Kingdom of Helic - Status
Some 300 years ago, during the Long Peace, Helic returned to its roots as a sovereign kingdom. Helic sought peace with Zenevas and with the tribes they encountered, but have been forced into making a stand against their old enemy... and several new ones. Through the ages, the balance of blood has shifted greatly within Helic as racial wars rage alongside conflicts over land and resources. While there are some Zoidians in league with the Kingdom, the vast majority of the populous is human.
Leadership
Aaron Phaegan was crowned sixth king of Helic a decade ago. It was he who coined the phrase, "Age of War", which was then written into the history books. His bride, Queen Maurine, is as wise as her husband, and the two council together on all decisions of the realm in war or in peace. They pushed their people hard these last years, using every possible resource to halt Helic's retreat into the sea. Now they are using their drive and determination to push back. The king and queen have but a handful of high officers, but they are made of the sternest of stuff. It is hoped that loyalty, honor and hope will reverse the war, and send Zenevas back to Europa.
Territory
Once the dominant power on the Central Continent, Dolpoi, Helic has been pushed back across the land bridge that was once the Sheed Ocean and is now entrenched primarily on Ayeri, the Eastern Continent, and on new lands created by the receded oceans. From reinforced bases in the Akua Islands, Helic also holds the dominating forces in the Floreclo Ocean.
Forces
Ironically, it was Helic's initial reluctance to fight that has given them a position of strength. True, they drew back to the Sheed Ocean and seemed short for the world, yet in this they also preserved much of their hardware and manpower. All Helic units have been redesignated under the new RZ, or "Royal Zoid", classification system. Designations have been converted from former identifiers based on power plant class. The smallest units, those using RMZ engines, fall under the RZ-100 designation. RHI Zoids, their heavier counterparts, are all encapsulated within the RZ-200 range. RPZ units, onced known as Republican Power Zoids after their seemingly perpetual energy power plants, now fall under the RZ-300 classification, and the gigantic RBOZ Republican Battalion-Order Zoids now hold to the RZ-400 series label. There are only two additional set classes in the Helic military; the RZ-500 series constitutes an order of super-heavy transport or support Zoids, and the final class is the RBZ-1000... the new Battalion Zoids, of which only the Gallant Mariner claims title.
The predominant land units used by Helic are the remnants of the most populous Zoids of the prior age; an array of light trooper units, Godos and Guysack, comprise the vast majority of ground forces. There are only about 2,000 of each, these remade since the Bluefire Contingency was enacted. There are other units scattered among them, but these are all led into battle by hundreds of resurrected RHI class Zoids. Most median officers pilot Ligers onto the field, some having access to Dibison or former RPZ class units. The highest officers use the mighty machines once of the RBOZ designation; handfuls of Gojulus and Gordos act as heavy firepower. The royal generals may be found within the rare Zoids such as Ultrasaurus, Mad Thunder and Paladin classes, but the three types comprise less than a dozen units to lead battleherds afield.
Formerly the undisputed air superiority power in the world, Helic's avian battleflocks were culled during the Bluefire. A great focus of the Helic military has been rebuilding the former might of the air attack wing. Pteras make up the grunts of the sky with an almost equal number of Raynos to act as interceptors. The attack role has been taken up by Buster Eagle squadrons with their heavy ordinance and a handful of Storm Sworders have become the officers' mainstay. Yes, Salamanders still support the more numerous units, with Air Generals relying on the remaining Bombverns.
A place where Helic has become far stronger than past times is in the marine theater. It seems that the Zoids least effected by the Bluefire lived beneath the surface. The numbers of light and fast Sea Sabers are in the thousands, and hundreds of Sledgehammer sharks form a deadly arsenal. Helic uses the Akyna in numbers now; lighter than a Whale King and faster as well, they keep Helic Battleschools mobile and permit the movement of air and land units in secrecy. Admirals find themselves manning a few Ultrasaurs, but the Royal Admiral commands from the bridge of the Gallant Mariner, the first of its kind and the largest Zoid known. And the RBOZ-1001 Valiant Mariner is already under construction with the RBOZ-1002 Stalwart Mariner on the drawing board.
The final forces under the Helic banner may come as a surprise to many. It seems that a huge force was brought back from the dead to aid the cause. Known as the Whitehelm Legion, this army is comprised of some of the oldest Zoids known. While slight and small by any standards, they incorporate technologies lost to time and can still put up a fight with more modern machines. Even refit with upgraded technology, Garius, Elephantus, Bigasauru and others are not front line fighters. They are used to secure and defend cities and strategic sites, and this allows Helic to use the vast majority of their forces to assault the enemy on the front.
Strategy
Helic tried for peace, and it almost cost them all of Dolpoi, the Central Continent. Now they have taken half of Ayeri, the Eastern Continent, but most of this through treaty and alliance with the local tribes. Helic desires to push east just enough to place a hold on the Floreclo Ocean all the way to Deldaros' Reach, a new landmass brought on by the disasters that have reshaped Zi. If the Kingdom can manage this task, they will be able to cut off the Empire's forces to the north and south of that land, then bring their reserves from the east and take back Dolpoi and hold Ayeri with their allies. Zenevas will be forced back to Europa, for which it must still contend with the unaligned forces. At this point the war can be reevaluated. If Zenevas sues for peace the war can end and the map will be redrawn, each nation having their own continents and perhaps the healing of Zi can begin. If not, Helic and their allies will push Zenevas into the Shed Ocean... and destroy the Empire forever.
Current Events
In the past two years Helic forces were beaten back, losing a thousand kilometers of ground due to vicious assaults led by Zenevas' epical ground Zoids, the horrifying EZ-501 Fusillades. Helic dug in their heels once again, creating a small force of Wolverreavers to harass the enemy's flanks in front of a wall of Paladins. In desperation, Helic and Guylos have joint-ventured into a failsafe program that has resulted in the creation of Helic's undisputed Zoid-in-Chief on the battlefield, the RBOZ-024-X Supreme King Gojulas. The self-aware war machine is now standing on the front lines with an escort of new machines in the RZ-114 Aerogeist and RZ307 Dreadmander.
Helic is about to push back in a big way.
Helic Units
