Rondimites

The Rondimites, as they were often referred to, were an unofficial military group that the disgraced General Rondim formed out of vigilante hordes during the Pagrir Unrest. He was the only one with military experience, and he trained them intensely, shaping them from ragtag civilians running amok into a smoothly-operating unit. His educational skill cannot be denied, despite the purpose he turned it to.   At the time, the three port city kingdoms of Pagrir were not in open war, but regularly at each other's throats. Over half of the land on the island was disputed, which was the cause of many of the clashes, and each of the kings were facing enemies not just from outside but rebellions from within their own walls. A large group of civilians unhappy with the status quo were running around committing random acts of violence, until Rondim stepped in and took them in hand with promises of a better future.   Rondim himself was not a general, though he gave himself that title when he formed the Rondimites. He started off in the army of the Kirvi kingdom, worked his way up a few ranks before defecting to Kovikor. After it was discovered he was selling military secrets to Nivir, he escaped before he could be executed and took refuge in the disputed lands. Here, he rallied the vigilantes and began their training.   Under General Rondim, the Rondimites became a force to be reckoned with, not just because of their numbers but because he'd taught them all his sneakiest underhand moves. He was a brilliant strategist, and the armies of the three kingdoms were unprepared for the Rondimites' skill. In clashes at the borders of the disputed land, the Rondimites pushed the kingdoms' armies back, armed with nothing more than homemade and stolen weapons and careful manipulation of the topography. The Rondimites went on to claim more ground for themselves, raid and burn outlying villages that refused to join them, and almost reached the border of Kovikor when they began losing.   Forced to retreat, the Rondimites switched their focus from offence to defence and regrouped in an area of the disputed land where the landscape gave them the advantage. Since the kingdom armies had clearly got over their shock and learned how to counter their moves, Rondim needed a new strategy.   On the information he had, he decided the kingdom of Kirvi was a better target. He'd heard that the King of Kirvi's newest advisor was a woman, and being a mysogynist, he thought that that made them vulnerable, and decided it would be their undoing. Instead of a straightforward assault, he selected his best soldiers and trained them in the art of espionage and assassination. The Rondimites then prepared for an attack on Kirvi.   To have the element of surprise, Rondim directed his troops through the Pagrir sewer system. He lost nearly a fifth of them on route, but it meant that Kirvi wasn't alerted to their approach until they were almost there. However, the element of surprise failed them, because the King's advisor was Athika Wilder, inventor of the electrified wall.   The Rondimites could not scale the city wall; nobody could even touch it without being knocked out, if they were lucky. It was too high to rig a ladder or other aid before the Kirvi soldiers caught up with them. The overwhelming stench of sewage bought them a few extra moments as their enemies gagged on their approach; General Rondim assessed the situation, ordered a retreat, and ran.   Only a few of them got away, including himself and his lietenant. By now loyalty to him among the survivors was strained. As arguing broke out, he lost his temper, taking out his anger over their spectacular defeat on them. His lieutenant, realising that he only cared about gaining power for himself, drew his sword and killed Rondim on the spot.   The surviving Rondimites--no longer calling themselves after their dead leader--returned to their base in the disputed land and debated what to do next. There was no longer enough of them to function as an army, and once news of their defeat spread, any chance of recruiting new soldiers was going to be even less.   Two of the survivors were ones Rondim had given assassination and espionage training; so this became their new focus. After years honing their skills, the small unit managed to successfully infiltrate Kirvi within the kingdom's own army. While the rest caused a distraction within the castle walls, the two most skilled went after the King. One was struck down by Wilder, but the second managed to fatally injure the King before being caught and killed on the spot. All remaining members were rounded up and executed.   While the legacy of this group is one of great violence and the loss of countless lives, their last act in assassinating the King of Kirvi had quite a twist to it. The King's death occurred two days before he was due to travel to Allkingdom to elect the first Sovereign of the Teardrop Sea Islands. Athika Wilder was sent in his place, and was elected to the position herself. It was her wisdom and diplomacy during her reign which finally brought an end to the Pagrir Unrest, and fanned the spark of an unprecedented cycle of social and technological advancement which defined the Age of Acceleration.