Insignia Collection

On Uniforms and Insignia

The following article discusses the uniforms and rate insignia of the Royal Auridonian Navy. The Navy uses the word “rate” in place of “rank.” The term “sailor” refers to all members of the Navy, enlisted and officer, male and female. Note: Auridon Marines wear different uniforms and rate insignia from the rest of the Navy; Marine uniforms and rate insignia will be discussed on a later date.

The origins of the Royal Auridonian Navy can be traced to the Merethic Era, when nine ships landed on Auridon’s north-eastern shore, just above the city of Firsthold. The Navy’s first sailors had no need for uniforms or rate insignia; the fleet was small enough that all knew the identities of each ship’s leading hands, petty officers, chiefs, and officers. Officers were especially distinguishable from the rest of the crew by their fine clothing and mannerisms. The first officers were almost universally Altmer of the upper-class.

Following relentless invasions of the Maormer and Sload, the Royal Auridonian Navy’s rapid growth necessitated the creation of a standard uniform, and standard set of rate insignia, to distinguish leaders from common mer. A shade of blue called ulun pase, sea blue, was chosen as the colour of the Navy’s uniforms. Enlisted sailors wear sea blue sailor suits, with rate insignia sewn on to each shoulder sleeve. Officers wear sea blue jackets, with insignia sewn onto their cuffs and epaulets. Battlemages and healers typically wear the uniforms of their regular counterparts, but also have the option of wearing blue mage robes. Marines, however, wear a different uniform.

Specialties and Branches

The Auridonian Navy’s special branches are the engineers, medics, battlemages, and mirror logicians. Members of these branches wear golden rate insignia on their shoulder sleeves, and branch insignia over their left breast. All other sailors wear white rate insignia. Within each branch are further specialisations. For example, battlemages may specialise in any school of magic, though their most common specialisation is destruction magic.

Symbols

Enlisted recruits wear no rate insignia until completion of basic training. Upon completion of training sailors receive their first insignia, the “waystone”, to signify their proficiency in basic shipboard tasks. Waystones are magical crystals set in a ship’s direction of travel. They are essential to sea navigation.

Once a sailor is promoted to “leading hand,” she trades her “waystone” for a “varla,” an eight-pointed star. As the stars guide a ship at sea, leading hands guide junior sailors through the completion of shipboard tasks. They are addressed as “leader.”

Above leading hands are petty officers. Petty officers are responsible for the crew’s morale and discipline. The petty officer’s insignia is an anchor, because petty officers build the foundation for the success of Auridon’s Navy.

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Fleet is the most senior enlisted sailor of the Royal Auridonian Navy. Her insignia, the crown, symbolises the trust placed in her by the High Kinlords of Auridon.

Midshipmer

Navy and Marine officers begin their training at the Royal Naval Academy of Auridon with the rank of midshipmer. New midshipmer are addressed as “Midshipmer Recruit” and wear a single silver braid around each uniform sleeve. When midshipmer complete their second year of training at the Academy, they receive a silver “waystone.” The waystone symbolises their proficiency at performing the basic shipboard tasks expected of all sailors. Midshipmer begin schooling in a branch specialty in their third year at the Academy. Following completion of four years of training, midshipmer receive another braid on their uniforms, above the “waystone”. Midshipmer who have completed training in a specialty may wear golden rate insignia. Senior midshipmer are then assigned to a ship at sea, in order to hands-on experience leading a naval unit.

Officers

The day that a midshipmer completes her five years of rigorous training at the Royal Naval Academy, she receives her commissioning scroll, swears an oath to serve her Kinlord, and enters the Navy as an Ensign. The eight-pointed star on an Ensign’s cuff distinguishes her as a leader. However, Ensigns are expected to defer to the advice of the more senior petty officers under their command.

After an Ensign completes many years of distinguished service, she may be promoted to Captain, and put in charge of her own ship. Captain is a very prestigious rank, reporting only to an Admiral, who will have multiple vessels under her command. Admirals report to the Admiral of the Fleet, who is the highest rated officer in the Navy. Her insignia’s crown represents the trust placed in her by her kinlords. The two gold and two silver braids on her sleeve represent her command of all of the Navy’s branches.

But even the Admiral of the Fleet joined the Navy as a Midshipmer Recruit, and rose through the ranks by means of over three centuries of unflagging service to the Royal Auridonian Navy.

Appendix: Terms of Address

Enlisted Rate

Rate Term of Address Recruit “Recruit” Sailor “Marine” Leading Hand “Leader” Petty Officer “Petty Officer” Chief Petty Officer “Chief” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Fleet “Master Chief”

Officer Rate

Rate Term of Address Midshipmer Recruit “Sir / Madam” Midshipmer “Sir / Madam” Senior Midshipmer “Sir / Madam” Ensign “Sir / Madam” Captain “Sir / Madam” Admiral “Sir / Madam” Admiral of the Fleet “Sir / Madam”

* “Ma’am” is considered a lazy and improper term of address for all Altmeri ladies, who deserve to be addressed properly as “Madam.”

Resources Used

Lozenge – /u/cthulhuh00p

Anchors

Crown