Royal Rukanian Armed Forces

The **Royal Rukanian Armed Forces** (Rukanian: **Volods'kij Oružni Syly Rukaniji**; **VOSR**, **OSR**) are the military of the Kingdom of Rukania.

Every class of technology used by the OSR has a three-letter designation. "G" in this designation is for a "H" sound in the Rukanian language.

## Overview

In spite of Rukania having half of its people belonging to knightly families, many of them do not actively serve in the OSR However, every Rukanian son or daughter is trained in basic combat and defense at the age of 13, and knightly sons are required to attend the knighthood ceremony in order to be granted a customary share of their families' inheritance money for their next birthday. Some families also train their daughters or send them to combat schools to learn defense, or send them to knighthood associations to learn morality and formal values. This eliminates the need for any conscription during peacetime, as almost every Rukanian parent willingly sends their sons and daughters to learn self-defense.

However, in some towns, some Rukanians continue their training for battle, whether willingly or by obligation. They especially begin military training if Rukania is either under attack or sending an army to aid an ally.

With their combat training, almost every Rukanian is capable of self-defence, whether commoner or knight, or male or female. In the event that Rukania would be invaded again, most of its citizenry would immediately take up arms and defend themselves. A large portion might willingly sign up to attack any who invade their homeland. But even in peacetime, every Rukanian of knightly origin must immediately obey when summoned to do military duties, usually through a phone call.

### Combat doctrine

Although Rukania possesses one of the strongest armed forces on Jerde, built up against various invaders; it refuses to launch offensive wars. Its armed forces and knights are mostly for defense and to aid its allies.

In the olden days, Rukanians used to fight on cavalry regiments or with ranged weaponry. Modern Rukanians continue to utilise artillery volleys, before sending their own troops to finish off any remaining foes. The latter method is most evident from the construction of the Wall of Dazhbog, which had an array of plasma turrets that shot down many Thralondian and Wannaenid sky and naval fleets. Some of the plasma cannons were even designed after ancient trebuchets, mainly to allow their guided missiles to reach targets around *and* over the cannons' crew by spreading the missiles.

### Technology

The technology used in Rukania's later history was improvised from the same Zolluchje-era machines accelerated during the digitalisation of the kingdom. The kingdom restarted its technological programmes upon the collapse of the world and the rise of the Great Game's warmongers, and utilised whatever wreckage its invaders left behind.

This resulted in the OSR becoming advanced enough to challenge the Wannaenid Empire, who invaded it sixteen times and failed. At the same time, the OSR and the turrets of the Wall of Dazhbog helped their homeland withstand several invasions by the Thralondian tyrants. In fact, Rukania is one of the strongest and wealthiest members of the Zvestarid Coalition and its Jerde Alliance fleets, which was why the Wannaenid Empire wasted so much men and resources attempting to plunder the kingdom and weaken the alliance. Whatever technology it developed was later shared to nearly every member of the alliance, allowing the whole Coalition to successfully resist the empires and launch counterattacks.

Many Rukanian vehicles from the 1400s onwards no longer use wheels, except for lighter vehicles. They mostly float over the ground using engines.

## Vehicles

### Voniopes-class tank (VNP, "firehound")

The Voniopes class is a light tank that is the OSR's basic tank. They are especially effective in large numbers.

Some Voniopes variants are equipped with artillery cannons, firing either long-range plasma shots or fireballs that spread across an area.

### Vovkul-class tank (VKL, "werewolf")

The Vovkul tank is heavier than the Voniopes, and sometimes replaces the Voniopes in battles that are not quick raids. They are especially useful in defensive missions or when providing heavy support.

### Chuhaister-class (ChGS, "forest god")

Chuhaister-class mechas are mostly used for scouting and defense, especially in forested areas.

### Cannon knights

"Cannon knights" in the modern era have become enlarged armour suits. Like their ancient counterparts, the OSR's cannon knights are mostly fire support, standing from distances to rain more plasma on specific targets. They can also charge through close-quarters foes, striking them down with their arm-cannons before firing at other targets just around them.

## Artillery

### Vidǐma-class tank (VJM, "witch")

The Vidǐma tank is a medium tank that either fires plasma rounds at distant targets, or arcs of lightning.

### Arc Trebuchet, Archunters (RTN)

Arc Trebuchets are mobile tanks with a plasma cannon on or behind them. Their trebuchets fire a volley of plasma torpedos that hone unto targets after being lobbed into the air.

## Aircraft

### Perelesnyk-class jet (PLS, "comet serpent")

Starfighter for air and space combat, fighter jet. Plasma shots.

### Nychnytsia-class stealth fighter (NChTs, "bogeywoman")

Fighter jet with cloaking, faster speed for raids or scouting.

### Mara-class bomber (MAR, "banshee")

Black-coloured bombers that rain a barrage of plasma.

## See also

* Zvestarid Coalition - Rukania is one of the most powerful members of this alliance, replacing Zvesta after its collapse to Wannaenid conquest.
	+ Umbirab, Porashon, Yawanda, Kikori, Volzeraen - more powerhouses that provided much for the alliance to defend against the world's imperialists and their Terran hordes.
* Rukanian mythology - many vehicles and machines used in the OSR were named after mythological creatures and lesser gods.