Codex Entry: The Warrior Spirit of the ‘Front

Whereas the Zauhlon Legion and its legendary fighting spirit and blood lust strikes terror into the hearts of countless across the galaxy, the rah' salaruuns are on the other side of that coin. Their warrior-centric culture, their code of honor, and their tenacity in the face of certain doom inspires hope and determination into their Republic allies. Today, let's take a closer look into them, as well as their military, the United Front.

The art in today’s post is done by Tom Edwards, Nataly Zhuk, and Jozef Boza

   Since the early days of their civilization, the rah' salaruuns have respected strength and honor. As their technology advanced over the centuries, so did their pride in their capabilities. This was never more prevalent than in their most dominant military, the United Front. Formed from multiple nations across their homeworld of Malcorus, the Front worked to ensure as minimal conflict as possible, utilizing combat sports with non-lethal battles as an outlet.

   When the age of space flight arrived for their people, the United Front were ultimately the military that acquired interstellar tech first. Over the decades, this led to them assimilating the other militaries among the rah' salaruuns. Their custom of combat sports resulted in the creation of the Sons of Helyung, named after the mightiest of their gods of battle. With this competition emphasizing teamwork throughout the different United Front fleets, their battle prowess only grew stronger.

   The next bolster in their infamous warrior spirit came from their introduction into the Galactic Republic. At the sight of the mighty Anthrum Ascendency, one might expect jealousy to arise. That couldn't be further from the truth however. For the rah' salaruuns, it only inspired them to grow stronger.

   One century after they joined the Republic, the first instance of interplanetary law passed among the rah' salaruuns; upon their coming of age, every rah' salaruun male was required to serve at least four years in the United Front. While other races would have viewed this with disdain, it was a prime opportunity for the next generation to hone their instincts and learn discipline. Because of this law, the United Front earned their spot as the second most capable military in the Republic.

"May the Gods of Battle look favorably upon you."

   Their primary infantry unit, the Warfighters, have participated in multiple anti-pirate campaigns in the Badlands, most notably against the Glarrows, a predominantly chuzunn pirate group. It was in this year-long conflict that their warrior spirit truly became known.

   In the face of unending waves of chuzunn pirates, the warfighters chanted battle hymns to their gods, strengthening their resolve. Since then, these battle hymns have become synonymous with the warfighters.

One other conflict that’s become infamous is Dracnic Crusades. At the turn of the century in the year 2300, the Unite Front was charged quelling a growing cult in the Badlands known as Dracnic. This assignment came after reports of mass murder by their hands across multiple worlds.

   Dracnic, formed entirely of the lizard-like yongun, proved to be one of Unite Front’s most formidable foes, given their total disregard of mercy on the battlefield. From nailing rah’ salaruun corpses on pikes, to even utilizing chemical warfare, Dracnic stopped at nothing to push back United Front. The conflict came to a close when General Yorn Gallik led two battalions of warfighters into Dracnic’s grand temple on the moon of Bultor, killing every cultist defending the site, including the Dracnic leader, Rallin Baeth.

   Because of the nature of Rah' Salaruun society, there are billions of military personnel, making their numbers even greater than the Anthrum Ascendancy's. There are twenty fleets in total, consisting of one thousand ships each. Each of their star systems have giant mobile fortresses called Laudats, which means Impenetrable Force in Rahlish, the native language of Rah' Salaruuns. Due to their size, which is that of larger space stations, they cannot be transported through Slip-Space Highways. They can however jump to different parts of their star system.

   Despite their similarities, the rah' salaruuns and zauhlons have never faced each other in battle before. Unlike the Zauhlon Legion however, the United Front has no desire to seek out unnecessary conflict, and refrains from indulging in their desire to see who the better military force truly is.