S.W.O.R.D.

S.W.O.R.D.
Active:	1620.5654 AN.ASC – Present
Motto	The Sword is sharp and swift
In use by:	Shirerithian Supplies Service
Allegiance:	Shireroth
Type:	Military Counter-Intelligence, Special Operations
Size:	27,975 + classified others
Nickname:	Invisible Swords
Current Commander:	Isabella Simrani-Kalirion
Conflicts & Deployments	Kildari schism Elwynnese instability Sxiro-Jingdaoese Confrontation River War The Anarchy of Angularis Martial Law in Goldshire Civil War in Goldshire Dietsland

S.W.O.R.D. (Shireroth's Warriors for Observation, Retribution and Deterrence) is a military organisation active on all possible fronts and in all possible ways to secure the hegemony of the Imperial Republic ranging from counter intelligence and personal protection to warfare.

History

S.W.O.R.D. was founded by Jacob Darylion-Verion after his appointment as Minister of Military Affairs. The powers of the organisation greatly expanded under his reign as Kaiser Verion I. The Kaiser also used money from the Imperial Treasury to finance covert operations of S.W.O.R.D.

S.W.O.R.D. along with Rrakanychan Watch was controversially deployed in 1639 as airborne light infantry during the final battles of annihilation along Posada Ridge during the endgame of the anti-Froyalanish insurgency in the Vale of Angularis. The casualties suffered during these battles, which amounted to 3,830 operatives out of a deployed force of approximately 6,000 field agents, proved to be a debilitating blow which limited the involvement of S.W.O.R.D. during the early phases of the Civil War in Goldshire to intelligence gathering and the provision of training and logistical support to the Jaysh al-Sathrati.

The rout, however, of this proxy force in late 1642 and the subsequent advance of rebel forces towards Cabbagefall forced S.W.O.R.D. to mobilise its cadres once more and rejoin the fray as the Battle of Holwinn developed.

In 1643, S.W.O.R.D. was placed under the administrative control of the Shirerithian Supplies Service. Prior to this S.W.O.R.D. had been customarily treated as an agency outside of the Imperial Forces since it derived its origins and mandate from a Ministerial Ordinance rather than the Martial Code of Shireroth. The change however was made to streamline the organisation and budget of the Ministry of Military Affairs and to allow S.W.O.R.D. to operate more effectively alongside the other specialist directorates - Rrakanychan Watch and the Imperial Order of Technomaezji.

Director of S.W.O.R.D.

The daily operations of S.W.O.R.D. are run by the Director.

List of S.W.O.R.D. directors

• Jacob Darylion-Verion (1620.5654 – 1625.5785)
• Ivan Verion (1625.5785 – 1628.5867)
• Michael Verion (1628.5867 – 1643.6328) (Removed from post after showing signs of Temporal Haemorrhaging, later discovered to be caused by a rebel psionic attack.)
• Isabella Simrani-Kalirion (1643.6328 –)