The ogichidaa are the special forces of Madziar that patrol, police, and enforce the laws of the city amongst the hundreds of different cultures and communities represented there. They are led by the Alpha Shemir Bohoniv. They have four mandates:

1. Keep the peace within the city.
2. Protect the city from danger external or internal.
3. Watch for beings of the Rending.
4. Maintain the borders.

The last refers to the law that states that every community may develop their own laws, rules, etc., but only within their own borders. Outside of their neighborhoods, they must respect the laws of other neighborhoods or of the First Nation.

Nanda-Gikendan
To be an ogichidaa, a shemir must apply to join the special training school called the Nanda-Gikendan. This school is run by the Alpha Shemir and his selected instructors, called nibwaakaa . These are usually retired ogichidaa.

The Nanda-Gikendan only takes the most elite shemir, usually of about 5,000 years or age or so at the youngest. They must have a background in military, martial arts, or other combative experience, a patient and calm temperament, and at least four other characteristics, experiences, or skills that are relevant to the job: investigative skill, analytic or logical mindset, esoteric arts, physical strength and/or agility, understanding of law, etc. The school takes at least 100 years to complete and includes training in the following:

• Combat with spear, quarterstaff, sword, firearms, hand-to-hand, nightclub, and at least one special weapon of their choice
• Physical fitness and endurance training
• Cultural understanding and appreciation
• The laws of Madziar and the entire world (and beyond)
• Lore of supernatural beings, other nations and species, and the diversity of life on Shem and beyond
• Divine courts and laws
• Animal care and use (horses, etc.)
• Medicine for a variety of species, but mostly shemir, and the attendant sciences behind it
• Esoteric arts of Foundation, gebvel, oalkhaylaoataa, dream energy, light of justice, iremia, glory or long path radiance, b'qar, mansam, qi, white tiger aether, poioumenon, the Law, curacion, and imperium are required; at least five other arts are expected as specializations
• Survival skills and domestic skills
• Childcare
• Psychology and therapy skills
• Self-care
• Hunting, tracking, fishing
• Social etiquette
• Two arts of the shemir's choice

Some recruits take longer to finish training than others; there is no set time limit. Every field of study has its own syllabus, but most fields can be tackled in any order. However, because of the difficulty of the work, the high standards for ogichidaa ethically and legally, and the pressures of dealing with the various communities, there is a high burnout rate among students and recruits. The Nanda-Gikenden takes about 25 students per year. 1% of students graduates, and another 1% of those last through their first hundred years on the force. The entire ogichidaa force numbers about 1,000.

Graduation takes place once a shemir has completed all couse work. Once graduated, an ogichidaa recruit spends 100 years working alongside veterans before being made a full-fledged ogichidaa.

Weaponry and Armor
Ogichidaa use special weapons and armor made through aedificarian arts by their specialized makers. Their main armaments are

• A staff charged with Foundation, dream energy, iremia, and oalkhaylaoataa that only stuns targets called a zhimaagan (+7/+0). It provides +3 PRO.
• A sword made of fashioned ailsilver, charged with the gates and oalkhaylaoataa, called a ashaweshk (+9+9), which is designed to kill or severely damage an enemy. It provides +3 PRO.
• A rifle (baashkizigan; 19/26/33) charged with light of justice, euphotonia, oalkhaylaoataa, and draconic power that is used in only the most dangerous situations. The bullets (asin) are made from fashioned ailsilver as well. It provides +3 aim.
• A nightclub called a bagamaagan, which is made from a World Tree limb (+10/+7), empowered by Foundation, viridian aether, and oalkhaylaoataa. It provides +3 PRO.
• A suit of light armor made from lapis dragon scales (+10/+10). This ganawendan armor provides them with immunity to concussive force, deafness, and acid; +6/+6 vs. rending; and +3 STR and ATH.
• A gaazo cloak of fashioned leather (+4/+4), oiled against the rain and woven with Foundation, mystery (+1 sneak/hide when standing still), gebvel, and various aethers to protect from the elements.
• Boots (nizid) crafted of fashioned leather (+2 ATH) with mansam, Foundation, flux, and mystery (+1 sneak/hide). They keep the feet from becoming sore and allow for quiet steps.
• A belt crafted from the leather of a maha-pudma called gijipizon. This belt is crafted with Foundation, mansam, and iremia, making the wearer resistant to poison (+3 poison resistance) and harder to strike (+1 parry/dodge).

The belts are made from the leather of one maha-pudma, long since dead, which has been enough for all ogichidaa over the Ages.

Other Inventory
Other items always carried and used by ogichidaa include

• A medical kit including common anti-venoms, penicillin, pain killers, and first aid materials, plus two qi-charged tablets called bimaadizi that can slow death by an hour (power 22) and a curacion-laced potion called miskwi that will heal a mortal wound (12 doses; power 22 each).
• A talisman called a zegim which warns them of any rending energy in the area. Crafted of fashioned ailsilver and Foundation energies, in the shape of a small globe.
• A flashlight or lantern charged with euphotonia that lasts longer than mundane ones, called a waaswaagan.
• A needle and thread.
• A tea made from haoma seeds and genesis bush leaves called aniibiish. This tea makes them more resistant to unholy energies (including rending) and more potent against beings of rending if they ever must sacrifice themselves. They keep a thermos with 3 doses (+6 Foundation energy, +6/+6 vs. unholy energies) that last three hours each.
• A pair of blackiron handcuffs called dakobizh for very dangerous criminals (power 22).

Diversity
Ogichidaa keep certain animals to help them in their work:

• Yales, which they ride.
• Fidelis hounds, which they use for tracking, hunting, and sniffing out dangerous materials, and companionship.
• White horses, which they also ride.
• Sekers, hunting hawks.
• Colobus monkeys, kept for companionship and theft.

Esoteric Arts
All ogichidaa use Foundation, gebvel, oalkhaylaoataa, dream energy, light of justice, iremia, glory or long path radiance, b'qar, mansam, qi, white tiger aether, poioumenon, the Law, curacion, and imperium. They use them in the following ways:

• Aedificarium (Foundation): ogichidaa use this art to create their armaments (specialists with a 14+ skill) or repair them (all others, 5+ skill).
• Shieldmastery (gebvel): ogichidaa use this art as part of their personal defense (7+ skill), though they adapt it to their cloaks, not shields.
• Vermeil refinement (oalkhaylaoataa): ogichidaa use this during their training and any time they practice their combat skills, to improve their prowess.
• Induction (dream energy): ogichidaa use this to put dangerous targets to sleep in extreme circumstances (7+ skill).
• Just-gleaning (light of justice): ogichidaa use this oracular art (7+ skill) against especially stealthy or clandestine criminals, exposing their crimes even if not their locations, bodies, or identities.
• Iremic meditation (iremia): ogichidaa engage in this meditative art in order to keep their temperaments and protect themselves from provocations (10+ skill).
• Glorious feats (glory) or long path meditation (long path): these arts are used by ogichidaa to help them improve themselves over the long term.
• Vadaszat (b'qar): the ogichidaa use this art while hunting criminals (7+ skill).
• Elongation (mansam): this exercise art is used to quicken the strengthening of muscles for the ogichidaa.
• Reiki (qi): ogichidaa use this for soothing and healing purposes, both physical and metaphysical (7+ skill).
• Esoteric smithing (white tiger aether): ogichidaa either specialize in this to make their armaments (skill of 14+) or repair them (all others, 4+).
• Lore (poioumenon): ogichidaa use this sometimes in their investigations (7+ skill).
• Antiguo medico (curacio): ogichidaa use this for healing and medical purposes (5+ skill).
• Blackiron (imperium): specialist ogichidaa use the art of creating this metal to make their dakobizh (skill 14") and common ogichidaa use it to repair their dakobizh (skill 5+).

Other esoteric energies used by the ogichidaa are all specializations. The most common include

• Wanisin: these ogichidaa are masters of shadow energy, arcanum (mystery), and black nommic arts. They are the secret police. Only 25 of these are on the force at any time.
• Mikan: these are essentially ogichidaa detectives. They use vadaszat, arcanum, euphotonia, fate, psionics, and other arts that aid their investigative searches. About 100 of these are on the force at any time.
• Gizhaazh: these ogichidaa specialize in defensive arts. They use gebvel, hegnh, void, fundamental aether, earthpower aether, iremia, oalkhaylaoataa, mansam, and/or the Law commonly. About 100 of these are on the force at any time.
• Ishkode: these ogichidaa specialize in arson, fire safety, and emergency work. They use rubedian and currents aether, brumal aether, gebvel, hegnh, earthpower aether, pattern aether, curacion, qi, and the gates, mostly. About 10 of these are on the force.
• Amajine: these ogichidaa specialize in sex crimes and trauma cases, supplementing their arts as mikan with dumaqu, humors, mijjit, qi, iremia, sanguine light, and emotional resonance. About 15 of these are on the force.
• Dibenim: these ogichidaa focus on legal issues. They use the Law, imperium, entropy, gebvel, shebv heya, viridian aether, heavenly light, shavev mashkalran, Foundation, nommos, complexity, symbolism, blasphemy, poioumenon, and paradox in their work. There are only three of them.

Other specialists exist as well.

Role
In Madziar, ogichidaas primarily patrol the borders between communities. They respond to crimes, violations of borders, or emergency pleas. Their jurisdiction does not extend far into any community, but if they can perceive an emergency, they can respond to it. If there is a call specifically for them, they respond to it as well, judging if they have jurisdiction once they get there. The gizhaazh work the walls of the city, the central defenses, and the far borders. Their role is primarily to defend the city as a whole, being the first line of defense and supplement to the community, faith, or tribal militias. Mikan, amajine, and ishkode work together as a single organization, with the specialists going out on routine calls if no other cases are present. The dibenim are the main administrators of the ogichidaa, and they answer directly to the Alpha Shemir. They are his Disciples.

There are tensions between the ogichidaa and local police and militias in some communities, usually the more extreme ones (such as those who follow the Stillborn God or the Webweaver, for instance). Ogichidaa are allowed to kill in self-defense or in defense of others, or of the city; this makes them very feared by those who come into conflict with them.

An ogichidaa will ignore most petty crimes, victimless crimes, or crimes specific to a community (i.e., a community where wearing something is illegal, for instance). Only violations and crimes that threaten the peace or well-being of the city, such as terrorism, hate crimes, sexual crimes, cross-border crimes, kidnapping, serial murder, serial rape, mortal trafficking, use of rending energies, arson or negligence leading to fire, negligence leading to flooding, certain kinds of corruption, espionage and treason, etc. Many of these they only investigate if they are cross-border or near-border crimes.

Perception
In the First Nation, the ogichidaa are revered and honored, considered heroic, and celebrated. Among other communities, it varies, though most respect them. Those who do not are mostly aligned to unholy spheres, though some who are very keen on borders, self-rule, or self-determination sometimes view them as interlopers.