Description:The Guard's headquarters comprises the southwest corner of the town center, and includes a small barracks and maintenance/common area for the members to work on their gear, eat, or catch a nap between shifts. Most of them actually live in the barracks, keeping no residence of their own out in the village. This includes the captain, who has a small office for official work, but otherwise shares the same space as the rest of the Guard. Freehold's siege well is also located here, as well as the village gaol.

Originally composed of Raxam Kelastro and five knights who followed him from Cormyr, the Guard has grown somewhat since Freehold's founding, both in numbers and in terms of organization and training. While those who volunteered their services were always referred to as "guardsmen" or "the guard," the capital letter did not see broad use until late 1373/early 1374DR, when the Guard had not only proven itself over several confrontations, but also become recognizably more coherent; the respectful "Guard" symbolizes the identity the force has painstakingly constructed for itself.

While the original knights were, predictably, equipped with heavy warhorses that still serve the Guard today, the arrival and subsequent death of Daji Meander in the Ghauwffhwar siege inspired the idea of training the wild plains-roaming birds she called "axe beaks" to serve as light cavalry mounts, a process still ongoing. Also originally garbed in heavy armor, the withering heat of the Shaar swiftly forced the Guard to explore other avenues of defense, and though necessity mandated the process be gradual, the changeover to lighter armor materials has subtly altered the fighting style and role of the Guard. In an attempt to find a compromise between durability and practicality, the organization now practices regular endurance training to inure Guardsmen to the environment.

Functionally, the Guard is Freehold's last line of defense against incursions. As much a police force as a military body, the Guard are the closest thing to an army in the frontier settlement, but their captain also demands they make use of their noble origins in practicing diplomacy and discretion, as well, casting them in the part of arbiters of everyday disputes alongside their jobs as first responders. They employ a heavy emphasis on both solo and group tactics, preferring that members be capable of fighting alone or in teams, and rotating practice sessions to reinforce such skills are popular between patrol shifts.

Currently, the Guard is somewhat strained, as its membership is still small compared to the area it is called upon to police; new recruits are always gratefully received, though they are shown no mercy or special favor once training begins. Of course, while the Guard encourage knights and other mounted warriors due to the roots of the force, others are certainly accepted; spellcasters of any stripe are a welcome boon to the martial Guardsmen, especially healers and summoners, as well as those armed with nonlethal combat magic.