| The Sentinel Army | |
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Leaders |
General Shandris Feathermoon |
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Base of Operations |
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Membership |
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Theater of Operations |
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Allegiance |
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Status |
Active |
The Sentinel Army (also known as the Darnassian Army) is the standing army of the Kaldorei peoples in Kalimdor and Darnassus. It is primarily made up of Sentinels and Huntresses. Led by General Shandris Feathermoon, the most notable branch of the sentinels are the Shadowleaves.
Membership[]
The Sentinels were established shortly after the War of the Ancients, and until recently all of its soldiers were night elf women. However, the Third War resulted in so many casualties that the traditional gender roles of night elf society have been set aside in favor of more practical concerns. As a result, although the Sentinels are still primarily women, there are now also men among their ranks. The Sentinels are courageous and selfless soldiers whose only goal for the last ten millennia has been to defend the night elf people. New recruits undergo extensive training, and as time permits, the more experienced warriors undergo frequent combat drills. The Third War resulted in many losses for the Sentinels, but the army still boasts a number of battle-hardened veterans. With the destruction of the original Feathermoon Stronghold the Sentinels in Feralas were force to rebuild on the mainland of Kalimdor. This included the addition of the Moonclaw worgen to the ranks of the Sentinels, serving directly under Shandris Feathermoon.
Armor and Equipment[]
Armor[]
A lightly-armored Sentinel
Most sentinels prefer light or medium armor, often consisting of leather, mail or a combination thereof. It is not unheard of for them to wear lighter plate armor as well. Regardless of the material used, Sentinels prefer armor that offers them the widest range of movement, allowing them to benefit from their natural agility while still protecting the vital organs. Their armor also varies based on the division in which they serve.
Equipment[]
Sentinels train in the use of a wide variety of weapons, including three-tipped moonglaives, which can be thrown in order to wound multiple enemies, longbows, the deadly umbra crescent, swords and daggers. Their proficiency with such a wide variety of weapons makes them as deadly in close-quarters as they are in ranged combat.
Ranks[]
Note: The following information is of the centralized Grand Alliance Army fanon, and is thus not required to be acknowledged by anyone.
The following are the ranks used by the Sentinel Army. Although they do consist of a hierarchy, many operations rely on synergy - rank only coming in place when disagreements arise or in large-scale conquests where more organization is required.
Officer[]
| General of the Sentinel Army [1] | Sentinel Commander [2] | Sentinel Captain |
|---|---|---|
- General of the Sentinel Army - The General of the Sentinel Army is the leader of the Sentinel Army underneath the Darnassian Government. She is considered a master sentinel and watches over the army as a whole. The current General of the Sentinels is General Shandris Feathermoon, and her rank is represented by a gold glaive with a gold gem, attached to a small strip of mooncloth.
- Sentinel Commander - Sentinel Commanders are high-ranking leaders of the Sentinels, often assigned to a whole region of activities spanning multiple operations. Sentinel Commanders are represented by a gold glaive with a silver gem, attached to a small strip of mooncloth.
- Sentinel Captain - The rank-and-file sentinel officers, yet are still small in number, Sentinel Captains serve as general leaders of sentinel operations. Sentinel Captains are represented by a gold glaive with a purple gem, attached to a small strip of moocloth.
Enlisted[]
| Sentinel Leader [3] | Sentinel [4] | Ranger | Initiate |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a |
Insignia templates by Varadu.
- Sentinel Leader - Sentinel Leaders are the enlisted leaders of Sentinels - often having five or so on standard operations. They are considered the equivalent to a Sergeant in other armies. Sentinel Leaders are represented by a silver glaive with a golden gem, attached to a small strip of mooncloth.
- Sentinel - Making up the majority of the army, Sentinels are the elite rank-and-file defenders of the Kaldorei people and their lands. They are the equivalent to a Private in other armies. The rank of Sentinel is represented by a silver glaive with a purple gem, attached to a small strip of mooncloth.
- Ranger - Rangers are considered "adept" combatants and are typically found on operations however are not considered fully trained sentinels. Newly enlisted soldiers to the army that are proven to already be proficient combatants may be immediately placed at the rank of Ranger. Rangers do not have an insignia.
- Initiate - Initiate is the lowest rank in the Sentinel Army, and is given to junior combatants. They are often not found on large operations, instead training. Initiates do not have an insignia.
Known Units[]
- Silverwing Sentinels
- Darnassus Sentinels
- Shadowleaves
History and Organization[]
By the time of the Great Sundering, military service for the night elves had become more a matter of bloodline than ability. Almost all high-ranking officers were nobles, and the night elves had lived in peace for so long that very few of those officers, however privileged and well educated, possessed even a basic knowledge of tactics. Joining the army, once a selfless choice to defend the night elf people, had been reduced to a status symbol.
The War of the Ancients made the army's deterioration all too clear. After the night elves and their allies had achieved victory, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind decreed sweeping changes throughout night elf society. The Sisterhood of Elune was one of the few major organizations to survive the war largely intact, and membership in its ranks had never been a matter of bloodline. Furthermore, members of the order had trained extensively in combat, tactics, and healing. Yet in spite of all their knowledge and experience, the priestesses had become somewhat distant from the rest of night elf society.
Tyrande believed that this distance was partly to blame for the cataclysmic war, and she resolved that her order would take up the duty of directing the Sentinels. Never again would the Sisters of Elune fail to guide the night elf people. To this day Shandris Feathermoon still reports to Tyrande, who is both the high priestess of Elune and sole ruler of night elf government.
These warrior women practice both the art of combat, as well as that of healing and life-giving in the name of Elune. The Sentinels are considered the elite fighters among the night elves. They are led by the priestesses of the moon under the high priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind, and her lieutenant, Shandris Feathermoon. The Sentinels are comprised of elite night elf archers, a cavalry division known as the huntresses who ride the feral nightsaber panthers, and the mighty hippogryph riders, who assault enemies from the air. Sentinels are found in many night elf villages in World of Warcraft, as well as among other races.
Archers[]
Archers compose the first rank of the Sentinel army. These women are expert marksmen and use the concealing forests of Kalimdor to their advantage. Their lightning-quick ambushes are legendary, for few warriors can match the proud archers' speed and cunning.
Huntresses[]
- See main article: Huntress
Huntresses are the elite cadre of the Sentinel army. Drawing their strength from the moon goddess, Elune, these warrior women ride the feral nightsaber panthers into battle. Huntresses are strong and swift, and merciless to those who would defile the sanctity of Ashenvale Forest. Huntresses also have a close bond with the owls of the forest. These owls relay information and spy for the Sentinel army. These are the mounted warrior version of sentinels.
Hippogryph Riders[]
During the war, a number of Sentinel archers rode these magnificent creatures into battle. These are the flying mount version of the sentinels.
