Aleardo Scillo

Aleardo Scillo is best known for the Arenian Campaign, being the opposing general to Gaius, Vibius and Gallio. While it ended in his defeat, he is respected by both Nirvans and Arenians for putting up a good defence and even defeating the Nirvans in battle.

## Birth

Aleardo was born in the city of Aren in **440PR** as Prince of Aren. His father was King Eros Scillo, a popular monarch, and his mother was Queen Cointa.

He was the second born in the Scillo family, after his sister Evangelina, later he had a sister named Ivetta.

## Arenian Campaign

*See: Arenian Campaign*

Prince Aleardo first entered the Arenian Campaign after the Nirvans had already crossed the border. Seeing that this could turn into a major problem, his father, King Eros, sent him with an army to lead the Arenian defence.

He decided to use a tactic he hadn’t seen before, hit-and-run. Using his smaller force, he would hit the enemy during the night and their supply lines before retreating from a large battle. While the night hits were effective, the Nirvan supply line was too fortified.

After some success he decided to look for a suitable location for a battle, finding a hill near a swamp.

### Battle of Palebasso

*See: Battle of Palebasso*

Prince Aleardo was not used to normal Nirvan tactics at this stage, especially ones employed by Gaius. So he chose not to leave his better position, knowing full well that he had the advantage even with the loss of numbers.

This actually turned out to be a bad idea, watching as the Nirvans began building a large wall around the hill to encircle him. While he sent out troops to stop the construction, he was beaten back by Gaius’s son, Vibius.

During the night, he chose to harass the walls where he could, trying to find a weakness. Other than the swamp where soft soil made it hard to build, none were found. So, he chose a different style. Using his own troops' utility, he spent the night and next day building small tunnels around their hill without the Nirvans knowing.

Using the tunnels, he feigned an attack on the walls near the swamp, forcing Vibius and Nirvan reinforcements to go and defend it. When most of the enemy was committed on that end, he made a surprise retreat through the tunnels, hitting the opposite end. The unsuspecting Nirvans on this side were overwhelmed and Aleardo and most of the Nirvans were able to escape.

### Battle of Liorni

Feeling confident again, Prince Aleardo set himself for another battle to take place, near a small stream. Knowing he would likely have to withdraw, he placed his archers on one side so they could cover them.

The battle went as expected, the Nirvans being superior in all aspects of the melee. Getting some of the results he wanted, by injuring the enemy, he withdrew across the river. The Nirvans, bloodlusted, followed, but were struck back by arrows. Vibius was even hit in his leg, said to be fired by Aleardo himself, but is unlikely to be true.

### Siege of Durolipons

*See: Siege of Durolipons*

The Siege of Durolipons was a huge loss for Aren and Aleardo. He was unable to defend the city, instead sailing away with most of his army to fight again another day. While he was able to keep his troops morale high, it was incredibly costly to his own personal riches, pretty much bribing his soldiers to stay.

### Scorched Earth

Using another strange tactic, Prince Aleardo began burning anything that the Nirvans could use in their advance into Aren. This slowed down the Nirvan advance significantly, needing to wait for their supply lines as they could no longer advance and live off the land.

Now with a better standing, Aleardo moved with his army to attack the Nirvan supply line and cut them off even more but ran into the Nirvans along the way.

#### Battle of Acela

*See: Battle of Acela*

The Battle of Acela was the first time that the Nirvans had been beaten significantly in the Campaign. When the two armies ran into each other both were quite surprised but it was Aleardo who acted first. He quickly ordered his troops to form whatever line they could and advance into the enemy.

As the Nirvans relied heavily on the Manipule System, it didn’t work as well when all types of soldiers are rushed together. Some Hastati stood next to Principes or Triarii, leading them to get confused when swapping out troops.

Prince Aleardo and his troops kept pushed through, forcing every weakness they could before exploiting it. On one side, Aleardo’s officers Lorenzo and Namazio broke through, forcing Gaius to enter the battle. When he did, Prince Aleardo rushed to the other side of the battle against Gallio. There, he pulled ahead on the flank and surrounded the Nirvan commander, forcing his troops to fight on all sides.

Eventually, to stop the bleeding and potential destruction of his army, Gaius called for a tactical retreat. Since it was not a route, the Arenians found heavy resistance, though managed to cause significant casualties.

### Arenian Decline

After having some success for a good time, almost capturing and killing Gaius, the Nirvans began to change tactics. Before they were pushed back to the city of Durolipons, the Nirvans were going to instead make a detachment of soldiers built to counter the Arenians.

Led by Gaius, this regiment appeared wherever the Arenians decided to hit, giving the Nirvans the advantage. Aleardo was distracted by the attacks and slowly ignored Vibius and Gallio, who explored other options.

#### Battle of Brindicci

*See: Battle of Brindicci*

Enraged by the sudden death of Gaius, which happened from an illness, the Nirvans charged out and met the Arenians in battle. Aleardo was so shocked that he didn’t even have time to find a suitable location, just forming up his army where they stood.

The battle was a disaster for Prince Aleardo. He was unable to focus and fully stop the momentum of the Nirvans. It got to the point where he entered the battle himself, focusing on the Wings, leading him to be ignorant of the Nirvan Cavalry on the left. It only took two charges for his army to retreat, forcing him to join the fray on that side. While he fought valiantly, he eventually ran from the battle when his soldiers fell into a full rout.

### Surrender

In **482PR**, Prince Aleardo returned to Aren in defeat. King Eros, seeing the sight of his broken son, decided to enter negotiations for a surrender. Later, Vibius and Gallio were welcomed into the city to accept the surrender, forcing Aren to give up most of their lands and provide troops to the Nirvan army every 5 years.

## After the War

Aleardo would later become King of Aren in **497PR** when his father died in a cart accident.

He was a popular King that changed many of the social norms, notably naming his daughter Luana as his heir, rather than his son Audace. While Aren had Queens before this moment, they were only after the death of their partner or there were no sons.

Military, Aleardo would keep a close relationship with the Nirvan Republic, honoring the treaty. For his family, he would state that any future Monarch that did not hold up their bargain with the Nirvan Republic could cause the end of Aren.

## Death

Aleardo died in **508PR** from complications with a surgery relating to one of his illnesses. His funeral was held a week later, with members from the Calenus Faction and the Nirvan Republic attending to pay their respects.