Skymarshals of New Sanctaphrax

"Best job in the floating city, eh?[1] "
—Skymarshal Rolnix

The Skymarshals of New Sanctaphrax were a military organization in New Sanctaphrax. They were founded shortly after 600 ᴇ.ʏ.to protect New Sanctaphrax and successfully defended the floating city against Quove Lentis' attacks until the Battle for New Sanctaphrax.

History

The Skymarshals of Sanctaphrax were located in the Knights Academy near the East Landing. They were formed between 600 and 620 ᴇ.ʏ. to defend New Sanctaphrax against enemies. Their main task was to patrol around the floating city and try to help circumvent Great Glade's blockage against the city, for example by scaring away enemy ships as scuttlebrig convoys passed below. Because of the blockade, ammunition and supplies ran low and target scoring practice was done with unloaded muskets.[1]

Organisation

There were about 600 active skymarshals[2], with some focusing on the desk work. The skymarshals were organized in cohorts of ten marshals. A dawn patrol consisted of about 200 men.[1]

Armour and Equipment

The skymarshals had phraxcrafts, each of them modeled to resemble a creature of the Edge, like the Stormhornet or the Rock Demon. The vessels were one-seaters[1], but could transport up to three people[3]. The phraxcrafts were kept in the Tether Hall, which had been prowlgrin stables in the First Age of Flight.

Skymarshals wore blue-grey topcoats with the New Sanctaphrax insignia and burnished copperwood helmets. Long-barrelled phraxmuskets were their main weapon, and they shouldered them like lances.[1]

Role in the Edge Chronicles

Celestia Helmstoft

Upon arrival in New Sanctaphrax, Celestia Quarter joined the skymarshals. She was trained by Brocktinius Rolnix. Celestia was injured in a minor struggle against two phraxfrigates.[1]

Battle against Great Glade

When the patrol sounded alarms that Great Glade was attacking, the skymarshals assembled in the Knights Academy and in groups of ten took to the air. Three waves of each two hundred soldiers were formed, one above the other. At the command of the squadron leader, the first two hundred soldiers attacked as one, targeting the ship captains in their wheelhouses[4] as well as the phraxengineers[1]. At first, the tiny vessels seemed to lose against the entire battle fleet of Great Glade, 250 sky vessels, but then the tide turned in the skymarshals' favour. Only then did the second and third wave attack. When the phraxfrigates suddenly set a new course, and the steam had cleared away, only few and far in between soldiers had remained. Retreating to Sanctaphrax, they hovered over the city and returned fire until they ran out of ammunition. [1]Only the arrival of the allied Tallow-Hats won New Sanctaphrax victory over Quove Lentis's forces.[4]

Notable Skymarshals

Behind the scenes

A cloud marshal

The skymarshals were originally supposed to be called "cloud marshals", as is known from a sketch from 'The Black Books' by Chris Riddell. They would also patrol the skies around the floating city on their long-ruddered singly-seater phrax-crafts. The design of the phraxcrafts changed a bit, as did the uniforms.


References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Descenders, Chapter 13
  2. ↑ The Descenders, Chapter 16
  3. ↑ The Descenders, Chapter 10
  4. 1 2 The Descenders, Chapter 17
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