Post by Horsie on Jan 3, 2015 5:37:22 GMT
Long ago, the south of Vellastrom was contested by two proud nations of warriors- the Panvos kingdom and the Ivos republic.
The Panvos were ruled by a dynasty of kings, who led their subjects into battle personally.
War between the two rival nations raged for many years, keeping their attention focused on each other.
During this time, the territory of the Ano-Chee, Onrapa, and Junlocks expanded greatly, as they only met limited opposition from either of the warring neighbours.
In battle, the Ivos and Panvos had radically different approaches to warfare. The Panvos considered the primary weapon of war to be cavalry, especially their elite Companion Heavy Cavalry, fighting with their double tipped spears. The role of infantry was to tie down the enemy until a weakness was presented, and then the cavalry could deliver the killing blow.
The Ivos considered highly trained heavy infantry to be the key to warfare, tearing through lesser warriors in an unstoppable drive forward. The role of cavalry and other units was to support and defend the heavy infantry while they cut the enemy to pieces.
Eventually, the war would be determined by factors far from the battlefield. The Ivos had a more sophisticated infrastructure, were able to train soldiers faster and had a more centralised government (controlled by the Senate). The Panvos were eventually worn down by the expense of the fighting.
Meanwhile, the emboldened Junlocks mounted a massive invasion, taking vast stretches of territory from the weakened Panvos. Realising their situation, the Panvos finally offered to negociate with the Ivos, effectively an offer of surrender.
However the leader of the senate, a man called Gormodus, saw a new opportunity. To the shock of many of many of his countrymen, who were calling for the Panvos to be crushed and enslaved as punishment for denying the will of Ivo, he did not treat this offer as a surrender or a military victory. He instead treated it as a unification so the two races, whose cultures had much in common and who worshipped the same pantheon, could come together as a single power.
The Panvos were allowed to keep their monarchy in a ceremonial capacity, they were granted seats in the senate and allowed to keep many of their own laws and customs, but integrated into the new Ivos Empire.
The Panvos were brought into the fold as brothers, now united with the Ivos against the barbarians. The Junlock invaders were caught completely by surprise when the Panvos, previously seeming to be on their last legs, suddenly launched a new attack, now supported by the might of the Ivos legions. The Junlocks could not have known at the time, but this defeat signalled the last time they would ever have the military advantage over the Ivos or Panvos.
The Ano-Chee and Onrapa invaders had started skirmishing with each other over the spoils, believing the war was effectively won and the territory they had taken was secure. The Ano-Chee war chiefs were so over confident that they allowed their warriors to be engaged in open battle, where they were hopelessly outmatched by the Imperial forces and suffered a terrible defeat.
The Onrapa avoided any large engagements as they beat a hasty retreat back to their homelands.
For his great achievements Gormodus was given the title of Caesar by the senate and made the Emperor of the new unified nation.
The Panvos and Ivos have remained unified ever since. The Panvos provide auxillary units to the Ivos armies and are considered citizens of the Empire. There is still tension between these old rivals; the Panvos think the Ivos are arrogant, stuck up and elitist, and the Ivos think the Panvos are backward, dim witted, uncultured, and ugly.
But it is undeniable that their combined nation has been a great success and is the dominant power of the south.
The Panvos were ruled by a dynasty of kings, who led their subjects into battle personally.
War between the two rival nations raged for many years, keeping their attention focused on each other.
During this time, the territory of the Ano-Chee, Onrapa, and Junlocks expanded greatly, as they only met limited opposition from either of the warring neighbours.
In battle, the Ivos and Panvos had radically different approaches to warfare. The Panvos considered the primary weapon of war to be cavalry, especially their elite Companion Heavy Cavalry, fighting with their double tipped spears. The role of infantry was to tie down the enemy until a weakness was presented, and then the cavalry could deliver the killing blow.
The Ivos considered highly trained heavy infantry to be the key to warfare, tearing through lesser warriors in an unstoppable drive forward. The role of cavalry and other units was to support and defend the heavy infantry while they cut the enemy to pieces.
Eventually, the war would be determined by factors far from the battlefield. The Ivos had a more sophisticated infrastructure, were able to train soldiers faster and had a more centralised government (controlled by the Senate). The Panvos were eventually worn down by the expense of the fighting.
Meanwhile, the emboldened Junlocks mounted a massive invasion, taking vast stretches of territory from the weakened Panvos. Realising their situation, the Panvos finally offered to negociate with the Ivos, effectively an offer of surrender.
However the leader of the senate, a man called Gormodus, saw a new opportunity. To the shock of many of many of his countrymen, who were calling for the Panvos to be crushed and enslaved as punishment for denying the will of Ivo, he did not treat this offer as a surrender or a military victory. He instead treated it as a unification so the two races, whose cultures had much in common and who worshipped the same pantheon, could come together as a single power.
The Panvos were allowed to keep their monarchy in a ceremonial capacity, they were granted seats in the senate and allowed to keep many of their own laws and customs, but integrated into the new Ivos Empire.
The Panvos were brought into the fold as brothers, now united with the Ivos against the barbarians. The Junlock invaders were caught completely by surprise when the Panvos, previously seeming to be on their last legs, suddenly launched a new attack, now supported by the might of the Ivos legions. The Junlocks could not have known at the time, but this defeat signalled the last time they would ever have the military advantage over the Ivos or Panvos.
The Ano-Chee and Onrapa invaders had started skirmishing with each other over the spoils, believing the war was effectively won and the territory they had taken was secure. The Ano-Chee war chiefs were so over confident that they allowed their warriors to be engaged in open battle, where they were hopelessly outmatched by the Imperial forces and suffered a terrible defeat.
The Onrapa avoided any large engagements as they beat a hasty retreat back to their homelands.
For his great achievements Gormodus was given the title of Caesar by the senate and made the Emperor of the new unified nation.
The Panvos and Ivos have remained unified ever since. The Panvos provide auxillary units to the Ivos armies and are considered citizens of the Empire. There is still tension between these old rivals; the Panvos think the Ivos are arrogant, stuck up and elitist, and the Ivos think the Panvos are backward, dim witted, uncultured, and ugly.
But it is undeniable that their combined nation has been a great success and is the dominant power of the south.