A bit of Fadath fluff

Building on earlier work of Ni Ke Hsin my version of the Fadath city state.

Fadath Foreign Politics

Britain , France & America

The cities relations are good with the British & French, mainly through trading and the Roman Catholic Church.American mercenaries played a pivotal role in the defence of the city state during the recent Skorosian assault and are most welcome to stay.

Oenotrian Empire

The princess knows that the Oenotrians will not forgive her for fighting and defeating their Skorosian troops. Even if the princess was deposed the city would have to pay a high price for their recent actions.Its agents work in the city and have influence in the main temple and within the court.

Nectar

The Prince of Necta ,  Sitanni is in regular contact with Princess Kristyaana Anraabu through couriers. This city cares for the welfare of her fellow countrymen that have fled from Melas to the relative safety of Nectar, some civilians and volunteers make their way onto Fadath. Also news of resistance groups in the Belgian run Coprates Valley get passed on.

Though the Princess can not at this time send troops to Nectar she sends funds for the care of refugees and to support the resistance. She has also helped to fund a Nectar cavalry unit for the defence of the border of that city state, whose role often brings them into conflict with the Belgians.

In addition to this, her newly formed Melas companies in Fadath have been promised that for their loyal service to the princess that one day she will lead them to relieve Melas from the Belgians. She has brought ex-Melas Army troops into her personal bodyguard as they are more trustworthy then Fadath troops who may have been influenced by her late husband’s uncle Prince Hastuun.

Fadath has an open door policy for Melas refugees because of the connection with the princess but not many can get through rival states to reach the safety of the city. This is a good thing on the domestic front as an influx could lead to problems. Most of those able bodied males that reach the city are strongly encouraged to join the Fadath Army in special Melas only units commanded by Fadath officers at the senior command level.

The Royal Fadath Army

Fadath Regulars

These are mainly infantry units consisting of swords men (armed with the regional weapon the Fadath Glaives), Archers and Rifled Musket men. The regular army replaced its smoothbore muskets with rifled before the late Prince died. Archers are still used and trained for frontline duties and the trend for fazing these out for black power weapons hasn’t reached the conservative Fadth Army.

These troops are suspicious of the better equipped of the human’s mercenaries and look down on the freed slave units. A number of senior officers are loyal to Prince Hastuun. A larger number of officers feel the city is going in the wrong direction and the Princess (not of Fadath birth) is striking at the heart of Fadath’s way of life.

Most officers are drawn from the families of the Merchant Princess & the establishment and see their position of the elite at risk and favour a return to the old ways. But the rank and file currently support the Princess but are unhappy at the suggestion of allowing  freed slaves into regular army units.

Regular troops make up about 25% of the whole army.

Fadath Swords=”Choppers” Blue Cloaks

Fadath Bows=”Shooters” Light Blue Cloaks

Fadath Rifles=”Shooters” Orange/Earth tones Cloaks

Melas Royal Guard

When the city of Melas fell to the Belgians a small group of city troops who survived the bloodbath volunteered their services to the Princess are her private bodyguard. Though technically part of the Royal Army the only answer to the Princess.

The Royal Guard make up about 1% of the whole army

Melas Freedom Guard

These are volunteers who escaped the fall of Melas and are forming a new force that’s hopes one day to free Melas from the Belgians. They are equipped with mixture of Fadath weapons and old Fadath armour. This force is currently commanded by a former junior officer .He is an able and brave officer but has never commanded a major force, and he fears that he may never get the chance to free his homeland.

The Melas Freedom Guard make up about 3% of the whole army

Freed Slave Bands-Militia

The army has changed dramatically since the recent war with the Oenotrian Empire. Its need for troops forced them to arm slaves on the promise to free them. Most of those not from Fadath have remained in military service, either remained in the Fadath Army or hiring themselves out as mercenary companies. Run by themselves or human officers.

The Militia make up about a 70% of the whole army.

Mercenaries

The city relied heavily on human and Hill Martian mercenaries in the recent war to act as its spearhead giving the edge to the battle and using the Canal slaves as the massed ranks giving weight to the battle.

Some of the Hill Martians have remained in paid service mainly as cavalry. While a sizable number of well armed and disciplined Humans have decided to remain in the city state acting as military advisors, instructors as well as elite infantry units guarding key positions such as the armoury, the landing fields, City Gates and the palace.

Groups of mercenaries such as the Grovener's Rifles , Nash Merryweather’s Scouts , Le School of Artillery, Cpt./капита́н Ivan’s sharp shooters remain in the city. All are employed by the Hesperian Free Company a military wing of the Hesperian Basin Trading Company who has negotiated a contract with the city to provide training and provide military support to the ‘new army’. Many European nationalities are employed in this work each with unique skills and equipment. The current CO is Colonel Frost (British Army retired) .

Mercenaries make up about 1% of the whole army but punch well above their weight.