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Chapter Text

RE:TAIPING 

What if Subaru’s life became like that of Hong Xiuquan of the Taiping rebellion?

On an unremarkable day of an unremarkable week, in an unremarkable rice-patty outside the fine city of Banan, a man emerged from the water, gargling and confused, with cylinders of rice patty atop his head.

Quite a humorous sight.

This man would change the course of history forever.

And there was a strange voice in his head. 

“…”

“You are the Brother of Od Lagna.”

“What?”

“You are the Brother of Od Lagna.”

“Who is this?”

“You are the Brother of Od Lagna.”

“Why?”

“You are the Brother of Od Lagna.”

“Ok.”

“Thank you brother. Refer to yourself as such.”

“What do you mean!!?”

“You are the Brother of Od Lagna.”

A few months passed on. A rumor began to spread among the millions of Kararagi peasants and laborers, a new oracle-man had emerged in the far-west, and was gaining notoriety for his divinations.

His claims turned heads, giving him attention. But his effectiveness in divining the future gave credence to those claims.

He could successfully predict rains, predict bæstly attacks, predict droughts and divinate the locations of lost items. Every village he went to left awe-inspired by his prophetic nature.

He was the self proclaimed brother of Od Lagna, a man from beyond the waterfall.

These claims were insane, completely bizarre, and yet seemed to have credence, for he was shockingly effective in his divinations.

He called himself Subaru Natsuki. 

The self proclaimed brother of Od Lagna.

\\\

In the first month of the common year 350, he had visited eight villages around Banan and was now a local celebrity in Kararagi. His name became known by all as the man who made the crops bloom. He was known to teach of spreading strange substances in the fields. To those who had placed their faith in the strange man, they’d be rewarded with shocking crop yields.

Kararagi was in terrible drought at this time, as the rains had failed to come.

He made his debut in the city of Banan on the seventh month of 350. He went to the taverns and forums of the city and yelled prophecies of torrential rains and floods of terrible proportions.

Some of his new entourage of followers propagated the message. He warned the Bananians to:

“Build ditches of drainage, for the rains will wash away your crops and livelihoods!”

“Build ponds of retention; so that your crops may not be drowned!”

“And if your house is located by the river? Bring your things to the high grounds and wait out the floods!”

He gave them three weeks until the great rains came. Three weeks enough to prepare or flee.

One half. scoffed and laughed as if Subaru was a madman. The other half that believed him heeded his warnings and dug their ditches, or fled for the high hills.

And when the third week came, a horrific display of survivorship bias could be seen.

Those by the riverbanks who heeded his warnings escaped the great flood of 350, with their lives and livelihoods, only losing their abodes in the floods. But those who scoffed at his teachings were thrown off the great waterfall’s Kararagi Waterfall by horrific torrents of flood and deluge. 

A man named Yekelta Magoji, the mayor of the city, managed to survive, but his house had been carried away. He was a very lucky man.

The peasant prophet gained the title, Savior of the Banan Waterbasin.

Those who were skeptical were like the missing spitfires which returned from the skies. A distinct lack of sceptics and rationals.

The government began to take notice as the now famous peasant prophet traveled downriver to the city of Azamiki, now followed by a huge entourage of devoted peasants and farmworkers.

It was now the eleventh month of 350, and the mysterious Subaru arrived at the gates of the northern city of Azamiki.

The arrival of hundreds of people who adamantly believed of Subaru’s divinating abilities, along with the news of his successful prediction of the floods, created a mystic atmosphere in the city. 

Azamiki was one the more religious cities in Kararagi, and Subaru played them like fiddles, for his words were absolute and his ideals completely comparable with the native Shinto-Lagnan syncretics, in other words, it clicked for Azamiki.

He had already buttered up the city by sending a letter to their Grandmaster warning of floodwaters and debris shortly before the great flood, The grandmaster, for reasons unknown to history, believed the strange letter and ordered his provincial guard to evacuate the towns and cities by the great Zarestianic River. This would prove a wise decision as the towns and abodes would soon find themselves untimely ripped from the bedrock and blastfully thrown off the great waterfall by torrents of floodwaters and the logs and timber from the houses  thousands of nonebelievers in the Banan waterbasin.

When he arrived, he found not skepticism but deep curiosity and expectations. He would not disappoint.

His predictions were quite accurate, for he could predict rains, foretell of lotteries, and even divinate the return of a sacred comet, “Zarestianius Dae Nortas” with horrifically potent accuracy. 

But there was something else that Subaru did which set him apart from Madmen and prophets of yore. 

He left something behind in the cities and towns which he visited.

New techniques of agriculture, manuring, he taught the people of Azamiki to utilize the phosphor of the nearby Crimson Hills Girall to enrich the soils and better the harvests, he taught of strange concepts like germs and hygiene, and famously declared in a bar that the drinks of the taverns could quite literally save the people from humors and festers. He taught to dispose of the bodily waste directly off the great waterfall, and taught to wash the hands before eating and mingling. He told the Grandmasters to isolate those who suffered from disease in rooms with no windows, permitting only those who had successfully beaten back the plagues to enter.

And it worked. The people of the city were now reminded of Subaru’s visit every time they ate plump fruits, washed their hands, or threw a sickman into the tower.

It worked so well. The population would increase by a horrendously massive factor thanks to the combination of Higher crop yields and significantly lower rates of infant mortality caused by the plagues and famines. And these children were going to grow up hearing tales of the strange man Subaru, and his divining powers.

A few of his most devoted now truly began to believe he was the Actual Brother of Od Lagna.

The year was now 351. 

The east was stirring.

Lugunica was beginning its process of civil dissolution, demihumans and humans began to migrate to their respective grottos as violence and tension reached critical levels. The seven nights of shattered crystal, a period of extreme anti-Demihuman violence, occurred in southern Lugunica. The government’s response was trivial, and provincial militas and organizations were beginning to coalesce and form.

Back in Kararagi, Kyo was also in uproar.

The Great Coup, a political movement of Revanchists aiming to recapture the historically Ethnic Kararagi city of Pristella had successfully couped the previous government’s moderates, and had begun to remilitarize the Kararagi Citystates.

On the second month of 351, Subaru was conscripted to the newly raised 2nd Banan Infantry division, a troop formation numbering 8000, and was sent to the northern border at Gusteko for training. 

He had quarrels with this, but a small army numbering 20,000 had also been sent by the Kararagi Centralized government to linger in the space between Banan, Azamiki, and Zarestia’s bed, essentially removing any chance of civil disobedience.

For 8 months until the 9th month of 351, Subaru trained his sword and pike with the army and his Spiritual affinity was discovered.

At this time, the geopolitical situation between Gusteko and Kararagi was much more cordial, and a secret Kara-Gustekatrok alliance had been made, agreeing on terms to split the northern regions of Lugunica into spheres of influence should a civil war begin.

And by the way, in his 8 months of training, Lugunica was literally on the brink of Balkanization; it was but a coin drop away from shattering into warlordism, and violent skirmishes had begun in the north and northeastern regions of the kingdom.

The Demihuman underground organizations, under the leadership of Libre Ferme, Cragwell Dawson, Volga Cromwell and many prominent Demi-Humans, had fully coalesced and were gaining strength, raising underground divisions of irregulars and stocking weapons for the impending catastrophic civil war.

The Demihuman war was about to begin.

As part of the Gustek-Kararagi secret alliance, divisions numbering no more than 1000 were allowed to cross one another’s borders within 10 kilometers for training and exercise. A strange  clause in the treaty, but one that both sides exercised to get a better knowledge on the other nation’s border geography.

Subaru was ordered on one of these cross border expeditionary forces, The first Kararagian Expeditionary force trained for 4 months in the Gustek forests north of Tennmitsu.

On the first month of 352, New years celebrations in a provincial city were falsely confused with riots, and a provincial gaurd division was mobalize to quell rioters that did not exist. The appearance of armed troops at a peaceful celebration turned the peaceful celebration into a riot, and the riot escalated into a street fight. The streetfight escalated into a battle, where the Lugunican Armed gaurd attempted to retrieve a Magic Cannon fron the city’s armory, but found the cannon aimed at them instead with a flag bearing the words “Come and try to take it.” The two sides tried to meet, but the representatives on both sides were assasinated, a Demihuman and a Sapien.

The provincial uprising was just the spark that the Lugunican nation needed.

The petroleum soaked mess that was lugunica 48 years before the royal selection, exploded into flames. 

The kingdom shattered, and the Demi-Human war erupted into a battle for survival for both parties.

The festering puss which had afflicted Lugunica for decades finally popped.

The first two years would be a relatively phony war, as both sides raised armies and supply, preparing for the battles that would occur in 354

The First Expeditionary Division was recalled back to Kararagi and reunified with the 2nd Banan Infantry Division.

Subaru returned not alone from the land of esper, he came with 3 spirits,

A feminine spirit of Yin, which he named Riska

A spirit of fire, named Tianjin

And a spirit of Earth, whom was named Cassiopeia.

And.

In transit from the Northern country southwards, he had met somebody.

A chance encounter.

On the side of the road, a hitchhiker with eyes of orange and a Celadon hair.

Her name was Shion.

They talked for a bit. 

They laughed for a while.

She accompanied the division as they went southwards into Kararagi. 

They laughed some more.

Duty called.

The two made a promise to one day meet again some time in the future. 

They made farewell.

And Subaru departed.

Such was the way of the military.

A year passed as the Kararagi Central Government began to amass more and more troops for the planned offensive.

Subaru was able to use his strange charisma and connections with the recently conscripted population of Banan to rise through the ranks of the Division, becoming the Squadron leader of one the 12 1000 troop arrangements of the 12,000 which were mobilized from Banan. With 12 colleagues, Subaru was able to convert about ¾ of them to believe in his strange prophetic nature, and the 2nd Banan division was practically under his control, Bar the Kyo Commandant who did not buy the rumors of his abilites.

It was now the 2nd month of 354.

The battle of Redonas Plateau marked the first true battle of the civil war.

It was a disastrous and costly mistake for Lugunican Army; they lost around 18,000 men to the Demi-human’s 1280, and they only managed to secure Pyrrhic victory over the plains when the Demi-humans made the decision to strategically abandon the hard to resupply highlands of Redonas. 

It was the battle that signifies that the war would go on for much longer than previously believed. 

They wouldn’t be home by Dragonska-Mas.

There was an agreement between the leadership of the Demihuman Alliance and the Kararagi Army, 

The Kararagi Govenment would provide supplies and weaponry and in  exchange…

…Promising young commandants and officers would be allowed as Attaches to the Demi-Human Army. Thanks to a letter of recommendation from the Grandmaster of Azamiki, Subaru was one of these attaches.

In the 6th month of 354, Subaru arrived as an observer Attaché in the far east of Castour at the closing stages of preparations for the battle there. It would be the farthest east he would ever go in his life.

Subaru, As a lower commandant, he was not permitted into the high security command center, and his knowledge of the coming battle consisted of “We are going to attack them head on at Castour.” The top-secret specifics of the two traps of Cromwell and Sphinx were not permitted to the foreign attaches and lower commanders.

But.

Subaru would have a very huge effect on the outcome of the battle.

An interaction lost in the annals of history occurred.

Subaru had been looking at a large map.

“What if you blew up the rocks here and shifted the river to where they were camping, forcing them to wake up and making them groggy in the battle?”

“…wait that might actually work?”

An unknown interaction imputed an idea into the lower command of the Demi-Human army.

The idea to blow rocks into the course of the river Castouras æst had been introduced. It slowly worked its way around and eventually found its way up the chain of command. The wings of the butterfly flapped and the command of the Demi-Human army.

Volga Cromwell eventually caught wind of the idea to change the course of the River Castouras æst, and it stuck. It solved a key problem in their planning, as there was a hole in their envelopments that could potentially a corp or a small division to escape the planned traps. By shifting the course of this river, this potential path of retreat would be closed.

The plans were altered, and three traps were laid for the incoming Royal Army.

Cromwell’s assault, 

Sphinx’s Magic trap,

And an unknown commander’s idea to change the course of a river upon the enemy.

The battle was glorious. Truly. 

It was a rout. A perfect victory. This victory would be one to finally earn their respect and worthiness.

A truly shocking victory, one that would completely alter the doctrine of the Royal army for the remainder of the war.

A surprise ambush by the forces of Cromwell.

The Main forces of the Royal Army enveloped

A Magic trap of necromancy laid by Sphinx.

The enveloped forces shredded and slaughtered.

And finally,

The Zergev Squadron, having successfully retreated from the encirclement, met an enemy which it had no hope to defeat.

The rumble of Dihydrogen monoxidic progress

The fury of nature vs a measly contingent of troops.

Some drowned.

Some were washed downriver and forced to don civilian attire to cross the war lines and return to friendly territory.

A few lucky ones, namely a certain Grimm and Wilhelm Trias, managed to escape to the other side of the river, and the newly shifted river prevented their pursuit.

Around 2300 Demihuman deaths

To around 80000 Royal Army MIA.

A true Cannae.

Shortly after the Battle of Castour, Diplomatic relations between the Demi-Human alliance and the Kararagi City-State would break down.

The attachés would be forcefully expulged from the territory of the Demi-Human Alliance. 

And so, Subaru and his fellow officers made the long trek across the Demihuman Lines back to Kararagi.

Subaru had learned a lot. 

Observing one of the Greatest battles of all time.

He had learned a damn good amount.

Subaru returned to Kararagi with a greater strategic competence.

Two years passed

The year was now 357.

Subaru had worked his way up the chain of command to become the Commander of the First and Second Banan Infantry Divisions. 24,000 Men were now under his direct control.

This was partly due to his blossoming strategic intuition ,

And partly because of his prophetic abilities

His 3 years of exploits as the Brother of Od Lagna had made him quite the celebrity in Banan and Azimiki, but he was completely unknown in the rest of the country.

His time in the military changed that.

Tales of his exploits began to spread around the entire nation. His mysterious abilities and his prophetic powers. He was assumed to be a stargazer, and the frequent movements of his Banan Divisions had spread his stories far and wide.

He still insisted on calling himself the “Brother of Od Lagna” the world had no idea why.

His Two divisions were completely loyal to him. 3 years of training and prophecy had created a truly and utterly loyal following of soldiers. Whereas before, he was followed by peasants, Subaru was now followed by peasants and warriors.

His prophetic abilities seemed to also work in favor of the military.

Subaru was riding high, controlling two divisions and known countrywide as the “Brother of Od”

And…

He was in love.

Shion.

Over the three years of constant troop movements throughout the Cities of Kararagi, Shion had accompanied Subaru.

A dreamweaver.

And a man who’s dreams were so fantastical, having seen no less than three worlds. A world of Old , A world of modern, and a world of magic. 

Subaru had fallen for her first.

Her personality. She was incredibly young and immature for a half-elf, only 30 years old, but was just as loving and friendly. She was quite innocent, untainted by the horrors of war and the world, and Subaru loved those aspects of her.

Shion fell next.

And by golly did she fall hard.

…

In the sixth month of 357th Year of the standard calendar, 7 Years after Subaru had emerged from the patty, the Battle of Aihiya occured.

In the year after the disaster at Castour, the Royal army had implemented the Fabian Strategy, aiming to completely avoid conflict as they recuperated strength and reorganized the military.

This would’ve been a successful strategy had it not been for the Battle of Aihiya Swamp.

Whereas before, at Castour, it was a flawless victory, here the casualties were more or less equivalent.

83,000 Demihumans fallen, and 95,000 Humans slain.

Libre Ferme dead.

Pivot Arnancy MIA.

A true waste of life.

It was Leip Barielle’s worst screw up.

But it was a strategic victory for the Demihuman Alliance. The road to the Royal Capitol lay completely open.

And they charged in like rabid dogs. 

It was a blitz to the Royal Capitol. As fast as they could feasibly advance they advanced. A mad dash.

Why did they do this?

Perhaps they knew their days were numbered, as the Sword-Saint was soon to awaken.

Perhaps they wanted the dignity of having captured the Royal Capitol.

Perhaps they were simply misinformed.

The truth is lost to history.

The Demihuman advance was spread thin. Their flanks were vurnurable. It was exactly as Stalingrad was to the Germans. An exhausted push towards a symbol of the enemy’s power.

The backlines of the Demihumans were assaulted and overrun by a desperate counterattack by the remnants of the Royal army.

The Bulk of the Demihuman army, now without supply, rushed in to the royal capitol and looted every store and pantry of food and grain. 

And.

Encircled the Surviving elite of the Royal Guard within the Confines of the Royal Castle, the main castle atop the hill in the city.

The situation became this.

The Royal Palace, Holding a Bulwark of encircled defenders within the castle walls.

Surrounded by an encirclement of Demi-Human Forces in the surrounding City and Urban areas of the city. 

They themselves surrounded at the City gates by the Royal army, which was rapidly resupplying and rearming conscripts.

The Double Siege of the Royal Capitol ended when the Demi-Human commanders holed up in the City realized their objective of fully capturing the royal palace itself would never come to fruition in the time before the supplies within the city ran out. They realized that their option was to punch out via the walls and return to friendly territory, allowing the encircled defenders of the palace itself to reunite with their Allies and Counterattack their rear as they retreated.

In other words, The Demihumans we’re the German Sixth army. Cooked.

The decision was made to punch back out of the Capitol.

The second stage of the Battle of the Royal Capitol would be the first and most Decisive victory for the Royalists. 

The Demihumans were routed and kicked from the Capitol. A victory of strategics and propoganda.

The tides turned. The Demi-Humans were now on the retreat.

It was during this siege that Kararagi decided to make their move.

It was the 8th Month of 357, and Subaru had been called back to service.

It was to be an assault against Pristella.

And so, on the 9th month of 357, The Grand Army of Kararagi set out on their 60 year old quest to recapture the city.

Subaru had his divisions assigned to gaurd the flanks, meaning he wouldn’t participate in the assaults against the city itself.

Now.

Pristella had 4 Gates and 4 Bridges to those gates.

It also had 400 tons of Firestone in a warehouse.

When the Kararagi Army began to near.

They blew up their bridges completely.

Now when one remembers the Second Kara-Gunican War, they do not remember the pathetic excuse for a siege that was the “Siege of Pristella.”

No.

They remember the First and only Naval battles in Lagnan history.

The Priestellan Fleet. And the Ivadan Navy.

It was also the first and only engagement of Naval infantry in Lagnan History.

The Ivadan Navy, Flagshipped by the Admiral Admirer, set out to assist the Kararagi Army in their assault against the Watergate city.

They briefly dropped troops on an uninhabited island south of Priestella named the Falkzand islands. Funny.

They then sailed north.

They were met by the Fleet of Priestella. Flagshipped by the Serrara-Rein.

30 trireme ships of the Ivadan Fleet, 32 triremes of the Priestellans. 

The Ivadans charged in head on with their rams and cannons. The Pristellans maneuvered to scatter their formations, but underestimated the sheer bloodlust of the Ivadan fleet. The Ivadans charged in like wild dogs and successfully broke Through, but the Pristellans had a trick up their sleeve.

The Corvus.

The Ivadan Decision to charge in was a mistake as they found themselves boarded by Enemy troops. Oops. 

At the end of the battle, 20 triremes of the Priestellans were sunk, their flagship intact.

18 Ivadan triremes were sunk, including the Admiral Admirer. 

But.

7 Ivadan triremes were captured.

The battle was a complete waste of money on both sides, as winter soon came and made the outcomes of the battle completely worthless. The Tigracy sea became filled with ice and the remnants of both fleets returned to their harbors.

The Falkzand islands, who were being garissoned by around 50 chaps, were recaptured without much of a fight and the second Kara-Gunican war became a phony stalemate.

It would be the first and last naval battle in Lagnan history.

Subaru had been watching this all. He now had his taste in naval combat and had learned a lot in military capabilities. He had been watching the battle of the Tigracy Sea from the coast and was powerless to do anything about it, as he was an armyman and that was a naval shithole.

Eventually, the Kararagi High command realized that navally assaulting a literal fortress city defended by Magic Cannon, which also had 5 consecutive rings of inhabitation separated by 5 rings of watergated water. 

They’d have to naval invade without a navy climb over a giant wall, and then streetfight their way between 6 more rings of water, catacombs, and god knows what else.

And even if after all that, the Kararagi army reigned victorious, a hidden stash of Firestone could simply blow up the wall and flood the city, making their Herculean efforts for nothing.

Only now did the Kararagi High Command realize, why the hell did we even do this?

The war was so phoney that when the Tigracy iced over, giving the opportunity to assault the city via land, the general of the Kararagi Army withheld an assault. Officially he was worried about traps, his true reason was that he didn’t want to ruin his Dragonska Celebrations.

He went as far as to call a Dragonska Truce, and some brave soldiers, Subaru included, went across the ice to trade and socialize with the Priestellan defenders, who also came out and socialzied. Of course, had the Defending General of Priestella Uzvil Muse been an asshole, he could’ve lobbed stones at the ice and caused the troops who were meandering towards the walls to fall in and freeze, but luckily, Uzvil Muse the father of Kirikitia was a chill guy.

The Dragonska Truce was probably the only wholesome moment in years, and the Kararagians -in the spirit of capitalism- scammed the Priestellans by overcharging for sweets and chocolates, knowing that the siege had deprived them of the commodities. This scamming would be the only victory that the Kararagians would achieve. 

This was because in the 2nd Month of 358, The battle of the Trias Domain would occur and the Sword Saintess would awaken.

When the Kararagi high command heard the news, they shit their pants and sued for peace. The Lugunicans would pay mild reparations, but they’d be allowed to keep the useless uninhabited rock know as Falkzand for 50 years.

The Kararagians got what they truly wanted. Money.

The Lugunicans got a rock.

What a war.

Subaru was finally free from the clutches of the military. His two divisions were sent back to Banan and deactivated. And Subaru was finally free to return to his favorite pass time;

Being a strange prophetic wanderer who bestowed otherworldly techniques upon the peasants and masses, the self proclaimed Brother of Od Lagna.

Subaru Natsuki’s 7 years of compulsory service - a policy introduced by Hoshin himself based off the number of cities he ruled- had ended.

And he now had a companion.

Over the latter years of his service, Subaru had Shion as a secretary. Officially. 

Also Lilac was there but she had been dormant for a very short period. For an elf that was 7 years, therefore Subaru now knew that he had pulled a girlfriend with multiple personalities.

When Lilac first popped out after her 7 year slumber, she almost had a heart attack after finding out Shion had found a lover. Fortunately, a quick inspection of Subaru’s brain found only loyalty and love, therefore she opted to become the world’s greatest Wingwoman.

Thanks to Lilac, things had been moving incredibly quickly considering she was a half-elf.

Everybody in the 28,000 of the two Banan Divisions knew the truth. 

There were many Farewells as the Divisions were Deactivated. Many teases and many requests to be at their marriage ceremony.

Over the 7 years of service, in the eyes his subordinates Subaru had gone from a mysterious escoteric prophetic figure to a chap who could see the future and was fun to be around.

2 Years passed.

The Siege of Priestella became but a footnote, far overshadowed by the Falkzand War and the Naval engagement at the Tigracy.

The Second battle of the Castour Field put an end to the horrendous Demihuman Civilwar. 

Peace would finally reign in the east.

The love between Subaru and Shion had truly blossomed.

And the best news Subaru had ever had came to be. The strange prophet could only be giddy at his prediction. It was his happiest prediction of all time.

Shion was pregnant. 5 months.

It was the second month of the year 360.

Subaru had gone to Kyo to find a midwife.

Shion was in her Subaru’s home. A small house near a river basin.

Now.

You must understand.

When the centralized government was preparing for it’s grand offensives, it had pulled funding from many different Ministries and Organizations. The ministry of Infastructure was not spared these budget cuts.

The Bankana Hoshina Memorial Dam, had been in dire need of maintenance for no less than 30 years.

Subaru was a prophet.

But he wasn’t omniscient.

He couldn’t be in two places at once.

And couldn’t make it from Kyo to Banan in a day.

It had been light rains. Nothing major.

A new factory had opened up upstream a few years ago. Nothing major.

It’s smokestacks had been acidifying the rains. 

No matter.

The Bankana Hoshina Dam.

A single point failure. 

You get where this is going?

Government Negligence.

It was a glaring example of Centralized Kararagi’s Growing lack of care for the provinces. 

A crack had formed.

The Dam was built in the Echidnianic Era. It was one of the older Dams in the Wastes.

A crack spread.

In the time of the City-Confederation, Maintenance had been done at regular intervals.

Bricks are falling. 

But for 7 years, the aging Dam had been allowed to rot under Acidic rains and the assault of the weather.

A torrent of water about the height of a house pours downstream. 

7 years of Negligence.

How ironic, that Subaru’s idea to flood the Castour Field would come back to Bite him.

Karma is a bitch worse than Elsa.

The waters of death, 12 miles worth of debris and mud. 

Shion had been caught off guard as the house she had found herself in collapsed.

For 6 miles she floundered in a horrific slurry of mud, logs, and debris about double the height of a person.

Only when she finally managed to grab onto the branches of a tree did she manage to pull herself from the horrific maelstrom of villages, logs, and unfortunately, bodies.

She had lived. 

But…

The flood subsided.

And a prophet returned.

The most anguished look of all history and time lay plastered on his face as he arrived.

For the first time in his life.

The prophet had been too late. 

He eyed her stomach.

Too late.

Too late.

The brother of Od Lagna.

Too late.

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. 

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late.

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. 

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late.

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. 

Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late. Too late.

I love you. Subaru, Brother of Od.

Chapter Text

\\\ THE BANAN-KQING REBELLION.

“Newly Appointed Grandmaster Kasimov’s Decree! Taxes shall be raised up the subjects by 10% for the Great Struggle against the Scourge of the East! and for the Rebuilding of the newKararagi High-Grandmaster Yekelta Magoji!’s Dam at the River Azael-Banan!”

Yekelta Magoji.

The High-Grandmaster of all of Kararagi.

He had a wife of the name Ostiana and a son of age 11 named Riften Magoji.

Riften, having been born shortly after the great flood of Banan, had grown up as his father rose to power.

His father, 

He was the most powerful man in Kararagi.

His destiny was to die in a Banan flood, leaving behind a widow and a son to grow up in the unforgiving world.

But he lived.

He was the Former mayor of Banan, having resigned after not believing the words of Subaru to evacuate the lowlands.

And had gone to Kyo after the flood of 350. He believed that Banan’s geography was too unpredictable to govern effectively.

The correct path of fate brought Yekelta to power, having used his oratory skills to rapidly grow to control a fringe group on the sidelines of Kararagi Politic: The Kararagi Centralists.

This fringe group had grown in popularity thanks to it’s goals to rebuild the Old Kararagi state and progress.

Following months of City-State Council failures, deadlock, and genuine incompetence, 3 consecutive Coups occurred in tandem: a Radical Demi-Humanist movement Couped the old government, who then recovered and Countercouped the Demihumans. Then a Party of Social-Democrats countercouped the countercouping government. This cycle of Coups and civil instability was put to an end by the Fourth usurpation by the private forces of the The Kararagi Centralists, 

The Country was changing.

New ideas had been introduced by the thousands of refugees who had poured west during the Demi-Human war.

Ideas of militarism and Chivalry. Ideas of Centralism and Strength.

Had Yekelta Magoji died in the great flood of 350, this storm of ideas would’ve passed, With Kararagi remaining decentralized.

But the butterfly had flapped it’s wings.

The Kararagi State was born.

But it would be but a footnote in the coming events. A state lost to time.

The Kyo Centralist government began it’s Santa-Annification of the previous Confederation of cities by tightening it’s control over the Provincial Grandmasters of the Frontier. 

“New Decree! Provincial Taxes Levied for the Coming Great Struggle! Buy your bonds now!”

There was a small grave atop a hill overlooking Banan. Subaru was kneeling at it. Flowers atop the granite and an inscription. “Rigel”.

For no less than 155 days and nights, Subaru Natsuki, Brother of Od, had been in languish.

And in those 155 Days.

Something inside of him.

Something snapped.

Perhaps he begun to believe the things that were coming out of his mouth. 

Perhaps he finally began to truly listen to the voice in his head. Perhaps. 

Maybe he had truly gone mad. Or maybe he had truly achieved enlightenment.

His descent had begun.

 It is said that the Wholesome peasant prophet of the far-west died on these days. 

And in it’s place, the child of war. 

The Wolfgarm-Meat General

The True Brother of Od Laguna.

The one to tear apart Kararagi in Vengeance.

The year was 360. The 8th month.

And Subaru emerged from his Grief a changed man. 

And he had become bitterly aware of the Central Government’s blinding negligence through his investigations of the aftermath of the Dam collapse. It was quite simple to find out what happened, one simply needed to look at the Maintenance records of the last seven years, and a clear picture emerged.

Blinding and Utter Incompetence.

And Subaru’s Grief soon turned to Bitter Hatred. Bitter hatred for the World, for the government, it was bitter hatred without an outlet.

Until.

The Eleventh Month of the Year of the Dragon 360.

The Provincial Cavalry Divisions marched in. Garissons to enforce the centralist Decrees.

Atop a Ground-Dragon, The former mayor of Banan, Yekelta Magoji. High-Grandmaster of the Seven Cities.

He had returned to his Home City on a tour of the provinces. And he wasn’t well liked here.

This was for a variety of reasons. Firstly, during his time as mayor, he had been quite domineering and had stifled the city’s growth. Secondly, during the great flood of 350, his neglectful leadership and failure to heed Subaru’s warnings made him hated in the city. And finally, when it seemed the city of Banan needed him the most, he left for Kyo.

These three factors made him quite disliked when he returned to the city, not a poor man, but the most powerful man in Kararagi. 

There were crowds. Not Riots but not celebrations. They were simply watching as the Soldiers marched down the road. Subaru was one of those watchers.

Subaru had been in Direct Conflict with the mayor back in the time of the great flood of 350, and still held a grudge years later.

“Hail the High-Grandmaster of Kararagi; Yekelta Magoji!”

The soldiers continued their march.

Somebody decided to be Gavrilo Princep and threw an old Sake bottle at the High-Grandmaster’s head. It connected beautifully and left him covered in broken glass.

That somebody was Subaru.

He had been drinking himself to death in the last days of his period of grief, much to Shion’s dismay. 

Now. Drunken Subaru wasn’t a violent man. Impulsive yes, but not violent. But alcohol had a way of unlocking the true desires of a person.

A heavily inebriated Subaru’s desire was to punch up the world. And for now, Yekelta Magoji on a Ground-Dragon would do.

And so, he drunkenly lobbed the empty Sake bottle in the general direction of the former Banan Mayor, not caring whether it would connect or not.

But it did connect. 

“HALT! Who Threw that Bottle! Show yourself in the name of the law!” The Guards had said.

The crowd was cleared, revealing an inebriated man covered in Sake-Slobber and having an appearance like that of a true Boracho.

“You are under arrest for the attempted assasination of the High-Grandmaster! The sentence is Death!”

The Shinobi-Knights had tackled him to the ground. Knee atop his neck. He was about a minute away from become an honorary Floyd when…

“No. No. Let him be. Subaru was it not? I owe you greatly. Had it not been for your crazed ramblings a decade ago, I would’ve been washed downriver. A life for a life. You saved my life, and therefore it is only right that I spare yours here.”

Perhaps he was still under the effects of having been hit in the head by a bottle.

Perhaps it was genuine legalism.

Perhaps he was trying to make a show of empathy for the public who had witnessed the spectacle.

Perhaps he simply wanted to mock Subaru.

The true motivations for his decision are lost to history.

But the effects of this interaction on Subaru are well known.

“Are you sure?” A guard had said.

“Why not. I’m sure the peasant prophet had a good and noble reason to throw the sake at my head. Perhaps he thought I was thirsty. In that case, thank you for the droplets of sake.”

Yeah it was probably mockery.

A few snickers were heard in the platoons of Shinobi. It was this Charisma that propelled him to rise through the ranks of power.

“Yaæw Fhauk~Inc. Bhastzard! Aæil Kæill ya one day! Æill fhauking Mhaake Yëw Regræt this!”

In the most drunken accent, Subaru had made his declaration.

“Good luck on your endeavors then, Self proclaimed Brother of Od Lagna.”

And he hupped his Ground Dragon to motion.

Subaru waddled back into the bar which he had been in previously. He got a shitload of backpats from the patrons, as he had just gotten away with throwing a bottle at the most politically powerful man in Kararagi.

And Subaru now had a target for his hate. 

After having been humiliated publicly, he vowed to drink no more and once again, like he did in the years of 350 and 351, began to spout his oracles.

“Great rains in two days! Prepare accordingly!”

“Your house is going to be struck by lightning in about two hours. Take this line of copper and run it down from a metal stick atop your chimney and dig a stake into the ground. Connect the two ends and pray to Od.”

“Stop drinking that water. There is shit upstream.”

“Don’t put those herbs in the water. It makes you forget.”

“In three days there is going to be a landslide at Puroska pass. Don’t go there.”

“Yes. You must wash your hands.”

“Yes I am the Brother of Od Lagna. Stop asking for confirmation.”

“Spread your manure in troughs below the soil. Not on the fruits itself you blithering idiot.”

“No. You don’t drink the 80% Alcohol Concentration Sake, you rub it on the wounds. Don’t tell me they’ve actually been drinking that?”

“A convoy of slavers is incoming. Hide your children.”

“Locusts are inbound. Cover your crops in linen and be prepared to eat as many of them as possible.”

“Yes Shion is doing alright after the... Accident. Thank you for asking.”

“No. You have to cover the manure in the 80% Sake to kill the germs before you plant. Not after. Plants don’t drink alcohol.”

“What? I already answered. I am the Brother of Od Lagna… How do I prophecize? I can’t say: verbal taboo.”

“Alright chaps. Mercury isn’t for drinking. Holy fuck, what do you mean they’ve been drinking this for centuries? Jeez!”

“I’ve found who was clipping the coins. It was a Pig-Demihuman named Galgowitz. Typical.”

“No buddy. Pouring too much Nitrate on your fields won’t make beanstalks that scrape the sky.”

“Hail is coming. 6 days. Prepare.”

“Yes, your wife is cheating on you with your best friend. I wouldn’t take that if I were you.”

“Alright everyone. The Kyo Tax-assessors are coming. Make your homes look as poor and disheveled as possible. Hide your wealth and fast for a couple days to give them the illusion of poverty. Throw trash on the streets and have the skinnier chaps in the village appear as beggars. This should make it appear as though the village is struggling, therefore keeping taxes low. We have two weeks.”

After the sword saintess had sworn to pacifism, The Kararagi High Command, having been purged of it’s previous leaders following the failure to capture Priestella, 

In preparation for the continuation war to recapture the Falkzands and finally reconquer the city of Priestella, taxes were being raised on the provinces.

The People of Banan obeyed. And in two weeks, just as predicted. The Tax-Assesors, true servants of Satella, arrived to raise the taxes.

They found a dirt-poor city that was broke beyond compare.

They decided to be merciful and only raise taxes to 7%. This was mercy because in the other cities, it was going as high as 18%.

The tax collectors went around barging into peoples houses looking for things to tax, expensive items to list, and property values to determine.

The people of Banan made sure to play out many muggings and acts of public barbarity in their view, ensuring that the tax collectors believed the city to be a shithole.

They left having stolen candy from children and sent word to the tax collectors of the desired payments.

And overnight the shithole transformed once more into a nice and pristine Western City.

It was all an act. 

And it showed how much control Subaru was beginning to have in the provinces of Banan and Azimiki.

He left the city of Banan with his wife and went south to Outou. It was the first month of 361, and more than a decade had passed since his emergence from the patty.

And he did what he did best.

Look like Jesus.

He came with a huge following, and spread his oracles far and wide. 

The tales of ten years of successful oracles followed him. And oh goodness did those tales spread. 

The Brother of Od Lagna has become a sensation. A movement. And while the Nobility scoffed and laughed, the peasantry and Lower merchants gave ear and were soon swayed.

When he travelled. Ma-birds followed, giving him a mystical aura.

And he was a powerful orator too. He was beginning to be viewed as a more important figure in Far-Western society than even the Provincial Grandmasters and mayors.

By the 7th month of 361, Outou was his.

And the Government had finally had enough of the Self Proclaimed Brother of Od Lagna.

A decree was put in place that the man known as Subaru Natsuki was to return to Banan and be forbidden from leaving it without Knightly Escort.

Now. The geopolitical situation of 361 was quite interesting. In the time of the Demi-Human civil war, around two million refugees had poured westward. They were mostly Middleclass; as the peasants and serfs were too poor to make the trek and had to deal with the worst of the war, and the nobility had too much to lose in abandoning their estates in a time of war

The influx of millions of highly skilled Craftsman, Labororers, Artisans and merchants had created a bit of a Kararagi Golden Age. The economy shot up and the economic downturn was reversed. This happened just a couple months after the Centralists took power, and gave the illusion that they were responsible for the economic upturn, therefore giving their party near complete control and popularity to pursue their prerogatives.

With the Civil war now over, these millions of Craftsman, Artisans, and Merchants returned to their homelands. And they brought the wealth they had made in Kararagi with them.

The reverse of what had occurred in the early days of the Great Demi-Human war now happened in Kararagi. The Kararagi Golden Age ended and a crippling recession now proceeded it.

The centralists could not stem the tide of millions of Emigrees taking their remittances back to Lugunica, and so, countless millions of HGC were lost from the Kararagi Economy. The Joint-stocks went to shit and a true Economic Depression now clutched the country.

Subaru had been able to lessen the effects of the Recession on the Far-Western Provinces via a combination of his predictive nature and his own otherworldly knowledge, and he had brought to Kararagi four years after a great recession of the 2008th year had struck his very own homeland.

With the economy in the toilet and the failures to recapture Priestella, along with the shifting of the River Tigracy away from Ivada, leaving it’s port high and dry, many now believed that the Centralists of Kyo had lost the Mandate of Od.

The Mandate of Od was a supposed non-canon pact in Kararagi Mythology that dictated that Hoshin of the Wastes, founder of the Citystates, had tricked Od Lagna into a pact where only competent governments would be allowed to rule the Western Nation.

And for the people to, in hushed whispers, speak of the government losing the Mandate Of Od, was a very bad sign for the government of Kyo.

Kararagi’s Experiment in Centralized Governance was beginning to deconstruct.

The Thirteenth Kyo Infantry Division was sent to quell potential civil instability within the Banan-Azamiki Region.

Now in the city of Banan, there was an ancient Colosseum about the size of the one in Pompeii, predating the Echidnianic Era of Kararagi by about twenty years. 

As Banan was the only city in Kararagi which banned slavery, the colosseum was instead used for Games of Ball, rather than blood sports.

It was the championship game of the Kararagi National Sport, Baskæt Bæll. And the Banan Team was playing against a team from Kyo.

“Oh Brother of Od! Oh brother of Od! Tell us that we shall defeat the dirty Kyo United Baskæt-Guild!”

“No spoilers.”

Now Hoshin of the Wastes was a bit of a trickster, as the game of Baskæt Bæll involved two goals and a ball of kicking. He had left an Onamastic prank on any future otherworlders by internationally misnaming the sports.

Now when Subaru, The greatest Prophet of the far west, said “No Spoilers.” He said it with a somber expression on his face.

A collective “Ruh Roh” came out across the Gamegoers, and as the game went on, it was easy to see why.

The Ref was a Mole rat. And had Betted for Kyo.

He was blind as a bat and made calls that would’ve shocked even FIFA. 

Subaru introduced the chant “Im Blind Im Deaf I want to be a Ref” to the Lagunan population; and it stuck.

“IM BLIND IM DEAF I WANT TO BE A REF!”

Screamed hundreds of increasingly furious Banan-Bæsket fans as the Ref made increasingly retarded calls. One of the Kyo Players had collapsed to the ground and the Ref called it a tackle. The only problem? The Banan player was 3 feet away from him and had made no contact.

This was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and angry fans began to throw sake bottles at the ref’s head, aiming to emulate the historical throw that the Patron Prophet of the cities had done. 

“FUCK YOU REF!”

Subaru was not drunk but he also threw a Sake Bottle at the Ref’s head. It also connected. When the people found out who had managed to hit him, they cheered and celebrated as the miracle of the Sake Bottle had once again been performed.

And in the true spirit of angry Soccer fans, the Banan fans left the stadium and began to tear shit up to express their anger.

It should be noted that the game continued, and the Banan Team locked in, getting a tie, before losing on technicality.

The Angry crowds of Furious Football Fans went out and broke shit, screaming like apes, and they found the Ref and began to Tar and Feather him.

The ref was a friend of a friend of the Commander of the Fifth Kyo Garrison Infantry division stationed about two days away from Banan.

And the friend called the popo.

Eventually, the rioters met the Fifth Kyo National Infantry and demanded that they be allowed to Tar and Feather the ref for no less than 7 days, as the Ref had made 7 shit calls. 

The Knights made an ultimatum demanding the release of the ref.

A standoff began. And rocks were thrown. Bottles too.

The knights in their Western-Shinobi Armor were armed with crossbows and Kanobo. 

They were being pelted with rocks and arrows.

At some time; The Prophet Subaru suddenly panicked and began screaming at the crowd to stand down.

These screams were misinterpreted as a rallying cry by the crowd, and they intensified their angry efforts against the knights.

Somebody misheard a yell. An angry fútbol fan had dropped a Molotov on their own toes and was screaming “AHH IM ON FIRE! FIRE FIRE!”

One thing leads to another.

And a volley of arrows was shot into the crowd.

…

4 People died. 7 injured.

It would be called The Massacre of Banan.

A man named Kasovoni was the first to bleed out on those streets. 

History remembers his name as the first casualty of the Great Kararagi Civil War.

A war that would last 20 years and claim millions of lives. A war that would shatter the Citystates and quite literally change the course of history forever.

And the Brother of Od’s first battle would be the Retreat from the Banan.

It was the Eleventh month of 361.

An army numbering 40,000 was marching towards Banan to secure the city.

Banan was in uproar at the massacre. 

And The Kyo National Infantry falsely believed that the self proclaimed “Brother of Od” was responsible. An order for his arrest had been issued by lower commandants.

When the news came out, Subaru’s followers were in uproar.

Subaru, The former Commandant of the Two Banan Infantry Divisions, went silent at the news, before suddenly screaming and then ordering His two Divisions to be raised.

22,000 Of Subaru’s most loyal troops answered the call of duty. And Subaru’s first order was simple.

Get the hell out of dodge.

The ever nearing army of 40,000 was but days away from reaching Banan.

And Subaru had seen quite the prophecy it seemed. He ordered his 26,000 Infantrymen to grab as many supplies, loot, and weapons as possible. He also ordered that the women and children of the city be uprooted and brought with them. When asked why, he shuddered and told of a horrific prophecy involving the arrival of the 40,000 strong Kyo army.

It would be called Subaru’s Long March. 

When the 40,000 Strong Kyo enforcement army arrived in Banan, they found a city with a population of 20,000 when it had previously held 46,000. Those who had been left behind were families not with military connections and elders and the old.

Essentially, Subaru had uprooted his two Divisions, their families, and ran like hell West via the river towards the Great Waterfall.

Subaru now held in his hands the lives of 22,000 troops and 26,000 civilians.

The commander of the 40,000 was a man named Rudolf Tisla. Accompanying him was a young boy. Riften Magoji. Perhaps in another life he would’ve been a merchant or a cougar-lover, but he was now being trained in the art of war, and was sent as an attaché to watch the general Rudolf in his work.

Rudolf of the 40,000 Strong army reached and captured Banan with little effort, learning that Subaru had retreated his people into the wilderness, he declared Subaru a Rebel and Declared him an Enemy of the State.

Subaru had two decisions, demobilize, and face execution; or continue his flight deeper into the forests of Zarestiana.

He chose the latter.

Orders came from the Kararagi High Command to Pursue and crush the rebellion.

So Rudolf did as he was told.

10,000 of his troops were left in Banan, and he took 30,000 of his soldiers to go and pursue the fleeing forces of Subaru.

It was now the first month of 362.

The total number of deaths had reached 6, as two people in Subaru’s side had fallen to disease.

Subaru’s Rebellion consisted of this.

[10,000 Militia, mostly recruited from the old Banan Divisions and lacking in weaponry and armor, some possessing only pitchforks and rusted out pikes for weapons.]

[9,500 Regular Infantry Swordsman, Very Well trained, Poorly equipped. 3000 of them possessed Crossbows.]

[1000 Regular Lager Cavalry]

[600 Ground-Dragoners Cavalry]

[200 Support Company]

[500 retinue-Elite Swordsmen]

[150 Mages of Lower-Strengths,]

[25 Spiritual arts users]

[20 Mages of Medium Strength]

[3 Mages of Elite level.]

[1 Half elf, a Dreamweaver]

[And finally, one Prophet]

Essentially, Subaru had ran off with a remarkably good army. Unfortunately; this army was completely disorganized and unprepared for combat. He was lugging around the families of the soldiers and was severely lacking in Weapons and Armor.

His enemy outclassed him in number but not in skill. They were mostly greenhorns and were unprepared for combat.

30,000 troops total, unburdened by having to lug around their families.

[10,000 Sepoy Infantry, well equipped, poorly trained]

[10,000 Regular Infantry, well equipped, adequately trained]

[5000 Lager Cavalry, Adequately trained, adequately equipped]

[2000 Ground Dragon Cavalry, well trained, well equipped.]

[500 lower-mages,]

[500 Elite Retinue Swordsmen]

28,000

[700 Support Company]

[100 Elite Mages]

[100 Bureaucrats and Administrators]

[50 Spiritual arts users]

[48 Commanders and Officers of various levels]

[1 General Rudolf]

[And one boy, age 11, named Riften Magoji]

In pure military strength, This army of Rudolf far outclassed Subaru’s hastily made militia in all aspects except speed.

Subaru’s only advantage lay in his mobility, but even that was hampered by the fact that Subaru also was in the care of 20,000 of the families of the soldiers. Subaru knew that leaving behind the families would allow the Kararagi Government to hold them as hostages. Something that was unacceptable to Subaru.

And so; with a couples day’s heading, the Great Pursuit began.

Rudolf’s army began to chase the fleeing militia deeper and deeper into the forests and wilderness of Kararagi, aiming to starve them out.

Subaru’s Long March became a Long pursuit.

Rudolf’s army traveled at 12 KPH. Subaru’s at 10 KPH. 

And Rudolf was gaining on them.

The first battle of the Kararagi Civil-war was First the Battle of the Zarestian Basin.

2000 of Subaru’s Rear-Guard were suddenly and viciously assaulted by 1000 of Rudolf’s Foremost Ground dragon Cavalry. They were routed and 200 were captured or killed in the battle.

The second Battle for the Zarestian Basin occurred in a canyon. Subaru had retreated into a canyon, and the geographical nature of canyons reduced the combat width of the battle, allowing for his most elite troops to defend against Rudolf’s most elite troops in a relatively small area of conflict. Subaru himself fought in the canyon further gaining the respect of his men who were now ride or die with Subaru.

The battle ended when the troops of Rudolf were fended off in a miracle last-stand at the entrance to the canyon.

The Prophet knew of the correct path through the canyon, and the pursuing Warbands of Rudolf found their pursuit of Subaru’s Fleeing 40,000 blocked by rocks.

Rudolf decided to now go atop the sides of the canyon, tumbling rocks down upon his enemy and causing terrific damage; around 500 of Subaru’s men lay crushed by the rocks and debris.

At the other end of the canyon, The civilians headed by a few of the militia now entered a place known as Zarestia’s bed, as it was a basin of lowland encased on all sides by canyons.

Essentially the Zarestian Bed Geographical feature consisted of this.

A canyon leading down into a large pit, encircled on all sides by sheer cliffs.

In this large pit, a lowland depression called Zarestia’s Bed, a bed of an ancient lake. Surrounding this depression, sheer cliffs which one could not go up or down from.

And at the far end of the bed, towards the sheer walls opposite of the Canyon, a cave.

The situation was this:

Subaru and his People were in this pit. 

Rudolf’s army was surrounding this pit but could not go in it lest they fall down and die, and only one entrance could be found, the canyon defended by Subaru’s elite and likely being boobytrapped.

Essentially a stalemate, but Rudolf could resupply and Subaru could not.

And so, the two armies decided to camp, one atop the cliffs and one down in the basin. They both shot volleys of arrows at one another regularly, Thankfully, Rudolf had no Artillery, for if he did then Subaru would’ve been blasted to smithereens.

Rudolf knew this. 

He wasn’t averse to violence, but he didn’t want to fight a grueling fight against a group of people who fought to defend their own families behind them, being misled by a false prophet.

If there was a way to destroy the false prophet and defeat the enemy without bloodshed, then Rudolf would take it.

Rudolf’s was not a brute: he had a plan hatched that would most likely do just that.

He ordered 50 Primitive Magic Artillery, the first iterations having been invented just 20 years back, to be sent to the front. He also ordered his engineers to build fake imitations of the guns to make it appear as though he had more than he actually had.

The plan was simple.

He’s set up his Magic Artillery at the top of the cliffs, facing downwards towards the enemy camp, who would be able to do nothing about it.

He would then blow up a rock or a formation nearby to prove their effectiveness. This display of power would compel the starved out rebels to surrender peacefully, thereby ending the conflict without bloodshed.

And to Rudolf’s credit, this was an extremely humanitarian war of battle, considering that he could simply bombard the enemy instead.

And so, a siege began, where no supplies were permitted into the canyon were Subaru was hidden.

The shipments of Magic artillery were ordered and were soon inbound towards the Zarestian Basin.

Subaru needed a breakthrough.

Something Great.

Something Spiritual.

And then.

Suddenly, in the middle of a strategic meeting Subaru screamed loudly, grabbed a bunch of board games, books, paper and quill, and ran off into the cave at the far end of cliffs.

For 2 days he was inside the cave and his troops had no clue what had happened. 

They truly needed a miracle.

And Subaru Delivered.

Oh Od did he deliver.

Now picture this. You and your buddies have been chased across the wilderness by the government, and are now completely encircled by well trained troops.

You’re completely without food and have very little water from a small spring.

And your prophet-leader who for ten years claimed to be the brother of the being that created the entire damn universe.

A prophet-leader who had never once been wrong in his prophecies in his entire life.

And now imagine seeing that same prophet-leader emerging from the cave accompanied by Zarestia, The Great Spirit of Wind, the most powerful being in the country.

Imagine what you’d be feeling in that moment.

\\\

Two men, a General and his Closest Advisor look down from their high ground into the gorge.

“Hey Rudolf. Who’s that lady over there.”

“Where?”

“Down in the cliffs.”

“Where in the cliffs?

“There. By the cave.”

“…”

“She looks pretty.”

“Wait. I didn’t see her go in to the canyon.”

“Oh really?”

“Hey Rudolf, what’s this place called again?”

“Zarestia’s Bed, Why?”

“I think that’s Zarestia.”

“…”

“You’re kidding right?”

“…”

“She’s looking at our position.”

“What.”

“Hey Rudolf. I think we should run.”

“Why?”

“Lick your finger and put it up in the air. The wind is blowing westwards, it never blows westward here. In other words…”

“…”

“…”

“…Ohhhh. I see.”

The second battle of the Zarestian Basin was a slaughter. 

Zarestia, somehow, had been awoken from her slumber by the appearance of the Brother of Od, seemed to take a liking to her father’s supposed brother.

In the first minute of the second battle of the Zarestian bed, currents of wind sharp as knives ripped through the entrance of the canyon, and through the frontline of the Kararagi Army. Around 3000 men fell instantly, clearing the path for a Subaru to break out of the canyon.

Subaru’s forces did break out. A Ground-Dragon cavalry charge spearheaded by Subaru himself overwhelmed what was left of the Kararagi Constituent which were guarding and besieging the entrance of the canyon. 

Now, at this moment, the Kararagi Army was split, with 5000 Infantry having been stationed at the entrance of the canyon, defending the low-combat width choke-point. The other part od the army was camped atop the highlands overlooking the cliffs.

The Ground-Dragon charge, With Subaru and Zarestia as the tip of the spear, then overran what was left of the 5000 who had been sent to guard the entrance. Less than 250 survived the trampling.

It was at this moment that Rudolf, realizing the awakening of Zarestia, attempted to retreat his remaining 25,000 Soldiers. The tide of battle had turned.

However, against a mobilized Cavalry charge, an encamped and completely caught off guard army could do little as the tip of the spear, Zarestia and Subaru , ram into to the center of the camp and began to rip apart the upper echelons of the enemy leadership right in front of them.

The lower commandants of the Kararagi army ordered a last stand defense, but these orders conflicted with Rudolf’s orders of a strategic retreat; therefore, in the confusion, some units fleed while others stood their ground.

The fleeing of some units opened holes in the defense of The Kararagi Army’s lines, allowing for Subaru’s Ground-dragon Cavalry to encircle the steadfast units, forcing their capitulation and capture.

As the battle progressed, 50% of the Kararagi Sepoy militia and Infantry found themselves encircled. 

And then, 

Zarestia appeared once again, having returned from her mission to decapitate upper leadership of the Army. 

Her presence compelled much of the encircled pockets to surrender, as Subaru had screamed out that those who put down their arms would be given quarter. Wind magic imbued his voice so that all would hear, and most took the option and surrendered, not wanting to face the wrath of a great spirit.

Subaru now had complete control of the entrance to the canyon.

Back at the other front, Rudolf and the units which had successfully obeyed his orders and retreated now realized the extent of their loss. 

Rudolf had now only 12,000 troops, the other 13,000 having stood their ground, getting encircled and capitulating.

Rufolf was a smart general, and knew his recently routed army could not afford to lose further, as he had lost most of his lower and upper mages in the battle, along with his spiritual artists.

Therefore he chose to retreat to Banan and await both Magic-Artillery resupply and Infantry reinforcements.

Subaru, who had been chased to the ends of the great waterfall, miles away from the supply, had pulled off the impossible. He proved that the cornered animal was indeed the most dangerous. His strategy to back himself into a corner to prevent his outmanned army from being flanked had been successful. The canyon had been a perfect way to reduce combat width, and his retreat to Zarestia’s Bed was not a mad dash but rather a retreat with purpose, the main goal being to aquire the great spirit.

And now, Subaru’s supply problem had been solved. 

An abandoned camp chock filled with supplies of siege was now his.

In the hasty retreat from the camp atop the cliffs, Rufolf had left behind his Granary, Armory, and supplies as he had not the transports to move them. 

And now, The hungry Troops and Civilians could feast upon the grains and barley left behind by the retreating Kararagi Army.

Subaru had lost around 1000 troops, but had captured 6,000 of the enemy’s and had slain 4000 of their retinue. 

And Subaru wanted that manpower.

In Kararagi, Soldier-culture was quite different than in the other three nations. Loyalty was fleeting and it was akin to the sailor-culture of the Caribbean, loyalty given to the boss via payment.

Subaru gave the prisoners a choice. 

Either they’d join his lines and serve his army,

Or they’d be locked in Zarestia’s cave to languish.

The presence of a great spirit was quite the convincing factor to cause most to choose the former.

The Long March to Zarestia’s Bed ended.

It was now the 3rd month of 362. 

The siege of Banan had begun.

Subaru’s rebellion had made ripples across the country. It had been assumed that the rebellion would be crushed easily, but when news of the shocking victory at the Zarestian bed reached the Kararagi-High Command, they immediately realized the threat of the far-western revolt and ordered a general recruitment of around 60,000 in order to crush the revolt. 

In Zarestia’s bed itself, the families of the warriors had been left behind to construct a new city, known as the city of:

 “Pleiades Et Zarestiania”

Internationally, reactions varied. King Randohol viewed it as an opportunity to improve relations with the legitimate Kararagi government, and did not recognize the new rebellion as legitimate. The Vollachian Emperor did not give a shit. The Gusteks had had a falling-out with the new Centralized Kararagi Government, and had decided to send observers to observe the progress of the rebellion.

Most believed the rebellion would be squashed in a few weeks. 

Until the news that Zarestia herself had been awakened became common-knowledge.

Banan was now encircled by 24,000 Troops of Subaru. 

Rufolf found himself with only 20,000 Troops, deprived of supply as the Banan population was completely and utterly uncooperative.

The only reason Subaru hadn’t just taken the city was because of the concern for the people still inside the walls, for he feared the Kararagi forces would raze the city in a potential battle.

So a siege it was.

And, in the fourth month of 362, Subaru received quite the birthday gift.

50 Magic-Artillery Cannons.

A convoy of Magic-Artillery Cannons had been inbound towards Rudolf’s army when it was routed and besieged into the city of Banan. 

Subaru, in an innovative move, completely encircled the convoys and artillery operators, who were completely unprepared for Close quarters combat, and forced their surrender and submission.

Subaru now had 50 Brand new State of the Art, Magic-Artillery beauties.

And a plan.

When the Kararagi army staged in Banan saw the 50 Cannons pointed at their positions, they shit their pants.

And,

Rudolf, wanted to  judge Subaru’s character, as he believed a believed a bombardment was incoming

Therefore, he devised a plan to test Subaru’s Character.

General Rudolf, took off his clothes and went atop the walls of the City of Banan butt naked and began to scream.

“YOU DON'T HAVE THE BALLS TO BOMBARD YOUR OWN HOME CITY!”

Subaru responded to the challenge by blowing up the city gate.

“YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO BOMBARD THE CITY GATE, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO BOMBARD THE CITY ITSELF?”

Subaru responded by blowing up Yekelta Magoji's summer house in the noble district of the city.

“DO YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO BOMBARD YOUR OWN HOUSE?”

Subaru blew up his own private house in the city of Banan.

Rudolf was now completely convinced that Subaru was a madman capable of a bombardment upon his own home city. This scared the shit out of him, as he didn’t want to see the city, and his soldiers, blown up in the streets. Therefore, he devised a second plot to pierce through the now blown up gate of the city and retreat his army to the hills eastwards, attempting to Rendezvous with reinforcements. Furthermore, he feared that these reinforcements would come too late, as he had surveyed the roads from Kyo to Banan, and had concluded that a large army marching would face delays and logistical issues that could delay their arrival by at most three months. Rudolf estimated their position garrisoned in Banan could be held only for 4 months longer, therefore the reinforcements would arrive too late.

And so, the Siege of Banan ended when General Rudolf ordered a mad charge out of the city and towards the east, as he was now completely out of supply and grain, and was cognizant of the fact that the population in Banan was but hours from open revolt.

His first Spearheading offensive, led by the last of his Lager-Ground Dragon Cavalry, pierced Subaru’s lines and began to force their retreat from the walls of the city towards the hills of the east, in the direction of Kyo.

Some of the lower officers believed that their lines had been broken, and began to charge ahead in pursuit of what they thought to be broken lines of fleeing rebels. 

Rudolf realized what was about to happen and desperately ordered his charging spearhead to slow down. 

But.

It was too late.

The feigned retreat strategy.

Genghis Khan’s masterpiece of a strategy.

It was replicated here, as the troops of Subaru which had previously been besieging Banan, now flanked the Kararagi army’s retreat from the city gates.

And to make matters worse, The Kararagi troops which had gone out into the plains now found themselves under bombardment by Magic-Artillery.

At this same moment, upon the walls of Banan, the banner of the rebellion, a flag of 7 stars, was raised as the civilian revolt rose up in the ungarrisoned city.

The surviving pockets of the Kararagi army now found themselves in between the walls of Banan and the rapidly approaching warlines of Subaru.

They had but one option left.

Their own mad dash east.

And so, Rudolf, commanding the bulk of the last unencircled pockets of mobile infantry and Ground-Dragon divisions, punched his way out through Subaru’s relatively thin western troop-lines, saving some of the encircled cavalry and forward-operating infantry which had been lead into a feigned retreat trap.

And he didn’t stop his charge. his rear was being absolutely raped by pike and artillery, but he continued forward and managed to shatter through Subaru’s line and blitz an arrowhead west. His breakout had been more or less successful, as he had managed to evacuate 12,000 of his troops out from the doomed encirclement. But It had come at a cost. He had lost his most elite mages and Spiritual artists in the battle. 8000 troops had fallen or been captured. Banan was now firmly in control of the Rebellion.

Furthermore, Subaru now had complete control of 50 Magic artillery cannons. 

Subaru would send irregulars and skirmisher units against the rear lines of Rudolf’s retreating arrowhead, dealing heavy casualties to their slower units. Eventually, Rudolf’s now completely disorganized army of 12,000 entered friendly territory, escaping the irregular-rebel harassment of the far west’s open rebellion.

The Second Battle of Banan had been a Victory for Subaru Natsuki.

He had lost 4000 troops as his lines were overrun in Rudolf’s mad dash east, but had managed to recapture the city and inflict 8,000 casualties upon the enemy, mostly by artillery.

The retreat from Banan would take around six months.

In the 6th month of 262, The remains of Rudolf’s 30,000 had arrived with the incoming 60,000, an army commanded by a General named Uzvik Shackleton.

Uzvik Shackleton was an incompetent.

Rudolf, while having lost many battles, was a dynamic and young general who possessed charisma and was capable of improvement. 

Uzvik was not.

When Rudolf arrived and rendezvoused with the 60,000, The Kararagi High Command’s newest orders were there.

Rudolf was to be demoted and assigned to the Ivadan Garrison.

Essentially; Career Death.

Subaru now controlled two settlements. The brand new settlement at Zarestiana, and Banan. Around 50,000 civilians now under his control. Overall, life went on as it did before the centralization, with the provincial government and society remaining unchanged, as Subaru’s rebellion was nothing more than an army at this point.

But the seeds of a greater movement had been planted.

22,000 Troops of Subaru now lay garrisoned in Banan. 5000 civilians had risen up when Rudolf had left the city ungarrisoned. 2500 of them returned to civilian life while the other 2500 joined his army and began their training.

There was but five months until the brunt of the enemy beared upon Banan. Five months to prepare fortifications. 

And prepare fortifications they did.

In the regions around Banan, Subaru turned the roads and paths of the city into a true Vietnamese hell. Firestone traps and pitfalls were hastily dug by two now reorganized engineering battalion-companies. Tripwires connected to booby traps were installed upon many of the roads and; near a chokepoint in the main road between Banan and Kyo, a massive trap was set, meant to lurch a rockslide upon the enemy convoys. This massive scale attack would be the first and most intense, and would be the tip-off to the enemy armies that traps were set in the region.

Surrounding the city there was first built a grand system of 45 degree palisades, forming the outermost perimeter of the lines of defense. Courtesy of Zarestia’s wind magic.

Surrounding that line of palisades, another line of palisades, this time vertical could be seen.

Between the palisades and the old walls of the city itself, a large field of mud, once a rice field, had been created. This encirclement of mud ensured a bogfest for attacking armies. More pitfalls and traps lay in this area.

Then there was the old walls of the city. They lay about the same height as the buildings of the city, and had huge eroded holes which needed repairs. The last time these walls had seen action was in the year 128.

They found themselves coated not in men but in artillery. The Magic artillery, placed high above the walls, would have greater range than upon the ground. A few antiquated ballistas were also there. 

Then. There was the city itself.

It remained mostly unchanged, except for a couple bombed buildings and a new and fucking terrifying system of tunnels. Subaru had put his prisoners to work building tunnels, and oh god did they build. A digging fever overtook the people, as more and more people discovered the joys of making large holes.

Grains and rice were being stockpiled. Subaru’s now quite fanatic followers began to pull as much grain from the markets as possible for the two settlements of Zarestiana and Banan.

Zarestiana held no defenses other than a palisade at the canyon entrance. The road to Zarestiana was only accessible via Banan, and so, Subaru put all his eggs in one basket on the defense of Banan.

There was quite the deposit of Magi-crystal in Zarestia’s bed, and these crystals were mined en masse by prisoners to be sent to the cannons of the walls.

And.

Subaru had a problem.

While he still had most of his 22,000 Veteran Mixed-Infantry divisions, he knew these two loyal Banan divisions would not be enough to weather the storm.

And to the north. Subaru had another problem.

10,000 Kyo Garrison Infantry meant that Azamiki’s workers and resources were inaccessible to him.

And Subaru needed those resources.

But to split his army between a Banan defense force and an Azamiki Expedition would spread his lines too thin.

So

Subaru requested Shion and Zarestia go north on a solo-mission to incite a civilian rebellion in Azamiki.  

They obliged.

The first trap at the Chokepoint entrance to the Banan Region had been a success. Of the 72,000, 2000 had been crushed by rocks and blown to smithereens by explosive traps.

Their advance now slowed, as they were forced to check for boobytraps on their route towards Banan. They were hounded by irregulars too, guerillas and longshooters. These interceptions proved costly for the 72,000 Strong Army.

And General Uzvik Shackleton was growing increasingly impatient. 

Impatient with the slow speed of the march.

Impatient with his logistics.

And Impatient with the fact that the rebels hadn’t come out to intercept their advance.

Uzvik was a glory seeker.

Subaru was out to survive.

\\\

The date nears the 11th month of 262.

The Garrison at Azamiki has defected. Its leader - a man named Tuskana- having been converted by the Azamikian people to the growing followership of the Brother of Od.

A few of his officers rejected his decision to join Subaru’s rebellion, along with about 3000 of the 10,000 garrison, and were kicked from the city walls and sent eastwards, having been stripped of their gear and weaponry and paid a bribe to go fuck off.

And now. 

At Banan, Uzvik Shackleton’s banner and army is now visible from the city.

The Siege of Banan begins.

\\\

This guy is the guy who i modeled prophetbaru after. Hong Xiuquan. He killed around 25 Million people. high estimates at 100 million.

he was also the self proclaimed brother of jesus christ

his actions weakened china so unimaginably much that they would never recovery, and would spend the next half century getting buttfucked by europe and japan

i will also be adding an lushan rebellion aspects to subaru's campaign as well.

20,000 civilians eaten