Mount & Blade Faction Intros
Chapter 2: Bannerlord Factions
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The Calradian Empire
Calradians could rule the world. The Emperor did. He took a Calradian army to the far reaches of Calradia. There was nothing left to conquer; all of Calradia was his. But the Emperor has long been dead. His empire is gone. And so we live in evil days; the free men of Calradia have turned on each other, instead of their proper enemies: those who envy all the Calradians have done. The Emperor must weep, if the dead weep. I will weep in his place, but I will also hope. The world turns; what was may come again. The Fates still spin the web of men's lives. So now, perhaps the gods wish Calradians to be great again. Perhaps a new Emperor will take up the sword, bring order where there is chaos, remake the world of men into a better place... perhaps.
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Gods... I hate Battanians. My grandfather hated them too, even before they put out his eyes. Did you think I'd be out here on the frontier without good reason? Yes, the Empire needs a strong frontier. No, Calradia doesn't need unwashed barbarians and treacherous traitors at her gates! So, that's why I'm here, the Bastard Prince of the Calradian Empire: to bring Imperial order to stinking Battanians. Revenge? That'd be good too. This war against the Battanians won't last long, and when it's done, I've got plans. This is all about power, power in Calradia. Going down that road means dealing with all my rivals: my father, the Emperor; those Vlandian Separatists, the traitors; the Sturgian sea-raiders, those Khuzait horse-nomads; those desert tribes to the South, the Aserai. The nobles and the Council members too. After all, the man who controls Suno rules Calradia... and one day, I will be Emperor.
The Kingdom of Vlandia
We Vlandians are the only true Calradians. We saved Calradia, we drove out the invaders, we made the Empire. The family deserves respect — respect, and obedience. We know what is best for Calradia: new lands, living space, territories, slaves! I know what must be done. The aristocrats of the Empire look down their perfumed noses at all Vlandians, and they hate us. I'm going to give them a reason for hate... when I've crushed them! Battanian steel, that's the answer; Battanian steel in the Vlandian fist. And the other great families... the Imperial Family; trash! They have no respect for proper Calradian ways — for us! The Imperial Council prostitute themselves... as if the people matter! Bah! We Vlandians must lead Calradia.
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Gods... I hate Battanians. My father hated them too, even before they took out his eyes. Did you think I'd be out here on the frontier without good reason? Yes, Vlandia needs a strong frontier. No, Vlandia doesn't need unwashed barbarians at her gates! So, that's why I'm here, the King of Vlandia: to bring Vlandian order to stinking Battanians. Revenge? That'd be good too. This war against the Battanians won't last long, and when it's done, I've got plans. This is all about power, power in Calradia. Going down that road means dealing with all my rivals: the Emperor of Calradia and his heirs; the Sturgian sea-raiders; those Aserai desert tribesmen; the Council and the noble families too. After all, the man who controls Suno rules Calradia... and one day, I will be Emperor.
The Kingdom of Sturgia
My family, the House of Sigurd, are favored by the gods. A proud boast, but true all the same. In return we have invaded the Empire, ruled our people well, led our warriors to glory; it has cost us dearly, despite the favor of the gods. Sometimes the hatred of men is stronger. Our dead lie in many graves, put there by Calradian swords... and a few Battanian ones. Even our own blades have taken Sturgian lives; that, we do not forget — or forgive. So, now our time has come. The spirits of the dead cry out for blood. I, Uthgard Blood-hair, will lead our family in this undertaking. The gods will grant us vengeance. When the Khuzait horse-nomads is crushed, when Battania is Sturgian, when the Calradian Empire is absorbed, when the other Calradian royal families are gone... when the world is mine... then I will stand before the gods and be worthy of their favor. And worthy to rule Calradia!
The Kingdom of Battania
Before my grandfather's grandfather was born, this was our land. These are our good places; our gods live here, in the trees and the rivers. They watch over us. We are happy: we hunt, we love; we have families, homes — a good life. But sometimes we must fight! The Sturgians disturb the gods; they burn the forests; they take what is ours, wives, children, land! And the Calradians talk of how they will 'help us and protect us'. They put us to sleep with golden promises: when we wake, all that we had will be gone — stolen! They take our sons and turn them into little Calradians and Vlandians. Gah! So we fight to keep what is ours, what must stay ours! There can be no peace, no peace with Empire-swine, men of stone, and iron, and lies! No peace with Vlandian horse-lovers who seek our extermination! No peace with Sturgians, warmongering raiders who covet our lands, our families, our lives! There can be only war!
The Aserai Tribes
The Great Desert has belonged to the Aserai Tribes as long as the desert is vast. It is my home. Invaders come here, but they do not leave. They do not understand the desert; they do not understand how it gives life... and how it kills. So they die, and we grow stronger. The dead, now, the dead cannot pass on their newfound wisdom... so invaders keep coming, keep trying to take our lands and our wealth. But then, wealth flows through this land. And if our people have one thing, it is the love of wealth. It is sweeter than water; it is more powerful than the sword, for any sword can be turned aside with a gold coin. Gold will buy a thousand warriors... and a thousand warriors, why, they are the start of an empire!
But for us to become an empire, the Tribes must be united under one chieftain. However, such an ambitious scheme is easier said than done; for the nomadic desert tribes of the Aserai are as independent and as free as the eagles — and with the subtle cruelty that's not unlike the Great Desert itself. It will be a bitter struggle... and much blood will be shed before the Aserai become one people and have the strength to drive out the foreign invaders... and become an empire! This shall come to pass, as surely as the eagle can fly.
The Khuzait Khanate
I have been in the service of the Khans for many, many years. It is my task to write down all that is decided. My father did this before me, and his father before him. We have faithfully recorded and seen much. The Khan is our lord and master; he is Genghus reborn, and will be so again in the afterlife. All who dwell in the mountains and steppes live and die by his divine wish, and this is as it should be. We are his chosen ones; the Khan approves of us all. We would conquer the world, so that all can know his wise rule. Even if the Khan did not ask this, we would do it. His enemies will be struck down; night and darkness will take them. The Aserai sands, the Calradian plains, the Vlandian grasslands, the Sturgian coastlands . . . all will be stained red. All this will come to pass, for the Khan has decreed it. So it is written. So it shall be.
Author's Note: Hello, everyone. Here's the Bannerlord Faction Intros for you. Please forgive me for being a few weeks late, but my mom had to go to the hospital (she's back home now) and I also struggled greatly with how to write the factions for Bannerlord, since they haven't come out yet, and there is very little to go on concerning the factions and the characters in them. If it ever comes out, I'll update it later on. But until then, here you go. I hope that you enjoy it.
I added an extra narrative paragraph for the Aserai tribes, since they're different from the Sarranid Sultanate and doesn't talk about the tribes specifically, so I figured I'd add another paragraph which will detail the possible infighting that will be involved with the Aserai since they're multiple tribes that fight for political dominance.
Any specific names you see on here for the characters are purely fictional. I have no idea what the names of the faction leaders and claimants will be. And I also added a claimant option in the Calradian Empire section just because I liked the idea.
Thank you for reading this and please give a review and tell me what you thought of these intros. Anything I could've added or subtracted? Anything I could've done better?
— Noctus Fury
