Petty kings set their armies at one another in the quest for personal gain, meanwhile leaving the people of their lands defenseless against bandits and monsters. A handful of brave souls is often all that stands between the innocents and the rampaging evils of the land. It is because of this that the Errant Guard was founded.
The Errant Guard is an army of brave men and women who forswear allegiance to any one land or king and take up the cause of the common good. Members travel the realm, usually in large groups called camps, protecting the populace against dangerous invaders, offering their aid to the citizenry, and generally making life safer for all. They do not interfere with local authorities or infringe on their right to rule, but neither do they serve any sovereign, and so they may be met with a mixed welcome in any land they visit.
Authority in the Errant Guard is hierarchical. Guardians form the lowest tier, functioning as the rank and file soldiers in the Guard's ranks. Those guardians who prove themselves may be promoted to the status of Lieutenant in command of a single camp. The next highest tier is that of Captain. A Captain is charged with the defense of a particular geographical region and commands all Lieutenants within that region. All captains answer to a single General, a guardian of great esteem who guides the efforts of the entire Errant Guard. Despite this seemingly rigid hierarchy, individual Lieutenants and Captains are usually given free reign to command and pursue higher directives as they see fit.
As a general rule, the Errant Guard avoids involvement in war so as not to appear partisan to any particular lord or king. However, particularly brutal or dishonorable tactics, especially those that endanger commoners, can still force the Guard into taking sides in such a conflict. Likewise, the Guard rarely assembles all of its camps in one place or against one threat, although the General has the power to call on every last member of the Errant Guard if the situation is particularly grim.
All members of the Errant Guard wear cloaks of royal blue trimmed in silver to signify their allegiance (or, rather, lack thereof). Many also wear tabards or carry standards bearing the seal of the Errant Guard, a noble griffon atop a mountain peak keeping a vigilant watch over the lands below.