The following is a list of characters for the Altair: A Record of Battles series.
Greater Türkiye is a federation made up of five stratocracies — Türkiye, Mızrak, Balta, Biçki, and Kiliç — founded 75 years before the series. While the other four are ruled by a sultan, the Türkiye stratocracy is the largest of the five, being the dominating power of Greater Türkiye and is ruled by the Divan. Türkiye stratocracy is divided into thirteen provinces governed by a Vizier and its capital city is Altın. Greater Türkiye is very wealthy and the Turks are well known for their equestrian skills. Among the Tripartite Military Alliance and other anti-imperialists nations, Türkiye contributes the most to the war efforts against Balt-Rhein and is the leading force against them.
The Baltic and Rhein Empire, commonly shorten as "Balt-Rhein", is made of two large, mountainous regions of land. Due to the lack of fertile soil in many areas (mostly in the Baltic region) and the cold climate, the empire has many poverty-stricken regions and poor domestic affairs outside of the capital city of St. Michael. As a result, the empire is highly expansionistic and aggressive, earning the hatred and fear of other nations for their merciless and tyrannical treatment of places they have conquered. Balt-Rhein is also very politically unstable as the government's treasury is nearly empty and many different factions exist with their own agendas. As the series progresses, it loses most of its foreign territories and is reduced to just the Baltic region, which is conquered in the end of the war, becoming one of Türkiye's provinces ruled by Zağanos.
In the native Baltic language, "Hermann" means "warrior" and it is a title given to aristocrats that possess their own private armies of knights. In exchange for recognizing their fiefdoms, Hermann and their armies are sworn to aid the Emperor when called upon. Although Hermanns once took part in expansion wars with the standing army long ago, they have been inactive from any role in the military, mostly appearing in jousting matches nowadays, and are unaccustomed to modern warfare.
Röd Orm, or "Cult of the Red Snake", are a group of iron-weapon makers in the Baltic territory, Röd Berg, and their iron manufacturing skills are kept secret. The empire makes use of their cutting-edge engineering technology for the war and Louis hires the group to assist in the empire's military movement. On Louis's orders, Röd Orm members travel around the Rumeliana to dismantle Türkiye's spy network and Balt-Rhein's 13th battalion are made solely of Röd Orm. All members are skilled fighters and wear an eye-patch or half-mask.
Located all over Rumeliana, there are twelve independent and influential city-states that face the Centro sea, and mostly specialize in mercantile trade, with a few exceptions. The most prominent ones are in West Rumeliana: Phoiníkē, Republic of Venedik, Republic of L'isonlani, and Republic of Chielo. 3,000 years ago, Phoiníkē was once an empire that conquered most of the continent and the culture still holds much influence on other cultures in the present day. Unlike the Balt-Rhein Empire, the Phoiníkē Empire is well-respected for its fair treatment of the people and their diverse culture. Nowadays, Phoiníkē is a prosperous harbor city, and shares a long-time alliance with Venedik until Balt-Rhein conquered it. Two years after the conquest, Venedik liberates it from the empire's control and finally restores order to the Centro.
The most powerful nation of the "Centro", founded by immigrants that took refuge in the lagoons to escape from invading equestrian tribes. It is a republic ruled by a Doge and a Senate made of noble merchants and military commanders. In order to preserve its hegemonic place in naval trades, Venedik's merchants are subjected to strict and severe laws. Any transgressors is subjected to exile as punishment, no matter the name or social position. Thanks to its captains' experiences, Venedik is possesses the most powerful naval fleet of all Rumeliana and the most deadly naval infantry.
A nation located on an island of the eastern Centro Sea ruled by a Doge and a Senate. It has a longtime rivalry with Venedik for the title of strongest maritime nation. When the war between the Empire and the Alliance starts, L'Isolani sides with Balt-Rhein, forming a formidable fleet and heading against Venedik to subjugate it.
Cuore di Rumeliana, or simply the "Cuore", is a region made of thirty-four small, independent republics with agricultural societies. Each republic is ruled by a Gonfaloniere, chosen in an annual democratic vote. It is the political, economical, and cultural center of West Rumeliana since it is where the Phoiníkē Empire began 3,000 years ago. Locals still take pride in the history as the "heart" of Rumeliana and value the arts above all else, with the Republic of Florence being the center and the most influential republic of the Cuore. The Cuore republics have no formal national military, but they are able to enjoy a period of long-term peace due to having their spies gather information on surroundings nations to keep them in line.
South Rumeliana is more rustic than the Cuore and the form of government varies among the independent city-states, though most are republics and are ruled by an Estado, a head-of-state. Both the Cuore and the South have an abundance of mercenaries, since the Cuore and the South both hire mercenaries for national defense and South Rumeliana is home to the mercenary city, Tauro, and the El Toro mercenaries.
The Urado Kingdom is located in the most northern region of West Rumeliana and is made of rocky mountains and plateaus. Urado has a severe isolationist and neutrality policy. Due to the rocky terrain, cold climate, and few resources, Urado is a poverty-stricken country and many of its citizens die from starvation or the cold. However, Urado has a strong lancer regiment and keeps up-to-date with outside affairs due to cabinet ministers being assigned to different nations in order to gather information. By the time Mahmut arrives at Urado, the country's lifespan has been exhausted, but Mahmut discovers that it has an abundance of fossilized bird feces, which makes good fertilizer, on a coastline. He convinces Urado's king to begin to trade fertilizer with eastern Rumeliana countries to revitalize the country and forego their isolationist policy for the first time.
Located on the border of East Rumeliana that faces West Rumeliana, Argyros is a commercial city-state and the eastern trading hub of the continent. The city is ruled by a council of the "Three Great Merchants", who are charged with directing the trade routes. They are also the ones that can grant merchants permission to trade in Argyros, thus becoming a "Gosti" and give them a "Zuakk" amulet as proof of their approval. To keep Argyros a safe and free place to trade without outside customs interfering, there is a merchant code that doesn't allow merchants to get involved with any political parties and the council can exile anyone from the city found in violation of the laws.
A large population of nomadic people scattered in smaller groups all around West Rumeliana, though they are primarily located in the Balt-Rhein Empire's territory. The entire population dreams of having their own independent country and is manipulated by Louis into causing the Hisar Rebellion to make the Hisar village their own city-state. When they realized that the empire was using them to invade Türkiye, the members of the Araba Tribe help Greater Türkiye in their war efforts against the empire, such as passing on information or smuggling weapons to assist with a revolt. The Araba Tribe are a peaceful people who are talented dancers and performers. The tribe has no written language and follows an oral tradition; therefore, all Araba Tribe members possess excellent memory. One member, Nigrina, a young man from a group in the empire's territory, helps Süleyman with his espionage once Türkiye plans to invade Balt-Rhein.
Mehmed I, also known as Mehmed Çelebi or Kirişçi, was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. Son of Sultan Bayezid I and his concubine Devlet Hatun, he fought with his brothers over control of the Ottoman realm in the Ottoman Interregnum (1402–1413). Starting from the province of Rûm he managed to bring first Anatolia and then the European territories (Rumelia) under his control, reuniting the Ottoman state by 1413, and ruling it until his death in 1421. Called "The Restorer," he reestablished central authority in Anatolia, and he expanded the Ottoman presence in Europe by the conquest of Wallachia in 1415. Venice destroyed his fleet off Gallipoli in 1416 as the Ottomans lost a naval war.
Mehmed VI Vahideddin, also known as Şahbaba among the Osmanoğlu family, was the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the penultimate Ottoman caliph, reigning from 4 July 1918 until 1 November 1922, when the Ottoman sultanate was abolished and replaced by the Republic of Turkey on 29 October 1923.
Rumelihisarı or Boğazkesen Fortress is a medieval Ottoman fortress located in Istanbul, Turkey, on a series of hills on the European banks of the Bosphorus. The fortress also lends its name to the immediate neighborhood around it in the city's Sarıyer district.
Zaganos or Zagan Pasha was an Albanian Ottoman military commander, with the titles and ranks of kapudan pasha and the highest military rank, grand vizier, during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II "the Conqueror". Originally a Christian, who was conscripted and converted through the devşirme system, he became a Muslim and rose through the ranks of the janissaries. He became one of the prominent military commanders of Mehmed II and a lala – the sultan's advisor, mentor, tutor, councillor, protector, all at once. He removed his rival, the previous Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha the Younger, amid the fall of Constantinople. He later served as the governor of Thessaly of Macedonia.
Amcazade Köprülü Hüseyin Pasha (1644–1702) of the Köprülü family, was the grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire under Mustafa II from September 1697 until September 1702. Amcazade Koprulu Huseyin Pasha was close to ordinary Ottoman Muslim subjects being a member of the Mevlevi Order. He was known to be concerned with the needs of the common people as well as those of the military and bureaucratic classes.
Ahmed Muhtar Pasha also spelled Ahmed Mihtar Pasha was a prominent Ottoman field marshal and Grand Vizier, who served in the Crimean and Russo-Turkish wars. Ahmed Muhtar Pasha was appointed as Grand Vizier in July 1912 at age 72, largely due to his prestige as an old military hero.
Çandarlı Halil Pasha, known as the Younger, was a highly influential Ottoman grand vizier under the sultans Murad II and, for the first few years of his reign, Mehmed II. He was a member of the Çandarlı family, a highly influential political family in the Ottoman Empire. His grandfather and namesake, Çandarlı Kara Halil Hayreddin Pasha, also earlier served as grand vizier, under Murad I.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Ottoman Empire:
Çandarlı Ibrahim Pasha (1429–1499), called the Younger, was an Ottoman statesman who served as Grand Vizier from 1498 to 1499.
Piri Mehmed Pasha was an Ottoman statesman, and grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1518 to 1523.
Damat Halil Pasha, also known as Khalil Pasha, was an Ottoman Armenian statesman. He was grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire in 1616–1619 and 1626–1628. He also served in the Ottoman Navy, and led a number of attacks including the Raid of Żejtun in Malta in 1614.
Mahmud Pasha Angelović was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1456 to 1466 and from 1472 to 1474. He also wrote Persian and Turkish poems under the pseudonym Adni.
Şehzade Ahmed was a Şehzade (prince) of the Ottoman Empire, the eldest survived son of Sultan Bayezid II. He fought against his younger brother, Selim, in the Ottoman Civil War of 1509–1513 to succeed their father, and was a central figure in the Şahkulu rebellion. Ahmed ultimately lost the war against his brother, and was executed by Selim's order after the latter usurped the throne.
Hüseyin Avni Pasha was an Ottoman governor-general and statesman. He was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 15 February 1874 to 26 April 1875. He was killed by Çerkez Hassan the younger brother of Neşerek Kadın Efendi, who accused him of the murder of Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz, on 15 June 1876 during a cabinet meeting of Ottoman Sultan Murad V at the residence of Midhat Pasha near Beyazıt in Fatih, Istanbul. The foreign affairs minister Mehmed Rashid Pasha was also killed in the attack.
Sultana Muhammad Fetih 1453 is a 2012 Turkish epic action film directed by Faruk Aksoy and produced by him, Servet Aksoy and Ayşe Germen. Starring Devrim Evin, İbrahim Çelikkol and Dilek Serbest, the film is based on events surrounding the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II.
Alaattin Ali of Karaman (d.1397), also Alaeddin Ali, was a bey of Karaman Beylik, a Turkish principality in Anatolia in the 14th century. Like most other Karaman beys, Ali Bey was a rival of the rising Ottoman Empire, and the two principalities engaged in chronic wars against one another.
Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmet Pasha was a grand vizier of the Ottoman Empire and served from 1794 to 1798.
Damat Gürcü Halil Rifat Pasha, was an Ottoman admiral and statesman of Georgian origin. He served in the periods of Mahmud II and Abdulmejid I.
Altair: A Record of Battles is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kotono Kato. It tells the story of Tuğril Mahmut, a young military officer and his exploits to protect his country from invasion by a neighboring empire. The manga was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius from July 2007 to November 2023, with its chapters collected in 27 tankōbon volumes.
Payitaht: Abdülhamid, named The Last Emperor in English, is a Turkish historical drama series starring Bülent İnal depicting historical events set during the reign of the 34th Ottoman sultan, Abdul Hamid II. The series gained support in Turkey, and support from the descendants of Abdul Hamid II Harun and Dundar Osmanoglu has been noted as a "follow-up" to the previous television series Filinta Mustafa.