This group, though much smaller than their brothers and sisters in arms belonging to the Army, still commands a great deal of respect in Amber's armed forces. The Marines are trained more in high impact tactical strikes in difficult terrain and situations, defending Navy ships from boarding, fire and other shipboard threats, and supporting other military operations as required. Royal Marines are some of the most highly trained and effective members of Amber's armed services, and have a wide variety of skills.
The Royal Marines are not so much considered elite because they are better at fighting than their brothers and sisters in arms, but because they can be counted on to do their best and do whatever is necessary for the mission, even at risk to themselves. The mission and Amber comes before all else, something not many find comfortable upholding, especially when it conflicts with family and other obligations.
Making a Marine Character, or, Making a Character a Marine
Playing a Marine character can be very flexible and exciting, giving you the opportunity to join in on just about any military engagement and plot out there, plus some special missions that are specific to the Navy. Obviously, with a fairly combat-heavy role, there are some considerations for characters either entering play as Royal Marines or seeking to join the Marines.
First and foremost, your character really should have or be working up to some combat-specific gifts (FGT or other gifts that are specifically geared toward battle) and a background that supports knowing how to fight. This can be formal training or informal, but they should be able to hold their own as a professional soldier. If your character is a sometime fighter who can hold their own in a bar brawl, consider adding some training on there. Expect your Marine character to wear a uniform and act like a professional soldier when on duty.
Second, your character should be loyal to Amber, either through being a recognized member of a House of Amber or some other means. Not having this doesn't make it impossible to be a Marine, but it may not make sense IC to serve, depending on your idea.
As always, the prop controller of the Royal Navy can help work out background and joinability issues.
If you are working up to an officer, all new folks start as Second Lieutenants or Lieutenants. This automatically gives your character the rank to command 8-16 Marines, which is a nice "in" on plots and scenes. If you wish your character to start out at higher, please talk it over with a Navy prop controller. You can always start out lower.
Ranks
Please see the large graph showing all Naval ranks recognized in the game for a full list and details about what they command.
The use of rank in-game is simply to 1) give you some idea of how many NPCs you can be in command of and 2) to determine chain of command. We do observe a good number of ranks to give you the opportunity to get promoted and provide some rewards for IC deeds.
Promotions tend to be harder to come by than, say, medals and awards. There is no set rule on when someone is promoted and when someone is not; you are IC ly at the whim of your superiors. Welcome to Amber!
Uniforms
These are found under the Navy Uniforms link. However, in times of action, Royal Marines are known to discard the finery and fight in plain shirt to get the job done.
