Viper Scout and Viper Vanguard

The jungles of Izchak are one of the most naturally dangerous places in Faelon. The jungle is voracious, and the creatures that live under its triple canopy are always hungry. Every living thing in Izchak plays a constant game of survival of the fittest; today’s winner can always be tomorrow’s lunch.
Izchak is home to the Izchan people, a race of hearty and stalwart folks who have had to fight the jungle incessantly to survive and thrive as a people. Now, they also have to fight the Traazorites, who have conquered Izchak and made it a province of their Empire.
The Izchans are very divided about their conquerors. Some of the tribes see the Traazorites as saviors. The empire before the Traazorites, the Krai Jan Empire, hunted the Izchan for sport. They did their best to eradicate the Izchan way of life from the jungle while instilling their culture and values.
Other Izchan tribes believe this Empire is destined to fall like the last one. They believe the jungle will consume them just as it does everything else. These tribes tend to stay neutral in Imperial politics and, as much as possible, stay out of the way of Traazorite troops.
The third group of Izchan tribes views the Traazorites as they have viewed all interlopers in Izchak: as enemies. These warriors trace a proud tradition of revolution as far back as the beginning of time when the Izchans were little more than food for the rest of the jungle. They defied their god and beat back the wilderness then, they can fight and beat the Traazorites now.
The Traazorites wish peace for Izchak, but only on their terms. Relations with the tribes have become a complicated political game full of rewards for the faithful and the wraith of Runah for dissidents. It has bred generational mistrust for the Traazorite occupation but elevated collaborators to places of relative wealth and social standing.
The Traazorites excel at set-piece combat. It is difficult for even the best armies of Faelon to defeat the Traazorite Legions in battle. Unfortunately for the Traazorites, Izchak is not an advantageous field of battle. You can count on one hand the number of places in Izchak where the Traazorites could deploy a full legion.
Instead, the jungle dictates war in Izchak. The jungle is neutral, destroying both native Izchaki and Traazorite alike. You play by its rules, and sometimes it still consumes you.
The Izchaki have been living with the jungle for ages and have grown as accustomed to its daily predations as they can. The Traazorites have been there for years and are still trying to find ways to overcome it. Generally, these means fail because they try to dominate the jungle instead of coexisting with it. The Traazorites have contempt for the wilderness, while the Izchakis respect its dangerous nature. When you’re a velozar, everything looks like a meal.
The Traazorite military forces inside Izchak consist of the Viper Legion and the Shakazal Legion. The Viper Legion consists of troops from outside the province brought in to keep the peace and monitor the locals. The Shakazal Legion is a provincial auxiliary force composed of native Izchaki who serve in exchange for Imperial Citizenship rights, titles, and privileges. The Shakazal Legion is under the command of Sason Fadalos, the Commander of the Viper Legion.
By necessity and upbringing, the two forces fight very differently. Although the Shakazal Legion has been trained well, they will never match the Viper Legion in a stand-up fight. Likewise, the Viper Legion will never be able to move and fight in the jungle like the Shakazal Legion.
Lately, the Military Commander in Izchak, Sason Fadalos, has sought to close the training gap between his two forces. He is under pressure from rebel Izchaki tribes in the south and east of the province and increasing threats from groups like the Eclipse. As rebellion stirs, the native Izchaki become harder to work with and more prone to join the rebels against the Empire.
Fadalos is working hard to ensure that the loyal tribes stay loyal and that he can fight off increasingly bold rebel attacks. He has recently started a Bladesworn School in Azumdim, Izcha’s capital. There, Bladesworn veterans of jungle fighting share their knowledge and skills with their comrades, producing a force of trained jungle fighters Fadalos calls Viper Veterans.
Much to the chagrin of the Runaic High Priest and the Provincial Governor, he has also instituted an exchange program between the Viper and Shakazal Legions. Veteran Desharks have been sent to the Shakazal Legion to shore up their training for open combat. They have also been sent cadres of Viper’s most seasoned jungle fighters to train and learn from the Izchaki.
In exchange, Izchaki are allowed to fight in the Viper Legion. These Viper Scouts guide Fadalos’ legion through the jungle, teaching them to live within the wilderness rather than as a conqueror of it.
Viper Scouts use a Zaivar to scout the jungle around them. The Zaivar is a small, feathered, bi-pedal zarn native to Izchak. They scurry about the jungle floor in packs corralling and snapping up the giant bugs and small mammals that live at ground level.
Zaivar are exceedingly sensitive to sound, movement, and vibration. They are skittish creatures, making them perfect bellwethers for survival in the jungle. When a Zaivar starts to become nervous, it's time for its handler to get worried.
Zaivar are always hungry and willing to trust anything that will feed them consistently, making them relatively easy to train. Zaivar are excellent at running through the deep undergrowth and hunting their prey.
Fadalos has integrated the Viper Scouts into his Mutachazar or Jungle Hunters, specialized units of veteran jungle fighters that deal with particularly deadly rebel threats. The Viper Legion was loathe to accept Izchaki into their ranks, but after a few patrols in the jungle, there was no question about their usefulness.
The troops that train with the Shakazal Legion return to the Viper Legion much more confident in the jungle. They are fully trained in jungle fighting and use the weapons and uniforming of the Shakazal Legion. They are called Vanguards and will often be seen moving ahead of the Viper Legion, scouting areas and screening the flanks of the main force.
Vanguards return to the Viper Legion changed individuals. They prefer the company of the Izchaki Scouts to their old comrades, and most take on a fatalistic attitude toward life. They both love and hate the jungle and keep their experiences to themselves.
They, too use trained local creatures to aid them in the jungle, but Viper Vanguards prefer the Ezipai or flycatcher. This winged serpent inhabits the middle canopy of the Izchaki jungle. Ezipai have incredible senses and can detect enemies and friends in the worst of the undergrowth.
The Viper Scouts and Viper Vanguards have given the Viper Legion an edge when rooting insurrectionists and rebels out of the deep jungle. Since Fadalos instituted the initiative, there have been fewer ambushes of Viper Legion patrols and more victories against rebel troops.
However, trust is hard to come by, and there have been instances where it has been discovered that a Viper Scout has been working for the rebels. Traazorite mismanagement of the local tribes has also heightened tensions, leaving both sides weary of each other.
Viper Legion Commander Fadalos believes the only way forward is to continue to exchange ideas and training between loyal soldiers under his command. To him, the Scouts and Vanguards represent more than a better-trained Viper Legion, they are the door to a peaceful Izchak.

Type

Military