“A peal like thunder calls the brave,
With clash of sword and banners wave,
The mountain serene and most sublime,
Who now will guard the mountain’s crown?
Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Dear Fatherland, no fear be thine,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain,
Firm stands the guard atop, atop the mountain!”
-Die Wacht am Berg, traditional hymn of Ulfberg.
-Wolves of the Mountain-
The Geltwacht:
The twenty infantry regiments that make up the Wacht are trained in the Freeguild barracks in the upper most levels of the city. Ten more infantry regiments maintain separate quarters in the lowest level, the Rimegate. Whilst the barracks of the Rimegate district are technically also Freeguild managed, these men are inferior conscripts and mercenaries. The quality of each of the ten regiments of the Geltwacht (Gold Watch) varies depending on its regimental patron. Some merchants spend lavishly on their men, equipping their officers with bejeweled swords, and silver plated pistols, while the men wear outlandish uniforms with garish colors reflecting the Merchant House that pays them. Other regiments are more sparsely armed and attired in whatever clothing they came in the day they signed on. They fight about as effectively depending on who is paying their training. When the city is not under siege, the Geltwacht is tasked with policing the Rimegate and the farmlands beyond the city walls. They are charged with looking out for beastmen raiders and other such local threats to the Ulfberg, raising the alarm when trouble is afoot. But most often the “soldiers” of the Geltwacht will be found drinking in the taverns and extorting money from hapless lower level merchants and farmers foolish enough to make a wrong turn down one of the many crowded alleys of the Rimegate. They also more often than not fight amongst each other at the behest of their paymasters as the Burgomeisters jockey for position in the Council. One famous incident in the third year of Prinz Karl Ulric’s reign (Hans Gotha’s peaceable and introverted father) led to a fire that burned up half the Rimegate and the Ulfberger Wacht to be called out by the Stadtsmarshal to quell the sudden violence of three drunken regiments of the Geltwacht. Subsequently at the Stadtmarshal’s urging the Prince issued an edict reforming the management of the Geltwacht to the extent allowed by the Council of Burgomeisters themselves.
One of the many regimental banners of the Ulfberg. While the Ulf tribal symbol was a white wolf, the color of the heraldic symbol of the city varies between regiments, some are blue, some black, and some are even red.
-The Ulfberger Wacht-
I. Infantry
"The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions, but by iron and blood." -Stadtsmarshal Eric Von Heldenman addressing the Council of Burgomeisters prior to the Fjordland War.
The regiments of the Uhrwerkhaus, Gelthaus, and Ulfschloss districts are more rigorously trained and uniformly equipped. Uniforms of blue and white bedeck the proud soldiers of the Kronprinz, and the finest steel the Uhrwerkhaus shops can forge make up the weapons of these storied units. Regiments of halberds, spears, and handguns fight closely in supporting formations and officers are veterans with many campaigns under their belts. All are steadfastly loyal to the Kronprinz and sworn to uphold his rule as well as to enforce the laws of the Council. Much like their tribal ancestors, these men proudly call themselves the “Wolves of the Mountain” and dispatches sent between commanders on the battlefield reference regiments as “wolfpacks” to confuse enemies should messages be intercepted. The Stadtsmarshal in recent years organized a Freeguild “Officers School” (Die Ofizier Schule) to train newly raised officers of the regiments uniformly and to fight together as a cohesive whole. Wargames and battle strategies are practiced weekly alongside other activities to train competent commanders for the Wacht. Young and promising officers like Captain Johann Krell of the 5th Handgunner Regiment “Gotha’s Stormlocks”, helped to rout the Fjordlander army at the Battle of Gorsemund using the support of the 12th Outrider troop “Heinrich's Hussars”. Catching the flank of the Baroness of Fjordland’s personal guard regiment by surprise and routing them from the field, causing the rest of the Fjordlanders to run back to their capital.
Infantry of the Ulfberger Wacht charge at the Second battle of Neidermarsh
Most feared among the regiments are the Greatswords, boisterous, tall youths with two handed swords as tall as the men themselves. One swing can bisect a foe before he's even realized what has happened. Expert swordsmen, they out of all the regiments are the best trained and equipped, spending their days in the barracks sparring and learning new sword techniques from master bladesmen. At night they can be found romancing young ladies at balcony windows of manor houses in the Gelthaus, or in the taverns out-drinking their comrades in arms and spending gold on women of the evening. So charismatic and renowned are these young lads that they are often the subject of poems, songs, plays, and novels. The 15th Dopplesoldier Regiment is known as the "Kronprinz's Regiment" and they are often tasked with escorting the Prinz and Stadtsmarshal when on campaign, guarding the gate to the Ulfschloss, or going on daring raids behind enemy lines at the bidding of the Kronprinz.
II. Artillery
"Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl." -Grungi Gundestruppe, Cogmaster and Chief Quartermaster of the Ordinance Train.
The Ordinance Train of the Wacht is of course the most impressive collection of artillery in all of Gotholm if not the whole realm. Hundreds of cannon, mortars, rockets, and other such machines are maintained by the Uhrwerkhaus district's many forges. Exiled Dwarfs from the long destroyed hold under Kohlblitzberg further downrange of the Karlskreig Alps (where the Ulfberg rears out of the midst like a great white spear point.) forge cannon barrels and parts for the steam tanks. Cogsmiths train engineers and gunsmith apprentices in the techniques necessary to maintain the armaments that have brought low dragons, giants, and other great dangers to men. Three steam tanks are housed in the Great Workshop in the center of the Clockwork district. These rare machines are the Kronprinz' prise possessions, having broken the battle lines of many foes. The most renowned tank is "Siegfried", clad in blue lined white armor and stoutly built, Siegfried is named after a Prince of Ulfberg who slew a dragon attacking the city. Siegfried has served in the recent campaigns of Zeebund and Fjordland, and was instrumental in breaching the defenses of Zeebund when it rammed into the south gate and blasted the ruling Stadtholder from his horse, scattering him all over the city clocktower.
The second tank of near equal fame is "Gotha's Steed". Built for speed, it has a sizeable ram on the bow of the tank and reinforced, dwarf forged pistons to hold up under pressure. Karl Hohenlynd, the chief engineer for Gotha's Steed, constantly oversees new modifications to improve the speed and hitting power of his prize mount. Painted a deep blue with red trim, Gotha's Steed led the charge at the Second Battle of Neidermarsch, crushing a horde of Skaven acolytes before her wheels clogged with rat corpses and sank partly into the marsh, her crew firing on ratkind from the roof til the Wacht arrived to finish off the foe.
The third and final tank is of a venerable old design known as "Kamarade". Black as the soot covered works from which she first emerged, with gilded paintwork, Kamarade has a master crafted steam gun that is blessed with magics by the priests of Sigmar and is the occasional escort of the Witchfinder General, Klaus Hesser. The Witchfinder uses Kamarade to hunt particularly powerful rogue wizards, for its the only tank to be reinforced with secret runes and wards by both the Cogsmiths and the battle mages of the Ulfberg school of magic.
These three tanks are on occasion grouped into a single Steam Tank Company, or "Dampfeisenpanzerkompanie" in Gottspiel. Most often to break the enemy battle line with an overwhelming charge. Few can stand against a steam tank and survive, let alone three!
III. Cavalry
"Come on comrades! To horse! To horse!
To battle and freedom we go!.."
- From a traditional march of the 12th Outriders "Heinrich's Hussars"
Lastly, the cavalry arm of the Wacht is composed of Orders of Knights and Pistolier companies. The Templar Knights of Sigmar, and the other gods muster their strength to crusade in the name of Sigmar and for the Ulfberg, it's dominance over the other free cities they see as holy writ, given that Sigmar blessed Gotha with a vision to build the city centuries before. Alongside the Templar Orders, groups of freelance knights from all around Gotholm join the Wacht on campaign with a variety of motivations, from loot to a perceived duty to crusade for Sigmar. The Pistoliers and Outriders are similarly a mix of professional and volunteer levies. Landowners from the valley raise units of horse and equip them with basic wheellock pistols from the family arsenal. The Stadtsmarshal uses these levies for scouting ahead of the main force when on campaign, while the professional Freeguild horse are kept close to hand for flanking enemy units, capturing supplies, and escorting officials. Troops such as Heinrich's Hussars and Von Hohenzohl's Volunteers have turned the tide of many a battle, showing up at the right time to pour hot lead into the face of a Khorne warrior horde, or trample down goblin infantry. Taken as a whole, the Ulfberger Wacht is a formidable army that has few rivals among the free cities.
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