(Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire nor its characters. Those all belong to George R. R. Martin, aside from my OC.)
(Erlend POV, Twilight Isles)
I leaned on the tree as I watched the contingent of men within the training grounds. Two armored men stood behind me, vigilant for any attempt to harm me, as I observed the training grounds.
"I doubt anyone's going to attack me within the central training grounds, especially with hundreds of loyal armed men" I pointed out.
"Perhaps, but your safety is our utmost concern, My Lord" was the near-silent reply.
I merely shrugged, having long gotten used to the guard's vigilance, and continued my observation.
The Banners, were the official army of House Mudd, having been founded during the second exile, with so many enemies, House Mudd needed significant protection and the banners were a core part of that protection. Granted, it was never in large numbers, mostly because too large an army would have been an easy target for dragonlords to burn, as well as too costly to maintain.
It was only during the century of the blood, under the guidance of Aryan 'the Dragonslayer', that the banners would swell in number, his reputation combined with the vast fortune he had gained from grateful magisters for his role in the slaughter of the dragonlord remnants, allowed him to recruit a large number of men for the banner.
House Mudd would go on to use this vast fortune to build up the Banners into one of the most formidable armies in Essos and would play a crucial role in subduing the Volantene ambitions in their attempt to recreate the freehold.
The Banners was the name given to the army of House Mudd, by its contemporaries due to the large standards that identified each army. The army itself was divided into various subgroups.
[Mudd Army Divisions:]
- Banner: 3000 Men - Commanded by a Banner-General.
- Squadron: 500 Men - Led by a Squadron Commander.
- Contingent: 50 Men - Led by a Captain.
- Team - 10 Men: Led by a Sergeant.
[Banner Ranks:]
- Captain-General
- Lieutenant-General
- Banner-General
- Squadron Commander
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- Sergeant
- Distinguished Warden
- Warden
- Prospective
The Banners are a meritocracy, hence one could advance through the ranks based on experience, attitude, and skill. The Captain-General would always be the Head of House Mudd, but that was largely to ensure the army remained under our control, considering we are paying for it.
A majority of the army consisted of Westeros, retainers that followed House Mudd after its exile, and legacies who were descended from the men that made up the first banners during its inception. Currently, there were approximately 15,000 well-trained and bloodied veteran soldiers serving within the banners, with another 6,000 undergoing training.
Thanks to a combination of the army, its vast fortune, and Summerswind Manor, the current temporary seat of House Mudd that was located within the largest Island belonging to the Twilight Isles west of Braavos, House Mudd practically ruled it as a minor kingdom. An influential one, due to its current role as the main force protecting Braavos and to a smaller degree Pentos, from the wandering Dothraki Khalasar.
The Isles were largely settled by the families of the wardens serving under the banner, blacksmiths who forge the armor and weapons of the army, and the farmers who sustain it, these settlements surrounded Summerswind manor, with the inhabitants numbering approximately 70,000 - 80,000.
Ironically, these Isles had been part of the staging grounds the Andals used to invade the vale and eventually the rest of the south, but became forgotten, until Aryan built his home on it, and his men followed suit.
Each Warden was equipped with chain mail, protective clothing that consisted of small metal rings, allowing them to be flexible, it was worn as closely fitted tunics with a mail that covered their heads with padding worn under it to make the chain mail more comfortable. A separate helmet would be worn over the top to avoid injury and brain damage. Further protection included a long kite-shaped shield made of wood, leather, and rawhide which when used by cavalry protected their left sides and legs and by infantry to form a shield wall.
For weaponry depending on their squadron, they either carried a single-handed short sword or a heavy two-handed sword, as well as daggers. Spears, halberds, and bows were given to different squadrons depending on where their skills lay. There were of course various specialized squadrons within each banner, but their roles could change depending on the situation and circumstances that tended to occur.
The household guards were not part of the banners, serving directly under me and Uncle Loramis, rather than the chain of commands that has been established for centuries. The two grim men behind me were part of the guard, though there were more than a dozen hidden all over the area, ready to strike should danger come upon him. Overall approximately 300 men were serving within the household guard, they were either based on Summerswind Manor, around myself, or with Uncle and Aunt Dalia.
Like all forces, House Mudd had its spy network, though not as vast or widespread as Vary's little birds or Baelish's whorehouses, they were pretty efficient in gaining information that he would need but were primarily focused on flushing and eliminating any possible threat towards my family. The spy network itself was overseen by the shadow wardens, a squadron that largely served as assassins on my behalf and took care of the threats that were flushed out, they were a primary reason why my house survived both the great decline and the second exile. It also played a key role in the foundation of Braavos, which earned House Mudd much goodwill and favor from the bastard daughter of Valyria.
As for its navel might, it was pretty sizeable, though nowhere near the size of the navel might that his House held during the commerce era, where it was said that if House Mudd had managed to militarize all its ships and vast merchant fleet, it could retake the Riverlands and the vale.
Wisely my house chose not to do so, since not only did it lack the men needed to reconquer its former lands but the venture would have easily bankrupted it, despite its immense wealth. Its current fleet consisted of 80 ships, fully manned, and was largely being used for trade and protection against the pirates that infested the narrow sea.
All in all my house was quite powerful and could contend with some of the great houses within Westroes, provided I had enough support within the mainland, though it would be unwise to do so, for now…