In 2266, the Catholic Pope secretly reached out to an up-and-coming Muslim Imam, a Mujtahid. They had known each other while in grade school in England; The Mujtahid had spoken and written several times against "abuses in faith" while leading a relatively small clan of Muslims from many parts of the world.The Pope's offer was staggering, and bold; He would support his friend in a full-fledged power play, control of all the faithful world-wide, IF his friend renounced violence against civilians "in perpetuity."The Mujtahid accepted the offer; To provide a cover to the deal, he traveled, along with many religious leaders, to Vienna, for "A Conference On Religion And Global Violence," ostensibly a conference to renounce the use of religion for violence world wide, but secretly, a chance to make the offer much wider- To all faiths.Most of the attendees signed on, especially after the Pope made an offer that was very hard to refuse indeed; The Swiss Custodess would be offered as the defenders of any holy place, world wide, at the Vatican's expense- ALONE.Since then, the Swiss Custodes have been the defenders of ALL faiths, based on a model by Shiks, who make up a fair number of the Guard now.The Swiss were famous mercenaries for hundreds of years, as young men sought fortunes abroad. They had a reputation for discipline, loyalty, and employing revolutionary tactics, and were considered the most powerful troops of the 15th Century, until their methods were refined. The Pontifical Swiss Custodes of the Holy See (now located in Vatican City) was founded in 1506 and is the only extant Swiss Custodes.The Papal Swiss Custodes has a bodyguard/security role, protecting senior leaders of the various faiths and protecting religious sites. Recruits to the guards must single males who have completed basic training in the military with certificates of good conduct, have a professional degree or high school diploma, between 19 and 30 years of age, and stand at least 5 ft 8½ in tall. The official dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. The Swiss Custodes serves as the de facto militry of Vatican City, and "all faiths."History.The Pontifical Swiss Custodes has its origins in the 15th Century, when Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) made an alliance with the Swiss Confederation and built barracks in Via Pellegrino after foreseeing the possibility of recruiting Swiss mercenaries. When the Italian Wars began, Swiss mercenaries were a fixture in the front lines with many competitory factions.In 1503, Pope Julius II asked the Swiss Diet to provide him with a constant corps of 200 Swiss mercenaries. In September 1505, the first contingent of 150 soldiers started their march towards Rome, under the command of Kaspar von SILENE, entering the city 22 January 1506, which is considered the official date of the Guard's foundation. "The Swiss see the sad situation of the Church of God, Mother of Christianity, and realize how grave and dangerous it is that any tyrant, avid for wealth, can assault with impunity, the common Mother of Christianity," declared Huldrych ZWINGLI, a Swiss Catholic who later became a Protestant reformer. Pope Julius II later granted them the title "Defenders of the Church's freedom."The force has varied greatly in size over the years. Its first, and most significant, hostile engagement was 06 May 1527, when 147 of the 189 Guards, including their commander, died fighting the troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the stand of the Swiss Custodes during the Sack of Rome in order to allow Clement VII to escape through the Passetto di Borgo, escorted by the other 40 guards. The last stand battlefield is located on the left side of St Peter's Basilica, close to the Campo Santo Teutonico (German Graveyard). The Pontifical Swiss Custodes has served the popes since the 16th Century. They consist of a Commandant (bearing the rank of Oberst or Colonel), a chaplain, three officers, one sergeant major (Feldweibel), 30 NCOs, and 99 halberdiers, the rank equivalent to private (so called because of their traditional halberd).Recruitment And Service.Recruits to the guards must single males who have completed basic training in the military with certificates of good conduct, have a professional degree or high school diploma, between 19 and 30 years of age, and stand at least 5 ft 8.5 in tall. It has been suggested from time to time that the Swiss Custodes may be opened to females "someday" but it seems highly unlikely. Because the Custodes serve throughout the UGC, non-Terrans are encouraged to apply; However, every applicant must be able to demonstrate the requirements of the Custodes. That makes it 'unusual' that the largest recruitment pool is, in fact, the Uruk Hai. However, even in a relatively calm mood, an Uruk Hai is a pretty intimidating creature, and most people don't fuck with them.Qualified candidates must apply to serve. If accepted, new guards are sworn on 06 May every year in the San Damaso Courtyard (Italian: Cortile di San Damaso) in the Vatican (06 May being the anniversary of the Sack of Rome). The chaplain of the guard reads aloud the oath in Latin (though it is read to them the day of, the day before, and three days before, to ensure they understand what they are agreeing to):| "I swear I will faithfully, loyally and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff Francis and his legitimate successors, and also dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing if necessary also my life to defend them. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the see is vacant. Furthermore I promise to the Commanding Captain and my other superiors, respect, fidelity and obedience. This I swear! May God and our Holy Patrons assist me!" |
When his name is called, each new guard approaches the Pontifical Swiss Custodes's flag, grasping the banner in his left hand. He raises his right hand with his thumb, index, and middle finger extended along three axes, a gesture that symbolizes the Holy Trinity, and speaks in his/her native tongue:| "I, [name of the new guard], swear diligently and faithfully to abide by all that has just been read out to me, so grant me God and so help me his Saints." |
The term of service is between 3 years.Conditions Of Service.Regular guardsmen (halberdiers) receive a tax-free salary of 25,318credit per month plus extra pay for hazardous/combat duty, which they see some of. In addition, accommodation and boarding are provided.Uniforms.The official dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. Commandant (1910-1921) first created the current uniforms in 1914, which were brought back into service after the Kara Qalliph Diel'are Kah Yar (T'sentraedi Rain Of Death). Over this is worn with a simple brown belt, a flat white collar and a black beret. During cold or inclement weather, a dark blue cape is worn over the regular uniform.Armor.The style of the medieval Morion Armor remains, with the large chestplate and helmet, remain is service, but meets (actually exceeds) UGC Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) standards for Class VI(R) protections. Black is used for the most part, with silver being for "special occasions." Standardized Personnel Armor System (SPAS) helmets are never far away, nor are SPAS-rated faceplate/gasmasks. Even the uniform itself is a kind of armor, albeit much lighter.Equipment.The Swiss Custodes still wear the brightly colored uniforms, the "medieval" style plate armor, and carry halberds- But mostly for show. Tucked into their uniforms is a Gallant H-90 and never far away, the stock and barrel kit to turn the purely self-defense weapon into a powerful offensive one. The sword is a stylized MT-261 Vibro Bayonet/Knife.Insignia.The primary purpose of the Swiss Custodes remains ceremonial, and to this end the uniform is as much an insignia as anything else, but the rank system was put into place to identify chain of command easily.There is no current plans to add to the enlisted ranks uniform; However, as Swiss Custodes become more engaged in related programs (such as deployment to Scitsal as Special Battalion "acting Sergeants") this may change. |
