Maelos Republic

The Maelos Republic is a late Dark Age civilization that occupied the isle of Mael from 436 AW to 1855 TI. A constitutional Republic, the Maelos were the first semi-democratic nation to emerge on Serva.

Government
The leader of the Maelos was a Prime Minister. It was his duty to make the laws and to declare war. Below him, were the Lesser Ministers, each with a certain job to perform. The Lesser Ministers, when asked, would provide advice to the Prime Minister as well as assist in control of Districts (area of government). The Minister of War was typically a seasoned general, always a 4-5 star general. It was his job to lead the entirety of the army, and only rarely would the Prime Minister have any say in the battle plans. There were Ministers of Education, Domestic Matters, Foriegn Affairs, and Defense.

Below the Lesser Ministers were the agents who involved themselves within the district. IE, Senators and Governors. Senators were elected in to have control over provinces, and Governors were appointed by the Prime Minister. Governors acted as law enforcement and were usually in control of newly conquered or assimilated territory. Once a province had been made "civilized", a Senator would be elected in to lead it from then on.

Finally, each Governor and Senator had his own group of private Retainers, a militia to defend the province from any attack until more professional soldiers arrived to reinforce the area.

Pre-Gunpowder
The basic, average soldier of the Maelos Republic, at least until the middle of the Gunpowder Age, was a Halberdier. They carried the Halberd and wore chain mail for armor. Halberdiers were deployed mainly as militia or retainer forces, though were common in the real army as cannon fodder and meat shields for the famed Maelos Cataphract.

The cataphracts were feared all throughout the medieval Known World. The horse was bred specifically for charging strength and bravery. They even wore armor that was edged at the front of the horse, to pummel and cut apart the unfortunate enemy infantry in front. They carried both a charging lance and a Iconium longsword.

The tactic of the cataphract was to charge, retreat, charge, and repeat until the enemy either turned and ran (In which case, the cataphracts would pursue for prisoners) However they were vulnerable against other cavalry, who didn't suffer to badly in a charge and in most nation's cases were far stronger in a melee.

The most common soldier by far in the Maelos military was the Skirmisher, usually a commoner who was either drafted or voluntarily enlisted. While they were also used as meat shields, they often stood behind the cataphracts charge, showering javelins down just before impact. They also carried a small buckler shield which they were trained to use to block against incoming arrows, which made them somewhat effective against short-ranged archers.

Gunpowder
With the advent of gunpowder, the military of the Maelos developed into a versatile army that was even more feared until the Gallian War. The halberdier, while still a large part of many armies around the Known World, was outclassed by the use of massed riflemen. While at the time, muskets were single shot rifles, and halberdiers were still used to protect the rifles from enemy cavalry (A technique known as "pike-and-shot") the Maelos had a strong enough economy to fund a constant replenishing force of rifles and halberdiers, which either stayed home or moved out to claim new lands in support of Mounted Gunners.

The Mounted Gunners replaced cataphracts almost completely, though less so in areas where the use of ranged cavalry was limited. The mounted gunners, also called dragoons, carried seven to eight loaded pistols (not having time to reload them during battle) and a saber. In large numbers, they would pepper the enemy formation (provided its infantry) and when exhausting the last pistol, charge in with swords drawn.

Skirmishers became largely useless, rarely playing a role except when times were desperate.

Gallian War Era
At the start of the Gallian War (see below section for details) the Maelos Republic was attacked on all sides by the nations of the Known World, and was forced to put heavy emphasis on warfare. With changing times in an era of steam-power, the Maelos army once again experienced developments.

The Halberdier is still here. Mostly just a meat shield for bullets. As a punishment for crimes, you serve as a Halberdier. You earned freedom if you survived 50 great battles. No one made it.

Cataphracts are now non-existent.

The Dragoon is still a prominent part of the Maelos military, deployed for hit and run operations as well as main battlefield warfare. Riflemen, now with socket bayonets, have no need for "pike and shot" tactics, able to hold their own against them. The repeating rifle was a staple firearm now, and were more accurate.

The Maelos (or as of now, Gallia) were the first to use airships. These massive, slow aircraft housed small armies, airplanes and other war machines. After them, everyone else followed the same route.