The City Guard was a highly trained military organization of fully-armored soldiers responsible for defending the great city of Waterdeep and patrolling its surroundings.
Organization
The City Guard served many purposes related to defending the city. Within Waterdeep, the Guard protected the city walls, gates, and its important buildings, as well as provided escorts for government officials. It also patrolled the harbor and the roads leading from Waterdeep to Amphail, Unknown, and Daggerford.
The exact size of the City Guard was a secret only known to the Masked Lords of Waterdeep, but it was thought to be around 1,200 strong. In times of war, it could enlist mercenaries and grow to a contingent of up to 12,000 members.
Members of the City Guard were paid a salary of 6gp per month. No fee was required to join the ranks.
Ranks
Like the City Watch (Waterdeep), the City Guard had specific titles for the members of their forces. A City Guard patrol usually consisted of twelve members, whose commanding officer was called the civilar. A commanding officer holding the rank of captain was known as an aumarr, or senior civilar, while one holding the rank of lieutenant was known as a shieldlar, or, simply, civilar. The patrol also contained one armar, or sergeant, and ten guardsmen or guardswomen, or trusties. A patrol could also be led by a sergeant.
Other officer positions existed within the ranks of the Guard, not typically associated with regular patrols. In particular, the ranks of valabrar and torsin were responsible for escorting important individuals within the city, while also composing honor guards and bodyguards to diplomats and illustrious visitors to the city. Officers holding those positions outranked captains.
The City Guard also had a special branch called the Griffon Cavalry. Its members were responsible for patrolling the skies of the city riding a Griffon.
The commanding positions of the Guard held specific individual titles. Some of those positions existed at all times, while others only during war. The perennial command positions were Seneschal of Castle Waterdeep, Defender of the Harbor, Master of the North Towers, and Master of the South Towers. Command positions only activated during wartime were the Lords' Hand and Lords' Champion. The Warden of Waterdeep commanded the entire organization.
Activities
The City Guard's duty was to investigate foreign threats to Waterdeep and to protect the city against them. Their duties included guarding the city's gates, important locations, and citizens. City Guards could be found posted at Castle Waterdeep, Piergeron's Palace, the city walls, and its surrounding countryside.
City Guard patrols also kept watch on the roads leading from Waterdeep to Amphail, Daggerford, and Goldenfields.
Possessions
Waterdeep's City Guards wore a uniform of polished chainmail covered with a tabard in black cloth with gold trim. They carried various weapons as their posts would require, including longswords, shortbows, shortspears, shortswords, daggers and clubs.
History
The City Guard have helped protect the city from many dangers, one of the more well known and disastrous ones being the invasion by an army of Sahuagin and other ocean creatures.