Mystic Arms Campaign

This is the standard military salute of the Ironclast Empire. It is performed by meeting a clenched left fist to a flat and vertical right palm. The clenched fist is meant to represent and might and power of the Ironclast Empire - like a massive rolling boulder. The flat palm then represents the solid, firm and immovable defense of the empire - like a rigid hard surface. Their combination is a sign of your might and power being halted and/or curtailing to the superior foundation of the empire and/or your superior officer. Like a rock, meeting a hard place.

The version of the salute pictured here is the most casual form the salute can take. This salute has also made its way into everyday use across the empire. Since every citizen serves in the military, it became common for it to be used even outside of the military, thus becoming a standard greeting not just for those who served, but also for children, and others who might learn the behavior by watching and mimicking people around them. In casual use, this acts sort of like a wave or a greeting in other cultures. It is used primarily with people you either don't know or people you aren't close with, as a sign of respect and politeness. In fact, two people feeling comfortable not performing this gesture when they meet or interact is seen as a sign of closeness, comradery, and friendship.

In general, this casual form is typically acceptable in the military as well and is used when you see or are greeting an officer of the General Ranks. As another person's rank rises, more reverence is typically added, either by bowing the head slightly, or sometimes a partial or full bow of the upper torso. Generally, the higher someone's rank is above your own, the more one should bow. When one bows, they always make sure their palms are placed in from of them hear or body, so that they are visible.

When greeting a superior officer, it is typical to hold this pose until they motion or indicate you can relax or release it. For some ranks - especially generals - the pose should be begun and held anytime they are in your presence, even if you are not speaking with them.

Emperor Stown III was the second born son of the previous emperor, Emperor Grawnyt VI. While his older brother Oren was originally meant to succeed Emperor Grawnyt, Oren suffered a terrible accident when he was twenty years old, just as he was finishing his mandatory service. His death sent a shock through the entire Empire, as he was well-loved and high respected by all. His death was tragic, and while Emperor Stown grieved his brother, he also knew that he would need to soon step up to replace him. While only 14 at the time, then Prince Stown entered the army early, quickly working to make a name for himself and live up the legacy of his older brother. Prince Stown showed great promise as a leader, helping to establish new military tactics and implement a new division in the military - Magical Engineering.

Inspired by his time in Arashi-no-Kuni, Prince Stown brought back the creative crafting styles the Arashijin had created and merged it with the magical research and study the army had. This helped to build a new unit that was finding ways to enhance magic or supplement a lack of magic with alchemical or mechanical means. One of their first big advancements was revolutionizing the musket. While guns had been around for a few centuries, they were still impractical in normal use, due to the long load time and the difficult of repair. Prince Stown's Magical Engineering division was able to create interchangeable pieces that allowed the portions of the weapon to be quickly swapped and replaced, and even helped to automate the process of creating these pieces. He also created bullet reams - interchangeable containers of bullets which could be used to reduce the time it took to reload the weapons. He was also able to help develop magical enhancements that could empower the weapons, if only briefly.

When his father grew tired of ruling, Emperor Stown ascended to the throne around his 30^th birthday. He left the care of the Magical Engineering Division in his younger sister's hands and focused leading our great empire. Since then, he has been able to stabilize food production across the empire, helping to minimize starvation. He also commissioned an empire-wide cleric unit that could help to treat sicknesses and injuries quicker and more adequately, helping to reduce the number of children dying unnecessarily

Emperor Stown still gives his all to the kingdom, but word is spreading that he is nearing a time when he will step down. He seems to have great faith in his children to carry on his legacy, especially in his son Price Ayern who is currently expected to succeed him.

Prince Ayern V, the first son of Emperor Stown, and next in line for the throne. Prince Ayern V holds command and authority in the Ironclast Army equal to that of a Diamond-Class General. Even as Prince, he is not allowed to forego his service, and began his time in the military at the age of 15. He entered service as an Emerald-Class General, though he largely began is time participating in meetings and learned from the generals around him. After a few years of service, Prince Ayern was given command of the Eastern Kaldbak Fortress, where he helped defend against Jokyn incursions from the north. He remained at the fortress until the end of his mandatory service, at which point he returned to Maderad briefly before requesting an assignment in the south. There he helped to reforge and strengthen foreign relations with the people of Arashi-no-Kuni. It was also here that he first served with Arand Tolventra.

From here, Tolventra and he became stalwart comrades, and Prince Ayern would bring him along on whatever mission he had. As years past, they both began to spend more time in Maderad, so that Ayern could be close to the capital and able to learn from his father. However, he still took an active part in the military, and tried to develop close relations with all of the Diamond-Class Generals of the time. It was while doing this, that he briefly collaborated with Tephra Malecite, and the three were able to uncover a secret Luchent plot to destroy cities near the foreign nation. Shortly after that, Arand achieved an official rank of Diamond-Class general, but he continued to work closely with Prince Ayern.

Ayern spends more and more time in Maderad lately, as many believe the emperor is preparing to step down from the throne and hand command of the empire over to the first prince. However, he still takes an active role in military planning and strategy meetings and is believed to be working with General Amadolus and ambassadors from the south on something new to help protect Ironclast soldiers.

Ayern is well respected among military personal, and the people on the nation love to hear the stories of his grand tales and accomplishments. He makes a point to ensure that soldiers who perform well are celebrated across the nation and tries to share the glory of and credit for his accomplishments with others. The people see him as a humble, strong, and wise man, capable of ruling the empire justly. Nearing his 30th birthday, rumor is they will announce his coronation on that day.

Princess Rezlin I, first daughter of Emperor Stown, is said to be a lady second, and a knight first. Typically, first daughters help to solidify political relationships in the empire, but Princess Rezlin has stated she will only marry a man who can best her in combat. And as of yet, not a single man has managed that feat. Princess Rezlin served her mandatory time in the military nearly entirely in Maderad, though that seemed to be more due to the wishes of the emperor than her own. She took to combat like a mole to the earth and is one of the most practiced and skilled practitioners of the Immortal Soldier Martial School. Within a year of taking up the style, it is said she was already more proficient with the skill than any of the army’s teachers and spent the majority of her mandatory service as a teacher of the style to troops in the army.

Following her mandatory service, she initially left the army, but was back within a year. This time as a general in charge of all training in the army. her role puts her in contact with nobles and serfs alike, and she is said to treat them all equally. In fact, rumor among the general ranks is she prefers to teach the serfs, as many nobles seem to have - in her words - 'a bad attitude’.

Princess Rezlin I currently holds rank equivalent to a Ruby-Class General. She often works to assist all of the Diamond-Class generals, though seems to spend a large amount of time with Prince Ayern and General Tolventra on the projects they are working on.

She just celebrated her 27^th birthday, and despite her father's protests, seems to have no intention of settling down. A few of the higher rank generals have challenged her to single combat in the hopes of winning her hand in marriage, but as of yet none have managed the feat.

Prince Aubsydien II, second son of Emperor Stown, is in many ways the foil to his elder brother, Ayern. Reserved and introspective, it is oft said he is much more aloof and distant when compared to the Crown Prince. Preferring his solitude, not much is known about the youngest son of Emperor Stown. Those who have had the pleasure of his company would tell only of how strong a sense of justice the young prince had, rivaled only by his love for his nation.

Even though he lacks the charisma and widespread love of the Ironclast people that his older brother enjoys, this doesn’t mean he is lacking in comparison. Aubsydien’s service record during his time in the military might not have been as lauded as Ayern’s, but the second prince still managed to wrack up his own fair share of achievements while participating in the skirmishes of the Empire’s northern borders. It was quickly apparent that Aubsydien lacked the mind for the intricacies of tactics and strategy. Many of the Generals he served under assumed the second prince wouldn’t amount to much and felt content to be thankful the Crown Prince had such a strong head for military affairs. Aubsydien would then be passed around from General to General, trying desperately to prove himself. It wouldn’t be until he served under General Luna, shortly before his promotion to Diamond Class that the second prince’s talent would be discovered.

Eventually, Prince Aubsydien found his way to serving and working with General Alberto Luna, just prior to General Luna's ascension to Diamond-Class. It was under General Luna's tutilage that Prince Aubsydien began to make a name for himself. A small name, but a name none the less. While he never lead grand battles or large armies, Luna found that the prince was more skilled at leading smaller missions, and truly shined when given a bit of autonomy. Luna would oversee the prince, and give him some basic directions and objectives, but he saw promise in the imperial child, even if other's didn't. To this day, General Alberto Luna still claims that at least some of the credit for his success is owed to the work Prince Aubsydien did under him. However, despite this praise, there is little on the record of the prince's accomplishments, suggesting to some that General Luna may just have been aggrandizing the prince as a means of ingratiating himself with a member of the imperial family.

After his military service Aubsydien seemed to mostly disappear from the public eye, preferring to seclude himself in the libraries of the royal castle. Over the past three years he has spent a majority of his time reviewing the history of the Ironclast empire, searching the past for the key t0 his nation’s future.

Second daughter of the emperor, and youngest of all his children, Princess Emralysa I is currently serving her mandatory service in the military. 17 years old, she is only a few years into the service, but has already become a topic of conversation. For the first time in nearly four centuries, Princess Emralysa stands as a rare occurrence of a prince or princess serving their mandatory service among the general rank of soldiers. Nearly disowned from her birthright for doing so, Emralysa defied her father's desires and the desires of most military leaders and demanded that she be allowed to start at the bottom and work her way up. She wanted to experience what the general populace does and refused to be sheltered and pampered.

By the grace of the Grand Authoritate, she was granted special permission to serve as a Quarry Soldier. For her protection, she was given a special device that disguised her fully and allowed her to integrate with the common rank and file. Few in the army or elsewhere - including her commanding officers - know what form she currently has taken, or where she is serving. Or what she may have accomplished in her time. Only at the end of her mandatory service will the world learn the truth.

The current Grand Authoritate is a High Nobel by the name of Lord Relik Yural. Relik's family is fairly closely related to the current emperor, Relik himself being his Second Cousin. Like many who achieve this position, Relik began his career in the military, joining the ranks as an Opal-Class General. There, he served under then Prince Stown, and the two of them developed a strong friendship based on mutual respect. While Relik and Stown often did not meet eye to eye on many matters, they appreciated their different viewpoints and used them to improve themselves and their ideas. It was a common practice in their younger days that they would often only fully commit to an idea if they could convince the other that it was a worthwhile endeavor.

When he became Emperor Stown, the new emperor immediately replaced the current Grand Authoritate with Lord Relik - a position he has held since. Initially, Lord Relik was hesitant to accept the position - believing it to be too large a responsibility for him - possibly even beyond his station. but the new emperor had nothing but faith in Lord Relik and was able to convince the young lord of the benefits of him taking the role.

In the decades since, Lord Relik Yural has become a relied upon fixture of the political state in the empire. He could often temper Emperor Stown's aggression or agitation and could stir him to act when necessary - even when others might advise against it. Relik was instrumental in the expansion of the empire's food production, pushing Emperor Stown to expand his initial plans - seeing the benefit they could bring to the winder nation. he often also takes point in matters of diplomacy with other nations, as he can interpret the emperor's will into a more amenable and agreeable form.

Lord Relik has tried to retire a few times in the past decade, nearing 70 years old at this point. But, Emperor Stown has always been able to convince him to remain for "just a few more years". With news that Emperor Stown may soon abdicate the throne and pass the nation's future to Prince Ayern, Lord Relik has been seen to be generally more chipper, as his retirement is now quickly approaching. Still, he does his best to serve his nation, even in these final days of his service.

General Brawns Amadolus is a fine example of what hard work and dedication to your nation can accomplish. Amadolus was born a serf, hailing from the small village of Bragduga in the northeast regions of the empire. He joined the military on this fifteenth birthday, as all do, but earned accolades and rewards for his work near the Western Kaldbak Fort, where he helped to thwart numerous incursions from the Jokyn. When his mandatory time was up, he chose to stay in the army. During his time, he served under Emperor Stown III, before he took the throne. Emperor Stown III took notice of his skill and intelligence, and Brawns was allowed to move from the General Ranks into that of the Commissioned Ranks. From there, as a leader of men, his achievements quickly solidified his reputation as a powerful and just warrior who fought for and loved his empire. Over time, he was honored again and granted a Noble Title, allowing him to move into the Noble Ranks.

Now in his late sixties, General Brawns Amadolus has served as a Diamond-Class General for nearly a decade. He is respected and adored by all soldiers and officers and seen as the implied leader of the entire military, behind the emperor himself.

General Brawns Amadolus is the head of the Iron Core – the upper echelon of the nation’s military forces, often responsible for special missions, infiltrations, espionage, and other such special operations. Not much happens in the Ironclast Empire without his knowledge.

General Arand Tolventra was born of an older noble house. His house can trace its lineage back to the times of King Rafkin I. Despite his house never having a direct bloodline tie to the Imperial family, they are still often considered a High Noble family. Their continued status is due in no small part to his families exemplary and varied military service. Many members of his house have also served as Grand Authoritate to previous emperors. Arand himself has accomplished no great deeds, but rather has an unquestioning devotion to his nation. He also has close ties with Prince Ayern V, the next in line to the throne. While he holds the actual rank of Diamond-Class General, there are many who suggest he is more akin to Prince Ayern’s Ruby-Class underling. Though none would dare say that to his face and life.

General Arand Tolventra is a harsh and stern general. He does not accept excuses or mistakes and dishes out sometimes cruel punishments to those that disappoint him.

General Arand Tolventra is the head of the Northern Division of the main Ironclast Army. He oversees all troops that operate north of Maderad and watches the northern border to protect against the barbarians of Jokull.

General Alberto Luna was born to a minor noble family. The third son, he was unlikely to ever lead his house, so he had to pursue other ambitions. While the younger of his older brothers went on to serve as a liaison to Arashi no Kuni, Alberto threw his all into the military. He eschewed his right to begin as a Commissioned officer, and instead began in the General Ranks. There he was able to mingle with the members of the serfdom, learn of their struggles, and develop strong and lasting relationships. He eventually realized he could do more from his fellow soldiers and others in general by moving up the ranks. Once he set his mind to the task, there was no force in the Empire that could stop him. Alberto quickly rose into the Noble Ranks. There, he formed a strong bond with General Brawns. The two shared a similar vision for the army and empire, and they became friends and rivals – both vying for the highest rank. While Brawns beat Alberto to it, it was only because he had a head start.

General Alberto Luna is now in his late forties. He has only spent a few years in his rank as a Diamond-Class General, but he does not allow anyone to question his capabilities and purpose. He is seen as one of the more compassionate of the five Diamond-Class Generals, likely due to his time spent among the common soldiers.

General Alberto Luna is the head of the Iron Guard – a military police and general peacekeepers of the Empire. He deals mostly with domestic threats and issues.

Ruby Velora comes from a family of high nobility, a distant second cousin once removed of the emperor himself. Though her family once bemoaned her decision to serve her life in the military, the empire has been made better for it. Ruby initial served only her mandatory five years in the army, leaving at the behest of her father upon its completion. She was, at the time, already planned to marry her late husband Grawnt Velora. Grawnt has a military man himself, a Garnet Lieutenant. As it would happen, just two years after they were married, Grawnt was beset by illness and soon passed. Ruby had sired him but one child, a daughter. Many worried about the Velora name, but Ruby took charge of the Velora household, and quickly positioned herself as a capable matron. She rejoined the military soon after, quickly working her way up the ranks. Now in her mid-thirties, she has already achieved greatness as a Diamond-Class General.

General Ruby Velora is known for her brash, and head strong nature. She doesn’t mince words and eschews the normal courtly customs. She is direct, strong, and in many cases feared. But her passion for the Empire is clear, and her character is untarnished. She has helped to create a more welcoming atmosphere for all women in the army.

General Ruby Velora is the head of the Ironclast Navy. She often begroans her position – not having the stomach for the open seas. But she serves faithfully nonetheless and has helped to secure the waters of the Ironclast Empire against pirates, brigands, and invaders.

General Tephra Malecite hails from a Noble house of little renown. While the youngest of the Diamond-Class Generals, she should not be treated with any less respect. Tephra joined the military at 15 with the laser focus of becoming a leader within it. As luck would have it, her first service was beneath Alberto Luna just before he moved up the ranks, beyond sharing the battlefield with soldiers. While it is only a rumor, some suggest that she helped convince him to move upward. Following this, she served as a steward to Ruby Velora. Even to this day, the two of them are said to share a strong bond – and an equal hatred of ships. Following this, she moved up the ranks, where she briefly served alongside Arand Tolventra and Prince Ayern V. Their group quickly became known as problem-solvers – a team you would call when things grew desperate, and you needed a quick resolution. However, it is believed at Tephra did not get along with Arand, and so she was happy to serve as a Ruby General under Brawns. Her connections to the current generals made her a clear choice to take over the fifth seat when it was vacated.

General Tephra Malecite, much like General Velora, is gruff and direct. She has forgotten anything she may have learned about traditional noble etiquette and has a very rough personality. However, she is well known for her sense of honor – an aspect of her character that has gotten her in trouble once or twice when she would ignore orders to instead follow her morals. Despite this – or perhaps because of – she is respected by all four other generals.

General Tephra Malecite is the leader of the Armies Southern front, responsible for all troops movements south of Maderad. Given the current air of cooperation with Arashi no Kuni and the lack of any activity from Luchent, it means Tephra often deals with simple patrols of the border.