House Bodyguard
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Wanna know the worst part of being a House Leader? Not the paperwork or annoying meetings. The Bodyguards. Those brave souls are my loved ones, my closest friends, and I know, at any time, they are willing to die for me… and I have to let them.A House Bodyguard is a Literomancer and Tome Knight dedicated to the protection and defense of the leadership of The Great Houses. This role is one of the most respected in the modern world, capturing the imagination of millions of children with their stories of real-life heroism and devotion, and their outlandish antics.
Career
Qualifications
A House Bodyguard must be a Tome Knight — which is to say, they must be a literomancer who has formally taken an oath to defend the world against supernatural threats, especially during the November Word Wars. They must also have sworn to a House, and demonstrated loyalty to their House and House Leadership. Finally, by the conditions of The Treaty of Monte Carlo, a.k.a. "The Bodyguard Treaty," they must be volunteers.
While these are not qualifications, it is considered an asset if a would-be Bodyguard has some related skills and/or experience in areas that aid them in their duties. These duties might include security, intelligence gathering, and military or combat training.
Career Progression
Most House Bodyguards have at least a loose ranking system that depends somewhat on seniority, but also on qualifications. A Bodyguard who leads their unit (known by various ranks, usually "Captain," but also in at least one case "Major,") typically has some level of military or intelligence training, and will also certainly have seen action in previous Word Wars.
Payment & Reimbursement
While each House handles their Bodyguards differently, they are not only paid extremely well, but they also typically have an expense stipend to draw upon, and their living expenses are provided for by their Protectorate.
Other Benefits
Our Bodyguards are our dearest companions. They routinely risk life, limb, and soul for our protection and the protection of our people. I take what they say very seriously and my Owsla are all part of my privy council. In some cases, that's been literal. How can you not deeply love and respect someone who makes that kind of sacrifice?Bodyguards are universally respected, and adored by their House Leadership for their devotion. Because of this, monarchs tend to hold their tongues when the Bodyguards speak. They are also highly respected by the populace (even if they, like any other famous people, are often dragged through the tabloids and internet memes.) In addition, they tend to have excellent life insurance and retirement packages — although it is noted that Bodyguards rarely retire.
Your Majesty, is that because they often don't survive to retirement, or because they're so devoted that they never quit?...Yes.
Perception
Purpose
The House Bodyguard position was created due to the high rate of attrition among Tome Knights in the November Wars. With magical ability being in short supply, it is not uncommon for the leaders of the Great Houses to come under threat, or even to be required to take the field. The loss of a House Leader, especially in wartime, causes chaos that demoralizes a House and those who serve with them, and significantly impacts their ability to combat threats. House Bodyguards do their best to assure that their charges do not fall in the battle should this happen. And if necessary, they also sacrifice themselves to take their leader's place.
Social Status
There is not much higher a position that could be aspired to than a House Bodyguard. The Captain (or other commander) of a Bodyguard unit answers directly to their House Leader, whether that is a monarch or the person who just got stuck with the job. They have the ear of the leadership and receive considerable benefits for their service. They also hold society's collective respect.
History
During The First Word War, Tome Knight WriterGreg led a contingent that actively sheltered war refugees, especially children. James Woodwright, a Lapin regular who joined the Lapin Forces when the zombie apocalypse errupted, combined his informal protection of his House Leader, future Bunny Queen Sable Aradia, with a desire to protect WriterGreg from attack so that he could continue to do his work. Following the war, he approached the Mother of Bunnies with a suggestion that the position become formalized.
Not-yet-queen Sable told Woodwright of an ancient tradition of House Lapin, the tradition of the Owsla. Prior to the end of the Golden Age of Literomancy, The Chief Rabbit had a dedicated order of bodyguards who also served as a force in their army. They were especially well-known during the Middle Ages, perhaps explaining the large number of armed rabbits that appeared as illumination in medieval manuscripts.
When the Lapin Protectorate formed in early 2021, Queen Sable formally reinstituted the order of the Owsla, appointing James Woodwright as her Captain.
Other Houses quickly followed suit. Regent Dazzlinkat, who had served as a mercenary in 1WW, found a home as the Captain of the Raptor Squad, the Bodyguards of House Sauropoda, and it is widely acknowledged that they were the first two House Bodyguards in the modern era. Commander DM Stretch was also immediately recruited to the Owsla by Captain Woodwright.
In April 2021, The Council of the Great Houses met in Monte Carlo to formalize the conditions that would govern their Bodyguards, with the stipulation that they would limit their numbers so as to avoid building magical private armies that would carry out individual House wars over the needs of their people. The number was limited to 4, and later expanded to 5 to afford protection to other members of the House Leadership besides the official Head of State. They were also granted the right to recruit up to 20 guards who would serve beneath them individually, with up to 25% of those being permitted to also be literomancers.
Since then, the House Bodyguard units have continued to distinguish themselves in the Word Wars and other threats and conflicts. It is not uncommon for Bodyguards to be awarded medals and other commendations for their valour.
Operations
Tools
House Bodyguard is probably best described as a paramilitary position. As such, their duties tend to be multifaceted, combining elements of military action, policing, security, and cyber-security. Equipment may differ broadly with each task. Most Bodyguards wear at least light armour, such as a flak jacket, while on duty, and carry a variety of weaponry as part of their standard kit. These weapons may vary from modern handguns, to axes, swords, and even frying pans to deal with Zombies in wartime conditions. Radios to command and co-ordinate security efforts are a must. Most House Bodyguards at least have passing familiarity with cyber-security needs, and therefore they also require advanced computer systems and portable digital devices.
There are also the magical duties of a House Bodyguard to consider. They tend to keep writing implements, from notebooks and pens, to tablets and laptops, close to hand in case they need to generate Literomantic Power quickly. They may also have a variety of spell foci and tools on their person depending on their domain specialties, such as Polyhedral Dice or ink vials.
Workplace
House Bodyguards spend most of their time with their House Leaders, so their work environment varies depending on what their House Leaders are doing. Often, they work in close quarters with the House Leaders while they conduct the business of administration, but they may also be required to attend diplomatic functions, or join their charges on the field of battle. The job, therefore, requires long hours, adaptability, and a willingness to muster at a moment's notice.
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House Bodyguard by onemanarmy5522 (Pixabay)
Alternative Names
Guards, (House Bodyguard unit names)
Type
Military
Demand
While many might aspire to the official role of House Bodyguard, the Treaty of Monte Carlo limits them to 5 per House. However, each House Bodyguard can have guard squads of 20 people that serve under them.
Famous in the Field
- Archon The Bard with Many Names
- AttorraRu
- Barbarossa the Wayfinder
- Blade
- Captain Dazzlinkat
- Cheetya Ironfist
- Clockwocket
- Desdemona Rose
- DM Stretch
- Erin Righ
- Flubb
- Foxx
- HappyHappySad
- Imogen
- James Woodwright
- Lee O'Hawk
- MrBigTAnderson
- Novamoonlight
- Olivette Rivers
- Phyreball
- Princess ShyRedFox
- Sir Von Icicle
- Wordigirl
Other Associated professions
Used By
Ranks & Titles
Our Bodyguards see us at our lowest, and worst. They know we're just people, with all the messiness that entails. So they know who we really are behind the public front we have to maintain. As a result, they're not sycophants. They're not going to tell us what we want to hear in the hopes of pleasing us, or try to keep from disappointing us with bad news. We depend on them more than they depend on us, so they're not gonna bow and scrape, either — not in private, anyway. That sort of council is hard to find in our position, so it's incredibly important to me, to all of us House Leaders.
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