New Heraldry - The Bannermen

2018-10-07
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Here is the latest finished heraldry - The Bannermen. Here is their story from Ivid the Undying:

The Bannermen are a surviving unit of the Glorioles Army, once drawn from Pontylver. Led by the 8th-level fighter Ranxxen Strangender, they are the remnants of an elite heavy cavalry unit. There are 13 in all, apart from Ranxxen; 12 fighters (two each of 6th- and 7th- level, and four each of 4th- and 5th- level) and the 8th-level mage Alavend.

Ranxxen is a fine fighter (Str 18/77, Dex 16, Con 16, with AC -2 and 96 hp). All the fighters have heavy horses, with 50% having chain barding to boot. The fighters all wear plate mail, although each has a 50% chance for damage to the armor which reduces the AC value to AC 4 base. Ranxxen has plate mail +2 and a longsword +2, +3 vs. extraplanar creatures. For the other fighters, use standard rules for determining magical item possession. The mage Alavend has a wand of frost with 37 charges remaining and a ring of invisibility.

The Bannermen are so named because Ranxxen owns a magical war banner, proudly displaying a red dragon with a severed head on a green background. This is a specially crafted family heirloom and can only be employed by Ranxxen or one of his bloodline (the unit has none of his kin). All within 100' of it and allied to Ranxxen can gain from the magical effects it can create: prayer once a day, changing morale to Fanatic (18) once a day for 1 turn; regeneration (1 hp a round for one turn, useable once a week). Note, however, that the banner will enrage any dragon which sees it, so that the beast will automatically attack, gaining a +4 bonus to all hit rolls (but a +2 penalty to AC).

This group actually turned renegade and fought against imperial troops in the sack of Pontylver. Having seen what happened to that city, and their families within it, these are hollow-eyed, grim-faced, fanatical warriors now. They seek any opportunity to strike at imperial forces, and while they are not reckless they don't fear death. They have been employed by Drax as shock troops to strike against Lone Heath raiders, and to raze the keeps or settlements of those who have offended Drax or tried to resist his rule. This has been acceptable to them to date, especially since they gained the ring of invisibility in payment, but they now want more aggressive action directed more specifically against imperial targets.

Hiring the Bannermen is ideal for PCs who need to make some strike against a fortified target and to create a distraction while they strike at a secondary area. The Bannermen are all evil, of course, but most are LE (including some ardent reverers of Hextor) and they don't desert their employers if they have been fairly dealt with.

They demand high payment rates; above all, they want magical items. They also want a share of booty, which varies depending on the number and levels of PCs hiring them. They don't waste their time with anything which isn't dangerous.

The Bannermen doesn't really have a proper place on the map depicting 596 CY, they might have become just a mercenary band of hire swords, or are now only a memory, or they might be a unit loyal to Xavener himself...

I couldn't resist creating the shield so here it is. And you can grab a PNG with transparent background here:  

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tl7udemk9ovhp7q/Bannermen-01.png?dl=0

More is coming soon!