FrettzoTHE ZHENXIANG JUNDUI
Geography and people:
|Geographical Location of CLIQUE:| Northern Greizual and Eastern Delsai.
|Cities:| The minor city of Daozhi serves as the current center of operations and primary Headquarters of the Zhenxiang Army. Before the Civil War Daozhi was little more than a border town sitting directly on the border of the Greizual and Delsai provinces with only several dozen kilometers between it and the eastern edge of the country. With the beginning of the Civil War the border town has become a haven for the Nationalist movement, particularly as the first stop for supplies and war-material from the Empire of Lavania. Since its sudden rise the population has been provided numerous opportunities to work in the transportation yards unloading and loading goods onto the numerous transports coming and going from the city to the northern theater. With the retreat of the Elite Northern Army into Delsai Daozhi has become the center of the Nationalist Northern Campaign.
Since the very outset of the war the primarily Gailzri population of the city has been in full support of the Nationalist cause, particularly due to the efforts of the Laureate-General, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung, and his Jide Officers. Though not industrialized and barely capable of supporting itself agriculturally, the storehouses of Daozhi have been bursting with foodstuff and supplies since becoming the primary depot of the Zhenxiang Army and none have yet to go without eating in months due to Nationalist supported welfare programs. In addition, Daozhi has become highly fortified through the efforts of the Laureate-General directing the skilled labor of Gailzri masons who've lost their careers due to the poor administration by the old monarchist mayor.
ETHNICITY IN THE ZHENXIANG
Gailzri - As with many Nationalist cliques the Zhenxiang is bolstered considerably by Gailzri troops inducted since the retreat to the East by Nationalist forces. Within the Zhenxiang this ethnic group's traditions of masonry and construction have been put to work by the savvy mind of the Laureate-General to a new set of goals. Many once proud and skilled masons and architects of the Gailzri have been handpicked by Hyeun and transferred to his command where their prodigious skills in physical engineering has been increased and put to the test as combat engineers.
Quin - Numerous and monolithic to the extreme, the Quin make up the majority of the population of Zengrav and make up a similar portion of the Zhenxiang Army. The Quin were one of the primary ethnic groups that supported the White Shirt Uprising, taking part in the numerous riots and raids perpetrated during that early period up until the retaliation of Commonwealth forces against the burgeoning Nationalist movement. Hyeun Tae-Kyeung went to great lengths during the rout from the crownlands to bring Quin volunteers with him to the East, hastily gathering large numbers to his side along his path of retreat. Now they make up another numerous portion of his revolutionary forces and serve alongside the other primary ethnic groups represented.
Jorguk - The Jorguk are a large ethnic group primarily found in the provinces of Delraat, Quzuo, and Kotgai. Due to the wide range of landscapes in which the Jorguk traditionally inhabit, ranging from the open steppe, thick marshes, and rolling highlands, the Jorguk developed a form of simple terrace farming capable of being practiced throughout the region. Typically known as a diligent people by other Zengravian ethnic groups, most folktales about the Jorguk involve their work ethnic being abused to trick them out of wealth or prestige. In addition to their diligence, or perhaps because of it, the Jorguk are also typically seen as hardy folk who make the best of their homeland's more harsh climbs and sprawls. They are, as well, not known for political interest and generally prefer to be left to their own devices. In the current conflict the Jorguk have remained mostly neutral beyond minor clan-government disagreements with Royalist conscription. As of yet, no violence has sprouted in the region as a response but growing tensions have begun to see the fissure between the Jorguk clansmen and the Royalists developing.
Most of those Jorguk associated with the Zhenxiang Army belong to the same matrilineal clan Hyeun Tae-Kyeung belongs to. During the retreat from the crownlands through Delraat, Hyeun was able to recruit a considerable number of Jorguk to the Nationalist cause through familial bonds and his fiery words. A Nationalist stronghold had been in the works in eastern Delraat and had served as the primary recruiting center for Nationalist volunteers, the first of many planned fortresses by Hyeun to gain the support of more Jorguk clans. Those Jorguk who were able to escape with the Zhenxiang Army are not numerous, accounting for a decent portion of the Zhenxiang Army but little of the overall forces available to the Nationalists as of current conflict.
Your Warlord:
|Name:| Hyeun Tae-Kyeung
|Title:| Laureate-General of the Zhenxiang Army
|Age:| 41
|Ethnicity:| Mixed Quin/Jorguk Ancestry
|Personal Ideology:| Enlightened Civic Nationalism: Enlightened Civic Nationalism is defined by an emphasis on self-determination, full sovereignty of national affairs, the creation of a singular national identity for all Zengravians, a return to traditional Zengravian ancestral veneration, the empowerment of Zengravian citizens through the dismantling of historical institutions of civic oppression, and the institution of technocratic and meritocratic governance of the nation. Enlightened Civic Nationalism (to hereby be referred to as ECN) is frequently at odds with more authoritarian pan-ethnic or expansionist nationalism supported by some parties within the Nationalist movement. Developed among pro-Nationalist intellectuals among academia, ECN is an intellectual reaction to negative qualities observed in the Monarchist, Republican, and Communist systems.
ECN claims that Monarchism creates and enforces arbitrary divisions among the Zengravian people in the form of nobility and the importance of ethnicity, that Republicanism supports an atmosphere of greed and demagoguery that puts individual wealth-controllers in undeserved positions of authority over the common people, and that Communism emphasizes a lack of expertise in favor of arbitrary class politics and the destruction of traditional Zengravian values. ECN calls for the disintegration of the old nobility in favor of a meritocratic and technocratic government, the removal of monopolies and land-lords from means of production in favor of individual expert ownership, and the reintegration of faith-traditions into societal norms. Most of all, ECN emphasizes the need for a "Zengravian attitude" towards culture and ethnicity. To this end, ECN proposes the creation of a monolithic Zengravian culture over the continued focus on individual ethnic groups to form the core of a reforged national identity. As a founding member of the ECN movement and one of its greatest supporters, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung can be found at the forefront of political discourse within the Nationalist faction arguing for the institution of his ideological goals.
In addition to its issues with the non-nationalist factions, ECN ideology expresses certain disagreements with mainstream Nationalist policy. ECN vehemently opposes draconic punishments and summary executions frequently seen used by many warlords in the civil war. A call for skilled and knowledgeable judges to fairly and rationally adjudicate cases of traitors, war criminals, and everything in between is preferred over the typical firing lines and gallows preferred by other parties. There is no place for the unnecessary cruelties of the old world in the modern age of law. A considerable focus is put into the idea of Jide, political officers who's purpose is to orate to troops and civilians alike about the benefits of the ECN ideology. They are typically ex-writers, journalists, and academics who's primary function for the revolution is to ignite and sustain the political will of the people, to turn hearts and minds to a singular direction of the reforged national identity, and to keep spirits and morale soaring.
|Influence in the faction: | 32 percent among Nationalists with greater influence among ECN Supporters
|Personality: | Erudite Intellectual turned Confident, Didactic Leader - Hyeun Tae-Kyeung is known for his meteoric rise among the nationalist party from his less-than-humble life as a young Professor at the Imperial University in Nonsu. An idealistic academic even in his youth, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung has a history of battling the perceived wrongness of the world with the point of his pen. Compared to other "Warlords" he is often seen as out of place. A soldier more educated in cleric concerns than active combat, he can oft be taken more for a bookish academic than a leader. Despite this, ideological earnesty has forged Hyeun into a driven and pragmatic leader intent on creating a better Zengrav for ALL Zengravians.
He is known for his generally friendly, if not overly warm, demeanor among enemies and comrades alike who is slow to anger but quick to urge to fiery rhetoric. Acclaimed as an ardent orator with feverish convictions and a burgeoning faith in the traditional beliefs of Zengravian religion, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung is well beloved by his troops for his surprisingly charismatic passion. In addition to his leadership pursuits, Hyeun is known for his downright distaste for symbols, ostentation, and other elements of hubris and pride. As such, Hyeun is rarely seen in anything more than a simple military uniform with all but the most essential insignia still presented on it.
|His/Her Virtue:| Genius Intellectual/Diligence - More than anything, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung is known for his gift in all things academic. A vaunted logistician, brilliant engineer, and masterful philosopher, Hyeun can wield a pen as adeptly as another man can wield a saber. As a general in tumultuous times, Hyeun's brilliance has shined in theaters where no commander of men could do better. The Zhenxiang Army is consistently well-supplied, well trained, and consistently noted at high morale, even when compared to other Nationalist forces, entirely due to the work of the Laureate-General. As an avid learner, Hyeun Tae-Kyeung has learned much about military command at the strategical level, directing campaigns intelligently and with calmed control.
|His/Her Virtue:| Esteemed Orator - There's not a man or woman alive that Hyeun could not move with the weight of his words. His considerable education and fiery rhetoric combine to create colorful blends of common folk sayings, wisdom-rich proverbs, and the ideal words to light flames in the hearts of his followers. When he speaks he stands tall and proud and his hands move to the rhythm of his oratory as a conductor directing an orchestra. It is here that he shines most thoroughly and where his considerable clout among the nationalists can be clearly sourced from. He speaks to the will of all men and women to stand strong, to their love of their country and people, and to their desire for a better future for themselves and their descendants.
|His/Her Sin:| The Distrusting - Despite his fiery rhetoric and cool but friendly demeanor there is a dark spot in Hyeun Tae-Kyeung's heart for his fellow man. He is innately wary of others, to the point where kindness can oft be mistaken for plotting. Some say it is a curse of his genius, others blame a childhood of abuse, but none can say Hyeun is quick to trust. His friends are not made swiftly and his trust is seldom given. Those few he trusts he does so with his whole heart, as if they stand as few anchors of friendship in the world to him. Although his distrust as yet to reach the levels of true paranoia, should a trusted confidante betray his trust the potential for a fall into darker thoughts is without question.
|History and Background:|
Hyeun Tae-Kyeung is the son of the esteemed Quin medical doctor, Konchok Gyermey, and his wife and political activist, Hyeun Tae-Mae. Born in the Imperial capital of Haidan at the very hospital in which his father was head of surgery, Hyeun lived a life of mild privilege as a member of the middle class. Hyeun was compelled at an early age into an interest of academics by his father who's hope was that his son would one day follow in his footsteps as a surgeon. This youthful exposure to education engendered a lifetime love of learning in Hyeun but eventually took him down a starkly different path from his father who consistently felt betrayed by his son's interests taking primacy over his own. His mother, who supported political freedom and frequently stood in opposition to the status-quo, couldn't have asked for a better son.
Hyeun's life changed drastically as he entered adulthood when his mother, who'd been a powerful influence throughout his life, was arrested and subsequently murdered in prison (under odd pretenses) for a display of "treason" against the crown and the unjust treaties it had signed. He was sent by his grieving father to University with a considerable sum (paid for by the local magistrate as recompense to the loyalist Konchok for the loss of his wife) paying for modest housing and his entire schooling. With his entire University lifestyle afforded by the bloodmoney earned by his mother's death, Hyeun set about his work with even greater diligence than before. With his desire to learn used as a shield against the mourning of his mother, Hyeun buried himself in his studies as he ravenously consumed any information he could to fill the void. In addition, it was during this grieving period that Hyeun first gained an avid interest in politics and, in particular, a growing anti-royalist agenda.
Hyeun suffused himself in knowledge of world politics, revolutionary ideologies, and anything else he could get his hands on in developing his new political agenda. In the University of Hainan, among many peers who shared his feelings about the crown for one reason or another, Hyeun found a safe haven and a place to air his ideas. Joining one of the university's fraternities, the Yizhi Taiyang, Hyeun became a rabid supporter of Republican ideals mixed in with socialist and other left leaning economic policies. He served as one of the group's primary political activists and organizers, leading numerous student protests against the crown. Though passionate about his interests, Hyeun had little effect outside of his peer group and remained below the Imperial radar. Eventually he would become hired by the University as a Professor with the implicit understanding that his political activism be reduced. Taking on a pseudonym, Hyeun continued his work (if slightly demoralized from the lack of change) and took on his position as Professor with his typical gusto. He taught numerous classes ranging from advanced engineering to political philosophy, even going so far as to start a small class studying the historical Quin writer Bao Shur's Path of Conflict.
It was during the Blue Vest demonstrations that Hyeun entered the political stage. Among other members of his old fraternity, Hyeun organized and directed the political demonstration for the first time without his pseudonym protecting his identity as a University official. The unfortunate timing of his reveal unluckily coincided with the Imperial crackdown on the demonstration leading to the Haidan University Massacre. The wholesale slaughter of peaceful protesters, including an injury he himself had received from Royalist gunfire, pushed Hyeun to the brink; here was a government not only unwilling to enact change but actively using violence as a deterrent to peaceful protest. In support of Liu Shao, a fellow organizer and personal friend to Tae-Kyeung, Hyeun joined the Republican cause as a volunteer for the Republican army.
Despite his desire to take part in the active conflict from national pride and desire for change, Hyeun was side-lined due to his education background as first and Engineer and later for full clerical duties. Attached to the 4th Volunteer Brigade as a Brigade-level Clerical Officer with the rank of First Lieutenant, Hyeun was kept far away from combat where his education could be put to "better use" by his commanding officers. This frustration weighed heavily on the newly minted Lieutenant as he was moved farther and farther away from him by the machinations of officers interested in a skilled and well-educated lackey. Despite his frustrations Hyeun set to work completing his tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible and received several Clerical awards and commendations for his labors. As a personal request to the Division commander during one such commendation ceremony, Hyeun was able to acquire his own command of a battalion sized posting nearer to the front lines.
The 15th Support Battalion was put under Hyeun's command with an accompanying promotion to Major. From there, Major Hyeun set about reorganizing the logistic systems feeding the Republican war effort as best he could with what little power he had been granted and consistently put his command closer and closer to the front lines. At the Battle of the Three Lakes the 15th Support Battalion has its' first true taste of combat when the front is pushed back too rapidly for the logistical elements to retreat. With a calm and collected action the 15th Support Battalion successfully negotiated a fighting withdrawal, bloodying the nose of the Royalists' forward troops and saving a considerable portion of supplies likely to be lost if a full retreat had been sounded. The 15th received a unit citation of bravery and was promptly put further back from the front, much to the Major's frustrations.
The following three years were rife with minor gains and greater setbacks for by-then Lieutenant Colonel Hyeun Tae-Kyeung. Despite the promotion and rise to greater prominence and command of the newly constituted 101st Logistics Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Hyeun was faced with mounting frustrations. The Hue-Lue Speech, affirming the Injust Treatise, came as a heavy blow to Hyeun's ethical morale and shocked a large portion of the Republican forces into mutual disdain. Even with the failed reelection of Heegon Wu, little would be done to remedy the issue and Hyeun continued to feel disenfranchised with the Republic he was fighting for. In spite of these harmful tidings the Republican Army continued to find some levels of success against the Royalist forces and the Lieutenant Colonel remained in faithful service to the country.
It was during an period of leave in the Republican Capital of Haidan that Hyeun's fate was changed forever. Yesui Olya, an ex-Red partisan turned refugee, spurred on the White Shirt Uprising against the unjust behavior of foreigners in the city. Though particularly disgusted by the few cases of lynchings that occurred, Hyeun was swept up in the fervor of the uprising like many others and took part actively through the arming of the rebels from the supplies his Brigade had been restocking on just outside of the capital. Almost in their entirety, in many ways influenced by their passionate commanding officer, the troops of the 101st Logistics Brigade joined in the sporadic fighting against the Commonwealth and Republican forces arrayed against the White Shirt rebels. Alongside Yesui Olya, Hyeun leads the 101st Logistics Brigade out of the city in support of the new Nationalist movement.
|Armed Forces:|
Devised as the brainchild of Lieutenant Colonel Hyeun Tae-Kyeung during his tenure as the commanding officer of the 101st Logistics Brigade, the Zhenxiang Aeromarine Corps is the primary combat branch of the Zhenxiang Armed Forces. Despite the idea's potential for success if implemented the resources required were denied to Hyeun on the grounds that his position as a commander of a Logistics Brigade did little to educate him in combat roles and tactical dispositions. The idea was canned and Hyeun was promptly returned to his command with nothing to show for his plans. The Nationalist Aeromarine Corps was developed from the turncoat 101st Logistics Brigade that had joined the Nationalist cause alongside their Lieutenant Colonel and has since been formed into a formidable fighting force. As of the current day the Aeromarine Corps is equipped with top of the line gear from the Empire of Lavania and supplied with the aircraft necessary for its implementation through a mix of salvage and more benefactor gifts.
The current tactical disposition of the Aeromarine Corps is as support elements for the logistics units operating near to the front lines and as rapid response forces to breaks in the Nationalist front or in the lines of the enemy. The average grunt of the Nationalist Aeromarines remain aboard the troop and logistical transports currently in use by the Zhenxiang Army with occasional service on land as garrison troops of logistic centers. Due to the nature of the Aeromarine Corps, however, and the Nationalist cause at large the majority of the Aeromarine Corp as of the tenth year of the civil war is as elite units of specialized air-mobile infantry. These specialist units, including the Marine Raiders, the Assault Sappers, and the Pioneer Guard serve to support the war effort in more unique and non-traditional ways.
During combat deployments the Aeromarine Corps serves as the primary encirclement element of the Nationalist Forces, using their considerable amount of airship transports to engage the enemy from unexpected quarters. This tactic, devised by Hyeun himself after extensive research into Lavanian and Commonwealth military doctrine, has been officially coined as a Vertical Encirclement, owing to the literal direction by which the enemy is surrounded. In this duty the Aeromarine Corps excels thoroughly. Their equipment, considerably well designed compared to equivalents used by the other factions due to high quality foreign make, proves a boon in engagements like no other. This material advantage mixed with substantial discipline, high morale, and intensive training in airborne maneuvers make the Aeromarines a difficult force to match up to.
The average Aeromarine is, for the most part, a partially specialized infantryman trained and equipped to fight aboard or be deployed from airships of all shapes and sized. To accomplish this task, Aeromarines go through a rigorous high altitude training regimen either aboard the airships themselves or in mountains when airships are unavailable to the unit. Their BDUs are specifically designed to be insulated to the elements allowing them to fight in warm or cold temperatures above the average capability of most infantrymen kits. A section of Marines consists of twelve men commanded by a single squad leader which are broken into two rifle teams and one support team. Contrary to typical equipment allotments seen in typical rifle teams, Aeromarine rifle teams are joined by one automatic rifleman to increase the section's overall firepower. This, combined with the support team's light machine gun and the increased numbers of the Aeromarine Section, gives the average Aeromarine force a considerable advantage in gaining fire superiority over an unsupported enemy force of equivalent composition.
The Aeromarine Raiders, typically shortened to Marine Raiders or simply Raiders by members of the fighting force, are the logical expression of Hyeun's logistic centered focus on campaign strategy. Created due to the collapsing strength of the Nationalist movement during the latterdays of the Nationalist retreat as the Zhenxiang Raiders, the unit has since evolved into the complex and highly effective fighting force it is now known to be. Like the Aeromarines volunteers they are directly drawn from, Aeromarine Raiders are trained in high altitude combat and are equipped doubly for the effort. In contrast to the average Aeromarine, the Raiders are expected not to respond to gaps in the enemy line or support positions already prone to collapse but instead strike deep into enemy lines or acquire the initiative for their commanders through rapid airborne insertions. To accomplish this, each Aeromarine Platoon is equipped with a squadron of three PT Airships capable of carrying both the entire Platoon compliment as well as any supplies, equipment, or prisoners taken during their daring raids. Raider Sections are similarly structured to the typical Aeromarine Section but have their Support Team replaced with a four man Airship crew due to the added firepower of their transport's mounted weapon and a need to man it. Though distinctly reducing the Raider Section's ability to engage against line infantry unsupported as effectively as their Aeromarine brothers, this gives the Raiders unparalleled efficiency at the rapid attacks they are expected to make. Armed with a mix of semi-automatic and bolt action rifles alongside the two automatic rifles afforded to each rifle team and a fiery spirit, these disciplined and ferociously motivated troops have proven time and again that they are more than a match for the finest enemies the foes of the Nationalists can offer.
It is a rare thing for the enemies of the Nationalist movement to stand before an Assault Sapper attack without fear and a rarer thing still for them to survive no matter how tough their fortifications may appear. The Assault Sappers stand apart from the already notably well-equipped and highly-trained Nationalist forces not through skill at arms or hunger for battle but through iron-willed tenacity and the sheer number of high explosive ordinance they bring to bare. They are counted among the best of the Zhenxiang Army's offensive units and have been put to the test time and time again only to come out mostly (apart from fingers and eyebrows) unscathed. Equipped with all the same high-altitude equipment their Aeromarine comrades come to bare with, the Assault Sappers are further armed with semi-automatic rifles, sub-machine guns, automatic rifles, man-portable anti-tank recoilless rifles, rocket launchers, and grenades aplenty. Their BDUs are interwoven with bullet and fragmentation resistant plates and their filtration units are designed to filter out greater concentrations of particulates created from the explosions that precede them. They are deployed in a similar organization to the Marine Raiders, in nine man sections but are thoroughly laden down with the firepower necessary to create any breach and quickly storm said entrance. Many of the volunteers selected have a background in construction, masonry, or architecture so that the unit's high-explosive armaments can be put to the most use.
If the Assault Sappers are known for tenacity and the Marine Raiders are known for strategic flexibility it is the Pioneer Guard who are known for excellence in their two chosen crafts; combat engineering and fortifications. The Pioneer Guard are the flip-side of the Assault Sappers, recruited from the same pool, and prove just as successful at their specific tasks as their more explosively minded counterparts. They are exclusively taken from well-educated volunteers who's knowledge of engineering and architecture make them perfect for further training into fieldcraft and other combat engineering roles. Teams of Pioneer Guard will be dropped in alongside Raiders, Assault Sappers, and Aeromarines to fortify newly claimed positions, shore up defenses before an enemy attack, or clear any form of obstacle that needs removing. In addition to their skills as engineers, Pioneer Guard must meet intensive physical requirements in feats of strength and endurance like both of the other specialist units in the Aeromarine Corps, highlighting their ability as effective and determined scholar-soldiers. In addition to their standard duties, some units of Pioneer Guards serve as command staff and bodyguards to Aeromarine Officers (notably the Laureate-General himself) due to their equal skill as technical advisers and effectiveness as fighting men.
The Aeromarines, like any military unit, require a corp of skilled, intelligent, and moral men and women to see to it that the needs of their men and the goals of the overarching campaign are both met equally. Built from the ground up by Hyeun Tae-Kyeung himself, the Aeromarine Officer Corps consists of highly educated and motivated individuals with experience in multiple fields in addition to higher military training. This high bar presents equal benefit as it does negatives; the officers of the Aeromarine Corp prove consistently to have a higher educational acumen than their peers in other units in addition to higher expectations of moral and ethical behavior for themselves and their commands. These rigorous demands come at the cost of lower numbers of available officers and increased training time per individual officer cadets taking part in Officer Candidacy School. Despite these potential hangups the Aeromarines have generally benefited from these lofty requirements and the Laureate-General's desire for a moral and intelligent army has been satisfactorily met.
By far the smallest of the specialist forces within the Aeromarines are the Armored Cavalry Battalions. These armor units are attached individually to larger Aeromarine formations as support elements and as of current day no formations larger than battalions exist. The primary motivator for their small size is the maneuverability required of the Aeromarine Corps' tactical deployments, hampering the ability to get heavier armor to the battlefield. Still in need of heavier support elements during engagements, the Aeromarine Corps turned to light to medium armor that could be deployed easily from low flying airships or rolled quickly from deployment ramps if landings were determined as fully necessary. The crewmen of the Armored Cavalry are moderately well trained as in comparison to other armored units but shine particularly in fast maneuvers, rapid deployments, and swift response actions. Individual crewmen are equipped with more heat insulated gear than their counterparts, expecting higher temperatures inside the crew compartments of their vehicles. Nicknamed "Rough Riders" by their infantry compatriots for their Cavalry designation and the roughness of their landings, the Aeromarine Armored Cavalry consistently prove themselves as skilled as they are necessary in their very unique function.
The Aeromarine Aviation detachments of the standard Aeromarine forces represent an organic support unit attached to the greater Aeromarine Corps as a whole. Unable to originally support any sizeable force of aircraft, aviators were considered unnecessary during the initial creation of the force. With the intake of equipment from the Lavanian Empire, however, these options changed. Marine Aviators, as they're often called, pilot the aircraft that support the infantry and light armor maneuvers typically performed by the Aeromarine Corps in addition to crewing the light airships and transports used by the Aeromarines for transport and logistics. The unfortunate results of their freshness is a general lack of expertise gained from experience; though their Lavanian trainers shipped in from the Empire have done admirably at training them, nothing can prepare men for combat. Due to the lack of numerous combat engagements outside of the hunt for routing Royalist forces of the Northern Army, most Aviators are fresh to their posts as of the current day. Despite this lack of active experience the Aviators are disciplined, well-equipped by Lavanian quartermasters, and eager to prove their skill in the skies above.
A portion of the Aeromarine Aviation's required crew compliment on nearly all vessels, the deck crew of the Aeromarine Aviation detachments (also known as Aeronauts by troopers and themselves) serve a vital role onboard their ships. They are the deck crew, expected to clamber aboard the revealed decks of their aircraft to man turrets, repair damage, or repel boarders if ever the situation arises. They are considerably uparmored in comparison to their Aviator compatriots with the same flak-resistant padded armor worn by the aviators supplemented by large plates of small arms resistant steel. They are typically armed lightly, with submachine guns, carbine variants of semi-automatic weapons, and pistols serving as their primary close quarters weaponry. In addition, many carry tools or pioneer axes in place of knives to serve as heavy blunt instruments or cleaving weapons when boarding gets extra close and personal. They are, to the man, tough and bravado-filled individuals who are taken from the recruitment pool with just such personalities in mind.
The current tactical disposition of the Aeromarine Corps is as support elements for the logistics units operating near to the front lines and as rapid response forces to breaks in the Nationalist front or in the lines of the enemy. The average grunt of the Nationalist Aeromarines remain aboard the troop and logistical transports currently in use by the Zhenxiang Army with occasional service on land as garrison troops of logistic centers. Due to the nature of the Aeromarine Corps, however, and the Nationalist cause at large the majority of the Aeromarine Corp as of the tenth year of the civil war is as elite units of specialized air-mobile infantry. These specialist units, including the Marine Raiders, the Assault Sappers, and the Pioneer Guard serve to support the war effort in more unique and non-traditional ways.
During combat deployments the Aeromarine Corps serves as the primary encirclement element of the Nationalist Forces, using their considerable amount of airship transports to engage the enemy from unexpected quarters. This tactic, devised by Hyeun himself after extensive research into Lavanian and Commonwealth military doctrine, has been officially coined as a Vertical Encirclement, owing to the literal direction by which the enemy is surrounded. In this duty the Aeromarine Corps excels thoroughly. Their equipment, considerably well designed compared to equivalents used by the other factions due to high quality foreign make, proves a boon in engagements like no other. This material advantage mixed with substantial discipline, high morale, and intensive training in airborne maneuvers make the Aeromarines a difficult force to match up to.
The average Aeromarine is, for the most part, a partially specialized infantryman trained and equipped to fight aboard or be deployed from airships of all shapes and sized. To accomplish this task, Aeromarines go through a rigorous high altitude training regimen either aboard the airships themselves or in mountains when airships are unavailable to the unit. Their BDUs are specifically designed to be insulated to the elements allowing them to fight in warm or cold temperatures above the average capability of most infantrymen kits. A section of Marines consists of twelve men commanded by a single squad leader which are broken into two rifle teams and one support team. Contrary to typical equipment allotments seen in typical rifle teams, Aeromarine rifle teams are joined by one automatic rifleman to increase the section's overall firepower. This, combined with the support team's light machine gun and the increased numbers of the Aeromarine Section, gives the average Aeromarine force a considerable advantage in gaining fire superiority over an unsupported enemy force of equivalent composition.
The Aeromarine Raiders, typically shortened to Marine Raiders or simply Raiders by members of the fighting force, are the logical expression of Hyeun's logistic centered focus on campaign strategy. Created due to the collapsing strength of the Nationalist movement during the latterdays of the Nationalist retreat as the Zhenxiang Raiders, the unit has since evolved into the complex and highly effective fighting force it is now known to be. Like the Aeromarines volunteers they are directly drawn from, Aeromarine Raiders are trained in high altitude combat and are equipped doubly for the effort. In contrast to the average Aeromarine, the Raiders are expected not to respond to gaps in the enemy line or support positions already prone to collapse but instead strike deep into enemy lines or acquire the initiative for their commanders through rapid airborne insertions. To accomplish this, each Aeromarine Platoon is equipped with a squadron of three PT Airships capable of carrying both the entire Platoon compliment as well as any supplies, equipment, or prisoners taken during their daring raids. Raider Sections are similarly structured to the typical Aeromarine Section but have their Support Team replaced with a four man Airship crew due to the added firepower of their transport's mounted weapon and a need to man it. Though distinctly reducing the Raider Section's ability to engage against line infantry unsupported as effectively as their Aeromarine brothers, this gives the Raiders unparalleled efficiency at the rapid attacks they are expected to make. Armed with a mix of semi-automatic and bolt action rifles alongside the two automatic rifles afforded to each rifle team and a fiery spirit, these disciplined and ferociously motivated troops have proven time and again that they are more than a match for the finest enemies the foes of the Nationalists can offer.
It is a rare thing for the enemies of the Nationalist movement to stand before an Assault Sapper attack without fear and a rarer thing still for them to survive no matter how tough their fortifications may appear. The Assault Sappers stand apart from the already notably well-equipped and highly-trained Nationalist forces not through skill at arms or hunger for battle but through iron-willed tenacity and the sheer number of high explosive ordinance they bring to bare. They are counted among the best of the Zhenxiang Army's offensive units and have been put to the test time and time again only to come out mostly (apart from fingers and eyebrows) unscathed. Equipped with all the same high-altitude equipment their Aeromarine comrades come to bare with, the Assault Sappers are further armed with semi-automatic rifles, sub-machine guns, automatic rifles, man-portable anti-tank recoilless rifles, rocket launchers, and grenades aplenty. Their BDUs are interwoven with bullet and fragmentation resistant plates and their filtration units are designed to filter out greater concentrations of particulates created from the explosions that precede them. They are deployed in a similar organization to the Marine Raiders, in nine man sections but are thoroughly laden down with the firepower necessary to create any breach and quickly storm said entrance. Many of the volunteers selected have a background in construction, masonry, or architecture so that the unit's high-explosive armaments can be put to the most use.
If the Assault Sappers are known for tenacity and the Marine Raiders are known for strategic flexibility it is the Pioneer Guard who are known for excellence in their two chosen crafts; combat engineering and fortifications. The Pioneer Guard are the flip-side of the Assault Sappers, recruited from the same pool, and prove just as successful at their specific tasks as their more explosively minded counterparts. They are exclusively taken from well-educated volunteers who's knowledge of engineering and architecture make them perfect for further training into fieldcraft and other combat engineering roles. Teams of Pioneer Guard will be dropped in alongside Raiders, Assault Sappers, and Aeromarines to fortify newly claimed positions, shore up defenses before an enemy attack, or clear any form of obstacle that needs removing. In addition to their skills as engineers, Pioneer Guard must meet intensive physical requirements in feats of strength and endurance like both of the other specialist units in the Aeromarine Corps, highlighting their ability as effective and determined scholar-soldiers. In addition to their standard duties, some units of Pioneer Guards serve as command staff and bodyguards to Aeromarine Officers (notably the Laureate-General himself) due to their equal skill as technical advisers and effectiveness as fighting men.
The Aeromarines, like any military unit, require a corp of skilled, intelligent, and moral men and women to see to it that the needs of their men and the goals of the overarching campaign are both met equally. Built from the ground up by Hyeun Tae-Kyeung himself, the Aeromarine Officer Corps consists of highly educated and motivated individuals with experience in multiple fields in addition to higher military training. This high bar presents equal benefit as it does negatives; the officers of the Aeromarine Corp prove consistently to have a higher educational acumen than their peers in other units in addition to higher expectations of moral and ethical behavior for themselves and their commands. These rigorous demands come at the cost of lower numbers of available officers and increased training time per individual officer cadets taking part in Officer Candidacy School. Despite these potential hangups the Aeromarines have generally benefited from these lofty requirements and the Laureate-General's desire for a moral and intelligent army has been satisfactorily met.
By far the smallest of the specialist forces within the Aeromarines are the Armored Cavalry Battalions. These armor units are attached individually to larger Aeromarine formations as support elements and as of current day no formations larger than battalions exist. The primary motivator for their small size is the maneuverability required of the Aeromarine Corps' tactical deployments, hampering the ability to get heavier armor to the battlefield. Still in need of heavier support elements during engagements, the Aeromarine Corps turned to light to medium armor that could be deployed easily from low flying airships or rolled quickly from deployment ramps if landings were determined as fully necessary. The crewmen of the Armored Cavalry are moderately well trained as in comparison to other armored units but shine particularly in fast maneuvers, rapid deployments, and swift response actions. Individual crewmen are equipped with more heat insulated gear than their counterparts, expecting higher temperatures inside the crew compartments of their vehicles. Nicknamed "Rough Riders" by their infantry compatriots for their Cavalry designation and the roughness of their landings, the Aeromarine Armored Cavalry consistently prove themselves as skilled as they are necessary in their very unique function.
The Aeromarine Aviation detachments of the standard Aeromarine forces represent an organic support unit attached to the greater Aeromarine Corps as a whole. Unable to originally support any sizeable force of aircraft, aviators were considered unnecessary during the initial creation of the force. With the intake of equipment from the Lavanian Empire, however, these options changed. Marine Aviators, as they're often called, pilot the aircraft that support the infantry and light armor maneuvers typically performed by the Aeromarine Corps in addition to crewing the light airships and transports used by the Aeromarines for transport and logistics. The unfortunate results of their freshness is a general lack of expertise gained from experience; though their Lavanian trainers shipped in from the Empire have done admirably at training them, nothing can prepare men for combat. Due to the lack of numerous combat engagements outside of the hunt for routing Royalist forces of the Northern Army, most Aviators are fresh to their posts as of the current day. Despite this lack of active experience the Aviators are disciplined, well-equipped by Lavanian quartermasters, and eager to prove their skill in the skies above.
A portion of the Aeromarine Aviation's required crew compliment on nearly all vessels, the deck crew of the Aeromarine Aviation detachments (also known as Aeronauts by troopers and themselves) serve a vital role onboard their ships. They are the deck crew, expected to clamber aboard the revealed decks of their aircraft to man turrets, repair damage, or repel boarders if ever the situation arises. They are considerably uparmored in comparison to their Aviator compatriots with the same flak-resistant padded armor worn by the aviators supplemented by large plates of small arms resistant steel. They are typically armed lightly, with submachine guns, carbine variants of semi-automatic weapons, and pistols serving as their primary close quarters weaponry. In addition, many carry tools or pioneer axes in place of knives to serve as heavy blunt instruments or cleaving weapons when boarding gets extra close and personal. They are, to the man, tough and bravado-filled individuals who are taken from the recruitment pool with just such personalities in mind.
The Jide Zhengwei, frequently compared to the political commissariat by communists, is the political wing of the Zhenxiang Army. In strict and intentional opposition and contrast to the political officers in service to some communist and nationalist forces, the Jide Zhengwei holds a mandate similar to that of journalists and chaplains all in one. It is the interest of the Jide Zhengwei to improve morale wherever it can through benevolent oration, the foundation of comraderie, and the stoking of the political spirit of the troops while noting through many medium the tide of the conflict. As such, Jide (as an officer of the Jide Zhengwei is called) are all highly educated and moralistic individuals with backgrounds in journalism, law, political activism, and/or spirituality. Jide come from all walks of life, with officers ranging from ex-itinerant monks attracted to the Zhenxiang cause due to the general passion for spirituality, political activists who felt pushed to action by the actions or lack thereof by authorities, and even disillusioned nobles who desired to play a larger, more goodly role in the world one man at a time. Ironically, the Jide Zhengwei has potentially the largest concentration of nobility in the Zhenxiang Army (though it should be said, nobility is not a grounds in which volunteers can be denied).
Jide are attached to military units and formations at the command staff level, forwarded to units as small as platoons. Due to their position outside of the standard military hierarchy, Jide are designated by the unit they are joined to to determine rank and seniority; a Jide attache to a brigade would be referred to as a Brigade-Jide in official paperwork and by fellow Jide when formalities are called for. Unlike their counterparts in other cliques and armed forces, the Jide are not vested with the authority to punish or otherwise harm soldiers under their charge. A Jide who is unable to raise morale or entice ideological passion out of his troops through benevolent means is taken off the line and returned to training or discharged altogether. In the few instances in which Jide have harmed or been harmed by their fellow soldiers trials have been held to determine who was at fault and punishment was delivered by the offending party's hierarchy.
In addition to roles as political officers in the field, higher ranking Jide serve in a judicial capacity in military tribunals as one of the three primary representatives. In this role, the Jide Zhengwei recruits or otherwise inducts military personnel to serve as military police. These troopers, who are technically part of the military hierarchy, are taken from volunteers who prove to share the same moral and ethical tendencies expected of the Jide. Such men and women, often less than educated enough to become full Jide during enlistment, are granted access to libraries and Jide tutors if they feel so inclined to apply for full Jide status. This general balance provides a sense of openness regarding the Jide Zhengwei, allowing for even lowly farmers-turned-soldiers to advance into positions of education through merit and effort.
The Jide Military Police are, as described above, soldiers from the Zhenxiang army inducted into the Jide Zhengwei on a temporary basis as gendarmerie. These troops can come from a large variant of backgrounds in the service, from mechanics to the vaunted Assault Sappers, are are recruited from a voluntary pool based on high marks for morality and ethical behavior. For the period in which they serve as MPs, these troops are directly assigned to the command of Jide Officers serving in judicial capacities for military tribunals. These tribunals, consisting of one military officer with a legal background, one civilian lawyer or judge, and one law-educated Jide Officer, are the individual units by which punishments and legal precedent is set down. It is these tribunals and their volunteer officers who punish criminals in the armed forces, try enemy prisoners and imprisoned comrades alike for war crimes, and otherwise maintain the rule of law within the military hierarchy.
The Jide Officer Corps is the paragon example of the new world Hyeun Tae-Kyeung wishes to build. Each Officer earns their position through intensive education, reaching rigorous moral requirements, and surpassing all others in dedication to the benevolent change of the status quo for the benefit of all Zengravians. Before the Civil War many were journalists, teachers, judges, activists, priests, nurses, playwrights, photographers, nobles, and everything in between who spent their lives already dedicated to such vaunted goals as the Zhenxiang Army now fights for. Each is a brilliant orator, writer, or educator who can bring a crowd to tears with their demonstrations and lectures. They are, for the most part, brave individuals who will stand on the line beside their compatriots in the tumult of battle and be a shoulder to cry on in the dark and lonely nights. Every Jide is expected to keep track of their exploits and the events of the war through any means they find suitable, hiding nothing from the eyes of the people so every war criminal, every hero, and every victim gets seen in an honest and true light when the war finally comes to an end.
Jide are attached to military units and formations at the command staff level, forwarded to units as small as platoons. Due to their position outside of the standard military hierarchy, Jide are designated by the unit they are joined to to determine rank and seniority; a Jide attache to a brigade would be referred to as a Brigade-Jide in official paperwork and by fellow Jide when formalities are called for. Unlike their counterparts in other cliques and armed forces, the Jide are not vested with the authority to punish or otherwise harm soldiers under their charge. A Jide who is unable to raise morale or entice ideological passion out of his troops through benevolent means is taken off the line and returned to training or discharged altogether. In the few instances in which Jide have harmed or been harmed by their fellow soldiers trials have been held to determine who was at fault and punishment was delivered by the offending party's hierarchy.
In addition to roles as political officers in the field, higher ranking Jide serve in a judicial capacity in military tribunals as one of the three primary representatives. In this role, the Jide Zhengwei recruits or otherwise inducts military personnel to serve as military police. These troopers, who are technically part of the military hierarchy, are taken from volunteers who prove to share the same moral and ethical tendencies expected of the Jide. Such men and women, often less than educated enough to become full Jide during enlistment, are granted access to libraries and Jide tutors if they feel so inclined to apply for full Jide status. This general balance provides a sense of openness regarding the Jide Zhengwei, allowing for even lowly farmers-turned-soldiers to advance into positions of education through merit and effort.
The Jide Military Police are, as described above, soldiers from the Zhenxiang army inducted into the Jide Zhengwei on a temporary basis as gendarmerie. These troops can come from a large variant of backgrounds in the service, from mechanics to the vaunted Assault Sappers, are are recruited from a voluntary pool based on high marks for morality and ethical behavior. For the period in which they serve as MPs, these troops are directly assigned to the command of Jide Officers serving in judicial capacities for military tribunals. These tribunals, consisting of one military officer with a legal background, one civilian lawyer or judge, and one law-educated Jide Officer, are the individual units by which punishments and legal precedent is set down. It is these tribunals and their volunteer officers who punish criminals in the armed forces, try enemy prisoners and imprisoned comrades alike for war crimes, and otherwise maintain the rule of law within the military hierarchy.
The Jide Officer Corps is the paragon example of the new world Hyeun Tae-Kyeung wishes to build. Each Officer earns their position through intensive education, reaching rigorous moral requirements, and surpassing all others in dedication to the benevolent change of the status quo for the benefit of all Zengravians. Before the Civil War many were journalists, teachers, judges, activists, priests, nurses, playwrights, photographers, nobles, and everything in between who spent their lives already dedicated to such vaunted goals as the Zhenxiang Army now fights for. Each is a brilliant orator, writer, or educator who can bring a crowd to tears with their demonstrations and lectures. They are, for the most part, brave individuals who will stand on the line beside their compatriots in the tumult of battle and be a shoulder to cry on in the dark and lonely nights. Every Jide is expected to keep track of their exploits and the events of the war through any means they find suitable, hiding nothing from the eyes of the people so every war criminal, every hero, and every victim gets seen in an honest and true light when the war finally comes to an end.
Within the most recent months of the Civil War there has been a considerable change in the makeup of the Nationalist forces. Saved in their darkest hour by Lavanian intervention, the Nationalist cause has been suffused with equipment and personnel from Zengrav's southern neighbor. From the sweeping advance through Seraat and up into Delsai to the prepared invasion across the rivers into Royalist territory, the Nationalist cause has only been strengthened with this new found resource. In the Zhenxiang Army, the Lavanians face a unique situation; here they are viewed as allies and companions-in-arms rather than leaders and there has been mixed results from this arrangement. Despite this, the Lavanian Volunteer Forces have served loyally and effectively alongside Aeromarine Forces throughout the earliest portions of the new campaign. For now they are under the direct command of Tribune Lucius Magnus Tibero, the Imperial Attache to the Zhenxiang Army, and the Comitatus in particular hold little loyalty beyond what they owe to Lucius. For the average trooper, of course, this is just another war just like back home and many see a sense of connection to the Nationalist cause from their own revolutionary roots.
As with all forces present and active within the Zengravian Civil War, the Zhenxiang Army marches on its stomach and fights only when its supplies and equipment allow. With the logistician focus of the Zhenxiang Army's command staff, most notably in the form of their commanding officer, the Zhenxiang Army is frequently well-supplied and equipped for the duties expected of them. In addition to the weapons acquired before and after the 101st Logistics Brigade's defection to the Nationalist cause, the Zhenxiang Army has seen an influx in equipment from the newly joined forces of the Lavanian Empire. This swelling of supplies has led to a healthy amount of weapon variety that has made it possible for the Zhenxiang Army to deploy in both greater numbers and more varied units.
Below shall be noted a number of vehicles and equipment currently in service with the Zhenxiang Army's forces. These shall include anything from Cruiser Tanks to Pistols and everything in between and beyond. Many of these individual models were made and manufactured in the Zengravian Republic before the 101st's defection and can be found in use among Republican units to this day. Others will be the provenance of the metal-minded thoughts of gunsmiths and Engineers available only to the Zhenxiang Army and their Nationalist allies. Finally, some will belong directly to the now intervening forces of the Empire of Lavania and will not be seen used in considerable amounts outside of their volunteer forces.
The list of Small Arms available to the Zhenxiang Army is long and consistent with the tactical disposition expected of the Aeromarine Forces deployed by the Zhenxiang Jundui. Ranging from bolt-action rifles to newly issued shoulder-mounted recoilless rifles, the Zhenxiang Army is equipped supremely well as any Nationalist forces worth their salt are. The schematic illustration above identifies each weapon in descending order from top left to bottom right.
1.) The first, a hardy sidearm of Zengravian make, is the QZb-02 "Jiu-shi"; it remains the standard issue sidearm for Zhenxiang Officers. As of recently the weapon has begun to be phased out in favor of the Lavanian alternative, though this process is still underway. It's standard box magazine holds nine rounds with an additional one in the chamber if a tenth round is loaded through the breach before firing.
2.) Next identified is the QZa-38b "Morat" automatic rifle, serving in a support role among rifle sections and specialist forces. The rifle is an adaption of an earlier semi-automatic model designed by Zengravian forces, updated and altered to an automatic variant using Lavanian design models. The weapon loads the same .30-06 cartridge used by other Zhenxiang-equipped rifles with both drum and box magazines capable of holding forty five rounds and twenty rounds respectively. Current upgrades and modifications to the weapon include the inclusion of a deployable barrel-mounted bipod and an integrated pistol grip replacing the standard rifle stock-and-grip. In a standard rifle section, each rifleman carries an additional magazine for their fireteam's automatic rifleman.
3.) This is followed by the Lavanian made Brutii Modelo-m4 Service Pistol, nicknamed by Zhenxiang forces as the Brutus (a relatively common Lavanian name). The weapon has seen greater service with Specialist troops who have obtained it for themselves due to its exception stopping power and sturdy construction. The eight round magazine leaves some to be desired but makes up for it with the penetration provided by the larger pistol round used.
4.) The fourth image displayed is that of the ZQa-31b "Chang-Bi", the standard issue service rifle of the Zhenxiang Army. The rifles themselves are of complete Zengravian design using design techniques taken from Belsarovian immigrants. The weapon loads five standard .30-06 cartridge using a steel stripper-clip into a ten round capacity, integral, cyclical-box magazine housed directly below the bolt. As of the official induction of Lavanian support, the weapon has begun to be phased out with the new semi-automatics provided by the Empire. The Chang-Bi remains in permanent use as the standard-issue sniper rifle for Aeromarine Marksman with the inclusion of a 4x magnification telescopic scope affixed to the top of the weapon.
5.) The fifth designated weapon is the Lavanian FabbricaLavania(FL)-A/12, nicknamed the "Zhizao" as a direct translation of the Lavanian word "Fabbrica" to Quin Zengravian and coincidentally for the sound the bolt makes when racked or fired. It is a moderately effective submachine gun currently being phased out by the Lavanians, offering a number of partially to never used models ripe for Zengravian use. It's large drum-magazine has a capacity of fifty rounds while the stick magazines often used to replace the heavier models hold twenty five.
6.) Next on the line is the QZa-33 "Jie" semi-automatic rifle. The rifle is, ostensibly, of Zengravian design but with a number of design elements borrowed from foreign weapon manufacturers taken into account when designing the weapon. As of recently, design schematics for the rifle have been shipped to Lavanian manufacturers who can produce the rifles more swiftly at a lower cost than they would their own, slightly more complex semi-automatic rifle design. Like the automatic rifle designed off of it's hardware, the QZa-33 chambers a sizeable .30-06 rifle cartridge in a detachable box magazine with a ten round capacity. A 2x magnification scoped variant has seen limited deployment among Raider rifle sections for its short range capabilities as a marksman rifle.
7.) The highly vaunted RXKQ-04 Rocket Launcher is potentially one of the most effective models of man-portable anti-tank weapons ever devised in or by Zengravian Engineers. The weapon was made by the Zhenxiang Army's engineer corps by the now revered gunsmith Captain Leung Sin-Feng using supplies available to the 101st Logistics Brigade during the initial actions of the war. The RXKQ-04 saw limited numbers of production underneath the Republican forces before being mass produced in moderate quantities later in the engagements. Now, with the designs held and produced in Lavanian factories for both domestic and foreign use, the Zhenxiang Army boasts a considerable collection of these potent anti-tank weapons. Their standard payload, a rocket-propelled HEAT round, serves in an effective anti-tank and anti-infantry role.
8.) Another weapon of FabbricaLavania design, the FL-Mod.2/9 is the standard issue infantry machinegun of the Zhenxiang Army. The model currently in use by the Zhenxiang, locally designated as the FL-9 "Xuan", is a stripped down variant of the FL-Mod.2/9 intended for more rugged use. The high rate of fire is made bearable by a fast-swap barrel which can be swiftly switched out in the field by the operator and support crew. The weapon loads the 7.62x57mm Lavanian round on belts fed from a drum magazine connected just below the body of the firearm. In a standard support section, each rifleman carries an additional magazine for the gunner and the gunner's assistant carries several more.
9.) Perhaps the most unique of all weapons currently in service with the Zhenxiang Army, the PopulareFucina-Armato Fucile (AF)-M1 is the newly devised and soon-to-be field tested shoulder mounted recoilless rifle of the Lavanian Army. The rifle represents a considerable amount of technical experience and man hours spent in development and the Lavanian military has expressed considerable interest in field testing the firearm in combat zones. Currently rarely seen among Zhenxiang forces except for the most specialized of troops, the rifle loads a .60 caliber explosive-tipped round capable of penetrating armored vehicles in current use. The rifle, intended to allow for rapid shots from concealment before changing positions, can fire all five rounds held in its magazine swiftly and accurately due to the lack of recoil produced by the weapon. Marine Raider, Assault Sapper, and Pioneer Guard units have competed viciously for its use and so far have proved it to be highly effective in its intended roles.
10.) Pictured is the standard issue bayonet and combat knife of the Zhenxiang army, simply known as the Type-14 Combat Knife. An integrated knuckle-duster sits squarely in front of the user's hands and serves as an additional tool in close quarters combat. The blade features a slot in the pommel for a bayonet-lug to be inserted, firmly equipping it to the end of a firearm to be used as a bayonet.
Not Pictured: A number of weapons and equipment are not displayed on this image. These include, but are not limited to, close combat weapons such as Pioneer Axes and boarding mauls used on special issue by specialist forces and deck crew of Airships. In addition, all grenades and personal explosive explosive devices such as mines and detonators are not pictured. These include standard issue fragmentation grenades, used to reduce damage during boarding actions to the hull, and specialist high-explosive anti-tank grenades. The Zhenxiang Army is also seen using salvaged weapons from enemy forces, especially among veteran units, and freshly acquired Lavanian weaponry not yet in standard issue (often bartered for from Lavanian troopers and quartermasters).
The so-called "Huihang" Infantry Tank is the bog-standard tank deployed by the Zhenxiang Army alongside infantry units. The vehicle is an unlicensed and partially modified copy of a Commonwewalth design that has since been armed and outfitted with Zengravian alternatives. The tank is hardy for its size and serves in its role as an infantry support tank well enough. Its greatest asset to the Zhenxiang Jundui is its ubiquitous nature, making logistic strain for maintaining the vehicle non-existent. Each part down to the drive-shaft is an easy to acquire and sturdy piece that can be replaced swiftly (often in the field) on the rare occasions where they break down from ware. From the get-go the Republican designers stressed ease of production and maintenance, mechanical durability, and standardization of parts over the highest performing pieces. The Huihang was initially armed with the 37mm anti-tank gun typically found in use by infantry units as well as a coaxial machinegun, a driver operated forward facing machinegun, and a third machinegun mounted above the turret. With the introduction of Lavanian support the main guns on a number of models have been switched out for the Lavanian 75mm cannon. The shorter overall length of the tank allows it to be deployed via heavy landers and other logistics aircraft, meaning the Huihang is typically one of the few pieces of armor in active support of a Aeromarine assault.
The Type-47/Ia Kuaisu is a highly redesigned Type-88/IIb eschewing the armor design elements of the Commonwealth for a Belzarovian design. The longer hull provides for greater room in the rear compartment to mount an engine, providing the Kuaisu with a larger and more powerful engine in comparison to the Huihang. Sloped, forward facing armor provides higher resistance to incoming fire making it a superior option when engaging against enemy armored elements. With this combination of higher speed and armor, the Kuaisu has been designated a Cavalry tank by the Zhenxiang Army, a role it has excelled at in deployment. Due to the shared turret the Kuaisu and the Huihang are restricted to mounting similar main guns. In its initial roleout the Kuaisu was expected to engage against enemy armor more often, due to its position as a cavalry tank, and was initially equipped with the 7,5 cm cannon frequently employed by Commonwealth in anti-tank roles. Like the Huihang, the Kuaisu mounts a total of three machine guns mounted both inside and outside the cabin.
A newly acquired gift from Lavania, the Truppe Armato M31/12(simply called the Tru-Pe by Zengravian troops) is the standard issue armored personnel carrier of the Lavanian Army. The ruggedly designed vehicle features sloped armor designed to increase the survivability of the vehicle and men inside from small arms fire. The design's squat, short body has allowed it to be integrated nearly seamlessly into the Zhenxiang military doctrine of fast assaults. With several being able to be fit into most logistics vessels and a single one capable of fitting into a thoroughly emptied Di-Mu, the vehicle is one of the most frequently seen armored vehicles supporting Aeromarine footsloggers. Several variants exist ranging from the typical machine-gun armed transport, an uparmored and autocannon armed armored car, and a radio-equipped command vehicle.
The Xeidei is the lightest vehicle currently deployed by the Zhenxiang Army in an active combat role and can be found both on the front lines and deep behind enemy formations. It is the standard terrestrial transport of the Marine Raiders, a single model capable of carrying a section if comfort is no object and small enough to fit inside a Di-Vu Patrol Boat without requiring the hull storage being emptied. The lighter armor and soft-topped rear of the vehicle has allowed for a heavier turret to be mounted above the driver's compartment, outfitted with a 20mm autocannon capable of damaging other light vehicles, soft-fortifications, and infantry targets. The vehicle's rugged design has made it a favored transport among troops expected to be in the field unsupported for considerable amounts of time and earned a name for itself during the Nationalist campaign leading up to the Battle of Seraat as a ferociously effective armored fighting vehicle.
The Type-9 Zhan is an oddity among the equipment deployed by the Zhenxiang Army. It is the first and only ambulatory armored vehicle made entirely by Zengravian designers for the Civil War and shows its heritage through its odd design. The walker features a central armored body with four multi-jointed legs mounted directly beneath the armored cupola. The "turret" of the body is capable of rotating separately from the lower torso, allowing for the main gun of the vehicle to be turned while the walker moves in the opposite direction. This maneuver has been frequently described as disorienting to pilots who are rotated alongside the rest of the crew. Despite this oddity, the Zhan has continued to serve its role well enough. It's up-armored central turret makes it completely resistant to small arms and decently resistant to lower-caliber anti-tank weaponry. The maingun, a 37mm anti-tank cannon, has recently begun to be phased out for a Lavanian 4.5 cm cannon or a Zengravian designed 30mm autocannon. Mounted to the right of the primary weapon is a gimballed machinegun, operated by the commander when the maingun is firing. Due to an above-average quality and durability suspension, the Zhan can be dropped directly from airships up to thirty feet with little to no damage, meaning it is frequently the heaviest piece of ordinance deployed in an Aeromarine hot-drop.
The newest addition to the Zhenxiang Army's mechanized arsenal, the Andare Armato M98/2 Light Walker, known simply as the Andare (pronounced an-dar-ray by Zengravians), is the newest improvement to light walker technology in the Empire. Lavanian engineers were quick to earmark the Andare for field testing by the Imperial expeditionary forces that struck at Seraat and so far the M98 has proved its value twice over. The lightly armored vehicle is fast compared to most twin-legged armored fighting vehicles despite its higher quantity of armaments. This is accomplished through the revolutionary design concept of placing the weaponry outside of the main turret. The loss of armor around the main armaments has shown increased likelihood for damage when engaging against other armored elements or anti-tank armed infantry but has proven effective in eliminating issues with fire superiority that typical mechs suffer from. A long barreled 3.5cm self-loading autocannon, a belt-fed .50 caliber machinegun, and a Lavanian medium-range flamethrower gives the Andare a fearsome capability for engaging enemies at all ranges. Several variants replacing the machinegun and flamethrower with an additional autocannon or all armaments with a quad-machinegun battery have proven similarly successful.
The ZeinMetall Ze-108 "Shengli" is the culmination of the years of joint labors between the Zengravian Republican government and the commonwealth arms manufacturer ZeinMetall. Taking design elements from years of military experience and observations done by top Commonwealth Engineers, Zengravian aeronatautic engineers were able to design a Zengravian made alternative (with Commonwealth permission). The first of its kind, a full-metal bodied monoplane partially designed and manufactured in Zengrav, the Shengli (designated the Siegfried in the Commonwealth) has served as the workhorse for many Republican air elements. The Shengli and its variants, ranging from fighter bombers to stripped down interceptors, now serve in vital roles within the Zhenxiang Army and other Nationalist forces. In the illustration above, the propellers have been omitted; this was done due to the illustrator's initial misunderstandings regarding highly complicated technical schematics displaying the propeller as separate from the body for manufacturing purposes.
The Divumavis-class Patrol Boat is the most common aerial transport deployed by Zhenxiang Army as of the current day. The Divumavis, typically shortened to Di-Vu by Zengravian troops, is a Lavanian made light airboat used by the Lavanian Empire as a patrol ship for small contingents of troops. Mass produced during the coup-turned-revolution, the available surplus of Di-Vu's were quickly absorbed into the Zhenxiang Army as the first potential solution to the logistics problems faced by Hyeun's air-mobile infantry concept. The Di-Vu's in use by the Zhenxiang Army have since been highly modified, losing weaponry in favor of capacity. The standard variant of the Di-Vu is equipped with a top-deck mounted twin machinegun and a single integral 37mm cannon that must be aimed with the vessel. The vessel can comfortably transport twelve individuals, not including crew, to a combat zone to be deployed by ramp on the underside of the boat. Newly modified variants have displayed a replacement tank turret for the machine-gun battery, mounting an additional 37mm cannon and a single coaxial machine-gun for anti-infantry roles.
As with many of the combative forces of the Warlords during the Civil War, the constant conflict between uniformity and logistics have kept the Zhenxiang Army on their toes. In the case of such transportation and logistics needs, the Laureate-General has been forced to make compromises. As such, the Logistics Division of the Zhenxiang Army is equipped with a veritable host of vessels ranging from full sized airships to small airboats to complete its duties. Many of these vessels are direct from the near-obsolete (for Lavanians) Imperial Surplus in the form of lend-lease ships saved from scuttling and refurbished to serve in Logistics roles. In addition, a vast number of the airships used in these roles are civilian models used for agriculture hauling looted, salvaged, or gifted over the campaigns. The cream of the crop are a handful of full troop transports, brought by Lavanian handlers with the intent to support an aerial retreat with the freed Nationalist prisoners if the operation faired poorly.
The Hastati-class Corvette represents the standard Lavanian military doctrine when it comes to infantry support by aerial assets. For the Zhenxiang Army, however, the single Hastati corvette brought to the Clique by Tribune Lucius himself is the only fully equipped combat airship they have. As such, it serves as a mobile headquarters and base of operations for forward field operations due to an upgraded communications center built to support the Tribune's staff. Since the vessel's donation to the Zhenxiang Army it has been rechristened under the name Xinlong, the New Dragon, and has served faithfully and effectively ever since. Hardly well armored enough to serve direct combat roles against hardened fortified targets or true line airships, the single Zhenxiang Army Hastati serves instead as the heart of campaigns and a proud symbol of their growing effectiveness and prestige.
Below shall be noted a number of vehicles and equipment currently in service with the Zhenxiang Army's forces. These shall include anything from Cruiser Tanks to Pistols and everything in between and beyond. Many of these individual models were made and manufactured in the Zengravian Republic before the 101st's defection and can be found in use among Republican units to this day. Others will be the provenance of the metal-minded thoughts of gunsmiths and Engineers available only to the Zhenxiang Army and their Nationalist allies. Finally, some will belong directly to the now intervening forces of the Empire of Lavania and will not be seen used in considerable amounts outside of their volunteer forces.
The list of Small Arms available to the Zhenxiang Army is long and consistent with the tactical disposition expected of the Aeromarine Forces deployed by the Zhenxiang Jundui. Ranging from bolt-action rifles to newly issued shoulder-mounted recoilless rifles, the Zhenxiang Army is equipped supremely well as any Nationalist forces worth their salt are. The schematic illustration above identifies each weapon in descending order from top left to bottom right.
1.) The first, a hardy sidearm of Zengravian make, is the QZb-02 "Jiu-shi"; it remains the standard issue sidearm for Zhenxiang Officers. As of recently the weapon has begun to be phased out in favor of the Lavanian alternative, though this process is still underway. It's standard box magazine holds nine rounds with an additional one in the chamber if a tenth round is loaded through the breach before firing.
2.) Next identified is the QZa-38b "Morat" automatic rifle, serving in a support role among rifle sections and specialist forces. The rifle is an adaption of an earlier semi-automatic model designed by Zengravian forces, updated and altered to an automatic variant using Lavanian design models. The weapon loads the same .30-06 cartridge used by other Zhenxiang-equipped rifles with both drum and box magazines capable of holding forty five rounds and twenty rounds respectively. Current upgrades and modifications to the weapon include the inclusion of a deployable barrel-mounted bipod and an integrated pistol grip replacing the standard rifle stock-and-grip. In a standard rifle section, each rifleman carries an additional magazine for their fireteam's automatic rifleman.
3.) This is followed by the Lavanian made Brutii Modelo-m4 Service Pistol, nicknamed by Zhenxiang forces as the Brutus (a relatively common Lavanian name). The weapon has seen greater service with Specialist troops who have obtained it for themselves due to its exception stopping power and sturdy construction. The eight round magazine leaves some to be desired but makes up for it with the penetration provided by the larger pistol round used.
4.) The fourth image displayed is that of the ZQa-31b "Chang-Bi", the standard issue service rifle of the Zhenxiang Army. The rifles themselves are of complete Zengravian design using design techniques taken from Belsarovian immigrants. The weapon loads five standard .30-06 cartridge using a steel stripper-clip into a ten round capacity, integral, cyclical-box magazine housed directly below the bolt. As of the official induction of Lavanian support, the weapon has begun to be phased out with the new semi-automatics provided by the Empire. The Chang-Bi remains in permanent use as the standard-issue sniper rifle for Aeromarine Marksman with the inclusion of a 4x magnification telescopic scope affixed to the top of the weapon.
5.) The fifth designated weapon is the Lavanian FabbricaLavania(FL)-A/12, nicknamed the "Zhizao" as a direct translation of the Lavanian word "Fabbrica" to Quin Zengravian and coincidentally for the sound the bolt makes when racked or fired. It is a moderately effective submachine gun currently being phased out by the Lavanians, offering a number of partially to never used models ripe for Zengravian use. It's large drum-magazine has a capacity of fifty rounds while the stick magazines often used to replace the heavier models hold twenty five.
6.) Next on the line is the QZa-33 "Jie" semi-automatic rifle. The rifle is, ostensibly, of Zengravian design but with a number of design elements borrowed from foreign weapon manufacturers taken into account when designing the weapon. As of recently, design schematics for the rifle have been shipped to Lavanian manufacturers who can produce the rifles more swiftly at a lower cost than they would their own, slightly more complex semi-automatic rifle design. Like the automatic rifle designed off of it's hardware, the QZa-33 chambers a sizeable .30-06 rifle cartridge in a detachable box magazine with a ten round capacity. A 2x magnification scoped variant has seen limited deployment among Raider rifle sections for its short range capabilities as a marksman rifle.
7.) The highly vaunted RXKQ-04 Rocket Launcher is potentially one of the most effective models of man-portable anti-tank weapons ever devised in or by Zengravian Engineers. The weapon was made by the Zhenxiang Army's engineer corps by the now revered gunsmith Captain Leung Sin-Feng using supplies available to the 101st Logistics Brigade during the initial actions of the war. The RXKQ-04 saw limited numbers of production underneath the Republican forces before being mass produced in moderate quantities later in the engagements. Now, with the designs held and produced in Lavanian factories for both domestic and foreign use, the Zhenxiang Army boasts a considerable collection of these potent anti-tank weapons. Their standard payload, a rocket-propelled HEAT round, serves in an effective anti-tank and anti-infantry role.
8.) Another weapon of FabbricaLavania design, the FL-Mod.2/9 is the standard issue infantry machinegun of the Zhenxiang Army. The model currently in use by the Zhenxiang, locally designated as the FL-9 "Xuan", is a stripped down variant of the FL-Mod.2/9 intended for more rugged use. The high rate of fire is made bearable by a fast-swap barrel which can be swiftly switched out in the field by the operator and support crew. The weapon loads the 7.62x57mm Lavanian round on belts fed from a drum magazine connected just below the body of the firearm. In a standard support section, each rifleman carries an additional magazine for the gunner and the gunner's assistant carries several more.
9.) Perhaps the most unique of all weapons currently in service with the Zhenxiang Army, the PopulareFucina-Armato Fucile (AF)-M1 is the newly devised and soon-to-be field tested shoulder mounted recoilless rifle of the Lavanian Army. The rifle represents a considerable amount of technical experience and man hours spent in development and the Lavanian military has expressed considerable interest in field testing the firearm in combat zones. Currently rarely seen among Zhenxiang forces except for the most specialized of troops, the rifle loads a .60 caliber explosive-tipped round capable of penetrating armored vehicles in current use. The rifle, intended to allow for rapid shots from concealment before changing positions, can fire all five rounds held in its magazine swiftly and accurately due to the lack of recoil produced by the weapon. Marine Raider, Assault Sapper, and Pioneer Guard units have competed viciously for its use and so far have proved it to be highly effective in its intended roles.
10.) Pictured is the standard issue bayonet and combat knife of the Zhenxiang army, simply known as the Type-14 Combat Knife. An integrated knuckle-duster sits squarely in front of the user's hands and serves as an additional tool in close quarters combat. The blade features a slot in the pommel for a bayonet-lug to be inserted, firmly equipping it to the end of a firearm to be used as a bayonet.
Not Pictured: A number of weapons and equipment are not displayed on this image. These include, but are not limited to, close combat weapons such as Pioneer Axes and boarding mauls used on special issue by specialist forces and deck crew of Airships. In addition, all grenades and personal explosive explosive devices such as mines and detonators are not pictured. These include standard issue fragmentation grenades, used to reduce damage during boarding actions to the hull, and specialist high-explosive anti-tank grenades. The Zhenxiang Army is also seen using salvaged weapons from enemy forces, especially among veteran units, and freshly acquired Lavanian weaponry not yet in standard issue (often bartered for from Lavanian troopers and quartermasters).
The so-called "Huihang" Infantry Tank is the bog-standard tank deployed by the Zhenxiang Army alongside infantry units. The vehicle is an unlicensed and partially modified copy of a Commonwewalth design that has since been armed and outfitted with Zengravian alternatives. The tank is hardy for its size and serves in its role as an infantry support tank well enough. Its greatest asset to the Zhenxiang Jundui is its ubiquitous nature, making logistic strain for maintaining the vehicle non-existent. Each part down to the drive-shaft is an easy to acquire and sturdy piece that can be replaced swiftly (often in the field) on the rare occasions where they break down from ware. From the get-go the Republican designers stressed ease of production and maintenance, mechanical durability, and standardization of parts over the highest performing pieces. The Huihang was initially armed with the 37mm anti-tank gun typically found in use by infantry units as well as a coaxial machinegun, a driver operated forward facing machinegun, and a third machinegun mounted above the turret. With the introduction of Lavanian support the main guns on a number of models have been switched out for the Lavanian 75mm cannon. The shorter overall length of the tank allows it to be deployed via heavy landers and other logistics aircraft, meaning the Huihang is typically one of the few pieces of armor in active support of a Aeromarine assault.
The Type-47/Ia Kuaisu is a highly redesigned Type-88/IIb eschewing the armor design elements of the Commonwealth for a Belzarovian design. The longer hull provides for greater room in the rear compartment to mount an engine, providing the Kuaisu with a larger and more powerful engine in comparison to the Huihang. Sloped, forward facing armor provides higher resistance to incoming fire making it a superior option when engaging against enemy armored elements. With this combination of higher speed and armor, the Kuaisu has been designated a Cavalry tank by the Zhenxiang Army, a role it has excelled at in deployment. Due to the shared turret the Kuaisu and the Huihang are restricted to mounting similar main guns. In its initial roleout the Kuaisu was expected to engage against enemy armor more often, due to its position as a cavalry tank, and was initially equipped with the 7,5 cm cannon frequently employed by Commonwealth in anti-tank roles. Like the Huihang, the Kuaisu mounts a total of three machine guns mounted both inside and outside the cabin.
A newly acquired gift from Lavania, the Truppe Armato M31/12(simply called the Tru-Pe by Zengravian troops) is the standard issue armored personnel carrier of the Lavanian Army. The ruggedly designed vehicle features sloped armor designed to increase the survivability of the vehicle and men inside from small arms fire. The design's squat, short body has allowed it to be integrated nearly seamlessly into the Zhenxiang military doctrine of fast assaults. With several being able to be fit into most logistics vessels and a single one capable of fitting into a thoroughly emptied Di-Mu, the vehicle is one of the most frequently seen armored vehicles supporting Aeromarine footsloggers. Several variants exist ranging from the typical machine-gun armed transport, an uparmored and autocannon armed armored car, and a radio-equipped command vehicle.
The Xeidei is the lightest vehicle currently deployed by the Zhenxiang Army in an active combat role and can be found both on the front lines and deep behind enemy formations. It is the standard terrestrial transport of the Marine Raiders, a single model capable of carrying a section if comfort is no object and small enough to fit inside a Di-Vu Patrol Boat without requiring the hull storage being emptied. The lighter armor and soft-topped rear of the vehicle has allowed for a heavier turret to be mounted above the driver's compartment, outfitted with a 20mm autocannon capable of damaging other light vehicles, soft-fortifications, and infantry targets. The vehicle's rugged design has made it a favored transport among troops expected to be in the field unsupported for considerable amounts of time and earned a name for itself during the Nationalist campaign leading up to the Battle of Seraat as a ferociously effective armored fighting vehicle.
The Type-9 Zhan is an oddity among the equipment deployed by the Zhenxiang Army. It is the first and only ambulatory armored vehicle made entirely by Zengravian designers for the Civil War and shows its heritage through its odd design. The walker features a central armored body with four multi-jointed legs mounted directly beneath the armored cupola. The "turret" of the body is capable of rotating separately from the lower torso, allowing for the main gun of the vehicle to be turned while the walker moves in the opposite direction. This maneuver has been frequently described as disorienting to pilots who are rotated alongside the rest of the crew. Despite this oddity, the Zhan has continued to serve its role well enough. It's up-armored central turret makes it completely resistant to small arms and decently resistant to lower-caliber anti-tank weaponry. The maingun, a 37mm anti-tank cannon, has recently begun to be phased out for a Lavanian 4.5 cm cannon or a Zengravian designed 30mm autocannon. Mounted to the right of the primary weapon is a gimballed machinegun, operated by the commander when the maingun is firing. Due to an above-average quality and durability suspension, the Zhan can be dropped directly from airships up to thirty feet with little to no damage, meaning it is frequently the heaviest piece of ordinance deployed in an Aeromarine hot-drop.
The newest addition to the Zhenxiang Army's mechanized arsenal, the Andare Armato M98/2 Light Walker, known simply as the Andare (pronounced an-dar-ray by Zengravians), is the newest improvement to light walker technology in the Empire. Lavanian engineers were quick to earmark the Andare for field testing by the Imperial expeditionary forces that struck at Seraat and so far the M98 has proved its value twice over. The lightly armored vehicle is fast compared to most twin-legged armored fighting vehicles despite its higher quantity of armaments. This is accomplished through the revolutionary design concept of placing the weaponry outside of the main turret. The loss of armor around the main armaments has shown increased likelihood for damage when engaging against other armored elements or anti-tank armed infantry but has proven effective in eliminating issues with fire superiority that typical mechs suffer from. A long barreled 3.5cm self-loading autocannon, a belt-fed .50 caliber machinegun, and a Lavanian medium-range flamethrower gives the Andare a fearsome capability for engaging enemies at all ranges. Several variants replacing the machinegun and flamethrower with an additional autocannon or all armaments with a quad-machinegun battery have proven similarly successful.
The ZeinMetall Ze-108 "Shengli" is the culmination of the years of joint labors between the Zengravian Republican government and the commonwealth arms manufacturer ZeinMetall. Taking design elements from years of military experience and observations done by top Commonwealth Engineers, Zengravian aeronatautic engineers were able to design a Zengravian made alternative (with Commonwealth permission). The first of its kind, a full-metal bodied monoplane partially designed and manufactured in Zengrav, the Shengli (designated the Siegfried in the Commonwealth) has served as the workhorse for many Republican air elements. The Shengli and its variants, ranging from fighter bombers to stripped down interceptors, now serve in vital roles within the Zhenxiang Army and other Nationalist forces. In the illustration above, the propellers have been omitted; this was done due to the illustrator's initial misunderstandings regarding highly complicated technical schematics displaying the propeller as separate from the body for manufacturing purposes.
The Divumavis-class Patrol Boat is the most common aerial transport deployed by Zhenxiang Army as of the current day. The Divumavis, typically shortened to Di-Vu by Zengravian troops, is a Lavanian made light airboat used by the Lavanian Empire as a patrol ship for small contingents of troops. Mass produced during the coup-turned-revolution, the available surplus of Di-Vu's were quickly absorbed into the Zhenxiang Army as the first potential solution to the logistics problems faced by Hyeun's air-mobile infantry concept. The Di-Vu's in use by the Zhenxiang Army have since been highly modified, losing weaponry in favor of capacity. The standard variant of the Di-Vu is equipped with a top-deck mounted twin machinegun and a single integral 37mm cannon that must be aimed with the vessel. The vessel can comfortably transport twelve individuals, not including crew, to a combat zone to be deployed by ramp on the underside of the boat. Newly modified variants have displayed a replacement tank turret for the machine-gun battery, mounting an additional 37mm cannon and a single coaxial machine-gun for anti-infantry roles.
As with many of the combative forces of the Warlords during the Civil War, the constant conflict between uniformity and logistics have kept the Zhenxiang Army on their toes. In the case of such transportation and logistics needs, the Laureate-General has been forced to make compromises. As such, the Logistics Division of the Zhenxiang Army is equipped with a veritable host of vessels ranging from full sized airships to small airboats to complete its duties. Many of these vessels are direct from the near-obsolete (for Lavanians) Imperial Surplus in the form of lend-lease ships saved from scuttling and refurbished to serve in Logistics roles. In addition, a vast number of the airships used in these roles are civilian models used for agriculture hauling looted, salvaged, or gifted over the campaigns. The cream of the crop are a handful of full troop transports, brought by Lavanian handlers with the intent to support an aerial retreat with the freed Nationalist prisoners if the operation faired poorly.
The Hastati-class Corvette represents the standard Lavanian military doctrine when it comes to infantry support by aerial assets. For the Zhenxiang Army, however, the single Hastati corvette brought to the Clique by Tribune Lucius himself is the only fully equipped combat airship they have. As such, it serves as a mobile headquarters and base of operations for forward field operations due to an upgraded communications center built to support the Tribune's staff. Since the vessel's donation to the Zhenxiang Army it has been rechristened under the name Xinlong, the New Dragon, and has served faithfully and effectively ever since. Hardly well armored enough to serve direct combat roles against hardened fortified targets or true line airships, the single Zhenxiang Army Hastati serves instead as the heart of campaigns and a proud symbol of their growing effectiveness and prestige.
|Their finest hour:|
"General! They've breached the city! What do we do!?"
The air of the room practically surged with the tenseness of the situation as all around the command center of what remained of the 101st Logistics Brigade staff officers and non-comms fell into a panic. The situation in Seraat had been deteriorating for weeks and everyone in the compound that morning had known it. Whispers had abound that it was only a matter of time that the massive Royalist Army North stormed the city's meager defenses and made good on their promise of fire and death for the treasonous White-Shirts. With the sound of high explosive ordinance shattering stone ramparts and brick buildings like a children's play-set, it had been increasingly apparent that such a time had made fast its arrival.
For his part, Hyeun stood near motionless. Beads of sweat had begun to form on his forehead, less from the intensity of the situation and more from the overwhelming heat growing in the command center after the destruction of the auxiliary diesel motors that had been powering the fans. He was the epitome of a statuesque figure then and as the field officer who had shouted at him moments before began to repeat himself, Hyeun held up a hand.
"Worry not, Captain," he uttered quietly, his eyes closing to slits as he poured all his attention over the files that he'd spread across the roughly drawn map of the surrounding area, "There must be something . . ."
The captain stood speechless before him, staring dumbfounded at the response, only for stress to boil over once more. The young officer threw his sidearm onto the table in anguish and tossed his cap into the dirt, turning to his fellow staff. Just as he was about to order the abandonment of the facilities himself a hand fell upon his shoulder, gripping him powerfully. He turned to see Hyeun glowering at him. Yet behind those fiery eyes, he quickly discovered, was not rage but determination. The captain went silent from a choking sensation in his throat. The shock of their General's sudden movement momentarily becalmed the room with even the communications officer staring silent as he held down the broadcast button at his workstation, his attention so taken that the officer on the other line calling for orders went unheard.
"Take heart, my truest companions, and do not falter. We have yet to lose the day. Since sunrise we all knew the events that were to come during this bedeviled twenty four hours. We have endured for weeks the hurled insults and ordinance of the whole of the Imperial Army and yet still we breath. Take heart, for our enemy has not the will to break us."
The officer staff's silence began to be replaced with barely audible expressions of agreement as their commanding officer's breathy voice increased to the roar of waves against rock. The flames the emanated from his passion were contagious, biting at the heart of every man who's ears were blessed with his voice. For his part, Hyeun had yet to let go of the captain; his hand remained stern and proud on the man's shoulder even as he addressed the rest of the command center. The captain stared with wide eyes, mouth agape and shoulders drooped in a mix of one hundred emotions running through him at once.
"I say this, and do not take me for anything less than the honest man that I am; this is not our day to die. One day all men must go to their ancestors, to be judged for their life, and when each and every one of us do we shall be faced with proud visages of ancient kings and farmers alike who know we've done great and glorious things in honor of our proud parentage. But it is not this day. Today is the crucible in which the truth will be forged and the wellspring from which our victory shall be attained!"
By now the men had lost their silence and their chests had been filled with the flames of the moment. A warm rage built in them then, that these Royalists would think to send them to their ancestors early, alongside a raging pride in their leader; even in this most darkest of hours he was unbowed and unbroken, standing tall. A true Zengravian, as he assured them they all were. The shoulders of the captain had risen, high and firm so that the weight of the arduous of labors could not bow them.
"Show these, our brothers and sisters and cousins all, that we do not fear their master's lash! Rally yourselves, stoke your fire! Do not surrender and give the enemy nothing but the steel of your heart and the fire of your conviction! If this compound is stormed we shall stand tall and make them pay dearly, like good and honest Zengravians! I urge you to- . . . "
Hyeun stopped in his tracks, looking to the communications officer with a puzzled look marring his brow. The glow of a red light had caught his attention just as he finished making eye contact with the officer and suddenly a wash of awareness came over him. That voice he had heard outside had not been the sound of officers yelling orders, it had been him being broadcast over the klaxons. Every single one of the troops in the immediate area under his command had heard his speech. His heart beat a million miles a minute, realizing exactly what he had done. Then came clarity. Suddenly his heart thumped in his ears slowly and purposefully, a drum to which he could march to. His eyes darted back to the table where the files had been splayed.
He moved swiftly in the eyes of his command staff but to Hyeun each step was a mile. Thoughts collided in his head at mach 10 and shook about his mind like a hurricane. In the stress of the moment even his legendary calm had been overwhelmed and he had missed something; an idea. He picked up a piece of paper, his eyes darting across the page, before moving the rest from the table to look at the map. Enemy and friendly unit dispositions alike were clearly marked, displaying where known enemy combat units held the line and where friendly units were desperately defending. There was a gap, though not in the traditional sense. Ill-trained and ill-equipped levies placed to guard what was perceived as an untenable avenue of retreat. But there was another option.
"Listen, now, to all those who can hear! There are over three hundred agricultural aircraft and countless numbers of motorized vehicles and horse carriages! Every man and woman who speaks fluent Gailzri is to ask for local assistance. If we can get those transports we can get thousands of men out of the city through the north-east quadrant. There is dense terrace farmland on either side that will make it difficult for the enemy to engage. Your orders are clear; acquire any and all fast transportation you can get the people to give to the cause! The White-Shirts will NOT die today!"
With that the numerous command staff inside the command center burst into action. Orders were relayed across multiple units holding the line and the effort was taking up with every runner possible. The Gailzri people of Seraat, in their blessed generosity, gave in droves. Many had heard over the radio the calls of assistance put out by the Laureate-General and were keen to answer; he had been notably kind to their people during his tenure there and many had sons and daughters fighting for the Nationalist cause. Though the efforts of those fine soldiers and civilians could not possibly turn the tide of the battle, what would come to be known as the Flight of the Laureate-General would lead to the escape and survival of thousands of Nationalist troops and civilians.
|Their darkest hour:|
Hyeun pressed his face into his hands and let out a sobbing groan. His hands were wet with the salty sting of his tears, what few he could conjure, as he took a moment of privacy to finally wallow in his sorrow. Everything he stood for had fallen apart in a matter of weeks and his hope had collapsed on itself beyond the limits that even his considerable confidence could stand. He now sat dejectedly in his hovel, knees to chest and face buried in his palms. Even he, Hyeun discovered, was not immune to to the woes and suffering of a world turned fully against him.
"General?"
A voice caught his attention and he stood, making movements as if he had been tying his shoes. Moving to set his glasses into position gave him the perfect opportunity to wipe away what little tears his body had the water to make, though it was clear from his red eyes as to what he had truly been doing. Once he felt fully sure he'd got a hold of himself her turned, offering a slight smile in the most reassuring pose he could manage. He was a general, that's what they we're supposed to do; right?
"We have to move, General. The winds have died down and the Royalists will be on us soon. We await your command."
Hyeun inwardly sighed, though he hid the motion well. A nod followed a smile as he stepped out of the small structure he'd been inhabiting into the glaring sun of the open desert. The sand swept dunes and hillocks seemed more harsh and inhospitable than they had been only the day before and Hyeun swore that each of the towering mountains surrounding their encampment had grown in several orders of magnitude from the sandstorm. Now they would have to march up and over them to get out of the abandoned quarry they had set up camp in and that would prove even more difficult without their transports.
The rout had been hard on the Nationalists and Hyeun couldn't help but hold himself accountable, at least in the case of his men. He had brought his own troops through the desert with the intention of escaping Royalist forces in the great rolling sanddunes of the desert and little had gone his way before or since. Due to an unfortunate timing of a powerful rainstorm the vast majority of their vehicles, especially the supply-laden transports, had to be abandoned. The horses they had acquired during the march north from the Republican-held coastline had mostly perished from the hot sun or slain for food. Throughout their retreat they had been harried by Minga cavalry and biplanes and even the desert sun could not keep them off their tail for long. By now the cavalry had fallen back, returning to fresher climbs, but every so often a scout plane would be sighted over the horizon and a feeling of dread would haunt the nationalist column for miles.
"Alright. Pack your things. Get the dromedaries loaded and have every many carry as much food and water as they can; leave anything unnecessary behind and stow any extra weapons or ammunition in the cache here if we ever need to make a return trip." Hyuen cursed to himself that he would even think of attempting such a thing.
The officer nodded and set about his work while Hyeun appraised the situation. His men were haggard, their clothes windblown and sandblasted to oblivion. The white shirts they had all worn so proudly had been drenched with sweat early to the point of yellowing, now barely wet from the sheer dehydration of his forces. A frown blanched his features as he stared at the seventeen graves that had been dug on the outskirts of the abandoned quarry camp. Most had died from injuries sustained during a Royalist air attack several kilometers back but several had passed from exposure. He had failed those men, he knew, and the knife of his own making buried in his back made him wince.
It was another hard few weeks of travel from here to Seraat and Hyeun hoped against hope that they had lost the Royalist in the sandstorm the preceding day; if they were lucky, the enemy would have no idea they were headed for Seraat. A voice in the back of his head warned him to not believe such lies but hope needed to be maintained somehow. His forces by then had mustered, loaded to bare as much they could and using makeshift head covers to keep the worst of the sun off their faces. One blessing had come in the form of a herd of domesticated dromedaries wandering into the camp. No doubt they had become lost from their master in a storm and had sought shelter just as him and his men had. Now they were travelling companions and for that Hyeun thanked the ancestors ten times over and once more for good luck.
We might just survive this, Hyeun thought to himself as he clambered through the sand to the front of the line, grabbing the lead rope of a dromedary loaded with two injured men,Just a hundred more miles to go.
|Other Important People inside the Clique:|
Major General Tse Tak-Sohng - XO of the 1st Aeromarine Corps - Major General Tse Tak-Sohng is the premier military commander currently active within the Zhenxiang Army. Older than the Laureate-General by a magnitude of a decade and a half, the Major General has a life time of experience serving in the Emperor's Armed Forces before the armed resistance against Minga rule. He was recruited into the Zhenxiang Army during an active command with the Royalist forces where he had been sidelined to a backwater position due to his outspoken attitude towards what he perceived as "supreme breaches in human dignity". He has since served in the Zhenxiang Jundui with distinction, commanding the corps sized element with distinction.
Brigadier General Ngoi-Hui Hau Niek - Chief of the General Staff - Ngoi-Hui Hau Niek is the current Chief of the General Staff for the overall command of the Zhenxiang Army. Despite his rank Ngoi-Hui's experience is not in the works of field craft but in logistics. Like the Laureate-General himself, Ngoi-Hui had served with distinction as an officer in the Logistics Brigades of the Republican Army during the early years of the Civil War. Ngoi would eventually come to serve directly beneath then Lieutenant Colonel Hyeun Tae-Kyeung in the 101st Logistics Brigade where the two would become fast friends. Before the war Ngoi had been an accountant for an acting school, occasionally dabbling in the trade himself. Known for his humor and disarming behavior, Ngoi's personality disguises well a sharp mind.
Colonel Kesor Nimh-Kah - Chief Adjutant to the Laureate-General - It is a rare thing to find a soldier who is adept at paperwork and a rarer thing to find one that likes it. Kesor Nimh-Kah, ostensibly a Colonel in the direct employ of the Laureate-General, is one such man. If something needs to be retrieved, an officer found, or paperwork filed properly and effectively it is Kesor who should be called. The man is humorless, direct, and swift to complete his directives with an interest devoted to success. Every morning there is a file of all the day's happenings waiting on the Laureate-General's desk and at night a steaming pot of tea ready to drink before bed. He is loyal to the extreme and his devotion to the cause is without question, perhaps even beyond Hyeun himself.
Colonel Naranbaatar Batbayar - CO of the Aeromarine Raiders - The Minga/Bingal commanding officer of the Aeromarines' Marine Raider detachments, Naranbaatar Batbayar comes off as a ferocious and fiery tempered man ideal for the job. To his men he is known as the Iron Leopard for his propensity for the art of raiding; and to Naranbaatar, raiding IS an art. Naranbaatar proved instrumental in the shaping of the Marine Raider detachment of the Zhenxiang Army and was the first and greatest proponent of their use as a rapid attack light infantry unit. Everything down to the equipment they wield has gone under the scrutiny of the guileful Iron Leopard and none can doubt the effectiveness of his unit he frequently leads personally. A passion for alchohol, especially the airag drank by the Minga, has led to nasty rumors of his fiery temper being enflamed by such drinking habits. Despite this, his history of success has landed him a fair amount of leeway on the matter.
Corps-Jide Song Tchai-Bahk - First Jide of the Jide Zhengwei - Song Tchai-Bahk is a unique oddity among his cohorts in the upper echelons of the Zhenxiang Army. Song is a noble of mixed Mingal/Jorguk ancestry with a background in theology and clerical work. Song had once been the head of a decently prosperous temple in the capital and had served several times as a Prelate to the Emperor's family. His love for the ancestors is without question and his oration skills in expressing that devotion are held to a high standard. Most of all, his experience as a judge at the Imperial courts has proven his greatest success. As a Priest and a man of the law, Song Tchai-Bahk fits less with the rank and file of the Jide Zhengwei and more with the Judicial tribunals he himself proposed. A noble if stern figure, Song Tchai-Bahk pushes a degree of faithful behavior in all things and has more than once received rebuke for his desire to share his faith with others.
Tribune Lucius Magnus Tibero - Imperial Attache to the Laureate-General - Standing out more than even Song Tchai-Bahk, Tribune Lucius Magnus Tibero is the representative of the Levanian Empire placed directly in the service of Hyeun Tae-Kyeung. The two met during Hyeun's brief stint in the Empire when he and a companion representing the Great Leader herself had convinced the Primus to intervene in the war. They had become fast friends, despite Lucius' foreign proclivities, and the Tribune had been swift to apply for the position. Alongside Tibero came a battalion of Tribune Comitatus to serve beside the Zhenxiang Army in the coming conflict. Though hardly loyal to the Zhenxiang Army and its goals, Tribune Lucius does express a continued interest in serving alongside a friendly face as long as the conflict continues. His troops, for their part, serve loyally so long as their Primus commands. The Tribune himself is a jester of sorts who takes great pride in his ability to rile his political opponents. His position, ostensibly granted for his distinguished military service, was rumored to be granted due to his skill in the Primus' court politics more than anything else.
