Nauzica Brigade

[yopplwasupxxx 5946]

His Imperial Majesty’s Nauzica Brigade

“A handful of men, inured to war, proceed to certain victory, while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multitudes of men dragged to the slaughter.”

Ser Vulpes Roke, whilst educating a young Albert de Falstaff in the halls of Anpalais. 

 

The Nauzica Brigade is regarded as one of the most formidable fighting forces throughout the Empire, a proven rally of established Gentlemen who don golden spurs that distinguish them from their fellow man as elite soldiers and champions of the Imperial cause. Mounted warriors who display both the finesse of combat as well as that of courtesy and chivalry make up the Brigade. To be a Nauzican is a great honor, defenders of the Empire and the iron fist of His Imperial Majesty’s justice. The Brigade consists of an officer corps comprised of tested and battle-hardened Knights, supported by a brotherhood of gentlemen comprised of savvy Nobles and ambitious commoners, keen to rise through the ranks and show their worth to their Emperor and their countrymen. 

 

Whilst the purpose of the Nauzica is primarily to protect His Imperial Majesty, it also functions as a peacekeeping agent within the Empire. In times of great strife the Emperor will dispatch the Brigade to deal with rioters and other would be scoundrels who threaten the serenity of the realm.

 

OFFICERS OF THE BRIGADE

“There is no defeat in death...Victory comes in defending what we know is right while we still live.”

Ser Michael Hightower to his men upon his ascension to Captain

 

 

Captain of the Nauzica

The most prestigious position of the brigade. The Captain has perfected his martial skills in both personal combat and that of commanding his men and therefore is deemed most worthy to hold this office, a close confidant and trusted servant of His Imperial Majesty. A Captain has earned the admiration His Majesty, as well as of his own men to elevate him to this position. He is worthy of wearing a golden skull, signifying his rank.

 

Lieutenant of the Nauzica

No general can fight his battles alone. He must depend upon his lieutenants, and his success depends upon his ability to select the right man for the right place. A Lieutenant is a soldier with the ability to command the respect and admiration of his fellow Gentleman. He provides invaluable council to his Captain as well as impeccable prowess upon the  field. He is worthy of wearing a silver skull, signifying his rank.

 

The Standard-Bearer

Though this soldier holds no authority of office amongst the Brigade, it cannot be argued that he is not pivotal to its success in battle. For this man holds the banner of the Brigade, a black field decorated by white skulls, reminding foes that they shall soon join its numerous collection. Should the standard-bearer fall, it is expected that a Nauzican raise the banner once more and continue the fight. He is worthy of wearing an ivory skull, signifying his rank.

 

The Adjutant

This Nauzican demands respect, a stalwart of the Brigade, he is tasked with drilling the men on what it really means to be a Nauzican. He distills in them the required etiquette and discipline required to serve their Emperor. He is worthy of wearing an ivory skull, signifying his rank.

 

The Quartermaster

Such a demanding fighting force requires the best logistical organisation in the Empire. The Quartermaster is responsible for arming the men and maintaining their basic needs, such as their lodging and pensions. He is worthy of wearing an ivory skull, signifying his rank.

 

 

 

THE GENTLEMEN CORPS

“A Nauzican ought to be a man of strong and well connected sense, with a tolerable good education, a gentleman, as well as a soldier both in theory and practice.”

The Nauzica Handbook

 

 

This collection of men have been picked by the Officers of the Brigade, singled out as embodying the skills and bravado necessary to serve their Emperor in his Nauzica. They should possess great skill with a blade, whilst also having perfected the tact of courtly life. The Corps is bolstered the likes of aspiring warriors, aristocrats and Nobles, who seek favour at court and to perhaps begin to climb the ladder that is Imperial politics.  Gentlemen are expected to accompany the Emperor about his business, acting as retainers and guards when necessary, therefore it is important they be dressed smartly and appropriately. Whilst the men are handpicked, all are within their rights to petition to join, though whether they will be accepted is an entirely different matter.
 

 

 

HISTORY OF THE NAUZICA BRIGADE

“War can only be abolished through war … in order to get rid of the blade it is necessary to take up the blade.”

Vitallius de Capua to Edwyn Harwyn upon the morn of the Battle of Atlay.

 

 

The time of the establishment of the Nauzica Brigade can be attributed to the onset of the Hexer Uprisings in the Aeldinic province of Agathor. There, in 1487, the exiled prince Charles Henry of the House of Horen found himself charged by his host the governor Benda Chivay to quell an arcane insurrection in the prefecture of Nauzica. The governor invested the young pretender a body of two-hundred archers, one-hundred men-at-arms, and two dozen demi lancers to serve as his personal escort. Along with this host, Charles was granted command over the Bullion Band, a landsknecht-mercenary company led by the infamous cavalier and minstrel Frederick ver de Linde. The Prince of Alstion and ver de Linde soon grew to be close companions in their travels hunting down seditious practitioners of maleficium. Their exploits on the field of battle earned them immense renown; it was not long until the Audemar, Emperor of Aeldin, son of Horos the Usurper, caught wind of their feats. In an uncommonly merciful ploy to secure the Horen claimant's allegiance and neutralize him as a threat, Audemar had the pair and their armies return to Nova Horos, the seat of the Horosid usurpers, to serve the empire as a vanguard.

 

This new and sumptuous company of soldiers was christened the Nauzica Brigade, a regiment and company in service to the Empire of Aeldin. Charles Henry had no intent of betraying his new liege; already used as a pawn prior in countless Aeldinic civil wars, he contented himself with this pardon and bore no indignities over his birthright. Yet the ambition of Frederick ver de Linde knew few bounds. Sowing the seeds of dissent, he inflicted the young prince the notion that he could challenge the might of Aeldin and reclaim his father’s rightful position. 

 

Their rebellion in the early winter months of 1498 collapsed within a year’s time. The expected de Sola detachments needed so desperately for the Horen claimant to prevail had arrived after the Battle of Ronda, where Emperor Audemar decisively prevailed over Frederick’s armies through the tactical brilliance of a double envelopment. The skulls of the avaricious Lieutenant ver de Linde’s along with thirteen of his senior officers were sent to the Horen prince’s camp; forced into exile in face of this staggering defeat, Charles fled to the continent of Athera in hopes of gathering fresh hosts to press his claim once more, leaving his wife and infant son at Governor Benda’s palace. Yet he would arrive in King Andrew’s court to only be forced to the cloisters, the paranoid sovereign wary of the prince’s intentions. Henceforth, the might of the Nauzican Brigade had dwindled; once a standing army, it now consisted of ill-more than a minor retinue in service of The Old Pretender Polycarp, Prince Charles’ new moniker as a friar of faith They took a new sigil thereafter, fourteen skulls on a black field in honor of those defiled at the Battle of Ronda. 

 

Yet in 1526 with the ascent of Polycarp’s son, John Frederick, to the title of Holy Orenian Emperor, the Nauzican Brigade was once again granted imperial authority. At his coronation, the whole corps was on duty at the Cathedral of Saint Lucien, being formed into two guard companies in homage to the brigade’s roots. Under the helm of the veteran knight Vulpes Roke, ardent Horen loyalist, the Brigade once-more attained a level of distinction they had lost in exile. It was remarked that the band of soldiery lingered to the Emperor as wraiths, their presence never unnoticed by the courtiers of Praha Palace. When Vulpes had expired of natural causes, the emperor’s baseborn son, John of Peremont presided over the palace guard. His ineptitudes, missteps, and greed had caused a decline in the corps’ ability; choosing to restyle the force as the Impera Brigade to appease Vailor natives, he lost the support of many veterans of the band who cherished their Aeldinic heritage and replaced them with the unsavoury sons of Felsen’s political elite in turn for bribes. John Jrent was exiled and the Nauzica disbanded in 1546, after the imperial bastard and the corps were found embezzling city funds.

 

For ten years, the security of the imperial line and the palace of Ancelcourt was left to watchmen and conscripted courtiers of the palace. This martial atrophy was not noticed until the reign of John II, where incessant dreadlander raids managed to threaten the governance of the state. In an effort to restore order in court and defend the imperial household, he proclaimed the Nauzica Brigade to be reinstated once more, and charged Ser Drevin de Sarkozy the Red as its Captain.

The fledgling brigade took great prominence during the Rurikid Uprising of 1557, performing skillful flanking and maneuverability against the enemy during the infamous Battle of Dogger Bay, where the young Michael Sunfield, later to be the 5th Captain of the Brigade, led a devastating front against the Dreadlander encamped line. Later in the war, the Brigade took a leading role in the capture of Seahelm in 1559, overwhelming the city’s defenses and butchering the Rurikid levy in mass massacre.

 

For the remainder of John II’s reign, the Nauzicans remained as palace guards; with the Emperor’s unwillingness to enter vassal conflict or even external conflict, the Brigade saw little action. The Krajian Revolt of 1560 led to Nauzica’s reentrance into the battlefield once more, however the battles were mere skirmishes in comparison, and majority of the fighting would be had by the Emperor’s loyal northern vassals. The Brigade soon dwindled in size from its compared bolstered ranks of years’ past. With John II’s abdication in 1567 and his son, John III, taking the throne in his wake, the Brigade command was granted to his brother, the Prince Alexander Sigismund, in replacement for the stepping-down of Ser Michael the Aengul. With time comes change of course throughout the next 15 years many reforms would be made to the Nauzica including its brief inclusion in the order of Astlion then in 1579 it was integrated into the Imperial Legion.

After the passing of John III, assassinated by what is presumed to be a descendent of the High Elven purists, and then John IV via the unorthodox northerners who took offence to the Imperial Liege - the official declaration of our previous Liege’s funeral’s set upon: 1585; 13th of Deep Cold. -  The Nauzica was to be re-founded at the behest of Philip I with his uncle, Prince Philip Louis, to take the reigns of the Nauzica Brigade and bring it back to its righteous glory and stand stalwart against anyone individual aspiring to harm the imperial family. Shortly after, however, the Holy Empire of Oren fell into civil war, with a vast amount of vassals and commoners alike flocking to the rebels banner, The 7th Captain of the brigade Philip Louis turned his cloak, opting to support the rebellion. For years the Brigade would lay dormant, no new heroics to add to its countless accomplishments. With the rise of the Pertinaxi, Emperor Augustus I reformed the Nauzica under the command of Stefan Morovic. This was undoubtedly a poor time for the men who took up the mantle once more. Political scheming and a lack of authority reduced the Brigade to mere ceremonial guards with none of the power nor prestige wielded by previous iterations. They saw no conflict, no chance to prove their mettle and as such would soon degrade into nothingness once more. The Nauzica was officially disbanded in 1708. 

 

 

FORMER CAPTAINS
The captains of Nauzica are listed below, those esteemed men entrusted with the leadership of the prestigious brigade.

1st Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Charles Henry Horen, Prince of Alstion
2nd Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Vulpes Roke
3rd Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser John Godfrey Horen, King of Vandoria
4th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Drevin de Sarkozy
5th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Michael Hightower

6th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Alexander Sigismund 

7th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Edwyn Harwyn
8th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Philip Louis Horen-Marna, Duke of Marna

9th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Owein aep Cynan

10th Captain of the Nauzica Brigade: Ser Stefan Morovic

 

THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

Those inducted into the Nauzica Brigade are to recite the Oath of Allegiance in either four languages: the Low Imperial tongue, Marian, Auvergne, or the traditional High Imperial form;

 

Low Imperial - I swear to be true to the Lord, the Emperor, and his realm and not to maintain silence about any evil that I may know which is being contemplated against them. I swear also not to eat or drink with traitors and not to have anything in common with them, and always to defend the honor of the gentlemen I serve. On this I kiss the cross.

 

New Marian - Ea warvimar oe ayes Jove, Impeotor, ag birodeo ag nayes telvinmar susiev alievm destorivatin ea sar societinmar der ovarebelor tinkoresor versitiv almarev. Ea warvimar jalen nayes maniseo ov nayes beboreo rhodievn ov sar samilit rhodievn ag peiv verdeneo fortuniv te brudasi ea raesimar. Dol ul ea valenmar loraetor.

 

Auvergne - Je jure que je suis vrai envers le Seigneur, l'Empereur et son royaume et pour ne pas garder le silence sur le mal que je connaîtrai qui est envisagé contre eux. Je vous jure aussi de ne pas manger ou boire avec des traîtres et de ne rien avoir en commun avec eux, et toujours de défendre l'honneur des messieurs que je desserte. Sur ce, j'embrasse la croix.

 

High Imperial - Testor esse Dominum Imperatorem et taciturnitas regnumque mali quod sciam meditandum resistebant. Nec me hercule ne comederes panem neque biberes proditori aliquid commune cum semper tueri honorem iudices servio. De hoc ego osculantur crucem.

 

HANDBOOK OF THE NAUZICA

Composed by Ser Alexander Sigismund, this piece of literature holds vital feats of the Brigade as well as a plethora of useful information ranging from survival tips to in-depth guides into weapons handling.

((https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tbUk663tobw693R9NJ0t1erzMZHIKupmjJzBR-a3s44/edit?usp=sharing))

 

 

 

[1_Language_1 1671]

“Wow, first it’s here and then it’s gone and now it’s back!”
Matthias Rutledge comments in private, flipping over the missive.

[Chorale__ 2147]

Fitonor de Fontaine-Elmoool recalls the time that he was apart of the Nauzican Brigade.

 

[Taketheshot 3834]

Ser Philip Wonders from the seven skies why he wasnt properly included as the 10^th Captain. 

[MadOne 4945]

Ser Wilheim thinks about Ser Thomas, and nods his approval, flashing the emperor a thumbs up!

[Enlightenment 2299]

John nods, quite happy to be squired to Ser Thomas, though he does wonder where the Illatian version of the oath is!

[Legoboy7984 3155]

Ser Henrik Ludovar nodded.

“Shame you couldn’t stick with the Marian Retinue.. duty calls for you I guess to lead the Nauzicans.”

[ferdaboy 3483]

‘Wow I hope I’ll be able to contribute to the Empire in the Nauzican bridgade!’ says an ambitious vet that is still awaiting entry into Helena

[El Ricktador 1394]

8 hours ago, Taketheshot said:

Ser Philip Wonders from the seven skies why he wasnt properly included as the 10^th Captain. 

An aged Augustus also wonders how Stefan is listed rather than Philip....

He thinks that perhaps this is a result of some sort of delusion on behalf of the currently listed 10^th captain.

[argonian 14254]

(( 

))

[HurferDurfer1 2978]

Somewhere in the seven skies, former Brigade man Bottle spits on the memory of Stefan, a man whose woman he had wooed away.

[Christ 939]

William Veres wishes to join to nauzican brigade