The Bloody Hooves

This legendary cavalry from the Imperia Empire rode giant Percheron war horses. With each weighing 1-2 tons and sheathed in plate mail barding, it was terrifying to see their 10-12 foot tall forms on a battlefield. The barding before the chest was built like a plow with ribbons of steel. The ribbons stood on end, blade-sharp edges guiding away from the nose of the plow. The cavalrymen would charge through ranks of infantry, driving them into the slicing blades, or be trampled underfoot. This won them the name The Bloody Hooves.
The Horse King, Brugus Fewgan, built the largest cavalry ever seen. At the peak, he had over 4,500 Percheron riders and nearly 25,000 regular war horses. The entire country had to work to feed such huge horses. He had a fleet of gigantic ships built capable of carrying his massive cavalry to other islands and the main continent. As they galloped to victory, he demanded the new colonies produce feed for the cavalry. They were unbeaten. But sailing to a northern battle, they encountered one of the Kraken. This one was a gargantuan squid, the head over 200 feet long. The Kraken seized and sank several of the massive cavalin ships. They lost about 10,000 horses, 4,000 Percherons, and as many riders.
There are several theories on why the Kraken struck. The channel was further south than the Krakens had been seen. They are usually further away from land out in the Northern Sea. The sheer size of these may have drawn attention as a competitor on the sea.
With so much meat within each ship, it might have drawn a hungry one. And once they sank one and began devouring the tons of meat and bone, it sought to feed the next and the next. Some said that there was surely more than one Kraken as the attacks were too far apart. Others claim that one of the countries they were to invade drew a dark bargain with the creatures.
The Bloody Hooves still exist in Imperia, but they are an elite class and never returned to their all-consuming size as during the Horse King's expansion.

Type

Cavalry