“The gwyllt and their minions had us surrounded. The knochenbriseadh was tearing down the barricade, while volleys of their poisoned arrows kept us pinned down. That’s when the gallóglaigh came. I can picture their banner, clear as day even now. A sword broken in three, white on blue, emerging from the treeline. They moved with swiftness beyond compare, shrugging off gwyllt magics and blows that would have felled any one of us. Their own attacks flew true – their spells scattered the gwyllt line and their blades carved them into stardust. Their healers came after, and I tell you child, many you know would not have made it, but for their skilled work. And then, quick as they arrived, they were gone. Off to some other riding, some other place to fight the enemies of the Five Realms.“
In Tirneach, only the Réig may raise standing armies. These are the gallóglaigh, roving bands who are dispatched across the realms to end threats to the land. They swear five powerful oaths – to the Réig, the Shaper, the realms, each other, and themselves. The magic of these oaths grants them strength beyond any common mortal and lets them face the perils of the world.
The réig does not personally send their gallóglaigh to every threat. To meet the military needs of the iarlas and riders, the réig allows the gallóglaigh to work for them in exchange for coin. The bands are employed to many ends but commonly they are called upon to defend settlements from bandits and the gwyllt, to fulfil security and bodyguarding duties, or to begin and end border disputes between iarlas. It is not uncommon for bands of gallóglaigh to be employed in direct opposition to one another but these conflicts are generally limited in lethality as wanton destruction of the Réig’s forces is not something any band or their employers wants to be accused of.
While the gallóglaigh are primarily warriors, there are many others among their number. Diplomats, merchants, and scholars also swear the five oaths, serving the Réig in their own way. For blades can cut evil apart, but they do little to mend the scarred land left in its wake.
The gallóglaigh form an elite warrior class and it is common for the ambitious to join up to build a reputation to rely on in a future political career. Indeed, most of the iarlas and riders have at some point served in the bands. While family is important in Tirneach, individuals must win glory for themselves to be awarded a title. The gallóglaigh for many are a path to riches, respect, and proven loyalty to the Réig. Very helpful for securing a future.
Perhaps because of this, limits were set on who could join the gallóglaigh. To join the gallóglaigh, a candidate must either be:
- The child of a tiarna, the formal authorities of Tirneach. These are the réig, iarlas, and riders.
- A member of the High Families, the remnant power structures of pre-Réig Tirneach. These are the Drakeblooded Houses, the Ruby Families, the Courtly Clanns, and the Chieftains of Uasa.
- Fostered as part of a treaty – political hostages.
- Leasiar – the longest lived species in Tirneach.
- Weeping – those who have risen after death as mortals, not undead.
- Recommended by a gallóglach, active or retired.
Playing a band of gallóglaigh is the central premise of Five Oaths. All player characters are gallóglaigh, and have sworn their five oaths before their first game. This article may be helpful when deciding how your character qualified as a gallóglach.
For information on the player band, Cumhacht na Réig, see here.