Osgyth Yoav, partner to Nyler Jewel, Matthias Tunstall, partner to Clara Goodwin and later to Rebakah Cooper and Wulfric Birch, who is partner to Vinehall in 246 HE and becomes the partner of Ersken Westover in the summer of 247 HE. The scent-hound handler Elmwood is also a Senior Guard.

On Beltane of 246 HE Verene, a Puppy, and one of her training guards, Rollo, got killed on duty. As a consequence of that four other Puppies, among them Hilyard, and a second-year Dog, Phelan Rapp, left the Guard. That meant that nearly only about half of the trainee guards who began their Puppy year at the beginning of April remained afterwards.[14]

There are two guardsman on Evening Watch at Jane Street kennel named "Hanse".

Further members of the Guard include:

[edit] Other districts

[edit] Port Caynn


[edit] References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tortallan timeline
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Terrier, Appendix, The Provost's Guard (p. 565)
  3. ↑ In the prologue of Terrier, six-year-old George Cooper says guards were called dogs up until one hundred years ago. George was born in 413 HE (http://www.tamora-pierce.com/faq_timeline.html)
  4. ↑ Terrier, May 7, 246 (p. 412; Random House paperback)
  5. ↑ Terrier, April 1, 246 (p. 24)
  6. ↑ Terrier, April 2, 246 (p. 112)
  7. ↑ Terrier, April 2, 246 (p. 80)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Terrier, May 1, 246 (p. 381)
  9. ↑ Bloodhound, September 11, 247 (p. 100)
  10. ↑ Terrier, May 1, 246 (p. 386)
  11. ↑ Terrier, April 3, 246 (p. 162)
  12. ↑ Terrier, May 1, 246 (p. 378)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Terrier, April 1, 246 (p. 23)
  14. ↑ Terrier, May 2, 246 (p. 390; Random House paperback)

[edit] See also

v • e
Provost's Dog
Books
Terrier • Bloodhound • Mastiff (2011)
Places
Corus
Port Caynn
Events
v • e
 
Characters
v • e
Residents of Corus
Nobles
Guards
Rogues
Commoners
v • e
Residents of Port Caynn
Guards
Rogues
Others
Animals
Pigeons
Ashes • Fog • Inky • Mumper • Pinky • Slapper • Spangle • White Spice
Others
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