The Last Alliance

An Alliance of sworn enemies united against a greater threat

Written by Redclaw123

Warriors of the Alliance by Reza Afshar

"It isn't a fools errand to want peace with them. We had it for nine thousand years my love"
"I know but the truth is, it will soon fall apart. Those who hate us living in harmony are abundant on either sides"
"Then we will root them out. Just like we did the mutineers right before this war started"
A conversation between former The High Seraph Axel Christiansen and his wife, about making peace with the Aegean empire

Man and Argonite, the two most powerful and numerous races on Elladia, have fought one another for over a thousand years. Despite cooperation on the Polar Exploration Programs, the war has raged on without respite. Millions have perished. In battle, to disease, to genocide. Their mutual hatred knows no bounds. Yet, it was not always like this. During the Boreal Mutiny, Elladia was on the verge of destruction. Undead Legion commander Carolus Larian joined Arkanos, issuing in a conflict that would scar the world forever. Demonic legions scourged the continents; Elladia had no choice but to band together or die. The Last Alliance was formed.
The Last Alliance was a military pact consisting of the combined forces of the Aegean and Sanguine Empires, along with the Duskfall Horc Federation. This was the only time that Man, Argonite and Horc fought as one, mixing blood as they fell to Carolus’ demonic hordes. Had it not been for their brave sacrifice, the Imperium, and Elladia itself, would have crumbled. The Last Alliance lasted until soon after the end of the war, marking the end of one age and the beginning of a new one: The Age of the Great War.
Now, the threat has returned. Elladia’s darkest hour is upon it. While the Sanguine and Aegean Empires keep fighting, a dark shadow gathers across the world, burrowing itself into the minds of Man and Argonite alike. The telltale signs are there. The Alliance must be reborn.
Or Elladia will fall into an eternal age of suffering.

Structure

Though heavily unified in the last days of its existence in the form of enormous armies known as battlegroups, the Alliance was built of three separate entities, each of which largely kept their own military structures.

The Legions of Man

"We won this day for you"
"No. Your Legions won this day"
"Had it not been for your forces Ilukran, we would have been a steaming pile of corpses by now"
"And had it not been for your forces Vendren, Elladia would be a steaming globule littered with corpses"
A conversation taking place between Argonite emperor Jorten Ilukran Larius and human emperor Vendren Christiansen, in the aftermath of the war

Human Cavalry by Melvin ChanArt

The bulk of the Alliance was made up of mankind. Though the Alliance was a joining of Elladia as a while, the numerous humans constituted almost two thirds of the soldiery. Not just numerous, but versatile; they brought the quick and nimble Regulian Infantry, the tough, strong knights of Netholia, and everything in between. Though not as physically imposing as the Argonites, the sheer numbers and willpower of mankind were perhaps the largest factor in the Alliance’s ultimate victory.

The Argonite Contingent

"To you your highness, we owe a debt that cannot be fully repaid. So many of your kin have died in this war. Such a debt is impossible to pay back with material means"
"Brother, this isn't a debt to be repaid. It was a battle that we bought fought together. Your soldiers died for us too. For this...you don't need to pay anything
A conversation between Loyalist Undead Legion commander Elias Maltoran and Argonite emperor Ilukran

Knights of the Aegean Empire by Peter Balogh

At first, the Argonites offered only half hearted apologies, knowing that a war like this would help in them eventually becoming the undisputed rulers of the world. It struck them even harder when the first demons arrived in their lands. The Argonites soon found themselves in the same situation and it was at this point that they knew, that an alliance was needed.
A contingent, consisting of close to two million soldiers were sent to aid the Imperium. They fought in all the battles, major and minor. Their dragons burnt the armies of the destroyer to ashes. In the end, only a quarter of them survived. Whilst humanity made up the majority of the alliance's forces, it was the argonites that suffered the majority of their deaths, all in the name of preventing Arkanos from coming to power

The Warriors of Duskfall

"Sometimes, i am a bit saddened by a fact"
"And what may that be brother?"
"That despite us taking part and leading frontal assaults during the boreal war, we never got any credit for it"
"I see. It always made me wonder too if humanity ever will see any good in us. Though the actions of our forefathers are largely to blame too
Horc chieftain Rurik Vertiran, conversing with his brother Karil Vertiran

The Horc Warrior by NevolinArts

Though often discussed by historians, the role of the Horcs in this conflict is a generally underappreciated topic. Many think they barely contributed. Some say they were as important as the Humans and Argonites. Some nuanced few place them somewhere in between.
What is agreed upon by these historians is that they are widely overlooked. There are few mentions of their raids on traitor Undead Legion bases. Little mentions of their stalwart defense allowing their Human and Argonite brethren safe retreat. The history books neglect the fact that it was a Horc’s axes that struck the first great blow by decapitating a traitor Undead champion.
They may not have turned to tide, but they have never gotten their deserved place in the annals of Imperial History.

History

The War Breaks out

"It has begun. The end of the world. All we can do is delay it for now and pray for a miracle"
Attributed to Vendren Christiansen

Battlefield

It all started with a single artifact. One that would corrupt Carolus and many of his friends, leading to a chain of corruption that would leave few untouched. The crisis deepened with Carolus joining an influential political party and deepening his hand in the imperium. When a few of his close, uncorrupted friends found out about his plans, they went to warn the wider imperium about it. Carolus wasted not a single moment more as the war begin in earnest
In the first few months, the Argonites gave only half hearted apologies, not wanting to be involved in a war which would drag them down to ruin. Ilukan Larius, the Argonite emperor wanted to see the imperium fall, thereby allowing the argonites to dominate the entirety of Elladia. It would all be in vain, as the demons began trickling into his own kingdom. The ground ran red with the blood of Argonites, and soon, Ilukan knew that this was a world war. A war that threatened Elladia as a whole

A meeting is called

An assembly of kings by Quintus Cassius

" No one will come to help us. Except ourselves"
"The gods only help those who help themselves. I thank you for this my friend. May Elladia stand this onslaught"
The last words spoken by Ilukran Larius and Vendren Christiansen during their meeting to form a military alliance

Grelingen was a beautiful city in the Netholian Highlands, a place where nature was abundant and where there was an aura of peace. Its reputation as a symbol of peace and unity would be cemented when the leaders of the Aegean and Sanguine Imperium alongside the Horc Federation came together to meet here. The journey was long for both the leaders, but it was the best place considering how far away other options would be.
The leaders met, and through the long and arduous meeting, they finally cemented an alliance. The threat they were facing was one that would destroy Elladia unless they acted together. An agreement was signed and thus, the alliance came into being. Though still having a degree of autonomy, for the first time in history man, argonite, horc and myriad other species joined together against a greater threat.

A World United

The Boreal War by Quintus Cassius

Initially, the days of the Alliance for full of rivalry. Humans would object to Argonites in their units, Horcs would reject Humans on missions. Early defeats rooted out this rivalry; it was in unity that they would find victory.
The first of these large victories was in the Reltoran Islands. Arkanos’ forces were in battle against the Islanders and attempting to raise an ancient creature from the depths. Though suffering massive losses at first, the Alliance, working with the native Humans and Argonites of the islands, found its footing eventually and managed to drive back Arkanos’ forces and send the beast to its dark doom once and for all

The battles ahead

"On this day, Elladia stands united! United against Arkanos! As one against this terror, we shall vanquish it from our realms!"
"Argonite war hero General Vildren Moriken, one of the few Argonite survivors of the war giving a speech before the assault on Fort Blackthorne

Elladia Burns

Throughout the course of the war, the alliance fought everywhere. From the highest mountains of the world to tropical wetlands and deltas. From polar islands where the sun stays and sets for half the year to the lands where the sun never comes down. Every environment witnessed the destruction of the Boreal war. The alliance would grow deeper and stronger as the war progressed, with Argonites, humans and even horcs beginning to operate in the same formations and unified battlegroups consisting of these three species coming into existence. Soon, one could see scenes where a human general lead an argonite army and vice versa. It was perhaps the most beautiful time in history, one that could have seen a long era of peace afterwards had it not been for some unfortunate incidents

Disbandment

The Great War Begins

The Argonites. They betrayed us. There is no peace after that point. So many peace attempts and yet, all of them failed just because of them! Even if i make peace with the Horcs, a permanent peace with them amounts to insanity
Emperor Hans Christian Danielsen to his brother after he raised the prospects of an armistice with the argonites to combat the cult of Arkanos

The Great War Begins by czarnystefan

A mere three years after the war, while the world was still healing, a number of border clashes erupted between Humans and Argonites. Short and bloody, with few survivors, they soon grew in scale despite local political and military intervention.
A meeting was called, with the Horcs acting as mediator. It did little good, however, as the meeting was attacked and the Argonite emperor killed. The Argonites later retaliated in the next peace meeting, killing human emperor Vendren Christiansen. Thus began the Great war. The deadliest war to happen on Elladia ever since the cataclysmic event forty thousand years ago.
Over the span of centuries, Elladia would fall apart. With the Humans and Argonites at one another’s throats, the Horcs too returned to their war on the Imperium. Tens of millions of lives were lost in genocides, famines, massacres and in the daily actions of war, all in the name of glory and vengeance.
In the last days of this age, when Arkanos will return, the Alliance is needed more than ever. Elladia must stand as one. The Destroyer will come again.

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DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

The Survivors

The war took a devastating toll on the world. Millions perished to prevent Arkanos from coming to power again. The survivors were few, and many of them were no more than walking corpses. It was bleak after the war had ended, but there was still hope
The war gave rise to a certain culture known to all of the parties involved as the survivors way. The survivors of the war mingled and shared stories and traditions, such as bumping their head together as a form of greeting. This was a new culture that began to grow, one that challenged the traditional rivalry between the various races of Elladia. The survivors would often meet and share stories and experiences, or they would just socialize with each other at inns whilst spreading their message of peace and unity
Though the survivors way would not do much due to the great war breaking out soon after, they passed it down to their children. Today, only a handful of people are alive who have the attitudes of their forefathers. Yet, it may be them who will give Elladia its brightest hopes during the oncoming storm

8997 AI - 9000 AI

Type

Military Order

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Experienced