The Kingdom of Aquilonia

[Taranaich]

The Kingdom of Aquilonia

“Another five centuries and the Hybori peoples are the possessors of a civilization so virile that contact with it virtually snatched out of the wallow of savagery such tribes as it touched. The most powerful kingdom is Aquilonia, but others vie with it in strength and mixed race; the nearest to the ancient root-stock are the Gundermen of Gunderland, a northern province of Aquilonia. But this mixing has not weakened the race. They are supreme in the western world...”
– The Hyborian Age

Capital: Tarantia (Aquilonia)
Settlements: Tanasul (Goralian Hills), Castle Trocero (Poitain), Galparan (Gunderland), Bossonia (Bossonian Marches), Velitrium (The Westermarck), Shamar (Attalus), Pellia (Central Provinces), Albiona (Northern Provinces), Tauran (Western provinces), Thune (Southern Provinces), Karaban (Eastern Provinces)
Current Ruler: King Conan
Generals: Trocero, Prospero, Pallantides, Servius Galannus
Princesses: Albiona
Spies: Dirk Strom, Gault Hagar

Aquilonia is the largest and most powerful Hyborian kingdom, but also the most unstable: apart from intermittent wars with Nemedia, Zingara and Koth, Aquilonia has frequent rebellions from various provinces depending on the leadership: if it’s a tyrant then the outer provinces are likely to rebel; by contrast, a man of the people may incur the wrath of the nobility in the central provinces. Aquilonia also boasts the strongest heavy archers, heavy pikemen and heavy cavalry in the game: the Bossonian Archers, Gunderland Pikemen and Knights of Poitain. The Black Dragons are the most powerful of the mundane general bodyguards, and the Forest Runners one of the few civilized units that hide exceptionally well in forests. Their strategy map units are not as impressive: although their spies are the best of the Hyborian nations, their other agents are merely adequate in comparison to Nemedia and Koth.

Aquilonia may be the most powerful nation in the west, but this does not make it unassailable. Having dominion over such a vast land means that you have to please a great variety of peoples, each of them proud and patriotic themselves. The hardy outer provinces such as Bossonia, Gunderland and the Westermarck have different needs and expectations than the richer, pastoral inland provinces. Careful diplomacy is required to keep all provinces happy, although it is perhaps inevitable that one or more provinces will attempt to wrest control from you if your policies do not satisfy them, and like-minded provinces will not hesitate to join them for a revolt. It would be wise to pacify the homeland before looking to expand, as the last thing that a leader needs it for a critical province to back out in the middle of an invasion.

Once Aquilonia is at peace, expansion will be desirable to find new resources and lands for the rapidly growing populace. The Pictish Wilderness would seem ideal for land extension, but the savages beyond the Black River could prove a constant nuisance unless a comprehensive extermination is carried out, and such an act could spurn the tribes from a rabble into a united horde. Cimmeria would be no easier: the last attempt at expansion into those dark lands resulted in one of the bleakest massacres in Aquilonian history, and a huge invasion force will be necessary to make a successful invasion. Even then a strong military presence will be required to prevent natives from taking back their land, and to defend from roaming Nordheimir bands. Perhaps the easiest option for expansion would be in the other Hyborian lands: the Hyborian Kingdoms are rich and plentiful, and would be great assets to the Aquilonian Empire. Argos and Zingara are mighty sea powers, but rely on mercenaries for land battles, and their vast navies would prove useful for expansion into southern lands. Hyperborea to the north has little to attract invasion, but the two nations have bad blood, and Hyperborea will likely attack at some point, meaning that Aquilonia will have to deal with them eventually. And then, there is Nemedia: Nemedia and Aquilonia have had many conflicts, and both thwarted the other’s invasions many times. Finally conquering their old enemy would add immensely to Aquilonia’s imperial ambitions, as well as ending a blood-feud that has lasted centuries.

Units


Knights of Aquilonia
The Knights of Aquilonia are as proud and impetuous as any knight of the Hyborian Kingdoms, with the very best arms and armour available to them. They are reckless and unreliable, but extremely effective at breaking enemy lines, though they cannot be trusted to wait for their general to give the command.


Knights of Poitain
The Knights of Poitain are unique among the Hyborians in their discipline: whereas most knights are wont to charge recklessly regardless of their general's orders, Poitain's knights have the strength of mind to contain their incredible ferocity until the General commands. Once the command is given, however, all bets are off: these knights will ride down any enemy still standing until either they are victorious or they fall in glorious death.


Dismounted Knights of Poitain
The knights of Poitain rarely leave their mounts on the battlefield except where cavalry is least effective, such as the defense of settlements or in the forested mountains of their homeland. When such tactics are necessary, the knights wield terrible two-handed swords comparable to those wielded by the Nemedian Adventurers, although with the added protection of black, gold-chased armour. Being elite horsemen themselves, these warriors are surprisingly effective against heavy cavalry as well as pike infantry.


Gunderland Pikemen
The wild Gundermen are the mightiest and most unbreakable pike infantry in the world, born and bred to battle and with unshakable will. Unlike the other Hyborian Kingdoms, Aquilonia long learned the value of strong infantry, and put great stock in their strong pikemen from Gunderland. Whereas most Hyborian pikemen were a mere wall of spears to be sacrificed for the glory of knights and men-at-arms, the Gundermen have a pride and resilience which makes them virtually unroutable. They fight with a unique pike and shield combination .


Bossonian Archers
Raised in the unforgiving westermarck in the shadows of Picts and Cimmerians, the Bossonians are raised with the constant threat of annihilation: however, their success in fighting back roving hordes of Picts with their mighty longbows have given rise to the proudest and most formidable archers among the Hyborian Kingdoms. Armed in brigandine or mail (or sometimes both) and chanting their boisterous songs, they are a strong and vital presence on any battlefield. They have such great discipline and synergy that they loose as one man with deep, short shouts with volleys that don't so much shower their foes as pummel them like fists. The Bossonians are arguably the greatest protection the Aquilonians had from the Picts: once the Aquilonians stupidly massacred them in response to desertion the empire soon fell to the Picts in a tide of blood.


Mounted Bossonian Archers
This is a dynamic unit, this time assuming that the Aquilonians didn't foolishly massacre the Bossonians in the late Hyborian Age, and formed a special division of archers on ponies to counter the Hyrkanian and Hyperborean mounted archers, as well as a rapid response unit along the borders of Cimmeria and the Pictish Wilderness.

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