may have covered this but what do the naval forces look like in Redux? I've always thought that kingdoms should at least have one large port city if only by virtue of the fact that the GRIMM should make resource/tech sharing necessary to survive, to an extent. correspondingly, I think they'd have quite large navy's, possibly even selling escort services to less developed nations in the case of Atlas?
I kind of did/kind of didn’t cover naval forces when I talked about the world military here. You’re right; since virtually all of the kingdoms have cities near water, it would make sense for them to have navies (or at least something analogous). Not just for handling aquatic Grimm, but for other important functions: enforcing water traffic laws, search and rescue, dealing with pirates, helping owners recover flotsam/lagan (goods lost in wrecks), enforcing environmental laws, and so on. In a world where access to water is considered a must—not just for trade and travel, but for natural geographic defenses—it’s mind boggling that the actual show never once touches upon it. (Not unless you’re counting Argus’ hard-light barrier and piloted mechs, which seem to be the exception, not the rule.)
However, since no country in the Redux has its own standing army (and by extension, navy), maritime forces are handled a little differently. Technically, there is one official navy in the Redux, which is considered a division of the world military (the equivalent of the Atlesian military from the canon). It very seldom gets mobilized unless the World Council unanimously votes to do so (the circumstances under which that happens being extremely rare).
The world military (naval division included) is reserved for two things:
Intervening in conflicts too large or aggressive to be handled domestically;
Eliminating sudden, massive surges in Grimm that can’t be subdued by Huntsmen.
Outside of those scenarios, coasts and waterways are primarily overseen by either local law enforcement or Huntsmen. As for which group gets involved (and when), it’s a matter of bureaucracy.
The general rule is that all bodies of water within the borders of a city are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement. Anything outside of cities is considered the responsibility of Huntsmen stationed at outposts. There is some overlap between the two, which also happens to be a point of contention for both groups (which I’ll get into another time).
The cities with coastal/river access (and therefore water police) are as follows:
VALE: City of Vale, Patch, the Gossic cities (Eldegoss, Sindegoss, Tordegoss), Avonford, Vellichor, Petrichor
VACUO: The Eyrie, Seaglass, Rockport, Kenyte, Feldspar, the Yrrose cities
MENAGERIE: Dun Obel, Dun Ashai, Dun Paror, Rorqual, Thalassion
Of the 17 outposts, the following 8 are equipped for handling water:
Belpont Station, Düahþ, Fort Iosefka, Fort Kittiwake, Keep of the Broken Spear, Keep of the Tattered Cloak, Northmarch, Oxebay Island
TL;DR - Responsibilities traditionally held by naval forces are instead divvied up between Huntsmen and law enforcement, depending on the location. Remnant's only "true" navy is a division of the world military, and it almost never gets deployed.
Something that has always bothered me in canon. Travel in the real world is expensive. And I would assume that grimm attacks would make travel in Remnant MORE expensive. Yet Jaune’s family somehow has enough money to make regular camping trips to Shion Village a thing from wherever they lived (don’t get me started on how we have gone have way across the world and only run into one family member. Just where does his family live?) And yet he was still sheltered enough to not know what Aura is? It’s the type of thing that makes one ask questions about his home life despite how much he told us. And while I would love to believe they thought these details out, Occam’s Razor suggests that they just didn’t think about said details enough.
Anyways. I am wondering what your thoughts on this is and if you have any ideas on how to address it?
You’re completely right to think it’s weird! Because it is weird.
Aura isn’t some obscure resource exclusively used by Huntsmen—it’s a basic component of biology in this universe. That’s like not knowing what a kidney is. If Jaune grew up in a large city, then there’s an all-but-guaranteed chance he would have encountered at least one person with an unlocked Aura, just because of urban population density. If he grew up in some remote, isolated community, then there’s even less of an excuse for him not knowing what Aura is, because we’re explicitly told people who live far away from the major kingdoms need to know how to fight in order to not die. A character says as much in the second episode of Volume 2.
Blake: I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can’t fight, you can’t survive.
No amount of hand-waving can justify him not knowing a fundamental concept of this setting. Especially one that’s non-negotiable for surviving.
Harris Brewis (Hbomberguy) talks about that issue here, and to summarize: Jaune is basically an audience surrogate character. He’s deliberately written to be ignorant, so that way, the show has an excuse to let Pyrrha explain the concept to him (and by extension, us).
Not to go on a tangent here, but Jaune’s obliviousness really does underpin the issue with his character. If Jaune was so enamored with his family’s history of being legendary warriors, and aspired to uphold their legacy, then why does he not know the first thing about fighting? Look at Ruby and Yang—they both come from a family of skilled fighters, and wanted to undertake similar career paths. But unlike Jaune, they started preparing when they were young, and by the time they’re ready to enroll at a formal academy, they’ve been suitably trained and educated.
Jaune’s incompetence, in both combat and know-how, makes his decision to attend a Huntsman Academy seem like it was last-second. Like, why does he want to be a Huntsman? Why is living up to his family’s legacy so important? Why didn’t he try to enlist at one of the prep schools before applying to Beacon, so that way he was prepared? What are his motives?
Sorry. Jaune’s character is a sore spot for me, and it’s hard to resist taking potshots.
I know you were rhetorically asking about his family, but you might be interested to hear that I did come up with an explanation for it in the Redux. Along with an answer for why he forged his way into Beacon, and why he was so underprepared. And why Ozpin allowed it.
But to address your main question, regarding travel, infrastructure, and the feasibility of both:
The first thing I need to talk about is how I redesigned the majority of cities within the Redux. In the present day, Remnant has a global population of about 350,000,000 people, roughly distributed between 51 cities and towns. A little less than half of those cities are megacities, with populations that exceed 10 million.
While there’s a large degree of variety between them in terms of architecture and layout, functionally, most of the cities are similar to Ba Sing Se.
A thematic map of Ba Sing Se, an Earth Kingdom city in Avatar: The Last Airbender. | Source: Inkarnate.
The canon toyed with this idea back in V1, when we see Roman Torchwick studying a map of Vale’s capital. Vale is divided into various “districts”—commercial, residential, agricultural, and industrial—but the layout always felt kind of janky to me.
Like, why are the commercial and industrial districts so far away from where people live? How do people get to and from their jobs? Does the city have robust public transport—like trains and buses—in order to reduce traffic and commute times? As far as I can recall, the inner-city roads are predominantly used by cars (V2.E4). Actually, thinking back on it, I’m pretty sure that trains have only been used for intercity travel.
The SDC cargo train that passes through Forever Fall in the Black Trailer.
The subway that connects Vale’s capital and Mountain Glenn (V2.E11 - 12).
The passenger train that Oscar takes to Mistral’s capital (V4.E12).
The Argus Limited, which connects Mistral’s capital to Argus (V6.E1).
To date, the only city that has any sort of inner-city public transport is Argus. (And even then, we have no confirmation of whether or not it has to share the street with other vehicles.)
It’s just so bizarre, that in cities which are so densely populated out of necessity (due to a shortage of space not inhabited by Grimm), cars seem to be the default transport. Ba Sing Se’s layout addresses this problem by having a vast network of monorails that are free to the general public, thus freeing up the streets for people to use. (An issue which this post here does a great job discussing.)
The cities in the Redux are similar in that their layouts are optimized to make public transport efficient and accessible, while conserving space for day-to-day living. Most of the major cities have agricultural districts (just like in the canon), but they also have large parks and ecological zones that are safe for leisure and recreation. Jaune’s family wouldn’t need to travel all the way to Shion just to go camping.
Mind you, while all cities have public transport, not all public transport uses roads. Several cities in Mistral, for example, rely on airships and gondola lifts for getting around. There’s also a city in Eastern Vale called Petrichor, which is spread out across numerous islands within a lagoon. Public transport there consists primarily of waterbuses similar to the vaporetti used in Venice.
Now, as for the roads between cities, things are a little different. For starters, there aren’t a lot of them.
A (tentative) map of intercity roads across Remnant. Dark blue lines are the “main” roads; light blue lines are “minor” roads. Note: This map excludes rail lines, airship routes, and waterways.
With a handful of notable exceptions, virtually all inhabited settlements (both towns and cities) are located along these roads. The dark blue lines represent the major or “great” roads, which are directly connected to each country’s respective capital. Minor roads are depicted here in light blue, and are considered off-shoots that link out-of-the-way places to the great roads. These roads exist to primarily accommodate vehicles, although they can be traversed on foot. Why you’d want to, though, I have no idea, since these roads are technically outside of the safe zones of the settlements.
Roads are maintained by the governments of each country. Usually, the stretch of distance between settlements isn’t huge, so the roads (when broken up into individual segments) aren’t nearly as long as they look.
The main thing protecting these roads are the outposts, which are strategically placed along them. The Huntsmen stationed at outposts are trained to intercept and respond to distress signals, either from individual travelers, or (in the case of an emergency) from settlements at risk of being overwhelmed by Grimm. Without the CCTs (which made communication widespread and immediate), these outposts wouldn’t be nearly as effective.
The outposts were primarily created to give Huntsmen access to resources besides the academies. Plus, access to places where they could regroup and better coordinate themselves as needed. Part of that idea came from common sense, but the idea of them also existing to protect roads was somewhat inspired by the tambos and qullqas of the Inca road system.
On a parting note: Vale used to exclusively employ anyone with a speed Semblance as a courier. They were a lot like the chasquis of the Inca Empire.
God, I just rediscovered this and I'm THRILLED to see that you're still working on this project – it's such a wonderful thing to see in motion, and to read through. I'm planning to use this as a rough setting guide for a RWBY-themed TTRPG campaign, since it addresses most every issue I had with canon. A couple of questions I had, though: 1) How available do you feel huntsmen are for work/how numerous are they? 2) Is there any difference in opinion of huntsmen between kingdoms?
Oh, man, thank you. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate hearing that. It’s incredibly validating to be told that all of the time, energy, and research that’s gone into it so far has paid off, and that people genuinely enjoy engaging with the content. With luck, I’ll be working on this project for at least another few years, so there’s still plenty more to come. :)
That TTRPG sounds like it’ll be a lot of fun! Needless to say, I’m flattered you’re using the worldbuilding here as a basis for the campaign.
At the moment I don’t have a definitive answer for the total number of Huntsmen across Remnant. But if I had to throw out an estimate, I’d say it’s about 40,000 (or 0.0114% of the global population, which is 350,000,000). As for their availability, it depends. While there’s no immediate shortage of Huntsmen, there is some competition for work.
Certain types of work are considered more “stable” than others because they’re offered through the government. For example:
Teaching. Arguably one of the more sought-after forms of long-term employment, that entails working at one of the four academies or any of the various prep schools. In order to qualify for this type of work, a Huntsman needs a Class-A license, which requires seven years of schooling.
Outpost positions. For the duration of their employment, Huntsmen are permanently stationed at the outposts in an “on-call” sort of role. This job holds a lot of appeal for people that enjoy a more rural lifestyle. In order to qualify, however, a Huntsman needs a Class-B license, which requires six years of schooling.
Bounties. Any sort of job listing that requires apprehending a person is strictly authorized by the government. To reiterate: Private clients do not have the legal ability to post jobs of this nature. Typically, work like this is “outsourced” from the local law enforcement when the target is considered too dangerous for non-Huntsmen to subdue. In order to be authorized to fight and subdue non-Grimm targets, a Huntsman needs to have a Class-B license.
Security detail. Jobs of this nature involve working for government agencies as guards. This can include things like protecting the CCTs, perimeter walls, or inter-city public transit (such as roads and rail lines).
Expansion teams. Perhaps the least common form of government employment on this list, since city-building takes a lot of preparation, time, and resources to pull off. When one of the kingdoms wants to build a new settlement, Huntsmen are contracted to first go into an area and cull all of the Grimm in the immediate vicinity. From there, they’re responsible for protecting the surveyor teams, engineers, and other laborers over the course of the area’s development. Projects of this nature can take years to complete. Depending on who you ask, this is arguably the most dangerous form of government work a Huntsman can undertake.
The remainder of the work out there is found through private clients. Most of the time it’s for things like security, although research agencies will sometimes put out ads for Huntsmen to participate in academic studies, or to procure Grimm as test subjects. (The latter requires quite a bit of red tape, including the permits to actually be in possession of Grimm.)
Government jobs are generally considered more “stable” because they’re long-term and always available (albeit, in limited quantity). The drawback is that they usually require higher-level licenses for a Huntsman to undertake.
Jobs in the private sector, although in constant flux, aren’t quite so limited/don’t have as many barriers to entry, so Huntsmen tend to gravitate more toward these roles. It’s how companies like the SDC manage to snag Huntsmen for their payroll.
While there’s always going to be a demand for Huntsmen, there’s no denying that, over the years, settlements have gotten better at withstanding Grimm. Rapid technological growth has dramatically increased global safety over the last few centuries (particularly in the immediate decades after the Great War), so there’s been a slow but noticeable decline in work from private clients. That, coupled with the number of Huntsmen competing for jobs, means that they’re not insulated from poverty.
It’s not something that the public likes to talk about (in no small part due to how people sensationalize Huntsmen).
At the moment, global opinion of Huntsmen is high. It’s really only a handful of people from Atlas which think Huntsmen—give or take a few decades—will gradually become obsolete.
Here’s the thing about Huntsmen, though. They’re a bit like vaccines, if you’ll forgive the topical example. When a vaccine successfully reduces the disease threat, the perceived risk decreases, as cultural memory of the effects of that disease fade. Ironically, people stop vaccinating because they don’t think it’s necessary, even though vaccinating in the first place is what created that perception.
If Huntsmen are like vaccines, then Grimm are like a disease. And if people ever believed that Huntsmen were no longer necessary for public safety…
When the Great War came to a close, the Huntsman Academies were founded as a countermeasure against Grimm. These institutions trained the first generation of warriors, educating and arming them to face the beasts that lurked beyond the domains of man.
But a lone Huntsman patrolling the wilds isn’t enough. If the academies were to succeed, they would need to provide Huntsmen with a support network. Places where they could replenish their supplies, coordinate with other Huntsmen, and make themselves available when needed.
And thus the outposts were born.
Outposts are designated bases of operation, overseen by individuals known as stewards or Chief Huntsmen (CH or Chief). In order to qualify for the position, a Huntsman must be a Class-B license, which requires a minimum six years of schooling at one of the four academies. Stewards are directly appointed by the headmaster of the presiding region, who as part of their job, works with stewards to ensure that outposts are adequately provisioned and staffed, and that important intel (Grimm census data, criminal activity, and such) makes its way through the appropriate channels.
The majority of outposts are recent constructions, although a handful of bases were repurposed from military fortresses, castles, and other defensible structures. In the interest of efficiency, outposts are positioned along major rail lines, roads, and waterways, roughly equidistant between two or more settlements. The only nation to lack outposts within its borders is Menagerie, due to it not having the legal power to license Huntsmen.
Function
The outposts provide numerous services for both Huntsmen and non-Huntsmen alike, and were built with several key functions in mind:
Communication — Each outpost has its own communication tower with two main channels—a public one and an encrypted one. The public channel can be accessed by anyone within range of its broadcast signal, and is the primary means by which travelers or towns radio for help. Licensed Huntsmen, on the other hand, have access to the encrypted channel via specialized apps on their scrolls. This channel is used for relaying sensitive or confidential information directly to the outpost, without the risk of being overheard.
Dispatch — In addition to the steward, a handful of Huntsmen in rotation are permanently stationed at the outpost. When a distress signal from travelers or nearby settlements is intercepted, a Huntsman is then sent out into the field to provide aid. In the event of a staffing shortage, an outpost may request temporary assistance from teachers at any of the prep schools or academies (including the headmaster).
Evacuation — While all of the outposts differ from each other in terms of architecture and layout, they tend to share the same dimensions. Each roughly occupies an area about 57,600 square feet (5351.215 square meters, or a little more than 1 acre), and has a carrying capacity of close to a thousand people. In the event of a natural disaster, bandit raid, or overwhelming Grimm attack, towns can be evacuated and take refuge at the closest one.
Provisioning — The academy headmasters are responsible for ensuring that outposts have the resources they need to function. This includes food, medical supplies, and ammunition, amongst other things. These resources are provided for free to Huntsmen that work at the outposts, and to unaffiliated Huntsmen passing through the area. Similarly, the outposts maintain facilities for use, including a vertiport for airship docking, workshop, forge, infirmary, bathhouse, canteen, barracks, and lodging for familiars (stables, kennels, and an aviary).
Employment — Outposts are funded by their respective kingdoms, and as such, offer a reliable source of work for Huntsmen, particularly those seeking a more rural lifestyle. In the interest of those simply passing through the area, mission boards are posted in the central hub, with local job listings from private clients.
Rendezvous — If two or more Huntsmen out in the wilds need a safe place to reconvene, an outpost is almost always the default choice. Their placement relative to towns and cities makes them highly accessible.
Active Outposts
Amathos — [Vacuose jurisdiction.] The desert stronghold lies in the rain shadow created by the western Sandshield Mountains. Huntsmen stationed here provide aid to Rhyolite and Tektite, along with any travelers and nomads undertaking the journey between the Eyrie and the City of Vacuo.
Belpont Station — [International waters.] To date, Belpont Station is the only outpost located in international waters. When Remnant’s four great powers convened at Vytal and tried to redistribute territories, neither Vale nor Mistral could agree on the border they shared. The narrow sea that separates their coasts, known as the Crosswaters, proved difficult to carve between them. In the end, both countries agreed to designate the area neutral territory, and erected an outpost halfway between them. Despite technically being in international waters, the outpost is primarily governed by Vale, as Vale was deemed to have the naval superiority and was thus better qualified to oversee it. The outpost itself is a compliant tower secured to the seafloor by piles, and supported by a latticed jacket structure.
Düahþ — [Mistrali jurisdiction.] The outpost which overlooks Driftwood Bay—and guards the port of Etesia—was repurposed from a lighthouse. This monolithic structure is composed of rammed earth chalk, harvested from the white headland that encircles the bay. The lighthouse (colloquially known as “the lantern”) is a popular tourist destination and an important historic site. The massive Glow Dust crystal that illuminates the bay was extracted years ago from a Dust vortex.
Fort Derecho — [Valin jurisdiction.] North of Vale’s capital, and south of Bato, Fort Derecho sits along a rail line that passes through the region of Forever Fall. The outpost is rather noteworthy in that the Huntsmen here set out nest boxes for wasps, and actively encourage them to nest around the area. The stylized insignia of the fort—a rapier wasp—is a nod to the species’ domestication centuries ago, and its usage as perimeter guards against Grimm. A shrine honoring the outpost’s namesake can be found here.
Fort Iosefka — [Vacuose jurisdiction.] Located at the end of a tropical inlet that connects the Bay of Sylura with the Goetic Sea. By far the largest of Vacuo’s outposts, built after the Great War to patrol the region that encompasses both the coastal cities, and the ones on the perimeter of the desert. A shrine honoring the outpost’s namesake can be found here.
Fort Kittiwake — [Valin jurisdiction.] Located on the eastern end of the Goetic Sea, this repurposed naval base is nearly as old as the Valin monarchy. It was regarded as an important way-stop for merchant ships and fishing vessels moving between the capital, Patch, and the Gossic cities. While it no longer hosts the great fleets it once did, Fort Kittiwake is still invaluable as a maritime response to Grimm. The outpost gets its name from the hundreds of small, piping gulls that roost on the rugged cliffs of the island.
Keep of the Broken Spear — [Valin jurisdiction.] West of Petrichor, on the northern banks of the Jet, lies an imposing fortress. From the battlements, one can look out upon the nearby lagoon and scattered islands that make up the foundation of Petrichor. Unlike its sister in the south, this outpost has the capacity to dock and launch boats for patrolling upriver. Huntsmen stationed here make use of the Díyaat Canal to travel between Vale’s eastern and western coasts, protecting barges, ferries, and fishing boats. According to a local legend, the outpost was named after one of the armaments donned by an ancient soldier.
Keep of the Tattered Cloak — [Valin jurisdiction.] West of Vellichor, on the northern banks of the River Dún, stands an ancient castle. This outpost offers protection to the residents of Vellichor and Avonford, and to travelers taking the road that leads toward the mountain pass of Cirithel, where the town of Gyden rests. According to a local legend, the outpost was named after one of the armaments donned by an ancient soldier. Together with its northern counterpart, the Broken Spear, these two outposts are known to locals as the Sisters.
Lost Oziel — [Mistrali jurisdiction.] One of the oldest structures in the Kingdom of Mistral, originally built to safeguard the pastoral community Ameneurosis. Although the calcareous grasslands are ideal for sheep farming and cuniculture, they have little in the way of natural geographic defenses. The repurposed ranger fort that once patrolled the area now oversees Ameneurosis, Etesia, Akepont, and the land that starts at southern Lake Matsu and follows the Lonmet River. The train that passes through the region, the Accipiter, connects the coastal communities to the City of Mistral. A shrine honoring the outpost’s namesake can be found here.
Northmarch — [Mistrali jurisdiction.] The outpost west of Lake Matsu, that monitors the road through the Serpent’s Spine. It also has access to the lake (both above and below), and is thus responsible for protecting all air and water traffic.
Old Faron — [Valin jurisdiction.] By definition, Old Faron is a spur castle. The lateral ridge it sits upon protects three of its sides from direct attacks, and provides an excellent view of the surrounding landscape. The outpost also takes advantage of the Cirithel Mountain’s vast network of caves, and features a sprawling underground level. According to local historians, the site where Old Faron was built was purportedly where the eponymous warrior once lived. A shrine honoring the outpost’s namesake can be found here.
Oxebay Island — [Vacuose jurisdiction.] This island—named for its uncanny resemblance to the silhouette of an ox, when viewed from above—is located off of Vacuo’s eastern coast, within the Goetic Sea. The eponymous outpost was built after the Great War ended, and protects passing ships from pelagic Grimm (and occasionally, pirates).
Pinewatch — [Mistrali jurisdiction.] In the days of the Mistrali Empire, Pinewatch was a ranger fort. It guards the northwestern region of Lake Matsu, in a stretch of taiga known as Snowbound. The outpost is primarily accessed by traversing the Great Crescent Road.
Shanlin Redoubt — [Mistrali jurisdiction.] This outpost receives quite a bit of foot traffic courtesy of its placement on the Great Crescent Road. Located between Shion and Higanbana, the redoubt safeguards the forested region of Hinoki, south of Lake Matsu. Over the centuries, it’s been the site of many bloody conflicts, both domestic and foreign. Its unsettling past has led some to believe that it’s haunted.
Solaire Keep — [Atlesian jurisdiction.] The only outpost built on the continent of Solitas. With how well fortified Mantle and Atlas are—home to both two combat schools and the military—Solaire Keep focuses on safeguarding the cities of the south, Evadne and Chequer, instead. A shrine honoring the outpost’s namesake can be found here.
Stonehold — [Vacuose jurisdiction.] The coastal cities of the Gulf of Ȳr are, in many ways, casualties of the Great War that never fully regained their former prominence. Of the eight cities that once extended out into the peninsula and archipelago, only three remain, now relegated to the northern shorelines of the gulf. Stonehold’s presence has helped to stabilize the region and allow the surviving cities to recover, despite their relative isolation from the rest of Vacuo’s settlements. Stonehold is one of the few places (outside of the Yrrose cities) where the Archipelagic languages can still be heard.
Tidewatch — [Valin jurisdiction.] As its name would imply, this outpost oversees the territory that includes Vale’s southwestern coast. The Gossic cities (Eldegoss, Sindegoss, and Tordegoss), along with the nearby town Lower Cairn, are under its protection. Strangely enough, so is the Goliath herd that resides nearby. The Grimm are recognized as habituated and cognitively-metamorphized due to ongoing field research conducted by Beacon Academy. Unless the Goliath pose an immediate threat to people, they’re to be left alone.
In a sense, the outposts are bases of operation for Huntsmen. They exist as part of a support network throughout the wilderness, strategically built along major roads roughly equidistant between two or more towns and cities. At time of writing, there are 11 named outposts, although the plan is to eventually add a few more to the roster.
In the Kingdom of Vale, there are five: Fort Derecho, Keep of the Broken Spear, Keep of the Tattered Cloak, Old Faron, and Tidewatch.
In the Kingdom of Mistral, there are three: Lost Oziel, Pinewatch, and Shanlin Redoubt.
In the Kingdom of Atlas, there’s one: Solaire Keep.
And in the Kingdom of Vacuo, there are two: Fort Iosefka and Stonehold.
Each outpost is overseen by a person known as the steward or Chief Huntsman (CH or Chief), who is directly appointed by the academy headmaster of the presiding region. The headmasters, as part of their job, work with stewards to ensure that outposts are adequately provisioned and staffed, and that important intel (Grimm census data, criminal activity, and such) makes its way through the appropriate channels.
The outposts provide numerous services for both Huntsmen and non-Huntsmen alike, and were built with several key functions in mind:
Communication — Each outpost has its own communication tower with two main channels—a public one and an encrypted one. The public channel can be accessed by anyone within range of its broadcast signal, and is the primary means by which travelers or towns radio for help. Licensed Huntsmen, on the other hand, have access to the encrypted channel via specialized apps on their scrolls. This channel is used for relaying sensitive or confidential information directly to the outpost, without the risk of being overheard.
Dispatch — In addition to the steward, a handful of Huntsmen in rotation are permanently stationed at the outpost. When a distress signal from travelers or nearby settlements is intercepted, a Huntsman is then sent out into the field to provide aid. In the event of a staffing shortage, an outpost may request temporary assistance from teachers at any of the prep schools or academies (including the headmaster).
Evacuation — While all of the outposts differ from each other in terms of architecture and layout, they tend to share the same dimensions. Each roughly occupies the area of an American football field, about 57,600 square feet (5351.215 square meters, or a little more than 1 acre), and has a carrying capacity of close to a thousand people. In the event of a natural disaster, bandit raid, or overwhelming Grimm attack, towns can be evacuated and take refuge at the closest one.
Provisioning — The academy headmasters are responsible for ensuring that outposts have the resources they need to function. This includes food, medical supplies, and ammunition, amongst other things. These resources are provided for free to Huntsmen that work at the outposts, and to unaffiliated Huntsmen passing through the area. Similarly, the outposts maintain facilities for use, including a vertiport for airship docking, workshop, forge, infirmary, bathhouse, canteen, barracks, and lodging for familiars (stables, kennels, and an aviary).
Employment — Outposts are funded by their respective kingdoms, and as such, offer a reliable source of work for Huntsmen, particularly those seeking a more rural lifestyle. In the interest of those simply passing through the area, mission boards are posted in the central hub, with local job listings from private clients.
Rendezvous — If two or more Huntsmen out in the wilds need a safe place to reconvene, an outpost is almost always the default choice. Their placement relative to towns and cities makes them highly accessible.
While many of the outposts were built in tandem with the formation of the Huntsman Academies, at least a few were repurposed from old pre-war military fortresses.
It always felt weird to me that despite being such an integral component of inter- and intra-kingdom defense, Huntsmen had no structural support outside of the academies (and even then, the academies seem to exist largely for the benefit of students, not licensed adults). And yes, while Huntsmen can choose to operate independently, it struck me as somewhat incongruous, given that all licensed Huntsmen are trained on teams first, which should emphasize a sense of cooperation. Their occupations should make Huntsmen more akin to comrades than strangers who happen to share a job title, and yet we seldom see this play out in the canon. Thus, outposts exist to reinforce that unity by supplying them with places where they can meet, swap news, and socialize in between assignments.
(And because in the Redux's story, the outposts will play a major role in the plot—particularly in Volumes 4, 5, and 9.)
