Kingdom Defender

The Kingdom Defenders are a force of fighters for the Army of the Truthful. They operate under the command of High General Benaiah IV.

Overview
The Kingdom Defender has become more or less the image of the Truthful's military, in large part due to a conscious effort to make it so. To what was ostensible to most, one could assume the group's rank and file were composed of disciplined, well armored, and uniform soldiers; however, the reality was quite different.

Logistically, the number of Kingdom Defenders represent less than quarter of the Truthful's entire military, with an equally small fraction accounting those that resembled the propagated image of the onyx-clad knights.

The Defenders
Aside from Fyrd nir'Falor, there are numerous battalions, usually loosely organized into region of fighters’ origin, which is intended to be more conducive to unit cohesion. Unlike the Fyrd, most Kingdom Defender units are a motley bunch, composed roughly of a third skirmishers, with the rest being the melee component. Differentiation from militants in these cases is usually signified by the heavier armor worn, and the strong melee component. Armor outside of the Fyrd nir'Falor is typically mismatched, often times composed of what was looted or scavenged by militants or other defenders and then distributed to the unit in question. Few supplies are crafted or obtained peacefully.Tactics trained to Kingdom Defenders could be placed somewhere between a footman of old Lordaeron and the ambush or raid tactics pursued by militant units. Less static than a footman unit, they can be used to flank the enemy formation, and then just as capably hold the line there if needed.They are taught to be versatile, and a Defender unit can fulfill multiple purposes and roles throughout a battle. This combined with very high morale leading to them being highly valued by truthful field commanders.

A defender’s tactics on an individual level may be considered by more orthodox fighters or soldiers to be dirty or underhanded, entering a melee with the mindset of doing anything to survive.

Fyrd nir'Falor
The portion of crusaders among the Kingdom Defenders who fit their distinct image--coal black plate with red trim-- are apart of a unit referred to as Fyrd nir'falor, a term derived from ancient dialects of Common meaning 'army of hardship'.

They are the crack unit of the central military, mobilized quickly wherever they are needed. Unlike the militia that forms the bulk of the Truthful's fighting forces, Fyrd nir’Falor can be depended on to hold a line or front, often to the last man. Unfortunately, the unit's unyielding tendencies born of fanaticism have been of somewhat of a detriment, namely due of the high mortality rate among veterans and more experienced fighters. It was egregiously accounted in the Battle for Scarlet Monastery, where the unit had to be nearly completely rebuilt from the ground up, condensing lesser defender units into it.

Vorath'morde
Tangentially related to the Kingdom Defender is the Vorath’morde, a classification of soldier under the Kingdom of the Light often drawn from the Kingdom Defenders’ ranks. Meaning literally “Warrior of Death” in archaic common, the job of the Vorath'morde unit is to infiltrate enemy lines and then cause as much havoc, destruction and damage before fighting to the death, often partaking in sabotage and pillaging before doing so.

Unit Structure
The central military of the Truthful, generally regarded to as the Kingdom Defenders or occasionally "Fyrd nir'Kaelsig" is organized in terms of archaic common. The highest level command is typically a brigade; about 2000 men, although the often decimated Kingdom Defender units are usually somewhat lower.

Fyrd - Equivalent to a brigade, about 2000 men. Commanded by a "Fyrdwaetha", or "Theign nir'Fyrd".

Aescild - Equivalent to a battalion, about 500 men. Commanded by an "Aescildwaetha", or "Theign nir'Aescild".

Werald -  Equivalent to a company, about 80 men. Commanded by a "Weraldwaetha", or "Theign nir'Werald".

Anfald - Equivalent to a platoon, about 20 men. Commanded by an "Anfaldwaetha", or "Theign nir'Anfald".

Scildan - Equivalent to a squad, about 10 men. Commanded by a "Scildanwaetha", or "Theign nir'Scildan".

Ranks
In addition to the ranks above, the typical fighting man within a Kingdom Defender unit is known as a "Fyrdman" or occasionally "Scildman".

Notable Defenders
Includes honorary and confirmed