What is it like to go to war with the Lantern?

Most know the Lantern for its Security division; people swathed in black robes with green sashes and plain white masks, modestly well trained with blades and guns and particularly well trained in certain healing and force magics. They could be regarded as somewhat unspecialized; quick responders with a wide array of useful tools and skills, but nothing to write home about.

Battles against them are usually unexciting and relatively even. They’re quite a threat to bandits, and tend to be dangerous enough that fighting them is not worth the risk, but there are plenty stories of bandit parties holding their own against a squad of security Bearers, especially those from outer chapters.

After all, they’re meant for every-day operations. Petty criminals, dangerous animals and medical field work.

War, though, is a separate matter.

Red is a color not often seen.

The Bearers have an entire wing devoted to war, and it is among its most secretive. The process of joining the War wing is through showing exceptional skill when training to be a Security agent; there is no recruiting and no formal process, merely mentors that choose promising students.

The War Councillor is consistently its quietest and most reserved member. Throughout the history of the Bearers, the War wing has been headed by secretive, metered people capable of blending into the background.

There is a reason for the secrecy, after all. The War wing cannot play too large of a role in the Lantern’s plans. War is taboo on Elstren, nowadays. The idea of having a standing army would make most wary. So, it must stay out of sight, cloaked in the good will of its fellow wings.

But, when it is seen, it is always short lived.

The War wing is small. There are 342 members, ranging from field commanders to footsoldiers.

They are deployed mainly for very dangerous operations. In most cases, it is a result of a dangerous coven attracting too much attention, one that cannot be confronted by mere Security agents.

Survivors of these events describe the War Bearers as far different than their peers. Dressed in lightly armored variants of the usual robes, and more detailed and menacing masks, they usually move swiftly and with great coordination. They wear special footwear that makes their footfalls nearly silent, and predominantly wield katanas, nagamaki and naginatas. Usually, they supplement their innate stealth training with magic that allows them to cloak into their environments, as well as powerful antimagic.

For the most part, it seems that the War Bearers use a combination of shock and awe and stealth. They are capable of setting up ambushes deep inside of enemy territory using their stealth magic, and whether in direct combat or not, they are some of the most skilled swordsmen and women in all of the Veil. They do not fight with total honor; after all, their operations are meant to be secretive. They have been known to kill targets in their sleep, but strictly avoid committing serious war crimes or causing undue suffering and always aim to kill swiftly and mercifully.

Having been active for the entirety of the Lantern’s 322 year reign, they have been referred to in legend as the Red Wind, so termed for the way they seem to sweep through places and leave nothing standing in their wake. Although history is littered with plenty of accounts of individuals standing against Security squads, there are few tales of military success against the War Bearers; these few successes can be traced to other massive polities such as the Dominion.