Lost
General James Madison, Freestian Army
The Lost, also known as the Midlonian Ghost Regiments; and descended from the surviving members of the 19th Army Group of the Midlonian Army, are a group of human tribes dominated by a strong militaristic culture located in the Freethinker Outback. They are the descendants of the 19th Army, large components of which were lost in the Outback when Operation Tyson failed. The remainder would survive in the harsh conditions of the outback and become considered a myth for much of the 20th Century (SC) before being rediscovered by Commonwealth authorities, resulting in the Battle of the Guilder Plain.
In the present day, various enlisted Lost serve in the Midlonian Army's ranks, almost exclusively in the ranks of the Ghost Regiments. They form one of the elite fighting forces of the Midlonian Army, and the 19th Army remains the official ceremonial designation under which they are deployed.
Their adaptation to the harsh Outback conditions is considered one of the most remarkable feats of the modern era. In service, they are considered some of the best Light Infantry on the planet.
History
Origins
19th Army
The 19th Army under General George Godfrey Huntington was dispatched in June 1946 as part of Operation Tyson as the first part of major operations to pacify the East of the Commonwealth with a war aim being the city of Ademsea. Ademsea had become the northern Naval Command for the Freethinker Royal Navy, established after the Third Battle of Navarre in 1945. Operation Tyson was to be supported by a naval task force and a landing of the Greater Royal Marines in order to remove the threat of the remainder of the Commonwealth's fleet in the area. Prior to the re-establishment of major Freestian capital units in the region, Ademsea was a base for the various Raider Squadrons of the FRN, who presented the major opposition to Midlonian naval movements at the time. Although opposed by Admiral Keithing as "a mission beyond capability", Huntington looked to emulate the early success of other Midlonian commanders in Navarre and the Pioneer valley.
The 19th Army was not one of the permanent field armies of the Midlonian Army, rather it was formed in the field from various available units, a mixture of battle-hardened though depleted mechanized divisions already in situ and the remainder being a mix of hastily raised conscripted and reserve infantry forces from across the Empire with units coming from places suitable to hotter climates. This meant that the majority of the 19th Army came from Asteldia as at this point of the war the Greater Kingdom military was drawing from their primary sources of recruitment and conscription and were using many troops raised from across the broader Empire as occupational and garrison troops, a practice which continued until the 22nd Century (SC).
The 19th Army was believed to have been hit by one of the largest ever recorded Nightshades in the history of the Outback, and along the length of the Eastern road was lost somewhere within approximately 400,000 square miles of desert. Simultaneously, the Greater Royal Navy force, overconfident with their perceived superiority won as a result of the battle of Navarre a year earlier, would attempt to alter the plan in order to wreck the remaining Home Fleet vessels and the port facilities at Adamsea.
This would become known as the disastrous Raid on Ademsea, the loss of nearly 25,000 Royal Marines was the first major Midlonian set back of the war and would lead to the Midlonian High Command abandoning the idea of further amphibious landings, this would effectively force the Midlonian Army to fight the costly Battle of Delta Pass later in the year. An alternate plan at that time, proposed by Admiral Keithing, of an amphibious landing at Port Fallow, allowing the Midlonian Army to strike at Portanova from the west, bypassing the narrow Delta Pass was rejected due to the high casualty rate sustained by the loss of the 19th Army and the Greater Royal Navy's poor planning in the raid on Adamsea.
Survival
After the end of 1946, the remaining 19th Army units missing were considered lost, the men KIA, but the various functioning remnents was in fact desperately trying to survive within the harsh conditions of the Outback, an army originally consisting of 730,000 people was rapidly whittled down to an estimated 200,000.
Rapid and harsh rationing of available supplies would see the rise of the Quartermasters as central figures to the remaining units due to the loss of numerous high ranking officers and their control of food and ammunition distribution.
During the late 1940s common codes and practices would rise from the original military doctrine manuals that would be extensively rewritten to better cope with the harsh conditions of the desert. Members of the Logistics Corps would become the most valued assets of the emerging survivalists, who by now were further splintering into distinctive groups based originally along unit lines, with many combat troops protecting smaller bands of logistics troops from the various critters of the Outback. The population dropped further to 40,000 by 1950 (SC).
This dispersal method was originally planned by General Huntington as their best chance to get back to friendly lines. If some soldiers could make it back, then so could others. This however instead further spread the 19th Army out, and would ultimately define their areas of migration during the later decades as hope faded to find their way back to civilization.
Due to the harsh nature of the Outback, and the vast distances involved, the Lost began to develop their renowned speed and rapid movement across vast distances. The capacity of individual or small groups to track and kill large prey, avoid native predators, soldiers and Outbackers, led to the adoption of tactics of small, fleet-footed squads and to individuals becoming adopted to fast, careful movement over a variety of terrain. The harsh steppe the desert sat on was considered far too inhospitable for any permanent settlement, and even the Freestian Army considered the area unsuitable for anything other than per-functionary patrolling. The bulk of the Lost sat around 1,500 miles from the main Midlonian occupation zone, flanked to the north by the Crown mountain range and to the West and south by the depression of the Easterfell.
As the 19th Army dispersed further and more unique cultures emerged as more and more units abandoned any hope of returning to friendly lines, many former unit designations were abandoned and more imaginative names were adopted. This would further cement the increasing attitude of making do with their lot, and ensuring some form of survival was better than allowing the desert to claim them. The Lost would adopt more nomadic nature, roaming sections of the desert, primarily following the migratory paths of various Outback fauna.
The equipment of the Lost was maintained by large scale cannibalization of 19th army supplies and recovered equipment from the bodies and supply dumps established by the 19th in their initial advance across the desert. The strict rationing of this resource ensured that the Lost would survive in the desert. This would later be supplemented by stolen items from the settlements and other outposts established by the Commonwealth Government in the intervening period, particularly civilian way-stations, outposts, ranches and mines.
Myth
Stories of Midlonian "Ghost Regiments" had been prevalent for much of the 1960s and 1970s but these were often treated as drunken tales or attempts at risky ventures trying to cash in on insurance claims. By the early 1980s numerous academics were now attempting to put the matter to rest definitively, however in spite of several attempts and numerous academic reports written stating that such a lifestyle was not only improbable but impossible the stories, like most myths, persisted.
There was also speculation that the 19th Army did not even exist to begin with. Some of the few units to not be hit by the sandstorm were signalling units, leading to some fierce speculation that the actual aim of Operation Tyson was the dispersal of the Ademsea Garrison by false flag operation to allow the planned raid to go smoothly and allow for the destruction of the port facilities there. The Ministry of Defence refused to comment to many of the people who attempted to write or question them regarding this, and this led to further speculation that the 19th had never existed, except as a token force, to begin with. The haphazard nature of its organisation, the reassignment of survivors and the censorship in the Midlonian media added to the speculation.
In spite of this, a number of people would become "Ghost Hunters" and attempt to find the elusive 19th Army or its remains. Many would fail in their quest, and some would simply never return. Some remains were found, the large number of casualties from the initial disaster meaning that wrecked vehicles and remains were not uncommon. It should be noted that the primary routes taken by the mechanised elements of the 19th Army Group were some distance from the final nomadic routes and areas that the Lost came to occupy.
A book, Spirits in the Sands was published in 1994 by Ulysses Jones, a former soldier who claimed to have actually travelled and met one such "ghost regiment" which he identified as the Dragon Eaters. Jones, already a known eccentric (though acknowledged as a expert on the region), was ridiculed by the domestic academic community for his story, and with the massive negative publicity against him, Jones "packed his things up and disappeared into the Outback, never to be heard from again".
Rediscovery
The formal rediscovery of the remains of the 19th Army occurred during the latter part of the 21st Century, as old supplies dwindled significantly the Lost would commit a series of raids on both motorway service depots and eventually other outback settlements such as ranches and mines.
This would ultimately culminate in a raid on the provincial city of Tartaros, Guilder Province, by the Ghosts of Guilder tribe. Large supplies of foodstuffs and civilian-grade ammunition and firearms (and, to the curiosity of the local investigators, veterinary and medical supplies, camping and mechanical gear) had been stolen from a number of superstores, shops, markets and supply depots across the city, with local law enforcement and whatever local militia units that could arrive in time being met with a disproportionately violent response.
Battle of Guilder Plain
Captain Jason Tarbuk, 332nd Infantry
The Battle of Guilder Plain on May 23rd 2075 (SC) was the result of the raid on the city of Tartaros, and the death of several police officers when they responded to the Ghosts incursion. While now referred to as a single battle there were a series of skirmishes leading up to the main battle of the plateau.
The initial Commonwealth thinking was that they were dealing with a large, organized bandit group and responded accordingly, sending the 332nd Infantry Division in full fighting strength out to engage with the assumed bandit group, backed up by provincial forces of various types. It was assumed that the bandits would not respond in the same way towards armed Commonwealth soldiery.
The Lost response was as fierce as it had been in the city of Tartaros, keeping up a fierce fire fight with the 332nd elements for several hours, destroying one vehicle, disabling several others and sustaining few apparent casualties as a result. The discovery by the 332nd of the equipment used, and the martial abilities of the OpFor as well as other elements such as old pattern equipment used by the Midlonian Army during the 2MW lead the 332nd to believe that they were dealing with a much larger and unusual force, this was further supported by the 332nd not finding any of the stolen goods.
The Great Hunt
After the Battle of the Guilder Plain and the unknown identity of the attackers resulted in fierce speculation. The vast Outback had long proven to be the perfect breeding ground for various unusual groups and communes to grow and thrive. Settlement within the Easterfell Desert and Depression however, had been considered improbable by numerous survival experts, both colonial Midlonian and later Freestian opinion. The large, organised attack on Tartaros however, led to a large scale search operation across vast swathes of the desert to the west of the Guilder Plain. The aerial reconnaissance found evidence of small scale activity and temporary settlements dotted across large areas of the desert steppe. When the FRA sent in their own patrols-in-force they found only the barest of evidence of human activity. The level of concealment was reminiscent of Freestian special forces or the Free Legionnaires, but scaled to small nomadic human communities. What happened quickly, however, was a realisation that whoever this enemy was, their skill in evasion prevented any effective amount of force being bought to bear.
This game of cat and mouse would continue, but one of the camp-sites began to lead to more clues to the identity of nomads apparently living in what had been considered an inhospitable area. The item was a small cap badge hidden among camp detritus, the unit was an extant unit within both the Commonwealth and Greater Kingdom militaries, the insignia was of the 222nd Infantry Division, a unit raised during The Second Moonstone War. However, the broken cap badge revealed that the original 222nd insignia had been modified, removing the numbers and replacing them with the lettering "Star Seekers".
Despite this clue, the Freestian Royal Army continued to be frustrated in finding these strange and mysterious figures that had attacked Tartaros and were apparently capable of eluding most modern tracking methods. Eventually elements of the 1st Battalion of the Pathfinder Corps and a Black Titan were deployed to the area to try and find these elusive people.
A week of searching continued to frustrate even the Pathfinder Corps, however the constant movements of camps had even worn down the people they were seeking. Eventually, several figures approached the Pathfinder Camp on the night of June 28th.
They revealed that they had been worn down on supplies and the constant harassment by the Pathfinders and others. If the Pathfinders would stop harassing the Star Seeker Tribe, they would take them to the Headquarters Tribe that effectively ruled them. The Black Titan and leader of the Pathfinder Corps were the first to be taken to the Children of Huntington's location.
With this first contact made, and the identity of these mysterious groups confirmed as the remnants of the 19th Army, negotiations we opened between the Vampire Nation, the Greater Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the Ghost Regiments.
Sand Pact
The Sand Pact was the settled negotiation agreed between all the parties present. The treaty covered many subjects including:
- Allowing for the rights of residence and descent to be applied to the Lost to ensure they were no longer in legal limbo in either the Commonwealth or Greater Kingdom.
- Opened up recruitment of the Lost to both the Commonwealth and Midlonian militaries.
- Opened up a supply deal with the Commonwealth in exchange for enforcing security over the wide ranging area of the Lost's migrationary routes.
- Permitted officials to sit in the legislature as representatives of the territory of the Easterfell.
Culture
Lost culture is shrouded in a lot of myth and mystery, this is mainly because of the Lost's intolerance towards outsiders who wish to study them for academic purposes. What little is known comes from various secondary sources such as Spirits in the Sands now considered a definitive guide to the Lost culture.
Tribal Governance
Governance within the Lost is believed to have variations due to the dispersed nature of the tribes. In Spirits of the Sands Jones describes meeting the Tribal "Colonel" of the Dragon Eaters, a woman by the name of Charlotte Hill, who was considered an elder "in spite of being no more than 35".
Jones notes in his book that many of the top tier roles, that of Quartermaster and Colonel, were taken by women. Jones came to the conclusion that the Lost were semi-matriarchal in nature. This is today considered valid due to the largely antiquated nature of the Lost, women being bearers of life and mothers make ideal candidates for the roles of issuing supplies and food as well as tending to the needs of the tribe as a whole. Today the role of a Colonel within the tribe is entirely separate from the rank of Colonel within the Ghost Regiments.
It has been observed though that this simply lead to a transferal of the duties normally associated with a tribal colonel, with the military rank taking on many of the roles and responsibilities. Effectively creating a second, smaller copy of the tribe or clan it has come from.
One tribe does hold "ranks" higher than Colonel, and do appear to have a wider-ranging influence over many of the Lost's Tribes, the Children of Huntington is speculated to have been made up of General Huntington's HQ unit as well as other survivors. It was one such General from this tribe that the Freethinker Commonwealth and Greater Kingdom of Midlonia dealt with after their rediscovery, and led to the settled negotiations that saw the Lost classified as a non-territorial nation.
The "General" in charge of the tribe is perhaps the closest thing to a central leader the Lost have, however it is unclear if the present General is a direct descendant of George Huntington or merely takes on the title, like the Caesars of Buronsis.
Religion
The Lost religion is a collection of various practices, both corrupted christian practices and those developed during the long time in isolation within the desert. Collectively the religion is called Veneration. This is further broken down into three aspects, believed to be a corruption of the Christian Trinity. Veneration is a fascinating study into how rapidly religious needs and practices can evolve in a relatively short period of time.
Veneration of the Dead - The Lost Venerate all of their dead, something which no doubt rapidly evolved due to the massive death and destruction they saw around them during the first few years in the Outback before their population was able to stabilize. This has subsequently taken on an aspect of star worship, believed to originate from the evolution of the concept of heaven. The Lost now believe that upon death they become stars within the sky, subsequently the Lost feel a greater spiritual affinity for the night.
Veneration of The Supply Line - This is the most overt aspect of Veneration, the evolution of the Cargo Cult within the Lost placed the Quartermaster at the centre of Lost culture and society. The Quartermaster issues all foodstuffs, ammunition and other equipment that any member of the tribe needs and as such ensured the rationing of supplies before the rediscovery. This is believed to have been an evolution of various religious practices as well as former military doctrine.
Veneration of Equipment - The rifle and sword bayonet are the two pieces of equipment which ensures that a Lost is protected and does not starve. Due to the horrors that they no doubt faced in the Outback, many early Lost claimed to have a guide embodied within their rifle, believed to be an evolution or even corruption of a spirit guide embodied within their rifles. This guide is said to help lead them to things such as water and food sources and some of their combat prowees. This practice continues among the older and more traditionalist Lost.
Draconis and the Outback Patois
Outback Patois was a pidgin language which was adopted quickly after the rediscovery. The Lost, coming mostly into contact with Ghoulish outbackers, developed a pidgin lingua franca that incorporated various Draconis words within it, essentially forming a Lost-centric dialect of the Freestian Outback patois, a family of dialect mixes between Draconis and English (common). Common encounters between various users of the pidgin lead to further word exchange. Lost in particular use a large Draconis vocabulary, allowing mutual communication with full Draconis speakers.
The sound of this language is considered by some as a "terrifying mixture" and the Lost's ability to copy or at least partially emulate draconic words, similar to larger Ghouls, when they do not theoretically have the vocal chords capable for it, is a remarkable feat. This language is primarily used by the Lost as a method of communicating when out on operations, especially within the Greater Kingdom.
The rapid adoption occurred after they noted an increased interest in their activities during operations as part of the Ghost Regiments. The "Lost Yell" noted to have been used several times during the Border Wars seems to derive from the Draconis word for "Death" but raised greatly in pitch and tempo in pronunciation. This creates a strange, keening and rolling sound which one Rephidian veteran described as "Like Hell itself had arrived."
With its increasing commonality within the Lost, it is speculated that this has now become their de facto official language. This stated, it is rare to find Lost who also do not have a laconic grasp of 'common'.
Known Tribes
Below is a list of the myriad tribes which make up the Lost. While not comprehensive, it does give some idea to the scale of the changes which the 19th Army went through while in their long isolation in the Outback.
- Ghosts of Guilder
- Dragon Eaters
- Desert's Kiss
- Pharoahans
- Sand Demons
- Children of Huntington
- Godfrey's Chosen
- Star Seekers
- Dragonkin
- Eastlow Irregulars
- Saijames Cavalry
Military Roles across the world
Role within the Greater Kingdom Military
The Lost are considered Midlonian Citizens by right of descent, and around 80,000 serve in the Greater Kingdom Army. Administratively they are considered a continuation of the 19th Army and fit into the command structure as part of the Special Forces Command.
Role within the Commonwealth Military
The Lost act as scouts and a localized security force for the Commonwealth Government within their nomadic territories of the Outback and are citizens by right of residency. Two nominated elders sit in the legislature of the territory of the Easterfell as observers, and registered Lost get a vote. The various tribes are collectively considered a non-territorial nation within the Commonwealth, similar to the Freestian vampires.
Role within the Dominion Military
A small group, identified as the Special Circumstances Unit has been seen working alongside the Dominion military as part of the bodyguard unit tasked with defending the Imperatrice Naiya D'Aquisto. It is believed to exist due to the consort, Aeturnus Thinicolous, being a member of the Ghosts of Guilder Tribe, who she is rumored to have met while travelling abroad.
Controversy
Their deployment has often been seen as controversial due to the asymetric warfare the Ghost Regiments often conduct. Their most recent controversies were over their large scale deployment to Rephidium during the Border Wars.
This controversy reached its peak during the Decimation of Kurel and the Fall of Nova Kuds where the Lost acted most ruthlessly against both the nearest town to the Redemption and Salvation Program facilities and then the Tatari Liberation Front when they committed war crimes in the town of Nova Kuds.