General Sao

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General Sao
Native nameNgan-Vyuan Zhopin Sao
Birth nameNgan Zhopin Sao
Born(1449-11-05)November 5, 1449
Nusim, Nevira
DiedDecember 18, 1523(1523-12-18) (aged 74)
(modern Saovia)
AllegianceNeviran Empire
Service/branchGround Army
Years of service1473-1523
Battles/warsSiege of Agotasa, Battle of the Guštam-lands, Siege of Okiǧó

General Sao, born Ngan Zhopin Sao, was a high-ranking military commander of the Neviran Empire who was also appointed to manage East Hemesh in the name of the second Neviran emperor, Bat Chalh. Sao entered military service in 1467 at the age of 18, and seven years later was granted the title of general due to his cunning and skill in military tactics, logistics, and diplomacy. Sao later proved to be a valuable asset to the Neviran military during their conquests across Ekuosia, commanding armies at key battles in what are now known as Barradiwa, Algazi Union, and Letzia. When Sao realized no conquered lands were being granted to him, Sao demanded an opportunity to seize his own lands for Nevira, which was permitted.

Sao chose to invade the Hemesh Empire, a peninsular empire that at the time was relatively unified by language and culture and had seceded from Terminia merely decades prior; in the ensuing war, Sao's armies crushed the retaliating Hemeshi forces, which were technologically inferior and easy to sway due to the cultural tensions between the traditionalist Hemeshis and Termicized Fyevanis. Emperor Sayašo I of Hemesh also died during this war in June 1484, which plunged the remainder of Hemesh into a devastating multi-faction civil war that Sao quickly chose not to involve himself in, satisfied with the lands he had already obtained.

Sao ruled over his domain in East Hemesh relatively peacefully for roughly 20 years before the Hemeshi War of Succession ended in 1506 after Sayašo's grandson, Adoz, united the warring factions and stabilized the realm. After taking power, Adoz had a burning desire to exact revenge on Nevira for killing his grandfather; so he hired a veteran mercenary from East Hemesh to assassinate Bat Chalh, the Neviran emperor. The resulting assassination attempt failed and resulted in the death of Chalh's wife (the empress) and the capture of the would-be assassin, revealing his East Hemeshi heritage. Enraged, Chalh orders all of his vassal generals west of Mehyaran to send troops and resources to General Sao's domain in an attempt to forcibly assimilate the East Hemeshis to adopt Neviran language, religion, and culture.

Sao willfully participated in the assimilation efforts, notably having decrees written and paintings made to illustrate how Nevira's ways are superior to the old ways of the East Hemeshis; this is regarded as one of the earliest attempts at creating and widely distributing propaganda for the purpose of instilling support in a specific realm, thus seen as a sort of proto-nationalism.

The assimilation had many effects that varied from being helpful and harmful to Nevira. Although it successfully persuaded many East Hemeshis to support the Nevirans, it failed to do so with others, resulting in the rise of several political factions within Sao's domain divided by whether or not they approve of Neviran rule; this was perhaps the only instance of this to occur throughout the Neviran Empire. The tensions between the political factions bubbled for 16 years before finally there was a successful attempt on Sao's life. However, the damage had already been done, and pro-Neviran factions continued to thrive in East Hemesh for centuries.

Another long-term effect of the assimilation efforts was how the other generals responded to being ordered to have their troops and resources sent off to another domain for what many believed was simply petty revenge. Some of the affected generals rebelled against Bat Chalh in response and declared independence, such as Vadesia in 1508. All of the affected generals who did not rebel suffered consequences stemming from being weakened, however, namely the general ruling over Gšons and South Letzia who suffered a swift rebellion by Olboros forces that ended in the latter's victory; this in turn allowed the Olboros dynasty ample opportunity to exploit other affected regions of the Neviran Empire, notably Palace City, which they marched on and successfully captured in 1512 (leading to events that caused the Palace War). These rebellions crippled Nevira in the long-term, ultimately resulting in the complete and utter collapse of the empire by 1524. Sao's domain was one of the last vassal realms to fall despite its distance from the heartland of Nevira, having fallen in 1523 shortly after Sao's assassination.

After one of the aforementioned pro-Neviran factions won the civil war in East Hemesh in 1947, they declared independence from Srojosia and named their new country Saovia in General Sao's honor.