Name: Florian Józef Czaja

Physical: Florian is average in height, and not particularly physically imposing; indeed, he is somewhat slender, with relatively narrow shoulders. However, his musculature is taut, and in his small build he secrets hidden strength. His lower body is especially powerful, and he is known to be an adept equestrian and able swordsman. His face is likewise relatively plain; in comparison to his father, known by the epithet “the Fair”, he is considered to be not particularly handsome, though not by any means unpleasant to look upon. He wears his chestnut hair long, after the fashion of the Galatian élite, along with a callow beard and mustache. Above his broad and flat nose preside a pair of deep hazel eyes, said to be the most fetching of his features.

Equipment: Florian is armed with the typical kit of the Galatian lancers: heavy plate armor, a plumed helm, cordovan riding boots, a long lance, short sword and dirk at the hip. Being the princely representative of the Kingdom of Galatia, however, his breastplate is decorated with the tooled fox sigil of House Czaja, and he wears a handsome white ermine mantled riding cloak given to him by his stepmother. He rides upon a brown destrier, named Arnoldt.

Background: Florian is the second son of the House Czaja, regnant family of the Kingdom of Galatia, the westernmost of the Western Kingdoms. His father, King Jan-Leopold the Fair, though once a renowned rider and administrator, has in his middle age taken to the three perennial vices of aging men: wine, women, and dice; the Kingdom, meanwhile, languishes in the absence of an able helmsman; Jan-Leopold’s counselors and advisers flagrantly line their own pockets; and the feudal lords grow bolder in their inroads against the royal house. Florian’s brother, Anatol, the heir to the throne, is in everything his father’s son: bold, fierce, handsome, licentious, vain, and, in short, ill-equipped to rule a kingdom. But Jan-Leopold dotes upon the boy, and thus Florian has lived the typical life of a second son, full of neglect, inordinate expectation, and the general feeling of being an afterthought; his general homeliness did nothing to assuage the issue. He was mostly raised by his stepmother, Anastasia, his birth mother having died whilst delivering his sister Hedwiga, and has an only cursory relationship with his father. Thus, he has made a career of striving to be noticed, though to little avail. He threw himself into his studies, and excelled in tactics, strategy, history, philosophy, and poetry; he threw himself into the martial arts of swordplay and horsemanship, and was recognized for his prowess. Yet no matter what he did, he garnered little notice or favor from most in the court save for his stepmother and tutors; he was once described by his brother Anatol as being, “One of those people that it’s hard to praise, no matter how good or talented they might be.” And Florian, despite his feigned nonchalance, finds such a thought infuriating. Although truly talented and possessed of real intelligence, he languishes in arrogance, pride, and superiority; he believes that destiny has both cursed him and given him an incredible boon, the insatiable drive towards perfection, even at the expense of his own happiness. And he rails against everything that his father stands for: he abstains from drink, flesh (even neglecting his wife, Eugenia, save for on their wedding night and a few occasions afterward), and dice, instead absorbing himself in books, maps, charts, and the simplicity of riding atop a horse’s back. He believes in honor, duty, self-abnegation, and the holiness of battle.

King Jan-Leopold, not taking seriously the threat of the Empire, granted Florian’s plea to lead a contingent of men to aid the Western Kingdoms against Alaric; Florian’s tutors agree that the boy, now a man of twenty-three, might be the youngest of those sent to defend the Maw, but insist that he has the capacity and the leadership ability to pull it off. Florian, consciously or unconsciously, regards the defense of the Maw as the ultimate opportunity to prove both himself right, and to show his worth both to his father and to the whole court of Galatia.

Faction: The Kingdom of Galatia is the westernmost of the Western Kingdoms. It mostly consists of broad, sweeping steppe and low-lying hills dotted with primeval forests, deep river gorges, and ancient holdfasts. The Galatians are renown for their horsemanship, and take great pride in the power of their heavily armored cavalry, known most commonly as the Galatian Lancers.

Command: Florian brings a contingent of 300 Galatian Lancers, along with 100 poorly equipped crossbowmen captained by Baron Ludwik-Balbo, Prince Florian’s lord-cousin. The Lancers are equipped with heavy steel plate, plumed helms, cordovan riding boots, long, heavy lances, short swords, and dirks, along with their packs and provisions; their horses likewise are outfitted with barding. They are well-known for their thunderous and devastating charges, and the swiftness of their Galatian destriers. Although their horses are swift, the men mounted atop them wear heavy armor, as do they, and thus the Lancers suffer from a lack of mobility compared to more lightly armored hussars and cuirassiers. The crossbowmen under the command of Ludwik-Balbo were brought in relatively late, and consist mostly of poorly trained peasant levies and some veteran sharpshooters who are expected to bring the less-experienced marksmen in the company up to speed. They are lightly armored, wearing chain hauberks and felt jacks, and some do not even have proper boots; many of their crossbows are antiques, and their short swords rusting. Still, with proper instruction, they could provide some use to the defense of the Maw.

Physical:


Equipment:

Dragon-Keeper Armor:


Maces of Mercy and Judgment



Defense ward: A very common spell used along all the Mages. This creates a weak protective spell that blocks incoming Range attacks in front and above the Mage.

Flame Thrower: A short range attack used to cast a shower of flame through the Mage's Hand.

Healing Touch: Short range healing spell that requires the Mage to touch the wound to allow the rapid healing to take effect.

Inner Rage: Short range area spell that unlocks a Rage that most thought wasn't possible around the Mage. The Rage increases the Savagery of those around the Holy Knight, allowing their bodies to push themselves further than ever before.

Lightning Bound: A long range spell. The War Mages can enhance any Weapon of metal with electricity. The Enchantment allows the User's Weapon to more easily cut and pierce through Steel. The Mage fires a bolt of electricity that bounces of several target weapons. The effect only last about 5 seconds, and used more defensively.

Echoing Soul: A commander spell, Erebus can communicate around the battlefield to groups of people with just a thought. The further the distance to the receiver the harder it is for the receiving end to understand the message.

Background:


Faction:

The court of Wizards is ancient group of Wizards located in the South West. They usually provide any Magical need of the West that need to be fulfilled. The Court takes pride in their Integrity and Professional attitude during their inception. They Have three branches, their Logistical branch known by most as the 'Blue collars'. The Political branch, simply known as the 'Counsel', and their Military Branch known as the 'Coven'. They are quite secretive with their training and their rituals, but make sure their presence is known to the Public.

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Name: Pizurk, the foot

Physical: Pizurk is slightly smaller then the average Uruk, his frame much more slender and dexterous then those of some of his larger brethren. His skin is a pale, almost sickly looking green with an almost leather like texture to it, his eyes an unnerving blue with black irises without any of the more human whites that other humanoid species (and other uruk) are known to have. Like most uruk, his body is covered in various scars and marks that betray the savage, brutal lifestyle that all of them live. He has come to favor leather armor for its mixture of toughness while also being able to move in it, as well as its abundance making it easy to make repairs.

Across his face has been tattooed the brand of the oath that he made to the Warchiefs, Shamans and all of orc kind. It will remain blood red until his oath is fulfilled.


Equipment:
A suit of leather armor with a chain mail vest over the top.
A uruk made curved cleaver-sword made of steel, stained with dry blood.
A small series of well looked after knives of a variety of purposes.
A bone horn with which to communicate orders.

Background:
Pizurk was born in the cave system of the Ashen Wastes, one of the more top side bleak and barren lands that make up the territory held by the southern Uruks tribes. While the top side is a volcanic, barren wasteland due to nearby volcanic activity that happens rather frequently, the cave systems underneath the Wastes were rich with edible plants and animals due to the rich nature of the soil due to the same activity that made living top side so dangerous. Competition for said food was fierce through as with the abundance of food came a wide variety of dangerous predators and wildlife, as well as other Uruks fighting over those caves that processed natural water supplies or over the mines wealthy with workable ores.

Born into this world of constant warfare and struggle for survival, Pizurk learned quickly that in order to stay alive one had to be strong in both mind and body, adopting a pragmatic mindset that justified measures of survival that other races and cultures would have found monstrously barbaric and cruel. He made what alliances he needed to, treasured what few friendships he was able to foster learned to hate his rivals and enemies with a strong passion.

Surviving until he was old enough to start being trained in combat proper, Pizurk quickly found that while he wasn't the strongest uruk by a long shot that he had a talent for moving quickly on his feet while striking hard and fast. As the years passed this talent was refined to the satisfaction of both his trainers as well as the fact that it allowed him to actually survive the training process at all; Pizurk's first kill was when he was eight years old, stabbing a rival to death over the limited amount of food that the trainees were provided with... and providing himself and several of his mates with a windfall of fresh meat in the process.

When he finished his training, Pizurk elected to continue serving his tribe in a military fashion, quickly becoming a leading figure of a small mob made up of the mates that had survived training with him as well as a few hangers on. After leading a successful hunt to cull down the numbers of cave spiders that had recently started to become a problem, Pizurk was officially recognized by Warchief Kurk Blood-Axe for his service and officially promoted a captain position to replace a captain that had recently perished when he was ambushed by a rival and killed.

While Pizurk proved competent enough to hold his position, opportunities to stand out from the crowd and rise up the ranks were few and far between. When news of the Sylver Empire going on the march reached the Council of Warchiefs, it was quickly decided that any available troops were to be sent towards the Maw in an allied effort to stall for time while their proper armies were organized; Pizurk was not only one of the few officers available at the time, but he quickly saw and seized the opportunity to advance himself. Standing before the Warchiefs and the shamans of the tribes, he swore an oath that he and any uruk that followed him would hold the Maw for three days or die trying.

To enforce his oath, he willingly allowed the shamans to brand his face to seal his word and course. He also ensured that all those following him to the Maw underwent the same procedure and oath before marching to war and glory... or death.

Faction:
The Southern Uruk Tribes

The Southern Uruk Tribes is the collective name used to describe the series of lands in the south that are populated and held by the Uruk race. It is not a united kingdom or nation as other races are prone to having, instead being a rather loosely 'allied' number of tribes, clans and strongholds that while prone to infighting for dominance and resources will generally band together against outsiders at the beckoning of the ruling bodies of the Council of Warchiefs and the uruk shamans.

Uruk society is built on a pragmatic foundations of survival at all costs and survival of the fittest; A common Uruk saying is 'To become a captain, one has to be strong, smart, cunning or lucky. In order to remain one, they have to be at least two of those things. To rise higher requires three and to become a warchief requires all four.' Military and Political power are closely tied together, with those uruks who prove themselves great combatants or military leaders raising to positions of power. An Uruk remains in power only as long as they can keep a firm hold of it through; In theory, any Uruk can challenge another with the intent of either taking their position or raising their own standing, through in practice only those Uruks able to gather enough support to have a chance of challenging those above them would actually do so. Being strong enough to best a Warchief might mean they'll win a duel, but if they're alone they will quickly find themselves getting killed by those with friends...

As surprising as it sounds through, Uruks do understand the concepts of honor and duty while making an effort to apply it to everyday life. Their versions of them through tend to be dark and twisted things through, balanced by the pragmatic requirements of the daily struggle to survive in a cruel, unforgiving world. Uruk's can and will eat the dead of both their own race as well as other races that they encounter, alongside skinning them to tan their flesh to leather. To them, it is seen as a means of increasing their supplies that would simply go to waste if you buried them. However, it is considered the highest form of respect and friendship in Uruk society if one decides to cremate the deceased body of a fellow Uruk rather then breaking them down for supplies.

The Council of Warchiefs is the closest thing to a ruling body that the Uruk Tribes have. In essence, it is the gathering of every Uruk that is powerful enough to be in charge of a tribe sized number of their fellow Uruks; The exact number of Warchiefs is fluid due to the raise and fall of individual tribes, but it tends to stabilize around five members most of the time. The Council of Warchiefs is called together whenever the Uruks are required to deal with an outside threat, all current hostilities and conflicts between the tribes are ceased in order to unite against the outside foe. It is considered taboo for a Warchief to kill another Warchief, which allows some degree of trust to exist between the tribes during Council gatherings.

Uruk Shamans hold a unique position in society, being held as neutral advisors and healers as well as being fear as practitioners of magic. They are the closest thing to a priesthood that Uruks have, being seen a spiritual guides that make contact with the elements or spirits. Shamans oversee the applications of Oath brands.

While there are many different kinds of brand and oaths that can be given with different rewards and punishments associated with them, the brand given to the Uruks heading towards the Maw is called the Mark of Death or Glory. The Uruks that have received it made an oath that they would hold the Maw for three days or die trying; If they are successful in doing this, the Shamans with the force will perform a brief ritual that will change the color of the Mark to showcase that they have fulfilled their Oath, allowing them to return home with the prestige of serving Uruk kind and surviving a difficult battle. However, for ever day extra that the uruk stays in the fight beyond their original oath, the shaman will alter the Mark to showcase their greater prowess and prestige, raising their standing in Uruk society further and allowing them to reap more rewards. Any uruk that deserts the battle before their oath is fulfilled will be forever marked as a deserter and traitor to be killed on sight by all other uruk.

All uruk undergo a brutal training regime to learn how to fight from a young age until their teenage years, at which point they are free to decide what they desire to do with themselves now that they have been taught the basic tools of survival. While many continue to serve as raiders and warriors, some decide to pursue more civilian pursuits such as craftsmanship or farming. While they may never hold as much power or influence as a ranking warrior, 'civilian' uruks hold a strange position in uruk society by being highly respected and well looked after by their more militant brethren. Uruk warriors are worth a dime a dozen, but one who knows how to forge and maintain weapons or can grow food consistently is worth protecting and keeping happy.

Command:
The forces under Pizurk's command are not a uniformed army, nor do they all come from a single tribe. It is a gathering of what forces were free to be grouped together for the purposes of holding the Maw. Even among uruks of the same tribe there is a strong sense of individuality, with personalized armor made from whatever they had on hand combined with whatever weapons they personally prefer using. Each one of them however has managed to survive not just the day to day struggles of surviving in their respective homelands, but also uruk culture and the brutal combat training that all uruks undergo, making each and every one of them a proven warrior in their own right... but much like their commander, merely missing the opportunity to stand out among their peers.

192 mixed light infantry: Armored in a mixture of mail, leather and padded armor and armed with whatever the individual uruk decided to bring with them, the light infantry of Pizurk's command lack of uniformity provide it with a wide degree of versatility to deal with whatever they encounter. With relative ease, the troops can be broken down into smaller mobs being lead by an 'officer'.

103 Worg riders: Native to their homelands, the giant Worg wolves have been both friend and foe to the Uruk tribes for as long as can be remembered. Taming a worg is a difficult process due to its bloodthirsty, wild manner and many die trying but those uruk that successfully bond with their worg will find themselves with a loyal and protective battle beast that is as fast as any horse and much better in a close combat fight then one.

Support Personal
5 Uruk Shaman: Mystics and Healers, the Uruk Shaman have sent a detachment of their numbers in order to provide the Uruks on the battlefield with healing and spiritual guidance... as well as offer up concoctions, poisons and supportive magics to help enhance their forces further. They are also there to ensure that when the time comes, the Marks of Death or Glory are properly altered.

80 Hunters and Trappers: While they are just as good at fighting as any other uruk, the mixture of hunters and trappers that have come with the army to the Maw are not there to fight the battles themselves... they have been brought along because they process skills that will be useful in other ways off the fields of battle. The specialize in surviving in the wilderness, hunting wild game for glory, food and sport with their own preferred methods. Crossbows, javelins and traps are their primary tools of the trade.

20 Metalworkers and Leatherworkers: While just about every Uruk can tan leather and use anything on hand to kill someone, those who can make and repair equipment are highly respected and are well looked after in return for them looking after those in the field.

Name: Alexander Myerscough

Physical:

Alexander is not physically tall, but not particularly short in Acitian standards. A man at 167cm high, with a relatively plain facial expression, his most notable feature was probably his blonde hair, a rarity among Acitian. Alexander's body was fairly well-built, earned as a merit from his achievements in one of his most spectacular conquest of the Southern Kingdoms, but as a result, it was full of scars, cursed to burn in his back for the rest of his life.

Equipment:

In stark contrast to the normal expected appearance of a young king, Alexander appears in front of his men in a more militaristic look, with plated armor, worn over white clothings, dark blue cape, and leather boots. However, Alexander does not wear helmets, as he wants to give his men, and his allies the impression that he is unprotected yet still actively participate in the battle. For weaponry, he wields a short gladius sword and a bow for higher ground engagement. On his shoulder plates are two small sculptures of an eagle, a mascot of his Alexander's hierarchy. In battle, Alexander rides on a blackish three meters tall elephant, mounted on all sides with heavy plated armor, addressed as Senshan.

Background:

The youngest yet most feared warlord in the Northern Region of the West Maw, Alexander was born the only heir to the southern Acitian empire under the rule of Queen Gabriel II. The Queen was a noble yet fierce warrior, the widowed woman who was later famous for her significance in uniting all the northern Kingdoms together. Gabriel was a hugely ambitious woman, and told Alexander to keep his fighting serious, and his will ironed. She was Alexander's most influential figure, as Alexander's father, the king, died young in an assassination attempt. Despite being shocked by the lost of her husband, Gabriel decided to use all her courage and strength to unify her own empire, which was plunged into a civil war after the incident. She used all the tactical knowledge, combined with a few of the greatest generals in the Acitian, managed to round up the royal troops and began her epic campaign. After nearly two years, she had unified the country, and was already in preparation for another large conquest.

Alexander was only 12 when the civil war started. The young Acitian prince watched with great admiration as his mother campaigned her greatness, winning victories after victories while ignoring wounds. Gabriel inspired in Alexander curiosity, and a sense of competitiveness, to match against her, his only family member left; that he must be able to outshine his mother. When he was 14, late in the civil war, he was drafted in the Acitian army, and once fought against the rebelled bandits.

During the time, Alexander was obsessed with the thought of outdoing his mother, engulfed in studying swordmanship, horsemanship and most importantly, the art of war. He had gained himself a ginormous amount of understandings about tactics, and soon earned his first victory in a commanding position when he was 19 years old. At the time, the prevailing tactical orthodox was to place the cavalry onto the flanks and engage with other flanks, in hope that the cavalry will break through and envelope the opposing side, but caused the battle to be totally reliant on the skills, bravery, morales and most importantly, numbers of the two sides. Alexander soon realized this weakness, and instead used an inverse tactic, in which the heavy cavalries were massed at the center, while lighter cavalries were freelancers, moving around to harass enemy troops, allowing the heavy cavalry to break through, breaking their entire command structure. It proved extremely effective in his first battle and later on, earning him unparalleled success in his later conquests.

When he was 20, he joined his mother on the conquest to destroy the Arcolite Empire, one of the largest empire in the Northern Region, and its allied vassal states. But as the campaign was going on well, his mother fell dead due to a sudden stroke. With him being the only heir to the throne, while attending his mother's funeral, Alexander was proclaimed king of Acity right on spot, under the title, Alexander I.

He began his reign by solidifying his own rule by strengthening the empire's economy by acquiring many administrators and governors, deviding his empire into small pieces of lands for them to rule, and sparked competitiveness within the rulers, while continuing the campaign that his mother had left behind. An extraordinary campaign raged on, and in a matter of over three years, the new Acitian king had conquered the entire vast, Northern Region, as well as bringing down the huge Arcolite empire to his knees. Then, he began to settle down and deal with the small rebellious tribes while continuing to strengthen his own throne.

Alexander was a man who adored peace and tranquility, to the point that he even forced it upon his citizens. While he let up on small protests and parades, major ones that could potentially turn into a riot or an armed conflict would be subjugated very quickly. And the tribes and vassal states that dared to opposed his reign was forced to pay a special annual tax that could only be lifted after five years, and could only be lifted once. If a tribe continued to be rebellious, they would have to pay that tax forever. Despite this, Alexander was a decent ruler, and a great general who values honour and dignity.

When the news of the assembly of the Alliance, and the imminent invasion of the ever growing Sylver Empire over East Maw, Alexander knew that he would have to take action. He trusted the empire to a loyal and experienced military and political ruler, who was also his childhood friend, to strengthen his army in preparation for a huge-scale war while Alexander himself began assembling a small task force to join the call-to-arm of the Allied Kingdoms. Although his decision to personally go and fight the Sylver under heavy odds was strongly opposed, as he had yet to produce an heir to the throne just yet, the Acitian king replied: "Acity will need strong generals. If I die, I die. If you die, this empire dies." He was then joined by William, an old and seasoned general who once served under Gabriel, and his young daughter, Arturia, the leader of the royal knights.

Faction: Acity Empire

A vast northern empire that stretches over 10000 kilometers that was once divided among over twenty rulers, only to be unified by the efforts of Queen Gabriel II and her son, King Alexander I. The far northern part, where the original Acity Empire was a cold and dry land, with snow being a frequent sight, while the southern part, where the former Arcolite Empire once stood, the weather was more stabilized, a lot warmer, with forests and grass hills dominating the landscape.

The original Acity Empire was a lot smaller than the current one, only one-eighth of its present size. Several of its manifesting industries at the time was fishing and trading, thanks to its dominance in the taming and use of wild animals. Horses were one of the primary means of transport, which did not come as a surprise when Acitian cavalries struck fear within their enemies. But perhaps the greatest power of the Acity empire came from their military. Being an empire constantly harassed by the Northern barbaric tribes by not just means of looters, but also armed militants, so they had had decades developing their military in preparation for any incoming attacks.

After the great conquest of Queen Gabriel II and later King Alexander I, the power of Acity reached its peak, with wealths pouring in from the taxes that Alexander had imposed on the rebellious tribes. Under the few years rule of Alexander, the people were rather 'forced' to enjoy peace, as Alexander had absolute no tolerance to armed hostility. Any tribes that rebelled against the Acitian King would then be subjugated, crushed and was then imposed an heavier tax. Cultural exchanges between the Arcolites and the Acitian were also made possible under Alexander, and several of their Eastern-like cultures and traditions were migrated into Acity. It was also thanks to the conquering of the Arcolite did Alexander decide to implement war elephants into his military, as he was impressed by his sheer size and effectiveness.

Command:

King Alexander I deploys a total number of 20 formidable war elephants, in which he was granted command after conquering the Arcolite Empire. They tower three meters in height and have wooden castle like structures being placed on their backs where four warriors and a guider would be housed. The elephants themselves have huge spiked gauntlet attached to their tusks and trunks so that they can inflict more damage on the enemy. The four warriors are armed with bows or javelins as their main weapons, and use a variety of long pole weapons as secondaries so that they can stab stragglers that somehow managed to survive the elephant onslaught. The front of the elephant is covered with spiked armor in order to protect the animals while dishing out more damage as they attack. The four feets of the elephants are covered with cloths to avoid accidents while fighting on slippery cliff of the Maw. The elephants are rather slow, but they are tough, and a coordinated elephant charge can prove very devastating to the enemy, even if they are well-trained. The Acitian troops have molded these elephants so that they are no longer afraid of fire or sudden sound, but if they get severely wounded, they can panick and try to escape to a safe place, trampling their own allies in the process. Despite this, war elephants' advantage have outweigh the disadvantages, and Alexander find their roles too significant to leave them out. Joining the elephants are 50 heavy cavalries, armored and equipped with lances.

Accompanying these animals are a force of 150 light cavalry and horse archers, consisting of less experienced soldiers or mercenaries of ethnic groups in the Northern regions. They are not heavily armored, and not very well-trained, but can have some use in the battlefield, especially in assisting the main body of Alexander's troops, which is the elephant. The light cavalry are armed with sabers and light spears while the horse archers are equipped with regular bows. There are some special cases of horse archers using crossbows, but their roles are not very significant.

Last but not least, is a force of 100 royal knights. They are the experienced one, battle-hardened after years of conquest under Alexander's rule. They fight on foot and are equipped with teardrop shaped shield, along with a long one-handed sword, protected by silver armored platemails and helmets. Their role in the army is also significant, as they are capable of gaining the upper-hand by using different kinds of formations and by their rigorous training. They are also rumored to once stop a well-coordinated cavalry charge with only their swords only. However, this is myth only.

Command is split between Alexander and his two generals, William and Arturia. Alexander takes command of his powerful heavy cavalry and war elephants, William controls the light cavalries and horse archers, and Arturia takes the knights.

Name: Bane Skilgannon the Stern

Physical: Bane is an imposing man and not just because of his stature. He stands at nearly seven feet tall and weighs roughly 110kg with not an ounce of fat on his body. He is clearly a man trained and bred for war. His body is criss crossed with both major and minor scars telling the story of a life filled with conflict, conflict that he managed to survive. He has dark hair that is kept short and cut close to his head, easy to hide under his helmet. His beard is kept well trimmed ensuring it is not long enough to use as a handhold while still suiting his face. But by far the most striking feature on the man are his steel coloured eyes, they show no give nor remorse only cold unyielding resolve.

Equipment: A cuirass of heavy steel armour over a padded leather tunic. His arms are largely covered by banded mail fitted to leather straps that encircle the arms. His legs are covered by a pteruges of heavy studded leather while his shins are covered by steel greaves that reach the knee. Atop his head is a helmet a solitary red plume the only thing separating him from his men.

A long spear.

A kukri.

A large circular shield.

Background: Bane was nor always the hardened leader he is today, everyone has an origin story and he is no different. He started off as a minor noble in the Rigante Kingdom. His childhood years were nothing special going through what most nobles do, he learnt how to read and write, how to ride a horse as well as learning basic martial craft.

It was in his teenage years started off more or less the same. More advanced lessons on administration and statecraft, etiquette lessons and finally advanced arms lessons. Like many young men he shrugged off many of his lessons particularly his martial ones far preferring to spend his time indulging in leisure activities than getting sweaty and bothered with other men. He became a well known skirt chaser and drunkard whenever he was not performing his duties.

Ultimately it was both that led to his downfall. A feast to celebrate the prince and his newlywed wife. It was a feast befitting of a future king, a table groaning under the weight of the piled on meats and sweets. And unfortunately for Bane far too much wine. The future queen was found later in her chambers groaning much the same as the table did earlier only this time it was under Bane's weight rather than that of a feast.

The future king did not want to deal with the scandal that a public trial or execution would bring. So his advisers suggested something that would solve the problem at the same time as silencing all potential rumors. Bane and all those who may have had an inkling of what transpired that night were sentenced to serve in the Legion of the Dead.

The Legion proved to be the furnace that forged Bane into the man he is today. The training was brutal, harsh beyond what most could wish upon even their enemies. In the end however it produces warriors almost without peer and with almost unwavering resolve.

It has been many years since Bane left the Legion bootcamp, many years of campaigns battles and fallen comrades. Years of stitched wounds of brutal victories and heroic achievements. Now he leads the Legion in its entirety, and he has chosen The Maw to be the place where they truly live up to their name.

Faction: The Rigante Kingdom(The Legion of the Dead)
The Rigante Kingdom is a smaller kingdom in the center of the Western Kingdoms. They are a disciplined people for the large part with a large emphasis on family and familial honor. The lands they hold are heavily forested and so Timber makes up a large source of their income as well as trade. In the last few years large deposits of iron ore and gold have been discovered bringing a large degree of wealth into the kingdom.

With such an emphasis on familial honor there must be disgraced families. And there are among both commoners and nobles. There is a simple answer to this however. The Legion of the Dead. For the low cost of the offenders life honor can be restored to your family and your past sins shall be forgotten. Entrance into the legion is far more common for nobles than it is for the peasantry as most peasants are simply imprisoned or executed.

The Legion is a small elite force that is sent only into the heaviest fighting, holding the center line against all odds or until they all perish. They are always few in number as recruits are often hard to come by. But those that are there are honor bound to fight to their last breath for their families, if that is not enough motivation there are dark rumors about brutal methods used to instill in them the unbreaking desire to die in combat while they are being trained for service in the legion.

If any of the Legion do desert their post the sentence is clear. Their families name shall be scrubbed from the history books, their lands and titles are forfeit and they will be immediately pressed into service for the Legion.

Command: 300 Hoplite warriors equipped with heavy armor (Similiar to my own), spear, shield and a Kukri.
90 Crossbow men equipped with Brigandine armor, crossbow and a Kukri.
10 Scorpion operators equipped with Brigandine armor and utilising 10 scorpion style Ballista.

(Its a bit rough I know. Work on it more when I haven't worked the last 12.)

Name: Lothian

Physical: As is common among the elves, Lothian towers over most other races at a height of 7'4" with a build that is slender for his size. His hair is short and dark silver in color and a runic branding covers part of his face curving around his left eye, most of this is hidden when he wears his helmet, revealing only his dark grey eyes.

Equipment: Lothian is clad in the blackplate armor of Noldor's Darkforest wardens. He armaments include a greatsword with a long black slender blade, several daggers, and a large powerful warbow. If it comes down to it the fingers on his gauntlets are pointed similar to claws, so he could still do some damage even if he is disarmed.

Background: Lothian was born into the military caste of Noldor, other kingdoms could see it as lower nobility, and was trained from a young age. His family's position meant he would go on to become a Darkforest Ranger, one of Noldor's main military force. Noldor's isolation meant that there wasn't much to their task, they guarded the forests that bordered the kingdom, oversaw dealings with traders and envoys from other factions, and occasionally eliminate invading expeditions or armies if need be.

The most troublesome region was close to the southern orc tribes, as they would often get bands of raiding orcs. This was where Lothian spent most of his time as a ranger and he would often see combat, be it repelling a warband of marching out with a small force to put down an overambitious tribe. Of course the elves recognized the splintered nature of the orcs so no formal was was declared between the two, but it was these constant skirmishes that saw Lothian rise to one of the Wardens that kept the realm of Noldor safe.

Faction: Noldor

A kingdom nestled in the mountains and hidden deep within the forest southwest of the maw that splits the world. Noldor is one of the few Elven kingdoms that exist in the world and is arguably the most powerful one. They maintain a sort of isolation from the rest of the world. They do frequently deal with other nations via trade and diplomacy but it is all handled on the outskirts though outposts and emissaries with little-to-noone allowed into the mainland of this hidden empire.

Command:

300 Darkforest rangers - Medium armored infantry that serve dual-purpose, being skilled in both melee and ranged combat. Their ranged capability slightly outshines the melee as they wield very powerful warbows and are equipped with only longswords, they usually rely on skirmisher tactics but can provide a decent front against enemy infantry.

100 Twilight Knights - Heavy infantry. These troops are equipped with heavy plate, halberds, greatshields, and warswords. Between heavy armor and shields they can shrug off most ranged attacks, exceptions typically being heavy crossbows, they use this to attempted to force encounters into melee range where they most definitely excel.