Sákbe Road Guards

Sákbe Road Guards

Sákbe Road Guards are also part of the military, and in Pecháno they are also responsible for patrolling and guarding the borders, especially the Salarvyáni border. The borders with Ssuyál are guarded by the Pecháni army. Not surprisingly, the bulk of Pecháno’s army is in the north of the country locked in almost perpetual warfare with the Ssü. The exact number of troops is deployed on the northern marches is unknown, and kept secret by the Pecháni, but may be as high 20,000 men. The Sákbe Road Guards in Pecháno are extremely well trained and disciplined. Their overall commander has the rank of General (Pecháni: Sreddék), and unlike Police Commandants he answers only to the Assembly of Lords and the Chægósh. The Rekhmél and Beneshchán individually have no authority over him.

A typical Guard officer somewhere on the Salarvyáni border.

The Sákbe Road Guards are armed as Medium Infantry, although typically they tend to patrol without armour, carrying a spear, sword and shield normally only wearing armour when posted in more dangerous locations. Their armour tends to be golden in colour, either made of brass or painted Chlén hide, trimmed in a reddish brown, with a silver helmet, trimmed in gold for officers. Guardsmen wear rusty orange kilts with blue and white tassels, and with rank-and-file guardsmen and NCO's wearing a  dun coloured tunic under their armour whereas, officers wear a brown kilt, trimmed in blue and white tassels, and a brown tunic. NCO's are identified by their sword belts which will have their ranks painted on them: a blue half-circle edged in white denotes a commander of 10, an Olmég, while the same pattern but with the addition of a yellow circle with a black dot in the centre denotes a commander of 20, a Grumég.

  The Sákbe Road Guards normally employ plain, large, circular shields, painted a reddish-brown terracotta colour. Occasionally veteran troops will paint stylised geometric designs on the shields, but this atypical of the Guards as a whole.

A veteran Grumég  posted near Teshkóa.

Contingents of 20-40 men (1 to 2 Gruségh) traverse the major roadways, with intervals of 2 to 4 hours between patrols become typical around major urban centres like Mechanéno, Ogréjja, and Teshkóa, whereas more remote sections may see weekly patrols. Areas near the Salarvyáni or Ssuyál border can sometimes have hourly patrols, but this is not typical. The primary duties of the guards consist of garrisoning the watchtowers and roadside fortresses, keeping the peace along the highways and at way stations, and inspecting caravans for contraband. They will also ensure that all duties have been paid, and that smugglers are punished. 

Tomb Police

The Tomb Police in Pecháno are exclusively drawn from the guards of the Temple of Su’úrkha and those clans that worship him. In Mechanéno they are responsible for guarding the Royal Necropolis where the kings of Pecháno are buried, and the Hall of Bones, where the heroes of the realm are interred. They are typically liveried in browns, blacks and yellows, and are poorly equipped, usually having to employ cast off arms and armour from the Pecháni Army. Their duties during the day primarily consist of directing mourners and sightseers. At night they patrol the City of the Dead, tramping between monuments and pyramidal tombs in groups of 30, holding flaring torches aloft in order to keep away those who would despoil the dead.

The Temple of Su'úrkha in Ogréjja also has their own small, private detachment of Tomb Police that guard the tombs of the leading clans, but these are not as effective as their counter-parts in Mechanéno. In Teshkóa the tombs of the Rekhmél are guarded by one of their vassal clans (the Kháru) who worship Su’úrkha and Kazhérh.  

Relief from the Hall of Bones, Mechanéno showing tomb robbers being apprehended.