“The black flags have fallen over the land of Abyssus, and it is for us to ensure that they shall never be raised again. Stand firm, Free Men of the South! Never again shall we bow our heads to the elf-lords! Never again shall we hide in the jungles, afraid of their swords and lashes! Nay - we shall march onwards to war, and let the Gods themselves know that we shall never be broken! Summon the Elector-Lords and bring me to my men; I am R'ntzl the Hammer, Lord and Viceroy of the South; and they will obey!”
- - Lord R'ntzl the Hammer before the Battle of Takana
Born in the aftermath of the Legion of Shiarchon's fall, the Southern Alliance, or the Empire in the South, was created with one goal in mind: defend the free Men of the Tropical Lands. Formed by the newly founded Freelander colonies, rebellious Khoyan'xa kraals that broke free from Adravaelic rule, and human refugees from Abyssus, this motley coalition of human nations constantly repels slave raids from Karnagtah and the New Adravaelic Empire, fighting desperately to preserve the freedom they have so recently obtained. From the highlands east of the Snakeblood Wilds to the pastures of western Blackveld, the Alliance's watchtowers stand tall and warriors keep vigil, all to ensure that its people shall never again live in subjugation.
Formally, the Southern Alliance falls under the suzerainty of the Empire of Man (hence its second name), and its leader, the charismatic Lord R'ntzl the Hammer, bears the official title of Viceroy of the South. In truth, however, this is largely a symbolic gesture, meant to boost prestige and encourage trade. The throne of the Grand Monarch is many leagues away, and there's little he can do to subdue his southern vassal, nor would the Viceroy cave in if he tried. The actual relationship between the two human powers is complex, and at times strained. Still, the Alliance prizes Imperial wares and advisors, and its government structure is largely modeled after that of its northern cousin, with its own council of lords, Inquisitor-like spies, and even orders of chivalry.
It is its mighty armies, though, that give the Southern Alliance its fame. A fusion of Khoyan brutality and discipline, Freelander ingenuity, and Imperial industry, Alliance military possesses all the strengths of its individual parts and none of its weaknesses. Much like the soldiers of the Khoyan’xa, its regiments march in tight formations and encircle the enemy with masses of spearmen - but now its flanks are bolstered with lance-wielding horsemen, while behind them archers will launch volleys of poisoned arrows; and the spearmen themselves will fight not half-naked, but clad in chainmail and plate. Thaumaturges enchant ritual suits of armour, creating sorcerous constructs to fight alongside the humans’ mortal soldiers, while beastmasters let loose fearsome beasts of war. Elites among Alliance forces are armed with Imperial weaponry: their muskets, often additionally enchanted, can fell even the most ferocious of Gros.
But the greatest war asset of the Southern Alliance is, undoubtedly, its people’s fighting spirit: though they know that they may not see the end of fighting in their lifetimes, they know full well that their fight is worth the sacrifice. Much like Imperials, they hold freedom as their greatest virtue, but while for the men of the North, tales of subjugation are but a distant memory, for the men of the South they are a harsh reality, and this understanding continues to drive them forwards.
Quotes[]
“It is good to have vassals in the south. So long as the Viceroy's men safeguard the Tropical Lands, the Empire as a whole will be safe.”
- - Grand Monarch Roveros Stormsword
Trivia[]
- The Southern Alliance was one of the small pages created by TheImperios in 2020 to bring closure to his original fiction.
