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| ==History== | | ==History== |
| ===Forces of Antiquity=== | | ===Forces of Antiquity=== |
| The typical Fhainnin soldier for the first few thousand years of recorded history (known as a ''Ceiternin'') was armed with a sword (''deamhbah''), javelins (''gah''), and various daggers. They generally favored no armor or padded cloth, as tribal tactics focused on skirmishes and ambush over pitched fighting. These troops were organized into rough units collectively referred to as ''Ceiternn'', or warbands, which numbered anywhere from thirty to four hundred men depending on the size of the populations from which they were raised. The leader of each warband was either elected or lead by charisma and was referred to as a ''Ceiternna,'' and responded directly to the commanding noble or official, assuming they themselves were not operating autonomously. Many local bands fought against invading forces both foreign and native without a call to arms, often boiling the distinction between soldiery and highwaymen down to a matter of loyalties.
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| The constant combative nature of the area made proper settlement and annexation by anything other than dedicated armies incredibly difficult, as while early Holy Levantine forces and opportunistic raiders had free reign of the land when organized, attempts to remove or subjugate the native populations of the Ninerivers typically resulted in settlements being sacked at any opportunity.
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| As Christianity took hold within the country from those foreign settlements which had been established peaceably or lasted in small holds along the coastline, local nobility began to employ professional soldiers in addition to militias. These ''Ardceiterninn'' continued to use javelins and swords, but additionally took up shortbows along with rounded wooden shields and metal armor (most commonly mail coats or lamellar designs copied from Latin and Coscivian designs). Most also trained to fight on horseback as their ''Ceiterninn'' auxiliaries did, largely replacing the mounted skirmishers and relegating peasant troops to foot combat by the tenth century. While not approaching the social prestige or full plate of Latin knights, these soldiers typically fought with similar discipline and pride, earning a reputation as competent bodyguards and cavalry mercenaries throughout Levantia.
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| ===Early Royal Central Army=== | | ===Early Royal Central Army=== |
| The first Kings of the Fhainn fought with essentially the same troops as their ancestors and opponents had for innumerable generations before, and did so successfully. However, the inherent disorganization and decentralization of feudal forces made mobilizing to fight large wars increasingly difficult, and by the fourteenth century, firearms and cannons made organized formations increasingly important. | | The first Kings of the Fhainn fought with essentially the same troops as their ancestors and opponents had for innumerable generations before, and did so successfully. However, the inherent disorganization and decentralization of feudal forces made mobilizing to fight large wars increasingly difficult, and by the fourteenth century, firearms and cannons made organized formations increasingly important. |