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  1. Organizations

The Merais Unit

Nationalistic Guard

The Merais Unit, or more simply, the Gadencian Guard, are two common monikers offered to the troops who patrol Gadencia's inner sanctum. They represent order, and act as a versatile police force within the major cities.

While large gatherings of the Merais Unit may not necessarily fit the smaller towns around Gadencia, their notable ability is their quickness to deploy. It would not be unsightly for a unit of the Merais Unit to arrive as an investigation force within a fortnight.

Tips for using the Merais Unit in your session:

  • The Merais Unit is not made up of rambo-like Adventurers who can easily put a stop to a high-level party. What they are made up of are competent, intelligent peacekeepers who are extremely regimented and accountable.
  • Everyone within Gadencia knows not to mess with the Merais Unit for a few simple reasons: every guardsmen knows the units within their rank. They know when to check in with their supervisors. They know how to investigate a crime scene. It doesn't take long from the Merais Unit's arrival to an alarm being sounded in any given situation.
  • A Merais Unit guardsman will generally sit around a CR 2 encounter (a group of Level 2 Adventurers can take one out with medium difficulty). However, they arrive in numbers, and are quick on the uptake. A group of guardsmen will rarely be outsmarted by an entity, as their structure is designed to resemble a well-oiled machine.
  • The Merais Unit has one thing that separates them from the forces of other nations and makes them more unpredictable: magic. Most guardsmen higher than the First Division (essentially a private) will be able to utilize magic to assist them in combat.
  • Merais is Elvish for "Magic".
  • Think fantasy SWAT team.

Abilities and Equipment:

  • The vast majority of the Merais Unit will be equipped with some matter of chainmail, with their average AC being 16. This isn't always the case (specifically with Officers, who may make enough in wages to afford half-plate).
  • A wide majority of guards within the Merais Unit have access to magic. While most of these are more minor effects, like Green-Flame Blade and Booming Blade, more experienced guardsmen may have access to spells like Expeditious Retreat, Magic Missile, and Spiritual Weapon.
  • There isn't many stat blocks in the DMG that can represent a Merais Unit guard, since they traditionally have high STR & INT values, while also being well-versed in melee combat and magic. Because of these dangerous features, be careful not to overtune them. Remember: their strength doesn't come from raw individual power.
  • A common way to fix this convention is to have some spells be casted by a group of Merais Unit guards (or more specifically, have an Initiative round where spell effects occur). This way, you don't need to worry about twenty separate guardsmen each firing off Magic Missiles on their round.

Not the Holy Knight Order:

  • As this is Gadencia, it is important to note that the Merais Unit is not the Holy Knight Order. The Holy Knight Order acts as Gadencia's final bastion of order, and will generally not be sent out ever to deal with ordinary guard work.
  • The Merais Unit picks up the bones that are too small for the Holy Knight Order to devote time to.

All characters that are members of this organization.