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The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths 30

The Order of Guard, or the Minasdirath (S. "Tower Watchers") were an Order unique to the gondorian beacon-towers and dominated all seven of them, filling three of the five tiers in the garrison hierarchies : the First, Second and Third Minasdirath, the Fuindirat (S."Nightwatchers"), and the Dordirath (S."Land-Watchers).

The Third Minasdirath were the lowest in the Order of Guards.Their main task was performing guard-duty in the beacon-towers themselves.These guards were usually commanded by a member of the First Minasdirath, whose responsibility it was to further recruits' training in combat skills and to educate them in the customs of the surrounding area. Guards of the Third Minasdirath wore a green mantle over their Breastplates when on duty in the fortress . At other times, a green doublet was worn.A member of the Third Minasdirath usually remained in the company for his first year of service. All members of this order were proficient in one melee weapon and semi-proficient in one missile weapon.

The Second Minasdirath were those guards who had been at the beacon-towers for more than ayear. The warriors who did not request anextended duty might spend the rest of their time amongst these ranks. Supervision of the servants and of the Third Minasdirath were their other central duties . Two of these groups were highly trained in the handling and mastery of horses and in the art of fighting on horseback, while the other groups specialized in hand-to-hand fighting . The Second Minasdirath were seen wearing their royal-blue mantles as they rode around the countryside or kept watch from the outer wall. When not patrolling the area, guards of the Second Minasdirath sometimes wore royal-blue doublets, but more often than not, sported more individual garb to suit their own tastes . They were all equipped with broadswords, a Long knife, and a missile weapon to suit their stature .

Very few troops attain the skills necessary to become a knight of the elite First Minasdirath, and none had done so without extending their duty at Calenhad . The benefits however were worth the extra effort ; and included complete and absolute trust of the Captains of the Towers. Members of the First Minasdirath worked in pairs, each having an area in which they exceled. This allowed the Captains of the Towers to place delicate matters into an individual's hands, knowing that with their specialized knowledge, the task would be done efficiently and promptly .The number of pairs in this, the highest Order of Guard, had remained constant since T.A. 2513 : seven. These knights outranked all but the Captains of the Towers and their Seneschals . Their many duties included the supervision of the Third Minasdirath and the surrounding villages, as well as acting as special messengers and escorts to travelling members of the nobility . Due to their great skill in battle, these knights had picked up a variety of weapons which made them all the more formidable.The First Minasdirath wore red mantles over their shining armor when on duty. When off-duty, their garb was conservative, but frequently possessed red ornamentation to remind all they encountered of their exalted status . They were equipped with a variety of weapons to suit their own preferences, but all were very proficient in at least one melee and one missile weapon.

While not really a separate Order, members of what had become known as the Fuindirath were guards who had duty during the nocturnal hours.They were the replacement sentries who took over the watch between midnight and four in the morning. Each wore a white tabard over his breastplate, and bore a cloakpin shaped to resemble a crescent moon.

The Dordirath were a separate addition to the garrison at Calenhad coming from the surrounding lands and usually numbering between ten and twenty . For one year, the tower took members from local villages, trained them, and then sent them back home to pass on their skills . Unfortunately, when the plan was implemented, its perpetrators never realized that the abrupt change in lifestyle for the Minasdirath's members would result in many young men wishing to leave their villages forever. When this happened, little could be done about it, and so later, almost one in three of all those who entered the Dordirath either remained and joined the First Minasdirath (if space permitted), or traveled to Minas Tirith in search of a better life than the ones offered in their home villages .While on duty (which mainly revolved around training sessions and serving occasional guard duty in the beacon-towers), they wore a brown cloak over their armor. Each was equipped with a shortsword and dagger.

Notes[]

Original forms in MERP:

  • Tiromin = Minasdir
  • Tirnafuin = Fuindir
  • Tirador = Dordir

References[]

  • MERP:Calenhad - Beacon of Gondor
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