🃏
The Command Structure of the Rangers of Arden Pre-War--as compiled by Sir Mercer Parshantes, Esq., KoL, per the request of His Grace, Vere of Amber, submitted this day the twelfth of Felis, the third year of the Sundering.
Before the War, the 'command structure' of the rangers of Arden was not a military structure based on ranks and commands as in the Amber Royal Navy, the occasionally-gathered armed forces of Amber or the various Household Guard units set up by the nobility. Instead, it was a working structure organized around roles/designated duties and status/seniority.
The rangers of Arden were encouraged to be independent generalists with a great deal of personal autonomy and a strong sense of individual accountability. As they responded to my inquiries on several different occasions, it was their job to see a problem and fix it, not to send it up the ladder and wait for orders. Thus, it seems that the rangers were organized more from the bottom up than the top down.
(Note: In the following text, I have taken the liberty of choosing and applying several general Thari words of a close or approximate meaning to what I observed. The rangers themselves demonstrate a surprising lack of titles, designations or explanations. Typically rangers refer to one another by first name only. Discernment of role, seniority or position seemed to be based on body language, posture, past experience and probably several other factors of which I am yet unaware as opposed to titles, uniforms or ranks.
Indeed, I have yet to meet a more laconic group of people. The rangers of Arden do not seem to feel the need to assign words to what they do and are. They simply do it and understand it almost intuitively.)
Technically every ranger of Arden had the responsibility to patrol the forest; riding or walking in circuits throughout Arden. But practicality had demonstrated that some--whether due to injury, age, infirmity or natural temperament--were better suited to a more settled position. Thus, the rangers could be somewhat divided into 'patrolling rangers' and 'camp rangers.'
It was these camp rangers that were more often in coordination and 'command' positions due to their centralized locations and closer contact with the world outside of Arden. However, the rangers themselves preferred patrolling positions, and would usually tie themselves to one place only if either unable to patrol or directly 'commanded' to remain at an encampment.
At this point I would like to interject an explanation of ranger 'commands'. As far as I can determine, rangers do not issue 'orders' to one another in the military or command sense. While directives can be--and often are--delivered with a minimum of polite niceties or in a firm tone of voice, a ranger's 'commands' are almost always given the weight of a 'strong suggestion' by his fellow rangers--as opposed to the weight of a 'command from a superior officer' or of an 'order from higher up in the hierarchy' that we are more familiar with.
A directing ranger was always assumed to be giving advice, requesting aid or making a suggestion. The ranger to whom this directive was addressed always had the option of disregarding or disobeying the directive. Despite this, the rangers showed a remarkable willingness to follow 'suggestions' from one another. My assumption is that this was due in part to the high sense of individual responsibility and accountability within the ranger forces. As well as other factors.
I was unable to observe what the repercussions were for issuing frivolous suggestions or willfully disregarding necessary advice. One must assume that they were extremely rigorous as the rangers didn't engage in such behavior often. Perhaps the rigors of Arden itself enforces adherence to this rather odd code of conduct.
Returning to the subject at hand, while the individual ranger was the key element within their structure--because of the dangers and mutability of their assignments, ranger 'teams' were more often assigned to various tasks than individuals. The typical patrolling ranger team was composed of three rangers.
Teams could be larger--commonly so, dependent upon their assignments--and, as what was almost always the case, with camp rangers. But any larger ranger team still revolved around a central core of three specific rangers.
Each of these rangers had a designated 'role' within that team. These roles were not permanent assignments given to a specific ranger for the length of their careers. Nor were they a 'rank' that the ranger had been 'promoted to' and was expected to carry for a certain number of years. A role was assigned for the length of a particular mission, no longer. In the case of camp rangers, though, it must be noted that the length of time spent serving in a particular role could sometimes be measured in years or decades.
While certain rangers may have natural personality traits that lead them to be stronger in one role or another, the rangers as a whole were encouraged to serve in as many different roles as possible to strengthen weaker skills or gain insight into alternate methods of problem-solving.
The three roles that I most commonly observed I have chosen to name 'Senior', 'Scout' and 'Hunter'. The 'Senior' designation or role did not represent actual age or experience within the rangers; rather it carried with it the sense of being 'in charge' or 'the leader' for the length of an assignment. It was not uncommon for 'Senior' rangers to be younger or have less experience than their subordinates. However a Senior ranger was always the one to whom the other rangers deferred or to whom they would report.
Typically the Senior role was assigned by another Senior--most commonly, the Senior of a camp, outpost or base. This Senior camp ranger would choose the Senior rangers for the various patrols that would leave his encampment. However, in cases where a Senior ranger was unexpectedly killed or rendered non-viable, the ranger team itself would select his replacement by common census.
The second role I observed was that of 'Scout'. This role was more difficult for me to designate, as the Scout on any ranger team seemed to fill a number of different niches. The Scout was the ranger primarily assigned to keeping an eye on the area surrounding any team of rangers--observing the natural state of Arden and noting any oddities. In addition, the Scout was responsible for noting the behavior and functioning of the ranger team itself. It was he who was alert for potential personality conflicts, kept track of injury statuses, and other internal concerns.
Furthermore the Scout either provided or procured information from the incredible wealth of ranger lore that seemed to surround these people. There also seemed to be a diplomatic function to the Scout position that I haven't fully comprehended at the time of this report. My apologies, your Grace.
The third designation I have chosen was that of 'Hunter'. This one was perhaps the easiest for me to grasp and I cannot help but be suspicious that I may have missed some of the finer nuances of the position because of that. The Hunter role was the closest to a military designation I could find within the ranger structure. The Hunter kept track of the team's equipment, both assignment and condition. He procured food and supplies during extended missions. And it was he who examined military and conflict-oriented situations and looked for solutions that involved the application of force.
Both the Scout and the Hunter advised the Senior. And in larger ranger groups, both the Scout and the Hunter had general service rangers serving under them. To the best of my observation, it seemed that the Scout and Hunter roles had the same 'weight' in terms of suggestion-making. But that, as a matter of courtesy, Scouts and Hunters minimized advising rangers assigned to the other role. As head of the team, the Senior ranger's suggestions were given the most weight.
Usually a Senior picked his own Scout and Hunter, though I have observed situations where a Senior camp ranger made strong suggestions to a Senior patrol ranger as to whom he should have as his Scout and/or Hunter.
And, if you will pardon me Your Grace, let me reiterate once again that the rangers themselves do not use these terms. If you ask them whom the Senior ranger is, where the Scout can be found or if they are a camp or patrol ranger--they will merely look at you in confusion. (If they are in a good mood.) The rangers themselves fall into these patterns and roles very easily and do not talk about what they are doing. Even among themselves it seems.
A typical conversation might follow like so:
Girth: "Strummer. Take a look around Blue Pines, will ya? Take Joins with you, he's got a good eye."
Strummer: "A-yep."
Strummer: "Hey, Joins! Get yer *** over here. Girth sez we're going to Blue Pines. Oh, and tell Brownboy to bring his bow."
In this way, Girth--whom the rangers know as a the 'Senior' of a camp--has 'suggested' that Strummer go on patrol. He has designated Strummer as the 'Senior' of the patrol and 'suggested' Joins for the role of Scout. Strummer has agreed to both the suggestion of a patrol and the choice of Joins. Furthermore, he has chosen Brownboy as his Hunter.
Another important 'command' trait seemed to have developed among the rangers, possibly due to their close-knit nature and isolation within the bounds of Arden. This was a rather elusive-to-the-outsider sense of 'regard' or 'status'--almost 'face'--among the rangers. Despite the wideness of their patrols and the lack of close regular social interaction among the rangers, they stayed remarkably aware of one another's status, situations and exploits. Thus, the rangers developed reputations among themselves, though they rarely shared these with outsiders.
This status was often the deciding factor in resolving conflicts between rangers of equal 'role' weight, or could lead to decisions that seemed to defy other explanation. For example, at one time there seemed to be a ranger within Arden, one Robin by name--who has since been reported lost, of such status that he often countermanded or over-rode decisions made by Seniors of long tenure or great experience, despite there being no evidence of any other type of 'authority' being vested in the young man.
To further complicate matters, 'status' could vary depending on whether a ranger was dealing in an area of specialty or outside of it. Certain rangers had a much higher status when dealing with certain peoples, locations or situations. Stoke, the acknowledged expert of Arden's falconry, would obviously be accorded the final say in any discussion involving the avians. However it was unlikely that he carried as much weight when the rangers were considering a river redirection project or hunting manticores.
The rangers seemed to know intuitively whom had 'status' over whom and there were few incidences, known to this outsider, of rangers coming into direct conflict with one another over an 'authority' issue. In fact, this sense of status had proved so effective in resolving issues between rangers, that they have told me that there was rarely a need for Prince Julian to 'become aware' of a situation.
Prince Julian, of course, is the ultimate holder of status within the borders of Arden and all of the rangers, without exception, defer to his judgment.
Hereafter follows a list of some of the higher 'status' rangers that His Grace may wish to be aware of. I have noted their usual assignment, and current status and arranged these names in an approximate order of their stature within the rangers--most prominent first, next most prominent second, and so on, and so on. Please remain aware that this ranking is based on hearsay and seems to be subject to change without notice.
Name | Assignment | Status |
---|---|---|
Vista | 'Attache' to Prince Julian | Serving on Black Road |
The Bear | 'Camp Senior' of Whistling Pines | 'Camp Senior' of Whistling Pines |
Robin | Unknown | MIA--presumed dead |
Marquer | 'Camp Senior' of Brousailles | Serving on Black Road |
Mum | 'Patrol' ranger--usually based out of No-Sun | Serving on Black Road |
Pistil | 'Camp Senior' of Ruby Falls | Serving on Black Road |
Sparrowhawk | 'Patrol' ranger--usually based out of Whistling Pines | Serving on Black Road |
Backbite | 'Camp Senior' of The Boneyard | Serving on Black Road |
Nowise | Brousailles (Healer / Medic) | Serving on Black Road |
Dodge | The Boneyard (Kennel Master) | Serving on Black Road |
Stoke | The Mews (Hawk Master) | Serving on Black Road |
Girth | 'Camp Senior' of Girth's | Girth's |
Solemn | 'Camp Senior' of The Mews | Serving on Black Road |
Totter | 'Patrol' ranger--usually based out of No-Sun | No-Sun |
Study | 'Camp Senior' of No-Sun | Serving on Black Road |
Ribbon | Whistling Pines (Engineer) | Serving on Black Road |
Modal | No-Sun (Training) | No-Sun |
Palm | 'Patrol' ranger--usually based out of The Mews | Serving on Black Road |
Cranny | Girth's (Tracking) | Serving on Black Road |
Bay | 'Patrol' Ranger--usually based out of Whistling Pines | Whistling Pines |
It is my hope Your Grace, in future reports to further explain and expound on the nature of the various ranger encampments
However, it must be noted that that the rangers' extreme individualism--as well as the close bounds of shared trial --has lead to the rangers' reputation for close-knit isolationism. Indeed, I cannot stress the rangers' 'prickliness' enough, Your Grace. This was a tight knit group of very proud people who would not involve 'outsiders' in what they perceived as their business. The sense among the rangers of 'family' and 'ranger / not-ranger' cannot be understated. What little I have managed to glean for this report, Your Grace, is only the tip of a very large iceberg that I doubt that any non-ranger will ever live to know.
At this point, I would like to ask Your Grace's permission to interject some disturbing tendencies I have noted among the rangers of Arden.
The rangers of Arden like to consider themselves somewhat as a meritocracy; in that a man's ability is more important than his class, background, and even--dare I mention it--sex.
The rangers consider themselves 'called' to their profession and when a new member is accepted into their ranks, every effort is made to separate that member from his previous life. New recruits are encouraged to renounce familial duties, titles and responsibilities. While contact with family and friends is not forbidden, it is certainly not encouraged and may be actively hindered in some cases.
But even more disturbing, my contacts within the rangers inform me that some small number of--women!--are numbered among their ranks. With no regard for propriety or the risk of temptation that it puts these fine men to. Indeed, some of the rangers speak as if their hounds or hawks were companions, instead of base animals.
One must be concerned when women and animals are considered to be the companions of arms-bearing men in the service of Amber.
However, I will leave that concern as well as the information detailed herein to the fine sensibilities of His Grace and the Regent's Council. It is not the place of one such as I to make recommendations to such a noble body.
Sir Mercer Parshantes, Esquire, Knight of Letters, is a retired barrister. He has spent his life in the service of the Crown and Amber, and looks forward to continuing his service despite his retirement. While unable to disclose the sources of his information, he begs His Grace to consider that Sir Parshantes has engaged in several sanctioned hunts within the bounds of Arden forest and has both a son and a nephew serving under Prince Julian therein.