Basileans

### Worship

Shining Ones namely: Mescator, God of Justice, Domivar the Unyielding, Fotia and Irdima,

### Location

Basilean Hegemony

Conservative by nature and paralysed by ritual it may be, Basilea still reflects some of the ancient glories of Primovantor. Its cities are the largest, its princes the richest, its mages the most powerful of all the kingdoms of Men. Basilea insists that it is the only true protector of Primovantor’s legacy.

   Temples are still maintained to the long-gone Celestians in Basilea, while the worship of their good aspects, the Shining Ones, is an integral part of life. It is a kingdom where time has stood still, where some of the glories of the elder days might still be found. Noble Paladins devote their entire lives to battle and prayer, undergoing arduous quests to prove their purity to the Shining Ones. Many Orders of the Sisterhood guard the borders. Purity, courage, and strength are the watchwords of these warrior virgins.

The Hegemon of Basilea is king and high priest both. It is within his power to appeal directly to the Shining Ones. These remaining noble aspects of the Celestians dwell atop the mountain of Kolosu, an impossibly high pillar of rock, and from there they watch over the Hegemony. They rarely manifest directly, although it is not unknown for one or the other of them to take to the battlefield even in these lesser times, but will send their servants to the aid of the Basilean armies, should the occasion warrant it. These are the Elohi, angelic beings of immense power, who appear in the guise of beautiful, winged humans armoured all in gold. In war they are all but unstoppable, as terrible in combat as they are merciful and kind out of it.

But alongside the purest aspect of true faith and benevolence, Basilea has its sinister side too. Free thinking of any kind is not easily tolerated, and Basilean culture therefore remains hidebound and unchanging. Periodic panics about agents of the Wicked Ones sweep the nation, leading to innocent and guilty alike being condemned to death by mass drowning in the Cleansing Pools.

The Hegemon does not rule unchallenged; blood feud is all too common, driven by fires of honour and religious fervour that cannot be quenched. Orcs press upon Basilea from the north, while relations with the Dwarfs to the east are at their lowest ebb. And atop their pillar of stone, the Shining Ones watch, for the most part silent. Protectors of Mankind, some say, capricious immortals who toy with the lives of lesser beings, say others.

The Basileans are adherents of the Shining Ones, and large numbers of paladins, warrior monks and battle nuns are found in their armies. The angelic Elohi fly above the hosts of Basilea, lending their pure voices to the battle hymns of holy warriors, and their strength to the army’s assault.

Basilea’s wealth means that its footsoldiers march to war clad in the finest plate and bearing the very best weapons that money can buy. Vast armies of them march to protect its borders, bolstered by the elite religious warriors of the Paladins on foot and atop mighty warhorses, and the fanatical sisterhood, fighting on foot or riding to battle mounted on war panthers or chariots pulled by these magnificent, if terrifying apex predators. Their warmachines are intricate and well built, and their magical support is second to none, Basilea having the highest concentration of magical colleges anywhere in the world.

With these forces alone, Basilea could endure for centuries as one of the great powers of Pannithor. When the forces of the Shining Ones are added, the eternal supremacy of the Golden Horn is assured. Elohi march alongside the troops of Basilea, living manifestations of divine fury, each the equal of many dozens of men. It is no surprise that Basilea has become as arrogant as it is fervent. There are simply no powers in the world who can match it. For now.

## Orders

There are several Orders within Basilea:

* The all female order of the Orders of the Sisterhood
* The Order of Basilean Paladins made up of both the Order of the Ardent Light and the Order of the Sacred Ark
* Also as part of their sharing the Eternal Watch with the remans of the Brotherhood, the Order of the Brothermark and within that the Order of the Brotherhood.

## Characters

* Abbess Petrynia
* Bartolius of Sinners Vigil
* Blessed Sister Vaelleri
* Captain Charn Ferrus
* Captain Dionne
* Danor the Wizard
* Domitius
* Gnaeus Sallustis
* Hegemon Bolisean
* High Paladin Ecquitar
* High Paladin Gnatius
* Ibrahim the Paladin
* Jahus
* Jaymes Ellias, Basilean Naval officer
* Jullius, Dragon of Heaven
* Karnon Senne
* Nakir
* Orion of Suda, Paladin Defender
* Samacris, Mother of Phoenixes
* Tancred of Effisus, Lord Paladin
* The Mother Infernal
* Tollivar, the Seer

## Novels

* Dungeon Saga – The Dwarf King’s Quest
* Tales of Mantica: Steps to Deliverance
* Tales of Pannithor: Faith Aligned
* Tales of Pannithor: Pious
* Tales of Pannithor: The Battle of Dawn Keep

## Battles

* The Battle of Andro
* The Battle of Tarisios

## Army Units

* Men-at-Arms Swordsmen
* Men-at-Arms Spearmen
* Paladin Foot Guard
* Sisterhood Infantry
* Men-at-Arms Crossbowmen
* Sisterhood Scouts
* Gur Panthers
* Paladin Knights
* Sisterhood Panther Lancers
* Sisterhood Panther Chariot
* Ogre Palace Guard
* Elohi
* Heavy Arbalest
* Phoenix
* Bearer of the Holy Icon
* Dictator
* Ur-Elohi
* Paladin Chaplain
* Priest
* High Paladin
* Abbess on Panther Chariot
* Abbess
* War-Wizard
* Ogre Palace Guard Captain
* High Paladin on Dragon

## Main Battle Warships

* Dictator Class
* Hegemon's Fury
* Abbess Class
* Elohi Class

## Support Battle Warships

* Gur Panther Class
* Gunbrig
* Sloop Squadron

## Captains

* Jaymes Ellias, Basilean Naval officer
* Katrina von Specctra

## Other Named Warships

* Enduring Grace
* Kolosu’s Glory
* Pious - Elohi Class Warship
* Wrath of Domivar

Basilea is the greatest nation of men in Pannithor, and possesses arguably the best human navy. Their ships are certainly a sight to behold, with brilliant white sails and sculpted golden prows proclaiming their devotion to the Shining Ones.

Characterised by massive ships of the line, supported by an array of smaller, more specialised vessels, Basilean fleets are unlike any other human warfleets in both appearance and battle tactics. Like all human warfleets, however, the Basilean Navy depends upon sail for its speed and manoeuvrability. Their sailors are expert in bringing vessels alongside the enemy, or even crossing their bows, so that the gunners might unleash several decks of thunderous broadsides, delivering the divine wrath of the Shining Ones to their foes. Indeed, of all human fleets, it is the **Basileans** who both pioneered and perfected the tactic of breaking the enemy line, developing the Dictator-class warship for just that purpose. For the Basileans, victory alone is not enough – the enemy, should they be faithless, must be destroyed utterly.

Much like on land, the **Basileans** dedicate all they do to the gods. Some liken the Basilean ships to floating temples, which in the case of the larger vessels is literally true. Priests are assigned to every ship, blessing cannon-shot as it is loaded, and filling the crew with a sense of righteous piety as they go to war. In battle, the Elohi swoop overhead, their battle-hymns inspiring zealous fervour within the faithful, and dread in the wicked. Their most famous warships are emblazoned with names like Wrath of Domivar, Kolosu’s Glory, and Hegemon’s Fury – names that evoke a solemn and reverential pride in their crews, who would rather fight to the last sailor than abandon one of these glorious vessels.

The Basilean fleet relies heavily on the deployment of large line-of-battle ships, laden with heavy cannon. These vessels are square-rigged sailing ships, with robust hulls and tall aft castles, offering their captains commanding views of the seascape before them.

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