The Pack

Written by David_Ulph

Structure

The Pack is a political and military faction united against the Great Western Empire (GWE) for the independence of Skìrah as a separate Korg Kingdom. They all swore fealty to Earl Drake Wolfspack of Dun Faol who was crowned as the King of Skìrah as he would need the support of every Great House to be crowned the High King of All Korgs.

The Pack is not a regimented army like the Imperial Legions of the GWE many of them were part of. Technically, they can be described as bands of militias each united under the Clan System of the old Korg Kingdoms. Someone who carries the markings of a Decanus/Sergeant is held in equal regard as a common freeman fighting for their beliefs.

Assets

Originally, the Pack was a political faction between the Earldoms of Skyral, Reaghar and the Frost (Houses Wolfspack, Knorrman and Iceblood) and all those who swear fealty to them. At the Pack's height of power during the Korg Rebellion, the Earldoms of Skyral, Reaghar, the Frost, Roghavern, Mountainwatch and Lionmidden (Houses Wolfspack, Knorrman, Iceblood, Frost, Erikur and Blackstone) all swore fealty to the Usurper King.

The Pack Rebellion is also secretly being funded by the Churches of the Survivor Gods from all 3 major Pantheons, due to the connotations of this being a holy rebellion against the Emperor's favour changing to the Order of Saint Vortarius and their fake God. Many Pack rebels genuinely feel the power of the Elder Gods running through them, with the righteousness of their cause motivating them to fight with added ferocity and courage. Many Clerics have joined the Pack hailing from all throughout the continent.

Korgs that seek to join the rebellion but are in Imperial-Loyalist Holds will paint their shields with a red saltire, crossing out their lord's symbols and so crossing out the uncaring rule of the Great Western Empire. This was seen most prominently in the concurrent Red Cross Rebellion in the Earldom of Mountainwatch, where the nobles of the small Earldom were split between loyalty to their insane Earl and the Pack, and their charismatic Heir and the Empire.

Warfare

The styles of warfare employed by the Pack are akin to the traditional Korg warfare from before the time of the GWE. The strengths of the GWE come from pre-planned open warfare on the basis of pitched battles, strong cavalry charges and overall strength in numbers. To counter this, the Pack fields armies with emphasis on pike and spear infantry, backed up by archers and dismounted heavy troops, using this and the terrain as deterrents to Imperial cavalry charges. This is only when a pitched battle must be fought, as Pack generals will often organise coordinated assaults on settlements and fortresses further away from any Legions, so that Loyalist troops are constantly having to move and don't have enough time to properly plan attacks. In any possible chance, the Pack will use covert actions to gain any advantage whatsoever; employing tactics such as ambushes, assassinations and planting false information.

Non-spear infantry will also employ traditional 'shield-wall' tactics which have gone out of favour in the GWE after centuries of warfare. Interlocking shields gives even units more susceptible to Imperial heavy cavalry to be more protected and increases the intimidation factor of Pack troops; often banging swords or axes on the shields. Light armour is generally favoured more than heavy although ex-Legionnaires are known to continue wearing the Imperial armour because of how strong a defence it is.

Naval combat on the side of the Packs combine the naval carricks the GWE commonly field, and attempts to bring old longboat designs back as a mainstay vessel. Together, the port-settlements of Port Rea, Corpseshore, Fisher's Landing and Dead Devil under the Earl of Reaghar built 708 longships (177 each) under the nose of the GWE which were planned to be used during the rebellion. Longboats offer greater speed and manoeuvrability since they were originally designed for raiding and fitted perfectly with the rest of the Pack's tactics.

In addition to Clerics, the Pack are also less partial than the GWE to making benefit of mercenaries. Thus allowing warriors, brigands and pirates from all corners of the continent - even the southern continent of Sanaros - to swell the ranks of the Pack cause.

History

The Dance of Wolves and Bears

For as long as there have been records of Frosian Korgs, there have been mentions of the rivalries between the Clan Wolfspack and Clan Wintersblood. Both Clans managed to subjugate a substantial amount of Frosian Korg area between them and both proclaimed to be the Frosian King. It can be assumed that Clan Wolfspack were regarded as the Wolf Kings and Clan Wintersblood as the Blood Kings. The Wolf-Blood Wars lasted for hundreds of years before the Wolfspacks were begrudgingly forced to bend the knee.

Earl Roddvig of Dun Faol

In the late Third Era, Roddvig Wolfspack was the Earl and Clan Chief of the Wolfspack families and territories. As the head of a Great House, he regularly appeared in the Emperor's Grand Council where he would regularly oppose his High King's supporters and advocated additional powers and independences for the Frosian Korgs. For his whole life, Roddvig envisioned an independent Korg Kingdom once more rise from the blood of a superior foe. In his time, Roddvig earned favours from Clans and communities across and outside of Skìrah, and united his cousin-families into a secret faction to depose the Imperial-Lapdog High King Alnitak of Dun Gemrad.

Skìrah For Korgs

Type

Illicit, Rebel

Alternative Names

Spawn of Roddvig, Korg Curs, the Usurper Cause

Related Ethnicities

• Frosian