It may come to the reader’s mind to ask why R’hahes risked such a venture. What did R’hahes have to gain from helping Galleon? The truth is, that R’hahes had never revealed any of his intentions. This has not stopped Historians from forwarding possible solutions for many years, and I would like to go through some of them here.

  A contemporary of the War of the Black Princes, H’lsten [au] Zagarra, suggested R’hahes formulated this plan as a method to pre-empt retaliation from Ticate. As Gedrovach’s only naval trade is through the Bowran Sea and around the Avidii Horn. The harshness of the Bowran forced ships to navigate close to shore; this allowed Ticate tight control over all naval traffic crossing from the Bowran Sea to the Takrodan Ocean. By showing support for Galleon, R’hahes would likely aggravate Ticate, who could severely harm Gedrovach’s naval trade. Instead, Zagarra proposed, R’hahes decided to replace ownership of the Avidii Horn with an ally.

  This certainly seems possible, and Gedrovach’s trade around the horn had increased significantly over the previous fifty years. Was this likely a factor which R’hahes had kept in mind? Undoubtedly, but this goal alone does not account for the remainder of R’hahes’ plans. His original drafts for the reconquest of Galleon had planned for a seven-year long campaign, with the Ticate portion only accounting for two of those seven. The majority of the campaign concerned taking Vye and Gallor – two regions which did not border Gedrovach. The area of Vye included a small portion of coast along the Takrodan but the gentler nature of these waters allowed most ships safer passage. Zagarra suggested that the young prince-apparent had merely gotten carried away as he began recognizing weaknesses when forging his plans. This solution seems dismissive, however, since R’hahes showed incredible foresight. So much so, that it is difficult to believe he would create such a plan out of sheer enjoyment.

  A focus on trade would also be shortsighted. Gedrovach’s main naval trade partner was Midland; the country only recently recovering from the scourge of the Gallois. By helping Galleon, R’hahes would actively harm relations with Midland. Although, Midland may have been part of R’hahes’ reasoning from the beginning.

  My colleague Ophelion, in his book Jehan to Jehan, has suggested a further addendum to Zagarra’s hypothesis. With the Gallois people gone from Midland, the once chaotic lands had an extended period of peace and growth. Midland had grown so powerful that it was now the strongest nation in the western southlands and had come to arms several times against the Solari Empire’s push westward – winning each of these encounters. Ophelion posits that R’hahes time with the Empire had made him keenly aware of this rising power, one oft overlooked by Gedrovach and the other eastern powers. By establishing an ally who could rival Midland, it is possible that R’hahes was seeking to halt their growing influence. Whether he wished to use Galleon as a simple buffer state, or possibly, eventually, use Galleon against Midland is unclear but Ophelion’s proposition aligns with our understanding of R’hahes.

  Ophelion also brings up R’hahes’ personal connection to Midland. While Gedrovach and Midland were forming cordial relations, R’hahes had been in the Golden Solari Empire; Midland and Solari were not friendly. In fact, when Cantadoré was travelling abroad to gather support for Elganford, Midland had provided the bulk of his army. It is very likely that R’hahes had maintained a grudge over the Elganford debacle. Emperor Leonhart, a father figure to him, had become extremely depressed after his defeat and it likely weighed heavy on R’hahes. It is true that R’hahes never explicitly mentioned this motivation (and he even hired Cantadoré) but, as we will discuss later, some of his actions are hard to view as anything other than self-serving vengeance.

  While I think Ophelion is extremely close to the truth, I wish to add one further aspect which I think is overlooked. R’hahes had spent many years under the tutelage of Calvade. He was born under Iigrantism and had many Sudenese teachers in his youth. R’hahes generally acted the part of a realist but I do not believe he was beyond idealism. There were many benefits to helping Galleon, but the longest consequence of the reconquest has been Galleon’s loyalty to Gedrovach. R’hahes gave Galleon a second chance and they pledged an unwavering loyalty to their saviour; a story we see reflected in the meldore’s veneration of Imwuin. Imwuin saved the meldore and they have shown their gratitude ever since – a lesson, it seems, R’hahes took to heart.

  It would not take generations for the Galleons to begin showing their appreciation either. Indeed, R’hahes quickly became a figure of admiration. Early into his success, the Galleon people granted R’hahes a new name: “Naura ni Bowra,” Star of the North, in Sudenese. With his presence and popularity, Sudense even became the second most spoken language in Galleon. The people were impressed; they were excited by R’hahes’ successes and, for the first time in a long time, the Galleon people felt inspired to make their mark on the world. This is not to say that R’hahes was unanimously loved. There were those who felt content with Galleon’s position and were frightened of retaliation – especially if they failed.

  As well, there were many lords who felt overshadowed by this outsider. Some were afraid that, due to his rising popularity, the people would force Guiscarl II to relinquish the throne to R’hahes. Guiscarl II did not humour such claims, nor should he have been worried. The history of the Gallois is punctuated with a contempt for authority outside their own. They did not bend the knee to Verdicus, they never settled in Midland and they would never submit themselves to Gedrovach control. This cultural pride was so strong that Molygara, despite being a popular queen, knew to step aside and let her Gallois children maintain the throne.

  If Guiscarl II felt any jealousy or fear towards R’hahes, he never publicly revealed it. Instead, he trusted R’hahes with unprecedented control over not only the campaign but also over Gallois troops. It truly appeared that Guiscarl II had great faith in R'hahes and in the success of the reconquest.

  In order for R’hahes to succeed, the forces used in this war would need to be well trained and disciplined. Before making any moves, the Galleon army spent months training. R’hahes understood the power of a well-trained force. He witnessed first hand how the tan-coated Imperial Hawkeye Legion had been crucial to Imperial success during the Seige of Elganford. R’hahes knew that elite troops were useful twofold: first, well trained troops were simply more effective on the battlefield; second, elite troops played a unique part in psychological warfare. R’hahes had seen it himself when Picarro had made her decisions with the motivation of avoiding elite troops. Of course, not every soldier could be equally well-armed or well-trained, but even a small contingent was still an invaluable tool.

  Training was not limited to the Galleons either. For his own troops, R’hahes convinced a retired veteran of the Imperial Hawkeyes, Rolland Gandihart, to train Wahtanondans. R’hahes also understood that there was power behind the Hawkeyes’ recognizable tan coats, and he elected a bright red coat for these new troops. He called this group the Mihkwaapiti Regiment (Mihkwaapiti roughly meaning “Red Elk” in Owaskahikan). Colloquially, they became known as the Red Guard; even though the first written account of this name is not until the War of the Black Princes, it is likely that the name began circulation well before being officially recognized – regardless, I will often refer to them as the Red Guard since it will likely be the most recognizable name for the reader.

  The colourful red brigandines worn by the Red Guard likely made them a striking sight on the battlefield. During this period, the majority of soldiers were conscripts charged with paying for their own arms and armour. It was an honour to serve and support one’s country and the cost of which was considered a normal expectation. Due to this, however, most armies were quite rag-tag and their armaments in poor shape; in fact, many soldiers used hand-me-downs from their parents or grandparents who had previously seen battle. So, a full contingent dressed uniformly was in itself a signal to enemies that these troops were something special; And the Red Guard most certainly were special. To this day, the Red Guard remains a symbol of Gedrovach pride and strength. They are a prestigious group with a long history of success.

  There were several aspects of western culture that R’hahes realized he could exploit in his campaign. The first of which was that much of Galleon and the Southlands were culturally opposed to magic. The west had never had a strong culture of magic but any it did have was shattered when Verdicus arrived. Verdicus, according to legend, had suffered his first real defeat at the hands of the Demon Lord Xinn. Perhaps labelling the fight as a draw is more generous since Verdicus succeeded in killing her, but the Demon Lord had used powerful magic which forced Verdcus out of commission for the rest of the Demon Wars. Should the story be true, it gives us a reason to why Verdicus had outlawed magic in his empire, fearing it to be the one thing which could truly harm him. A general distrust in magic continued after Verdicus died and it would take many years before magical sects in the West began to reappear.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Truly skilled magicians, even in societies like Nitra or Norne, where magical culture is fostered, are few and far between. Yet, even one such magician could alter the tides of a battle. R’hahes had seen as much during the Siege of Elganford. As was discussed earlier, Leonhart had lost the entire war due to the meddling of Nitra magicians. Further still, the people of the Free States had a particular affinity to magic due to Soul Bonds.[6] Even the legendary Hawkeyes had faced difficulty when confronting large groups of magicians. It was fortunate, then, that this was not an issue R’hahes needed to contend with.

  This allowed Gedrovach’s use of firearms to be even more effective. The meldore consider firearms as the “great equalizer.” It is, almost assuredly, the key instrument in ensuring meldore have remain on equal terms with cultures of impressive magic. Nitra was halted from moving North due to fears of Gedrovach’s deadly weapons. The history is a long one, and for brevity, I will direct those interested in a full breakdown of the history of firearms to Ishkode Asiniiwan, 1606, by R’fus [u] Kessler, which follows the progression of firearms from its earliest uses up to the dissolution of the Solari Empire.

  During the Siege of Elganford, the standard of rifle warfare was to use long-barrelled matchlock rifles from defensive positions, ideally behind a pavesen shield. These rifles could match most bows and crossbows in range but were too long to wield when performing assaults. Melee weapons were still preferred in close engagements, but some groups (such as the Hawkeyes) would carry fire-spears. The fire-spear was a close-range hand-cannon which held a spear tip, axe head or polearm on the opposing end of the handle; the combatants would approach to charging distance, fire the hand-cannon and then charge with the spear end.

  While the fire-spears were relatively effective, the cumbersome metal hand-cannon attached to the end made the weapons less effective in melees. The Hawkeyes would often drop the fire-spear instead and switch to the short swords they kept on their hips. Indeed, firearms remained undoubtedly effective but moreso on the defensive. Smaller, single-handed matchlock pistols had been designed but the matchlock design necessitated both hands be used to light and prep the match mechanism. As such, these pistols saw very little practical use.

  A major advancement was made in 1322 when an Imperial engineer, Silvanna Eisintrop, patented the first wheellock design. The wheellock allowed the user to fire the weapon with one hand (still requiring two hands to reload every round, however). R’hahes, intrigued by the design and its possibilities, convinced Silvanna to accompany him back to Wahtanonda. He hoped that technological superiority would give him an advantage in future engagements.

  Due to its one-handed capabilities, the wheellock contributed to shorter barrelled firearms. This would mean less range, but firearms at the time were not extremely accurate regardless due to a lack of rifling. As well, a firearm which could be fired one-handed meant that the other hand could be in use as well – say, for holding reigns.

  It was with these advancements in mind that R’hahes began training the Galleon elites. Reloading while riding was difficult but a horseman or teljiman could have anywhere from three to six wheellock pistols on their saddle, ready to be fired in succession. The rider could engage from a distance, firing several shots off, and then retreat to safety to reload. A round from a firearm could penetrate most armour and the damage to morale from sustained fire was often devastating enough to force retreat.

  These riders were then split into three contingents. The first was commanded by King Guiscarl II or, at times, by his son Prince Rastophe. The second was led by the King’s first-born, and heir, Princess Maulisse. The final was put under the command of Baron Balwain. The riders themselves also fell into two distinct types: the pistolier, armed with the new wheellock pistols, and the fusilier, armed with matchlock rifles.

  The matchlock rifles had extended range, but any benefits the matchlock riders had was a mere consequence. The real reason for the distinction was due to a lack of supplies. The wheellock took great precision and expertise to manufacture and was, therefore, difficult to produce in great quantities. In order to make the pistoliers as effective as possible, each needed multiple pistols, which shortened the list of recipients. R’hahes was having difficulty arming all of the riders. A problem which would only get worse as the campaign dragged on. The wheellock was difficult to repair; in fact, parts breaking usually meant replacing the whole firing mechanism due to its intricacies. Yet, on campaign, the troops became separated from supply lines – and R’hahes did not risk bringing his best engineers and craftsman with him to the frontlines. So, many pistoliers would transition into fusiliers over time, until lulls in the campaign would allow for redistribution.

  The strains R’hahes placed himself under give us an idea of how much risk was truly involved in this endeavor. Legend has it that steel nails, horseshoes and even cutlery were donated, or possibly confiscated, in droves to continue production of these pistols. It is easy for us to recognize, with hindsight, that R’hahes, and Gedrovach as a whole, was rewarded for the risks he took. At the time, however, it only separated R’hahes further from his Gedrovachi peers; who portrayed him as a warmonger who risked meldore lives for foreign powers.

  R'hahes, always the keen opportunist, found ways to benefit from his enemies. His political rival, the Sudenites, did not have a grand army, and what little forces they did have access to were busy stifling religious rebellions rising in the east. These rebellions were pitiful in scope but if R’hahes was to come forth as a Nistai, with Calvade at his side, the country would shatter into all out war. As it stood now, R’hahes took no stance on these rebels – which, in reality, was the same as acknowledging Suden’s legitimacy as the true religion of Gedrovach. Still, the Sudenites did not trust R’hahes; he was ambitious, charismatic and threatened to challenge the supremacy they had developed over Gedrovach. Suden knew it did not have the troops to fight in a Gedrovach-spanning civil war but what they did have was money.

  R'hahes was aware of all of this, as Sklorane had confirmed Suden’s strengths in an effort to avoid war between the two sides. R’hahes knew that the Sudenites wanted him gone. He knew that they had vast amounts of wealth they were willing to spend. So, when developing his plan, he sent Sklorane to ask Suden for money to fund his campaign. The Sudenites thought the plan was foolish but they readily agreed to send a steady supply of money. To Suden it must have appeared as a miracle; the individual of greatest concern was planning on leaving for years. By their account, the worst scenario was that R’hahes would leave, be successful in his campaign, and return after giving them ample time to fix the current strife and reassert their control. The best-case scenario for them was that R’hahes would fail in his campaign and die.

  So, R’hahes prepared to fight a war with someone else’s troops and someone else’s money. His incredible foresight did not end here either. R’hahes ensured that all Galleon training was conducted in Wahtanonda. hecollected trainers and teachers from all over: Gallois from Midland, Hawkeye veterans from the Empire, and other experts from across the continent. He even managed to hire Estario Cantadoré, who had fallen out of favour in Elganford. He provided residence and pay to all of these experts and began moving Galleon troops to Wahtanonda in droves.

  R'hahes argued that, with Ticate being the first target, it was crucial for the Galleon forces to train in mountainous terrain; something absent from Elleon but abundant in Wahtanonda. There was little room to argue with R’hahes’ reasoning and it was agreed upon. It is unclear if the true genius and forethought of this decision was known to Galleon at the time. By conducting the training in Wahtanonda, R’hahes had free reign to spend the money from Suden on his own infrastructure. As well, many of the trainees travelled to Wahtanonda with their families in tow. The population swelled, and the labour force grew – with some families electing to remain in Wahtanonda permanently. Indeed, a duchy-wide census conducted in 1170 placed the human population at roughly 8% and another in 1266 found humans accounted for a little over 4%. However, a census in 1334 has the human population swelled to nearly 25% - with some estimates suggesting that the human population present was actually much larger than those deemed as “residents.” For more information on these intricacies, I suggest Galv’steron [e] Tunt’s A Statistical History of Gedrovachi Demographics and Economy.

  Further still, there would be future boons to this as well. By retaining all of the experts and teachers, R’hahes would ensure that subsequent generations of Galleons would also conduct their training in Gedrovach. It seems R’hahes truly wanted to intertwine Galleon and Gedrovach with unbreakable bonds. Something, as of writing, he appears to have accomplished. Galleon’s elite are still trained in Gedrovach today and Galleon’s greatest military college, Iowheron [7] Military Academy, being located in Wahtanonda itself.

  After a little under a year, training was complete, supplies were prepared and the march into Ticate began. Ticate was chosen as the initial target since it stood politically isolated from the southern kingdoms and had remained Galleon’s greatest rival. Despite the planning done by R’hahes, it would not be an easy fight – and certainly not a short one. Indeed, the Reconquest of Galleon would keep R’hahes from home for another decade.

  [6] [Soul Bonding is a spiritual act which is common in Solvestism, a religion particularly popular in the Sterccian Peninsula and the Sapphire City States. It involves bonding one’s soul with a Cyrridic being – most commonly a demon. By offering up one’s soul in the afterlife, they are able to tap into the demon’s power and perform magic with little training.

  I am no expert in magistry or soul bonding, so I will avoid going into more detail here. I will merely point out that Soul Bonding is often considered an affront by many eastern religions – especially Iigrantism. Bonding with angels or Star-Children is also somewhat common and a bit more accepted by religions which worship Enyu or Tirielle.]

  [7] [Iowheron coming from a Wahtanondan word for thunder - due to hordes of horse hooves mimicking thunder.]