General information (Pre-Great war):
Demonym: Gormfhanach
Capital: Lios Draiochta
Key cities: Dathraigh Fhionndui and Maev
Official language: High Aergael
Total population: 153,235,683
Total land area: 932,542 km2
Currency: Reil
Government: Autojudicial Imperium with Mandatory Self-Inclusion Clause
The Presidential Relic (ALIVED): [NO AVAILABLE INFORMATION]
Why does everyone not just die already?
…
[FILE FOUND - INITIATING OPEN SEQUENCE…]
Do you remember? I still carry the memory of that first day under the blinding sun. It was just us. I remember how you stood there, guarded and cautious, watching me as if I were a storm about to break. But then, you looked closer. You saw I meant no harm, and I watched the tension leave your shoulders as you lowered your guard. Since that moment, we've existed under the same sun, side by side.
Do you remember when we stood on the front lines together? We were a single heartbeat, moving as one. Then, the world broke. You were hurt so badly you whispered that you couldn't breathe - that you were slipping away. I refused to let the silence take you. I fought for your life with everything I had, desperate just to see your eyes open one more time.
And do you remember our first real shadow? Someone betrayed you, humiliated you, and in your pain, you turned that fire on me. It hurt - not the words, but the sight of you suffering. I didn't pull away. I simply reached out and held you, letting my warmth remind you that no matter who leaves, I am the one who stays.
You've always been the voice of reason, warning me to temper my rage before it consumes me. I'd always laugh and say, 'This is just who I am.' But even when you scold my recklessness, you never leave the battlefield. You are my peace, my steady ground, and the only person I trust to guard my back.
But then, the day came that changed everything - the day the sky turned a bruised, bleeding red and the air grew thick with grey ash. The world we knew had crumbled into nothing.
I found you there, lying amidst the ruins, your body stilled by the weight of it all. When I reached for you, pulling you into the safety of my arms, you whispered for me to leave. You told me you wouldn't make it. For the first time in our lives, I turned my anger toward you. I scolded you harshly - how dare you speak of endings? How dare you be so foolish to think I would ever walk away?
Without a second thought, I pulled you against my chest and held you with a grip that defied the world. Just as I have always done.
Know this: if the light leaves your eyes, I am ready for the darkness to take me, too. You are the only reason I move; you are the pulse beneath my skin. Through every rise and fall, through every battle we've survived, I have carried these words in the silence of my heart.
But now, I let them break free. From the deepest part of my soul, through the ache in my throat, I tell you the truth: I love you. I have always, truly, loved you.
[END FILE]
Ontological status: The entity has been confirmed to remain active with a moderately large community. Further communication is forthcoming.
About Cathair Ghormfhain:
Like the other civilizations of Eldervale, Cathair Ghormfhain possesses an extraordinarily long history, stretching back to the earliest days when its ancestors first settled upon their land. From the beginning, they formed an unusual bond with the horse. They domesticated it early, refined its breeding with precision, and mastered its use to such an extent that, at certain points in history, the number of horses within the state exceeded the human population. The horse was not merely livestock; it was identity, status, mobility, and weapon.
Their equestrian mastery transformed their warfare. Cathair Ghormfhain became synonymous with speed and shock. Their campaigns were rapid and overwhelming, built upon thunderbolt tactics that struck before enemies could organize resistance. Even when outnumbered, their cavalry charges shattered formations. Empires that once seemed unassailable fell beneath the pounding of hooves. The sound of their advance carried terror across Southern Eldervale, earning them the name "Equine of Death." Wherever they passed, they left conquest and ruin.
At the height of their early expansion, following the An Dan Dorch conquest, their empire stretched from modern-day Abern to Kelpiekirk between -142 and -118 (Former Common Era). Their dominance seemed unstoppable. Plans were laid to extend their reach further east and north, but internal turmoil intervened. Authority fractured among competing leaders, rebellion spread, and the empire collapsed inward. From that point onward, although minor campaigns continued, official doctrine shifted away from relentless conquest. The state sought stability and diplomatic restoration, attempting to rebuild its reputation and internal cohesion.
Yet the ambition for glory never fully disappeared.
In 816–878, the Euchd na Gloire conquest reignited the old fire. Framed as an effort to restore Cathair Ghormfhain's lost greatness, this campaign proved even more destructive than earlier expansions. Allied with Keldar, the state waged near-constant warfare for decades, pushing north and east with renewed force. Many historians agree this era marked the strongest Cathair Ghormfhain in recorded history. Trade routes and strategic shores fell under its control, and prosperity surged.
But prosperity came at immense cost. Suppressions were brutal, especially in the region of Karnavo, where massacres were recorded with chilling frequency. Some chroniclers claimed that the number of slain could have formed a mountain of bodies - whether metaphor or truth, the image endured. As before, the peak was brief. Political crisis returned, weakening the state from within. Gradually, Cathair Ghormfhain lost ground to rivals and suffered repeated defeats, at times even partial annexation. Keldar remained its strongest supporter, offering stability and military backing, yet the dream of reclaiming regional supremacy persisted. By the thirteenth century, Cathair Ghormfhain once again emerged as a formidable threat, shaped by loyalty, memory, and unresolved ambition.
This history of dominance and fracture is reflected in its architecture.
Cathair Ghormfhain builds vertically, defensively, and watchfully. Towers rise like silent sentinels, their silhouettes sharp against the sky. Arched windows of blue-stained glass puncture deep slate-blue limestone façades. The stone is honed rather than polished, its subtle veining visible, aging beautifully into darker tones over time. Weathered blue steel panels introduce a cold, industrial aristocracy - controlled, restrained, faintly dangerous.
Façades are organized with heavy bases, rhythmic vertical window bands at mid-level, and strong cornice lines anchoring the composition. Most structures are dominated by a central tower or projecting mass. Windows are tall and narrow, almost blade-like, often slightly arched or sharply pointed. Dark iron frames hold blue-tinted glass, and some windows are intentionally asymmetrical. From outside, one can never tell what lies within.
Entrances are recessed deeply into shadow. Double-height portals carved in dark marble open to oversized pivot doors of black steel. Stone surfaces bear micro-relief carvings - subtle patterns and hidden sigils embedded within façade grids. Vertical grooves run deep, catching shadow. Undercroft lighting casts faint glows beneath columns, and windows emit a muted blue luminescence at night. Ornament is minimal but deliberate: a single statue niche, repeating vertical ribs, restrained symbolism.
The primary palette is Midnight Blue for the façade, Deep Prussian Blue for shadow, silver-blue stone accents, pale icy lighting glows, and black iron detailing. Lanterns emit soft blue light instead of flame. Courtyards hold dark reflective pools, and often a single statue of "The Duke" stands facing away from the entrance, as though watching the horizon rather than welcoming visitors.
Interiors are tall and severe. Ceilings vanish into shadow. Blue velvet curtains hang heavily between chambers. Dark polished stone floors reflect faint blue light. Massive spiral staircases coil upward like restrained storms. Hidden doors conceal themselves behind bookcases. Many buildings are constructed partially over dark water, foundations submerged as though anchored in depth rather than soil.
On Ceo Island stands the most mysterious structure attributed to Cathair Ghormfhain: a solitary castle long rumored to have belonged to an anonymous, immensely wealthy figure. The structure rises as a single towering mass, vertically fractured down its center. The crack runs from base to peak like a crown torn in half. Geometry is distorted; edges are jagged and unnatural. The upper section leans slightly off-axis, as though gravity bends differently there.
Unlike the nation's usual limestone, this castle is formed from blue-black volcanic rock that absorbs light. Thin fissures within the central fracture emit a cold cyan glow. The surface appears eroded by forces resembling claw marks, and portions look melted yet frozen mid-collapse. Windows are narrow slits cut at impossible angles - some horizontal, some diagonal, many carved but sealed. No visible entrance exists.
Witnesses report that wind constantly circles the tower, regardless of surrounding weather. Lightning seems to strike near its peak repeatedly. Birds gather along its edges in unusual numbers. It is said that during eclipses the central fracture glows brighter, and in its reflection upon the surrounding water, the tower appears whole and unbroken.
Cathair Ghormfhain doesn't just have cavalry - they've weaponized evolution itself. Through extensive genetic mutation programs, they've created equine species that defy nature's intentions.
Altered skin pigmentation. Modified anatomical structures. And most notably - multiple heads.
Two-headed horses are standard issue in elite cavalry units. Not experimental. Not rare. Standard. These variants demonstrate superior cognitive processing and battlefield awareness, tracking threats from multiple directions simultaneously while making tactical decisions faster than any single-headed horse could manage.
Specialized facilities dedicated to horse breeding, genetic modification, and cavalry training dot the landscape throughout the state. These installations represent massive national investment - cavalry superiority forms the cornerstone of Cathair Ghormfhain's entire military doctrine.
Cathair Ghormfhain war horses are fed a diet that includes captured enemy combatants and war prisoners.
State authorities view this practice pragmatically: practical resource utilization combined with psychological warfare of the most visceral kind. The feeding regimen genuinely contributes to the horses' exceptional aggression and combat effectiveness. Horses that have tasted human flesh fight with a ferocity that herbivores shouldn't possess.
Critics call it barbaric. Cathair Ghormfhain calls it winning.
The fastest breed currently in service achieves velocities approaching 200 kilometers per hour - highway speed on hooves. This provides unprecedented tactical mobility, enabling rapid encirclement maneuvers impossible for conventional cavalry forces. By the time enemy commanders realize they're being flanked, the attack is already complete.
The state maintains an extraordinarily close strategic relationship with Keldar, formalized through the Multifold Alliance. This partnership combines Cathair Ghormfhain's mobile cavalry warfare with Keldar's devastating petrobalistic capabilities - a combination that proves devastating to anyone unfortunate enough to face them.
Their alliance endured for thousands of years. It began during a period when both states were under relentless pressure from enemies in the East and the West. Faced with constant harassment and the real possibility of collapse, they had little choice but to set aside suspicion and cooperate. Survival required unity.
Over time, what began as reluctant necessity gradually transformed into something stronger. As they came to recognize how deeply they depended on one another, their relationship stabilized and matured. Trust, once fragile and strategic, was reinforced through shared hardship, and their partnership grew steadily more resilient with each passing generation.
Current genetic engineering initiatives include development of a five-headed horse variant.
Initial experimental phases have been completed successfully. Prototype specimens undergo field testing and behavioral assessment right now. If proven viable, these specimens would represent the most cognitively advanced equine combatants ever produced - five brains working in concert, five sets of eyes scanning the battlefield, five mouths full of teeth.
Brief modern history:
Emerging after the Great Recession from the Karnavo regime in 1178, the state had been annexed into Karnavo for approximately eighteen years following defeat at the Battle of Inbhir Ealaidh in July 1160.
For more than a decade, Karnavo systematically attempted full assimilation of Gormfhanach by destroying manuscripts documenting their culture, folklore, and history, while continuously executing Gormfhanach patriots and nationalists. However, these efforts proved insufficient to compel the population to relinquish their identity.
Throughout years of intensive surveillance and severe suppression, multiple movements - both violent and moderate - were organized.
The most iconic movement was Guth nan Daoine, a call for popular uprising against the surveillance regime, commonly referred to as the Revolution of 1164, led by Calum Beag. This marked the first major clash between Cathair Ghormfhain and Karnavo in the post-annexation era and left the most enduring impact.
The revolution lasted approximately two years, with operations concentrated primarily in the Southern regions. It commenced with the assassination of four Karnavic officials during a periodic inspection tour.
Revolutionary plans to expand the movement to the North were intercepted and halted by Karnavo forces. The movement was heavily suppressed, with numerous commanders executed, including Calum Beag himself. Despite the movement's failure, it left a profound impact on other Gormfhanach, encouraging continued defiance of central authority.
Another significant movement was Ar-a-mach nan Saor, a more pacifist approach initiated in 1170. The movement aimed to demand greater autonomy and less stringent control by strategically adopting elements of Karnavo culture. The underlying strategy was that once autonomy was achieved, they would rapidly pursue independence and prepare for armed conflict against Karnavo.
Initially, the movement showed promise, as the Karnavo government began loosening controls. However, plans for military preparations against Karnavo were leaked by an infiltrator within the movement's membership. The movement was terminated immediately in early 1171, and authorities imposed even heavier and more severe restrictions.
Numerous clandestine meetings were conducted throughout Cathair Ghormfhain territory, with locations disguised as civilian residences or market stalls. Among these networks, the most influential and extensive was Na Stoirmich (The Storms).
This organization preserved manuscripts that were designated for destruction and carefully disseminated them to cultivate patriotic sentiment among the population while expanding their sphere of influence.
In 1175, following a raid on a transmission station, a speech was broadcast through multiple media platforms, calling for uprising across the Southern regions. Through oral transmission, it subsequently spread to remaining territories.
The uprising in the Gleann nan Rionnag region, where revolutionaries assassinated the regional administrative leader and established a revolutionary authority on 16 March, served as the catalyst that encouraged other regions to renounce Karnavo authority. Many Cathair Ghormfhain cities were set ablaze by revolutionary forces as a method to amplify the message and dismantle Karnavic administration.
The uprising escalated rapidly, with numerous locations establishing temporary regimes, leaving Karnavo central authority insufficient time to respond. When forces were deployed to suppress the rebellion, they encountered intense resistance from Gormfhanach fighters. Recognizing that simple suppression was unfeasible, Karnavo declared war on the revolutionary forces, later identified as Na Stoirmich's forces.
Keldar provided support to Gormfhanach throughout the entire war, supplying massive aid and materiel, and occasionally assisting by launching lithic projectiles into Karnavo territory, striking strategic locations. The most renowned incident was the Launching of Neradis (Karnavo) on 23 May 1175, when Keldar launched a stone that destroyed a supply depot in the city. This action generated profound tension between the two nations.
With Keldar's assistance, Cathair Ghormfhain forces successfully expelled enemy forces from their former homeland. Throughout April 1175 to March 1176, the remaining Karnavo strongholds located within Cathair Ghormfhain territory were systematically destroyed, unifying the entire revolutionary movement and establishing a clearer battle front.
The city of Beannagail represented the final stronghold and the longest battle fought on Cathair Ghormfhain soil in the 12th century. The engagement lasted five months, leaving the entire city destroyed, with surviving Karnavic forces captured.
From mid to late 1176, Gormfhanach forces began reclaiming their cities. The victories at the Battles of Firinnail and Lasairig in March and May marked the commencement of sustained territorial reclamation. The final offensive battle was Ard-Inntinn in November. From this point forward, Cathair Ghormfhain adopted primarily defensive postures, having fulfilled their objective of territorial reclamation.
During 1177, Karnavo reinforced their military forces and deployed additional armaments to the theater of operations. Numerous attempts to repel revolutionary forces were conducted, but most were ultimately pushed back - not only due to the rapid mobility of revolutionary cavalry units but also from disruption caused by Keldar's petrobalistic artillery.
Karnavo eventually succeeded in capturing Dorainn city on 20 June - a location with substantial resources and population density - but the city was recaptured just one month later.
The Second Battle of Uirsgeul and Third Battle of Ard-Inntinn in June and October were successfully defended, inflicting severe losses and weakening Karnavo's offensive capabilities, compelling them to limit attack operations.
During this period, Gormfhanach forces also initiated major operations, penetrating deeper into Karnavic territory with the intention of concluding the war in 1177. However, they achieved limited gains as Karnavo reinforced their defensive lines.
The final major battle was Seunmara, where revolutionary forces successfully maintained defensive positions from 23 February to 18 March 1178. The war continued approximately one more month with minimal confrontations before Karnavo formally recognized Cathair Ghormfhain independence on 2 May 1178.
A new independent regime was established in the state after nearly two decades as a colonized territory. However, tensions with Karnavo never subsided; instead, they intensified the animosity between the two nations, with both states continuing to engage in multiple border clashes.
Constant provocations from Kelpiekirk to the East created a more intense and prolonged conflict front. On 12 October 1180, a small Kelpiekirk unit of approximately three hundred personnel entered Cathair Ghormfhain territory and conducted raids across multiple locations spanning forty kilometers. Numerous settlements were burned, and civilians were captured, killed, and subjected to sexual violence over a period of one and a half days before Gormfhanach elite forces arrived to rescue hostages and apprehend all perpetrators.
Kelpiekirk denied responsibility for this unit and demanded the state return them to their homeland. Cathair Ghormfhain refused, declaring they would be retained as prisoners of war for crossing the international border.
The following day, Kelpiekirk declared war on Cathair Ghormfhain, claiming that Cathair Ghormfhain had arbitrarily detained soldiers from another state. At noon on 16 October of the same year, hundreds of thousands of Kelpiekirk soldiers advanced deep into enemy territory. This massive incursion proved overwhelming for Gormfhanach forces to contain, resulting in continuous tactical retreats.
Kelpiekirk deployed weapons designated Stieve-Forrit for relentless forward advancement and Hough-Snibber for neutralizing Cathair Ghormfhain's war horses. These weapons generated invisible force projections and dreadful acoustic emissions designed to disorient cavalry mounts.
Just three hours later, Karnavo authorities also declared war on Cathair Ghormfhain. Cathair Ghormfhain remained in moderate recovery following the recession war. Thus, return to the state of war again.
Recognizing their inability to engage two superior adversaries simultaneously, Cathair Ghormfhain requested Keldar's military intervention.
Despite reluctance to acquire additional enemies, Keldar joined the conflict alongside their ally. Immediately upon entering the war, Keldar commenced sustained lithic bombardment targeting both nations, maintaining continuous strikes for entire months to expedite the war's conclusion.
Kelpiekirk and Karnavo possessed minimal combat experience against Keldar, as their rival had only emerged three decades prior, leaving them unprepared for Keldar's destructive petrobalistic systems. This disruption enabled Cathair Ghormfhain to reorganize military forces and halt enemy advancement.
Cathair Ghormfhain acknowledged that involving Keldar in such a conflict could result in acquiring additional adversaries, potentially surrounding them with hostile states. Cathair Ghormfhain proposed that Keldar provide long-range lithic fire support while Gormfhanach cavalry forces engaged on the front lines. Although Keldar reconsidered whether to follow this plan given their ally's recent war experience, Cathair Ghormfhain insisted on their capability, and Keldar ultimately concurred.
Cathair Ghormfhain consistently employed siege tactics, whereby cavalry units would encircle a concentration of enemy soldiers within a specific location, isolate them from reinforcement, and maintain the encirclement until Keldar lithic projectiles impacted enemy positions. This tactical sequence was repeated continuously.
The largest siege operation occurred during the reclamation battle of Cill Airgid on 5 January 1181. The engagement lasted only ten days, during which approximately two thousand cavalry units surrounded the entire city and repelled all enemy attempts to reestablish connections. Within the city were twenty thousand combined Karnavoer and Kelpish forces.
On average, three soldiers were struck by each lithic projectile, which ranged from twenty to eighty kilometers in diameter, with various geological compositions including solid stone masses, incendiary rocks, cryogenic lithic weapons (liquid nitrogen), toxin-bearing stones, and explosive geological ordnance. Some soldiers were crushed beneath the mass of these petrous projectiles, their bodies completely flattened upon impact.
After ten days, only approximately thirteen combatants remained physically intact, with tens suffering severe injuries. The city was filled with extensive ground tissue matter, requiring Gormfhanach forces four days to complete decontamination operations. This engagement also marked the final employment of this tactical approach by Cathair Ghormfhain.
From 17 Apirl, Kelpiekirk and Karnavo focused on reinforcing defensive lines and deploying additional weaponry. The Stieve-Forrit and Hough-Snibber systems were enhanced to sustain greater resistance against Keldar's petrobalistic artillery.
Karnavo deployed tactics utilizing smoke and similar obscurants to blind enemy forces. They developed the capability to generate extremely dense fog that could reduce ambient temperature in the affected area by approximately 30 degrees Celsius.
Both coalitions engaged in continuous clashes, characterized by the acoustic signatures of horse vocalizations, lithic impacts on terrain, and mechanical operations of Kelpiekirk and Karnavo alliance machinery.
The Battle of Gaoithe Valley (Cathair Ghormfhain), fought in a deep and expansive geographical formation, resulted in one of the most disorienting and chaotic engagements of the conflict.
The battle occurred from mid-August to 24 November 1181. Karnavo's dense smoke tactics combined with obscurants were dispersed across the entire valley. These smoke agents were not fatally toxic - reports indicated similarity to smoke from burning wood - but still created substantial obstacles for Gormfhanach forces.
The battle would not have been particularly notable if Karnavo had not extended their smoke dispersal operations to such an extent that visibility became compromised for both coalitions. In this engagement, Keldar was unable to provide support, with only minimal assistance possible.
Cathair Ghormfhain cavalry combined with Kelpiekirk's Stieve-Forrit systems clashed chaotically within this dense obscuration. Although forces possessed visual enhancement equipment to penetrate the mist, these devices provided minimal effectiveness and rendered virtually nothing visible despite the constant acoustic environment of horse vocalizations, mechanical operations from machinery, and continuous screaming.
No precise records of friendly fire casualties exist for this battle, but numerous estimates suggest the incidence of this phenomenon was likely exceptionally high, as many soldiers discharged weapons randomly toward positions they presumed contained enemy forces.
Commanders on both sides experienced severe disorientation. Despite multiple retreat orders issued by both coalitions, no successful withdrawals occurred.
The battle concluded when combat sounds ceased and the smoke eventually dissipated. Not a single combatant remained on the field (though a few survivors existed, their allegiance remains undocumented). Another Cathair Ghormfhain unit arrived and secured the battlefield afterward.
No state has ever issued official commentary on this engagement since its conclusion.
On 6 March 1182, Karnavo initiated Operation Pranok Seltar, a major offensive aimed at advancing into the Western sectors of Cathair Ghormfhain. The operation employed similar smoke dispersal tactics as previously utilized, though with substantially more careful calibration and controlled deployment.
It is estimated that hundreds of tons of cryogenic smoke agents were dispersed across multiple Gormfhanach defensive fronts. Numerous cities were submerged in obscurant coverage and subjected to the severe temperature reduction these agents produced. Civilian populations were evacuated before smoke conditions deteriorated to critical levels.
The Battle of Loch Breall on 17 March and the Battle of Fionn Cala on 1 April became iconic representations of this form of environmental warfare. These urban centers were transformed into frigid zones, with temperatures plummeting to levels that induced widespread freezing conditions.
Remarkably, snow precipitation occurred across the Western regions of Gormfhanach territory despite the winter season not yet arriving. Cathair Ghormfhain's cavalry mounts had not yet adapted to such extreme cold conditions and lacked technological protection against cryogenic exposure. Numerous horses perished from hypothermia and freeze-related casualties.
Cathair Ghormfhain forces were progressively pushed back and compelled to abandon multiple strategic locations. Most significantly, the Sliabh Corvek urban complex fell on 30 May, which contained the Dunchearta Mor manufacturing facility - a critical installation responsible for weapons production and cavalry mount training programs.
The operation concluded on 5 June when Karnavo forces could no longer sustain their advance. Cathair Ghormfhain cavalry had undergone rapid adaptation to cryogenic conditions, and Keldar intensified lithic bombardment operations as Karnavo forces penetrated deeper into allied territory.
During this period, Kelpiekirk maintained minimal active operations aside from providing support to Karnavo in Operation Pranok Seltar. The Cathair Ghormfhain-Kelpiekirk front remained virtually unchanged throughout the first half of the year.
Toward mid-year, Kelpiekirk finally conducted another offensive operation, advancing deeper into the Eastern territories. However, this campaign yielded negligible strategic results.
The Battle of Lios Maraen on 7 June and the Battle of Cnoc Ealmar on 20 September represented the most intense engagements where Cathair Ghormfhain forces defended their urban positions against Kelpiekirk's Stieve-Forrit weapons systems. The first engagement resulted in defensive failure and territorial loss. The second battle concluded with the successful Kelpiekirk capture of the city, though this urban center possessed no significant strategic value or tactical advantage.
The remainder of the year witnessed no substantial territorial advances, with both coalitions conducting only limited-scale offensive operations across their respective fronts. The conflict had settled into a pattern of attritional warfare with neither side capable of achieving decisive breakthrough.
The year 1183 witnessed the same fruitless results as its predecessor. Civilian populations on both sides began demanding immediate cessation of hostilities, as the conflict no longer served any discernible strategic or political purpose. The war had devolved into a grinding contest of mutual exhaustion, consuming lives and resources without producing meaningful territorial or tactical gains.
Throughout February and March, exploiting their advantages at certain strategic points, Karnavo and Kelpiekirk continued offensive operations. Yet the advances yielded no territorially significant conquests - captured ground measured in meters rather than kilometers, and most gains were subsequently recaptured by Cathair Ghormfhain forces within days or weeks. The front lines oscillated back and forth across the same devastated terrain like a grotesque pendulum, with soldiers dying repeatedly for the same patches of frozen, blood-soaked earth.
During this period, Keldar's lithic assault operations became increasingly aggressive and horrifying in both scale and intensity. This escalation represented a deliberate strategy to compel the warring parties to terminate the conflict immediately through sheer terrorization.
By mid-1183, Cathair Ghormfhain forces had reached a state of critical exhaustion. The nation could no longer sustain offensive operations of any meaningful scale. The population was depleted, the treasury nearly empty, and the psychological toll of endless conflict had begun manifesting in widespread desertion and declining morale.
On 7 April 1183, all belligerent states declared the war concluded. Both coalitions signed a ceasefire treaty with no specified expiration date. The conflict was universally acknowledged to have resolved nothing - no territorial adjustments were made, no political concessions were extracted, and no strategic objectives were achieved by any party.
However, Cathair Ghormfhain had successfully defended its homeland and, critically, retained custody of the original perpetrators whose raid on 12 October 1280 had triggered the entire conflict - the three hundred Kelpiekirk personnel who had burned settlements, killed civilians, and committed sexual violence across forty kilometers of Gormfhanach territory.
Initially, Cathair Ghormfhain authorities considered extraditing these prisoners to Abern for international tribunal proceedings. Upon reconsideration, they decided to retain custody and adjudicate the matter through their own judicial processes.
Nothing was ever heard from these personnel again following this decision. Contemporary historians widely speculate, based on fragmentary evidence and cultural practices documented during this period, that the prisoners were very likely executed and their remains fed to Cathair Ghormfhain's war horses - a practice that, while never officially confirmed, aligns with documented Gormfhanach treatment of war criminals who committed atrocities against civilian populations.
Cathair Ghormfhain recovered from the war throughout 1184-1191, particularly in the Eastern and Western regions. The state continued developing cavalry traits, breeding horses with enhanced strength and adaptive capabilities for extreme environmental conditions. On 7 October 1187, a new head of state was elected: Aibhlinn Ni Dhorchaire, who secured victory with overwhelming support from both governmental institutions and the popular vote. Aibhlinn is considered the most influential and intelligent leader in Cathair Ghormfhain's modern history, earning the epithet "the Banimpire" (the Empress). She rapidly transformed the post-war economy into a hybrid economic system, and through appropriate fiscal policies, the state swiftly regained its wealth and pursued intensive rearmament programs.
Under her leadership, Cathair Ghormfhain continuously improved their war horses through increasingly effective genetic mutations - most notably achieving the successful creation of a two-headed horse variant, which demonstrated superior cognitive capabilities. Aibhlinn enhanced and strengthened state culture, folklore, and glorification of historical achievements. Through the soft policy initiative Soilse (Illumination) in 1189, she successfully persuaded non-governmental political factions to join the unified government structure, preemptively preventing future internal conflicts. During this period, she formulated numerous strategic schemes to be executed under her administration, culminating in her first military conquest toward Ventros in 1191.
Cathair Ghormfhain established an alliance with Keldar under the designation "Multifold" and joined the war against Ventrois on 27 August 1191. Despite the conflict lasting seven years, it produced few notable engagements, as Ventrois during this period remained critically weakened following their 'Esclarmonde de Conscience' internal crisis. Most military operations achieved overwhelming success, with Cathair Ghormfhain forces advancing approximately five hundred kilometers into Western Ventrois territory within merely three months.
During this campaign, Cathair Ghormfhain developed innovative tactics designated Freamhaithe. Rather than concentrating forces along the entire front for mass assault, Gormfhanach cavalry created narrow penetration corridors deep into enemy territory - resembling roots extending from a trunk. These thin pathways served to disrupt enemy formations and supply lines through rapid advance-and-retreat cycles conducted simultaneously across multiple sectors, creating operational chaos that prevented coherent enemy response. Unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure from enemy forces, Ventrois surrendered on 6 December 1198 and was compelled to accept the victors' treaty terms.
The state continued developing rapidly from 1209 onward following implementation of new economic policies collectively designated as Borradh (Growth). These reforms catalyzed not merely economic expansion but comprehensive military modernization. Drawing lessons from previous conflicts, the armed forces underwent substantial strengthening and organizational restructuring. Cavalry breeding programs intensified, with continuous genetic enhancement of horse specimens to maintain technological superiority over potential adversaries.
On 7 April 1215, authorities established a new internal security apparatus: the Faire (Watch). This force was tasked with maintaining domestic order and identifying subversive elements within the population.
On 6 June 1218, the Faire initiated a systematic purge operation known as the Night of the Horseshoe. This campaign, lasting until 19 November, eliminated all prisoners who had collaborated with enemy forces during previous wars. The purge represented a comprehensive liquidation of perceived fifth columnists and security threats identified through extensive surveillance operations.
A parallel wave of political cleansing commenced in October 1218 with establishment of a new oversight department charged with monitoring individual conduct and identifying ideological deviations among government officials and civilian populations. This institution created comprehensive dossiers on citizens, tracking potential disloyalty or subversive tendencies.
In 1219, authorities implemented a completely restructured educational system designed to cultivate nationalist sentiment and technical proficiency from early childhood. The curriculum emphasized Gormfhanach cultural superiority, military history glorification, and practical skills necessary for state service.
Simultaneously, inflation rates decreased significantly during this period due to fiscal stabilization policies and economic growth generated by Borradh reforms.
At the beginning of 1220, the state launched a new elite military program, encouraging widespread voluntary enrollment. The training regimen became known as one of the most comprehensive and brutal in Cathair Ghormfhain history, featuring extreme physical conditioning, psychological stress tests, and advanced cavalry warfare techniques. However, successful graduates received exceptionally high salaries and prestigious social status, making the program highly attractive despite its severity.
The resurgence of a powerful equine empire caused widespread distress among neighboring nations. Cathair Ghormfhain's rapid militarization, genetic cavalry superiority, and increasingly authoritarian domestic policies generated significant international concern about potential expansionist ambitions.
By 1229, military personnel within Cathair Ghormfhain's armed forces reached two million active combatants, with the state maintaining full war-readiness posture. Throughout 1232-1240, continuous border conflicts erupted with Ventrois, Karnavo, and Kelpiekirk. Most clashes lasted approximately one to two weeks before de-escalating, representing probing operations and territorial assertions rather than sustained campaigns.
However, on 6 August 1237, the Battle of Drumness (Kelpiekirk territory) enabled Cathair Ghormfhain forces to establish positions within this contested area. Tensions escalated precipitously, nearly triggering full-scale war between the two nations before Cathair Ghormfhain executed a tactical withdrawal, narrowly averting broader conflict.
More significantly, a medium-scale war between Cathair Ghormfhain and Karnavo occurred throughout 1236-1239. Cathair Ghormfhain maintained overwhelming superiority, with armed forces continuously pushing Karnavo forces deeper into their own territory through relentless cavalry offensives and Freamhaithe penetration tactics. Cathair Ghormfhain withdrew after leadership determined strategic objectives had been achieved in this limited conflict, demonstrating calculated restraint despite military advantage.
Through constant propaganda campaigns and cultural enhancement programs, nationalism within the state reached extraordinarily high levels. Cathair Ghormfhain society became increasingly aggressive in both domestic rhetoric and foreign policy orientation, with popular sentiment strongly supporting territorial expansion and military adventurism.
However, in 1245, Aibhlinn Ni Dhorchaire announced she was suffering from terminal cancer with rapidly deteriorating health. She died at age 60, merely two weeks after the public announcement. Her death precipitated massive mourning across the entire state. A state funeral was conducted over four days, with unprecedented public demonstrations of grief and national unity.
With her death, plans for conquering the southern Eldervale region were postponed indefinitely. A new head of state, Tormod Alasdair Dorchbrae, was elected with a mandate to continue the Banimpire's legacy and expansionist vision.
In 1257, Tormod's administration executed a radical constitutional transformation. The three separate governing bodies - the Legislature (law-making), the Tribunal (judicial interpretation), and the Magistracy (law enforcement and administration) - were unified into a single consolidated institution: the Triarchate. This unprecedented merger terminated the triadic governmental structure that had functioned for over two centuries, concentrating power within a unified authoritarian framework. The Triarchate's creation represented one of the most controversial decisions under Tormod's regime, fundamentally altering the balance of governmental authority.
The consolidation of the Triarchate simultaneously enhanced and strengthened the authority of the head of state beyond any precedent in Cathair Ghormfhain's history. This restructuring was justified as a necessary measure to reduce bureaucratic redundancy caused by too many independent bodies operating without coordination.
Throughout the 1260s, numerous officials and military commanders urged Tormod to initiate the long-anticipated southern conquest. He repeatedly denied these requests, insisting the state required further preparation time. In lieu of outright war, Cathair Ghormfhain engaged in continuous border provocations against neighboring states, including deliberate burning of frontier facilities - calculated acts of aggression designed to maintain military momentum and nationalist fervor without triggering full-scale conflict prematurely.
On 18 March 1271, Cathair Ghormfhain declared war on both Karnavo and Kelpiekirk, joining the escalating First Eldervale Great War. The offensive was immediate, overwhelming, and devastatingly swift. Hundreds of thousands of cavalry forces advanced deep into enemy territory with terrifying speed, exploiting the full potential of their genetically enhanced mounts.
The fortified cities of Monteluc, Bresani, and Pianorta in Karnavo, and Kellabrae and Torrinday in Kelpiekirk - all considered premier defensive strongholds against Cathair Ghormfhain - fell within merely two weeks. These cities, which had been constructed and fortified specifically to withstand Gormfhanach assault, were reduced to ash beneath the relentless advance of Cathair Ghormfhain cavalry. Survivors were captured and threatened with becoming the next feed for Gormfhanach war horses.
Among the most notorious episodes of the entire conflict was the Thuiteam Mor , a systematic practice conducted throughout the war. Cathair Ghormfhain forces offered war prisoners an apparent opportunity for freedom: if they could outrun a horse, they would be released. In practice, the vast majority were crushed beneath the weight of charging mounts and subsequently consumed. In the rare cases where prisoners somehow managed to evade capture, they were recaptured and subjected to the race again. The Thuiteam Mor became one of the defining war crimes of the era, generating international revulsion even among states already accustomed to Gormfhanach brutality.
Within two months, half of Kelpiekirk's territory had fallen, and Cathair Ghormfhain forces had nearly reached the Karnavo capital. On 13 June 1271, the Karnavo capital finally fell and was consumed by fire - every corner, every structure, every remnant of the city's former grandeur reduced to smoldering ruins. Karnavo relocated its governmental stronghold to the deeper South, establishing a formidable defensive line in the rugged terrain.
Cathair Ghormfhain forces slowed their advance following the capital's fall, transitioning from blitzkrieg tactics to a deliberate strategy of attrition designed to erode enemy defensive capabilities.
On the Kelpiekirk front, a miscalculation in march timing prevented capture of the Kelpiekirk capital before June. Nevertheless, the strategically vital Balnacroch city fell to Gormfhanach forces, effectively crippling Kelpiekirk's defensive network.
By mid-1271, half of both Kelnavo and Kelpiekirk's territories lay in flames. Millions of prisoners were held under Gormfhanach custody. Despite their best efforts to slow the Cathair Ghormfhain advance, both states could no longer sustain the conflict. On 27 July 1271, Karnavo and Kelpiekirk accepted peace treaty terms. The treaty was signed in the Cathair Ghormfhain capital - a deliberate symbolic humiliation for the defeated nations.
Shortly following their decisive victory, Cathair Ghormfhain dispatched a limited contingent to support Keldar, who remained engaged in conflict against Velbor. Not wishing to acquire yet another enemy, Cathair Ghormfhain deployed 5,000 personnel distributed across the entire Velbor front.
These forces achieved considerable tactical successes, instilling significant fear among Velbor's military. However, Keldar ultimately suffered defeat against Velbor in 1272. Cathair Ghormfhain subsequently maintained a sustained presence to assist their ally, providing organizational support and helping stabilize Keldar's society during the difficult post-defeat period. Cathair Ghormfhain's international reputation rose considerably during this time - a rare instance where military restraint and alliance loyalty enhanced their standing in the eyes of other nations.
With the escalation of the Second Great War two decades later, Cathair Ghormfhain declared simultaneous war on Karnavo, Kelpiekirk, and Ventrois on 3 March 1292. Despite fighting across three separate fronts, Gormfhanach forces showed no signs of strain during the initial phase. Their genetically enhanced horses moved with such extraordinary velocity that enemy forces had virtually no time to react or establish defensive formations before positions were already overrun.
Karnavo and Kelpiekirk were pushed to the furthest extremities of their own states, retaining only approximately 527 and 671 square kilometers of sovereign territory respectively. However, both nations fought back with remarkable tenacity. The increasingly rough, high-altitude terrain and narrowing front lines provided natural defensive advantages that partially neutralized the superiority of Cathair Ghormfhain's cavalry. Within occupied territories, persistent insurgent forces continuously disrupted Gormfhanach organizational structures, draining resources and attention from front-line operations.
The Ventrois front presented an entirely different nature of warfare. Ventrois deployed psychotropic technology capable of inflicting mind-altering effects on both horses and soldiers - hypnotic wave emitters that caused disorientation, hallucinations, and complete psychological breakdown in affected units. Cathair Ghormfhain was compelled to sever the majority of its communication infrastructure to prevent exposure to these hypnotic transmissions, severely hampering operational coordination.
Despite these unprecedented challenges, Cathair Ghormfhain forces managed to advance and recapture all territories lost during the conflict's initial phase. In May 1293, Operation Fiach Ciuin achieved a significant breakthrough, advancing approximately 1,000 square kilometers into Ventrois's Eastern regions. However, further penetration proved impossible against Ventrois's technological defenses.
During this period, Keldar withdrew from the war. Recognizing that this withdrawal left their ally vulnerable to Velbor invasion, Cathair Ghormfhain issued an unambiguous ultimatum: any Velbor forces setting foot on Keldar soil would face immediate Gormfhanach military response. Aware of Cathair Ghormfhain's devastating combat capabilities and unwilling to test the threat's credibility, Velbor reluctantly stood down.
Cathair Ghormfhain continued conducting relentless nocturnal raids across the Ventrois border - primarily scavenging operations and targeted sabotage missions against hypnotic wave generator installations. These raids created sustained psychological pressure on Ventrois frontier forces while systematically degrading their most effective weapon.
Despite catastrophically weakened forces, severe supply shortages, and widespread starvation, Karnavo and Kelpiekirk forces refused to capitulate, declaring their intention to fight to the last man standing. The defiance was equal parts nationalist desperation and deep-seated hatred of Gormfhanach dominion.
Their last strongholds - Tarnachis (Karnavo) and Torbrig (Kelpiekirk) - fell on 7 and 13 October 1293 respectively, put to flame as every prior conquest had been. Official surrender followed immediately, though insurgent forces within occupied territories continued resistance operations indefinitely.
The Ventrois front yielded no decisive results despite numerous operations. Cathair Ghormfhain controlled substantial portions of Eastern Ventrois, but without Keldar's lithic bombardment support, Ventrois's mind-bending technology proved virtually impossible to overcome through conventional means alone. Both states fought on in a state of mutual exhaustion and fatigue until the announcement of the Pax of Seraphic.
Cathair Ghormfhain signed the peace treaty on 5 July 1294, gaining nothing in territorial terms while sustaining significant casualties. The Pax generated a wave of widespread disagreement among both government officials and the general population, who considered its terms deeply unjust given the scale of military sacrifice. However, the finality of a signed peace treaty left no avenue for redress - its terms were absolute and binding.
Following the war, Cathair Ghormfhain focused its primary attention on internal reconstruction and the deteriorating situation in Keldar, which had descended into civil war since 1293. In a notably humanitarian departure from their reputation for ruthlessness, Cathair Ghormfhain declined to support either warring Keldar faction, instead directing resources toward the civilian population - providing essential supplies, constructing shelters, and assisting Keldar refugees displaced by the internal conflict until the civil war reached its conclusion.
The state thrived once more under the comprehensive Greine Plan (Solar Plan) beginning in 1305, driving intensive development across economic and societal dimensions simultaneously. Infrastructure, military capability, cultural institutions, and civic programs were all expanded under this unified developmental framework, consolidating Cathair Ghormfhain's position as a dominant power in Eldervale.
In January 1312, one of the most infamous publications in all of Eldervale was disseminated across the state: Ceird na Foirfeachta (The Craft of Perfection). Spanning nearly one thousand pages, the volume catalogued in exhaustive detail every flaw, weakness, and moral deviation considered unacceptable within Gormfhanach society. Every single citizen received a copy. Whether interpreted as a philosophical guide, an ideological manifesto, or a state-sanctioned instrument of social control, the book left an indelible mark on Gormfhanach collective consciousness - its contents quietly shaping behavioral expectations and cultural norms for generations.
In 1320, a landmark new pact was signed between Cathair Ghormfhain and Keldar, elevating their alliance to an unprecedented level of integration. Most significantly, the pact included a mutual automatic war clause: should either state enter armed conflict with any other nation, the other would immediately commit to full-scale military intervention - no longer limited support, no longer selective assistance, but total and unconditional war. The Multifold alliance consequently emerged as one of the most formidable military factions in Eldervale, its combined capabilities of Gormfhanach cavalry supremacy and Keldar's devastating lithic bombardment rendering it a force no neighboring state could contemplate challenging lightly.
In August 1343, Cathair Ghormfhain's bioengineering programs achieved a series of extraordinary and deeply unsettling milestones. Experimental programs produced horse specimens of unprecedented modification: winged horses capable of aerial mobility, fundamentally transforming cavalry doctrine and tactical possibilities; specimens engineered without functional brains, designed specifically to counter Ventrois's psychotropic technology by eliminating any neurological architecture susceptible to hypnotic wave interference; and numerous other specialized variants tailored for specific operational requirements.
In 1351, the long-anticipated five-headed horse experiment was successfully conducted. Though the specimen survived only a few hours, its brief existence constituted definitive proof of concept - demonstrating that such a configuration was biologically achievable. The implications for future genetic programs were profound, and research continued with renewed intensity toward producing a viable long-term specimen.
On 26 June 1365, Calum Arainn was elected as the new head of state. Inheriting a nation at the peak of its power, cultural cohesion, and military capability, Arainn continued developing the state's institutions while further consolidating Cathair Ghormfhain's reputation as a dominant and feared presence across southern Eldervale.
Ideal: Fiorghlanadh na Folmha
The ancient goal of the ideal is to establish a system of absolute moral and social cleansing based on unilateral, subjective standards of purity, while remaining willfully blind to the principle that the judge cannot be exempt from the judgement. The state exists to excise perceived flaw - until it inevitably turns upon itself. Within this framework, the active removal of perceived imperfection - flawed traits, disagreeable persons, entire populations - is elevated to the highest moral action. The individual or body with the power to judge becomes the sole arbiter of virtue, flaw, and corruption. Their personal hatred is universal law. The feeling of unilateral control over life, death, and existence is not a corrupting influence but a legitimate reward for the "worthy" judge. A perfect world is defined not by what it contains, but by what it has eliminated. Emptiness is the ultimate state of cleanliness.
Yet power granted for destruction carries a hidden, unavoidable price that the wielder is structurally incapable of recognizing until it is too late. This blindness is a feature, not a bug. Any system designed to identify and eliminate "flawed" elements will, by its own logic, eventually identify its architect as the ultimate flaw. This is the hidden mechanism of its collapse.
At its core, this philosophy holds that humanity is irredeemably corrupt, riddled with traits deserving of excision. The only "good" human is the one with the power and will to remove others - yet this "good" human is ironically the most corrupt, for they are consumed by the very hatred they claim to purify. Hatred is the only constant, and it consumes everything, including its host.
The idealist state therefore manifests as memorial spaces commemorating each "cleansing" as a sacred achievement, with the empty spaces left behind treated as holy ground. The absence of the removed is celebrated. A sprawling bureaucratic apparatus dedicates itself to scanning the population for newly-defined flaws, ensuring no corrupt element escapes detection. Efficiency in finding targets is the sole metric of success. And finally, there emerges an institutionalized, ritualistic procedure whereby the state's logic is applied to the judge themselves. This is framed not as collapse, but as the ultimate act of purity - the judge voluntarily or involuntarily accepting that they, too, contain the flaw they hunted.