Introduction
I am Sir Osbern Fitzroy. I have served the greatest commanders of Néresia, Eashillia, and Covasia as an advisor and, over the course of the Great War, have fought alongside or against armies of every realm on the face of Ceres. I commanded soldiers in the hellish Battle of Lostal and led the final charge in the pivotal Battle of Roreslen. My experience has lent me certain insights that may prove valuable to the commanders of this age and the next. I have learned how humans and elves differ from each other and dwarves in how they conduct a battle, how Ilythiiri and Andustari organize the defense of a region differently from each other, how Néresians and Covasi argue over the proper way to establish supply lines, and more. This book shall act as a record of all that I have learned from my experiences in the Great War.
Human Realms
Though the Grand Empire of Néresia is often called Humano-Elvish, I shall be including it among the Human Realms for it shares more similarities with them than the Elvish realms.
Elvish Realms
The High Kingdom of Ilythiir and the Union of Andustara share a common background that still manages to shine through despite the centuries of fighting very different foes having forced them to evolve in separate directions. It could be said that the elves brought the very concept of warfare to Ceres from Mélamar, though it would be disingenuous to say that there was not conflict in Ceres before the elves arrived from across the sea. The first documented wars in Ceresian history were the "Honor Wars" fought by the realms in exile, and echoes of this ancient form of warfare can still be seen today. A key example being the presence of war mages. The ancient elves were said to fight with spells upon their tongues and today, Andustara and Ilythiir are the only realms with mages as a standard component of their armies. Though of course, with magic in a somewhat waning state among the races of Ceres altogether, mages in warfare have become exceedingly rare even among the elves who are born to magic.
Where the two kingdoms begin to drift apart has less to do with how and vastly more to do with why they fight. Understanding the motive behind your enemy's action is often more important than understanding the action itself, and so I shall begin speaking of their differences first in that field. The High Kingdom of Ilythiir has long been the Hegemon of the East, something that has only been challenged in recent times with the Mavernian Rebellion. The Ilythiiri rule over a network of client kings and puppets that has protected Ilythiir itself from the ravages of war since time immemorial. They do not fight to protect their home, as it has never come to harm, but rather to protect their hegemony, something that could come crashing down at any moment should their invincible front falter. The individual soldier is rarely personally invested in the war, either fighting to secure dominion over some far off land or an auxiliary conscripted to fight for his masters.
By contrast, the golden fields of Andustara have seen bloody massacres and vicious raids that bring ruin to the land. The Union of Andustara's military history is characterized by purely defensive wars and rarely do Andustaran soldiers venture far beyond their borders. Andustara has been in a long decline, slowly losing territory to the Grand Empire of Néresia. The Andustari fight to defend their homes, which they are all too well aware of their vulnerability. They fight every battle knowing that their friends and family back home may be put to the sword or worse should they be defeated.
To continue discussing Ilythiirin and Andustaran warfare together would result in a flawed understanding of both for, despite their common origins, they have evolved to be quite different. I will begin with the Low Elves of Andustara as I have more personal experience in their manner of conducting war.
The Andustari heavily favor defensive tactics and strategies that tend to result in a low loss of elven life, and are capable of utilizing them to a frightening degree of skill that cannot be matched elsewhere on the continent. The most bloody battles fought on the Western Front between Néresia and Andustara occurred when imperial soldiers attacked a force of Andustari who had the chance to prepare a defense. I would rather fight another battle like Lostal than carry out a campaign in Andustaran lands, and I know many good men who would agree with me.
If forced into a pitched battle, they typically draw up their men in three lines with their cavalry guarding the flanks. The first line is comprised of the heaviest of Andustaran infantry holding the center, though most would not consider them "heavy" infantry, and lighter infantry forming two wings near to the cavalry. The center line is made up of their skilled archers while the rear line is lighter infantry similar to those that form the wings in the first line. The role of the rear line is to act as reserves and reinforcements to wherever they are needed.
Now, to discuss what the normal equipment of an Andustaran soldier looks like. Unlike much of Ceres, the Andustari do not believe in munition arms. Every spear, every breastplate, every arrow that is carried by a soldier of Andustara is finely crafted and made to endure centuries. Many Low Elves step onto the battlefield wielding weapons that have existed longer than some human kingdoms. The heaviest armor an Andustaran might wear would be finely crafted half plate that covers most of the upper body, but doesn't have much protection for the legs beyond greaves and a short skirt of mail or scales. More lightly armored soldiers would wear breastplates or coats of metal scales. The typical weapons favored by the Low Elves are spears, longswords, and the fearsome elvish longbow. I have also heard that the retinues of certain vassal kings of Andustara wield heavy battleaxes and encase themselves in full plate armor. I am not able to confirm whether or not there is any truth to these rumors, unfortunately.
Principality of Zaled
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