Basileans are conservative by nature and paralysed by ritual it may be, Basilea still reflects some of the ancient glories of Primovantor.
About
Basilean cities are the largest, its princes the richest, its mages the most powerful of all the kingdoms of Men. Basilea insists that it is the only true protector of Primovantor’s legacy.
Temples are still maintained to the long-gone Celestians in Basilea, while the worship of their good aspects, the Shining Ones, is an integral part of life. It is a kingdom where time has stood still, where some of the glories of the elder days might still be found. Noble Paladins devote their entire lives to battle and prayer, undergoing arduous quests to prove their purity to the Shining Ones. Many Orders of the Sisterhood guard the borders. Purity, courage, and strength are the watchwords of these warrior virgins.
The Hegemon of Basilea is king and high priest both. It is within his power to appeal directly to the Shining Ones. These remaining noble aspects of the Celestians dwell atop the mountain of Kolosu, an impossibly high pillar of rock, and from there they watch over the Hegemony. They rarely manifest directly, although it is not unknown for one or the other of them to take to the battlefield even in these lesser times, but will send their servants to the aid of the Basilean armies, should the occasion warrant it. These are the Elohi, angelic beings of immense power, who appear in the guise of beautiful, winged humans armoured all in gold. In war they are all but unstoppable, as terrible in combat as they are merciful and kind out of it.
But alongside the purest aspect of true faith and benevolence, Basilea has its sinister side too. Free thinking of any kind is not easily tolerated, and Basilean culture therefore remains hidebound and unchanging. Periodic panics about agents of the Wicked Ones sweep the nation, leading to innocent and guilty alike being condemned to death by mass drowning in the Cleansing Pools.
The Hegemon does not rule unchallenged; blood feud is all too common, driven by fires of honour and religious fervour that cannot be quenched. Orcs press upon Basilea from the north, while relations with the Dwarfs to the east are at their lowest ebb. And atop their pillar of stone, the Shining Ones watch, for the most part silent. Protectors of Mankind, some say, capricious immortals who toy with the lives of lesser beings, say others.
The Basileans are adherents of the Shining Ones, and large numbers of paladins, warrior monks and battle nuns are found in their armies. The angelic Elohi fly above the hosts of Basilea, lending their pure voices to the battle hymns of holy warriors, and their strength to the army’s assault.
With these forces alone, Basilea could endure for centuries as one of the great powers of Pannithor. When the forces of the Shining Ones are added, the eternal supremacy of the Golden Horn is assured. Elohi march alongside the troops of Basilea, living manifestations of divine fury, each the equal of many dozens of men. It is no surprise that Basilea has become as arrogant as it is fervent. There are simply no powers in the world who can match it. For now.
Orders
There are several Orders within Basilea:
- Orders of the Sisterhood - An all female order
- The Order of Basilean Paladins which is made up into two sub-orders
Army List
| Heroes | Infantry | Cavalry | Special | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named Heroes | Basic Infantry | *Sisterhood Infantry *Paladin Foot Guard *Paladin Defenders |
Basic Cavalry | *Sisterhood Panther Lancers *Paladin Knights *Gur Panthers |
War Machine | *Heavy Arbalest | |
| General Heroes | *High Paladin on Dragon *Ogre Palace Guard Captain *War Wizard *Abbess *Abbess on Panther Chariot *High Paladin *Priest *Paladin Chaplain *Ur-Elohi *Bearer of the Holy Icon *Dictator |
Ranged Infantry | *Sisterhood Scouts *Men-at-Arms Crossbowmen |
Chariot | *Sisterhood Panther Chariot | ||
| Large Infantry | *Elohi *Ogre Palace Guard |
Titan | *Phoenix | ||||
| Retired Units | |||||||
| 2nd Edition | |||||||
| Named Hero | Hero | Infantry | |||||
| 1st Edition | |||||||
| Named Hero | |||||||
The Basileans Armada
The Basileans Navy is the Basilean force on the sea.
About
Basilea is the greatest nation of men in Pannithor, and possesses arguably the best human navy. Their ships are certainly a sight to behold, with brilliant white sails and sculpted golden prows proclaiming their devotion to the Shining Ones.
Characterised by massive ships of the line, supported by an array of smaller, more specialised vessels, Basilean fleets are unlike any other human warfleets in both appearance and battle tactics. Like all human warfleets, however, the Basilean Navy depends upon sail for its speed and manoeuvrability. Their sailors are expert in bringing vessels alongside the enemy, or even crossing their bows, so that the gunners might unleash several decks of thunderous broadsides, delivering the divine wrath of the Shining Ones to their foes. Indeed, of all human fleets, it is the Basileans who both pioneered and perfected the tactic of breaking the enemy line, developing the Dictator-class warship for just that purpose. For the Basileans, victory alone is not enough – the enemy, should they be faithless, must be destroyed utterly.
Much like on land, the Basileans dedicate all they do to the gods. Some liken the Basilean ships to floating temples, which in the case of the larger vessels is literally true. Priests are assigned to every ship, blessing cannon-shot as it is loaded, and filling the crew with a sense of righteous piety as they go to war. In battle, the Elohi swoop overhead, their battle-hymns inspiring zealous fervour within the faithful, and dread in the wicked. Their most famous warships are emblazoned with names like Wrath of Domivar, Kolosu’s Glory, and Hegemon’s Fury – names that evoke a solemn and reverential pride in their crews, who would rather fight to the last sailor than abandon one of these glorious vessels.
The Basilean fleet relies heavily on the deployment of large line-of-battle ships, laden with heavy cannon. These vessels are square-rigged sailing ships, with robust hulls and tall aft castles, offering their captains commanding views of the seascape before them.
Ship Cards
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Abbess Card -
Dictator Card -
Elohi Card -
Elohi Card Batch 2 -
Gunbrig Card -
Gur Panther Card -
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Phoenix Card -
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Sky Alter Card -
Sloop Squadron Card -
Gallery
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Abbess-class -
Dictator-class -
Elohi-class -
Elohi-class Batch 2 -
Gunbrig-class -
Gur Panther-class -
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Phoenix -
-
Sky Altar -
Sloop Squadron
model.png)
External Links
- Armada Rulebook - https://www.manticgames.com/armada/getting-started-armada/armada-digital-rulebook/
- Pious Digital Edition - https://www.manticgames.com/fiction/tales-of-pannithor/pious-digital/
- Pious Paperback Edition - https://www.whpsupplyroom.com/fantasy/p/tales-of-pannithor-pious-1#gsc.tab=0
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