Etryan Elephant Knights

The first time i saw the Elephant Knights on the field, i was filled with a mixture of fear and sudden admiration. They were like one big wall of flesh and gunfire, sweeping over the battlefield and felling soldiers left and right. - Diary of an unknown doskaitan soldier

The Elephant Knights of Etrye are a sight to behold - skilled knights shooting a gigantic firearm that is mounted on the back of an elephant. They are one of the strongest and the most famous unit of the Etryan military, with stories of their successes even reaching different continents. Many children in Etrye look up to them and some of them even join the military for the sole reason of one day becoming an Elephant Knight.

Composition

Manpower

Because of the limited availability of the necessary weaponry, the Elephant Knights have always consisted of no more than 450 people - 150 riders, 150 knights and 150 mechanics. Because of this, the Knights are organized into 15 groups of 9 Knight units and one Supreme Knight unit, also called "Orders".

Equipment

The most important piece of the knight's equipment is the elephant harness that each elephant wears during combat. It gives the animal protection, has built-in seats for the crew and - most importantly - it holds the large cannon that is the key weapon of the elephant knights. The harness is also built in a way that absorbs almost all of the recoil produced by firing the cannon and has enough space to hold 50 pieces of ammunition. The knights themselves wear simple leather armor with chainmail underneath it. Furthermore, each elephant carries medical supplies and rations for itself and its riders.

Weaponry

The core part of each unit is the large firearm mounted on the elephant's back. The so-called "cannon" is about 2.5 metres long and can be loaded with a single projectile that it precisely fires at an extremely high velocities. Reloading the cannon takes about 20 seconds. Every Order has a unique cannon design that stands out and differentiates them from the others. The cannon can fire a variety of different projectiles detailed here:

• Cannonball: Simple cast-iron ball with a diameter of 6.5 cm that weighs approximately 1.5 kg. This is the standard projectile for the weapon and therefore, most of the projectiles carried by a unit consist of regular cannonballs.

• Shell: Cylinder-shaped projectile with a length of about 6cm that is filled with explosive material that is activated when the projectile hits a hard surface. While not as widely used as the cannonball, this projectile is still relatively common and easy to produce, so most units carry at least a few of them.

• Shrapnel Shot: Cylinder-shaped projectile with a length of about 5.5 cm that is filled with small, sharp pieces of metal that rapidly shoot out of the projectile once a fuse that is lit when the projectile is shot burns down. While it is quite effective, most units favour explosive Shells, so Shrapnel shots are relatively uncommon.

• Elemental Shot: Seemingly simple cast-iron ball with a diameter of 6.5 cm that weighs approximatel 1.5kg. On first glance this projectile might seem identical to the regular cannonball, but upon closer inspection one can see many detailed runes scratched into the surface of the projectile. Because the projectile acts in a similar fashion to a spell scroll, there are a wide variety of different effects - from simple light spells to deadly arcane explosions. While these projectiles are highly effective, they are relatively hard to produce, so each order only ever has access to a few of them which are distributed equally among the units most of the time.

The Weaponry that the soldiers carry themselves is relatively simple:

• Riders: Each rider carries a shortsword and a shortbow, with a few also choosing to carry a few daggers in addition to the standard weaponry.

• Mechanics: Each Mechanic carries a shortsword and a simple bolt-action pistol. Some of them forgo the shortsword and carry a warhammer instead.

• Knights: Each Knight carries a longsword and a simple bolt-action pistol. Most of them also carry a shortbow and a few daggers.

• Supreme Knights: Each Supreme Knight carries a weapon of his choosing, with the most used being rapiers and greatswords. They also each carry a simple bolt-action rifle and most also carry a hidden hand crossbow for perilous situations.

Vehicles

The Elephant Knights, as suggested by their name, ride on trained, armored elephants. The species used by the Etryans originally hails from Edria and is unusually large and resilient even for Elephant standards, which makes them perfect for use by the military. The elephants are equipped with harnesses and armor detailed earlier in this document and their tusks are fitted with bladed tips.

Structure

The Elephant Knights consist of 150 units which are organized into 15 so-called "Orders", groups consisting of 9 Knight units and one Supreme Knight unit.
Each Order is lead by a Supreme Knight, an Elephant Knight that has earned enough renown and that has won enough battles to be promoted to a leading role.
Every unit consists of an Elephant, a Rider, a Knight and a Mechanic. The Rider controls and guides the animal, the Mechanic repairs any damages and cares for injured soldiers or animals, while the Knight operates the cannon.

Tactics

Most Elephant Knight Orders are utilized in tandem with other military units, most often foot soldiers or cavalry. When used with foot soldiers, they most likely occupy the front of the marching order, taking out larger enemy constructs with their guns and giving the foot soldiers opportunities to charge.
There are, however, a few Orders that have developed their own style of fighting, often much less reliant on other military units than the regular Orders. The so-called "Berserk Order" under the reign of Supreme Knight Ezekias Alekou for example have developed a fighting style in which they leave the control of the cannons to the Mechanics and use the elephants as quick transportation behind enemy lines where they engage in melee combat while being supported by the Mechanics on the cannons.
Others include the "Order of the Arcane Eye", which primarily utilizes magic and enchanted projectiles, usually managing to fight without direct support by other military units and the "Shadow Order", who have somehow managed to become quite stealthy and are often utilized for large scale stealth operations in enemy territory.

Training

Many young men and women join the Etryan military with the dream to one day become one of the famous Elephant Knights, but for only a very small few of them this dream actually comes true. The training to become an Elephant Knight takes about 3 years to complete for a trained soldier, of which only a few are allowed to start the training every year.
The training itself involves practices like training with the required weapons, disassembling and then reassembling a cannon and spending time with the animals.

Logistics

Recruitment

To be recruited into the training program of the Knights, one needs to be a trained soldier, mechanic or beastkeeper that has worked in the military for at least a year after their initial training. While anyone is permitted in times of need, people of Etryan nationality are preferred and to see a Knight of a different nationality is quite rare.

Type

Special Forces

Founding

1527 AF

Overall training Level

Elite

Assumed Veterancy

Experienced

Used by

• Etrye