Special Forces in Eorzea.

[Ritual]

Are there any units within the GCs or a part of the city-states that are in someway equivalent to modern day SFs? Like the SAS, SEALs or some of the more common SF operators like the Marines or Rangers? Operators that are highly trained for certain roles in warfare and quite secretive about which unit they're a part of? I would think in a universe like this there may be something similar to our SFs.

[Chris Ganale]

As much as I wish there were, there aren't any dedicated, true, Tier One-level special units in the game. There's a couple FCs that play with the concept, but overall not a known in-game thing.

[Erik Mynhier]

My FC runs that road as a special ops unit. That said I assume you are asking about lore groups and the answer is yes...

 

Now I can only answer for the Flames mind you, but there are 2 groups mentioned in the lore. First are the Bloodsworn. The Flame General's personal unit, his most trusted men. They are only briefly mentioned in 1.0 but can me seen in the image of the breakdown of the government in Ul'dah.

 

[align=center][/align]

 

And the second is Foreign Operations, which is mentioned only twice, once in a mission from 1.0 involving the Royal Hall of Records, and again after the end of 2.55. Its more of a division then a unit, they are currently operating on the Ala Mhigan front.

[Altitis Acquired]

The Rogue Guild is kinda an SF force in La Noscea.

[Ciel]

Closest that comes to mind in canon are the Bloodsworn, of Ul'dah.  Kale Aideron could tell you more about it.

[OttoVann]

Dragoons?

[Ritual]

Dragoons?

 

 Actually I had thought about the Dragoons, but I heard you can be a Dragoon by just killing a dragon, anything beyond that I haven't heard anything about them, though I would think they could be seen as SFs of Ishgard.

[Seriphyn]

I don't think using the term 'special forces' is entirely correct, given the implications. It might be semantic, but given the time period Eorzea is roughly analogous too, I think 'elite units' would be more appropriate.

 

As already mentioned, we have the Ul'dahn Bloodsworn. We have a few GC leves from the Bloodsworn, two of which are aimed at eradicating individual targets. Tempered mages, and what have you.

 

 

Whoever has a friend in Little Ala Mhigo also has an enemy, for a more sunder'd place the world has never known. The hexweaver Blackstake Rodegg Chah takes shelter there, but he was betrayed to us ere he had shaken from his feet the dust of the road. The commonfolk love him not, happily enough; you will not make a martyr today.

 

The serial fire-starter Margry Flintheart has been revealed as a devotee of the primal Ifrit. She has also been seen wielding dark tomes to summon voidsent. Repentance is neither likely nor particularly welcome at this juncture. Beware weakening the ward on the forbidden book, whilst you extinguish Margry's fire for good.

 

Those are two I know of. We also have the Red Otters of the Order of the Twin Adder ("Elite combat unit formed of select transferees from other guilds"). Given the ranger flavour of the Adders, they're probably experts in woodland warfare. The Maelstrom also has the Knights of the Barracuda, but I'm not sure on their character.

 

For example, while all these forces are 'elite' in terms of how much is asked of the soldiers (likely not fresh recruits), we don't know how much sort of modern 'special forces' day stuff they do. It's probably not fixed or anything. Kale is a more 'frontline formation' Bloodsworn than a sneaky sneaky one, but I'm sure we have more subterfuge-oriented Bloodsworn too. We just don't have enough lore, so have to make reasonable guesses! Essentially, unlike modern day forces which are very fixed in their mission outlines, these elite units will just do missions as they are needed.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

Dragoons?

 

 Actually I had thought about the Dragoons, but I heard you can be a Dragoon by just killing a dragon, anything beyond that I haven't heard anything about them, though I would think they could be seen as SFs of Ishgard.

 

I can help clear this up. A dragoon is a person Ishgard recognizes as having killed a dragon. A "capital D" Dragoon is an Ishgard-trained fighter who has been trained to kill dragons.

 

A Dragoon wields a lance/spear/etc.

A dragoon could wield a frying pan if he thought it was a good idea.

[Cliodhna Eoghan]

Dragoons?

 

 Actually I had thought about the Dragoons, but I heard you can be a Dragoon by just killing a dragon, anything beyond that I haven't heard anything about them, though I would think they could be seen as SFs of Ishgard.

 

I can help clear this up. A dragoon is a person Ishgard recognizes as having killed a dragon. A "capital D" Dragoon is an Ishgard-trained fighter who has been trained to kill dragons.

 

A Dragoon wields a lance/spear/etc.

A dragoon could wield a frying pan if he thought it was a good idea.

frying pans can br dapper....sometimes >.>;;

 

to the op, a good way to find out all the info on the Dragoon; would be to do the quest line. i finished it recently and it's pretty dapper. lots of dragon stabbing took place

[Melkire]

To drag this back on topic:

 

The Bloodsworn have a number of assiciated Grand Company leves for adventurers to hunt down and put down wanted targets. While there seem to be no Maelstrom equivalent of the Bloodsworn - the Storms' leves read "Maelstrom Command" - the Twin Adders' Red Otters ostensibly fill the same role as the Bloodsworn in that they are the elite soldiers.

[111]

Dragoons?

 

 Actually I had thought about the Dragoons, but I heard you can be a Dragoon by just killing a dragon, anything beyond that I haven't heard anything about them, though I would think they could be seen as SFs of Ishgard.

 

I can help clear this up. A dragoon is a person Ishgard recognizes as having killed a dragon. A "capital D" Dragoon is an Ishgard-trained fighter who has been trained to kill dragons.

 

A Dragoon wields a lance/spear/etc.

A dragoon could wield a frying pan if he thought it was a good idea.

 

Sort of how a knight can either be a title and position, or a person who fights with a certain type of equipment.

 

Steven Hawking has been knighted, but he won't be leading any cavalry charges.

[Hyrist]

Actually it is the Rogues' Guild that operates as the Limsan Lominsan special forces, in that they are considered an elite group, but they're closer to Secret Ops than actual soldiers.

 

 

Keep in mind, ALL of these are considered local forces and those who run on the Adventurer Circuit likely would not be part of that particular command structure. The exception being the Rogue's guild, but they only accept a specific kind of cull.

 

That said, it is not inconceivable to believe that each Grand Company can have an elect few in their Adventurer circuits that they keep together for commissions tasked of particular danger and note. Each Adventurer segment is left mums on details and therefore can be pretty flexible as far as the structure, save for who is at the top of that particular division for each Grand Company.

 

In short, if you want to be Bloodsworn, or Red Adder, make sure you're a native (Or Ala Mhigan Refugee) for the Bloodsworn, or make sure you are a Twelveswood Native (or equivalent) for Red Otters. Otherwise you're going to want to have a really good exemption story written to make it fit, as those structures are fairly rigid. Rogues' Guild doesn't care so much that you're native, just that you meet their qualifications.

 

Adventurer-Elites? Go hog wild, we got that entire segment to play with.

[SunTzu7]

Dude has a secret mech suit, as demonstrated on the entirely factual program Comic Relief. But on a on topic basis...

 

The Knights of the Barracuda were the predecessors to the Maelstrom, the military body around which the Admiral strucured Limsa Lominsa's forces. Not an elite unit, more along the line of the Admiral's absolutely loyal forces.

[Siha]

Just my two cents here on the Rogue's guild thing, and this might just be me, but the OP was talking about GC related, special forces. I don't think the Rogues Guild counts, sure they're an elite force that does sneaky things but they're not related to the Maelstrom at all, they're their own separate thing with their own mission which is to police pirates and make sure they're not hurting La Noscea. As can be seen they even tend to butt heads with the Yellowjackets.

 

In short, if the theme of an elite force is all you're going for, they would likely apply but if it's official GC related unit that's 'special forces' they would not. That's just of course my opinion so take that as you will!

[111]

One thing to note is that before the Garleans came and the grand companies were reformed, most city states just used mercenaries.

 

Aka the Company of Heroes had to fight many of the early primals. So the grand companies are in fact rather new and still have some growing to do.

 

I am sure we shall see elites from them more frequently as the story goes on.

[Hyrist]

Just my two cents here on the Rogue's guild thing, and this might just be me, but the OP was talking about GC related, special forces. I don't think the Rogues Guild counts, sure they're an elite force that does sneaky things but they're not related to the Maelstrom at all, they're their own separate thing with their own mission which is to police pirates and make sure they're not hurting La Noscea. As can be seen they even tend to butt heads with the Yellowjackets.

 

In short, if the theme of an elite force is all you're going for, they would likely apply but if it's official GC related unit that's 'special forces' they would not. That's just of course my opinion so take that as you will!

 

The thing about that is, and it's even acknowledged directly by the Yellowjackets, is that they are directly under the Admiral's heel, just not recognized publicly as such. While they're not officially part of the Maelstrom structure, technically, neither are the Yellow-jackets, but both are under the jurisdiction of Merlwyb. But, neither are recognized as the GC proper, that's why I said closer to Secret Ops.

 

That's about as close to elite forces as you're going to get in Limsa, their structure is very loose. An alternative idea is perhaps be part of a Pirate Crew directly under her command, which would put them in the Crimson Fleet - but they're not known as ground forces, at least, not in any knowledgeable lore.

[Unnamed Mercenary]

One thing to note is that before the Garleans came and the grand companies were reformed, most city states just used mercenaries.  

 

Aka the Company of Heroes had to fight many of the early primals. So the grand companies are in fact rather new and still have some growing to do.

 

I am sure we shall see elites from them more frequently as the story goes on.

 

Off topic: Before the Garleans came, there were no primals to deal with. Silvertear Lake was stable and Midgardsommr was alive and well. Some beast tribes (iirc, a term the Garleans made) lives peacefully in the cities!

[Sounsyy]

While they're not officially part of the Maelstrom structure, technically, neither are the Yellow-jackets

 

Just wanted to jump in real quick and correct this. The Yellowjackets are actually part of the Maelstrom. "Yellowjacket" is the nickname given to soldiers in Limsa Lominsa's 1st Squadron. The first five of Limsa's nine Knights of the Barracuda squadrons are now a part of the Maelstrom as of 1572.

 

There's a more detailed breakdown of Limsa Lominsa's military in this thread: Yellowjacket Lore

 

 

In addition to Limsa's Maelstrom, Crimson Fleet, and Knights of the Barracuda (which still exist), Limsa employs former Pirate kings under a document called the Galadion Accord. This treaty grants Pirates permission to continue their lifestyle so long as they do not target Lominsans. These "Privateers" are paid for knocking over and looting Garlean warships and turning over the spoils to the Garlond Ironworks for research purposes.

 

Any pirate who violates this treaty, is punished by the Dutiful Sisters (Rogue's Guild). You could say the Rogues are "special covert forces," but they aren't technically Maelstrom affiliated. They, like the Privateers, are Maelstrom backed - not affiliated.

 

The Crimson Fleet could also be considered "special forces" in that these six warships are manned by handpicked sailors, pirates and barracuda.

 

 

Pretty much everything's already been said about Ul'dah's Bloodsworn and Gridania's Red Otter unit. There's also Gridania's White Rams, currently led by Miah Molkot, which is a special unit of the God's Quiver who hunt down Ixali. Not technically Grand Company affiliated either, but worth mentioning.

[Hyrist]

It's a murky area, looking again at the graph:

 

(Please note that white text in the image lists Blue Boxed items as "External Entities". It is difficult to read on light backgrounds, sorry.)

 

The Knights of the Barracuda are under Maelstrom Command in times of need, but they are still not actually part of the structure proper. The Thalassocratcy reserves the right to command these fleets under maritime law.

 

They're simply in the jurisdiction of the Maelstrom, not unlike the Rogue's Guild. Not in the direct command structure. Their ranking and organization is independent other than they answer ultimately to the Admiral, and a thus Maelstrom Command by her authority. The difference is that the Yellowjackets are publicly recognized as part of the suture of Limsa Lominsa proper. In short, they're closer to police than actual Military, in layman's terms.

 

This thematic presence is also why they're in rivalry with the Rogue's Guild, as per Rogue story-line. Police vs Sanctioned Vigilantes and whatnot.

[Sounsyy]

The Knights of the Barracuda are under Maelstrom Command in times of need, but they are still not actually part of the structure proper. The Thalassocratcy reserves the right to command these fleets under maritime law.

 

I agree it's incredibly murky area. I can get behind the structure versus commanded idea, but Limsa is, in fact, currently under maritime law (time of need). So currently, those first 5 squadrons have been swallowed into the Maelstrom. The Yellowjackets, being 1st Squadron, are also subject to this. As seen in this quote from Godebert in the Coral Tower:

 

The Yellowjackets used to be part of the Knights of the Barracuda' date=' but we were swallowed into the Maelstrom during the Calamity. Our voyage through the Maelstrom has hardened both our steel and our resolve.[/quote']

 

Quoting from the Maelstrom GC Summary I posted above:

The Admiral has invoked ancient maritime law, by which she promoted herself to Chief Admiral, effectively expanding her authority to cover not only state and military dealings, but grant her the power to directly command all ships in Lominsan waters.

 

 

There's further evidence that the first five Squadrons of the old Lominsan Armada have been completely swallowed by the Maelstrom, ranging from the Yellowjacket Outpost - Skull Valley - now being home to Maelstrom soldiers and Maelstrom structure, to the sightseeing lore behind Barracuda Piers.

 

Sightseeing #28 - Camp Skull Valley

Now a strategic outpost for the Maelstrom, Camp Skull Valley was once but a circle of tents occupied by a meager Yellowjacket unit charged with surveilling the area for kobold incursions. Those beastmen foolish enough to venture down from O'Ghomoro were slaughtered and beheaded - their skulls put on display as a warning for others.

 

At the heart of the Thalassocratic Navy lies the Crimson Fleet, composed of five independent squadrons, the First through Fifth. The Maelstrom is an extension of the First Squadron, expanding its role as armada flagship and granting it power to administer not only the remaining four squadrons, but the various merchant fleets that navigate the seas of Vylbrand.

 

Sightseeing #1 - Barracuda Piers

These docks provide safe mooring for the Thelassocratic Navy's principal squadrons, also know as the Crimson Fleet. To prevent sabotage, admittance to the area is forbidden to the general citizenry; however, on clear days, one may catch a glimpse of the armada flagship, the Triumph, from atop one of Limsa Lominsa's myriad spans.

 

 

So if Yellowjackets are the First Squadron, it actually makes it seem like they are the administrative body of the Maelstrom, according to these snippets. But, I think this has gone a little off topic. Don't wanna fill a thread on special forces with the confusing 52-pickup that is Limsa's naval organization.

[Ritual]

Awesome info so far really appreciate it! Just wanted to clarify a few things about special forces as a whole and that's they are classed as elite units, not all they do is very secretive either, SAS members say SAS stands for Speed Agression and Surprise, these element were used for a couple of operations such as Operation Nimrod (Iranian Embassey Siege) and Operation  Barras.

 

The Police gave the Military control over Nimrod at 19:07 and the SAS attack at 19:23, using breaching charges to suprise the enemy along with gas and flashbangs, they basically manhandled all hostages and took out 5 of the 6 terrorists, the raid lasted only 17 minutes, with OpBarras they flew in to the middle of an enemy compound using Chinooks and fast roped in. DEVGRU (ST6) also somewhat follow the model of speed and aggression, even 1st SFOD-D (Delta), Americas most secretive unit follows these rules on some occasions, Marines and Rangers are also conidered special forces by the US Military. 

 

A special force is a group that undertakes special operations, covert and overt ops, Dragoons as clarified by Franz, being a unit specifically trained to kill dragons would be considered as a type of elite or special force by todays standard, by what I know of Bloodsworn with the information by Erik and Kale, the leves asking you to hunt certain people, I can assume they take on missions like this themselves, an operation that is given to an elite unit because maybe the leader at the time feels the regular people can't do it, could be classed as a special operation, making the force by default a special force based on todays definition. Liking the disscusion on the thread, sorry I haven't replyed for a bit, just been taking in all the info. Also it's fine if it goes a little off-topic, it could open up new thread ideas for other people.

[Ritual]

double post

[Sounsyy]

On a tangent, breaking away from the Grand Companies, there are three special Factions/Companies existing in tandem with the Adventurer's Guild. These are Azeyma's Shields, the Brotherhood of the Broken Blade, and the Horn and Hand.

 

Azeyma's Shields

One of the three factions of Eorzea, Azeyma's Shields face the dangers within the city-states as opposed to the threats from without. Because their enemies are not from the Empire or the Beast Tribes, but are members of their own societies, the upper echelons of their association remain well hidden. Often placing themselves directly in harms way as they infiltrate the criminal underworld, Azeyma's Shields seek to bring the most dangerous members of society to swift, and often lethal, justice.

 

Sometimes dealing directly with the professional intelligence gathering members of The Horn and Hand, their clandestine operations are rarely known to the public at large as the Shields attempt to pervade into, and dismantle, an international criminal organization known only as Zer'maat Five.

 

As the Shields get closer to their goal, it becomes more and more imperative that their membership remain anonymous. To this end, they will often employ volunteers from throughout the city-states to assist in their operations.

 

The Brotherhood of the Broken Blade

One of the three existing factions currently existing in Eorzea, the Brotherhood of the Broken Blade is a structured corps of warriors that take on the threats of the beast tribes in the most complex of situations.

 

Under the circumstances that an area is threatened by Forgekin and there is no one to counter them, either because the militias cannot intervene, or are too weak to win, the Broken Blades will shoulder the responsibility. Their motivation for this seems to be political esteem and prestige, as they often take on missions with the aim of pleasing organizations such as the Syndicate or the throne of Ishgard.

 

This does not mean that the Broken Blades are above dishonorable means, however. If it ensures the stability of the realm, their ranks are not above political assassinations, false flag operations, or shady alliances; though, it is with the best of intentions that the Blades step in when weakness, bureaucracy, or corruption poses as big a threat to the cities as does the beast tribes.

 

To this end, The Brotherhood of the Broken Blade is willing to accept volunteers from among Eorzea's adventurers, so long as they follow the chain of command and serve the best interests of their people.

 

The Horn and Hand

One of the three currently existing factions in Eorzea, the Horn and Hand focuses their efforts on non-combative tasks such as intelligence gathering, item recovery, and espionage. These skills are utilized in service of any organization willing to pay for them, as the Horn and Hand are currently overwhelmed by their debts.

 

Be it at the behest of the other factions, the city-states, or private clients, the ranks of the Horn and Hand are able to masterfully and stealthily navigate the landscape in order to procure rare materials, obtain intelligence, gather evidence, and recover goods thought unobtainable.

 

It is not all about the pay, however. When lives and land are threatened, the Horn and Hand will not hesitate to assist their allies in any way they can, even it it means losing profits by way of recruiting volunteer adventurers to ensure an operation's success.

 

With the loss of Faction Levequests in 2.0, these organizations rarely get brought up, but they still exist in the background of 2.0, per the Ashcrown Consortium's involvement in the 2.0 Allied Beastmen Storyline. The Ashcrown Consortium, a secret organization founded by the Sylphs that works very closely with the Horn and Hand, monitors all Crystal Trade across Eorzea and works to restore city-state relations with the estranged Beast Tribes.