Crown Army

The sovereign's permanent armed establishment, smaller and more distributed than Crown rhetoric suggests, concentrated where continuity would be most expensive to lose. In war it combines Crown regulars with House contingents, militia, warpriests, engineers and contracted specialists under Crown command.

The realm's professional army, seen in London mostly as gate guards, recruiting sergeants, convoys and small detachments at Crown compounds, arsenals, prisons, bridges and transport nodes.

Named with it

• General George Ashcroft · Captain-General

Ties

• policy set by the War Office
• counted by the Exchequer
• draws on House forces and county militia
• under War Office policy

At the table

Ashcroft is a corridor-war officer who cares for roads, magazines, field hospitals and burial details. Garrisons hire guides and investigators before admitting a district is unsafe, and military authorities dislike work that cannot fit a chain of command — which is where companies come in. Ordinary disorder stays with mayoral and ward authorities until escalation is authorised; a riot ended by Crown volleys becomes a national question. Barracks and depots hire companies for missing stores, suspect powder, desertion, forged orders and escort failures.