The Sixteenth Legion
The Sixteenth Legion was originally part of the Freedom First Party's military branch. Assigned to the territory known locally as the Quattriterre (the area where the borders of Y'Tallish, Onnais, Charren, and Vedrii converge). Citizens from all four Provinces served time in the Sixteenth as part of a carried over military reciprocity initially aimed at promoting cooperation and goodwill with the Party.
If you're looking for characters associated with the Legion, click here.
The Legion rebellion flag.
Background of nine alternating blue and red stripes. White diagonal line from top right to bottom left. Centered yellow 5-point star.
Post-First Election
In the weeks following the Party's success at the First Election polls, the Quattriterre (QT) region was largely unaffected by the new Party policies, including unification of Vedrii and Gmundkevakk. Party occupation remained a northern interest. The rugged mountains that contributed to Y'Tallish's defense were deemed "inhospitable" in Party reports. Life in QT carried on without interference and military exercises were not curtailed. The units there engaged in usual activities and were not deployed outside of the region.
The Quattriterre region
When full unification was achieved, in a somewhat surprising move, the Party did not withdraw the Vedrii contingent to Kevakk. Praised for their international relations efforts, the now-Broccavite soldiers were lavished with supplies and honors as part of an image maintenance campaign.
Influxes of refugees raised the alarm in between the end of Year 1 and the middle of Year 2. Reports from those escaping Party authority caused concern enough to trigger Maidwin Island meetings, minus the Durrant Family. Absent any overwhelming evidence of gross mistreatment but mindful of the claims brought before them, the remaining Hierarchy resolved to elevate the Party to Appraisal.
"When they asked for charity, you said nothing and opened your accounts.
When they came for your neighbor’s home next, you did nothing and closed your blinds.
Now that they’ve come for your family, you are bound on the floor with no option but to admit entry. Idle we have been, but idle I shall not be. When I go, I shall be towering above them, the eagle ready to pluck their lungs away. Or I shall be death that pricks from below, spilling their middle around us. But I shall not be that swine, tied until the slaughter." - Y'Tallish Brigadier
The remote location allowed the Sixteenth Legion to continue its cooperative efforts without substantial interest from the Party capital. The Sixteenth's upper echelon grew contentious following the unification meetings that saw the Y'Tallish and Onnais Families reject the Party's Accord proposals, but scored the signature of the Nehlling Family of Charenn. That action prompted the Jainnierr and Sielleigh Families to withdraw their interests in Cognate Bancorp, a significant expression of the lack of confidence in Charene leadership.
Post Second Election
The Second Election substantiated the reports that continued to flood over the borders, despite the Party's hard closure of them and near total media blackout. As the Third Purge got underway and more and more southern territories fell, the Sixteenth Brigadiers convened and unanimously signed an Agreement of Secession. The Agreement laid out grievances against the Freedom First Party that had not been redressed.
Each Brigadier met with their troops and presented the Agreement for a vote. Not one of the ten thousand soldiers opposed. While Onnais and Y"Tallish soldiers did not fall under the Party Constitution, Broccav soldiers did. Due to their 10-Year Accord, the Charenn soldiers were bound by proxy to it. Their complicity in and failure to report the Sixteenth's activities constituted an automatic death sentence and led to the concealment of the Agreement.
Original tenents from the Agreement of Secession
As the Great Expansion continued razing the countryside, local populations were terrorized into compliance. The Sixteenth Legion carried out covert raids and pinpoint strikes to weaken the Party's hold and reroute supply lines. They were devastatingly effective in their campaigns to eliminate the Party's heavy armor, long-range artillery, naval, and air capabilities. They provided armed escort through the mountains, northward into Onnais, or eastward along the border for transoceanic passage to Overseas territories.
Alerted to Party aggression over the border of Charenn, the Sixteenth Legion massed in the southeastern corner of the QT region. The overt and unprovoked assassination of the Nehlling Family scrambled the Sixteenth and put them on the offensive. Anticipating their standard hit-and-run assault style, the Sixteenth found themselves faced with a larger than anticipated force. Superior strategy and knowledge of the terrain from Legion Brigadiers incurred significant Party losses. Facing a starting force of 100,000 red soldiers, the Sixteenth's tactics shaved Party numbers by two-thirds.
Political Condition Scale
Amiable - No restrictions, open and free borders/ trade
Acceptance - Often the first level granted after a change of power. A "wait and see" level
Appraisal - Tacit disapproval of another government's actions; the "warning" level
Alienation - Political exclusion from decisions, border stoppage
Aversion - commercial/ financial/movement sanctions
Action - military engagement
"What will the world say if we do nothing?" Charenn Brigadier
The embarrassment of an open and successful rebellion, and the failure to quell it reached Party Headquarters, prompting fiery proclamations of retribution. More than a million soldiers were deployed to reinforce the beleaguered southern troops. Within a week, the Sixteenth Legion was decimated, losing 85% of their fighters.
The patch of
the Sixteenth. 5-point star, XVI on top arm, green, red, white, blue clockwise in other arms.
As inevitable defeat became apparent, the leadership scrubbed all military records to ensure the survivors would be recorded as civilian residents, caught up in the firefight. The hilly terrain provided retreat options for those that remained. The Party declared a full victory, reporting that 100% of the rebellion had been subdued.
Officially, the Y'Tallish and Onnais Hierarchies released a joint statement, disavowing all knowledge of the rebellion and signed agreements to report any identified soldiers to the Party. As war criminals and traitors with a history of unprovoked aggression against a sovereign nation, the former Sixteenth Legion soldiers fell under Party law. Failure to submit them to a Party office would constitute a formal Action and permit Party troops to invade.
Legion boottag
Last name, region, blood type, allergy
The huge influx of forced or voluntary refugees into the Overseas Provinces brought reports of life on the Continent. Local leaders became concerned and meetings with the Hierarchy yielded few results. The banking and trade crunches were severely depleting Family reserves and the ability to conduct normal routes of commerce. Beginning to feel the pinch of Aversion and the swell to their communities, the local populations demanded that the Families avoid the same fate that had befallen the Continental Provinces.
The Gorrdann Family was the first to officially act, signing an Appeasement with the Party. The Appeasement terms outlined provisions for relaxing of the Aversion level and protection from psi corps and rogue bands of refugees in exchange for the construction of Party Outposts that would fall under Broccav sovereignty and permission to conduct Party recruitment efforts.
News of the Sixteenth's sacrifice had spread to within Overseas borders, despite the media blackout. Where the Continent had pockets of resistance that would flare up from time to time, the ideals of the Sixteenth took root Overseas. Highly mobile, and inspired by the Sixteenth's bravery, the bands of partisans called themselves by one name: Legion. Taking note of the successes of its namesake, the new Legion did not wear uniforms and blended in with the population.
A major source of opposition, Legion activities have prevented the Party from establishing a firm foothold Overseas, including on the highly desired Farrenn Island.
Legion supporting graffiti in New Kevakk
The Party's failure to track and eliminate them became a reliable source of embarrassment, and propaganda demonized them as the reason peace had not yet been attained.
Post-Third Election
With most of their coffers exhausted, the Party grew to a position of tolerance with the Legion. Unable to carry out or sustain long-term engagements, they were forced into numerous minor skirmishes. The encounters were more annoyance than resounding victories, with both sides typically ending in detente. The Third Election passed without much fanfare.
After thirty years of Party intervention, most citizens on both sides of the ocean just struggle to survive. Unconcerned with political rumblings in distant Kevakk, the frequent Legion-Party run-ins have left deep divisions amongst local populations with the majority just wanting an end to the hostilities.
"We would not have to do these things if they would just lay down arms." - Party Officer
Both the Continental Legion (C-L) and the Overseas Legion (O-L) continue to engage the Party even in the absence of central, unified leadership or mission. On the Continent, the Legion defends the Onnais border and Y'Tallish/Charenn mountains vigorously and is responsible for ensuring local Party regents do not overly abuse their power.
The O-L continues to make progress against the Party's systematic establishment of an Outpost Passage that would effectively create a winding swath of Party territory through Provincial lands. Reports of the new Party "United Once, United Again" initiative have reached Legion ranks. The rebuilding of the Party's military excursion capability has filled them with dread. Both sides of the Legion have recognized the threat this poses, but have yet to coalesce into a centralized base of power.