Divisions of the Hyperborean Paladins

[Scott of Hyperborea]

Sometime around the era of Yyiji Tonkothion, the infantry in the Hyperborean Paladins organized themselves into nine companies called Rays, with about three to five thousand people per Ray. The Rays are each divided into ten to twenty subcompanies called Divisions, which each contain somewhere around fifty Lots. The organization is said to reflect the Rose-Star, the most important Hyperborean symbol, which has nine rays and nine petals emanating from a central spiral. In fact, the subdivisions were originally called Petals, but this term has fallen out of common usage.

The nine Rays are named after the nine feminine-aligned runes of the Hyperborean alphabet, and organized not arbitrarily but rather by their philosophy of war and fighting styles.

Fern is a cross between a traditional army and an anarchist commune. Although they follow the orders of central command, all of their internal matters, from food rationing to selection of officers, is either decided by vote or left to individuals to handle. Organized training programs and daily routines are almost non-existent. However, Fern knows that if they start to slack off, their existence will be terminated and they will be absorbed into other divisions, so they accept only new recruits who are self-motivated, and use shame and social pressure to force anyone not seen as doing their share to shape up. Anyone who takes too much advantage of the relaxed lifestyle is quietly exiled to another Ray. Philip Locke has been posthumously inducted into Fern ray, and is their regimental hero.

Clover is one of the two rays with little special character. Traditionally, it's most involved in marine action, but it also serves several other roles. It and Birch are there for people who don't fit into any of the more specialized rays. Mikne Rahanorion, the engineer who designed and built the first ice-ship, is their regimental hero.

Dandelion is the ray that believes most strongly in a "warrior ethic" like chivalry or Bushido. They're big on honor, both in the nice sense of defending the weak and playing fair, but also in the more sinister sense of being quick to avenge any perceived slights. They're obedient, loyal, and overachieving, though not to the same degree as Rose. Whenever there's a big parade, they tend to be the people in front, marching in perfect lockstop with steely expressions on their faces. Commanders of other Rays sometimes complain that they seem to be treating the military as one big Renaissance Faire, instead of the deadly serious affair that it is. Hyperboreans of Treesian descent were closely involved in the foundation of Dandelion, and Finian the Brave is their regimental hero.

Birch, like Clover, has little special character. It's best known for insisting that all of its recruits have some understanding of strategy and tactics, so that they can understand orders as well as following them. Many go on to become tacticians and commanders. Rhoti Inkenion trained with Birch, and is their regimental hero.

Grape is not unlike Dandelion in following a warrior ethic, but theirs is less the ethic of chivalry or bushido than that of a Viking berserker. They believe in comradeship, good cheer, and going into a "flow" state of wild abandon when fighting. Often used as shock troops to scare and demoralize an enemy, they also excel at sheer likeability, and often become interfaces with occupied populations or leaders in the Paladin hierarchy. Rhoni Karusion (aka Ryan Caruso) is their regimental hero.

Apple is the famous non-violent ray. They believe it is morally repugnant to kill under any circumstances but the most drastic, and arm themselves entirely with non-violent weapons similar to but more effective than tasers. Their goal is generally to debilitate the enemy and remove them from combat, sometimes explicitly in order to prevent them from being killed by other groups. The introduction of Apple to the military was very controversial, its use in battle is still controversial, but the Paladins in it know they have to fight an uphill battle to earn respect, and consequently train and fight harder than any other Ray, except perhaps Rose. They're often called in to deal with civilian protesters, weak opponents, or anyone else who it would be bad press or simply unnecessary to kill. Kaya Kalirion, who famously later refused to kill the despot who usurped her throne and raped her, is their regimental hero.

Nightshade is not technically a Hyperborean rune, but its leaders decided that the actual rune, "mushroom" was insufficiently fear-inspiring and adjusted the name accordingly. Nightshade has "a dark streak a mile long", and consists of people who consider themselves rejects, counter-cultural, or just plain antisocial. They tend to specialize in stealth and sneak attacks. They sometimes face official reprimand for being a little too bloodthirsty, but when someone, even an enemy, inspires them in the right way, they can be the strongest advocates for sparing them. Tephi Ara Gal Sekion favored Nightshade, and is their regimental hero.

Lily is the most Hyperborean traditionalist of the various Rays. Outsiders might view them as being deeply, even fanatically religious; their only flaw would lie in Hyperborean religion being closer to a system of traditions (like Shinto) than to a religion per se (like Christianity or Islam). Despite their stereotype of being fussy and ritualistic, they have a surprising role - they're often the ones who introduce people in occupied territory to Hyperborean culture. Lily also has a bit of an obsession with sranyyuve - the Hyperborean system of meditation - and occasionally they can seem a bit Eastern warrior-monk-ish to people who don't know them. The leader of Lily traditionally brings the red thistle-wine to gatherings of Hyperborean commanders. Yyiji Tonkothion had a special place in his heart for Lily, and is their regimental hero.

Rose are those troops who want to be the best. They're the ones skipping authorized leave to do extra training sessions, the ones most likely to be heard saying "Sleep is for the weak." They have a reputation for being slightly insane, and there is a general agreement among the leadership of the Paladins that Rose soldiers are not to be promoted to positions of general command. They also have a reputation for being the most elite troops in the army, and the ones most likely to placed in the strategic position that determines an entire battle. Authi Kalirion, the greatest warrior in Hyperborean history, is their regimental hero.