Vibius Calenus

The Nirvan Duelist

Second Lorenzen War

Lamion War

Asger War

Gold Crown

Vibius Calenus was a legendary military general in the Nirvan Republic, known for his accomplishments in the Arenian Campaign, Thurim War, Second Lorenzen War, Lamion War and the Asger War. He was leader of the Calenus Faction for some time, using it to boost his political career. He was also the son of the famous Gaius Calenus.

He has been generally recognised as the greatest military commander that the Nirvan Republic, and maybe South-East Arlec, has ever produced and one of their greatest duelists, taught by Davian of the Three Greats.

He died during the Third Expedition, sacrificing his life to protect the rest of the adventurers and buy them time to escape the Radiant Wilds.

## Early Life

Vibius Calenus was born in **447PR** to Gaius Calenus and Sertoria Calenus in Nirva.

His early life was spent learning and becoming close with his father, who already knew that Vibius would be his direct heir. After Vibius finished his early learning, Gaius enrolled him in the Octavian Institute. Though, when Vibius began to show signs of being an Awakened individual, later confirmed by the Aliquam Guild, he was enrolled in Caesar College instead. In Caesar College he learnt how to control his magic and use his power in a militaristic way. Another skill he learnt was dueling, sparring with many of the adventurers that either started their learning in Caesar College or ended up there in another part of their career. One of his most important teachers in both dueling and general teaching was the great adventurer Davian.

## Career

At the age of 20 Vibius became a military tribune, starting his 10 year service under Kaeso Ivmarus. As a thin striped tribune, he did everything he could to learn the ways of the military and combat. Most of his combat was fighting Lorenzen raiders and some of the tribes in between the Arenian and Nirvan borders. It was around this time he became good friends with Gallio Aebutus.

While he wanted to, little combat was seen during his time as military tribune. Instead he continued to train his dueling skills whenever he got the chance, sparring against the many adventurers that passed by him. Vibius quickly accrued quite a bit of fame through the sparring, becoming known as the Nirvan Duelist. One of his fights was against Davian, though he couldn’t beat the elderly adventurer. Over time, he added his magic into the duels, giving him an advantage in most cases.

At the end of his time as tribune in **477PR** he was elected into the office of Quaestor, using his fathers influence in the Senate and popularity of the people to win in a landslide. As Quaestor, he was offered the position of becoming the assistant of the Consul but declined, instead taking the accounting tasks so he could be closer to his father.

Vibius is noted for helping Gaius and the Calenus Faction's preparations for expanding the Nirvan border. For their help and to improve their command ability, Gaius picked both Gallio and Vibius to be in his council, meaning the three would lead the army.

### Arenian Campaign

*See: Arenian Campaign*

In **479PR** at the head of 6 legions Gaius, Vibius and Gallio marched towards Aren.

Their first task in the campaign was to secure their supply lines. This meant pacifying many of the tribes in between them and the Arenian border. Thankfully, their overwhelming number simply caused the tribes to surrender, forcing them to become Nirvan allies. These tribes would later be assimilated into the Nirvan Republic.

The Arenian forces did not take long to mount a defence, sending Prince Aleardo at the head of an army to stop them. The two armies didn’t take long to meet, fighting at the Battle of Palebasso.

#### Battle of Palebasso

*See: Battle of Palebasso*

Vibius did only a small amount during the battle, commanding a legion of soldiers that guarded the builders. Prince Aleardo did send his forces out to stop the construction of the wall that encircled them, but Vibius and his soldiers were able to beat them back, completing the construction and guarding the swamp side of the wall.

When Prince Aleardo began his withdrawal he attacked the side of the wall that Vibius was on. Preparing and eager for conflict, Vibius managed to repel the attackers, killing or capturing any that remained. What he did not know was that the Arenians hadn’t withdrawn but instead feigned their attack. It was the other side that had the fighting where Prince Aleardo and most of his troops were able to make their escape.

#### Battle of Liorni

The Battle of Liorni was a quick victory but a good showcase for Vibius. While he did not capture an enemy commander like Gallio, through the use of his magic and troops he managed to push far ahead on his wing, forcing the Arenians to withdraw across the stream.

Unluckily for Vibius, when he tried crossing the stream to continue hitting the enemy, he was struck by an arrow in his leg, halting the attack.

#### Siege of Durolipons

*See: Siege of Durolipons*

After the Battle of Liorni, Gaius and the Nirvans followed the Arenian retreat to the city of Durolipons, where they held up. When winter rolled around, the Nirvans had already begun besieging the city, building up their own fortifications around the city.

The first assault of the city was split two ways, Gallio had the ground while Vibius commanded the siege towers.

In the late morning, the towers with Vibius hit the wall. Along with their commander, the Nirvans charged out across the wall and into the city. Any attempt from the Arenians to stop them were hit with either Vibius’s magic or charging legionnaires. When part of the walls were captured, Vibius made sure that the spies he escorted made their way into the city and retreated back before the Arenians could counter. While Vibius likely could beat the Arenian defenders, it was a risk both him and Gaius were unwilling to take.

The next assault was when more action happened, using the information gathered from the spies, the Nirvans once again attacked the walls. Vibius led from the South, reaching the walls and overwhelming the enemy. He even took out one of the Garrison commanders, though it was only found out after. When the walls were taken, the Nirvans could see they had been tricked again, watching as Prince Aleardo and most of his army sailed away into the sea (they were unable to before because of the winter, making it a death sentence).

Angry and frustrated, Vibius made his way to the docks where him and his soldiers killed any of the remaining Arenians from the army.

It is believed that Vibius was one of the people responsible for the raiding to start after the siege, only to be stopped by his father, though there are only second-hand accounts of this incident.

#### Scorched Earth

Losing multiple battles began to take its toll on the command ability of Prince Aleardo. A new tactic was needed. Making the difficult choice, the Prince used a scorched earth tactic, burning the land and significantly slowing down the Nirvan advance.

With the Nirvans slowing down, the Arenians began hitting the enemy where they could, much to the frustration of Vibius. It didn’t take long for another battle to occur, the Arenian and Nirvan armies accidentally bumping into each other.

#### Battle of Acela

*See: Battle of Acela*

The Battle of Acela was fierce. The Nirvans were only barely able to bring their lines together, losing the chance for many of them to throw their javelins. As usual, Vibius led one wing of the Nirvans, using his magic to keep the line held. It didn’t take long for the centre to break, forcing Gaius to enter the battle.

Though Gaius becoming distracted was the Arenian plan, who quickly overwhelmed Gallio and forced for a withdrawal.

#### Nirvan Difficulties

Defeated and forced to stick to their fortifications, the Arenians kept up the attack, pushing the Nirvans closer and closer to the city of Durolipons to trap them when the winter arrived. At one point Gaius was almost captured and killed, fighting a small Arenian force built for him, only when Vibius arrived and cut his own way through their centre did he scare off the enemy soldiers.

#### Arenian Decline

When Gaius gave command to Vibius he took the role seriously, scouting ahead to see how the Arenians moved and what their situation was. It was through the scout reports he realised that the Arenians no longer used the scorched earth tactic, being too expensive to keep it.

#### Battle of Brindicci

*See: Battle of Brindicci*

Enraged by the death of Gaius, Vibius and Gallio gathered their troops and marched out to meet the Arenians in the Battle of Brindicci.

Vibius is notable in this battle, not only for commanding the Nirvan force, but the effective use of a cavalry charge on the enemy flank. When the battle was in its heat, Vibius rode with his Equite around his own soldiers and hit them at an angled charge, avoiding the chance of being locked up in melee fighting.

## Thurim War

*See: Thurim War*

After the Arenian Campaign, Vibius wanted to make a name for himself, away from Gallio and his father Gaius. Becoming leader of the Calenus Faction helped this a bit but he needed something else. So, using his faction's control of the Senate, he built an army and justification to go to war with Vagh Thurim. Some of the troops he chose included Bhirnians, who were much more accustomed with fighting on the mountains and mountain warfare.  When his army was raised, he declared war on the Thurim Mountain Range, citing previous raids into the Nirvan Republic as the reasoning.

### Battle of Ukan

*See: Battle of Ukan*

It didn’t take long for Vagh Thurim to notice the Nirvan movements, quickly gathering an army under Rurfac Thurim and marching to stop Vibius. Once in range, the Nirvans threw their javelins, finding moderate success, and charged.

The battle was tame, with neither side gaining an early advantage. Only when Tynus Thurim, commander of the Thurim left wing, got captured by Oppius Balbillus, did the battle change, forcing the Thurim soldiers to retreat.

### The Battle of Thurnik Hold

*See: The Battle of Thurnik Hold*

The Nirvans had some struggles passing through the mountain range, being forced to clear out many of the little villages that were littered around. In the end, it was actually the help from his Bhirnian allies that made the situation easier.

Pushing forward, the Nirvans began getting closer to the Thurnik Hold, an incredibly important hold for Vagh Thurim both financially and strategically. Thus, the Thurim people sent out their biggest army to stop them.

The battle started off close, while the Nirvans had the better location, the Thurim outnumbered them heavily. Vibius himself had to enter the battlefield quickly, using his triarii to stop his centre from breaking. While he was able to plug the hole, he knew that it wouldn’t take long for his soldiers to be overwhelmed, forcing them to use a different tactic.

Sending messengers to all his officers, Vibius changed the focus to officers, accurately believing that they were the backbone for such a large army (which later helped him understand the need for new reforms). Rather than pull out of the battle, Vibius targeted Urmbrek, keeping his bodyguard close by.

#### The Duel

Duels are an uncommon sight in Nirvan battles, rather using their teamwork and discipline to win their battles, lacking focus on individual skill. Vibius was different, through his time in Caesar College he began to love increasing his own fighting prowess, seen from his duels with adventurers and the nickname he gathered.

Thus it was a welcome surprise to Urmbrek, the best of the Thurim duelists, when Vibius opened up his line in order to face him.

The fighting began immediately, Urmbrek choosing to end it quickly by lunging forward and swinging his axe directly at the head of the Nirvan general. It almost ended there but Vibius barely managed to avoid the blow, taking a wound across his chest instead, forcing him to take the battle quickly.

Using his advantage, Vibius momentarily distracted the Dwarven officer with a series of magic lights, blocking any reads his enemy could make and thrusted his sword into the Urmbrek’s thigh and arm in quick succession. Angry and in pain, Urmbrek was able to ignore the sword thrust in his thigh but was forced to drop his shield, no longer able to hold it.

Himself hurt, Urmbrek decided to put the pressure on Vibius, swinging his axe a bunch and not allowing his enemy to take an opportunity to attack. It worked initially but he had to avoid a hidden sword thrust, barely clipping his armour. Vibius continued to block all the oncoming attacks, only dodging when he tried to counter, which ended up missing anyways.

The duel had gone on for some time at this point, exhausting both competitors. Both knew they needed a final strike, it was just that Vibius got in first. Using the momentum of Urmbrek, who was putting his all into a final attack, Vibius managed to stun him, using a powerful spell. With his opponent stunned, Vibius thrust his sword straight through Urmbrek’s neck before backing up and avoiding the attack that came through when the stun ended.

#### Urmbrek's Death

The Thurim soldiers could only stand still, shocked and stunned when the body of Urmbrek fell to the ground, dead. On the other end, Vibius quickly withdrew himself from the fight, hiding behind his bodyguard to get someone to heal his wounds, which were life-threatening at this point.

Seizing the opportunity, Vibus’s bodyguard managed to steal the body of Urmbrek and block any of the Thurim soldiers from reclaiming it. At the same time, Caius and Silgouth managed to capture Gimrum.

#### Thurim Retreat

Vibius was unable to enjoy the victory, instead retreating to his healers who only just managed to save their commander's life.

Though in the end, the battle showed the incredible leadership skill of Vibius and his ability to single-handedly change the outcome of a battle.

### The Battle of Vagh Thurim

*See: The Battle of Vagh Thurim*

The next year Vibius reinforced his soldiers before pushing out and besieging the city of Vagh Thurim. He was concerned about a long siege, which may hurt his political career but believed it was necessary nonetheless. Things turned out well for him though as he watched the Thurim soldiers come out from their protection to fight the Nirvans.

Vibius did not personally enter this battle at any point, instead watching from behind and sending messengers with orders. Using his familiar, he was able to look from above and see the battle happen, the first instance of this thing happening.

When Berok betrayed his troops and shut the gates, Vibius moved up with his soldiers, simply fighting softly while they watched the Thurim soldiers besiege their own city. Once the gate opened, everything of his tactic changed again. He immediately moved to take a small area within the city to make as their base before leading some of his soldiers to the throne room to avoid the city. Like his father, Gaius, Vibius commanded his soldiers to only kill threats, leaving the city relatively intact from the Nirvans with most of the damage coming from the Thurim people.

### Surrender

The war would later officially end when a new King of Vagh Thurim was eventually crowned, signing a peace treaty of normal Nirvan standards, forcing an alliance and giving them soldiers and paying taxes, though they remained relatively independent.

## Praetor

Before the Thurim War even ended, Vibius became a Praetor in **486PR**. Little happened during his time as Praetor, simply judging over a few cases that have little significance in history.

## Consul

Vibius successfully ran for Consul in **489PR**, being elected into the position with his ally Oppius Balbillus.

As Consul, Vibius’s first act was reforming the Nirvan military. A bit of a pet project to him, he realised that in The Battle of Thurnik Hold the Thurim soldiers were having difficulty maintaining such a large force. A military commander himself, he knew that one day the Nirvan Republic would be forced to create a large army and send them out, meaning, they needed an organisational structure to avoid what happened to Thurim. These reforms were later called the Calenus Reforms, many still being used in modern times.

The rest of his major legislation was spent reorganising and structuring the forced alliance with Vagh Thurim, as the original one was simply within the treaty.

After his time as Consul was finished, he chose to step down as leader of the Calenus Faction, instead handing it over to his brother-in-law and good friend Gallio Aebutus in **490PR**.

## Second Lorenzen War

*See: Second Lorenzen War*

After handing leadership of the Calenus Faction to Gallio, they began plans for an invasion of the Lorenzen Kingdom. They had reasoned that since they had spent most of their lives by this point dealing with threats to Nirva from the Southern end, it would be only fair to stop the threat of the Lorenzen Kingdom.

Commanding 7 legions and Bhirnian and Thurim allies, Vibius crossed the Asunak Stream with his 37,000 men.

### Steen

Unsure how to deal with the Lorenzens, Vibius split his army up into two, giving a total of 3 legions or 14,400 soldiers to Gallio Aebutus, who would move up the Western Side of Steen, while Vibius would take the Eastern side.

It didn’t take long for him to meet resistance, hearing of a small Lorenzen detachment of 1,500 troops marching his way.

#### Battle of Steen

*See: Battle of Steen*

Vibius was the sole Nirvan man to fight the Lorenzens in this battle, slowly walking ahead of his soldiers and using his magic to stop the charge from Eskild’s troops. This was done with a series of fireballs that were so powerful that most of the people who were hit were incinerated immediately.

Seeing that his magic did its intended purpose, he walked over to Eskild, the enemy too shocked or fearful to even stop him. When he arrived, he challenged Eskild to a duel, knowing that his foe likely didn’t know about him being one of the only Nirvan duelists. Confident, Eskild charged ahead but was slain in a single strike.

When Vibius turned around, the Lorenzens had surrendered.

In respect of his new subjugates, Vibius let Eskild be buried with full honours, even attending the funeral himself. Then, he put the rest of them in captivity, though made sure it was pleasant, stating that after the war they would be allowed to return to their lands under Nirvan rule.

### Johansen

Once Steen was conquered, the next target was the hold of Johansen. Though with the threat of the Lorenzen army in the nearby hold of Ludvigsen, Vibius took things slowly.

This slow approach meant he met little resistance and was safe from a major attack but took the rest of the year, severely reducing the momentum of his advance. When winter approached, he decided to weather with the troops while Gallio returned to Nirva to deal with political matters.

### Clemmensen

n **492PR** the war began again. With the return of Gallio, Vibius and the Nirvans advanced into the hold of Clemmensen, pressuring the Lorenzens to come out and fight.

This time he took things slow of his own accord, letting the forces from the surrounding holds get back to the army so that he could force a fight. His reasoning was that if he slaughtered them now, then the Lorenzen army would avoid him for some time, but if he let political pressure ramp up, then he could fight King Lukas without his full army.

His plan worked and soon the Lorenzens marched out for battle.

#### Battle for Clemmensen

*See: Battle for Clemmensen*

Vibius had every advantage that he wanted in this battle, forcing the fight when the Lorenzens hadn’t completed their army and fighting with a hill nearby. So, he decided to play content at the start, wanting to see what the Lorenzens could offer and what their tactics were. While he knew they were mostly cavalry, he wasn’t fully sure how well they played in the battle.

When William charged, he quickly realised the impact that the Lorenzen Knights had. Even with his extra javelins, the Nirvans on the left wing were having a difficult time facing Clemmensen. But, as the battle raged on, he began to grow bored, knowing that Gallio and Decimus Auxilius had things under control. Choosing to enter the battle.

On the left, he entered with style and shock, using his magic to deal heavy damage to the Lorenzen Knights. Of the ones remaining he left to his soldiers, all except Clemmensen. During the fireballs, Vibius had barely dodged one of Williams' attacks and now faced him in a duel.

The duel itself was rough, Vibius nearly losing his life if it wasn’t for his Awakened abilities. The main difficulties came from William’s unwillingness to go down, while Vibius could strike him, either his armour or carelessness stopped it. By the end of the battle, Clemmensen had 4 fatal wounds, 1 from the fire, 1 from Vibius’s shortsword and 2 dagger wounds to the head.

After the duel, Vibius decided to return to his old position in the battle, avoiding further combat when the Lorenzens withdrew. Later he would hand out his own creation, the Calenus Award, to every commander and the, also self-creation, Clemmensen Honor to every soldier.

### Busk and the Ilakans

Vibius spent the rest of **492PR** capturing the holds of Magnussen and Morch, overwhelming any resistance he came across.

At the beginning of **493PR** things changed when the Ilakans decided to declare war on the weakened Lorenzen Kingdom. Frustrated and concerned about the idea of facing two armies, Vibius petitioned Gallio to deal with the situation while he began conquering lands in a defensive manner, using Decimus Auxilius to his aid.

Once again in the Battle of Asger Lake, Vibius used his magic and masterful skill to cause an army to surrender.

### Juul

Now with the Southern side of the Lorenzen Kingdom complete, he decided to slowly push to the capital while simultaneously preparing for an eventual fight with Ilaka. This time it was the Asger forest that proved him difficulties, but it gave him a good chance to duel.

While dueling he actually unlocked more himself, using Psionic attacks along with his normal use of magic. He decided to keep this to himself for some time, wanting to surprise an enemy if he ever needed.

### Ludvigsen

Still having time left in the campaigning season, Vibius regrouped with Decimus and entered the Ludvigsen hold. Knowing that the Lorenzens could attack at any point he decided to take it slow.

It was only after he took the southern side of the hold that he received the good news from Gallio that they had struck a deal with the Ilakans. Now on a time limit, Vibius immediately set out to fight the Lorenzen army. When he heard they were in Dalsgaard he was happy that he would be able to claim more land, since the original deal was that the Ilakans would get up to Dalsgaard or anything east of where Vibius defeated the Lorenzens.

### Dalsgaard

Vibius and the Nirvans arrived in Dalsgaard at the start of Jika, marching directly towards the battleground that King Lukas of the Lorenzen Kingdom had chosen.

#### Battle of Dalsgaard

*See: Battle of Dalsgaard*

In this battle, Vibius took more of a front line approach, using his right wing as bait, since he knew that the Lorenzen best would do whatever to avoid him for the time being and not commit unless he was somewhere.

Stationing himself in the middle, Vibius let the battle rage on. He only entered the battle when he saw that the Lorenzens were breaking through on the right, put in a now or die scenario.

Rallying the legion he directly controlled, Vibius entered the battle, his soldiers making way for his approach. With shortsword in hand, Vibius charged into the enemy, carving a path for his troops to follow behind.

Vibius eventually broke the enemy line and separated the forces, using his own soldiers from behind to keep the hold they had. Taking a deep breath, Vibius then moved onto Lukas and his bodyguard.

When the bodyguard approached Vibius had a choice, deal with them via magic or a duel. Already exhausted, he chose to use magic. Exploding the enemy with a series of fireballs, using fire to veil the use of his psi attacks. Now that the king was distracted, Vibius lunged at insane speeds and tackled the King off his horse, capturing him.

He would not join the rest of the battle, letting his troops fight the Lorenzens instead.

### The Remaining Holds

By the end of **493PR**, Vibius and the Nirvans had managed to capture most of Vestergaard and the rest of Ludvigsen, making it a successful year. While they still met resistance, none stood a substantial chance at stopping their advance.

In the year of **494PR**, Vibius would conquer the remainder of the Lorenzen Kingdom, only leaving Nylev behind as he did not have enough troops to besiege the city after their losses at the Battle of Dalsgaard.

When he returned home, he was allowed a triumph of the Century.

## Peace Times

Conquering the Lorenzen Kingdom had caused a great deal of peace and prosperity for the Nirvan Republic, letting Vibius settle down and rest after all his years of warring. Being an awakened individual, he would not age the same as everyone else, still looking in his 20s even though he was physically 47.

When the Plague of the 5th Century hit the republic in **501PR**, Vibius remained relatively quiet, showing support for his friend Gallio during the trying times. However, during the quarantine a change began to come over Vibius, bringing back the urge to fight and war.

So when the plague ended in the nation in **504PR**, he began plans to invade new areas, starting with the Elven city of Lamion and finishing the job on Nylev.

In **507PR** the Hilan Plague pandemic officially came to an end worldwide, allowing Vibius to pressure the Senate into letting him build an army to conquer new lands.

## Lamion War

*See: Lamion War*

Vibius was given permission and 4 legions by the Senate to declare war on the Elves of Lamion, becoming his new target to finish his wars of defence, stopping all threats to the original Nirvan border. He chose to take Decimus as his right-hand man, Gallio retiring from the military to stay in politics, entering the forest in **508PR**.

After a successful battle, Vibius marched on Lamion.

### Battle of Lamion

*See: Battle of Lamion*

The Battle of Lamion was a disastrous defeat for Vibius, becoming the first in his career as a commander, since it was Gaius leading in the Battle of Acela. Despite entering the battle himself and using magic, Decimus and the Nirvans were unable to protect the flanks from the larger enemy, causing them to withdraw.

Despite pressure from Nirva, Vibius continued his campaign, raising replacements for the soldiers lost on his own dime and ordering Decimus to attack everything in the forest that wasn’t Lamion.

### Battle of Lamion II

*See: Battle of Lamion II*

In **509PR**, Vibius and the Nirvans marched on the city of Lamion with a vengeance. Furious about his first defeat, Vibius led from the front, charging into the much smaller enemy. With his magic, he tore through the enemy lines, incinerating many of the Elves with just his fireballs. At one point he confidently stood alone against a group of 500 Elves, but was aided by his troops before the fight actually started.

While the battle raged on, Vibius’s bloodlust continued to rise. Using all his magic, he managed to break through the first line of Elves and hit the second. Now relying on his Psi abilities. Behind him, the triarii legion normally led by Decimus continued to follow, seizing every opportunity their commander took.

When Vibius saw Lamion King Mirion try to call for a retreat, he rushed him, stabbing him through the throat with his shortsword. Despite the battle being in his favour, he purposely hid the death of Mirion and watched as the Nirvans slowly surrounded the remaining Elves and killed them.

This battle cemented his name as the Demon of Nirva.

### Lamion

Taking the city of Lamion, Vibius had calmed enough to leave it unharmed. Though he ran into another problem, now that King Mirion was dead there was no one to formally surrender. Annoyed, Vibius grabbed a random Pro-Nirvan Elf named Grodir and crowned him King, giving him the last name Abdera when he found out he lacked a last name required for the surrender document.

## Asger War

*See: Asger War*

In **510PR** a minor political incident occurred near the Nirva/Ilaka border, when Ilakan raiders crossed, looting a village and enslaving some residents. Aulus Sellic was quickly sent as a representative, but was later kicked out of Ilaka after his demands were not met.

Aulus later became Consul in **511PR**, using a public campaign to target and assault both Ilaka’s and King Argiris’s reputation.

In **512PR** war was declared, Vibius leading the bigger Nirvan army.

On Asunak 7 of the same year, the two armies met in the Battle of Sora, which was a minor altercation that led to a Nirvan victory, though tactically they drew, both sides understanding partially how to fight one another.

The two forces met again in **513PR**, after a second army was created to deal with Nirva’s two.

### Battle of Coraeus

*See: Battle of Coraeus*

Like previous battles, Vibius decided to actually fight on the front lines of this conflict. He had figured out a plan/tactic he wanted to impose and believed it would be better if he tried it first, risking only his life while Decimus commanded the back.

Two hours into the battle, Vibius got the call, charging into the battle. This time, instead of using his magic to blow through, he was surgical. Believing that such a large army didn’t have the command structure like the Nirvan Republics, he specifically targeted Ilakan commanders. Along with two lower officers, Vibius also killed Miron, one of Alkis’s trusted generals.

### Battle of Hocos

*See: Battle of Hocos*

After Quintus’s defeat at the Battle of Kardir, Vibius had to play it safe, now facing a combined Ilakan force. This time, it actually worked as a different tactic than he expected. In **515PR**, Vaso split off with his army from Alkis and goaded Vibius into attacking. Reserved at first, he realised it wasn’t a trap and came out to meet the overconfident Ilakan general.

Vibius chose to ride with the Lorenzen Knights this time, breaking through on the wings against the Ilakan Companions. But, rather than stay in the battle, Vibius instead attacked the camp, getting back some of the standards that they lost from Quintus and blocking Vaso from retreat.

When the battle was won, Vibius and the Knights charged back in, killing many of the fleeing soldiers, most not even wielding a weapon.

### Battle of Posonan

*See: Battle of Posonan*

After returning from Gallio’s funeral, Vibius and Alkis faced off for the last time. In this battle, Vibius decided to stay at the back and command the entire army, having enough time and advantage to play a bit more defensively.

The battle was effectively run when Vibius’s manevour on the right went successful, charging both the HQ and Ilakan commander along with collapsing the left. With the battle won, Vibius called for his troops to chase and capture as much of the enemy as they could, along with looting their camps.

He would later leave an obelisk at the sight in memory of Quintus.

### Argiris

Still in war despite no Ilakan armies remaining, Vibius continued extensive raiding on the Ilakan lands. When the campaign season ended and his momentum effectively stopped with siege warfare, Vibius changed tactics. Instead of fight, he went around making harmful remarks about Ilaka and their King, calling their nation ‘piss-weak’. Other insults included pointing out that Argiris’s wife was Hashino, as their women were too ugly so their King had to look elsewhere.

When he heard that Argiris was building an army to face him, he sent a final letter stating:

“Make sure this time it’s not so easy, at least get a command structure or something.

Love, your good friend and military advisor, Vibius Calenus.

PS: Tell your wife to keep the crown warm, I’ll be there soon.”

### Battle of Dimale

*See: Battle of Dimale*

Vibius would leave command to Decimus again, taking a personal approach in the war by joining the Lorenzen Cavalry on the right. They chose to charge the Companion cavalry, finding that Argiris was amongst them.

A few moments later, Argiris caught a glimpse of Vibius, challenging him to a duel after charging him. When the duel began it was quickly apparent who was the better soldier, Vibius making a mockery of the Ilakan monarch who tried his best to get a single scratch on the Nirvan General.

Vibius continued to insult the King at the same time, apparently making a statement that he would reenact the battle with the King in his triumph if Argiris survived. Defeated, Argiris felt a second wind and challenged Vibius again, though quickly fell when Vibius decided to become serious.

### Ilakan Surrender

Vibius and his nephew Arruns Aebutus would arrive in Kras after the battle as the country sued for peace. Entering negotiations, Vibius didn’t care for much other than getting the Ilakan Crown, which the Ilakans regrettably handed over.

Fulfilling every promise he made in the war, he would return to Nirva, giving the triumph to Decimus who was the main commander at most points.

## Retirement

In **523PR** Vibius announced his retirement from the military, believing he had served the Nirvan Republic to his fullest and wishing to live his own life for the time being. For his service he was awarded a final triumph, called the ‘Triumph of Vibius Calenus’, simply respecting all the accomplishments he had achieved during his lengthy career.

Vibius at this stage was physically in his 30s and still in his prime, despite actually being 76. After his triumph and divorce he would travel the world a bit, visiting Aren again and even attending the Carto Empire for a formal event.

## Third Expedition

*See: Third Expedition*

When Vibius caught wind of the Third Expedition being planned he was happy to go, saying his goodbyes to his family and friends as he ventured into the unknown. This was seen as normal for his career since his master Davian participated in the First Expedition.

Vibius would arrive late but be the most popular individual there, entering the Radiant Wilds with the others.

During the expedition Vibius once again had to use his military skills to fight back against the forest foes, in the form of Snow Elves. Under his command the adventurers were forced to commit acts of war, despite their nature saying otherwise, in order to survive. Without Vibius it is said that the Third Expedition would be a total failure, none of the adventurers really having military training or an understanding of basic doctrine and tactics.

#### Death

As the adventurers made a break for the exit, a large group of Snow Elves blocked their way forcing them to fight. Rather than fight and likely get slaughtered, Vibius stood up to the task, claiming he would buy them as much time as he could.

As he fought the large army by himself, the rest of the adventurers escaped.

It is believed he died during the battle, and while the Snow Elves eventually caught up (whether due to a quick defeat or moving faster in their natural habitat) their numbers had been reduced so much that they couldn’t fight the adventurers.

## Personal Life

Vibius became close friends with Gallio during the early days of his military career. Gallio would later go on to marry Vibius’s sister, Dexia in **471PR**.

Vibius had an incredibly close relationship with his father Gaius, seen as his heir at an early age. It was Gaius that supported Vibius’s use of magic, enrolling him in Caesar College the moment he found out to help him control and use his power. Their relationship was so close that Vibius always asked his father for advice, even if it was just to simply talk with him.

When he could enter politics, Gaius helped him, hoping he would become the new leader of the Calenus Faction. Gaius even waited for Vibius to be of age to start the Arenian Campaign, letting his son slowly take over the mantle of leadership. When Gaius died, Vibius was devastated, spending many days after the funeral in mourning.

Since he was his teacher in College, Vibius became close friends with Davian, seen as an heir for the great adventurer. They first dueled in **463PR**, Davian later becoming his tutor until he left for the military. They would duel once more during Vibius’s time as a thin-striped tribune and their final duel was in **482PR** with Vibius finally becoming victor, though admitted that if Davian was even 10 years younger, Vibius would’ve lost. Vibius attended his funeral in **486PR**.

As a bonus for his longevity, Vibius would not marry until **505PR**, falling in love with a beautiful Half-Elf named Atia Gruimo, brother of Gnaeus Grumio who was consul in **502PR** and daughter of his Legate Caius. Due to the Hilan Plague at the time, the two had a relatively small wedding, attended by only their closest friends, which for Vibius included Gallio, Decimus, Oppius and Caius.

The couple welcomed a set of twins in **506PR**, a girl named Vibia and a boy named Quintus. Vibius made sure that all their needs were catered for whenever he was at war, spending a fortune alone on nurses and help and would often write to Atia when he could.

In **516PR**, Vibius attended the funeral of Gallio Aebutus, leaving his troops temporarily in the Asger War. He would later give a speech, discussing that his brother-in-law was a great man and had kept Nirva safe through tough times. He would stay for the 3 days of mourning before returning to the battlefield.

Vibius and Atia would divorce in **524PR**, the former wanting to be more independent after leaving the military. He would pay her a hefty amount in the divorce, all willingly so that their children would be properly catered for. Despite the divorce, the two remained on good terms.

### Abilities

Other than the normal abilities of an Awakened, Vibius exhibited an extended amount that were classed as unique by the Aliquam Guild when they began their research into his biology and power. These abilities included:

**Flame Affinity** - Vibius was naturally more powerful when using fire magic than normal, holding a special affinity to the element. An example of this is his fireball, which at 3rd-level was equivalent to a 4th-level attack in strength and had a wider range. It is unknown where he got this affinity.

**Longevity** - While Awakened individuals can usually live a little bit longer than the normal human, the extent to which Vibius aged is different. By 30 it is believed he stopped aging properly altogether and if it wasn’t for his death, he likely would have been the world's first human immortal.

**Psi** - Vibius is classed as the first Psi warrior, obtaining the abilities sometime during his venture through the Asger Forest. After his first recorded use, other Psi fighters appeared years later, all younger than Vibius.

#### Divinity

When Adrian Solomon became divine in **582PR** the thought crossed many scholars minds that Vibius could be the same. Though, as he was not as devout as others, churches deny the thought, believing that Vibius was just a different type of Awakened.

Still, scholars argue about it today, especially when his longevity comes into play.

## Legacy

Vibius stands as not only the greatest warrior that Nirva ever had but also their greatest general, bringing more land to the Republic than anyone in South-East Arlec. While his death was seen as a sad event, the fact he went out fighting was seen as respectful in Nirvan Culture, as he was truly a fighter rather than a politician.

His conquests continue to have an effect today, the land he claimed still under the banner of the Republic and the Lorenzen Cavalry and other allies still in use. While his military reforms were later added on, they still stand as military doctrine today, along with many of the tactics he used in his battle.

After his death, members from Caesar College would be allowed to join the military in a new detachment, putting Awakened on the field.