Freeborn Storm
This army page represents only bare bones information, and will be expanded with more details in the future.
Overview
The Freeborn Storm was the first Imperial navy constructed by the Empire since the disaster that ended the reign of Emperor Barabbas. Launched triumphantly in the months following the liberation of Segura, the navy was unfortunately outmatched by the Grendel armada and after only two years of active service was destroyed during the conquest of Atalaya by the southern orcs.
Despite the obstacles the navy faced in trying to protect the Bay of Catazar from the Grendel, it consistently performed beyond expectations thanks to the courage of independent ship captains.
Prior to its destruction, the admiral of the Freeborn Storm was appointed during the Winter Solstice.
History
This Freeborn Storm was constructed at the Atalaya Shipyards in Madruga over the course of 379YE. Enthusiasm for constructing the navy peaked during the celebrations surrounding the Imperial victory over the Lasambrian orcs in Segura, and the Imperial Synod capitalised on that enthusiasm to provide additional support to the project. The navy launched for the first time just before the Winter Solstice 379YE.
The first major engagement against the enemy came during the [380YE_Autumn_Equinox_winds_of_war#Audacity|Battle of Rebekah's Leap]] in Autumn 380YE. Attempting to catch the Grendel fleets by surprise the Storm faced off against the vastly superior Grendel armada. Despite being forced to fall back to Necropolis, they nonetheless managed to inflict notable casualties on the orc war fleet.
A year later in Autumn 381YE, after helping to clear the Grendel presence from southern Redoubt, the Freeborn Storm again clashed with the Grendel armada, this time in the waters south of Spiral. Despite continued support from Imperial captains, the Freeborn navy is again outmatched and driven back into Highborn waters after suffering crippling casualties from the orc flotilla.
Following the engagement in the east, the Freeborn Storm retreated to Atalaya to regroup and resupply. Unfortunately, the Grendel ships followed them home. The Grendel attacked the historic Freeborn settlement with a force five times the size of the remaining ships, and despite a valiant effort, the Storm was burnt to the waterline along with the shipyards where it had been created.Grendel invasion of Madruga]].
Traditions
The Freeborn Storm was too short-lived to create enduring traditions. During its brief time in service, it was very much a point of pride for Freeborn corsairs to serve with and support the navy with ships and sailors.
Composition
The Imperial navy has made up of a strong core of large warships, supported by a large number of smaller and more maneuverable vessels. A slim majority were drawn from the corsair families of Madruga, with the remainder being made up of experienced traders and corsairs from Feroz.
As there had been no Imperial navy in almost two hundred years, one of the first challenges faced by the mariners of the Brass Coast was to address the logistical issues presented by bringing together such a force of ships and sailors, especially with regards to communication of strategy and coordinating once battle was joined. In many ways the independent nature of the Freeborn gave the Storm an advantage; once battle was joined the individual captains could be relied upon to engage the enemy in broad support of the declared strategy without needing to constantly update orders.
The Freeborn Storm did not possess a unique quality - beyond the fact that it was the only Imperial navy deployed during its period of service.
| Summit | Elected |
|---|---|
| Winter Solstice 380YE | Edgardo i Ruiloba i Guerra |
| Winter Solstice 379YE | Edgardo i Ruiloba i Guerra |
Recent Elections
This title is no longer elected as the force was destroyed on campaign. The table to the right shows the citizens who have been elected to hold the title of Admiral of the Freeborn Storm in the years since Empress Britta died.