Order of Ceannlaidir

Order of Ceannlaidir
The Order of Ceannlaidir medal
Awarded by Aisling Defense Force
Eligibility	Any active duty or reserve member of the Aisling Defense Force
Awarded for	Awarded for "unparalleled deeds of honor and bravery in service to the nation in battle"
Status	Currently Awarded
Statistics
Established	1 January, 1864
Total awarded	24
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Equivalent	None
Next (lower)	Armed Forces Distinguished Service Award
The Order of Ceannlaidir ribbon

The Order of Ceannlaidir is the highest and most prestigious military honor issued by the Aisling Defense Force and the government of Temuair. The Order of Ceannlaidir is awarded to members of the armed forces members who have distinguished themselves by acts of extreme valor or heroism within a combat zone during a time of declared conflict or emergency. It is the only award that must be presented personally to a recipient by the sitting Ceannasaí and is the only award worn around the neck issued by the Aisling Defense Force. The Order of Ceannlaidir is one of the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the armed forces, dating back to the military reorganization efforts of 1850.

Namesake

It is named for Ceannlaidir the Aisling god of war and honor.

History

The Casal Passage is a strategically passage located within the Vi Castis Mountains, one of only a handful of easily navigable mountain passes running between the Notreceaun town of Teuillac, situated in the foothills of the eastern Vi Castis Mountains and the city of Casal. From Casal, the Notreceaun forces could advance through several valleys and threaten a large number of passes further through the Vi Castis Mountains.

During the Winter War of 1864, Notreceaun forces under the command of Général de division Albin Durand staged a successful attack against Fort Casal, the primary fort situated to defend the Aisling side of the passage. The Notreceaun forces were able to successfully breach the fortress walls and overran the garrison within a matter of hours. Dara leifteanant Gil Casado, commanding the remnants of the 192nd Infantry Regiment was the only remaining officer alive within the fort and surrendered himself and about 70 survivors, to the Notreceaun invaders. The survivors were taken into custody and marched to the fortress' eastern wall, the side which faced back towards Notreceau. Once there, Général Durand commanded Casado to strike the flag from the fortress' battlement flagpole. Casado complied and lowered the flag, however, when ordered to hand the flag over to the Notreceaun officer he refused. Instead, Casado wrapped the flag around himself and stepped from the parapet, plunging to his death in the valley below.

Général Durand ordered his men to scour the valley for Casado's body, with Durand personally leading several search parties. Seven men are reported to have died on the treacherously cold and icy slopes of the Casal Passage before the body was located. Once located, approached the Aisling defensive lines outside of Casal under a flag of truce, requesting to parlay with the Aisling officer in command of the fortifications. In his journal Briogáidire-ghinearál Máximo Acuna wrote that he had "expected the Notreceaun devil to command the surrender of the force as we had become aware of the fall of the fortress." However, Général Durand instead presented Acuna with a polished pine box. "He said the box contained the body of a man whom had demonstrated honor and courage so great that the story must be told, even if it resulted in the strengthening of the his (Durand's) enemies" Contained within the box was the remains of Dara leifteanant Casado dressed in his own dress uniform taken from his belongings within the fortress, and a letter explaining his actions at the fortress signed by all of the enlisted survivors. Having delivered the remains and the letter, Durand and his entourage withdrew back to Fort Casal. The Winter War of 1864 would end a bare three months later outside of Casal, with the Notreceaun attacks unable to breakthrough into the city.

Briogáidire-ghinearál Acuna ordered the remains of Casado as well as the letter be transported back to Dinsmar as quickly as possible. Along with it, he sent his own letter urging the Ministry of Defense to "honor the man contained herein with the highest honor that can be devised. His acts were so exceptional in bravery, courage and devotion that the enemy has seen fit to ensure we are aware of them, even to his determent." The story was brought to the attention of Ceannasaí Conrí De Andrade. The Ceannasaí learned that the Aisling Army was planning to award the Armed Forces Distinguished Service Award to Casado and immediately countermanded the award, stating that such a great deed and service to the nation in battle was unparalleled and that the chosen award, the highest honor commissioned by the military, was still not valuable enough. Ceannasaí De Andrade ordered the creation of a new award, to be set above the Distinguished Service Award which would recognize this and future acts considered to be "unparalleled deeds of honor and bravery in service to the nation in battle." The Aisling Defense Force, seeking a name for this most prestigious award, settled on calling it the Order of Ceannlaidir, giving homage to Ceannlaidir; the Aisling god of war and honor.

Ceannasaí De Andrade personally presented the first Order of Ceannlaidir to the widow of Dara leifteanant Casado along with the traditional tri-folded flag at the military funeral service on June 7, 1864. He stated to her that her husband was "possibly the greatest man Temuair will ever know." Since then, it has become tradition that the Order of Ceannlaidir can only be personally presented by the reigning Ceannasaí

Awarding and eligibility

The Order of Ceannlaidir can be award more than once to the same recipient. If an individual receives more than one Order of Ceannlaidir then the ribbon would display the appropriate amount of Rosetón devices. In the time that the Order of Ceannlaidir has been authorized, it has never been awarded more than once to the same individual.

Qualifying conflicts and periods

The Order of Ceannlaidir can only be issued during a declared war or emergency.

• Winter War of 1864 (1864)
• 1997 Sable Conflict (1997)

Notable recipients

• Gil Casado