The Allarian Army

The Allarian army is known for its elite training and unparalleled discipline. Allarian soldiers never break formation, and never lose against disordered armies. Allarian tactics focus on patience, on knowing when and where to strike, and on smaller armies of well-trained soldiers rather than a battlefield filled with untrained militia that cannot keep their cool in battle.

Qirin riders
These are the spearhead of the Allarian army. This elite mounted force uses the qirin’s intelligence to practice advanced maneuvers that a regular mount could not perform. Most Allarian battalions have two types of qirin riders:

Wardens are heavy mounted units, charging at or waiting for the enemy with their long spears. After they have caused enough disarray among enemy forces with a first strike, they maneuver out of engagement to attack from another flank, keeping the enemy occupied while they maintain tactical control of the field. No infantry can withstand the concerted offensive of qirin riders, and no strategy has proven to stop their onslaught.

Hunters are shock troops, trained to identify, target and strike at key points of the enemy force. Military leaders, supply stores and siege machines are all favorite targets of qirin hunters, whose deadly hit-and-run strikes can often maim a whole army and win a war without losing a single Allarian troop.

Oathguard
The Oathguard are elite soldiers, forming into smaller squads where coordination and precision are paramount. They advance and retreat with careful rhythm, maintaining tactical advantage at all times.

Halberdiers excel at keeping their opponents at bay, using the length of their weapons to weaken the enemy troop before it can even strike the first blow.

Duelists are a defensive unit, deployed to tire the enemy into wasted attacks, for them or another unit to finish them off when they are weakened.

Bucentauri
Bucentaur cavalry is one of the strongest and most fearsome elements of the Allarian military. While they don’t have the discipline of Allarians, they more than make up for it with their ferocity and zest for battle. Even so, bucentauri troops get exhaustive training, and only the best prepared are chosen to go to war.

Archers are bucentauri trained to use greatbows, larger than what a human could fire on horseback, with greater strength and penetration. Bucentauri archers can use their increased four-legged stability to make impressive shots even at a tactical disadvantage.

Blades, perhaps the most savage force in the Allarian military, use massive swords or axes to charge recklessly into battle. Their fierceness is such that all other units are instructed to stay clear of them.

Dreamshapers
Dreamshapers are combat wizards, who have learned to focus their connection with the Fai into war. Master strategists, dreamshapers use their magic to control both allies and opponents. They can change the tide of battle by transporting a unit of Allarians to where they are most needed, or blocking key strikes from the enemy. They can also use illusions to confuse or mislead their opponents.

Casters are deployed to blast the field with magic, plain and simple. Their awareness of the battlefield is second only to that of the general, as they may need to transport units into required positions, or strengthen certain allies, protect certain spots, or weaken certain enemy points.

Spies use their connection to the Fai only to enhance their stealth and surgical strikes against enemy assets. They can magically bypass enemy defenses in myriad ways before striking the final blow from the shadows.

Guild Gnomes
Gnomes of the Grand Guild bring inventive and creative contraptions to the field - some meant for practical and technological advance, others to wreak mayhem, plain and simple.

Enforcers are taken from the ranks of Grand Guild muscle and bouncers. While not a military unit per se, they gang up on enemy targets, holding and stalling them enough to prevent their participation in battle - or their escape when it is too late.

Tinkerer Repeaters are armed with one of the most famous gnome inventions, the repeating crossbow. This weapon is useless and even dangerous in the hands of untrained units, but in a Tinkerer’s expert hand it can fire an endless barrage of bolts at incredible speed, bringing down entire battalions in what seems the blink of an eye, while the gnomes quickly adjust knobs and levers as they fire relentlessly.