Letherii Army

The Letherii Army could field 600,000 soldiers, drawn from both their own lands and their protectorates. Its forces were extremely malleable, with its soldiers trained to quick adaptation, if the circumstances warranted it. Training was extensive and their forces were highly mobile, relying on specially constructed military roads throughout the kingdom.

It tended to use sorcerous means to achieve their ends more than physical combat, attaching masters of sorcery trained by the Ceda Kuru Qan to each legion. The Ceda's mages also allowed for instantaneous communication between units.

Horses were not a part of Letherii culture until the conquering of Bluerose. As a result, what little cavalry they possessed was inept and disorganised despite training from dozens of Bluerose officers. This was entirely intentional on Bluerose's part as proved by any knowledgeable inspection of the inferior saddles and stirrups they provided the mostly clueless Letherii. Lether was not completely unaware of Bluerose's questionable loyalty, however, and it was Letherii policy to assign Bluerose units to distant parts of the empire.

There were fierce rivalries among the various legions.

Crossbows were unknown to the people of Lether.

Rank structure

• Preda, commander of the Army
• Atri-Preda, military commander who governed a city or town
• Atri-Ceda, commander of the mages
• Finadd, captain of a unit

Units

• Eastern Army
• Artisan Battalion
• Bluerose Battalion
• Borthen Brigade
• Cold Clay Battalion
• Crimson Rampant Brigade
• Drene Garrison
• Fent Garrison
• Grass Jackets Brigade
• Harridict Brigade
• Imperial Brigade
• Katter Legion
• King's Battalion
• Maiden Garrison
• Merchants' Battalion
• Queen's Battalion
• Quillas Brigade
• Riven Brigade
• Shake Legion
• Snakebelt Battalion
• Tattered Banner Army
• Trate Legion
• Wave Wake Brigade
• Whitefinder Battalion

Letherii Military Tactics

Letherii military doctrine called for war in three phases. The initial phase called for a rolling, mobile defence designed to draw their enemies forward. The second phase, saw a Letherii counter-attack involving deep strikes to cut enemy supply lines and a series of attacks and tactical withdrawals. In the final phase, the enemy was encircled to complete their annihilation. Naval forces might be used at this point to strike the enemy's homelands, burning their homes, and slaughtering their families.

Letherii lands were criss-crossed by specially constructed roads designed to quickly move forces where needed. Caches of food and water were hidden throughout the kingdom, along with massive military repositories.

Benefits and liabilities

Families of soldiers killed in the line of duty received a death pension from the Letherii government. At the same time, heirs and kin were responsible for costs of lost equipment and debts incurred by the departed.

In Midnight Tides

The Letherii Army was summoned in full force to defend the kingdom against the Tiste Edur invasion led by Rhulad Sengar. The Edur struck first at Trate defeating the Trate Legion and the Cold Clay Battalion with a shock attack using an immense ocean spirit. The Edur fleet then moved against Letherii positions on The Reach penninsula. Preda Unnutal Hebaz ordered the garrison at the unfinished First Maiden Fort evacuated to Fent Reach. But Atri-Preda Yan Tovis was forced to surrender the city and its garrison when she realised she faced an overwhelming force of over three hundred thousand Edur.

At the same time, multiple Edur armies crossed the northern western frontier to capture a string of Letherii forts. Fear Sengar's army defeated the Queen's Battalion, Quillas Brigade, and Grass Jackets Brigade at High Fort capturing Queen Janall Diskanar and Prince Quillas in the process.

See also: Battle of High Fort

Tomad Sengar's army seized Fort Shake from the Harridict Brigade and the Artisan Battalion was forced to abandon The Manse. The Riven Brigade and the Snakebelt Battalion fell back from guarding Old Katter and Awl to defend Letheras, the Letherii capital. The Letherii Army's final defense before reaching Letheras was Brans Keep. Here the converging Edur armies reunited to defeat the majority of the remaining Letherii legions with a horrifying display of Chaos sorcery. Defeated in the battle were the Crimson Rampant Brigade, the Snakebelt Battalion, the Riven Brigade, the King's Battalion, the Merchants' Battalion, the Artisan Battalion, and the Whitefinder Battalion. Tens of thousands of Letherii soldiers and Preda Hebaz were killed in the fighting.

See also: Battle of Brans Keep

The battle effectively ended Letherii resistance to the invasion. The victorious Edur soon entered the capital, and after some brief resistance in the city streets, declared themselves rulers of the Letherii Empire.

In Reaper's Gale

Atri-Preda Bivatt led the Eastern Army against Redmask's Awl in the Awl Campaign. Her forces included the Artisan Battalion, the Bluerose Battalion, the Crimson Rampant Brigade, the Harridict Brigade, the Merchants' Battalion, and members of the Drene Garrison. After a shocking failure at the Battle of Bast Fulmar, the Letherii had better success as the Battle of Pradegar. Although defeating the Awl at the Battle of Q'uson Tapi, the Eastern Army was annihilated by the late arriving army of White Face Barghast led by Onos T'oolan.

Notes and references

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