Ravenhelm

Ravenhelm

Vitals
Leader	First Helm
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Motto	Ravens never far.
Status	disbanded
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Statistics
Appearances	Dawn of the Last Bullet
Mentions

The Ravenhelm were an elite group of Ildorian soldiers who specialized in infiltrating enemy territory, espionage, psychological warfare, and guerrilla tactics. They played a leading roll in the recent Ildorian Revolution, led by Sceratus Treylin Greyfell and his Violet Helm unit. While some other elite paramilitary units in other countries are male-only, the Ravenhelm allowed people of any sex to join. The most qualified among the secondary earned any open spot on the actual team. The Ravenhelm were disbanded following the revolution, with all but five members (minus those killed during the revolt) being burned at the stake (these five of the Violet Helm escaped and fled to the Verges, where they currently act as freebadge mercenaries under aliases.

Their mottos was "Ravens never far", to signify that wherever they went, death was sure to follow.

Organizational Structure

As a rule, there were always 33 people assigned to Ravenhelm, with two functioning as a command element (First Helm and Second Helm), and the rest broken up into four teams of 6-8 people. The four teams were Blood Helm (red), Night Helm (violet), Dark Helm (black), and Star Helm (gold).

Leadership

The 33-person unit was led by the senior commander, who held the rank of First Helm, and the second in command, who held the rank of Second Helm. First Helm was primarily tasked with logistics and operations; they dealt directly with the King or his council to determine where the men were needed, getting supplies and transportation, etc. Second Helm was primarily tasked with personnel issues and training; they decided who was placed onto which team (they could rearrange teams as needed, such as when a spot opened up on the Star Helm), handled all training, and recruitment of new candidates. Second Helm was also the commander of the Secondary Helm.

First Helm Igo Dornen - killed during the revolt
Second Helm Rorimer Berg - killed during the revolt

Night Helm

Main article: Night Helm

Sceratus Treylin Greyfell
Calitus Jurius Mantheon
Litus Ivina Ikengard
Litus Castus Render
Litus Haegan Ward
Litus Dercan Alevsso - killed during the revolt

Blood Helm

Main article: Blood Helm

Dark Helm

Main article: Dark Helm

Litus Orlene Pace

Star Helm

Main article: Star Helm

Star Helm was considered the elite of the elite, or the best of the four Helms. This unit was most often sent to perform the most dangerous tasks. The rank of Sceratus, among any of the units, could only be promoted from within Star Helm, and only when a Sceratus slot opened up. Thus, each leader on the other teams was a veteran of the Star Helm. Whenever any spot opened up on the Star Helm, it was never filled with someone from the Secondary, but with someone hand-picked by the Second Helm. This individual was typically the one who displayed solid leadership skills and proficiency in the job; selection for Star Helm was considered a grooming opportunity for commanding one of the other units.

Secondary Helm

Main article: Secondary Helm

Secondary Helm consisted of 60-100 soldiers who had passed selection and began their training for work in the Ravenhelm units. This was still considered an elite unit in the Ildorian military apparatus, and often the Secondary was called upon to perform missions that were similar to those of the actual Ravenhelm units, such as in cases where the other units were already tasked, when more personnel were needed, or in a supporting role. It was directly from the Secondary that slots were filled on the four teams. It was common to spend several years in the Secondary before gaining a spot on the Ravenhelm; it was also common to retire from the Secondary.

Selection and Training

Given that there were only 33 available slots in the unit, competition for any spots that become vacant was fierce. A spot might become vacant through death, retirement, abdication, desertion (unheard of), or permanent injury. In such an event, a series of tests was administered to candidates who had already passed initial screening and selection and had been placed in the Secondary Helm.

Promotion to Secondary Helm

Candidates were taken directly from the ranks of the Ildorian Army, could be of any age or gender, and were required to pass a medical exam in order to try out for selection, which was a grueling training 2-month course designed to weed out unqualified or unmotivated individuals. Those who passed selection were offered a spot among the Secondary Helm, where they acquired and practiced all the skills necessary for work on one of the four teams. At any given time, there might have been 60-100 soldiers in the Secondary.

Promotion to Ravenhelm Teams

When a spot on a team (except for Star Helm) became available, members of the Secondary were permitted to compete for that spot, regardless of how long they had been assigned to the Secondary. They were tested on a variety of job-related skills and fitness; the top four candidates from this series of tests then fought each other in a bracket, where the winner earned the coveted spot. If an opening became available on the Gold Helm, however, the slot was always filled with a Ravenhelm from one of the other teams, hand-picked by the Second Helm. Then the slot that individual left behind would be filled with the most qualified from the Secondary.

Ranks

The following rank insignias were only worn when in garrison in formal military attire. The Ravenhelm brassard emblem (as featured above) was worn only in garrison or while not on missions. On missions they wore no identifying insignia.

It should be noted that among the teams, one could only attain the rank up to Calitus. Only Gold Helm veterans were permitted to promote to Sceratus, and one need not hold the rank of Calitus to be promoted to Sceratus. For example, if a Sceratus slot opened up on one of the "lesser teams", the spot was offered up to the Gold Helm Sceratus and Calitus first. If they passed, then another of the Gold Helm members was selected; thus, a Praelitus could be promoted directly to Sceratus, skipping Calitus altogether (see Treylin Greyfell).

Ravenhelm Rank Insignias
Ravenhelm Officer and Enlisted Rank Ensignias
Enslisted Insignias		Officer Insignias

Litus	Praelitus	Calitus	Sceratus	Second Helm	First Helm