The Assertors
Kingdom of Austland Assertors adds the Assertor, a player-like anti-illager warrior from the Kingdom of Austland. Assertors can appear as village defenders, rare patrol groups, recruitable guards, captains, and marshals with banner-based factions and command behavior.

Main Features
• Adds the Assertor, a custom humanoid fighter that uses axes, crossbows, potions, and parries in combat.
• Assertors fight hostile undead mobs, illagers, monsters, creepers, and rival Assertor factions.
• Regular Assertors can spawn in villages and behave like local defenders.
• Rare patrol groups can spawn in the Overworld with a captain and followers.
• Captains and marshals use banners to form factions.
• Different banner factions can clash, while matching banners cooperate.
• Assertors can be hired by players using emeralds.
• Hired Assertors can follow, guard, hold position, wander freely, hunt animals, or be dismissed.
• Assertors can barter and exchange metals for emeralds.
• Marshals can command captains, use campfires as command centers, scout areas, send expeditions, and rally reinforcements.

Finding Assertors
Assertors can currently be found as rare patrol groups in the Overworld wilderness.
Patrol groups usually include a leader and followers. These groups are meant to feel like wandering Austland patrols moving through the world, separate from villages and illager patrols.

Captains
A regular Assertor can become a captain when given a banner.
When promoted, the captain uses that banner as its faction identity. Nearby Assertors with the same faction can become followers, forming a small squad.
Captains can:
• Lead followers.
• Wander as patrol leaders.
• Fight hostile mobs and rival factions.
• Search for illager bases.
• Keep their followers loyal to their specific captain.

Marshals
A captain can be promoted into a marshal by giving it an iron ingot.
Marshals are higher-ranking leaders that can command multiple captains of the same banner faction. They are designed to feel like battlefield commanders rather than simple guards.
Marshals can:
• Recruit same-banner captains.
• Command captains and their squads.
• Send captains to attack targets.
• Recall captains when needed.
• Use command centers.
• Send scouting orders and long expeditions.
• Rally reinforcements using banners and emerald supplies.

Command Centers
A marshal can claim a nearby campfire as a command center.
When a marshal has a command center, it gains stronger command behavior and focuses more on leading its faction from that location. Banners and nearby emerald supplies can be used to refill lost followers.
To use the rally system:
• Place a matching banner near the marshal.
• Place emeralds in a nearby chest or barrel.
• The marshal can spend emeralds to rally new Assertors for captains that lost followers.

Hiring Assertors
Players can hire Assertors with emeralds.
Once hired, an Assertor becomes loyal to the player and can receive orders through its command menu.
Hired orders include:
• Follow owner: follows and protects the player.
• Guard position: guards a selected spot.
• Hold position: stays in place until ordered otherwise.
• Wander free: acts more naturally while staying under contract.
• Hunt: hunts animals, collects loot, then returns.
• Dismiss/free: ends the contract.
Hiring a follower removes it from its old captain. Hiring a captain removes it from its old marshal, but its own followers can still remain with it.

Combat
Assertors are built as advanced anti-illager fighters.
They can:
• Attack with axes.
• Use crossbows when ranged combat is needed.
• Burst-fire arrows at visible targets.
• Parry attacks and reduce incoming damage.
• Drink healing, fire resistance, strength, and resistance potions.
• Use different behavior depending on their rank and situation.
• Fight rival Assertor factions if their banners do not match.

Trading and Bartering
Assertors can interact with emeralds and exchange materials.
They can:
• Pick up emeralds for bartering.
• Offer useful loot through barter-style rewards.
• Exchange metals and raw materials for emeralds.
• Visually show emeralds when a valid exchange item is held.
This gives players another way to turn gathered resources into currency for hiring and rallying.

Notes
This is not a fork of another guard mod. Assertor Guards is based on the Kingdom of Austland addon concept and focuses on custom Assertor ranks, banner factions, player hiring, marshal command systems, and anti-illager warfare.