Glossary
Excerpt from “Brief Notes on the Vassals of the Empire”. Duchy of Elwart.
The Duchy of Elvart, with its capital in the city of the same name, is one of the wealthiest, militarily strong, and most loyal vassals of the Eastern (in other words, the Second Daertian) Empire. The duchy stretches along the northern coast of the continent, occupying the lands between the North Sea and the low mountain range of Kornath (the range itself belongs entirely to the elven principality of the same name), which is not too prolific but rich in ship timber, ores and precious metals. To the east the duchy borders with the Empire, to the west - with no man's land, beyond which begins the Kingdom of Iderling, leader of the Western Coalition. The duchy is populated by northerners, akin to the inhabitants of the North Sea islands. Elvartians are often tall and fair-skinned, with blond or red hair and blue or gray eyes. The main source of income for the duchy is land and sea trade. Numerous trade routes pass through Elvart, and the duchy itself produces a number of goods for sale. Nevertheless, the country is highly dependent on the Empire for food, as its own croplands and pastures can hardly feed its large population.
The Duchy of Elvart, like most modern states, was formed during the breakup of Ancient Daert. The province of the old empire, of which Elvart was the capital, broke away from Daert, and the viceroy declared himself king. The kingdom of Elvart lasted about three hundred years. When the Eastern Empire began its Reconquest, the Elvart king forged an alliance with the elven principality of Kornath. The combined army met imperial legions at the foot of the mountains, where it was utterly defeated. The remnants of the allied armies occupied the mountain ridge passes, but it was clear that the war was lost - especially since the elves, sensitive to loss, were unwilling to continue the fight. The King of Elvart and the Prince of Kornath sent ambassadors to Emperor Kyrill the Second, asking for peace. The request was granted. The Elf prince swore allegiance to the Empire, Elvart lost its status as a kingdom, but retained greater autonomy, and its lands were not invaded or ravaged by imperial troops.
Elvart still possessed a serious military force. During the Five Years' War the Duchy fielded four regiments of armored infantry and two corps of reiters against the forces of the Iderlings. The reiters are the pride of Elvart. The duchy has managed to maintain the ancient Duchy tradition of maintaining a regular army, including the armored cavalry, which differs favorably from the knight's militia in its discipline. Elvart has its own school of military mages, so that the ducal army is not deficient in magical support. Ancient ties with the elves of Kornath ensure a high degree of coherence in the defense of their lands.
The duchy's fleet is also strong. The number of merchant ships is difficult to calculate. The war fleet includes two big galleons ("Elvart" and "Flame of Valor") and one fast galleon ("Fearless"). They are supported by ten nau (caracca), each carrying 20 to 30 guns on deck, as well as up to fifty caravels of various types (of which a dozen can also carry artillery).
Elvart's relationship with the Eastern Empire has remained friendly for centuries. Despite the loss of kingdom status and freedom in foreign relations, Elvart has benefited greatly from the trade links it has opened up, access to the imperial market, imperial scientific advances, and the protection of imperial armies. The heavy losses of the Five Years' War, in which the Duchy fought on the side of the Empire, shattered this attitude somewhat, but not critically. Overall, Elvart is one of the least problematic vassals of the Second Daertian Empire.
A note on the key powers of the Western Coalition.
The Western Coalition is a purely military alliance of several nations opposing the expansion of the Second Daertian Empire. As anyone familiar with the very basics of historical scholarship knows, Ancient Daert actually split into two parts long before its formal demise as an empire. Its western part continued to fragment into smaller and smaller domains, while the eastern part retained its relative centralization, losing only the outlying provinces. When the centuries of turmoil ended, the Eastern Empire began a reconquest under the banner of Daert's revival. It succeeded in subduing its nearest neighbors, but the strongest splinters of the Western Empire formed the Coalition, whose combined forces became a counterweight to the ambitions of the Eastern monarchy. The Coalition consists of one kingdom, two elven principalities, seven great duchies and two trading republics.
At the heart of the Coalition since its formation remains the Kingdom of Daert, better known as the Kingdom of Iderling - by the ruling dynasty. The capital of the kingdom is the great ancient city of Daert, from the foundation of which the modern chronology is based. In the troubled times of the collapse of the ancient empire, the city was seized by the Norse leader Olaf Ider, who with his army made a daring campaign from the sea coast inland, moving along the rivers in small rowing ships. Contrary to custom, the northerners did not leave with their spoils, but settled in Daert, mingling with the local nobility. Olaf Ider founded a new royal dynasty, taking as his wife a girl from the family of the last Emperor of Western Daert (however, she was more than distant relative to the Emperor himself). The lands around the capital, captured by the northerners, became the basis of the Iderling kingdom. Later King Olaf expanded his possessions with a series of conquests.
The kingdom's population is mostly of Daertian descent, with a touch of northern blood only found in the old noble clans. Iderlings are usually of medium height, dark-haired, but blond eyes are not uncommon among them. The kingdom has retained many of Daert's traditions, including its advanced magic schools and the science of dragon combat training. But while battle dragons in the Eastern Empire belong to the state and are raised in air corps in armies, the Iderlings have dragons raised by numerous noble families, a kind of aerial knighthood.
The kingdom's army is large and well armed, but suffers from some lack of discipline. This is especially true of the cavalry, in which the tradition of knightly militia is still strong.
The kingdom has little access to the sea, and in terms of the military fleet completely relies on the trading republics and the coastal elven principality of Anelon.
The lands of the Iderlings are traditionally developed in science and crafts, there are many manufactures, and on the vast plains pastures fat herds graze, supplying the country with meat, wool, and hides. With the formation of the Coalition, Dert once again became a center of trade and culture, and the wealth and prosperity of the kingdom has only increased.
The other key state of the Coalition is the trading republic of Iolia. The Republic stretches along the west coast of the continent, including three major port cities. It is impossible to circle the continent without visiting one of these ports. Iolians are the descendants of the Daert colonists, who mixed with the local population back in time immemorial. The Iolian language is slightly different from the Daert language, and the local intricate swear words are beloved by sailors around the world. The Republic is governed by the Trident, a council of elected heads of the three main cities, and has no formal capital. The Trident administration moves to a new city every five years.
Because the Republic is located very far from the disputed lands and borders only with the Coalition countries, it can afford not to invest in a standing army. And many of the infantry units formed in the republic serve as mercenaries far from home in peacetime. But Iolia's navy is the strongest in the Coalition. It includes up to fifty large ships, among which the galleass, which combine the maneuverability of a gallea with the firepower of an Elvartian nau or even an imperial small galleon, stand out.
The trading republic of Erdo, to the south of Iolia, is less important to the alliance, but its history is interesting in itself. Centuries ago the Cherry Islands, far to the west of the mainland, were plagued by civil wars. When they ended and the islands were united by a military dictator, several defeated feudal clans fled by ships to the sea. They arrived on the continent's shores just as the ancient Empire of Daert began to disintegrate. The chaos of war all against all was a familiar environment for the islanders. The fugitives managed to capture a number of islands off the southwestern tip of the mainland, as well as a narrow strip of land on the coast. They were greatly aided in this by the unusual island dragons they brought with them on their ships. With a strong navy, the islanders began to act as intermediaries in maritime trade, which strengthened their position.
The Erdo Republic is governed by a lifetime leader with the rank of taiko, who is elected by a council of nobles. The power of the taiko is limited and he cannot contradict the decisions of the council.
The Erdo people differ considerably from the Daertians, both in appearance and culture, and they speak their own language. Their land army is very small and quite peculiarly armed (for example, the descendants of the islanders do not use shields at all), but it is perfectly trained and distinguished by a phenomenal for the Western countries discipline. The pride of Erdo is the sea dragons. They are much smaller than the imperial ones, and can not carry a rider, but they are unusually clever. The sea dragon understands human speech and can carry out simple commands given in advance. Dragons brought from the islands can easily fit on the decks of ordinary ships, without requiring the Republic to build special dragon barges.
The other powers of the Coalition, including the two free forest principalities, provide the alliance with valuable specialists, such as elven trackers, and useful resources - particularly metals, which are scarce in the plains power of the Iderlings and Erdo Islands.
A note on the dragons of Old Daert.
Dragons are large predatory lizards, usually winged, that have lived in the neighborhood of man since ancient times. And if you believe the annals of the elves, the dragons lived on earth and long before mankind.
For thousands of years dragons were natural enemies of humans, as they were among the few predators that could pose a threat even to a group of armed warriors or a fortified settlement. Yet human ingenuity has invariably resulted in humans emerging victorious from their struggle for a place in the sun. Dragons have been killed, their nests ravaged, and their prey and habitats deprived. The winged lizards would probably have been completely exterminated if it had not been discovered that dragon cubs just hatched from eggs were quite trainable. By the time the Great City of Daert was founded, wild dragons had become almost universally extinct, with only the occasional lone dragon rumor living in the impenetrable mountains. But domesticated dragons made their mark on the armies. In the heyday of the First Dertian Empire every imperial legion had its own air corps and maintained its own dragon houses where new lizards were bred and raised for the legion's riders. Each noble clan of the empire sought the right to have their own dragon and gain the right to breed it. However, it should be understood that dragons breed rarely and slowly, it takes a long time to mature, and their training is extremely difficult. Therefore the number of dragons in the Empire, both state and private, rarely exceeded a thousand. But that thousand was a ferocious force.
A dragon could play many roles on the battlefield. To scout from the air, to strike with magic and throwing projectiles from a height (if the rider had at least a rudimentary gift and could apply battle amulets), to descend to the ground and destroy enemies with claws, fangs and tail blows, to cover his troops from enemy dragons. Techniques for training and tactics for using dragons were refined. Daert aristocracy developed a complex set of magical rituals and training procedures that made possible an incredible bond between a dragon and its rider, the so-called "dragon-blood bond. However, this complex forever bound dragon and rider, and therefore was not applicable to the dragons of the regular army, where riders often changed. This led to the separation of a class of dragon knights, considered elite against the background of regular dragon riders.
The collapse of the Daertian Empire also affected the fate of the dragons.
In the Eastern Empire, worried about the shakiness of their throne, the emperors, seeking to strengthen the centralization of power, rushed to destroy the dragon knighthood by forcibly confiscating all dragons from private hands in favor of the state. The practice of "ties of blood" was forgotten in the east. Dragons there became the striking force of the imperial center, the pride of numbered armies formed on the basis of the old legions.
During the total collapse of the Western Empire, every governor, viceroy, and general sought to grab more power, and the once brilliant legions became mercenary gangs or private armies of local dictators. It was beyond their power to maintain the dragonrunners. In the West, the role of dragon knighthood increased, as only sufficiently noble and wealthy ruling families could afford to maintain and arm dragon packs. Konung Olaf who conquered Great Daert and founded Daert Kingdom (now known as Kingdom of Iderling) on the ruins of the fallen empire, needed support of local nobility very much, and took all measures to secure privileges of the knighthood supporting him. Those noble families who did not support the new king lost their dragons, and their dragons were given for breeding to new nobles among Olaf's comrades-in-arms. In the kingdom there was a split between the old and new chivalry, but in any case, the dragons became a symbol of the privileges of this class, their certain independence from the crown. The royal family itself never owned dragons.
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In general it can be said that the Second Daertian Empire takes the number and training of its dragons, a good organization of their interaction with the army. The Coalition, the core of which is the Kingdom of Iderling, relies on the individual fighting skills of dragon knights and their unique blood bond with "winged racers".
Standing apart are the island dragons, once brought back from the Cherry Islands by the refugees who founded the Republic of Erdo. Island dragons are a very special breed, with extremely distant affinities to continental dragons. They are rarely larger than the average horse, but incredibly intelligent. The island dragon is not just able to learn commands. He can memorize a sequence of instructions and execute them in the right order. This is especially valuable given that island dragons can not fly with a person on his back if the person weighs more than forty kilograms. The smartest island dragons can even assess the situation on the battlefield themselves and make decisions, take the initiative, as well as unmistakably recognize allies and enemies. Island dragons make up for their small size and small physical strength not only with intelligence. Some rare of their subspecies, such as the Greenwing, can spit caustic fluid at ranges of up to thirty meters.
The tactic of using dragons from the decks of ships, popular in the fleet of the Erdo Republic, interested the Eastern Empire. But attempts to replicate it revealed that continental dragons were too large and not malleable enough to be used in this way. To solve the problem, the Imperials took the following measures - building special ships and breeding a smaller breed of dragons. Thus were born the famous dragon barges - the unique ships of the imperial fleet. The sea dragons that inhabit them are smaller than those of the army air corps, quieter, more docile, but unfortunately also far more dumb. Their strength lies in their powerful pack instinct and their ability to act in large groups. Whereas Republicans see individual dragons living on battleships as more of a reconnaissance and support weapon, Imperial sea dragons ensure that the fleet can deliver devastating blows against enemy ships from ranges beyond the reach of cannons.
A Brief Note on the Necromancers of Old Daert
As is widely known, only the most naturally gifted wizards on the continent are capable of performing magic by sheer force of will, wave of the hand, and verbal influence (i.e., reading spells). Most others must first create themselves material tools that will direct the magical energy invested in them the way the magician wants. Thus, the magic of the powers of the Old Daert is largely artifact magic, tied to combining magical energy with a material medium.
Necromancy is the section of artifact magic devoted to the interaction of magical energies with dead material. It is the material that has lost its life, not the material that was originally dead. Stones and metals are dead too, but they were never alive, whereas necromancers work with what lived and died, leaving behind an empty shell. Working with such material is quite different from the usual magic, because the remains of living beings react to the touch of raw magic in an extremely peculiar and not always predictable way. The work of a necromancer is complicated, dangerous, and gives difficultly predictable results, and therefore has never been popular.
In ancient times, the first schools of necromancy were closely connected with pagan death cults, and the main raw material for magicians of that time were the remains of people. The actions of necromancers were given a sacred meaning. It was then that almost all of the modern prejudices associated with this school of magic were born. Over the centuries, the practice of necromancy has been forbidden altogether, or severely restricted by law. It is now normal for necromancers to be strictly prohibited from working with human material - a prohibition supported by both the secular authorities of the Empire and the Coalition, as well as by both branches of the Church of One.
Modern necromancers are still surrounded by an aura of dark mystery and a host of prejudices. In fact, there is nothing sinister about their work. For example, a royal forensic necromancer surveys crime scenes (without magically manipulating the bodies of the murdered, if any), and maintains communication within the corps of royal bailiffs by transmitting messages through reanimated magic birds. Unlike the homing pigeon, a bird reanimated by a necromancer is able to find the right person, wherever they are, and deliver a letter to them, and then point the way to the scene of the crime. In the army, military necromancers can bring fallen horses and oxen back to life to temporarily make up for their losses in manpower, and can also scout with reanimated birds and small animals. Many respected necromancy theorists collaborate with mage healers, sharing research on disease and injury, or even the perennial issue of dealing with old age. Finally, not the most prestigious, but the most financially rewarding profession is that of ship-building necromancer. After all, a ship's wood is, strictly speaking, the corpses of trees. Magical manipulation of planks, timbers, and beams also pass for necromancy. And the war fleet is always in need of updating the protective charms on its ships. Less gifted necromancers can work with furniture makers to help create incredibly expensive enchanted furniture.
Still, in the eyes of the average person, the necromancer magician remains a frightening adept of the dark sciences, ready to turn a human after death into his obedient servant. Fighting these prejudices is an important part of the educational work in any country of the continent.
A note about the classification of mages.
The way of classifying mages in Daert goes back to the Old Empire, and then it is common to all the states formed from its wreckage. Roughly speaking, mages are divided into five levels based on their ability to let magical energy flow through them and give it form. This ability is innate and cannot be improved, only worsened by misuse of blood magic.
First-degree mages are able to give form to magical energy directly, through sheer force of will, verbal influence, and guided gesticulation. They do not need any aids, though they are capable of using them. To put it simply, first-degree wizards make magic by sight and word. Such wizards are quite rare, though on average there are several dozens of them on a continent at a time.
Important note - "archimage" and "mage of the first degree" are not the same thing! Archimage is a title or rank, depending on time and place. An archimage can also be a lower-level mage, say, one who works at the Academy and has achieved much in the field of theoretical research. Any court mage under the ruler is an archimage, even if the ruler did not manage to get himself a mage of the first level.
A second-degree mage is still capable of forming energy without improvised means, but already has difficulty with this, and his abilities can be limited to the simplest of spells like "light a candle with your eyes". These mages already like to rely on artifact magic, though they are not bound by its limitations.
Magicians of the third stage are no longer able to shape the energy passing through their body. They must first create a material receptacle, which they will fill with energy - this receptacle itself will give magic the necessary properties. Magicians of the third stage, however, can manipulate "charged" artifacts quite freely, including without physical contact, changing their properties to some extent. Although sometimes for this you need to physically influence the artifact. By the way, magical tools in Dert are usually called amulets, even if they do not have a protective function.
Magicians of the fourth stage are not capable of transferring energy to a sufficient degree to even create an artifact. However, they can manipulate artifacts that have already been made just as freely as third-degree magicians.
Mages of the fifth stage are not at all capable of influencing the flows of magical energy in any way. All their abilities are limited by "magical vision", which allows them to observe the movement of magical energies. Also, the magician of the fifth stage is able to activate the finished artifact, if the magician who created it specifically foresaw such an opportunity - but no more.
Mages of the fifth stage are as rare as those of the first. The most common ability level is the third. The second stage is also quite common. Mages of the second stage are popular as court wizards with small and medium rulers who are not able to attract someone stronger to serve.
A brief overview of the ships that make up the fleets of the powers of Old Daert in the period following the Five Years' War.
The galleon is the pinnacle of Daert shipbuilding. A large multi-deck sailboat, usually three-masted. A massive ship with a square stern and high sides, designed for navigation on the high seas. The impetus for the creation of such ships, most suitable for crossing the ocean, was the discovery of Ludria, the foundation of colonies on its shores and the need for frequent flights between the two continents. Galleons are very popular as warships, but not all countries can afford them. Even the wealthy Duchy of Elvart has only three of these ships. The armament of the galleon consists of several dozen guns of different calibers - from forty to eighty. They are complemented by ballista or bronze guns for firing enchanted projectiles and anti-aircraft artillery. The latter consists of multi-barreled mitrailleuses and rapid-fire cannons on swivel mounts. Air defense artillery is often placed on semicircular remote platforms, "hanging" over the side.
The crew of a war galleon includes at least three magicians, one of which is usually the second stage. Mages control the protective amulets and magical weapons of the ship.
A fully equipped battle galleon is a real floating fortress. In combat, he is surrounded by the glow of energy shields, fire and smoke. Dozens of cannons belch volleys of flame, ballistas fire flare or incendiary rounds, and air defense mitrailleuses create a solid curtain of lead over the deck, blocking the path of enemy dragons and necroconstructs.
A galleon built by a private owner for trading purposes is likely to be devoid of special weapons and magical protection, but even such a vessel is able to hold its own in battle.
Carrack or nau - the next largest ship after the galleon, also three-masted, as a rule. A characteristic feature of the carrack, in addition to its size, is the high superstructures on the bow and stern. Carracks form the core of the navies of most maritime countries, especially those that cannot afford galleons. Carracks are distinguished by good seaworthiness and provided communication with Ludria before the spread of galleons. The armament of a carrack can range from a dozen to two dozen cannons. These ships are rarely stocked with magical ammo, so the weapons to shoot them on the carracks are rare. The normal anti-aircraft armament of a military carrack is one mitrailleuse for forty or twenty barrels and two or three swivel guns. The crew may include a magician who ensures the work of protective amulets. Carrack rarely have a full set of force shields, but the shields can cover the rudder and quarter quarters in combat.
Caravel is a medium-sized sailing vessel with a very vague classification. The size and number of caravel masts can vary widely. Many caravels are associated with ocean voyages and geographical discoveries, but in fact they are more often used for swimming in coastal waters. The way across the ocean is a difficult test for a caravel, and a squadron of caravels took part in the opening of Ludria only because it was not financially possible to equip a flotilla entirely from carracks. Caravels are popular in both merchant and military fleets. In the latter, they play the role of auxiliary vessels, engaged in the transportation of goods, reconnaissance, and covering the flanks. Even an armed caravel rarely carries more than a dozen cannons. Caravels are equipped with special weapons and magical protection in isolated cases.
Hulk is a large three-masted ship with a very vague classification. Widely used for trade in the north of the continent. Currently, the frames between the hulk and the galleon are somewhat lost. It is generally accepted that a hulk is always a trading ship without serious weapons and magical equipment. A galleon is usually called a warship.
The nef is a large vessel with one or two masts, popular with merchants in the south of the continent, especially in Iolia. Recognizable by high superstructures and rounded sides. Rarely used for military purposes.
Roundship - a type of nave with more rounded contours of the hull and high superstructures.
Cogg - an outdated type of sailing vessel with one mast. It is characterized by a strong massive hull and direct sailing weapons. At present, it is not used for military purposes; in trade, it gives way to naves and choles.
Galley - a rowing vessel with low sides and an elongated narrow hull. Can be equipped with one or two folding masts. Popular as a coastal patrol warship, it is also often used in the Thousand Islands and the Erdo Archipelago. Carries a weak cannon armament, usually placed on the bow superstructure, can be equipped with a ram. The crew, as a rule, does not include mages. The galley is perceived by many as a kind of "prison ship", where convicted criminals or slaves act as rowers, but this is only partly true. In the Republics of the Coalition, for example, any naval service is the privilege of a free citizen, and salaried sailors also serve as rowers, which ensures the high efficiency of republican galleys in battle. Condemned oarsmen or even slaves are more likely to be found on the galleys of the Empire.
Galleass is a sailing and rowing vessel, which can only be found in the fleet of the Republic of Iolia. Combines the features of a galley and a large sailboat. Having several decks, it can carry artillery not only in superstructures. Usually the rowers occupy the lower deck, and the cannon battery - the upper one. The effectiveness of ships of this type raises questions from other powers of the Coalition, and they are in no hurry to adopt the Iolian experience.
The Dragon Barge is a sailing and rowing vessel of the Imperial Navy, specifically designed to house packs of sea dragons. There is very little information about this type of ship. Larger than a galleon. It has a flat upper deck and folding masts. He usually goes to sea accompanied by a support group - one or two galleons, several caravels and supply ships. Probably equipped with a powerful set of protective amulets, but does not carry artillery weapons, except for swivel guns and mitrallieses for self-defense during an air raid or boarding.
Note: The Elven Principality of Anelon, which is part of the Coalition, is known for its strong fleet and developed seafaring, however, most of the crews of the Anelon ships are human. Elves most often occupy the positions of ship officers. The conditions of service on elven ships are considered exemplary, but it is almost impossible to make a career on them. Ambitious young sailors, having begun their service in the princely fleet, often continue it in Iolia or another maritime power of the West. Elves prefer to take on crews people born and raised in the lands of the principality, as natives of fully human states are sometimes uncomfortable with the fact that up to half of the naval officers of the Anelon fleet are women.