Ulfen Guard
- For another meaning of "Ulfen Guard", please see Ulfen Guard (prestige class).
The Ulfen Guard exists to protect the bearer of the Primogen Crown. Its most visible role is the safeguarding of the Grand Princess. Others search for potential threats as surprisingly clever investigators. The Ulfen Guard care only for their oath and duty to the crown, without personal or political ties to the rest of Taldor. They swear fealty to the imperial position, not the individual, and their sense of honor and loyalty are unwavering.1
Membership
The Ulfen Guard was created in response to the assassination of Grand Prince Jalrune in 3129 AR.2 Their loyalty to their charge is unwavering, and attempts by Qadira to influence the order have had no real success.3
Ulfen Guard members serve for at least a year, although it is common for members to serve for longer. Once their service is up, they are permitted to take as much loot from the royal treasury as they can carry.4 Many former Ulfen Guards become very rich as a result,[citation needed] and many retire to the town of Ullerskad in the Thanelands in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, a site dedicated to the god Gorum.56
Members of the Ulfen Guard are given the official title of "huscarl", provided they are of Ulfen descent. Although rare, it is possible for exceptional non-Ulfen individuals to be permitting to join. The only official difference is that such members are given the title "leidang".7
Members can be of any gender, but none are known to have had any romantic entanglement with a Taldan emperor, both out of honor and a general lack of Ulfen attraction to Taldans. The philandering Grand Prince Eudariano II went as far as to institute an all-female Ulfen Guard but failed in his four-year rule to romance any of them.8
The commander of the Ulfen Guard is Kol Kodranson, son of Kodran Kullirson, the Ulfen Guard's previous commander.1 It is rumored that Dominicus Rell, head of the Shadow Schools of the Lion Blades, is also responsible for the training of the Ulfen Guard in their duties in protecting the Grand Prince.9
Headquarters
The official headquarters of the Ulfen Guard is in the Imperial Palace in Oppara, but the members of the guard are just as likely to be found at the Staggering Skald, an Ulfen alehouse located close to the palace.1
Eutropia's Vanguard
When the Knights of Lastwall asked for allies in their fight against Tar Baphon, Eutropia organised a contingent of the Ulfen Guard to assist them. Lead by Kol's son, Klor Kolson, these warriors have quickly proven their prowess and skill in the Gravelands as well as garnering attention for their raucous celebrations.10
References
Paizo published articles on the Ulfen Guard in Faction Guide and The Six-Legend Soul.
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 . “Ulfen Guard” in Faction Guide, 48. Paizo Inc., 2010
- ↑ . “Taldor, Empire in Decline” in Taldor, Echoes of Glory, 5. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “Qadira” in Qadira, Gateway to the East, 6. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “Taldor, Empire in Decline” in Taldor, Echoes of Glory, 12. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “The Linnorm Kingdoms” in Lands of the Linnorm Kings, 33. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ The death of Gorum in 4724 AR is a major canon event depicted in Prey for Death and is part of the War of Immortals event. Its ramifications to this part of the Pathfinder campaign setting might be unknown. See also Meta:Gorum.
- ↑ . “Factions” in Pathfinder Society Field Guide, 23. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ . “Ulfen Guard” in The Six-Legend Soul, 76–77. Paizo Inc., 2018
- ↑ . “Oppara, The Gilded City” in Taldor, Echoes of Glory, 21. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “Chapter 2: Among the Knights” in Knights of Lastwall, 35. Paizo Inc., 2022
