War Elephants

War elephants are elephants... used for war.

*This summary is intended to discuss war elephant usage by nation. Add your country if desired*.

## War Elephants in Liotain

### Reman Era

According to the Reman military historian Aelianus, elephants were first brought to the provinces of Liotania in the 1st Century BCE on the orders of the governor Diadumenianus, who encountered them elsewhere in the Empire. Diadumenianus used the elephants in battles on the frontiers against the Antar, Fir, and proto-Pict barbarians, as well as in the conquest of Syrellia in 4 BCE. Aelianus records that there were no elephants in the region prior to this point, and Diadumenianus ordered a herd to be released into the wild.

Aelianus also reports that during the campaigns of Horatius Nerisius, the Remans brought seven war elephants to the Battle of Tarnolassus, where they "*caused such terror and fear amongst the invading Antar that they threw themselves upon the legions to clamour for mercy, and finding none, fell or fled back to their own lands.*"

### Medieval Period

War elephants received no further mention in historical records until 918 during the Revolt of Rekyva, when Titas Saulius employed three war elephants to defeat the Canstori at Mars Hill. Saulius attributed his victory to the elephants, stating in the *Saulian Chronicle* that the Canstori had never seen or fought them before.

A century later, when pledging his loyalty to Fabius Nerva Aurelian to become a client king of the Second Reman Empire, Titas III promised "nine legions and their particulars, and seventy war elephants with their trappings and handlers." These war elephants were employed in the Reman Conquest of Syrellia in 1041 and repeated campaigns in Celtica. Six elephants were sent with the Reman colonists heading to Inoltra, where they reportedly terrorized the Bols and Ostronians.

During the city-states period, between 1230 and 1479, the practice of using war elephants died out in western Liotain. In 1421, an elephant was displayed in Sventoji "to the wonder of the population, who never had seen such a beast." Several herds of wild elephants remained in southeastern Liotain, but they would not be used again for war until the Anitkabir War of 1526-1538. In the 1536 Battle of Sirvinta, the Liotainians deployed sixteen war elephants to clear a bridgehead across the river. The Kabirites managed to kill all of the elephants during the course of the battle, although they would ultimately be defeated by the Liotainian tercios.

War elephants also made their appearance, albeit in smaller numbers, in the later battles of Innichenziai and Rovereto, during the War of the League of Sventoji. In 1582, during the War of Erisian Succession, Liotain provided two war elephants to the House of Farrugia, although history does not record them ever being used in battle.

In 1629, the Kabirites brought three war elephants of their own to participate in the Great Invasion. The Kabirites attempted to use these elephants on the afternoon of 30th May, 1629, to clear a bridgehead across the Rudeksna River, which was opposed by five tercios of Liotainian militia. The tercios used their matchlock muskets to kill all three elephants, but were so disordered by this attack that they took heavy casualties from the supporting Kabirite infantry. The Royal Army, which pursued the defeated Kabirites after the Battle of Rudeksna, included ten war elephants; they saw limited use in the pursuit.

During the Kabirite War of 1693-1700, Kazimieras Jaunesnysis employed six war elephants in his personal guard, one of which was reserved for his personal use. Kazimieras ordered this elephant outfitted with a gilded howdah, complete with a shade canopy and silk-clad attendants. Historical records say that war elephants were used in battle during the Relief of Trakai and the Siege of Vize, but do not provide further details about the method of their employment.

### Modern Use

During the Firoccan War, King Karolis severely cut back the Army's war elephants. They were never used in combat, but were regularly employed during the Siege of Svyturys as beasts of burden, hauling field guns and supplies. According to some accounts, Karolis had the ivory tusks trimmed off most of the war elephants, which was then sold to Celtica and Antargentina in order to cover war debts.

During the 1700s, Liotainian mercenaries purchased a number of war elephants from the Royal Army, and used them to good effect during the Celtican wars against Draken and Arkadyetsiya. In general, the elephants were used to haul heavy guns around the battlefield, but on a number of occasions, particularly in western Eirenn in 1755, the mercenaries used the elephants in more offensive roles. However, these combats also demonstrated the weakness of war elephants to enemy musketeers and even cannon.

The last known combat use of a war elephant by the Liotainian Army was in 1795, when a single elephant named Drusila was shipped to Tukefu, ostensibly to move cannon. During an attempted ambush of an army column by rebels, Drusila and her handler went on a rampage through the attacking forces. The rebels, being poorly-supplied with quality firearms and never having encountered a war elephant before, responded with panic and fled.

As of 1905, the Liotainian Army retains a dedicated war elephant corps, but it focuses almost exclusively on using elephants for the movement of field guns and heavy supplies. Twenty elephants are also used by the Liotainian Border Police, and two elephants are kept for occasional use as royal mounts.