LINESII- Into the Darkness

Iggy, where are you? :cry:

There better be an update when I wake up... :evil:
 
Update 18- Years 1248-1280: Knives to the Hearts

Davar was fallen. The last mountain garrison of Triniel Dael, the last General of Davar, had starved to near-nothingness and been defeated.

But the people were not crushed. While some in the less-civilized north had eventually joined the Lengels, those in the south were simply too at odds with the Lengels to change peacefully.

They knew how Veritas had survived its destruction, with the exodus. The Davarians would do the same.

So a Davarian Exodus began. Tens of thousands of Davarians flocked to Ardan, with whatever they could bring to help, from simple fishing boats to great merchant ships.

These Davarians then traveled northwards, stopping in Malkavia, cold Orum, then to the frigid and dangerous narrows that Norvalin crossed so long ago. There were many casualties from the bitter weather, but the Davarians persevered. The Bishop Jais, leader of the exodus, passed away, so leadership was cleanly split between Jais’ two apprentices, one taking control of the religious aspects of the nation, one taking control of the fleet and later on; the everyday management of the country. From there they sailed southwards to Norvalin, and beyond.

After over a year of sailing, the Davarians reached the mouth of a river a few weeks sailing south of Unias. There, it was decided that they would settle. The city of Vael Dash (Davarian for ‘New Beginning’) was built along the river now known to its inhabitants as the Rydos. The young nation and the lands around it were named ‘Arcadia’. Now, these settlers prepare to start over, rebuilding a nation to someday be comparable to Davar. Or perhaps a nation radically different from its predecessor. Only time can tell.

Meanwhile, the remaining group of Davarians (roughly ¾ of the population) continue on under Lengel rule, waiting for the day when the Lengels fall to reassert themselves as the rulers of their own nation.

As Norvalin continues to grow, it is expanding further south, into warmer and better agricultural lands. While this may eventually lead to border conflicts with Arcadia in the future, it has helped to alleviate food shortages that have plagued this northern nation in the past.

Exilsium and New Veritas have both been thriving as of late. New Veritas recently established a city on the far side of the mountain range separating them and Guangfei, to be used for trade. It has also continued to absorb nearby barbarian tribes into its nation with promises of voting rights, higher standards of living, and technology. Attempts to attract Davarian refugees largely failed, as most of the Davarians who were willing to leave traveled northwards.

Exilsium has begun to leave its somewhat isolationist ways behind, at least a little bit. The Assemblum has opened borders to trade with Myocaca, bringing in, among other things, tropical fruits and an influx of wealth.
(+Danalas Economic Center)

But despite the prosperity, the situation was not idyllic. Tensions were rising quickly between the Oneist nations of Exilsium and New Veritas and the Bladeist states of Sintonia and Chipland. When New Veritas informed Sultan Danie of Sintonia that his nation would either join them peacefully or be taken in war, Danie brashly refused. Messengers were immediately dispatched to the Swade homeland. While the New Veritasians succeeded in sinking one Sintonian vessel, a second which traveled first to Chipland then to the Swade Ascendancy made it through.

War was on…

The Swade Ascendancy, in recent years, had been growing increasingly imperialistic. It had claimed the entire Daras Desert to its north as Swade Territory, and built the city of Swadri at the Nurmafer/Khemri border to put some weight behind their claim. They then proceeded to destroy the few Daras (nomadic inhabitants of the desert) who resisted them.

At the same time, it also claimed a vast tract of land to its south on the Nurmaferi border to be Swade territory, and built the city of Nurnord at the southern extreme of its claim.

The Swade Ascendancy was on the rise. Then, everything started to go badly.

First, news reached them of the threat of New Veritas against their vassal state of Sintonia. Then, a great army stormed out of Nurmafer…

Nurmafer was becoming more worried and angered by the Swade Ascendancy every day, worried by their imperialist tendencies, and angered by their arrogance. After much consideration, King Anarion III came to one conclusion. The Swade threat had to be neutralized before it could harm Nurmafer.

Anarion III began preparing his nation for war, conscripting large numbers of sentinels into the military. Stories began leaking into the public, telling of Swade raids against Nurmaferi border villages. A public outcry ensued, and the people pleaded for action from the king, to avenge these acts with blood.

A great Nurmaferi force poured over the Swade border. It quickly advanced, then split up into two forces. Its first strike fell upon the city of Wesate, catching the city totally unawares. It fell with barely a fight, the small garrison quickly being killed immediately and the hastily-formed militia being crushed soon afterwards. Once the city had fallen, a smaller force was dispatched to the south to conquer the lands recently claimed by the Swades. A road connection was built to more easily supply the forces pouring into the Swade Ascendancy (made simpler by the fact that they captured a group of Swade worders building a road to Nurnord, forcing the captured Swades to redirect their efforts to connect the road to Nurmafer)

The next strike was against the central Swade city of Jarade. Word of Nurmafer’s invasion reached the city just hours before the attackers arrived. This provided enough time to prepare the defenses and arm civilians.

Nurmafer arrived and attacked immediately. Much of the Nurmaferi army was the numerous but comparatively untrained Sentinel militia, but much of the Swade defense had even less military experience. But the Swades had one thing on their side. Religious fanaticism. The people fought with great zeal, but it was not enough, though it put a dent in the invading force. The Jarade garrison was destroyed, and the massive statue of the Bronze Blademaster fell into heathen hands.

A counterattack came from the north. The Swade force responsible for defending the recent northern expansion quickly overran the weak Nurmaferi defenses in the coastal city of Gastar and initiated the Suwapa Program. The northern army then marched south through the Blade Range to defend the threatened capital city of the Swade Ascendancy, the home of the Bladeist Religion.

The Swades quickly built up defenses around their capital. The Blade River formed a southern wall, and the rough defenses built by the Swade defenders defended the west.

The Nurmaferi army knew by now that the element of surprise was gone. A brief skirmish outside of the Swade capital pushed them back with significant casualties among the drafted sentinels. Siege was impractical, for the land defended by the Swades was enough to feed the city, albeit on starvation rations.

So the Nurmaferi General decided to bridge the River near its source, where it was thin and the defenses were weak.

Nurmafer managed to fight its way across the River, though the Swades made them pay heavily for it. Pressing the advantage, Nurmafer conquered much of the farmland that supplied the city. Now, the Swade capital was completely surrounded. And the long siege began.

Meanwhile, attacks from the eastern half of the Swade Ascendancy began. Largely composed of militia, they were nonetheless a powerful fighting force. They chipped away at the Nurmaferi-occupied lands, but were not enough to break the Swade-Jarade-Wesate defensive line, better known as the Triple Line.

After nearly a year of unbroken siege, the city of Swade was on the verge of collapse. Cannibalism of the starved was rampant, and the people were living in utter misery. Only the knowledge that they were defending the single most important site in the world, the holiest city of Bladeism, kept them going.

But, as Nurmafer would soon prove, faith is a powerful weapon for survival, but by no means a guarantee.

Seeing the Swades in such a weak state, Nurmafer struck. The Battle of Swade was a quick and brutal affair. The defenders, to their credit, put up a terrific defense despite their starvation and lack of numbers, but Nurmafer’s numbers and supplies won the day. The capital had fallen.

Now, the weakened but still victorious army of Nurmafer is consolidating its gains, and expanding further east beyond the Triple Line. But its advances are constantly halted by the eastern Swade militias. The war, for the time being, is stalemated. Nurmafer has a distinct economic advantage, but the Swade may call upon its ally of Myocaca to aid it. Myocaca’s decision will likely be the deciding point in this war.
(-Swade Confidence, -Swade Culture, -Swade and Jarade Religious Centers (as they have no spiritual meaning to their current occupiers), -1000 Swade Swordsmen, -1400 Swade Bigjaur Riders-Countless Swade Volunteer Militia, -20 000 Swade Population, -1500 Nurmaferi Zealots, -3 Nurmaferi Ramids, -2 Nurmaferi Sentinel Regiments)

As the nation’s uncontested center of learning, art, and government, the Nurmaferi city of New Turfar has developed into a pillar of culture.
(+New Turfar Cultural Center)

While war raged in the western portion of the Swade Ascendancy, it had also afflicted the affiliated lands to its east.

Prior to Nurmafer’s attack, a large force and several smaller ones were dispatched to the vassal Swade states. One was sent to secure Svitzerland, and to give its overcrowded populace a chance at a better life, by joining the Swade Army. Some Svitzers joined then, but far more joined later, after news of the Nurmaferi invasion reached them.
(+2000 Swordsmen)

A force of 1000 Swordsmen was dispatched to Chipland, in case of an invasion by Exilsium. And an army of over 3000 of the Ascendency’s elite Swordsmen of Divine enlightenment were sent to the aid of Sintonia.

The force sent to Sintonia soon encountered problems. A still-assembling Valin fleet prevented them from safely reaching Sintonia. So the Swade Bladeremes fled, and dropped their force in New Veritas before the navy could stop them.

Meanwhile, a Veritasian force struck into Sintonia. Despite early optimism, Sintonia quickly proved to be a tougher nut to crack than the Stratikrator Panteras. Ironically, because New Veritas prevented Sintonia from sending tribute to the Swades, it allowed the nation to put all of its economic power into raising an army and building defenses.

The primary Veritasian problem was that the Sintonians had thrown up defenses near the border at the same time as they had sent their call for aid to the Swade Ascendancy. This rendered New Veritas’ plans largely useless, as they had planned to wear down the defenders with better-trained force. They had not expected the Sintonians to set up defenses that would result in far higher death rates for the Veritasians.

So the Stratikrator decided to take the military plans into his own hands. Leaving a token force behind to prevent a Sintonian force from entering New Veritas, Panteras led his forces through the mountains, bypassing the defenses. But he didn’t expect more fortifications back at the exit from the mountain pass. Fortunately for him, they were lightly defended and taken by surprise.

Veritas had broken through. The army set out to the capital, but were confronted by the entirety of the Sintonian army in what would be the first and only major confrontation in the invasion of Sintonia. The New Veritasians were quite surprised to discover that the Sintonian army was, in fact, slightly larger than the one they had sent to defeat it.

The two sides clashed. At first, the battle seemed quite even. Sintonian swordsmen wreaked havoc with the New Veritasian spear formations, but Phoenix Archers did the same to the attacking Swordsmen.

As the casualties started to rise, Stratikrator Panteras played his ace. 1000 of New Veritas’ most well-armed and advanced soldiers, the Scimitari Swordsmen, joined the battle. They crushed the remaining Sintonian army, then turned on the capital. It gave battle, but their numbers were too few. Sultan Danie was killed in the assault, and Sarate fell. Soon after, the rest of the country was conquered.
(-1000 Veritasian Spearmen, -500 Veritasian Scimitari, -Sintonia)

The successor to the deceased Sultan contacted the New Veritasians soon after the fall of his country. He promised that if the Bladeists were not mistreated or forced to convert, he would keep his people under control and prevent revolts against the occupiers.

As for the force landed in New Veritas, it was thriving. It quickly advanced, taking only minor casualties to the defensive skirmishing forces of New Veritas. It advanced all the way to the capital of Redemption, where tough resistance finally stopped the Swade advance.

The Swades demand that New Veritas free Sintonia, or at least, grant them the religious freedom and rights requested by the new Sultan. If this is done, the Swades promise to leave New Veritas, and not pillage the lands it owns or initiate the Suwapa Program.
(-500 Veritasian Spearmen, -500 Swade Swordsmen of Divine Enlightenment)

Chipland was attacked by Exilsium shortly after New Veritas invaded Sintonia. A naval force quickly defeated the 3 Bladeremes defending the peninsula and a force of 4000 quickly overwhelmed the defenders.

The Exiles then shipped off all of the Bladeist settlers to Myocaca, still neutral at this point. They then destroyed every building and threw the remains into the sea to sink or be swept away. The foreign presence on the island was gone, as was practically every trace of it.

Following the death of Emperor Wu, Prince Ku ascended under the title of Emperor Yi-Ga. Both very ambitious and very eccentric, the emperor quickly made his footprint in Guangfei. He ordered great expansions, building cities on the two oceans surrounding his nation to the east and west. Much of the empire was culturally unified during his reign. The monument to Xi Shi was completed. Paper was invented. A great exploration was launched to the north, and an expedition to the south discovered a unique nation named Trin Lin.

Emperor Yi-Ga also planned to make ‘Cyborg Penguin’ statuettes and hand them out to random people on the street, but the reality police confiscated the statuettes before he could do this and removed any thoughts of cyborgs and penguins from his mind. They also wondered how the heck the Emperor even thought of those things, as cyborgs wouldn’t be invented for well over a millennium and penguins had yet to be discovered by Guangfei.
(+Culture)

Trinlin has been growing and expanding at a great rate, under the reign of King Palivian. It has managed to avoid the distrust it bred when it enslaved practicing Trinlinists, and has now changed its policy, although those already enslaved are still enslaved.

It made its first contact with another civilized nation when it encountered a Guangfei expedition in its lands. Due to huge linguistic differences, the language barrier took years to break. But once it was broken, the two nations got along quite well, although their cultural differences frequently confuse each other.

Little has happened in the Aithean Shadowlands, other than minor expansion. But the barbaric tribes outside of the peninsula are starting to move in, much to the displeasure of Lehandra Sunwing, leader of the Aitheans.

Emor has largely ignored the numerous conflicts raging around it. It has expanded its colony to the south of Myocaca, building the city of Trenton, and has also built a colony just beyond occupied Sintonia, much to New Veritas’ annoyance.

The city of Emor, former capital of the nation, has been declining. But this is being changed now. A campaign has been launched to revitalize the ancient city, building temples, universities, libraries, and other structures to restore the city of Emor’s lost glory.

Myocaca has found itself in something of a difficult diplomatic situation. It has signed a NAP with New Veritas, then war broke out between New Veritas and its close friend, the Swade Ascendancy. Then Nurmafer invaded the Swades. Myocaca has been worried about sending aid, as aiding an enemy of an ally would possibly anger New Veritas, and be indirectly working against it.

At this point, the aid sent by Myocaca has been weapons, food, and volunteers to aid in the defense of eastern Swade. But many expect that Myocaca will take a more active role in this conflict in the future.

In the distant north, the nation of Orum has grown rapidly. The people have embraced New Eldism, and now a significant majority practice it. But King Finz Orum was overoptimistic about the speed at which his nation could grow. His plans of expanding ‘south to the river’ were much too far, although Orum’s southward expansion is still significant.

The Malkavian war continues. The Malkavian Generals had allied themselves with the Gamorrean rebel faction, in hopes of defeating the theocratic Loyalists. After this was done, they planned, they would turn on the rebels and rule all of Gamorrea.

However, they were beaten to the betrayal. For the Gamorrean factions secretly called a truce until the Malkavians were banished from their lands. So when the Rebel Faction and Malkavia arrived at Zam Gamorre to fight the Loyalists, the Rebels turned on Malkavia the second the battle began. As they were guarding the Malkavian flank, they found it terribly easy to gut the Malkavian army.
(-2000 Malkavian Horse Archers, -1000 Malkavian Brujah Warriors, -1000 Malkavian Archers, -1500 Gamorrean Horse Archers)

The Malkavian survivors beat a bloody retreat, the Gamorreans following. After being driven out of Thula Pax, however, the Loyalists considered the job of pushing Malkavia out of their lands complete and turned on the Rebels. The rebel army was decimated, and the pathetic remenants fled northwards. Then the Loyalists completed pursuing the Malkavians out of Gamorrea.
(-2000 Gamorrean Horse Archers)

The chaotic war would continue. The Rebel Remnants destroyed much Zam Gamorre, the home of Theocratic power, then declared the northern portion of Gamorrea to be theirs.

All three sides are now bled dry, too weak to continue the war. Although there has still been no official peace agreement, it seems that the current borders are here to stay.

Ikki, as always, is growing constantly more prepared for Lengel invasion. But the feeling of impending doom that has haunted this country for generations is starting to disappear. The nation is so well fortified that it is likely that the Lengels couldn’t defeat them, even if every single one was to attack with all of his or her strength. But the Ikki people are still on their guard.

The growing feeling of safety (well, relative safety) has been helped by the completion of Masurao's Academy. Now, Ikki has produced several capable generals to accentuate their defensive prowess.
(+Confidence, +Culture)

The Citadel, while at peace with the Lengels, is not totally trusting. It has copied every work in the Great Library, and shipped them to the island of Farport.

In fact, many things have been happening on Farport. It is unofficially considered the ‘second capital’ of the Citadel, to be a refuge should the Citadel’s walls fall. It is a center of exploration, with several naval expeditions being launched. One, which traveled to the northeast, returned reporting of “A strange people living in thick, mountainous forests who worship the powerful ‘Sky Gods’. In fact, their religion was strangely similar to New Eldism in its pacifistic ways, although not all of these people were upholding the tenets of the religion. After we gave them some goods in exchange for food and supplies (which we were dangerously low on) they referred to us as the ‘Sea Gods’. A fascinating people, though the trek is dangerous and we lost several ships and many crewmembers.”

The voyage to the southeast returned with many ships gone and all damaged. A few weeks out of Farport it ran into a tremendous hurricane which destroyed most of the fleet.
(-12 Citadel Galleys, -500 Spearmen)
 
Update 18- Years 1248-1280- Continued

Great things are afoot in the cradle. New powers are rising, the old are falling, through treachery, cunning, rebellion, and pure military might.

Following the fall of Tristaria, there was something of a brief silence in the cradle. All those involved built up their armies and prepared. So did some currently uninvolved.

The Lengels had been working domestically for the most part. A unifying religion was slowly starting to form, combining Lengri with Antigotica and, to a small extent, Pirian Oneism. The capital of Lengeliz was completed. And efforts at integration throughout the empire continued.

It was the Crystal Ridge Alliance who made the first move.

Gorin had already spread Iron to all of the CRA. The armies were as ready as they would ever be. So the forces of Shalamari and Gorin struck into Lengel territory. (Shalamari, Khemri, Gerber enter Iron Age)
An army comprised of a mix of Skilv’so, Croyodonians, Gorinese and Shalamari soldiers attacked up the Wardash, approaching the city of Magi. Regular skirmishes were fought, but the concentration of CRA forces was too great for a skirmish to defeat. When they came within eyesight of Magi, however, things became difficult.

A great Lengel force, led by Lengelzai Yesugei himself, struck the CRA army. The allied forces had been expecting this attack and fought back viciously. Ramids, which the Lengels had no good counter for on the battlefield, charged out to drive off Lengel attacks. The allied forces made great use of the Shalamari Testudo formation, making an impenetrable wall of shields.

The Battle at Magi was long and hard-fought by both sides. But for possibly the first time in a major battle, the Lengels were outnumbered. Outnumbered by a significant ratio.

The Lengels fought a fighting retreat, using every tactic they could to cause significant casualties, but the allied force simply had them countered.

Then, an arrow, released from the vast invading army, struck the Lengelzai through the eye, killing him.

The Lengels fought with renewed ferocity, which was both a blessing and a curse. It inflicted further casualties on the allied forces, but the Lengel commanders were trying to retreat. The famed Lengel discipline wavered for a time, but the commanders reasserted control and retreated their force. The allied invaders did not pursue. They marched on Magi and captured the city, crushing the small garrison.

Duua the Blind, currently fighting in Nkondi, was the successor to the heirless Lengelzai.
(Gorin’s Casualties: -1000 Spearmen, -1000 Mooseys, -1000 Archers, -5 Ramids)
(Shalamari’s Casualties: -2000 Swordsmen)
(Croyodon’s Casualties: -1000 Spearmen)
(Skilv’so’s Casualties: -1000 Spearmen)
(Lengel Casualties: -5000 Horse Archers, -1000 Nkondi Spearwomen, -1000 Spearmen)

The second CRA strike into Lengel territory would be a completely Shalamari venture. Calling upon Nkondi refugees to retake their homelands, Shalamari got many volunteers. With well over 10 000 Phalanxes, thousands of Archers, and the volunteer Nkondi soldiers, Shalamari’s army advanced into Nkondi.
(+3000 Nkondi Spearwomen, +2000 Nkondi Archers)

The Lengel army was suspiciously inactive, only raiding. But Shalamari was confident in its numbers. As it advanced further into Nkondi, the Lengel army began to act. It began skirmishing, then launching hit-and runs, then outright attacking.

But the Lengels were running into a tactical problem. The Phalanxes, which they had expected to be easy to defeat due to their lack of mobility, were proving frustratingly difficult to destroy. And the Phalanxes closely defended the Archers, who rained piercing death upon the Lengels.

So the Lengels were forced back to skirmishing and night raiding. While it slowly took its toll, Shalamari was able to deal more casualties faster. Clearly, Horse Archers alone were not going to be able to counter the Shalamari Phalanxes in Testudo Formation.

In this difficult hour, the Lengels received something that would change the course of the war. Iron. It is not known exactly how the Lengels managed to get their hands on the metal, but many suspect bribery, spies, theft, or a mix of the three.

Regardless of how they got it, the Lengels quickly adapted their tactics to deal with Shalamari. While many disliked having to fight hand to hand, it was the only way to practically defeat the testudos.

Confronting Shalamari armed with iron spears, swords, and axes, the Lengels surprised their invaders with a tactic never before seen by their enemies. They dealt heavy casualties against Shalamari initially, but well-protected archers continued to be the bane of the lightly-armoured Lengels.

But using their hand-to-hand fighting, the Lengels managed to break through several defensive groups of Nkondi and slaughter some of the archers that were causing them so much death and injury.

Many battles throughout this campaign were fought like this. Some used Horse Archers, others used Lengels as infantry, but ultimately the Shalamari were slowly pushing them back. So Lengelzai Duua sent a messenger to the north, calling for more Lengels to come down from their homeland to fight the southerners.

However, these reinforcements would later prove unnecessary…
(Shalamari Casualties: -2000 Phalanx, -1000 Archers, -2000 Nkondi Spearwomen)
(Lengel Casualties: -3000 Horse Archers, -2000 Nkondi Spearwomen)

Shortly after the two attacks by the CRA in the west, Khemri launched much of its fleet and army eastwards. The Armada traveled over the course of a few months to Davar, where it made several landings. They had expected to catch the Lengels by surprise, but there was in fact a significant force remaining in Davar. The existence Lengel defenses in all of the places the CRA was attacking was beginning to grow suspicious.

The Khemri forces secured their beachheads, then began to advance inland. But the Lengels quickly moved in and started harassing the invaders. Tuman, one of the Lengel Generals in Davar and the grandson of Host-Lord Vanitas led his troops skillfully, considering the fight to be the start of a personal vengeance against Khemri for the destruction of Veritas.

Soon, the more numerous Lengels began to overwhelm the Khemri force. Attempts to cut off Khemri’s supply lines and surround the army failed. Khemri slowly retreated, until its armies were pushed back to the coastlines, one group at the mouth of the River Dava and the other in the city of Ardan. The Khemri forces tried futilely to get the Davarians to rise against their oppressors, but the Davarians both feared the Lengels and disliked Khemri.

The forces of Khemri put up a long and bloody fight on the coast, but saw that defeat was inevitable. So they retreated back to their ships and set sail back to Khemri.
(Khemri Casualties: -1000 Archers, -2500 Royal Guards, -1000 Horse Archers)
(Lengel Casualties: -2000 Horse Archers, -1000 Spearmen)

Up to the point of the failed Davarian invasion, things had been going fairly well for the Crystal Ridge Alliance. But cracks were starting to show. Gerber hadn’t launched any offensives against the Lengels. In fact, it was quite disapproving of the Shalamari for their betrayal of the Lengels and the breaking of a NAP. Shalamari criticized the Gerbers back, declaring that the Gerbers weren’t fulfilling their promises of mutual assistance to the rest of the CRA. Push turned to shove, and relations between Shalamari and Gerber began to spiral downwards.

Several months into the war, however, something caused the turbulent relationship stabilized- at mutual hatred. Fort he Gerbers attacked Shalamari with no warning, stating their reasons as ‘Insults and Threats towards us’ and ‘For their foolish, irresponsible, malevolent betrayal of the Lengels.’

The Gerbers seized Darkavia before Shalamari could fight back, then bridged the Wardash. What they came upon would be enough to make any invader drool. The self-proclaimed (and often internationally recognized) Cultural Wonder of the World virtually undefended.

The only serious Shalamari military presence in the area was their Yuzu Fortboats, which engaged in battle with the more numerous Gerber fleet, who also had their own Fortboats based off the same design. The Shalamari were taken by surprise, and destroyed.

The Gerber army wasted no time in conquering the Shalamari heartland. Upon the fall of the Capital of Glass, priceless relics, art, and holy items were carried off in the cartload. The Gerber army got carried away with the luxuries of the city, resulting in mass raping, pillaging, and burning. Small Shalamari citizens militias who attempted to stop the carnage were crushed.

Similar things were happening all over the heart of Shalamari. Fields were pillaged by the Gerbers, foods carried off leaving families to starve.

Rallying points of resistance were the recently-constructed fortifications built along the Wardash. While they were empty of official military presence at the time, vengeful Shalamari took control of the forts and armed themselves. It was at the hands of these, the lamenting, vengeful Shalamari, that the Gerbers suffered their casualties.

The forts were both seized after vicious fights. The Shalamari citizens within were all killed, some of them tortured as a vengeance for the disproportionate ratio of Shalamari to Gerber deaths in the battles.

Crystalism laments for the fall of its home. But the Cultural Light of the World is not extinguished- merely diminished. For even in this dark hour, it shines on.
(Gerber Casualties: -1000 Spearmen, -1000 Archers, -1000 Gerber Legionairres)
(Shalamari Casualties: -40 000 Population, -Glass (burned and pillaged into a ruin), -navy)

But the Shalamari may emerge victorious yet. Their army liberating Nkondi received word of Shalamari’s fall, and sent much of its force back in a fury. 6000 Phalanxes smashed southwards into Darkavia, quickly liberating the city. Then the force split up, one traveling into Gerber and the other into Shalamari.

The force sent to Gerber wreaked a horrific vengeance upon the Gerbers. Burning out childrens eyes with hot metal, tearing out peoples innards and leaving them to die, and all other means of torture which I will leave to your imagination.

They also burned and destroyed everything they saw. Regy, Slona, and Lepic were destroyed, with no survivors.

The Shalamari reign of terror continued, destroying the small garrison defending Gerberia. The Shalamari razed Migra to the ground, then were on the verge of Cirta. Toghol-Advisor and his many supporters overthrew the last Cecil-King and pleaded for peace, but the Shalamari were beyond mercy. They sacked the city, and searched for the Advisor. But he was nowhere to be seen. Furious at the ‘coward’s escape’, Shalamari took out its anger on Cecil XXXIII. He was crucified, eyes gouged, most of his extremities cut off with a saw edged knife, gutted, blood-eagled, then oiled and burned.

With most of their maddening desire for vengeance appeased, at least for the time being, the Shalamari General Haz Nazrath considered the situation. He had the power to genocide the Gerbers, but what good would that be if there was no home to return to? So he sent most of his men back across the border to help liberate his grievously injured, though still living, homeland.

The Battle for Shalamari was one of the most hateful events that would ever occur in this world. Mutual fury and hatred on both sides, beyond imagination, both with ruined homelands and horrible atrocities committed and suffered.

The Gerber forces in Shalamari were just learning of what had happened to their homeland. And they were going to avenge the atrocity with an atrocity of their own.

The army set off for Shard, the holy city of Crystalism, but were intercepted by the Shalamari force. At the Battle of Shard, both sides suffered terrible casualties, and both knew that there was no retreat.

Had there not been outside influences about to act, the Gerbers would have won. But a militia from the city of Shard came to Shalamari’s aid, which was enough to tip the scales against Gerber. But its army was decimated. While its citizens cried out for vengeance against the Gerbers, the surviving army was needed badly in the north, to stop the Lengels, who had been advancing in Shalamari’s absence.

A small force remains in Gerber, salting fields, killing, and burning, but it is not as effective as thousands of maddened and battle-hardened Phalanx.

This war has been the most destructive yet to occur in history. It shows how the idea of vengeance is fundamentally flawed. The war has also been a rallying point for Pacifists, who simply want the fighting to end, caring not who rules them. But the Shalamari and Gerber are not among these pacifists. Both have been wronged too much to make amends.

It is clear that Shalamari has gotten off better in the war. But the Gerbers have the power of the Lengels on their side. And they still have leadership, unlike Shalamari, whose government perished in the sack of Glass. Toghol-Advisor still leads the Gerbers, but his location is still unknown- at least, to his enemies.
(Gerber Casualties: -90 000 Gerber Population, -Gerber Army, -Confidence, -Culture)
(Shalamari Casualties: -4000 Phalanx, -Confidence, -Culture, -Rural Economy)

During the chaos, a small group of Tristarians have rebelled against their Gerber lords. But their limited numbers and war-weariness of their population have prevented the rebellion from spreading far.

In the vassal states of the CRA, more cracks were beginning to show. More than cracks in fact. They had simply fallen away.

Kalmar and Tellium were both approached by the Lengels to aid them against the CRA, destroyers of great Veritas. Both had agreed to aid the Lengels. But this did not become apparent until tribute payments and all communications stopped.

A group of Tellian traders had the misfortune of arriving in Gorin just after the Republic of Tellium failed to make its tribute payment and cut off communications with its ruling states. Their goods were seized and the traders were prevented from leaving. Normally, this would not have been worth mention, but several important facts became apparent after some investigation.

These traders were not from Tellia. While they flew the flag and insignia, the ship was discovered to have been built not in a Tellian town, but in the distant shipyards of Paleras. Also, the goods they traded were like nothing the Gorinese had seen in the east. They had to have come from somewhere else, perhaps the strange nations in the far south.

The Gorinese report on these ‘Tellian Merchants’ stated that they were actually New Veritasians, intent on taking Gorinese iron. They were then thrown into prison, the Gorinese apparently enjoying calling them ‘Tellian Prisoners of War’.

At long last, we come to Kehexou. It is often said that Maryas Gayanax’ dream of a Kehexou empire was dead. But it has been revived, under a descendant of his from the Mayanas family.

Queen Larias Mayanas was an ambitious and cunning leader. In her existed both the fighting spirit of the House of Gayanax and the quick, practical mind of Mayanas.

Her father Sierexas had been approached by the Lengelzai before to act against Khemri, but the old King was too hesitant to act. Larias was not a hesitant person.

So she began preparations for a military invasion. Troops were trained, war games played… until the time came. A time when much of Khemri’s fleet and army was off in Davar, fighting an ultimately pointless battle.

With clockwork precision, the Kehexou armies began to move. Their goals were great, but not to the point of unattainability.

So on one midsummer day in 1249, a large fleet was spotted south of Tekrehexou. Much to the small garrison’s surprise, it landed outside of the city of Netsihasko. Surprise turned to curiosity, then terror as Kehex forces began to unload and advance on the city.

The garrison held barely nothing, but they fought. Not anything that Kehexou couldn’t handle of course. A ram was brought onshore and Netsihasko was broken and conquered.

After the first conquest, Oundaintic priests flooded the city and blessed ethnic Tekrehex with the 6 elements. This angered many Tekrehex followers of Andues, but some of the less fervent converted simply to save what they could forsee would be a major hassle about religious conversion and a removal of rights for followers of a heathen religion such as Andues.

After securing the city, the Kehex army advanced to Tregnau. This city too fell quite easily, but the invaders knew that this ease wouldn’t last long. The defenders of Khemri would soon be reinforcing the threatened cities.

The same conversion routine was performed in Tregnau, and the army advanced again. This time, they ran into a significant Khemri force. Two thousand Swordsmen and Royal Guards defended Hasko. The Kehex general grinned. Two thousand troops not defending where they’re needed more.

A new Kehex force appeared south of Delhi shortly after the first one conquered Tregnau. It sailed upriver, then the army was dropped off north of the city and the navy retreated.

The people here had yet to hear of Kehexou’s attack, and were taken totally by surprise. The city’s resistance was quickly crushed, and the rest of Mogulia was conquered, with help from Tellia, one of the rogue CRA vassal states. The army then set off westwards, confirming Kehexou’s control over Tekrehexou.

At Hasko, the army met up with the Kehex force stalled by Khemri defense. The two forces together were enough to attack the city successfully. The Khemri army took some damage then retreated.

Kehexou’s third landing was the first one to not catch Khemri unawares. Khemri’s naval forces who were not off at Davar tried to stop the landing, but the Kehex fleet broke through the blockade. The remaining galleys then surrounded the island of Khadon, but were attacked by Khemri’s River Boat fleet. Nonetheless, most of the army managed to land, although the entire landing fleet sent was sunk.

The city itself was lightly defended, as was apparently all of Khemri due to its forces being out of the country. But the people put up a strong defense for their city. Despite this, Kehexou’s numbers won out again.

After a search of the city, it was discovered that the palace had been recently abandoned. The Royal Family had no plans of being held hostage again, and had left for the safer interior of Khemri.

Kehexou combined all of its forces into one main army and then sent it against Alexandria. Surrender was demanded by the Kehex forces and Alexandria refused. So Kehexou began to barrage the city with an assortment of things, but primarily river mud, as an insult and a demoralizer.

But surrounding the city wasn’t working. For the Khemri River Boats prevented Kehexou from advancing further upstream or crossing rivers. So a siege of the city became increasingly difficult.

After roughly a week, it was determined that a siege was impossible. So the Kehex forces threw up a temporary bridge on the recently demolished remenants of the last bridge. The city was stormed, and fell into Kehexou’s hands. The city was razed, as a show of force intended to frighten the rest of Khemri into submission. Only the religious structures were left standing, and they were converted into Oundaintic temples.

But Queen Larias had underestimated the pride and resilience of the Khemri people. A show of strength far greater than the one she had just done, Veritas’ dismantling of both Khadon and Alexandria, had failed to crush their spirit.

Content with the destruction of Alexandria, Kehexou’s army then turned around and headed back towards Khadon, destroying crops as they went. Upon reaching Khadon, they turned northwards towards Said. An attempted invasion failed due to a large Khemri militia defending the city. The city has now been under siege for some time, but it holds out. The Kehex General responsible for the invasion was somewhat confused about what was meant by ‘attacking Said from behind’ as the only way to get behind Said would be to go through the city or go on a multi-week trip around the eastern end of the Crystal Ridge Mountains.

The final force of Kehexou struck at Khemri from the south. It quickly and cleanly conquered Kiso, then fortified its position.

Around the time when the borders settled, one final variable was thrown in to the equation.

The Khemri army returning home from the failed attempt at liberating Davar. Upon returning back into its home waters, the fleet was suddenly attacked by the Kehex navy. A few galleys fought and Tridents fought off the Kehex while the troop-carrying ships dropped off the Khemri force east of Delhi.

The Khemri force was quickly set upon by Tellians, but the attack was thrown off. The Khemri army has now discovered just what chaos has broken out since its departure, and is firmly set on restoring its nation, and destroying all those who would stop them.
(-2000 Kehexou Spearmen, -2000 Kehexou Swordsmen, -15 Kehex Galleys, -1000 Khemri Swordsmen, -5 Khemri River Boats, -5 Khemri Tridents)


*****


Notes: Thlayli, what have you got against roads? You’ve never built one in the game. They’d help your nation quite a bit, you know. A road through the mountains connecting Redemption and your trading post, or a road along the sea connecting New Veritas from end to end.

Of course, invaders can use roads against you… but just so you know about the road system, in case you didn’t or something.

Cuivienen, you have to either pay for roads or get your military to build them (which they don’t like doing).

Oh, and I broke my updating record length again. 42 497 characters. :eek:
 
Awesome update! I'm not sure what I enjoyed more- the heavy losses of the CRA, the losses of the Lengels, or the destruction of Swade ;]. So many glorious events ;].
 
Great update....though I like dont understand 75% of it :lol: oh well I've got my tropical fruit...
 
its quite humourous when the people who often complain about people acting unrealistic, do the same things themselves.
 
anyone else think we should start a new thread? this one seems pretty big, mods dont usually like that.

Edit: we should do that, then we can also make a post on the first page with the links to any stories we have done so if people want to find out about our country they can find it easy
 
Testudo formation? That's pretty much impossible with a Phalanx formation, so I don't see how they could manage to use it.
 
perhaps its just the name of the units and not a description of what its like?
 
Great work, a trully epic update. Very bloody, too. ;) Though don't you think that's a bit too many rulers dying a violent, premature death?

It shows how the idea of vengeance is fundamentally flawed.

The contrary, actually, as the Shalamari have very succesfully avenged pretty much everything. ;) However, our revenge should be even better...
 
First, good update. I took a bit more causalties than I think I may have deserved , but I think that was also somewhat caused by overconfidence. No matter, I can weather the storm. Good job Kentharu and SS for managing to best me in this one part of the battle ;) (although had you not decided to attack me to get rid of my threat, I would have let the NAP stand and merely went north...)

Second, isn't my capital supposed to be a cultural center or something? I think that was your answer when you told me about what it would be...

Also, the Lengelzai dying without an heir? While yes that would be true in the military sense, in the fact that no one of his blood could lead just yet, the Lengelzai was thirty. And one doesn't get to thirty without having a few kids. Duua took over militarily, but his son is his spitural heir, and subject of Antigotica worship...
 
Don't worry about the testudos, Iggy just tends to make the casulties as even as possible. However I must agree, the casulties of horse archers are insane. If you used proper tactics, (which I can bet you did) such casulties should not be possible.

In a similiar manner, how come I suffered that much casulties, unless if those 20,000 swade population were all militias?

oh and good update, epic indeed.

yet another thing iggy, regiments are just a way how I organise my military. I would appreciate it if you would show the amount of sentinels as thousands, since they are just like any other soldiers.
 
@Lord Iggy-Great Update:goodjob:

The Norvalin did more or less what I wanted them to do, anyway. I'll name the new third city...Paridum.

To: Davarian Exiles
From: Norvalin


We see you follow a path much like ours, though the One blessed you to gain better lands. What deals would you like to make, if any, concerning our relations?
 
Yes, I didn't miss it! Hmm, roads, yeah. Should have thought of that. Would two economy points be enough to link Redemption, Paleras, and the trading post I built?


That update was fantastic! I can't decide which nation's suffering I enjoyed more, Swade, Shalamari, or Khemri...

From: New Veritas
To: Swade Soldiers

As promised, we will allow the people of Sintonia to retain their religion, and vote in the Assemblum. Now, we think that you have slightly more pressing matters to the north...

From: New Veritas
To: Emor

Don't push your luck with us, traitors. We demand that you withdraw your southern colony immediately. If not, well...I think you've seen clearly what we do to southern colonies infringing on our territory.
 
andis-1 said:
Don't worry about the testudos, Iggy just tends to make the casulties as even as possible. However I must agree, the casulties of horse archers are insane. If you used proper tactics, (which I can bet you did) such casulties should not be possible.

In a similiar manner, how come I suffered that much casulties, unless if those 20,000 swade population were all militias?

oh and good update, epic indeed.

yet another thing iggy, regiments are just a way how I organise my military. I would appreciate it if you would show the amount of sentinels as thousands, since they are just like any other soldiers.

But a Phalanx using Testudo formation doesn't make an logical sense. A Testudo looks like this:



and a Phalanx looks like this:



A phalanx formation doesn't have the shields neccesary to do a Testudo formation, and the nature and weight of their long spears makes large shields (which make the Testudo work) unuseable. It just doesn't make sense that the Phalanx would be even begin to be able to use Testudo formation...
 
Nice Update!!

That looked like a tough one to write.

From Croyodon
To Gorin and the CRA

We will commit more troops to the front and we remain dedicated from driving the Lengels back north.
 
Contempt said:
But a Phalanx using Testudo formation doesn't make an logical sense. A Testudo looks like this:

A phalanx formation doesn't have the shields neccesary to do a Testudo formation, and the nature and weight of their long spears makes large shields (which make the Testudo work) unuseable. It just doesn't make sense that the Phalanx would be even begin to be able to use Testudo formation...

your taking the name too literally
 
Yes I agree with contempt in this matter, but, as I said
Iggy just tends to make the casulties as even as possible.
I must admit, it's something I find rather annoying, since the tactics I use will only have a slight affect on the casulties.

edit: like emu said, we don't really know what his phalanxes are. I could have UU named legionnaires, but they could be just as well horse archers as heavy infantry. And this leads our discussion to Iggy again, why hasn't he written the descriptions of people's UU's on the front page?
 
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