Heisi went deeper into the archives and found some books about the history of this kingdom. Well they weren't quite hard to find, especially when there was a huge sign saying: OUR GLORIOUS AND MOST WONDERFUL HISTORY; THE BEST AND MOST INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
“Much propaganda.”
Heisi took the largest book titled SUMMARY OF OUR HISTORY to the table and started reading. As she started reading, text disappeared and a new text appeared. She had read online that in RR history books a shorter version of the books content would appear.
….
Long time ago on this southern continent there were many kingdoms and independent cities and villages. Our village, now our city, is located on a plain surrounded by canyons that were made by the two river sisters Xoa and Moka that split from their mother Lika and join at the northern ocean once again. Our village newer saw much fighting or hostility, since we were content with the fertile forests and fields surrounding our village, and no one dared to try and take this land from us since the rivers were difficult to cross, even with our help Not that we weren’t ready for war,and weren’t training for it.We knew very well what was happening on the other sides of the canyons. We kept vigilance for any enemy that might be foolish enough to come and cross us, but alas none came. We were partially happy and partially sad. Happy for non would die, sad for we couldn’t test our mettle. We are dwarfs, that were in one of the few villages located on the open, I mean not near the mountains. Well you could say we were on a mountain, if you could call it that. The name of that ran through our legacy, it became the name engraved on our hearts, the name of our Home, Fileheim. Our village had the same name, as does our city, and it was ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty from it’s founding, from the first house that was built to this day. As our village grew, so did our need for stone. Since it was highly impractical to bring stone from across the canyon we started digging deeper into Fileheim. We dug majestic halls and storage facilities underground, we even made a port at the ocean side and lifts that went directly above into the village. Soon came the priests with their gods, which we reluctantly accepted, I mean if they were our gods they would have shoved themselves to us, wouldn’t they? Strangely none of their blessings worked on us, but we still had let them stay. Our village prospered as the other villages, cities and kingdoms saw war after war. We became an oasis to other people, and soon they started seeking refuge, and as we were always neutral, we granted them safe haven. Some adopted well bringing new craft and cultures. Elfs that came taught us magic, well that came as a surprise to everyone, the fact that we were highly proficient in it. Humans brought their understanding of agriculture and military strategy that was wholeheartedly welcome. There were a few other minor races like fairies and werewolves, and each made some improvements available to us. Before we knew it we became a small city. We also built two stone bridges, each a mile long, two of Fileheims masterpieces that connected the plain across Xoa and Moka. Our merchants made contact with the central continent where we were especially friendly with the Kalmore kingdom.
Our population was:
7000 dwarfs
1005 humans
300 elfs
100 fairies
150 werewolves
300 daemon-kind
40 dragon-kind
250 merpeople
100 harpies
As you see our population increased by 2245 just by immigrants. We accepted them all without regard to what they had done or what they were. You can guess the churches response. They were furious, but since they couldn’t affect us in the slightest with their blessings they had to keep quiet.
With the help of merpeople our see trade flourished, we even made an artificial floating island as a docking station in front of the entrance into our port. Our port and city had expanded even underwater so that merpeople can truly feel as a part of our community the humans settled around the town and started using the fields more efficiently thus increasing our food production ten fold,so we could now feed ten of our towns. The elfs settled in the scarce woods taking care of it and making sure we can maintain status quo in the forest quantity. We started calling them tree growers. Fairies enhanced our pools so that they can’t go empty in the dry and hot summers. Werewolves taught us how to tame wild animals like wolfs so that they don’t bother our cattle and crops, they became our hunters and preservers of balance. Dragon-kind and harpies helped us build tall towers and walls, we gave them the tallest towers for their guardhouses and nests. The daemons were difficult at first but soon became the hottest thing. Many found themselves either in entertainment industry or in guard duty. Some became prominent blacksmiths and tailors. There were few that stood out among the daemon races. The vampires and succubus. Succubuses created high class free brothels, just to satisfy their hunger, while vampires became diplomats and leaders of their kind, to which we didn’t object since they bound themselves to the Hapsburgs by the means of blood contracts. If the line ended they would be forever banished from Fileheim
Our military slowly growed stronger, as it consisted of many races, not just dwarfs anymore. As we noticed the number of jealous growing we started preparing for the unavoidable, for war. we built three additional layers of walls, an architectural achievement not easily surpassable. One around the plain, in the shape of an U since the city was located looking at the see, we saw no need to build walls there. We believed that none would dare to make that climb, but as a precaution we made the surface of the cliff smooth. the second wall took far less time than the first wall to build. We built it to surround the few farmlands and forests that we deemed necessary for surviving sieges. When we were completing the first wall and starting the second the church left us under excuse of being needed elsewhere, but we knew they were up to no good. At the time we were completing the second wall we noticed that the church had slowly spread outside of Fileheim that we were devil worshipers, that we were heretics that couldn’t get their blessings, and had to be cleansed. Adding the built wall the lords started hating and fearing us. The city wall was quickly reinforced and strengthened, and the final wall around the keep and the passages into Fileheim was made. The final wall was made with all the skill and ingenuity all races of Fileheim could muster, hoping that the time when it would be needed would never come.
As we finished the first wall our troops were for the first time properly reorganised. Since the first population list our population quickly grew, but so did our food production capacity so we didn’t worry. Our population grew to approximately 70500 citizens.
Our population was:
25000 dwarfs
15005 humans
7100 elfs
4500 fairies
2550 werewolves
1000 daemon-kind
300 dragon-kind
5005 merpeople
10040 harpies
The last population list was 120 years ago. That was a huge boon to us. From a village we grew to a kingdom. The population increase meant a military increase and it’s restructuring was necessary. We had 10000 praetorians which acted as wall and city guards, while the rest of the regular military was put into five legions of 4000 men, each consisting of 10 cohorts of 400 men, each cohort had 5 centuries of 80 legionaries. Three legions were always on duty while the other two helped the kingdom in different jobs, after a certain period of time they rotated. All legionaries were exclusively dwarfes, while praetorians were mostly other races, with a few dwarfes. The military reorganisation was completed as the final wall had been finished, it lasted 40 years. It was just in time as the clouds of war could be seen. The church was diligent. In just five years it managed to create an army of supporters for it’s cause. Just five years later they appeared on our doorstep, or better said across our canyon moat. We knew they were not here to give us flowers so beforehand we trapped the stone bridge, and waited. They numbered 100 000 men, church fanatics, poorly equipped men. But the man that led them was a moron. He didn’t even want to listen to our king Franc Hapsburg the First when he warned him that what he was doing is madness. The man that led them was a moron. They all came on one side, and tried to zerg the gate thinking that the gods would let them through. The First legion that was stationed there at that time considered it a disgrace if such a stupid army touched their gates, so they marched out to meet them. It was a slaughter which showed superiority. The Firsts 4000 dwarfes and 3000 Praetorians whipped out the mob without even taking a single light wound. Before the mob even got to the First, thanks to the width of the bridge which is 100 meters, Praetorians took out 30000 men, 10000 were stomped because they tripped by themselves or across the dead bodies, and 20000 men fell of the bridge. The First finished them off. The enemy lords that were watching figured that this would happen but still they wanted to see by themselves so that they knew how to overcome the obstacle. The victory felt more like a loss, and we somehow knew what was coming. After examining the bodies we realised that all that came at us were slaves, beggars and social outcasts, those people that wouldn’t be missed but can be used as a Casus belli.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
As years passed by the population further increased, especially since a huge coalition was forming that killed everything that opposed them. We knew that the coalition’s goal was to plunder and kill us. The number of legions increased from five to seven, number of men in each legion increased from 4000 to 5000, number of cohorts stayed the same but number of men in each increased to 500, and the number of legionaries in a centuries increased from 80 to 100. Each able dwarf between 16-110 had to go through military training as was our tradition, and is counted as an regular. The additional two legions were composed of a mix between humans, elfs and demon-kind. The number of Praetorians increased from 10000 to 20000. It had been 15 years since the massacre and our population was a staggering number of 110 125.
35000 dwarfs
25130 humans
10300 elfs
5600 fairies
5050 werewolves
2000 daemon-kind
500 dragon-kind
7005 merpeople
19540 harpies
We even formed two air legions (F1 and F2 ) and an underwater legion that consisted of harpies, which were lead by the dragon-kind and merpeople. They were truly terrifying. A flying force that could stay above bow range and bombard or could sweep at targets of opportunity and a force that an organisation of a highly trained military underwater.
Twenty years after the massacre the coalition surrounded us from both sides of the land, but foolishly they tried to block our port with a hundred ships that were quickly sank by the flying and underwater legions.
For having a good relationship with the Kalmore kingdom, they sent us 5000 of their best knights to aid us. Many orcs came from the central as well, about 30000 of them, their excuse is that they love killing, and we had a lot to do to win.
The coalitions army held siege for more than five years in which their size increased to more than a million, approximately 500 000 on each side. It consisted mostly of humans, elfs and dwarfs with jealousy fueling their fire. They were also led by morons, since they honestly thought that they can win by besieging us.They started loosing their patience and decided to attack us. As they went across the bridge the F1 and F2 legions bombarded them with arrows, rocks and magics. Their morale was constantly falling as were their arrows, but they pressed on. When they managed to reach the gate the crazy orcs jumped over the wall and started butchering them left and right. After a few minutes orcs were pulled back up by ropes so that the Kalmore knights together with werewolves can do a hit and run. The sight must have been terrifying, I as a historian just imagining it feel scared, I mean, imagine you reach an enemy gate, with morale in taters, knowing that you will probably die, and seeing something like flying orcs coming out of the sky, which after killing many confused soldiers fly away. Then the huge gates open just to see fully armored horses and werewolves charging at you, going through your allies like they were butter, and going back inside without taking any casualties. The first day ended with the coalition loosing 61 000 men.
This lasted for two weeks till the coalition maneged to breach the gates on both sides, and entered in a clash with the Second, Third,Sixth and Seventh legions. Our Legions maneged to prevail but at the cost of more than half their men, before the coalition troops retreated. Our troops regrouped at the second wall, while the F1 and F2 legions fought attrition warfare wit the coalition. The coalition managed to unite on the plain. They were now 600 000 strong while we lost more than 10000 troops. They were winning. They set up their siege engines and started bombarding us, destroying many towers and houses. General populace retreated into the shelters inside the fourth wall and were ready to leave with the kings grandson, while the king and his son stayed to defend the city.
Soon the second wall fell, and the city became dependant on its storage supplies and fish, while our enemies enjoyed the fertile grounds of Fileheim.
Our military had three full and four at 50% land legions, and two full units of mobile support. The number of Praetorians that could be used in battle was down to 5000 and the rest were with the civilians. The enemy decided to wait us out, because they believed to be a shame to waste such good infrastructure. Our situation was grim so our then king Franc decided to die, he was already older than most dwarfs, and had maybe few more years to live. He asked the most skilled of elfs and daemon-kind to enchant him, so that he may take many enemies with him. The elfs fortified his strength with their strongest spells that side effects of being unable to move and huge pain, while daemons gave him two spells, one that killed him when the spell ended in exchange for great power and another that made his body explode when he died. He charged into enemy ranks at night, the enemies believed he was a death god incarnated, that night is what I consider drew HIS attention, drew the attention of our GOD. Franc killed thousands in his rampage, each kill fueling the spells casted on him by the daemons. Every citizen of Fileheim that watched his rampage that night felt pride that that was their king. As he killed into the night a dark presence could be felt, a presence so powerful it was terrifying, but only the coalition felt that fear for it was meant for them. Julius watched his father kill the enemy when a dark figure approached him. This is the record I found of that night, it was in bad shape so I extracted as much as I could.
The dark figure said:
- Go now, the time to strike them is upon you.-
The prince looked upon the dark figure and automatically knelled, for he knew that he belonged to him.
-I will, thank you for granting me with your wisdom.-
-Your father attracted me with his sacrifice. To give yourself to war so you can protect what’s yours and…... Such a change from a loving and kind king to an avatar of destruction, no, to MY avatar, magnificent.-
The prince gathered all available troops, and went to strike while his father rampaged in the middle of the enemy camp. The coalition that was focusing on the rampaging king was completely unprepared for the charge of the Kalmore knights and werewolves. The legions that followed cleaned up the remains of the charge. F1 and F2 legions bombarded the camp with fire arrows. It was chaos, most likely pleasing to HIM. The coalition was in disarray, fires everywhere, their HQ destroyed by the dwarf daemon, and when the explosion happened, that literally made a sun in the middle of the night they broke,minds shattered, they run for their lives. We were victorious. That day is now celebrated as the day of Franc.
After the coronation of king Julius, a new temple was created,a temple dedicated to our GOD. It only had female priests of all races of Fileheim, many were of daemon-kind and elven race , well if you can call them priests, females that used every means necessary to make their goal true, from assassination to healing. Our GOD is the god of subterfuge, war and death but also of kindness and protection. He has many faces, using those that the occasion demanded. He gifted the priestesses with strong abilities and the knowledge of making an avatar of HIM, an avatar of destruction. That ritual became a tradition of the Hapsburg line, that they always go out with a bang when enemies are available.
It took us more than ten years to completely repair the damages done to the city and the walls.
During those times king Julius lead conquests and maneged to expand our kingdom to size that equals three of our plains, while his son Augustus lead a hunt of the coalition remains. Orcs were fully integrated into our city, and our population continued to rise exponentially, but that is a story for another volume.
The last line said.
ALL HAIL FANG,OUR ONE AND ONLY GOD.