'It
is important to note that the creation of the Prydian Army actually
contributed greatly to the rise of both Yordan and Canlaster. Before
the formation of the Army the Marcher Barons had little room for
movement, they could hire mercenaries and police their own worlds but
the Starvaulters kept them in check. Taking men and women from the
planets of the barons and giving them so much training and weaponry
only stoked the fires of civil war. Certainly the hundreds of new
regiments put down the rebels for several years but then they became
rebels themselves as their loyalty was first to their baron and not
the throne. Granted not all of the regiments abandoned the throne.
Those that stayed loyal have done an excellent job of fortifying the
whole Glastonbury system which has kept us safe from the war up to
this point but we have very much been the architects of our own
demise. We were warned by many but we chose to ignore them all. Kadj
Dace got what he wanted, not by the means he planned but by accident
of design. Prydia is aflame and none among us can stop it.'
Lord Turnbull, Council of the Addan, Glastonbury Tor 4321IC
---
Marcher Barons in The Ion Age
More
than twenty years ago when the Princess Daphne Cyon was a little girl
her father King Cyon III died on the battlefield of Fenway Prime
fighting to end the rebellion of Baron Bradshaw Reff master of planet
Sutton VII. What lead to this was a break down of the system that
had seen the Prydian Precinct grow rich and peaceful under the
Council of the Aeddan's and an elected King. The Aeddans were
selected from the powerful Barons that controlled trade and managed
the upkeep of private forces that kept the peace and so on in their
own regions of space. Reff decided that he wanted to keep the
precious ores and materials that were his annual contribution to the
Council and instead of using it to keep of freebooters and help all
of the Precinct he would use it to recruit a large army and attempt
to hold sway over his neighbouring Barons.
Tension
in the huge governmental chamber on New Glastonbury where the Council
of Aeddan sat boiled over. Why should other Barons pay the levy when
Reff did not? Other smaller and weaker nobles took the chance to
stop paying their levies as well. Prydia did not possess an army of
any significant size, there was no need for it and it meant that
there was no cause for jealousy among the Barons. This mean that the
Council and King Cyon III could call upon the elite Starvaulters only
to quell Reff. The invasion of Sutton VII was the largest military
operation in living memory and while it succeeded it meant the death
of the king. This left a vacuum of authority and the young Princess
in need of a guardian. Unrest grew and brush fire wars broke out
among the Barons. The Council was loosing control.
The
Prydian Civil War proper began when on Kendal III a small force of
Starvaulters was ambushed and murdered by troops of 'Prince' Edmund
Bluefort foremost powerful of the now Marcher Barons. Bluefort
openly defied the Council and formed The League of Canlaster. Soon
after Baron Reckhard Nevall known as the 'Kingmaker' kidnapped the
young princess and declared himself head of the League of Yordan his
aim the throne and ultimate power. The whole Precinct shuddered as
the peace that had existed for generations was shattered. Yordan and
Canlaster clashed and as they did other Marcher Barons formed their
own smaller Leagues and private armies some for self protection and
others for potential gain. The betrayal was completed when the
Gulaine Company, some five million seasoned troops, hired by the
newly formed but tiny Prydian Army declared en mass for Canlaster and
seized vital planets near the New Glastonbury system.
With
only a million in their ranks the Starvaulters could do not more than
hold the New Glastonbury system and keep the weakened Council of
Aeddan safe while they formed the Prydian Army. The princess was
rescued and as she grew her involvement with the army did too.
Indeed in the early years of the civil war the Prydian Army did
little more than watch but as time passed and the Marcher Baron's
weakened planets were slowely liberated by the white and red knights
of Prydia.
On
more than three dozen worlds the civil war is still ongoing with
hundreds of smaller barons battling against the big three of the
Prydian Army, the League of Yordan and the League of Canlaster. This
is a war for territory and on the whole is it fought in a civilised
manner by all. There are precious few worlds and to spoil them would
mean less all around to the eventual victors. Fully two thirds of
the Prydian Army is involved in the civil war and indeed if it was
not for the situation in the Camarthen star system and elsewhere the
war might well have been over by now.
While
all Marcher Barons are Human and all use the same equipment and
armour as the Prydian Army on the whole they do have distinctive
uniforms and symbols to mark themselves out from each other. There
are too many to list but here are the uniforms of The League of
Canlaster and the League of Yordan.
The
League of Canlaster
The
League of Canlaster makes use of the same formations, troop types and
weapons as the typical Prydian Army regiment. Their uniform is
significantly different though and makes great use of blue shades. In
both Retained and Muster the primary colour for armour is a
combination of dark or light blue depending on planetary assignment
with the darker colour being more sited to urban warfare just like
the Yordan. Shoulder paldrons and pads are highlighted in a lighter
blue in both cases with banding's on all armour being golden or
yellow in colour. Different Barons and Nobles will often add their
own crest or livery to the standard uniform in the form of black or
purple mottos on the shoulder areas of armour.
The
League of Yordan
The
League of Yordan makes use of the same formations, troop types and
weapons as the typical Prydian Army regiment. Their uniform is
significantly different though and makes great use of green and
yellow. In both Retained and Muster the primary colour for armour is
either a dark or light green depending on planetary assignment with
the darker colour being more sited to urban warfare. Shoulder
paldrons and pads are highlighted in a light yellow with banding's on
all armour being golden in colour. Different Barons and Nobles will
often add their own crest or livery to the standard uniform in the
form of black or purple mottos on the yellow areas of armour.
If
you wish to create your own Marcher Baron and their army then go
ahead! Make up their story and their uniforms and take them to
battle.
