The Last Regiment
The Last Regiment, also known as the Last Remnants or the Aestren resistance, are an insurgent group who seek to reclaim the land of Aestrum and reestablish the Aestren Republic. Operating in both halves of the previous country, the majority of its members are little more than bandits, most being former citizens of the Republic. The group was formed from the army of General Adam Crowe.
History
The Last Regiment was once the personal army of General Adam Crowe, one of the most distinguished military leaders of the republic. After numerous defeats at the hands of the New Elven Union and the Almaridian Empire, Crowe was sent on a mission to head north into the region of Nikel and attack the heartland of the New Elven Union behind enemy lines and force soldiers away from the front. While Crowe did manage to slip behind enemy lines for a time the republic suffered a major defeat at Blackpool, from which the Celestine Assembly withdrew, leaving the Aestren Republic to defend its own capital. It was taken shorty after Crowe had begun to make serious progress in razing New Elven Union countryside, and he was recalled back to the republic to help defend what remained. Once again, he would be too late, and the city of Devon would surrender before he arrived to help. Shortly after, the Aestren Republic would totally capitulate and be split into north and south.
Though their homeland was gone, the army of Adam Crowe were enraged by the loss of their country. General Crowe had hand picked his soldiers from some of the best units across the republic, and he quickly began to organize raids using small groups of his soldiers to attack enemy supply routes, recruit new fighters, and harass patrols. Though his tactics were effective in slowing down both the Almaridian Empire and the New Elven Union, the war ended before he could make the most of it. No longer distracted by more powerful threats, both nations turned their attention towards, 'The Last Regiment.'
While the Last Regiment was once considered one of the deadliest armies ever put together by the Aestren Republic, its power has slowly waned over time. Many of the veterans that once made it great have been killed, captured, or have simply left to live normal lives after over a decade of fighting. This has resulted in a decreased cohesion of the Last Regiment's forces. The lack of well trained soldiers has required the Last Regiment to begin to seek the help of nearly anyone who is willing to fight their old enemies. These allies appear mainly in the forms of brigands who live in the countryside and are promised protection, a share of any spoils, and given an excuse to raid the countryside. However, there are still a few who fight solely for their late republic's restoration, one of which is still the general himself, who has famously escaped capture by both the New Elven Union and the Almaridian Empire. There is currently a price on his head for 1,500 Gold Pieces.
The Last Regiment is active both in Northern Aestrum and Southern Aestrum, typically staying close to the mountains and forests to avoid capture. Though they wish to reclaim land from both nations, they have prioritized most of their forces in the south to defeat the greater of the two enemies: the Almaridian Empire. While it may have once been a threat to the Almaridians, the Last Regiment is no longer seen as a serious concern. The Last Regiment has suffered repeated defeats in large and small scale conflicts, and the extensive use of spies that the empire employs have thwarted nearly any attempt to work from the shadows. Regiment veterans and officers are known to be taken alive and hauled back to the The Black Citadel, a prison for enemies of the empire who are then tortured, interrogated, and killed. Though prospects for the Last Regiment have been better in Northern Aestrum, it is mostly because they are not as active and have fewer operatives there. The majority of Northern Aestrum do not see the New Elven Union as tyrannical rulers, and many have decided they have no desire to fight for a dead nation. However, this opens up the ranks of the Last Regiment to more bandits, most of which have no desire to fight for a country and simply wish to have excuse to attack others. Many of these bandit groups are eventually wiped out by elven forest patrols.
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