Ishida Family

House Ishida

Origins

The origins of House Ishida are lost to time, but the Ishida themselves maintain a tradition that they are descended from a line of Far Eastern nobles who fled from their homeland generations ago.

Present Day

Under the leadership of Mizuhiro the Ishida have managed to elevate themselves into the ranks of the Atamaran nobility. The ancestral home of the Ishida can still be found within the mountains of Sauvia, though few now dwell there due to warfare and tumult.

During the Great Atamaran War, Mizuhiro saw fit to relocate the family home and its heirlooms to Craigmore. They have maintained an active presence in Atamara ever since.

Heraldry

Ishida heraldic device on round shield

The heraldic emblem of House Ishida is a stylised raven with outstretched wings. It is often featured as an argent charge upon a sable field.

The Raven is seen as a creature of cunning and intellect, both qualities prized by the Ishida. The Raven is also a common sight on the battlefield, a reminder to Ishida nobles that one should not fear battle, for there is much opportunity in war.

The primary colour of House Ishida is sable, as found most commonly on the cloaks donned by those in the House's employ.

Residence

House Ishida's seat is the Ravenholme, an imposing tower built of smooth black rock. Exceedingly lofty in comparison to the structures around it, the Ravenholme is both a fortification and a residence. Raven Guard prowl the highest floor of the tower, keeping watch on the day-to-days within Craigmore, bows ready to shoot at suspicious characters. Barrack spaces and living quarters have been hewn into the walls of the lower levels, ready to house the Raven Guard companies as well as provide guest facilities for visiting nobles.

The Ishida themselves occupy the upper floors, commanding a spectacular view of Craigmore's plains. Compared to the homes of many noble families, the Ravenholme's interiors tend to convey a dark, brooding ambience. Wall-mounted candles provide a measure of light, as many of the hallways and rooms have little more than arrow-slits for windows. Furs are a common item, both as decoration and for warmth.

The Raven Guard

A Centurion (Captain) of the Raven Guard

House Ishida maintains a standing force known as the Raven Guard. The Raven Guard is structured into companies known as Wings. A Wing is assigned to an Ishida noble when they begin their career, and it becomes the noble's responsibility to see that their Wing is maintained and trained for the inevitabilities of service to realm and family.

Raven Guard Hierarchy

As each Wing is seconded to an Ishida noble, Raven Guard commanders are always members of the noble House.

Below the nobles are the Centurions, otherwise known by most as Captains. Centurions are hand picked by the Ishida to lead their Wing into battle. While the Wing looks towards its Noble commander for strategy, it is often the Centurion's courage and leadership that decides his Wing's actual performance in the crucible of war.

In times of peace Centurions are given the privilege of being schooled in tactics and philosophy. Such education is extremely difficult to obtain outside of the nobility, lending Centurions considerable prestige among the rank-and-file.

Each Wing is further broken into smaller groupings known as Talons. A Talon is a squad of 8 to 10 men lead by a Decurion, usually the most senior man in the Talon. The Decurion's role is to promote camaraderie between the members of his Talon.

When a Wing encamps afield, it will divide the fortified camp into sectors. The maintenance and defence of each sector then falls upon the Talon assigned to sleep and eat there. New recruits soon learn that success and failure are the result of group efforts; you either live and work with your Talon, or you die alone and without one.

First Wing

Cataphracti of the First

The men of the prestigious First Wing are clad in massive suits of plate and chain mail known as Cataphracti armour. Replete with face-enclosing helm and stout shields, these elite infantrymen march resolutely across the battlefield secure behind a veritable wall of steel.

Weighted down as such, the wielding of a sword is a flat impossibility in such conditions. Instead, each man carries a mace or flail, weapons that aim to deliver maximum impact with a minimum of agility. Indeed it is a testament to their intense training that the men of the First are even able to fight at all in their armour. Such quality has often led them to be denoted as special forces rather than mere infantry.

Assignment of the First Wing is an honour not to be taken lightly. The sheer cost of equipping, training and maintaining the Cataphracti means that the cream of the Raven Guard's crop is usually assigned to the heir of House Ishida. As befits the courage and leadership qualities required for lordship over a noble house, many an Ishida heir has elected to lead a charge alongside their men.

Second, Third and Fourth Wing

Known as the battle companies of the Guard, these Wings are trained to fight as tactical infantry.

Raven Guard infantry doctrine revolves around the use of large, oval shields. The men are taught to fight in close, defensive formations, locking shields to present a stout barrier of wood and steel against any foe. Wild swings of the blade are discouraged; each warrior is trained to make quick stabs using his gladius while keeping the rest of his body behind his shield.

Some commanders may choose to equip their men with missile weapons, such as short bows or light javelins. Other commanders may shun ranged armament in favour of heavier armour for their infantry. Regardless of preference, the Raven Guard core precepts of discipline and cohesion in the battle line always take precedence.

Equipped with such tactics and clad in scale or mail hauberks, it is a small wonder that the battle companies are known for an innate stubbornness. They will always prefer to fight in the box formation when possible, and will almost always fortify their camp, even if they intend to remain in the region for only a night.

Notable Members

- Mizuhiro Ishida, Atamara, Cagilan Empire

- Tetsuko Ishida, Atamara, Talerium

- Himeko Ishida, Dwilight, D'Hara