Altair: A Record of Battles
Tughril Mahmut is a young pasha serving on the Divan of the Türkiye Stratocracy. The clouds of war are gathering over his country due to the threat of an aggressive Empire. With the Divan split between warmongers and the pacifists, Mahmut begins his quest to keep the peace at any cost. As he finds himself deeper and deeper in the politics of the ancient world, new enemies and allies surface. Who will prevail? What will Mahmut do if war proves to be inevitable?
Episodes
After being newly appointed as Pasha, Mahmut spends some time at a festival with his friend, Ibrahim, and meets Shara, a dancer who Ibrahim is friends with. The next day, Mahmut is called into the Divan to discuss the Balt-Rhein Empire's demands after an empire minister, Franz, is found dead at Türkiye's border. One Pasha, Zağanos, knows this a ploy for the empire to invade Türkiye and proposes a preemptive strike at them.
Mahmut and the Divan are informed that Hisar village is rebelling against Türkiye with the Araba Tribe and that Ibrahim is leading it since he is Hisar's Vali. As Hisar falls under his jurisdiction, Zağanos takes responsibility to stop the rebellion with his troops, knowing Balt-Rhein will use the rebellion as an opportunity to invade. Using Araba clothes to blend in, Mahmut and Shara goes to Hisar to investigate and discover that Ibrahim is being force to obey the empire's agents, Röd Orm, and the Araba Tribe because they are holding Hisar citizens hostage in an oil-soaked tent.
Outside Hisar, Lelederik and Glalat grow impatient and plan to act on their own, killing the Röd Orm agent with them so he does not interfere. With 40,000 Arabas on their way, Zağanos contemplates on using poison to stop them. Inside Hisar, the Arabas question a Röd Orm agent, Eleanor, who threatens to burn the hostages and make the Araba Tribe take the blame. On Mahmut's orders, Shara cuts some of the robes off the oil-soaked tent, allowing Iskender (Mahmut's golden eagle) and a large flock of eagles to lift the tent off and free the hostages.
After having a nightmare of the Tuğril tribe massacre, Mahmut returns to his hometown, which been rebuilt since its destruction. After paying his respect to the dead, Mahmut uses Zağanos's Pyramis charm at the village's water shrine and comes into contact with the spy, Barbaros. He explains to Mahmut how the spy network works and that Türkiye spies has been getting killed by Röd Orm on Louis's orders. Barbaros directs him to meet the spy network's chief, Süleyman, who is a survivor of the Tuğril tribe. Süleyman tells Mahmut his background, how he met Zağanos, and how he became the chief of the spy network.
Mahmut arrives at Phoiníkē and sees a Balt-Rhein ship docked at the harbor. He meets with the Türkiye spy, Kyros, who informs him that he will find trouble during his stay. Mahmut is summoned by the patriotic Magistros Konstantinos and other members of the Phoiníkē senate, who request that Mahmut to sit in at the senate assembly to discuss the empire's demands to cede their harbor to them. While Caesar Apollodorus wants to accept the empire's demands, Konstantinos states it is an excuse to invade and gain control over the Centro sea.
As the siege continues, Konstantinos berates Apollodorus for not assisting in the war effort and the two argue over if going to war against Balt-Rhein was the right decision, given how citizens from nations that the empire has annexed are cruelly treated. At night, Glalat prepares the army for their next attack, uncaring for the lives for his men and conscripted soldiers to enact his plans.
As everyone looks on in horror as Phoiníkē burns, Konstantinos tries to rally soldiers to defend the city, but Apollodorus sabotage the speaking tubes and scolds him for not seeing the reality of the situation. In order to save the citizens from slaughter, Apollodorus and the senate agree to surrender to Balt-Rhein and relay the message to everyone in the city.
Mahmut and Kyros learn the reason for Venedik's abandonment of Phoiníkē was to avoid making an enemy out of Balt-Rhein. While they accuse Doge Lucio for betraying the pact, Lucio pragmatically explains the loophole in the alliance and that they are willing to conduct business with the empire to continue to use the Phoiníkē's crystals for their trade.
Days after Phoiníkē's fall, the Türkiye Stratocracy and its vassals states (Mızrak, Balta, Biçki, and Kiliç) gather at the Divan to vote to make war preparations against Balt-Rhein. However, all the sultans of the four stratocracies voted against the collaboration, much to Zağanos's frustration, who wants to get rid of the sultans. Another Pasha, Tesisat-Kapı Saruça, believes that the Sultanates are showing defiance because they are unsatisfied with their unequal rights. In the Mızrak stratocracy, Mahmut and company are in Liman city and visit the water shrine to figure out what is going in Mızrak after seeing a weapons dealer around the town.
With Röd Orm's presence in Mızrak, Mahmut deduces Louis is behind the four stratocracies' opposition of Türkiye. After fighting off Röd Orm and evading the Mızrak Cavalry, Mahmut and his group meet up with Süleyman, Beyazit, and Ayşe. Süleyman relays Mahmut the Divan's orders to start a rebellion against the current sultans and replace them with new rulers that will support the Greater Türkiye federation. The group travels to the Biçki Stratocracy's capital and finds that there are wanted posters for them.
With preparations for Orhan and Ayşe's wedding and the assassination underway, Ismail voices concerns about gaining public approval since the new rulers will claim the thrones dishonorably.
In a series of flashbacks, Louis persuades Balaban to join forces with Balt-Rhein, appealing to Balaban's long-sought dream of independence from Greater Türkiye. Concerned for his ambitious brother, Beyazit approach Zağanos to become one of his spies to safeguard his homeland and keep Balaban from going down a dark path. Present day, Mahmut explains to the others that the Divan is planning to take the other sultanates' capitals, thus they cannot expect reinforcements from Türkiye.
With Balaban's absence, Uzun leads his army to finish off Kiliç's forces, but Mahmut and his group arrive back with Balaban's severed head to show everyone that he has been defeated, prompting Uzun to withdraw. Ismail and Beyazit's gun unit follows Uzun, using the guns to cause panic and confusion among the soldiers and giving Ismail the chance to kill his father alone. After apprehending Fatma and her young son, Kemal, Mahmut and co. discuss whether to execute Fatma as protocol dictates for treason.
Traveling to the commercial city-state Argyros, Mahmut attempts to get permission from Rohmonov, one of the "Three Great Merchants" who rules the city, to conduct trade with the eastern part Rumeliana. However, Rohmonov denies Mahmut, as getting involved in politics goes against the merchant law. At the market, Mahmut and co. see Niki Al-Bahram, a young girl whose merchant father recently passed away and has inherited his trading license, being dismissed by her father's former workers and business partners.
Following the naval battle, Venedik and Balt-Rhein sign a peace treaty over the wheat, and Venedik release the imperial prisoners. However, the empire's shipment of wheat was attacked by pirates and Admiral Lowe concludes that Venedik has purposely made sure the pirates run free in their territory, realizing Venedik now considers them an enemy.
At Balt-Rhein, Louis, Emperor Goldbalt IX, and their advisers prepare to take over the Centro city-states, despite the protests from Adviser Duke Eisenstein and General Corentin Pineau. At the Centro, Venedik notice that their rival nation, Republic of L'isonlani, was seen violating the secret pact between the eleven Centro nations by aiding the empire's navy ships from pirate attacks.
As Mahmut and co. enter the Cuore di Rumeliana region, they quickly learn that all 34 city-states lack the military power to defend themselves against Balt-Rhein and are annoyed by their seemingly complacent attitude. After learning that they must get the Republic of Florence's permission to allow the Turkish army passage through their territory, the group heads there and sets up a meeting with Gonfaloniere Caterina di Rossi, the leader of Florence and Süleyman's former lover.
Caterina explains to Mahmut and co. that the Cuore Alliance will remain neutral and forbids the Turkish army to pass through their territories before Süleyman reveals that Balt-Rhein's victory over Scoglio and their declaration to conquer the old Phoiníkē Empire territories. However, the Cuore leaders are skeptical and has Mahmut and co. thrown in prison, but their spies soon arrive with news that confirms the Turks' words. Knowing that the Cuore Alliance are not equipped to fight the empire, Caterina releases Mahmut's group and grants them passage for the Turkish army.
Mahmut, Erbach, and co. arrive at Chielo and meet the state-city's leader, Carvajal, and his secretary, Cassandra. With the Balt-Rhein army pillaging provisions around the surrounding areas, thousands of refugees come to Chielo (who has a strong welfare-based system) to seek aid and shelter. Despite this taking a toll of their food supply, Carvajal allows the refugees in and agrees to join the Anti-Imperial Alliance to safeguard Chielo.
As the siege beings, the Balt-Rhein army is short on food supplies, causing Pineau to take a large platoon of soldiers to steal from the more vulnerable Turkish army. Wanting to avoid conflict, Halil and his army choose to maintain a two-day distance from the Imperial army, since the latter is mostly made of infantry. After successfully avoiding conflict for ten days, the Imperial army manages to catch up to them after Military Supervisor, Lily Kokoschka, intercepts their marching routes on the eleventh day and orders the army to use river rafts to close the distance gap.
With Halil's death and the remaining Turkish army scattered, Mahmut requests for Venedik to send supplies by sea, but they are intercepted by the L'isonlani's Boccanegra armada, who are working with Balt-Rhein. However, Venedik is able to win and breaks the blockade with the help of Doge Doria, who betrays the empire in favor gaining complete reign over L'isonlani and eliminating the rivaling Boccanegra family. Despite freeing the Centro from the empire's grasp, a large, nonseasonal storm hinders the Venedik fleet and prevents them from traveling to Chielo.
Despite their superior numbers, the Balt-Rhein army is boxed in by the Anti-Imperial Alliance and burns their rafts with fire arrows. Pineau orders his commanders to deal with their enemies that encircled them from the outside as the rest deals with the Turkish army that they have in an envelopment. Having chosen the battlefield beforehand, the Anti-Imperial Alliance has molded the area to their advantage and quickly overwhelms the Imperial army. After the El Toro mercenaries takes out the 13th division's ballista, Mahmut and his army escape the encirclement to take on the more vulnerable troops, decimating two imperial divisions.
As the fighting begins, the Balt-Rhein army learns that the Lince mercenaries has a large force within Espada, contradicting Lily's initial calculation. Greatly outmatched, the Imperial army are quickly destroyed, with Mahmut personally beheading Pineau, and the rest of the high-ranking personnel are killed. As the spoils and prisoners are divided among the allies, Mahmut and the Turkish army choose to rest before returning to Chielo. Meanwhile, Blanca and Vasco continue to travel to the Türkiye Stratocracy in spite of the waging battle.
During a meeting between the nation leaders of the Anti-Imperial Alliance, Doge Lucio convinces the others to give Türkiye control of Chielo since they are the strongest opposing force against Balt-Rhein. At the Divan, military assignments are being distributed and Mahmut is appointed as the governor of the new Chielo province. When discussing how to remodeling the city, Mimar Zeki Pasha, a student of Halil and the architect in charge of the remodeling, proposes to get rid of its poorhouses to make room for the Imaret they plan to build.
