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.......The ranger's origins can be traced to the time when Amberlina was first founded. Those who were at first hunters, trappers, and guides were turned by the necessities of survival into canny wilderness warriors; and ultimately into the principle protectors of the scattered settlements of humans and demihumans. Few in number, but effective far beyond the power of local militias or the occasional military patrol, the rangers have kept a protective watch on the forward frontier of Amberlina's expansion. There are seldom more than one or two, three at the most, to be found in any place, but somehow, as a group, they manage to cover huge areas of the island. Where the tide of expansion has been turned back, they are the last to fight a desperate rear guard action against encroaching hordes. The ranger is a self-appointed protector of the wilderness. Compelled by a strong sense of duty, they have assumed responsibility for an unsettled tract of land, doing the utmost to maintain it in its natural state and protect its animal occupants. Though they feel kindly towards woodsmen, elves, and others who share respect for nature, they have little patience for those who would exploit the wilderness for gain or spite. A woodsman and tracker, as well as a dangerous fighter, rangers combine good combat skills with a few extra abilities. A ranger boasts the courage and strength of a warrior and the stealth and self-reliance of a tracker. They combine the druid's affinity for the outdoors with similar devotion. They are hunters, trackers, and survivalists. By temperament and by choice, they choose to be loners, often preferring the company of animals to people. Without question, they are one with nature, sworn to protect the inhabitants of the wilderness and preserve the integrity of the land. All rangers, then, have an inherent understanding of natural lore, encompassing a broad set of principles involving conservation, ecology, and natural order. Though not every ranger knows specific details about particular situations, all of them understand the general concepts at work. Nature and the Wards. As for rangers being protectors of the forests, this is indeed true. The forests, along with the mountains, meadows, swamps, seas and everywhere else in the natural world is their home. Of course they protect their home. It is instinctive in all animals, sentient or otherwise, to protect what is theirs. This does not mean they wish to make the forests 'safe' for everyone to wander through. Nor does it mean they feel the need to rid nature of dangerous, aggressive creatures. Rather, even the 'dangerous' and aggressive creatures have their own role in nature. It may be necessary sometimes to thin the numbers of such creatures to maintain the delicate balance of nature, but they do have their place in nature, unlike 'civilization'. As the Queen's wilderness holdings grow, so does the need to protect them. But suitable candidates are hard to come by. Often, from among local woodsmen and hunters, able-bodied and trustworthy retainers are recruited as forest justices or wardens. Skilled in the management of land, wilderness survival, and natural lore, these men and women are charged with guarding the Queen's holdings, preserving her game from poachers and her subjects from outlaws and brigands. They may keep his overlord's land free of monsters, guards against spies and trespassers, intervenes when natural disasters occur, and see to the welfare of the animal population. A ranger constantly monitors the region they are sworn to protect. They scrutinize the activity of strangers, they advise travelers, and intercept careless hunters. They keep an eye out for fires, floods, and other natural disasters, and do what they can to comfort animals in times of crisis. Inside the Island Kingdom of Amberlina, the wilderness is divided up into fives areas, five wards. The current wards are the Forest Ward, which is the Pax Forest and points north; the Sea Ward, which is the west seas and the Beaches of Amberlina; the Island Ward, which is Amberlina Cliffs and seas to the east; the Path Ward, which includes the meadows in the midweast and small woods along Merchant's Way; and the Harbor Ward, which is the Harbor of Amberlina and the Isle of Dragonia and the seas to the South. At the root of all that a ranger is and does is a simple, and yet, profound principle. Rangers love nature. The wild beauty of the natural world speaks to their very soul, and draws them to strive to live within the laws and bounds that govern that world. Every living thing has a place in nature and rangers have found there place with them. First Knights of the Rangers of Amberlina Nere Renay Lirimear Empty Empty Empty Empty Other Rankings of the Rangers of Amberlina Knight
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