Midland Kingdom

Lore & Background

Midland is a human kingdom engaged in the Hundred-Year War, a conflict ending only after three years of leadership from the Band of the Hawk under Griffith. The narrative highlights the internal dynamics of this military machine: after defeating Guts in a duel, Griffith recruits him into the ranks. The group's success brings peace to Midland, yet the personal turmoil of its leader leads to disaster. Griffith sleeps with Princess Charlotte following Guts's departure from the unit, an act born of weakness that results in his imprisonment and a year of crippling torture. This vulnerability allows the Crimson Behelit to activate during a solar eclipse known as the Eclipse. Here, Griffith sacrifices the Band of the Hawk to ascend as Femto, a member of the God Hand, leaving Midland vulnerable to supernatural forces rather than securing its future through conventional victory.

In Their Own Story

The history of Midland turns on the actions of the Band of the Hawk during the Golden Age arc. For three years, they lead the mercenary unit to end the Hundred-Year War and bring peace. However, when Guts leaves after defeating Griffith in a duel, the leader's mental state fractures. His encounter with Princess Charlotte leads to imprisonment and torture for one year. Upon rescue by the reunited Band of the Hawk, Griffith realizes his invalid state prevents him from achieving his dream. During a solar eclipse, he triggers the Crimson Behelit he received as a child. The sacrifice transforms the battlefield into a realm where Griffith becomes Femto, raping Casca and corrupting her unborn child in front of Guts. Two years later, during the millennial Incarnation Ceremony at Albion orchestrated by the Egg of the Perfect World, Griffith incarnates into the physical world through the tainted child. He then creates a new Band of the Hawk to oppose the invading Kushan army, leading Midland's armies with backing from the Holy See Church.

Reader's Guide

The kingdom's trajectory shifts dramatically after the Eclipse, leaving it fractured and dependent on supernatural intervention. Griffith returns two years later not merely as a former soldier, but as the leader of Midland's armies backed by the Holy See Church. He establishes a new Band of the Hawk composed of humans and Apostles to fight the invading Kushan army. His strategy involves inflicting a fatal injury on Ganishka to create a global interstice, mixing physical and supernatural worlds. This maneuver allows him to establish the kingdom of Falconia as the last bastion of humanity under a dictatorship, fundamentally altering Midland's political structure from a traditional feudal state into a theocratic empire ruled by a God Hand member.

Did You Know?

• Griffith received the Crimson Behelit as a child, which he later triggered during a solar eclipse to sacrifice the Band of the Hawk.
• The Hundred-Year War ended three years after Griffith began leading the Band of the Hawk.
• Griffith was imprisoned and subjected to crippling torture for one year before being rescued by his former comrades.
• Two years after the Eclipse, Griffith incarnated into the physical world during the millennial Incarnation Ceremony at Albion.