STATUS:
"Out of every hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are targets, nine are the real fighters, for they make the battle. But one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back." -Heraclitus
6 yrs ago
Current
"Out of every hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are targets, nine are the real fighters, for they make the battle. But one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back." -Heraclitus
3
likes
7 yrs ago
"I have resolved never to start an unjust war, but never to end a legitimate one except by defeating my enemies." -King Charles XII 'Carolus Rex' of Sweden, 1700
1
like
7 yrs ago
“Civilians are like beans; you buy 'em as needed for any job which merely requires skill and savvy. But you can't buy fighting spirit.” -Robert A. Heinlein
5
likes
8 yrs ago
"The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country” -General George S. Patton Jr.
3
likes
8 yrs ago
"Wine has drowned more than the sea." -Roman proverb
Name: Abraham Randolph Farran Position: Secretary of Defense Age: 66 Sex: Male Physical Description:
Abraham Farran is an individual with a more elongated stature and leaner build, standing at about 5’11”. He often wears suits of black with dark colored ties, a precedent set mainly by previous SecDefs, with a SecDef sterling silver lapel pin on his right lapel and a US flag pin on his left lapel. His hair is a wiry light grey, most likely previously blonde, and his eyes are dark blue.
Brief Bio:
He was born Nov. 16, 1954 in Alcoa, TN, going on to achieve the equivalent to a secondary education before making the decision to attend VMI in Virginia. Halfway into his degree, he was nominated to West Point, eventually graduating with honors in the class of 1978, being awarded a degree in Military History and in National Security Studies, additionally having achieved the qualifications to receive the Air Assault Badge and the Airborne Badge, qualifying him to be in either of the airborne divisions of the US Army.
He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in late 1978. As an infantry officer, he participated in maneuvers with allies in both Europe and Africa throughout the 80s, achieving a promotion to Captain within the decade. As part of the 101st Airborne element deployed in Kuwait in 1991, he led his company in the operation to cut off the supply lines and stop the retreat of Iraqi troops from Kuwait, forcing their capture, earning him the rank of Major. Later within the 90s, he helped orchestrate humanitarian missions in the Balkans, Africa, and the Caribbean, as well as being part of the NATO forces in Kosovo ensuring security during the elections. For his efforts, and the retirement of an upper echelon commander, he made Lieutenant Colonel.
After the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, his regimental commander was promoted, giving him command of the entire regiment and the rank of Colonel. His unit in the 101st was deployed in the ISAF invasion of Afghanistan, with the division being one of the first non-SF units deployed. Later in 2003, his regiment was part of the spearhead force into Iraq. After the fall of Baghdad and the sense of somewhat stability, the 101st was rotated back in and Abraham made Brigadier General, transferring to the staff at Fort Bragg, NC, where he would eventually make Major General and then Lieutenant General, assuming multiple positions within the XVIII Airborne Corps, eventually coming to command it.
He retired from the US Army in 2012, a year later taking an advisory position in General Dynamics, making connections with multiple companies in the military industrial complex. In 2021, he was offered a position in AJ Shepard’s administration as Secretary of Defense due to his knowledge concerning combat situations, national security, and the workings of the military industrial complex.
Abraham Randolph Farran was born November 16, 1954 in Alcoa, TN to Kenneth Farran and Helen Farran. His father was a former US Army Air Corps bomber crewman who then worked as a forge operator for the Aluminum Company of America (now Alcoa, for which the town is named), and his mother was a secretary for Alcoa’s campus offices, though despite the lower middle class upbringing, the economic conditions in the Tennessee Valley ensured Abraham did not grow up with a TV set, but an ear for the radio and an eye for literature.
He attended the Alcoa School (now three separate schools), earning the equivalent of a secondary education before considering his career. With the war in Vietnam drawing to a close, and the military life being highly televised, Abraham made his desire to enlist clear, much to the disdain of his veteran father. To placate concerns, he agreed to instead seek a career by way of officer, being admitted to the Virginia Military Institute in 1972. He attended the school for two years with primarily academic honors before being nominated to the US Military Academy at West Point starting in 1974.
While at West Point, Abraham excelled in the academics field, especially in his chosen major of history, and his chosen minor of national security studies. During his training, he excelled in his field maneuver training his second year, and went on to be permitted to attend the US Army Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, KY his third summer, and the US Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA his fourth and final summer, receiving both his air assault wings and jump wings and earning himself a position as an officer within the 101st Airborne on graduation. He graduated with honors part of the class of 1978.
Becoming an infantry platoon leader in 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, he served in multiple training maneuvers with NATO and UN allies, primarily in Egypt and Germany, throughout the entirety of the 80s without incident. Promoted to first lieutenant, then captain, and on the cusp of major, he had just past his first decade of service. However, the Gulf War began just before his orders went through. He led his company as part of the 2,000 man element of the 101st Airborne which crossed into Kuwait in January 1991 to cut off the Iraqi supply lines by way of Highway 80 and the connected Highway 8, the six-lane route which would become known as the Highway of Death due to 2,000-2,500 vehicles of enemy origin being surrendered or destroyed in the 100 hours that the operation lasted.
Abraham received his promotion at the conclusion of the operation, and would remain as executive officer of 2nd Battalion, 502nd PIR as the 101st remained within the Iraqi sphere. Soon redeployed, Abraham would have a hand in planning and supplying humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Haiti throughout the rest of the 90s. He made Lieutenant Colonel in 1995, receiving command of the entire 2nd Battalion, 502nd PIR.
Deployed to Kosovo with other units of the 101st, he helped maintain the sovereignty and stability of an independent Kosovo whilst they underwent their first election cycle in 2000. He was commended for his efforts as the unit withdrew back to the United States. A year later, on September 11th, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked, filling Abraham with disgust as he and his unit were put on standby. As the Colonel above him was moved up an echelon to become brigade commander, he received a surprising promotion to Colonel, given the entire 502nd PIR.
The 101st, including his 502nd PIR, would be one of the first non-SF US units to cross into Afghanistan as part of ISAF. Participating in initial establishment of FOBs, they were the springboard into Operation Anaconda, shattering the open hold on the region by the Taliban. The entire 101st was retasked in early 2003 to Kuwait, before being part of the tip of the spear into Iraq, going directly for Baghdad. Surrounding Najaf along with elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division, with support from RAF strike craft, the 502nd formed an infantry screen to guard the “Thunder Run” (a large armored push) of the 1st Armored’s 70th Armored Rgt. which eventually caused the city to fall, with other assets of the 101st blocking the escape along the highway to Baghdad.
Airmobile assets of the 101st, including a company of the 502nd PIR, pushed into Baghdad as the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division, and 1st Armored Division all executed the largest “Thunder Run” of the war, in which Baghdad fell in only nine days, finally being cleared on April 12, 2003. As Major General David Petraeus was promoted the following year, and the Brigadier General billet above him was open, he was briefly promoted to command the entire 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne before the unit rotated in for an extended stay in the US. He made Major General the following year and was transferred to the staff of the Garrison Command, Fort Bragg, NC, becoming commander of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security of Fort Bragg, where, despite his disdain for a non-combat position, he excelled at management.
In 2007, he became Deputy Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps, remaining at Fort Bragg, before eventually replacing the retiring Lt. Gen. John R. Vines as Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps. He remained in the position until 2012, when he retired and was eventually hired by General Dynamics in an advisory position for an undisclosed six-figure salary, where he worked until 2021, when, in light of his recent combat experience, extensive national security knowledge, and connections with companies in the military industrial complex, he was offered the position of Secretary of Defense under AJ Shepard’s administration.
Issues/Agenda:
Abraham often did not make his political views clear, especially when serving. But as his name has reached headlines as the newest nomination for Secretary of Defense, more and more has been revealed. He’s a conservative and a Republican at heart, generally a moderate on most issues save national security, where he suggests a level of caution. He generally has been opposed to the drawdown of troops abroad under previous administrations which led to increased volatility in the Middle East region and vulnerability elsewhere, namely the removal of peacekeepers in Iraq, the decrease of advisors in Syria, the complete withdrawal of armored assets from Germany, and the stagnation of Pacific bases.
He is religious, albeit not fanatically, and is a member of the American Episcopal Church, the American sect of the Church of England (Anglican Church). He attends church every sunday, generally at the Washington National Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Washington, where he is active in the community and makes monthly donations.
Abraham is a diligent worker in his field. His overall interest in national security studies and management which have been with him since his days at VMI and West Point drive him to work harder and smarter to improve and simplify the management and allocation of assets within the US Armed Forces.
Name: Abraham Randolph Farran Position: Secretary of Defense Age: 66 Sex: Male Physical Description:
Abraham Farran is an individual with a more elongated stature and leaner build, standing at about 5’11”. He often wears suits of black with dark colored ties, a precedent set mainly by previous SecDefs, with a SecDef sterling silver lapel pin on his right lapel and a US flag pin on his left lapel. His hair is a wiry light grey, most likely previously blonde, and his eyes are dark blue.
Brief Bio:
He was born Nov. 16, 1954 in Alcoa, TN, going on to achieve the equivalent to a secondary education before making the decision to attend VMI in Virginia. Halfway into his degree, he was nominated to West Point, eventually graduating with honors in the class of 1978, being awarded a degree in Military History and in National Security Studies, additionally having achieved the qualifications to receive the Air Assault Badge and the Airborne Badge, qualifying him to be in either of the airborne divisions of the US Army.
He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division in late 1978. As an infantry officer, he participated in maneuvers with allies in both Europe and Africa throughout the 80s, achieving a promotion to Captain within the decade. As part of the 101st Airborne element deployed in Kuwait in 1991, he led his company in the operation to cut off the supply lines and stop the retreat of Iraqi troops from Kuwait, forcing their capture, earning him the rank of Major. Later within the 90s, he helped orchestrate humanitarian missions in the Balkans, Africa, and the Caribbean, as well as being part of the NATO forces in Kosovo ensuring security during the elections. For his efforts, and the retirement of an upper echelon commander, he made Lieutenant Colonel.
After the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, his regimental commander was promoted, giving him command of the entire regiment and the rank of Colonel. His unit in the 101st was deployed in the ISAF invasion of Afghanistan, with the division being one of the first non-SF units deployed. Later in 2003, his regiment was part of the spearhead force into Iraq. After the fall of Baghdad and the sense of somewhat stability, the 101st was rotated back in and Abraham made Brigadier General, transferring to the staff at Fort Bragg, NC, where he would eventually make Major General and then Lieutenant General, assuming multiple positions within the XVIII Airborne Corps, eventually coming to command it.
He retired from the US Army in 2012, a year later taking an advisory position in General Dynamics, making connections with multiple companies in the military industrial complex. In 2021, he was offered a position in AJ Shepard’s administration as Secretary of Defense due to his knowledge concerning combat situations, national security, and the workings of the military industrial complex.
Abraham Randolph Farran was born November 16, 1954 in Alcoa, TN to Kenneth Farran and Helen Farran. His father was a former US Army Air Corps bomber crewman who then worked as a forge operator for the Aluminum Company of America (now Alcoa, for which the town is named), and his mother was a secretary for Alcoa’s campus offices, though despite the lower middle class upbringing, the economic conditions in the Tennessee Valley ensured Abraham did not grow up with a TV set, but an ear for the radio and an eye for literature.
He attended the Alcoa School (now three separate schools), earning the equivalent of a secondary education before considering his career. With the war in Vietnam drawing to a close, and the military life being highly televised, Abraham made his desire to enlist clear, much to the disdain of his veteran father. To placate concerns, he agreed to instead seek a career by way of officer, being admitted to the Virginia Military Institute in 1972. He attended the school for two years with primarily academic honors before being nominated to the US Military Academy at West Point starting in 1974.
While at West Point, Abraham excelled in the academics field, especially in his chosen major of history, and his chosen minor of national security studies. During his training, he excelled in his field maneuver training his second year, and went on to be permitted to attend the US Army Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, KY his third summer, and the US Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA his fourth and final summer, receiving both his air assault wings and jump wings and earning himself a position as an officer within the 101st Airborne on graduation. He graduated with honors part of the class of 1978.
Becoming an infantry platoon leader in 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, he served in multiple training maneuvers with NATO and UN allies, primarily in Egypt and Germany, throughout the entirety of the 80s without incident. Promoted to first lieutenant, then captain, and on the cusp of major, he had just past his first decade of service. However, the Gulf War began just before his orders went through. He led his company as part of the 2,000 man element of the 101st Airborne which crossed into Kuwait in January 1991 to cut off the Iraqi supply lines by way of Highway 80 and the connected Highway 8, the six-lane route which would become known as the Highway of Death due to 2,000-2,500 vehicles of enemy origin being surrendered or destroyed in the 100 hours that the operation lasted.
Abraham received his promotion at the conclusion of the operation, and would remain as executive officer of 2nd Battalion, 502nd PIR as the 101st remained within the Iraqi sphere. Soon redeployed, Abraham would have a hand in planning and supplying humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Haiti throughout the rest of the 90s. He made Lieutenant Colonel in 1995, receiving command of the entire 2nd Battalion, 502nd PIR.
Deployed to Kosovo with other units of the 101st, he helped maintain the sovereignty and stability of an independent Kosovo whilst they underwent their first election cycle in 2000. He was commended for his efforts as the unit withdrew back to the United States. A year later, on September 11th, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked, filling Abraham with disgust as he and his unit were put on standby. As the Colonel above him was moved up an echelon to become brigade commander, he received a surprising promotion to Colonel, given the entire 502nd PIR.
The 101st, including his 502nd PIR, would be one of the first non-SF US units to cross into Afghanistan as part of ISAF. Participating in initial establishment of FOBs, they were the springboard into Operation Anaconda, shattering the open hold on the region by the Taliban. The entire 101st was retasked in early 2003 to Kuwait, before being part of the tip of the spear into Iraq, going directly for Baghdad. Surrounding Najaf along with elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division, with support from RAF strike craft, the 502nd formed an infantry screen to guard the “Thunder Run” (a large armored push) of the 1st Armored’s 70th Armored Rgt. which eventually caused the city to fall, with other assets of the 101st blocking the escape along the highway to Baghdad.
Airmobile assets of the 101st, including a company of the 502nd PIR, pushed into Baghdad as the 3rd Infantry Division, 1st Marine Division, and 1st Armored Division all executed the largest “Thunder Run” of the war, in which Baghdad fell in only nine days, finally being cleared on April 12, 2003. As Major General David Petraeus was promoted the following year, and the Brigadier General billet above him was open, he was briefly promoted to command the entire 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne before the unit rotated in for an extended stay in the US. He made Major General the following year and was transferred to the staff of the Garrison Command, Fort Bragg, NC, becoming commander of the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security of Fort Bragg, where, despite his disdain for a non-combat position, he excelled at management.
In 2007, he became Deputy Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps, remaining at Fort Bragg, before eventually replacing the retiring Lt. Gen. John R. Vines as Commander, XVIII Airborne Corps. He remained in the position until 2012, when he retired and was eventually hired by General Dynamics in an advisory position for an undisclosed six-figure salary, where he worked until 2021, when, in light of his recent combat experience, extensive national security knowledge, and connections with companies in the military industrial complex, he was offered the position of Secretary of Defense under AJ Shepard’s administration.
Issues/Agenda:
Abraham often did not make his political views clear, especially when serving. But as his name has reached headlines as the newest nomination for Secretary of Defense, more and more has been revealed. He’s a conservative and a Republican at heart, generally a moderate on most issues save national security, where he suggests a level of caution. He generally has been opposed to the drawdown of troops abroad under previous administrations which led to increased volatility in the Middle East region and vulnerability elsewhere, namely the removal of peacekeepers in Iraq, the decrease of advisors in Syria, the complete withdrawal of armored assets from Germany, and the stagnation of Pacific bases.
He is religious, albeit not fanatically, and is a member of the American Episcopal Church, the American sect of the Church of England (Anglican Church). He attends church every sunday, generally at the Washington National Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese of Washington, where he is active in the community and makes monthly donations.
Abraham is a diligent worker in his field. His overall interest in national security studies and management which have been with him since his days at VMI and West Point drive him to work harder and smarter to improve and simplify the management and allocation of assets within the US Armed Forces.
|Geographical Location of CLIQUE:| The Commonwealth Legation Cities |Cities:| Zang-Quin Ambassadorial District - The center of power for the Arcanain Legative & Diplomatic territories. Includes the Gubernatorial Mansion, where the Military Governor resides, the headquarters for the 19th Infantry Regiment, and the largest merchantine port in southern Zengrav. Tezpa Legation Quarter - A legation district in the city of Tezpa. Includes a legation office, the primary port for the Royal Navy Coast & Riverine Squadron, and the lashing port for the Royal Aeromarine Zengrav Squadron. Wuetong Legation Quarter - A legation district in the city of Wuetong. Includes a legation office, the headquarters for the 513th Armored Battalion, and the headquarters of the 21st Infantry Regiment. Queng-Tan Administrative Area - A small, city block-sized area with a tiny garrison and skeleton crew of supply officers and paper pushers.
Your Warlord:
|Name:| John Forster Alcock |Title:| Brevet (Br.) Major General Alcock, Military Governor of the Arcanain Legation Sectors |Age:| 51 |Ethnicity:| Arcani (Highland) |Personal Ideology: | Staunch Social Conservative and Republican. Envisions a constitutional monarchy with a strong, centralized representative parliament, not unlike Arcanain’s own system. |Influence in the faction: | 11% |Personality: | General Alcock is inherently a kind and caring man. His demeanour is often amicable and outgoing, with an ever-present warm quality about him. He, in his age, gives a paternal aura, a fatherly quality no doubt from raising five children of his own and having been happily married for nearly 32 years. However, he is rather bigoted, if not by his own choice, but his upbringing and outlook. He feels obligated to ‘assist’ the people of Zengrav in establishing a constitutional monarchy like the powers of the Commonwealth. |His Virtue: |Blind Kindness - General Alcock is, as said, very kind. He is charitable and fatherly, taking his belief from the books of the Orthodox faith itself, to “aid the unfortunate, care for the sick, and guide the blind”. |His Virtue: |Diligent Officer - General Alcock is an effective officer of the Arcanain Royal Army. He is an efficient administrator, and one of the best strategists of the non-infantry services, owing to his assignment to the Legation. |His Sin:|Ethnic Vainglory - Despite his kind demeanour and outward warmth, General Alcock does not have a high view of the people of Zengrav, primarily due to their infighting and severity of such. He believes this owes to their ethnic inferiority in administration and cooperation, and that they must be aided by those more capable.
|History and Background:|
The history of the ALDT begins four years before the present day. In the year 4036 A.C. (After the Coming) in the Orthodox Calendar, former republican fighter Yesui Olya murdered a Sairish tourist and injured another before looting the deceased one’s bloodied shirt. The papers in the Commonwealth went wild with the story, calling for all tourists to avoid Zengrav, and for the monarchs of the Commonwealth to intervene.
The ensuing riots and looting caused by tensions from refugees entering Zang-Quin along with the refusal of foreign passenger ships to transport them to asylum abroad forced the hand of the Commonwealth. The Sairish acted first, committing 10,000 men to the expeditionary force. The Geisel followed suit, with 11,000. Even Willem VI, the notoriously patient and stalwart king of Arcanain was forced to intervene as the legation quarter in Zang-Quin was stormed by thousands of protestors, committing first 5,000, but soon increased the number to 10,000.
As an entire corps of foreign troops steamed for the capital, the republicans who barely held onto the capital and coastal cities welcomed the help. As the standards of the Geisel Reich, Sairished Empire, and Arcanain Kingdom waved over boats and airships, protestors scattered. They eventually occupied all six major cities on the coast, including the capital. After two weeks, republican leaders agreed to an amendment of the Unjust Treaties, allowing bloated garrisons and diplomatic districts in all six coastal cities, while extending the lease of this territory for another 25 years.
The foreign corps was dissolved thereafter, with collective forces decreasing slightly. Soon after, King Willem VI of Arcanain died of tuberculosis. His son, Liam III ‘the Progressive’ of Arcanain was coronated, and though he mostly maintained his father’s policy of garrison, he did slightly again decrease the legation force to 5,000. However, as he did such, the Red Turbans declared their independence, once again threatening Commonwealth assets. A capita of 8,000 troops was permitted, and one Colonel John Alcock, commander of the Royal Armored Corps logistics regiment, was breveted to Major General and appointed military governor of the newly formed Arcanain Legative & Diplomatic Territories in Zengrav.
|Armed Forces:|
The Expeditionary Infantry Brigade (EIB) is the primary infantry force of the ALDT. The force consists of well-trained and well-equipped regulars of the 19th Infantry Regiment “Blackcaster Reds” and the 21st Infantry Regiment “Duke of Keldby’s Own”. The two regiments are split generally into battalion-level in order to make more precise maneuvers in defense of the ALDT.
The 19th Infantry Regiment, with the historical title of “The Blackcaster Reds”, are a regiment of the Arcanain Royal Army from the highlands of northern Arcanain, namely the Blackcaster Urban Area. They are well-equipped, being one of the premier products of the modernisation effort, being clad in new khaki serge fatigues, along with new M36 pattern steel helmets with khaki covers. They utilize the standard M15 rifle, the new M37 submachine gun, and a varying set of both standard and nonstandard support weapons, such as heavy and light machineguns, man-portable recoilless rifles, etc.
Equipment & Forces - Headquarters & Logistics (8x Gadsden Trucks, 2x Light Utility Vehicle, 80 personnel) - 1st Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Company A (100 infantry) - Company B (100 infantry) - Company C (100 infantry) - Company D (4x HMGs, 2x Recoilless Rifles, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - 2nd Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Company A (100 infantry) - Company B (100 infantry) - Company C (100 infantry) - Company D (4x HMGs, 2x Recoilless Rifles, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - 3rd Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Battery A (4x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery B (4x Light AT Guns, 2x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery C (4x Light AT Guns, 2x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery D (2x HMGs, 100 infantry)
The 21st Infantry Regiment (Mounted), with the historical title of “The Duke of Keldby’s Own”, are a mounted regiment of the Arcanain Royal Army from the subtropical volcanic island of Keldby off the southern coast of Arcanain. Though not as well-equipped as the 19th, they are hardened troops which have served as legation guards for decades. They use a mixture of equipment, with the lucky few receiving the steel M36 helmets, or perhaps the older iron or copper M21 ‘pith’ type helmets, but with all generally wearing cotton or wool trousers or shorts, and brown leather slouch caps. They generally utilize the M15 rifle mainly, with few having the privilege of any sort of SMG or man-portable MGs, taking a more traditional and mobile light infantry role.
Equipment & Forces - Headquarters (4x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 80 personnel) - 1st Battalion - Headquarters (20x Horses, 20 personnel) - Company A (80x horses, 80 infantry) - Company B (80x horses, 80 infantry) - Company C (80x horses, 80 infantry infantry) - Horse Train (100x Horses, 50 personnel) - 2nd Battalion - Headquarters (20x Horses, 20 personnel) - Company A (80x horses, 80 infantry) - Company B (80x horses, 80 infantry) - Company C (80x horses, 80 infantry infantry) - Horse Train (100x Horses, 50 personnel) - 3rd Battalion - Headquarters (20x Horses, 20 personnel) - Battery A (10x Horses. 2x Light Field Guns w/ Caissons, 30 personnel) - Battery B (10x Horses, 2x Light Field Guns w/ Caissons, 30 personnel) - Battery C (10x Horses, 2x Light AT Guns w/ Caissons, 30 personnel) - Horse Train (40x Horses, 20 personnel)
The 11th Artillery Regiment, with the historical title of ‘The Cante Gunners’, is a regiment of artillerymen and guns from the Cante Urban Area. They are one of the three field artillery regiments of the Arcanain Royal Army. Equipped with both heavy and light field guns, they historically had the role of manning both the wall and coastal guns of the Cante walls. They are equipped well, as a premier unit, having khaki and brown serge uniforms, M36 pattern steel helmets, and a limited stock of M15 rifles and M37 submachine guns.
Equipment & Forces - Headquarters (4x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 80 personnel) - 1st Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Battery A (4x Heavy Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 Personnel) - Battery B (4x Heavy Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 Personnel) - Battery C (4x Heavy Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 Personnel) - Ammo Train (6x Gadsden Trucks, 12 personnel) - 2nd Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Battery A (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery B (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery C (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Ammo Train (6x Gadsden Trucks, 12 personnel) - 3rd Battalion - Headquarters (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicle, 20 personnel) - Battery A (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery B (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Battery C (8x Light Field Guns, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 60 personnel) - Ammo Train (6x Gadsden Trucks, 12 personnel)
The 513th Armored Battalion “Black Panther”, formerly the 26th Cavalry Regiment (Mot.), is an armored battalion of the Arcanain Royal Army, raised at the Royal Muster Field Cante. They are a green but well-equipped force of armored vehicles ranging from tracked armored vehicles (tanks) to mechanized armor (mechs). They are equipped with a multitude of light and heavy tanks along with basic light walkers purposed for assault, armor escort, and infantry support.
Equipment & Forces: -Approx. 350 personnel -Headquarters & Logistics (1x Mk. V Command, 2x Mk. IVs, 4x Gadsden Trucks, 22 personnel) -Company A (10x Mk. V Heavy Tanks, 60 personnel) -Company B (20x Mk. IV Light Tanks, 80 personnel) -Company C (20x Mk. IV Light Tanks, 80 personnel) -Company D (15x T6E Medium Tanks, 75 personnel)
The 43rd Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) is a mechanized infantry regiment of the Arcanain Royal Army, also raised at the Royal Muster Field in Cante. Also a new and green, but extremely well-equipped force, they field a good core of assault infantry mounted on halftracks and supported by infantry support tanks. The 2nd Battalion is currently attached to the 513th in the Arcanain Expeditionary Force.
Equipment & Forces: -Approx. 440 personnel -Headquarters & Logistics (4x Mk. IIs, 6x Gadsden Trucks, 20 personnel) -Company A (100 infantry) -Company B (100 infantry) -Company C (100 infantry) -Company D (30x Mk. II Halftracks, 60 personnel) -Company E (20x Mk. III Support Tank, 60 personnel)
The 14th Marine Assault Unit (MAU) is one of the many Marine Assault Units of the Royal Navy Marine Corps. A veteran force, the 14th MAU has been on multiple expeditionary voyages, and its ranks were among guards posted at Arcani maritime installations during the White Shirt Uprising. They are reasonably equipped, with most preferring to forgo the M36 pattern helmet though it is offered in favor of campaign caps, peaked caps, and the older M21 ‘pith’ style helmets, though modern mandates are slowly making the M36 required amongst them.
Equipment & Forces: -Approx, 450 personnel -Headquarters & Logistics (2x Gadsden Trucks, 1x Light Utility Vehicles, 20 marines) -Company A (100 marines) -Company B (100 marines) -Company C (100 marines) -Company D (2x HMGs, 2x Recoilless Rifles, 40 marines) -Company D (10x Mk. III Support Tank, 30 marines)
|Their finest hour:|
The city was on fire, illuminated by a passionate red and orange, the smoke obscuring the stars in the twilight. Zang-Quin had seemingly fallen far, entering the embrace of Mot (the Orthodox God of Death) and tarnishing its own self, its skyline of cinder, as Hell is.
He had ridden hard since the landing earlier. It had been at least six hours since then, and he was at least an hour ahead of the advance columns. His thoroughbred had carried him far, through the tropic heat and humidity. But the steed had slowed, on the cusp of exhaustion and failure. But now the fires were in sight. The glowing heat and plumes of smoke had been visible even from the coast, but now, against the twilight, the embers danced above the jewel of the Commonwealth trade network.
He was only a Private, a lad of Keldby, barely 17, only armed with a revolver and knife, but he had been entrusted with a message crucial to the entire operation, an ultimatum to all belligerents in the city. He nearly was thrown from his own steed as he tugged the reins, bringing the beast to a full stop. He adjusted his slouch cap, and attempted to make out figures atop the old metal gates of the outer walls.
He had of course expected the police, loyal still to the Republic, to be those which answered. But, silhouettes cloaked by flame, with faint shirts of white, bands of silver, and rifles, called out in harsh tongue, foreign to the Private. Rattled, he plucked the smudged written message from his messenger bag, keeping his off hand nearby to his revolver tucked into the holster at the horse’s neck.
He began to read aloud, carrying his shrill, young voice. “In the name of His Majesty’s Royal Services of Arcanain-” He was cut off suddenly by beration in the foreign tongue again, stifled laughing coming from the rifle-bearing men atop the wall. Suddenly, a more well-dressed man, seemingly of higher standing and bearing pushed past the sentries, who instantly ceased their speech.
In a harsh accent, but fluent tongue, the well-dressed officer spoke in Arcani. “Why are you here?” He inquired. The Private was silent, hand drawing closer to the grip of his revolver. “Well? Tell us, or you will be incarcerated in the name of Yesui Olya!” The officer boomed.
The Private responded after a tense few seconds. “The Commonwealth’s arrived! Surrender and leave the city in the next hour, or else!” The young voice called out. The officer boomed with laughter, surrounded by more shrill chuckles of his subordinates. “Return to your ‘commander’, and tell him we will do no such! Furthermore, our counteroffer is as follows: All forces of the western pigs you call the ‘Commonwealth’ are to withdraw, or face the fires of Yesui Olya-” His voice became quieter in his last few words, a decrescendo in realization as a sound seemed to come from all around.
Tracks and engines, marching feet. It boomed so loud that everyone in the city must have heard it. The officer went pale, and spoke in his foreign tongue to the sentries frantically, as the silhouettes disappeared from the wall one-by-one.
By the next dawn, all the nationalists in the city were gone or quelled. The city belonged to the Commonwealth.
|Their darkest hour:|
The air was filled with smoke and blood. He glanced down at his watch as he gripped his revolver tight, thumb prepared to cock the hammer. It had only been a few hours since it had began, but it had escalated quickly. The police had been helpless against crowds of dissenters.
There were 400 of them, the refugees. Merchants, tourists, missionaries, and workers, mostly from Arcanain, but stragglers from Geisel and Sairish who had not made it to their own legations in time were present. They were only 40: 39 riflemen, and himself. There had to be at least a thousand ‘protesters’ surrounding the legation.
He was just a Lieutenant, and this was supposed to be a simple assignment. Accompany the diplomats, smile and shake hands when told, and smoke opium inside the compound the rest of the time. This wasn’t meant to happen. He clutched his revolver and knocked the grip against the brick inner wall of the compound, mortified men, women, and children sat against the walls looking up at him with pleading eyes.
Every telegraph sent had received responses of little substance, dismissive of such claims, especially by a junior officer so close to the celebration of the Zengravi New Year. Trades of pleading and dismissal had continued until the lines were eventually cut. The chants from outside grew louder and louder, the shrill and alien tongue of the dissenters cutting into his mind. Pops of distant fire accented by explosions, and, by some act of apathy for their situation, fireworks, echoed throughout Zang-Quin.
A dull thump seemed to push every other sound out of his mind. They were breaking through. He called to his men to ranks. “Form line, two ranks, twenty files!” He hooked his revolver in the air as he braced himself against the low wall separating the main compound from the outer wall.
His men formed beside him, their M15s shouldered, rifles which had never been used. “Front rank, kneel and brace! Rear rank, aim!” The Lieutenant called, and the front rank took a knee, rifles resting by their handguards on the low wall, with the rear rank remaining at full stance, with their rifles shouldered and aimed. The gate began to buckle.
“FIX BAYONETS!”
The men, just as young as him looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. But nonetheless, they obeyed. Bayonets were buckled to sockets on the rifles. The Lieutenant drew his service sabre, the shined metal which had never met anything other than a whetstone. The gate took another blow, and the bar lock snapped.
There needed to be no orders. Instantly, the line opened up with an enfilade of fire and smoke as crowds rushed in. Time seemed to pass in slow motion, but even then the Lieutenant expended all six rounds in his revolver in seconds.
And through the smoke, the pile of the first line of dissenters, littered on the entire ten meters from the outer wall to the low wall. “KEEP FIRING!” The Lieutenant yelled. His voice seemed distant, he couldn’t even tell it as his own. His hearing had gone. But as the smoke continued to clear, the lines of Arcani frantically racking bolts, the second wave shone through. Blood and soot-stained Zengravi, of all ethnicities, of both genders, wielding batons, shotguns, revolvers, pistols, and even swords. And every single one wore a white shirt or white linen band.
Then, scattered trades of shots from both sides, and the two lines collided. Bayonets clashed with firearm butts, with the cold steel of swords. The Lieutenant thrusted his sabre into the fog of powder smoke. A resistance, as the blade struck flesh. He continued putting his weight in as the sabre cut in.
He focused in on the target as he went to draw out the blade, which slipped out with ease. He saw their face. It was another man, his age, maybe 20. His eyes were glazed and dilated. He had a gash in his abdomen, pouring crimson. He looked terrified.
The Lieutenant carried a grimace. He hooked the sabre again, blood now covering the blade. As he took a long slash, it met steel, the blade vibrating with the force of the impact. He homed in on his target again. This time, another man, masked but unmistakably an elder, but nonetheless skilled as he wielded the Zengravi dao.
Again the Lieutenant took another swipe, adrenaline making his anger bubble up. Again, it caught steel as he locked in duel. The Lieutenant withdrew his blade, going to take another swing. But instantly, his opponent seized up. The eyes behind the mask fixed, and the elder crumpled. Through the smoke, he could make out the slouch cap and bloodied bayonet of one of his men.
He looked around. The smoke seemed to be clearing. There were bodies of both sides slumped against the low wall before him. He saw at least ten of his own dead, and at least a hundred of the dissenters.
“Fall back-” He tried to cry out to his living men, crouched and hugging the low wall. His voice did not carry, his voice caught as he choked on the full stench of powder and death. And then he felt a hard punch.
It was around his lower back, a pain like a kidney had gone. His saw stars and his vision went bright, his head spinning as he slouched forward, reposed over the low wall, his slouch cap sliding off his sweat-caked hair. His vision began to darken, and he went unconscious.
He woke up in a cell, a sharp pain in his lower back.
|Geographical Location of CLIQUE:| The Commonwealth Legation Cities |Cities:| Zang-Quin Ambassadorial District - The center of power for the Arcanain Legative & Diplomatic territories. Includes the Gubernatorial Mansion, where the Military Governor resides, the headquarters for the 19th Infantry Regiment, and the largest merchantine port in southern Zengrav. Tezpa Legation Quarter - A legation district in the city of Tezpa. Includes a legation office, the primary port for the Royal Navy Coast & Riverine Squadron, and the lashing port for the Royal Aeromarine Zengrav Squadron. Wuetong Legation Quarter - A legation district in the city of Wuetong. Includes a legation office, the headquarters for the 513th Armored Battalion, and the headquarters of the 21st Infantry Regiment. Queng-Tan Administrative Area - A small, city block-sized area with a tiny garrison and skeleton crew of supply officers and paper pushers.
Your Warlord:
|Name:| John Forster Alcock |Title:| Brevet (Br.) Major General Alcock, Military Governor of the Arcanain Legation Sectors |Age:| 51 |Ethnicity:| Arcani (Highland) |Personal Ideology: | Staunch Social Conservative and Republican. Envisions a constitutional monarchy with a strong, centralized representative parliament, not unlike Arcanain’s own system. |Influence in the faction: | 11% |Personality: | General Alcock is inherently a kind and caring man. His demeanour is often amicable and outgoing, with an ever-present warm quality about him. He, in his age, gives a paternal aura, a fatherly quality no doubt from raising five children of his own and having been happily married for nearly 32 years. However, he is rather bigoted, if not by his own choice, but his upbringing and outlook. He feels obligated to ‘assist’ the people of Zengrav in establishing a constitutional monarchy like the powers of the Commonwealth. |His Virtue: |Blind Kindness - General Alcock is, as said, very kind. He is charitable and fatherly, taking his belief from the books of the Orthodox faith itself, to “aid the unfortunate, care for the sick, and guide the blind”. |His Virtue: |Diligent Officer - General Alcock is an effective officer of the Arcanain Royal Army. He is an efficient administrator, and one of the best strategists of the non-infantry services, owing to his assignment to the Legation. |His Sin:|Ethnic Vainglory - Despite his kind demeanour and outward warmth, General Alcock does not have a high view of the people of Zengrav, primarily due to their infighting and severity of such. He believes this owes to their ethnic inferiority in administration and cooperation, and that they must be aided by those more capable.
|History and Background:|
The history of the ALDT begins four years before the present day. In the year 4036 A.C. (After the Coming) in the Orthodox Calendar, former republican fighter Yesui Olya murdered a Sairish tourist and injured another before looting the deceased one’s bloodied shirt. The papers in the Commonwealth went wild with the story, calling for all tourists to avoid Zengrav, and for the monarchs of the Commonwealth to intervene.
The ensuing riots and looting caused by tensions from refugees entering Zang-Quin along with the refusal of foreign passenger ships to transport them to asylum abroad forced the hand of the Commonwealth. The Sairish acted first, committing 10,000 men to the expeditionary force. The Geisel followed suit, with 11,000. Even Willem VI, the notoriously patient and stalwart king of Arcanain was forced to intervene as the legation quarter in Zang-Quin was stormed by thousands of protestors, committing first 5,000, but soon increased the number to 10,000.
As an entire corps of foreign troops steamed for the capital, the republicans who barely held onto the capital and coastal cities welcomed the help. As the standards of the Geisel Reich, Sairished Empire, and Arcanain Kingdom waved over boats and airships, protestors scattered. They eventually occupied all six major cities on the coast, including the capital. After two weeks, republican leaders agreed to an amendment of the Unjust Treaties, allowing bloated garrisons and diplomatic districts in all six coastal cities, while extending the lease of this territory for another 25 years.
The foreign corps was dissolved thereafter, with collective forces decreasing slightly. Soon after, King Willem VI of Arcanain died of tuberculosis. His son, Liam III ‘the Progressive’ of Arcanain was coronated, and though he mostly maintained his father’s policy of garrison, he did slightly again decrease the legation force to 5,000. However, as he did such, the Red Turbans declared their independence, once again threatening Commonwealth assets. A capita of 8,000 troops was permitted, and one Colonel John Alcock, commander of the Royal Armored Corps logistics regiment, was breveted to Major General and appointed military governor of the newly formed Arcanain Legative & Diplomatic Territories in Zengrav.
|Armed Forces:|
WIP
|Their finest hour:|
The city was on fire, illuminated by a passionate red and orange, the smoke obscuring the stars in the twilight. Zang-Quin had seemingly fallen far, entering the embrace of Mot (the Orthodox God of Death) and tarnishing its own self, its skyline of cinder, as Hell is.
He had ridden hard since the landing earlier. It had been at least six hours since then, and he was at least an hour ahead of the advance columns. His thoroughbred had carried him far, through the tropic heat and humidity. But the steed had slowed, on the cusp of exhaustion and failure. But now the fires were in sight. The glowing heat and plumes of smoke had been visible even from the coast, but now, against the twilight, the embers danced above the jewel of the Commonwealth trade network.
He was only a Private, a lad of Keldby, barely 17, only armed with a revolver and knife, but he had been entrusted with a message crucial to the entire operation, an ultimatum to all belligerents in the city. He nearly was thrown from his own steed as he tugged the reins, bringing the beast to a full stop. He adjusted his slouch cap, and attempted to make out figures atop the old metal gates of the outer walls.
He had of course expected the police, loyal still to the Republic, to be those which answered. But, silhouettes cloaked by flame, with faint shirts of white, bands of silver, and rifles, called out in harsh tongue, foreign to the Private. Rattled, he plucked the smudged written message from his messenger bag, keeping his off hand nearby to his revolver tucked into the holster at the horse’s neck.
He began to read aloud, carrying his shrill, young voice. “In the name of His Majesty’s Royal Services of Arcanain-” He was cut off suddenly by beration in the foreign tongue again, stifled laughing coming from the rifle-bearing men atop the wall. Suddenly, a more well-dressed man, seemingly of higher standing and bearing pushed past the sentries, who instantly ceased their speech.
In a harsh accent, but fluent tongue, the well-dressed officer spoke in Arcani. “Why are you here?” He inquired. The Private was silent, hand drawing closer to the grip of his revolver. “Well? Tell us, or you will be incarcerated in the name of Yesui Olya!” The officer boomed.
The Private responded after a tense few seconds. “The Commonwealth’s arrived! Surrender and leave the city in the next hour, or else!” The young voice called out. The officer boomed with laughter, surrounded by more shrill chuckles of his subordinates. “Return to your ‘commander’, and tell him we will do no such! Furthermore, our counteroffer is as follows: All forces of the western pigs you call the ‘Commonwealth’ are to withdraw, or face the fires of Yesui Olya-” His voice became quieter in his last few words, a decrescendo in realization as a sound seemed to come from all around.
Tracks and engines, marching feet. It boomed so loud that everyone in the city must have heard it. The officer went pale, and spoke in his foreign tongue to the sentries frantically, as the silhouettes disappeared from the wall one-by-one.
By the next dawn, all the nationalists in the city were gone or quelled. The city belonged to the Commonwealth.
|Their darkest hour:|
The air was filled with smoke and blood. He glanced down at his watch as he gripped his revolver tight, thumb prepared to cock the hammer. It had only been a few hours since it had began, but it had escalated quickly. The police had been helpless against crowds of dissenters.
There were 400 of them, the refugees. Merchants, tourists, missionaries, and workers, mostly from Arcanain, but stragglers from Geisel and Sairish who had not made it to their own legations in time were present. They were only 40: 39 riflemen, and himself. There had to be at least a thousand ‘protesters’ surrounding the legation.
He was just a Lieutenant, and this was supposed to be a simple assignment. Accompany the diplomats, smile and shake hands when told, and smoke opium inside the compound the rest of the time. This wasn’t meant to happen. He clutched his revolver and knocked the grip against the brick inner wall of the compound, mortified men, women, and children sat against the walls looking up at him with pleading eyes.
Every telegraph sent had received responses of little substance, dismissive of such claims, especially by a junior officer so close to the celebration of the Zengravi New Year. Trades of pleading and dismissal had continued until the lines were eventually cut. The chants from outside grew louder and louder, the shrill and alien tongue of the dissenters cutting into his mind. Pops of distant fire accented by explosions, and, by some act of apathy for their situation, fireworks, echoed throughout Zang-Quin.
A dull thump seemed to push every other sound out of his mind. They were breaking through. He called to his men to ranks. “Form line, two ranks, twenty files!” He hooked his revolver in the air as he braced himself against the low wall separating the main compound from the outer wall.
His men formed beside him, their M15s shouldered, rifles which had never been used. “Front rank, kneel and brace! Rear rank, aim!” The Lieutenant called, and the front rank took a knee, rifles resting by their handguards on the low wall, with the rear rank remaining at full stance, with their rifles shouldered and aimed. The gate began to buckle.
“FIX BAYONETS!”
The men, just as young as him looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. But nonetheless, they obeyed. Bayonets were buckled to sockets on the rifles. The Lieutenant drew his service sabre, the shined metal which had never met anything other than a whetstone. The gate took another blow, and the bar lock snapped.
There needed to be no orders. Instantly, the line opened up with an enfilade of fire and smoke as crowds rushed in. Time seemed to pass in slow motion, but even then the Lieutenant expended all six rounds in his revolver in seconds.
And through the smoke, the pile of the first line of dissenters, littered on the entire ten meters from the outer wall to the low wall. “KEEP FIRING!” The Lieutenant yelled. His voice seemed distant, he couldn’t even tell it as his own. His hearing had gone. But as the smoke continued to clear, the lines of Arcani frantically racking bolts, the second wave shone through. Blood and soot-stained Zengravi, of all ethnicities, of both genders, wielding batons, shotguns, revolvers, pistols, and even swords. And every single one wore a white shirt or white linen band.
Then, scattered trades of shots from both sides, and the two lines collided. Bayonets clashed with firearm butts, with the cold steel of swords. The Lieutenant thrusted his sabre into the fog of powder smoke. A resistance, as the blade struck flesh. He continued putting his weight in as the sabre cut in.
He focused in on the target as he went to draw out the blade, which slipped out with ease. He saw their face. It was another man, his age, maybe 20. His eyes were glazed and dilated. He had a gash in his abdomen, pouring crimson. He looked terrified.
The Lieutenant carried a grimace. He hooked the sabre again, blood now covering the blade. As he took a long slash, it met steel, the blade vibrating with the force of the impact. He homed in on his target again. This time, another man, masked but unmistakably an elder, but nonetheless skilled as he wielded the Zengravi dao.
Again the Lieutenant took another swipe, adrenaline making his anger bubble up. Again, it caught steel as he locked in duel. The Lieutenant withdrew his blade, going to take another swing. But instantly, his opponent seized up. The eyes behind the mask fixed, and the elder crumpled. Through the smoke, he could make out the slouch cap and bloodied bayonet of one of his men.
He looked around. The smoke seemed to be clearing. There were bodies of both sides slumped against the low wall before him. He saw at least ten of his own dead, and at least a hundred of the dissenters.
“Fall back-” He tried to cry out to his living men, crouched and hugging the low wall. His voice did not carry, his voice caught as he choked on the full stench of powder and death. And then he felt a hard punch.
It was around his lower back, a pain like a kidney had gone. His saw stars and his vision went bright, his head spinning as he slouched forward, reposed over the low wall, his slouch cap sliding off his sweat-caked hair. His vision began to darken, and he went unconscious.
He woke up in a cell, a sharp pain in his lower back.
|Geographical Location of Country:| Off the eastern coast of Geisel’s mainland clay. Marked in white on the map. |Country Size:| Approx. 640,000 km^2 |Cities:|
Cante (Blue) - The capital city of Arcanain, situated at the inlet of the Monnow Bay. Renowned for its freshwater ports letting directly to the sea down the silt-laden Monnow Channel. Possesses the largest concentration of people on the entire island. Blackcaster (Red) - A largely industrial and sea industry-based city, Blackcaster is situated on the far side of the (inactive) volcanic mountain chain on the northeast side of the island. Least populated of the major cities. Presburn (Green) - As the main mooring station for the Royal Arcanain Navy, Presburn is a military town situated among the wilds of the peninsular lowlands. Boasts a respectable amount of land and population, albeit the facilities are subpar when compared to the rest of the island. Keldby (Magenta) - As an inactive volcanic island, Keldby is home to a specific ethnic group similar to those of mainland Arcanain, although said ethnic people are much lighter skinned and shorter, averaging a whole head shorter than the average citizen. Popular spot for entrepreneurs due to its relatively untapped precious metals and extremely fertile soil.
|Natural Resources:| Arcanain is primarily renowned for skilled and efficient steelworks. With iron from the island of Keldby and coal from the Northern Mountains, Blackcaster’s steelworks can produce up to 45 million tons of steel annually. A noticeable absence of proper woodlands has made the lumber production of Arcanain sink to levels which fail to even satiate their own needs, requiring them to import much of their timber and wood products.
Arcanain’s food situation is stable, being mostly a sustainment industry, with most of the food coming from saltwater fishing and lowland wheat farming, with most non-seafood products being imported. Rich copper veins in the lowlands, large salt deposits on the coastal cliffs of the north, and flax plantations and textile mills on the southern coast are also staples of the natural resources on Arcanain. Additionally, a small crude oil supply exists upon Keldby, which often is enough to satiate simple civilian demand, however Arcanain has negligible military oil supply, relying on imports and inefficient synthetics to substitute.
People & Culture:
|Population:| Approx. 34 million people |Demographics:| 68% Arcani, 15% Kelds, 4% Geiselian, 2% Sairish, 8% Other |Government:|
Arcanain, as a kingdom, is undeniably a constitutionalist one. While the head of state is clearly the monarch King Liam III (born Edmund Liam Sheridan) of the House of Sheridan, the parliamentarian system dictates that the head of government is to be separate of the monarch. The head of government, as the chief legislator and executive power, is the Premier, a title held by one Davian Merrill, a staunch conservative who is a vehement activist on maintaining the status quo.
Under the King and Premier is the Parliament, divided into two houses and charged with drafting and passing legislature. The first house, being the House of Nobles, are a limited sort holding only 25 seats of no particular provincial allegiance, each member appointed by the King and approved or vetoed by the Premier. If the Premier vetos the appointment, the decision goes to a select council of 10 members of the lower house, the House of the Public, who decides to support or overturn the veto. This lower house, the House of the Public, consists of 50 seats (3 per province), with each representative being elected in by the province in which they reside.
Finally is the Royal Courts, which interpret and apply laws according to the founding documents. Five members comprise this highest court, which handles the most pressing issues. Under them is system of federal circuit courts divided by province. Under the circuit courts in each province are the local courts.
|Ruler:| Head of State & Monarch - King Liam III (born Edmund Liam Sheridan) Head of Government & Premier - Davian Merrill |Volksgeist:|”If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. Yours is the clay and everything that's in it, and - which is more - you'll be a man, my son.” -Arcani philosopher John Vaugh
The Arcani are a proud people, with the great virtue of continued and voluntary neutrality, along with stoicism which could make the steel from their mills look weak in comparison. The Arcani are not overly nationalistic, and by no means do most Arcani possess a jingoist bone in their bodies, having thus avoided war and true entanglements beyond trade and pacts of non-aggression.
By no means a world power, Arcanain has often had little say in any world events, only able to conduct influence through trade partners and those weaker than even them, and their reliance on imports in the modern day has left them at the whims of the market, a much contended state of affairs.
WIP |Religion:| Most Arcani, mostly due to their roots, worship the Orthodox faith, housing their own Arcani branch, of which the reigning monarch is protector. However, other than titles and invokings of the names of the Gods, Arcanain’s government is rather secular, and the religious fervour of populace varies depending on the presence of the Church.
|History:|
The story of the Arcani begins millenia ago, as a travelling people. As the Geisel people left the lands of Zengrav, the Arcani had become them. Ethnically the same, it could be said at this point, the Arcani were of the Geisel. And though as many Geisel found Magna Geisel home, many tribes, the Arcani amongst them, did not. But where these other tribes made to fight their way through the kingdoms and duchies to the south, the Arcani found a solution more practical to them: the sea.
The Arcani took to the sea in the 700s, taking their nomadic lifestyle over the ocean. After probings of every landmass within their reach, they stumbled upon the island they had called Arcani’i (roughly Arcani’s, as in possessive), now known as Arcanain. Tribes and clans descended upon the haven, finding that other tribals had settled there: the shorter, paler, and hardier people now known as the Kelds.
But the Arcani were numerous, and the Kelds were not, and the foreign peoples descended upon the island with conviction. By the 1000s almost the entire island belonged to dozens, even hundreds of clans of the Arcani. The Kelds had been forced into the sea, as the Arcani had been forced into the sea by the Minga, and the Kelds eventually came to inhabit the island known as Kelderbie (Land or Clay of the Kelds), now known as Keldby.
The Arcani clans, now in firm control, had none else to contend with but the other clans. A quasi-feudal society had emerged by the mid-1100s. The petty clans contented with each other for centuries, until, in the 1300s, the southern portion of the island came under the control of a single clan, the Sherdugh (meaning Clan of Order), under a chieftain by the name of Bhaltair Sherdugh. By conquests and intermarrying, Bhaltair came to control a fair portion of territory. Unfortunately, he promptly died in 1379 of illness, leaving the clan to his son, Willem.
Willem is the man most often credited with the founding of the modern Arcani nation. Given chieftainship at 17, Willem raised the levies of his territory and engaged the interwarring northern clans. The campaign was easy pickings, most of the clans falling by 1385. Despite this, a pact of six clans formed in the volcanic mountains and cliffs on the northern coast, calling themselves the Northern Alliance. Holding out for six years, their final hold was overrun in the year 1391. At the age of 29, in the Orthodox abbey at Cante, Willem was crowned King Willem I of Arcanain
Having conquered the entire northern half of the island in 12 years, and made many reforms in the civil, government, and military sectors, his rule stagnated once he reached the age of 50. He retired to his manor in Presburn and left his governmental machine to rule. He eventually died at the age of 67, leaving his kingdom to his son, Liam.
After multiple monarchs reigning supreme and sitting complacent, the feudal system began to break down as it had in other places. The people grew restless, and the feckless and inept monarch King Jermaine II witnessed the ultimate result on June 18th, 1653. The long neglected standing military could not stop angry peasants marching on the Royal Palace at Cante. Jermaine II retreated to the Royal Manor at Presburn as the thin line of Royal Guards blocked the mob’s path.
Later that month, Jermaine II and his advisors eventually met with the peasant leaders, drafting the charters which would eventually become the founding documents, including the Charter of the Parliament, establishing the legislative branch in earnest. Also, in 1688, a treaty with the vassalized island of Keldby brought it into the kingdom as a province.
The June Revolution served as a wake-up call to the Crown and the government as a whole. The amassed coffers were dumped into practical projects, like infrastructure, and a new army model was devised, all under King Liam II, crowned in 1703. The pike and shot formations supplanted by peasant levies were traded for a proper regimental system with provincial quotas, and the cavalry reserve was tripled in size. Roads, bridges, and other public works were completed with royal coin.
And better yet, Arcanain would see its first involvement in proper international conflict, albeit in proxy. Mercenary rifle companies sprung up, men with a lust for coin and glory hiring themselves within and without the kingdom. And by the beginning of the 1800s, these mercenaries, known often as ‘Hesske’ (Hes = Coin, Ske = Warrior) were widespread on both the land and seas. Their most notable involvement was in the Unification Wars of Geisel, where Hesske riflemen and sappers supplanted the Jagers of the Geisel kingdoms.
However, after this, the concept of the Hesske died out. Arcanain drifted slowly from world affairs in the second half of the 1800s, and by the turn of the century was seldom seen interacting with any nations beyond the Geisel and the Sairish. This continued up until the death of King Jermaine IV from tuberculosis. As his son, Liam III, took power in 1927, he slowly built relations with those of the Commonwealth once more, enforcing what is now the status quo.
|Armed Forces:|
Ground Forces
The M1919 General Pattern Fatigues (M19 GPF) are the standard fatigues of the Arcanain Royal Services, primarily that of the infantry and logistics staff. Made primarily from flax and wool, the fabrics of the uniform are suited well to the overall temperate climate of Arcanain. The uniform is printed in two patterns, khaki and olive drab, suited to the southern lowlands and the northern highlands, respectively. Accessories to the base uniform include: campaign hats, kepis, M15 helmets, M24 helmets, frock/trench coats, and lightweight campaign packs.
The M1911 Marine Pattern Fatigues (M11 MPF) are the primary fatigues of sailors and Marines of the Arcanain Royal Services. Colored a deep navy blue, it is patterned to blend with the darker southern sea. It is made from mostly cotton and wool, with flax threading. The accessories include: peaked caps, service caps, kepis, M24 helmets, frock/trench coats, and campaign packs.
The M1905 Line Pattern Helmet (M5 LPH) is the outdated helmet design of the Arcanain Royal Services. Often made with cheaper iron or copper and banded with leather, the M5 was designed to be struck by bullets, unlike its newer counterpart, the M24. However, the intent was not to tank the modern spitzer-tipped bullets, but rather the low-velocity flatheaded rifle rounds and rounded pistol rounds. It rarely worked, but provided some reassurance that the soldier’s brains wouldn’t end up on the opposing wall.
The M1924 Line Pattern Helmet (M24 LPH) is the new standard helmet of the Arcanain Royal Services. Made of steel and bowled with a wide brim, the M24 is optimized not to be struck by bullets, but artillery. By the brim covering the nape of the neck and going well over the ears and neck, any shrapnel from above will rarely be fatal, save for the shockwave. But hey, it’s the difference between an open and closed casket funeral.
WIP
Be prepared to write a lot. I’m leaving this fairly open to what you guys want to do, but I want at LEAST infantry arms, premiere vehicles, navy/airforce details, military uniforms, organisational structure, etc, etc, etc. This is an RP heavily based around combat, after all.
|People of Interest:|
POV characters. A short description as well. Feel free to update this as you want to.
Stats:
|Industrialisation:| I’d like a percentage. 0-20% is tsarist Russia. 80-100% is a modern country like the UK.
Personality: Cole is a young, spry Lieutenant with His Majesty's Royal Corps of Marines. Being a young lad, he has issues with impulsivity and is rather immature, not yet well experienced as other officers would be. He acts more a sailor than a gentleman, unless he's around ladies, and is profane under normal circumstances. He is however, as most young people are, passionate and idealistic.
Role: Lieutenant of the 2nd Detachment, 51st Company of Line, Third (Portsmouth) Division, His Majesty's Royal Corps of Marines.
How you got into the Navy: His textile worker father bought his commission in September 1800 as an Ensign/Cornet with the Royal Marines Light Infantry in hopes that the steady pay, discipline, and eventual lifetime pension would do his son well.
Experience with the navy: Initially, he was assigned to the 126th Company of Line, Third (Portsmouth) Division, on the company staff of one Captain Richard Williams aboard the 74-gun Third Rate HMS Robust. The only significant action he saw aboard was on 22nd of July, 1801 when the 126th Company boarded the French 20-gun corvette Chevrette. Of the 15 boarding boats deployed under fire from French shore batteries, Cole was aboard one of the few that made contact with the anchored ship. However, by the time said boat made contact, the fighting had moved below deck and Cole was ordered to remain with the deck party which ultimately cut the anchor and dropped sail.
In 1804, Captain Williams was reassigned as Captain of the Royal Marine Artillery. Cole, unable to afford the courses to become an artillery officer (you could not purchase commissions or transfer purchased commissions to the Artillery), stayed with the Line, transferring to a Company aboard the newly refurbished 64-gun Third Rate HMS Agamemnon just in time to witness Villeneuve's Franco-Spanish Fleet be chased all the way to Cadiz.
After another brief refit at Portsmouth, the Agamemnon joined Vice Admiral Nelson's blockading fleet at Cadiz, soon engaging in the climactic Battle of Trafalgar. Cole, 19 at the time, was placed on damage control duty along with a contingent of Marines and sailors. During the battle, despite the damages eventually getting so bad that the vessel took three feet of water each hour, Cole and his damage control contingent kept steady bucket chains until the battle was over, and even until the vessel reached Gibraltar for proper repairs.
Soon after, Cole was transferred off of the Agamemnon and placed on garrison at the shore forts of Spithead Anchorage in Portsmouth, and soon after received a promotion to Lieutenant, given a detail of infantry. Sometime in late 1806, Cole was transferred to the 51st Company of Line, which was then split into two detachments to be split between two imminently launching Fourth Rates. Cole was given the 58-man Second Detachment and assigned to the 60-gun Fourth Rate HMS Plymouth.
Shortcomings: Cole is immature, and despite having been in his share of engagements, is still naive and over-idealistic. He is profane around all but his superiors and ladies, and is rather mischevious, having a small reputation amongst friends as a womanizer and charmer, which has led to trouble on many occasions.