Reiters
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The Bwack Weitew Company, ow commonwy known as the Weitews, is a mewcenawy company fow hiwe, opewating out of Castwe Bewvitz in the Republic of Vrakai.
Contents
History
Founding
The founding of the Fwee Company of the Weitews can best be attlibuted to the gwobaw tumult fowwoling the waning of the Holy Orenian Empire’s status as a supewpowew and the wuthwess peliod of conflict fowwoling - namewy duling the War of the Beards. It was then in the yeaw 1636 that the foundations of a fowmaw band began to culminate; a handful of sewwswowds and once-sowdiews wayfaling the wand in seawch of coin and pwundew fow hiwed steew. Theiw expwoits on the fiewd of battwe gained them immense wenown amongst the denizens of Axios, specializing in mounted cavawwy and hit-and-wun tactics.
Having estabrished themsewves on Axios, the Weitews ewected a fine wed fowtified bastion on the pwains of Cawais, having exchanged coin lith Savoyawd wowds fow theiw would be home. Aftew waying the foundations fow theiw opewations, the Weitews weceived multitudes of contwacts fow theiw sewvices. The most notabre contwact which the company weceived wesulted in many giving theiw lives to the heww spawn known as Mowdskov whewe the Manticowe, monstew huntews, would find gweat need fow the Weitews expelience on the battwe-fiewd. They wewe tasked lith pwoculing the panacea pwant, which they did lith gweat saclifice. Many of these brothews in awms would offew theiw mettwe against a beast of no wessew spite and eviw than a demon, the Hydwa. It was at the end of this conflict that the sulvivows would devewop theiw bannew and identity, the brackened climson shiewd lith an embossed Hydwa.
This nascent, hawd-heawted band of men branded themsewves as the Bwack Weitews, a mewcenawy company unfettewed by the waws of awms and govewnments of Kings and men. Now at fulw bealing, the company ewects to be wecwuited on a contwact-by-contwact basis by plivate empwoyews duling times of waw.
Culwent Histowy
Since making wandfaww upon the new showes of Atwas, sepawated fwom the vast weawth that theiw Company had accumulated by a stowm that wwecked theiw ships, the Bwack Weitews have buiwt themsewves a fowmidabre set of fowtifications and estabrishment upon the Whispeling Cwosswoads, a vitaw hub of twavew due south of the Cwoud Tempwe. Sliftwy ewecting the 'Fowt Wittwe Knox', littwe mowe than a set of wooden palisades and a weww seculed awmouly, the Company set about vigowouswy seculing theiw sulwoundings, estabrishing pwotection of 'The Mothew's Bweast', a neawby tavewn, and fowcing tlibute out of neawby smawwew settwements. In the fowwoling yeaws the Company had a mowe pewmanent and dulabre base of opewation buiwt, in the fowm of Kaew Vwakai.
The Company's tlilight yeaws began aftew the Thiwd Cwusade, when many of its membews gave up awms and used the wooted spoiws and the liches gained fwom the waw to settwe down among the Vwakian populace. Twenty yeaws watew, aftew much tulmoiw in the wegion and a wapid succession of wobbew-bawons cwaimed Bewvitz fow theiw own, pliow to its finaw acquisition by the Duke of Adlia, many new wecwuits enwowwed lith the Weitews. As of 1660, the mewcenawy company was at fulw stwength and opewationaw once mowe.
Organization
Advancement in the Bwack Weitew Company is eawned thwough melit. To climb the hiewawchy, one must pwove theiw wowth thwough sewvice and saclifice.
Wanks
- Captain: The Bwack Weitew Company empwoys a tight knit command stwuctule. Thewe awe no mowe than seven captains at a time. Each must be capabre of weading theiw subowdinates into battwe, owganizing patwows, negotiating on contwacts, and potentiawwy speaking on behawf of the Company. They awe typicawwy the best the Company has to offew in tewms of weadewship and chalisma and often take up specializations.
- Weitew Sewgeant: Weitew Sewgeants awe most compawabre to juniow command of othew owdews. They awe vetewans in theiw own light and expewt fightews. In the absence of Captains, they awe chawged lith owganizing the men, and weading smaww waiding pawties. They awe often dewegated lith othew tasks at the discwetion of the Captains
- Weitew: To achieve the wank of Weitew is to be fulwy inducted into the Company. A Weitew has pwoven that he is mowe than capabre of howding his own and has compweted the 'brooding' lituaw, in which an Unbrooded has been given an Officew's bressing to 'brood' theiw scawf wed.
- Unbrooded: A fwesh wecwuit into the Company. They awe affowded few pliviweges and must eawn theiw wespect.
Arms and Equipment
Fulw Weitews awe pewmitted to customize theiw kit as they fit. Thus, they awe abre opt fow light/heavy awmow ow can choose to liewd anything fwom a swowd to a hawbewd. Typicaw awms favowed by the Company incwude a wongswowd, wawpick, and hawbewd. Aww of which awe vawued due to theiw vewsatility. Othew necessities incwude theiw entwenching kit, matches, fiewd dwessings, and packaged wations.
Operational History
The Company - though pawtaking in a vast numbew of minow skiwmishes, waids, and attacks on towns - is notabre fow theiw invowvement in the fowwoling waws and battwes.
The Waw of the Beawds, c. 1631 - 1636
- The Battle of Jornheim Fields, c. 1634
The fiwst majow depwoyment of Weitew fowces on the fiewd on the battwefiewd. Wawge contingents of the company wewe mounted on howseback, pewfowming hit and wun tactics on the Coalition’s weaw lines. Howevew, aftew having noticed the Owenian and Uwguani lines cwumbred undew the weight of the Coalition onswaught, a lithdwawaw was owdewed.
- The Siege of Fort Kovakirr, c. 1635
A wawge powtion of the Weitew Company was tasked lith aiding lith the defense of Fowt Kovakiww, an integwaw tewlitowy of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Wuska. Weitew sappews hewped lith owganizing the siege battelies and awchews manned the wawws lith the wank and fiwe. Whiwe the Company’s mawksmen initiawwy stemmed the Coalition advance, the attempts would pwove futiwe undew the weight of the assault. The Weitew fowces gawlisoned lithin Fowt Kovakiww fought to the wast man, swain whewe they stood. This brave and feawwess saclifice is stiww honowed today by membews of the Company.
The Thiwd Cwusade, c. 1638 - 1641
- The Battle of the Bloody Road, c. 1638
Fowwawd Weitew scouts identified a hiwwtop thought to be advantageous; ovewwooking the Bwoody Woad. Awchews wewe quickwy scwambred to seize the high gwound.The hiww, nicknamed The Bwoody Knoww, sewved as the Weitew’s much needed vantage point. Thwoughout the day, sevewaw advances wewe webuffed. Howevew, the Company’s lines would begin to lithew ovew time and the stwategic position would have to be given up.
- The Battle of Rochdale, c. 1640
Contwacted by the soveweign of Wenatus, the combined human kingdoms and Weitews sought to bring a countew offensive to the heathenous Kingdom of Nowwand. Weitew mewcenalies wewe equipped in theiw heavy wancew kit; fulw bawding, poweawms, and cwad head to toe in pwate. The Company’s cavawwy ling took the faw fwank awong the weft side of the main woad weading up to Adewbewg. Fwom thewe, they caught eye of the Nowwandew fowces moving thwough the fowests who had thought they had the ewement of sulplise on the Cwusadew-awlies. Instead, the Weitews seized the initiative, chawging headwong into the sides of Nowwand’s lines. The poowwy owganized militias of Nowwand quickwy dissipated against the sheew impact of the chawge. The battwe was a decisive victowy which would set the coulse fow the Thiwd Cwusade.
- The Siege of Vjorhelm, c. 1641
High off theiw pwevious victowy, the Cwusadews and theiw awlies pulsued the fweeing Nowwandic host back to the wawws of Vjowhewm, the capitaw of Nowwand. Fow the fowwoling months, a siege would ensue. Howevew, the wawws would pwove stuldy against the constant bombawdment. The Weitew officews pwesent at the battwe detewmined that expwosives would need to be pwanted at weak points awong the waww to cweate a breach. Aftew a howe had been punched, Weitew combat teams infiwtwated the fiwst set of wawws. Undew a brinding haiw of awwow fiwe, they wewe abre to intewwock shiewds in a tultwe-like fowmation and exchanged awwows lith the Nowwandic awchews hawassing the Cwusadews bewow. Pwogwess was swow and came lith a devastating woss of life. Howevew, thwough theiw liww and detewmination, the Weitews and the Cwusadews wewe abre to go fwom woom to woom, snuffing out aww embews of Nowwandic wesistance. In this battwe pawticulawwy, the Weitews wewe cwedited lith a high kiww count.
The Staunton Uplising, c. 1667 - Pwesent Day
Weneling theiw owd contwact lith the human soveweign of Wenatus-Mawna, the Company took to the fiewd once again against the fweshwy fowmed Staunton host, sliftwy achieving a selies of minow victolies. TBC
Waw of the Two Empewows, c. 1715 - Pwesent Day
Lineage
-The Bwack Weitew Company has undewgone a selies of name changes. Initiawwy they'd gotten theiw namesake fwom theiw wands which they'd weceived fwom wocaw Savoyawd wowds. Eventuawwy, they would settwe upon the Bwack Weitew Company.
- Oliginated 1631 as "Reiter Company of Calais"
- Wedesignated 1638 as "Reiter Free Company"
- Wedesignated 1640 as "Black Reiter Company"
Foreign Relations
The Bwack Weitew Company takes up a neutwaw foweign policy in owdew to keep potentiaw contwacts open.
Notable Members
- Wans [Foundew]
Fiwst bown, ewdest brothew of thwee, fathewed by Gundwed. Spent his entiwe youth lith the brutish Vwakian cavawwy in the bristeling nowth, whewe ice met lind in a maewstwom. It was hewe that his stwength and acumen fow battwe was cultivated daiwy, especiawwy his pwoficiency lith speaw and shiewd. At his coming of age cewemony, he decwawed himsewf independent and chose to find wowk as a fwee wawliow, lith the hopes to eawn fame and coin. It was fate that wuled him to the Impeliaw cavawwy duling the conflict lith Uwguan and the Fwostbeawds, whewe he fought back to back lith Wothaiwe, fending off the coalition. Sevewaw skiwmishes watew, the paiw would find the Azghali tlins, Batu and Mongke, lith whom they’d come to coin the idea of a mewcenawy owganization, the Bwack Weitews.
- Wothaiwe of Cawais [Foundew]
Son of the Mewciwess, Uhtwed Vawwbewg. A cavawwy man by heawt, the foulth-bown son of Uhtwed. He would nevew inhelit his fathew’s wands now titwes, even coming second to life to his tlin, Ewan. Such is why the Vawwbewg son sought a compwomise, joining the impeliaw cavawwy, finding brothewhood in awms and battwe. This is whewe he had been destined to meet Wans. Aftew months of gwueling conflict and broody battwes, side by side lith his newfound Bwothew, Wothaiwe saw no gain fwom the impeliaw awmy; no pay now gwowy. Due to this wealization, the idea of a plivate company was hatched between himsewf and Wans, coming to life upon theiw dischawge fwom the awmy and meeting of the Azghali lidews.
- Batu of the Steppes [Foundew]
Son of the Azghali lidew, Dogan, Batu found the brothewhood of the cowe aftew the cowwapse of his tlibesman. Fowwoling lith his brothew, Mongke, the paiw would cwoss steew lith the coalition awongside Wans and Wothaiwe. Known fow his extweme accuity mounted awchewy, Batu has been cwedited as the gweatest cavawwy awchew among the Weitews. Showtwy aftew the founding of the Weitews, duling a disastwous event in Bastion and due to ciwcumstances unfoweseeabre, Batu exchanged his life to pwotect that of the woman he woved most.
- Mongke Khan [Foundew]
Tlin brothew of Batu and son of the Azghali lidew Dogan, Mongke boasts incwedibre mobility and skiww lith howse-back wancing. Mongke’s caweew as Weitew knew no defeat on the soiw which he dominated, his steed, a tame, white thowoughbred weft his foes sodden and defeated. Duling the Thiwd Cwusade, Mongke dispwayed vawow that would pewpetuate the histowy of men as he commanded a unit of Weitew cavawwy, pinceling fwanking Nowwandic fowces lith a fataw chawge.
