Elfhame Rangers

At first the militia of the Vale of Elfhame, later for many centuries a regiment of the Imperial & Royal Army. Unlike many regiments, it was not given an official number, and it drew its ranks from only one small geographic area, which may have been a factor in its ultimate destruction. Also known for a period of time as "Princess Stella's Elfhame Rangers."

Prior to the Coming of the Skunks (as that event is known in Elfhame), the Rangers served under the Master of Elfhame, who in turn was responsible to the Eldest, the group of roe-does that ruled Elfhame. While they were armed only with elven bows, and thus were very vulnerable to paw-to-paw fighting, the roebucks were highly skilled in the use of the bow.

At the Battle of Elfhame, the Rangers inflicted a check upon Irenaeus the Conqueror in his efforts to conquer the Vale, holding out for a lengthy period of time. Their performance impressed the Conqueror to such an extent that he immediately conscripted the survivors into his own forces.

As part of the Imperial & Royal Army, the officers of the Rangers were drawn from outside Elfhame, while the NCOs (very often teashors) and squaddies were Elfhamian roebucks. This caused some command problems, as nearly none of the officers either knew, or cared to learn, Elfhamian. As a result, the Rangers acquired something of a reputation for wildness and indiscipline when not actually engaged in battle.

The first successful commander of the Rangers appears to have been Prince Roland Sartoriusson, who was given command of the unit very early in his I&RA career. Unlike his predecessors, he took the trouble to learn the language of his soldiers, with the result that he could communicate with (and curse at) the roebucks in their own tongue. This earned him their respect, and to a certain extent, the Rangers had a better reputation after that. (These events are described in the adventure "In Hoc Signo Vinces.") At least as much of a reputation as one can have when one of your principal NCOs is the Skirt-Chaser, Westersloe Winterbough III.

As recounted in "Speaking Volumes," the Rangers had been under the continued command of Prince Roland, but shortly before a rebellion by some barons of the East Country, the Rangers (at the instigation of Viscount Fumasgift Bowyer, Master of Elfhame but a sworn enemy of the Skirt-Chaser) were transferred to the command of a general involved in a conspiracy against the crown. Certain of the Rangers found out about the conspiracy, and attempted to warn Prince Roland, but they were foiled in this effort.

At the Battle of Skull Forest, the Rangers were wiped out, down to the last buck. This was a shattering blow to the morale and the economy of Elfhame, since it involved the death of most of the roebucks of the Vale that were in their prime. Shortly after the battle, the Rangers were disbanded.

Westersloe Winterbough V, as the scion of a family that had long served in the Rangers, was allowed to wear the distinctive mint-green uniform of the Rangers, instead of a standard I&RA khaki uniform.

A memorial to the Rangers can be seen in the Hall of Ancestors.