Imperial Wardens

The greatest warriors and soldiers in the empire train at Mare Glade as part of the imperial army. The greatest among the imperial army get drafted to the Imperial Wardens. High Marshall Maerifa is given significant autonomy to sculpt their regiment as they wish, and more autonomy than any other military leader in the use of their troops. The Wardens have a moral ethos they adhere to strictly and have on several occasions refused to take missions. Through the years some viscounts have tried to apply pressure to the wardens but ultimately have been forced to acquiesce. Maerifa is hard as steel and has a reputation for not being willing to give an inch. But they are also good at getting results. During the war with the southlands the Imperial Wardens were the hard line that kept the southlanders from invading the northlands, thwarting multiple attempts by holding the entirety of the southern coast (of course when the coup came from more unconventional means there were no troops to stop it).

Now, along the northern edge of the empire, the Imperial Wardens seem to fight an unending war against the creatures of darkness. The Emperor has tried on multiple occasions to get them reassigned to the front lines of the war with the tritons, but Maerifa still holds much influence in Grey Woods and so far the Emperor has not been able to get them to budge. High Marshall Maerifa is a figure that has caused much political consternation. They have the loyalty of the wardens, and a level of conviction that lends them an unimpeachable quality that makes interacting with their idealism infuriating.