Update 19- Years 1280 to 1312: The War of Treachery
The Northwest’s descent into chaos continued, but, as an old Malkavian saying goes, ‘If you’re flat on your back, the only way you can look is up’. Gamorreans claimed the Malkavian phrase to be a shameless rip-off of their saying ‘Things have to get better after they’ve gotten worse’. A small riot ensued.
This was not exactly how the war restarted, but it gives an insight on the confrontational relationship between the Gamorreas and Malkavia. Any opportunity would be taken to strike at the other.
And many an opportunity would arise.
Pushed back from a nearly-successful campaign, Malkavia began to implode. Dualists began fighting Banists. Old clan rivalries erupted into open warfare. Malkavia quickly descended into a brutal and miserable civil war.
Gamorrea saw its opportunity. Raising all the troops it could, the Gamorreans invaded Malkavia, evidently forgetting what happened to the last nation who invaded an enemy in a civil war.
History, some would say, is doomed to repeat itself.
But in this case, not in the exact same way.
The Gamorreans quickly conquered southern Malkavia, suffering virtually no casualties. The Malkavian army was all but non-existent, and the citizens were too tired to resist.
Then, North Gamorra turned on its southern neighbour and attacked with all it had, knowing that if Gamorrea successfully conquered Malkavia it would be too powerful to stop.
But North Gamorra’s offensive was in vain. Reserve forces stopped their advance north of Zam Gamorre, then started to push back. The situation got worse when the main Gamorrean force completed the subjugation of Malkavia, and attacked North Gamorra from the west.
After several more years of fighting battles and crushing resistance, the War of Treachery had at last finished. Theocratic Gamorrea had conquered Malkavia and retaken its northern lands.
Peace, it seems, has come to this long-suffering land at last.
The peace with the Lengels seems to have become a normal thing in Ikki. Trade is beginning to form between the two nations, although Ikki still maintains its defenses well.
Orum has entered a quiet period of expansion and exploration, generally passing by quietly and unnoticed.
Before the fall of Malkavia, a small group of the southern peasantry had had enough. They traveled to the Citadel, and struck a deal with them. The Malkavian exiles would travel east across the sea to the New World, and build a nation there, like so many others had before them. The Malkavians would get a chance of a peaceful existence, and the Citadel would get a friendly city to base their explorations out of.
So the small group set out. Crossing the seas sailing due east, rather than following the coast resulted in the fleet landing in an uncharted land considerably warmer than Norvalin and Arcadia.
The small group founded the city of Rascirai. Optimism was in the air. As only Banists were on the voyage across the sea, the religious and ethnic strife of Malkavia would be a thing of the past. At last, the potential of Malkavia could be unleashed.
Leaving the Malkavians to settle, the Citadel group then began to explore the nearby region. They contacted several surprisingly advanced copper-age groups, and made an exciting find. They rediscovered the exact same nation their exploration team from Farport had discovered several decades earlier. Tir Tairngire. The two groups got along well from the get go. The Citadelers were fascinated by the Tuathas’ (the people of Tir Tairngire) strange and alien ways and culture, the Tuathas were fascinated by the Citadel’s tales of distant and mighty realms, with great cities and empires, defended by shining metal-clad armies.
Other Citadel explorers traveled northwards and contacted Arcadia and Norvalin from the south.
Norvalin has been prospering, but Arcadia is not doing as well. A particularly cold series of years led to a great famine, causing the Arcadians to turn to Norvalin (who had more food stockpiled) for their survival. The two nations are becoming more connected, and this is not good for the younger and less well-established Arcadia, who may be under threat of cultural assimilation.
More bad, or possibly just frustrating news, came from the south. A group of barbarians calling themselves the Nontin settled just to Arcadia’s south, blocking the nation’s hopes for further southward expansion, at least for the moment. Competition for scarce arable land has quickly soured the relationship of these two nations.
Increasing travel in the searoutes between Exilsium, the Citadel, and the nations of the New World have filled out the map of the northern ocean (Anyone want to give it a name? Preferably one that sounds good, has some logical meaning please).
This increasing trade and exploration have turned the Citadel’s city of Farport into a center of trade.
(+Farport Economic Center)
Exilsium has begun aggressively expanding throughout their island, hoping to ensure that they have complete control over the entire area should someone cast colonizing eyes toward it.
Trinlin has gone on a wild burst of expansion, building its nation further along the coast and up to the Guangfei border.
Trade and cultural interaction between Guangfei and Trinlin has increased. Some of Guangfei’s inventions, have been adopted by Trinlin. Religion has also began to spread between the borders, with Trinlinism spreading considerably more into Guangfei than Guangfei’s religion in Trinlin.
Some of the eastern barbarians have been convinced to join Trinlin, but the non-Trinlinists beyond are becoming hostile. Taking advantage of Trinlin’s forces being away, several tribes have begun attacks against Trinlin’s frontiers.
Nurmafer has declared total war on Bladeism, opening up a large, multi-front war. The smallest of its forces attacked northern Swade, and met a much larger than expected force. It was quickly beaten into a retreat, but had made enough of a distraction to allow a force to recapture occupied Gastar. Unfortunately, the larger Swade force quickly destroyed this Nurmaferi group too. Nurmafer’s northern force was soon retreating southwards into the Blade range.
(-3000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -500 Zealots, -1000 Swordsmen of Divine Enlightenment, -1000 Swade Swordsmen)
Nurmaferi armies also continued their advance into Swade lands, although this was made difficult by several things. Significant Myocacan aid was helping the remaining Swade army, and the northern Swade force was advancing on their capital, forcing part of the Nurmaferi army to leave the eastern front to shore up the defenses in the Blade Range.
Despite this, Naraz and Kyrnez did successfully fall in difficult fights. Heavy Myocacan resistance stalled the Nurmaferis near Diliculo. The city was besieged and attacked, and fell. But the casualties for Nurmafer were great, and the advance was halted.
(-15 000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -2 Nurmaferi Ramids, -2000 Myocacan Swordsmen, -10 Myocacan Ramids)
The third front of the war was a direct strike against Myocaca. The border fortress fell with little fight, followed shortly thereafter by Renucta. By this point, Myocaca had reacted, and hit-and-run tactics by highly trained Bigjaur riders took heavy tolls on the Nurmaferi army. The thick jungles and forests of southwestern Myocaca were deadly for the invaders. Disease began to spread during an advance towards Aronellia. Coupled with incessant attacks by Bigjaurs and hidden archers, Swade advances became quite costly, but the Swades had the numbers to absorb this damage.
So Nurmafer, slowly but surely, advanced its lines further and further westward over the course of years. Until something bad happened back at home…
(-5000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -600 Bigjaur Riders)
As the amount of jade available in Guangfei rises and the amount in the mines of Hangshei decreases, it has become economically impractical to continue mining for the time being.
(-Hangshei Economic Center)
Relations between Nurmafer and Guangfei have been souring. Guangfei’s government has been actively denouncing King Anarion III as, among other things, homosexual, incestuous, and heretical. Once missionary action began with monks preaching the glory of Guangfei, the angered king closed Nurmafer’s borders to its southern neighbour.
Suddenly, Guangfei struck. One force burst northwards into Nurmafer, at first claiming to be a mercenary force hired by Anarion to help with the Swade war. The locals asked why Anarion would hire the Guangfei who had insulted him and his family so, and why Guangfei citizens had ignored the closed borders declaration made by Anarion III shortly before. They were quickly killed.
Guangfei’s official reason for the attack was essentially a repetition of their earlier claims, as well as declaring that Anarion III had usurped the throne from his father, despite the fact that his father had died from natural causes at the age of 78. Most of the other claims were quickly disproven, or at least left unsettled. Guangfei’s claims fell upon deaf ears, and served little purpose other than to alienate itself from the Nurmaferi people.
Guangfei’s army rapidly advanced towards New Turfar, dispersing much of Nurmafer’s Sentinel Militia before they could mass.
After a brief naval engagement, Guangfei destroyed the unsuspecting Nurmaferi fleet and landed a new force at Arnlar. Here they met Sentinel resistance, which was fought off with some casualties. Securing the port, the Guangfei forces then surrounded the capital. It was quickly besieged, then seized. Anarion had already left, with most of the government other things of importance.
Guangfei’s advances were then halted, due to increasing Nurmaferi resistence. Partisan Sentinels who had survived the initial attack were wreaking havoc behind enemy lines, and those in unconquered areas continue to raid Guangfei’s forces mercilessly. Also, groups of returning soldiers from the western front joined the defense.
(-10 Nurmaferi Galleys, -1000 Guangfei Spearmen, -500 Guangfei Swordsmen, -New Turfar Cultural Center)
Things look bad for both the Swades and Nurmafer. Nurmafer is caught fighting a three-front war (Northern Swades, Myocaca, and Guangfei), while the remaining Swades are swaying on the edge of total collapse and anarchy, and starting to fall.
The Swades, satisfied with the peace agreement regarding the annexation of Sintonia, left New Veritas to help fight for their threatened homeland.
Qingdao is developing into a very unique city. It is being heavily influenced by New Veritas, causing the formation of an eclectic hybrid ‘Valfei’ culture, as the Valins call it.
Due to highly profitable trading with Guangfei, the New Veritasian outpost of Saenium has become a critical trade corridor for Guangfei goods, as it is far more conveniently accessible than Qingdao.
For many years, a lingering anger against Emor had existed in New Veritas, and all of the other post-Valin states. A vengeance was planned, then carried out.
New Veritas expanded south towards the southern Emoran colony, with a paper stating that the land would be turned over to New Veritas. This was fine with the Emorans, who were well into the process of abandoning their settlement for a new one further south.
In the seas near Exilsium, a grand fleet gathered. New Veritas and Exilsium both brought great fleets and armies, and Norvalin sent a force on the distant voyage. Even Arcadia, which technically speaking isn’t Valin, sent men and ships.
One summer morning, the citizens of the city of Emor woke up to an unpleasant surprise. A large Valin fleet had arrived near the city. The Valins were somewhat surprised that the city was no longer Emor’s capital. Cursing out of date maps, Stratikrator Panteras set sail for the capital city of Krenel.
No false steps were made this time. The combined Valin army quickly occupied the city, capturing the Emoran government.
There, in a situation so parallel to Emor’s at the end of the Great War, the leader of the invading armies made a speech to the defeated government.
Panteras' Speech:
"I greet you, rulers of Emor, the cursed nation.
It was in 318 Postum Diasporum that the Assemblum sent a delegation to the barbarians of the Emran Grasslands. They were lightskinned, as were the people of Veritas, but lived in huts, barely thinking about the world around them, or greater events than their next meal.
All that changed with the arrival of Veritasan messengers. A man named Emrus saw the Light of the One and converted, bringing his tribe into the Light with him. A great pact was formed that day, and a close alliance was sealed. The Emorian warriors joined Veritasan Hosts in vanquishing the Zibonese darkskins that covered the land, and the two nations celebrated in the palaces of Lux. Emor was born.
This friendship grew as time went on, and as the golden hair of Lord Emrus turned white, the two nations became almost as one. Seeing that Emor would prosper in union with Veritas, the Assemblum sent its armies, not with spears, but with gifts for the people of Emor. As they rejoiced, many consented to become one with Veritas, the nation they had loved and idolized for many years.
But Lord Emrus, happy as he was to see the rejoicing of his people, was not content. He personally traveled to the island of Veritas, and requested ships from the Assemblum to travel to a new land in the south.
The Assemblum, knowing that their great friend Emrus would never betray them, gratefully assented. They gave him three ships, supplies, and a mission. That mission was to carry the Church of the One, and all his truths and maxims, into the darkness of the chaotic world beyond the knowledge of Men.
The voyage you learned of as children then took place, Emrus heroically carrying his people to a new land, and dying at the moment of his nation's second birth. A great man died that day, hoping with all his heart that his people would prosper and grow in friendship with their Veritasan protectors.
Not so!
The Emorians were strangly angered by Veritasan attempts to spread the Church of the One to Myocaca and Swade, seeing that Emor themselves had not done as they were charged. When the Bladeists attacked, Emor did the unthinkable. She refused the aid of Veritas, and formed an unholy alliance with her would-be conquerers! But respecting the wishes of her closest ally and first friend, Veritas backed away.
And in that moment, the seeds of betrayal were sown. In the years to come Emor recovered, and had all the gold she required, but there was a darkness in her heart. Emor, and her leaders, began to hate Veritas, the very nation that had given birth to Emor, for somehow causing her loss in the war with the Bladeists. But yet, Emor refused the generous help of that same nation.
A time later came when Veritas sought the help of Emor. Her armies and coffers had become exhausted after a century of war with Khemri and the Crystalists. A peace had been signed, but Veritas knew that no peace could last between pagans and Faithful.
So Veritas, knowing that their closest ally would always stand by them, asked Emor for aid. And Emor agreed. The tragedy had begun.
The war started anew, and others, like Davar and the Gayanax dynasty, pledged their aid to the Assemblum and Stratikrator Delagani. The armies marched to war, but Emor's was not among them.
And why? Because Emor had told the Crystalists of the Veritasan plans, wretchedly betraying her in it's moment of greatest need! As thousands of blameless Veritasan and Davarian soldiers were slaughtered, King Aramus laughed, and prepared the final act of his great, monstrous farce. A great Emorian armada sailed directly for Veritas, just as the news of her defeat in Khemri had arrived. Though the Assemblum despaired, they knew that no enemy could breach the Sea Wall and the Arch of the Exodus.
The Emorian fleet arrived, and rejoicing the Veritasans opened their gates. Within the hour, blood ran in the streets as the impossible occured. The world went mad as Emorian soldiers slaughtered the Veritasan guards saluting them. And King Aramus, still not satisfied with the inestimable damage he had done, marched straight to the Hall of the Assemblum. Ranting before the leaders of Veritas about a betrayal they had no knowledge of, he finally killed them. Unarmed men, in cold blood, with cold steel. Men that had welcomed him as an honored guest and a trusted ally.
You wretched, damned, traitorous, thrice-cursed fools! The Light of the World, the most beautiful city in all Tellus, the White City of all Valins, was pillaged and ruined that day. And the devil's spawn that was Emor survived, to create a heretic, bastardized religion and a mockery of Veritasan glory.
This is all known. The exiles, the suffering, the unimaginable difficulty of rebuilding a civilization. It is all your doing.
And you will suffer. Your treasury will be taken in payment for the Rape of Veritas. Your colonies will be taken in payment for the pain of the Second Exile. And you...your blood will stain this place, and you will suffer the wrath of the One for all eternity because of the sins of your fathers.
Do not despair. Take heart that in your death, for such a small price, one of the greatest sins ever committed on Tellus will be redeemed.
I do not pity you. I have seen and lived the suffering your people caused. But I suggest that you pray to the One, for my vengeance will pale in comparison.
Goodbye, my lords.
The entire government and much of the ruling family was slaughtered. The invaders then took the treasury of Emor, razed all temples devoted to the ‘bastard religion’ of the Path of God, then left their separate ways. The New Veritasians captured Trenton in a small fight, then returned home. A small expedition was sent south to occupy the new Emoran settlement to the south.
(-1000 Emoran Swordsmen, -1 Emoran Culture, -1 Emoran Confidence, -500 New Veritasian Scimitari, +1 economy point for Exilsium, Norvalin, Arcadia, New Veritas, -3 economy points for Emor next turn)
“Now where was Emor’s army when this happened?” many Valins thought after the ‘Crusade of Vengeance’. “Did we strike so fast that they couldn’t react? Was it really that weak?”
The fact is that the Valins could have easily conquered Emor, had that been their intention. For Emor’s army was already involved in a campaign against Kehexou.
Emor had joined the Kehexou war on the side of Khemri. It quickly launched an attack against the Kehexou mainland, finding it totally undefended. A lightning campaign secured the area.
With this done, a small force was sent to free Kiso and return it to Khemri control.
A few years ago, many people would have looked at Khemri and seen one thing. A doomed nation. But this has changed. By calling in some favors and peddling off Khemri technology to anyone and everyone they could, King Ptolemy III managed to amass a considerable fortune, which he used to raise a considerable army.
Khemri’s first action was unexpected by virtually everyone. The force besieging Mogulia disappeared one night. Soon after, it reappeared- on the island of Kehexou. The force quickly overwhelmed the small garrison, and occupied Kehexou. Queen Larias and her family were captured, possibly to be used as weight in the future, should this war end with a peace agreement.
The Kehex fleet soon confronted that of Khemri, and engaged. A great sea battle, one of the largest to this date, broke out. At first, Kehexou was confident that its allies in the post-Veritasian states would help them, but as the battle approached its finale, it became clear that no help was coming.
No forces came from Tellium, and Verta could send nothing, as its parent nation was at war with Kehexou and Verta was neither strong enough nor particularly willing to rebel against Emor.
The Kehexou fleet was devastated. Only a few surviving ships managed to limp away from the Battle of Naraxo, (the easternmost minor Kehexou island) and they were soon destroyed by pursuing Khemri vessels.
Token Khemri forces asserted their authority over the Kehex islands, bringing all of Kehexou’s original territory under foreign control.
(-Kehexou Navy, -900 Kehex Axemen, -Kexoudau Economic Center, -5 Khemri Bimarines, -10 Khemri Galleys, -5 Khemri Tridents, -500 Khemri Royal Guards)
On the mainland, Kehexou quickly retreated from Khadon, razing the city once again. However, they were rushed, so the damage to the city was not so severe as to render it inhabitable. As having their cities razed is a rather regular occurrence in Khemri, the people were ready and the city was quickly rebuilt, although its damaged and blocked ports have yet to be reopened.
Khemri then went on to the offensive, until stalling at the newly-fortified city of Hasko.
(-Khadon Economic Center)
As Lengel multiculturalism continues to become a more major issue in the massive nation, acceptance between different groups is helping to keep the conquered in line. Official recognition of St. Pire as one ‘blessed by the Koke’ has turned St. Pire’s Cathedral into a religious center like it was originally intended to be, although many pilgrims to it are not Davarians, but Lengels.
(+Ardan Religious Center)
As the CRA crumbled into nothingness, Gorin extended an olive branch to the Lengels, offering peace. The Treaty of the Wardash was signed, some lands were swapped, and the treaty was upheld.
But there was no peace with Shalamari.
Lengel and Keranian forces smashed Shalamari, while Gerbers launched guerilla raids. Shalamari began to put up powerful defenses along the river. The Wardash was their wall. Their nation was a fortress.
Or at least, that was the ideal. But there was too little time to build these elaborate defenses. The Lengels struck while many of these massive projects were still various stages of incompletion.
The tremendous weight of the foreign invaders was too much. Much of the nation was already broken due to the Gerbers’ attack earlier, and starvation was rampant. Guerilla war by the Gerbers (aided by several Lengel forces) removed Shalamari’s limited remaining hold on Gerber lands.
The Lengels quickly broke through the Wardash Wall, albeit with heavy casualties. The Shalamari people and army resisted heroically, but chaotically. The government had never fully recovered from the destruction of Glass, and setting up an organized defense was too much for it.
The Testudo, which had been so successful in earlier conflicts, was nullified by the introduction of the Lengels’ newest warriors. Khaidu cavalry are the slower but stronger horsemen of the Lengels. Armed with metal melee weapons, metal armor, and even armored horses, they are a deadly complement to the standard light horse archer.
The fight soon turned into a massive tide of Shalamari fleeing into Gorin, with only its disintegrating army resisting. Shalamari fortboats maintained control on the River, but were destroyed by Lengel fire arrows if they approached important fords or bridges. Shalamari utilized every weapon at its disposal, most notably their ‘Glass Spheres’, siege shot filled with sharp and blinding glass dust and shards. Near the very end, two Ramids were released on the Lengels. But the invaders were simply too much.
As cities fell, they were razed, and all of their population killed. Only one Shalamari city escaped this fate. Just before the fall of Shard, Gorin stepped in and occupied the city, sparing it from the Lengel wrath. This chapter of the war was finished. Shalamari, wonder of the world, was no more. What had once been its lands were now a fire-ravaged, rubble-strewn, corpse-filled hellscape, devoid of civilian life.
(-Shalamari, +120 000 Shalamari refugees to Gorin, -1000 Keranian Cataphractoi, -2000 Keranian Spearmen, -4000 Lengel Horse Archers, -8000 Lengel Recruits)
Meanwhile, Toghol-Advisor (Now known as Toghol-King) had reappeared and taken control Gerbers with an iron fist. Money was forcibly taken from the affluent and put into funding military. Any who resisted or even had minor disagreements with Toghol-King were executed. Constant guerilla warfare forced the Shalamari out. Almost all news was good, given the nation’s situation. But the Tristarian rebellion was also flourishing. As Tristarian lands were far less damaged than those of the Gerbers, they were able to support a larger army. Soon, almost all of former Tristaria was taken. But the rebellion is held back by one critical thing. Terror at what the Gerbers will do to them should the rebellion fail and their lands be retaken.
Tellium, following some political instability, has become an autoregium, like Veritas under Strategius of old. Will Luculis Rex live up to this high standard? It is unlikely, but history shall ultimately tell.
For years, the Kehex and Khemri forces at Hasko had been fairly evenly matched, and no land had traded hands.
But this was all about to change.
One of the major Lengel armies, led by the Davarian General Aden, marched through Tekrehexou. Along with it were the forces of Kalmar and Tellium. It was hoped that Verta would aid, but Emor’s declaration of war against a Lengel ally put it into an extremely awkward situation. The Vertan Assemblum humbly approached the Lengels and explained its situation. Aden was understanding, and accepted the minor loss of the Vertan army.
The multinational force soon reached Hasko. No time was wasted in attacking Khemri. At the Battle of Hasko, the Khemri force was forced into retreat by their vast enemy. It has since followed a policy of slow retreat, taking anything of use to supply their army. Intervention from the Khemri navy has prevented landings south of the River, and the imperturbable fortress of Said still holds out. But it seems that, unless something changes soon, Khemri will be sliding back down the slippery slope to destruction.
(-2000 Khemri Royal Guards, -3000 Khemri Horse Archers, -5 Khemri River Boats, -1000 Lengel Horse Archers, -1000 Tellian Spearmen, -1000 Kalmar Axemen, -1900 Kehex Swordsmen)
Shalamari refugees in Gorin have developed a plan of, like Veritas and other nations before it, crossing the sea. Due to their ridiculous belief that the world is round, they believe that by crossing the Kaosian ocean they can reach the same land that other nations have settled.
Scouting expeditions have been sent out, but none have returned.
All of this activity on the Gorinese coast, plus growing naval trade, have turned Drago into an economic center.
(+Drago Economic Center, -5 Gorinese Galleys)
In Svitzerland, discontent with Ascendant Royurqui was brewing. The motherland was collapsing, the nation was still wretched and miserable.
One man had a dream of saving his people from this. Azlan, born Oneist and taught their ways before being found by the Suwapa program and raised Bladeist, dreamed of a nation like now-fallen Tristaria. A nation with freedom of religions, with freedom and prosperity that he and so many other people of Svitzerland were denied.
Quickly gaining popularity, he and thousands of followers traveled south, to an uninhabited piece of land between the former Emoran colony of Trenta and Guangfei. Azlan’s peaceful and tolerant ways have allowed him and his people to survive with the nearby nations without conflict. Now that they are settled, the challenge of nation building appeared. Will Azlan be as skilled at this as he is at diplomacy?
The Northwest’s descent into chaos continued, but, as an old Malkavian saying goes, ‘If you’re flat on your back, the only way you can look is up’. Gamorreans claimed the Malkavian phrase to be a shameless rip-off of their saying ‘Things have to get better after they’ve gotten worse’. A small riot ensued.
This was not exactly how the war restarted, but it gives an insight on the confrontational relationship between the Gamorreas and Malkavia. Any opportunity would be taken to strike at the other.
And many an opportunity would arise.
Pushed back from a nearly-successful campaign, Malkavia began to implode. Dualists began fighting Banists. Old clan rivalries erupted into open warfare. Malkavia quickly descended into a brutal and miserable civil war.
Gamorrea saw its opportunity. Raising all the troops it could, the Gamorreans invaded Malkavia, evidently forgetting what happened to the last nation who invaded an enemy in a civil war.
History, some would say, is doomed to repeat itself.
But in this case, not in the exact same way.
The Gamorreans quickly conquered southern Malkavia, suffering virtually no casualties. The Malkavian army was all but non-existent, and the citizens were too tired to resist.
Then, North Gamorra turned on its southern neighbour and attacked with all it had, knowing that if Gamorrea successfully conquered Malkavia it would be too powerful to stop.
But North Gamorra’s offensive was in vain. Reserve forces stopped their advance north of Zam Gamorre, then started to push back. The situation got worse when the main Gamorrean force completed the subjugation of Malkavia, and attacked North Gamorra from the west.
After several more years of fighting battles and crushing resistance, the War of Treachery had at last finished. Theocratic Gamorrea had conquered Malkavia and retaken its northern lands.
Peace, it seems, has come to this long-suffering land at last.
The peace with the Lengels seems to have become a normal thing in Ikki. Trade is beginning to form between the two nations, although Ikki still maintains its defenses well.
Orum has entered a quiet period of expansion and exploration, generally passing by quietly and unnoticed.
Before the fall of Malkavia, a small group of the southern peasantry had had enough. They traveled to the Citadel, and struck a deal with them. The Malkavian exiles would travel east across the sea to the New World, and build a nation there, like so many others had before them. The Malkavians would get a chance of a peaceful existence, and the Citadel would get a friendly city to base their explorations out of.
So the small group set out. Crossing the seas sailing due east, rather than following the coast resulted in the fleet landing in an uncharted land considerably warmer than Norvalin and Arcadia.
The small group founded the city of Rascirai. Optimism was in the air. As only Banists were on the voyage across the sea, the religious and ethnic strife of Malkavia would be a thing of the past. At last, the potential of Malkavia could be unleashed.
Leaving the Malkavians to settle, the Citadel group then began to explore the nearby region. They contacted several surprisingly advanced copper-age groups, and made an exciting find. They rediscovered the exact same nation their exploration team from Farport had discovered several decades earlier. Tir Tairngire. The two groups got along well from the get go. The Citadelers were fascinated by the Tuathas’ (the people of Tir Tairngire) strange and alien ways and culture, the Tuathas were fascinated by the Citadel’s tales of distant and mighty realms, with great cities and empires, defended by shining metal-clad armies.
Other Citadel explorers traveled northwards and contacted Arcadia and Norvalin from the south.
Norvalin has been prospering, but Arcadia is not doing as well. A particularly cold series of years led to a great famine, causing the Arcadians to turn to Norvalin (who had more food stockpiled) for their survival. The two nations are becoming more connected, and this is not good for the younger and less well-established Arcadia, who may be under threat of cultural assimilation.
More bad, or possibly just frustrating news, came from the south. A group of barbarians calling themselves the Nontin settled just to Arcadia’s south, blocking the nation’s hopes for further southward expansion, at least for the moment. Competition for scarce arable land has quickly soured the relationship of these two nations.
Increasing travel in the searoutes between Exilsium, the Citadel, and the nations of the New World have filled out the map of the northern ocean (Anyone want to give it a name? Preferably one that sounds good, has some logical meaning please).
This increasing trade and exploration have turned the Citadel’s city of Farport into a center of trade.
(+Farport Economic Center)
Exilsium has begun aggressively expanding throughout their island, hoping to ensure that they have complete control over the entire area should someone cast colonizing eyes toward it.
Trinlin has gone on a wild burst of expansion, building its nation further along the coast and up to the Guangfei border.
Trade and cultural interaction between Guangfei and Trinlin has increased. Some of Guangfei’s inventions, have been adopted by Trinlin. Religion has also began to spread between the borders, with Trinlinism spreading considerably more into Guangfei than Guangfei’s religion in Trinlin.
Some of the eastern barbarians have been convinced to join Trinlin, but the non-Trinlinists beyond are becoming hostile. Taking advantage of Trinlin’s forces being away, several tribes have begun attacks against Trinlin’s frontiers.
Nurmafer has declared total war on Bladeism, opening up a large, multi-front war. The smallest of its forces attacked northern Swade, and met a much larger than expected force. It was quickly beaten into a retreat, but had made enough of a distraction to allow a force to recapture occupied Gastar. Unfortunately, the larger Swade force quickly destroyed this Nurmaferi group too. Nurmafer’s northern force was soon retreating southwards into the Blade range.
(-3000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -500 Zealots, -1000 Swordsmen of Divine Enlightenment, -1000 Swade Swordsmen)
Nurmaferi armies also continued their advance into Swade lands, although this was made difficult by several things. Significant Myocacan aid was helping the remaining Swade army, and the northern Swade force was advancing on their capital, forcing part of the Nurmaferi army to leave the eastern front to shore up the defenses in the Blade Range.
Despite this, Naraz and Kyrnez did successfully fall in difficult fights. Heavy Myocacan resistance stalled the Nurmaferis near Diliculo. The city was besieged and attacked, and fell. But the casualties for Nurmafer were great, and the advance was halted.
(-15 000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -2 Nurmaferi Ramids, -2000 Myocacan Swordsmen, -10 Myocacan Ramids)
The third front of the war was a direct strike against Myocaca. The border fortress fell with little fight, followed shortly thereafter by Renucta. By this point, Myocaca had reacted, and hit-and-run tactics by highly trained Bigjaur riders took heavy tolls on the Nurmaferi army. The thick jungles and forests of southwestern Myocaca were deadly for the invaders. Disease began to spread during an advance towards Aronellia. Coupled with incessant attacks by Bigjaurs and hidden archers, Swade advances became quite costly, but the Swades had the numbers to absorb this damage.
So Nurmafer, slowly but surely, advanced its lines further and further westward over the course of years. Until something bad happened back at home…
(-5000 Nurmaferi Sentinels, -600 Bigjaur Riders)
As the amount of jade available in Guangfei rises and the amount in the mines of Hangshei decreases, it has become economically impractical to continue mining for the time being.
(-Hangshei Economic Center)
Relations between Nurmafer and Guangfei have been souring. Guangfei’s government has been actively denouncing King Anarion III as, among other things, homosexual, incestuous, and heretical. Once missionary action began with monks preaching the glory of Guangfei, the angered king closed Nurmafer’s borders to its southern neighbour.
Suddenly, Guangfei struck. One force burst northwards into Nurmafer, at first claiming to be a mercenary force hired by Anarion to help with the Swade war. The locals asked why Anarion would hire the Guangfei who had insulted him and his family so, and why Guangfei citizens had ignored the closed borders declaration made by Anarion III shortly before. They were quickly killed.
Guangfei’s official reason for the attack was essentially a repetition of their earlier claims, as well as declaring that Anarion III had usurped the throne from his father, despite the fact that his father had died from natural causes at the age of 78. Most of the other claims were quickly disproven, or at least left unsettled. Guangfei’s claims fell upon deaf ears, and served little purpose other than to alienate itself from the Nurmaferi people.
Guangfei’s army rapidly advanced towards New Turfar, dispersing much of Nurmafer’s Sentinel Militia before they could mass.
After a brief naval engagement, Guangfei destroyed the unsuspecting Nurmaferi fleet and landed a new force at Arnlar. Here they met Sentinel resistance, which was fought off with some casualties. Securing the port, the Guangfei forces then surrounded the capital. It was quickly besieged, then seized. Anarion had already left, with most of the government other things of importance.
Guangfei’s advances were then halted, due to increasing Nurmaferi resistence. Partisan Sentinels who had survived the initial attack were wreaking havoc behind enemy lines, and those in unconquered areas continue to raid Guangfei’s forces mercilessly. Also, groups of returning soldiers from the western front joined the defense.
(-10 Nurmaferi Galleys, -1000 Guangfei Spearmen, -500 Guangfei Swordsmen, -New Turfar Cultural Center)
Things look bad for both the Swades and Nurmafer. Nurmafer is caught fighting a three-front war (Northern Swades, Myocaca, and Guangfei), while the remaining Swades are swaying on the edge of total collapse and anarchy, and starting to fall.
The Swades, satisfied with the peace agreement regarding the annexation of Sintonia, left New Veritas to help fight for their threatened homeland.
Qingdao is developing into a very unique city. It is being heavily influenced by New Veritas, causing the formation of an eclectic hybrid ‘Valfei’ culture, as the Valins call it.
Due to highly profitable trading with Guangfei, the New Veritasian outpost of Saenium has become a critical trade corridor for Guangfei goods, as it is far more conveniently accessible than Qingdao.
For many years, a lingering anger against Emor had existed in New Veritas, and all of the other post-Valin states. A vengeance was planned, then carried out.
New Veritas expanded south towards the southern Emoran colony, with a paper stating that the land would be turned over to New Veritas. This was fine with the Emorans, who were well into the process of abandoning their settlement for a new one further south.
In the seas near Exilsium, a grand fleet gathered. New Veritas and Exilsium both brought great fleets and armies, and Norvalin sent a force on the distant voyage. Even Arcadia, which technically speaking isn’t Valin, sent men and ships.
One summer morning, the citizens of the city of Emor woke up to an unpleasant surprise. A large Valin fleet had arrived near the city. The Valins were somewhat surprised that the city was no longer Emor’s capital. Cursing out of date maps, Stratikrator Panteras set sail for the capital city of Krenel.
No false steps were made this time. The combined Valin army quickly occupied the city, capturing the Emoran government.
There, in a situation so parallel to Emor’s at the end of the Great War, the leader of the invading armies made a speech to the defeated government.
Panteras' Speech:
"I greet you, rulers of Emor, the cursed nation.
It was in 318 Postum Diasporum that the Assemblum sent a delegation to the barbarians of the Emran Grasslands. They were lightskinned, as were the people of Veritas, but lived in huts, barely thinking about the world around them, or greater events than their next meal.
All that changed with the arrival of Veritasan messengers. A man named Emrus saw the Light of the One and converted, bringing his tribe into the Light with him. A great pact was formed that day, and a close alliance was sealed. The Emorian warriors joined Veritasan Hosts in vanquishing the Zibonese darkskins that covered the land, and the two nations celebrated in the palaces of Lux. Emor was born.
This friendship grew as time went on, and as the golden hair of Lord Emrus turned white, the two nations became almost as one. Seeing that Emor would prosper in union with Veritas, the Assemblum sent its armies, not with spears, but with gifts for the people of Emor. As they rejoiced, many consented to become one with Veritas, the nation they had loved and idolized for many years.
But Lord Emrus, happy as he was to see the rejoicing of his people, was not content. He personally traveled to the island of Veritas, and requested ships from the Assemblum to travel to a new land in the south.
The Assemblum, knowing that their great friend Emrus would never betray them, gratefully assented. They gave him three ships, supplies, and a mission. That mission was to carry the Church of the One, and all his truths and maxims, into the darkness of the chaotic world beyond the knowledge of Men.
The voyage you learned of as children then took place, Emrus heroically carrying his people to a new land, and dying at the moment of his nation's second birth. A great man died that day, hoping with all his heart that his people would prosper and grow in friendship with their Veritasan protectors.
Not so!
The Emorians were strangly angered by Veritasan attempts to spread the Church of the One to Myocaca and Swade, seeing that Emor themselves had not done as they were charged. When the Bladeists attacked, Emor did the unthinkable. She refused the aid of Veritas, and formed an unholy alliance with her would-be conquerers! But respecting the wishes of her closest ally and first friend, Veritas backed away.
And in that moment, the seeds of betrayal were sown. In the years to come Emor recovered, and had all the gold she required, but there was a darkness in her heart. Emor, and her leaders, began to hate Veritas, the very nation that had given birth to Emor, for somehow causing her loss in the war with the Bladeists. But yet, Emor refused the generous help of that same nation.
A time later came when Veritas sought the help of Emor. Her armies and coffers had become exhausted after a century of war with Khemri and the Crystalists. A peace had been signed, but Veritas knew that no peace could last between pagans and Faithful.
So Veritas, knowing that their closest ally would always stand by them, asked Emor for aid. And Emor agreed. The tragedy had begun.
The war started anew, and others, like Davar and the Gayanax dynasty, pledged their aid to the Assemblum and Stratikrator Delagani. The armies marched to war, but Emor's was not among them.
And why? Because Emor had told the Crystalists of the Veritasan plans, wretchedly betraying her in it's moment of greatest need! As thousands of blameless Veritasan and Davarian soldiers were slaughtered, King Aramus laughed, and prepared the final act of his great, monstrous farce. A great Emorian armada sailed directly for Veritas, just as the news of her defeat in Khemri had arrived. Though the Assemblum despaired, they knew that no enemy could breach the Sea Wall and the Arch of the Exodus.
The Emorian fleet arrived, and rejoicing the Veritasans opened their gates. Within the hour, blood ran in the streets as the impossible occured. The world went mad as Emorian soldiers slaughtered the Veritasan guards saluting them. And King Aramus, still not satisfied with the inestimable damage he had done, marched straight to the Hall of the Assemblum. Ranting before the leaders of Veritas about a betrayal they had no knowledge of, he finally killed them. Unarmed men, in cold blood, with cold steel. Men that had welcomed him as an honored guest and a trusted ally.
You wretched, damned, traitorous, thrice-cursed fools! The Light of the World, the most beautiful city in all Tellus, the White City of all Valins, was pillaged and ruined that day. And the devil's spawn that was Emor survived, to create a heretic, bastardized religion and a mockery of Veritasan glory.
This is all known. The exiles, the suffering, the unimaginable difficulty of rebuilding a civilization. It is all your doing.
And you will suffer. Your treasury will be taken in payment for the Rape of Veritas. Your colonies will be taken in payment for the pain of the Second Exile. And you...your blood will stain this place, and you will suffer the wrath of the One for all eternity because of the sins of your fathers.
Do not despair. Take heart that in your death, for such a small price, one of the greatest sins ever committed on Tellus will be redeemed.
I do not pity you. I have seen and lived the suffering your people caused. But I suggest that you pray to the One, for my vengeance will pale in comparison.
Goodbye, my lords.
The entire government and much of the ruling family was slaughtered. The invaders then took the treasury of Emor, razed all temples devoted to the ‘bastard religion’ of the Path of God, then left their separate ways. The New Veritasians captured Trenton in a small fight, then returned home. A small expedition was sent south to occupy the new Emoran settlement to the south.
(-1000 Emoran Swordsmen, -1 Emoran Culture, -1 Emoran Confidence, -500 New Veritasian Scimitari, +1 economy point for Exilsium, Norvalin, Arcadia, New Veritas, -3 economy points for Emor next turn)
“Now where was Emor’s army when this happened?” many Valins thought after the ‘Crusade of Vengeance’. “Did we strike so fast that they couldn’t react? Was it really that weak?”
The fact is that the Valins could have easily conquered Emor, had that been their intention. For Emor’s army was already involved in a campaign against Kehexou.
Emor had joined the Kehexou war on the side of Khemri. It quickly launched an attack against the Kehexou mainland, finding it totally undefended. A lightning campaign secured the area.
With this done, a small force was sent to free Kiso and return it to Khemri control.
A few years ago, many people would have looked at Khemri and seen one thing. A doomed nation. But this has changed. By calling in some favors and peddling off Khemri technology to anyone and everyone they could, King Ptolemy III managed to amass a considerable fortune, which he used to raise a considerable army.
Khemri’s first action was unexpected by virtually everyone. The force besieging Mogulia disappeared one night. Soon after, it reappeared- on the island of Kehexou. The force quickly overwhelmed the small garrison, and occupied Kehexou. Queen Larias and her family were captured, possibly to be used as weight in the future, should this war end with a peace agreement.
The Kehex fleet soon confronted that of Khemri, and engaged. A great sea battle, one of the largest to this date, broke out. At first, Kehexou was confident that its allies in the post-Veritasian states would help them, but as the battle approached its finale, it became clear that no help was coming.
No forces came from Tellium, and Verta could send nothing, as its parent nation was at war with Kehexou and Verta was neither strong enough nor particularly willing to rebel against Emor.
The Kehexou fleet was devastated. Only a few surviving ships managed to limp away from the Battle of Naraxo, (the easternmost minor Kehexou island) and they were soon destroyed by pursuing Khemri vessels.
Token Khemri forces asserted their authority over the Kehex islands, bringing all of Kehexou’s original territory under foreign control.
(-Kehexou Navy, -900 Kehex Axemen, -Kexoudau Economic Center, -5 Khemri Bimarines, -10 Khemri Galleys, -5 Khemri Tridents, -500 Khemri Royal Guards)
On the mainland, Kehexou quickly retreated from Khadon, razing the city once again. However, they were rushed, so the damage to the city was not so severe as to render it inhabitable. As having their cities razed is a rather regular occurrence in Khemri, the people were ready and the city was quickly rebuilt, although its damaged and blocked ports have yet to be reopened.
Khemri then went on to the offensive, until stalling at the newly-fortified city of Hasko.
(-Khadon Economic Center)
As Lengel multiculturalism continues to become a more major issue in the massive nation, acceptance between different groups is helping to keep the conquered in line. Official recognition of St. Pire as one ‘blessed by the Koke’ has turned St. Pire’s Cathedral into a religious center like it was originally intended to be, although many pilgrims to it are not Davarians, but Lengels.
(+Ardan Religious Center)
As the CRA crumbled into nothingness, Gorin extended an olive branch to the Lengels, offering peace. The Treaty of the Wardash was signed, some lands were swapped, and the treaty was upheld.
But there was no peace with Shalamari.
Lengel and Keranian forces smashed Shalamari, while Gerbers launched guerilla raids. Shalamari began to put up powerful defenses along the river. The Wardash was their wall. Their nation was a fortress.
Or at least, that was the ideal. But there was too little time to build these elaborate defenses. The Lengels struck while many of these massive projects were still various stages of incompletion.
The tremendous weight of the foreign invaders was too much. Much of the nation was already broken due to the Gerbers’ attack earlier, and starvation was rampant. Guerilla war by the Gerbers (aided by several Lengel forces) removed Shalamari’s limited remaining hold on Gerber lands.
The Lengels quickly broke through the Wardash Wall, albeit with heavy casualties. The Shalamari people and army resisted heroically, but chaotically. The government had never fully recovered from the destruction of Glass, and setting up an organized defense was too much for it.
The Testudo, which had been so successful in earlier conflicts, was nullified by the introduction of the Lengels’ newest warriors. Khaidu cavalry are the slower but stronger horsemen of the Lengels. Armed with metal melee weapons, metal armor, and even armored horses, they are a deadly complement to the standard light horse archer.
The fight soon turned into a massive tide of Shalamari fleeing into Gorin, with only its disintegrating army resisting. Shalamari fortboats maintained control on the River, but were destroyed by Lengel fire arrows if they approached important fords or bridges. Shalamari utilized every weapon at its disposal, most notably their ‘Glass Spheres’, siege shot filled with sharp and blinding glass dust and shards. Near the very end, two Ramids were released on the Lengels. But the invaders were simply too much.
As cities fell, they were razed, and all of their population killed. Only one Shalamari city escaped this fate. Just before the fall of Shard, Gorin stepped in and occupied the city, sparing it from the Lengel wrath. This chapter of the war was finished. Shalamari, wonder of the world, was no more. What had once been its lands were now a fire-ravaged, rubble-strewn, corpse-filled hellscape, devoid of civilian life.
(-Shalamari, +120 000 Shalamari refugees to Gorin, -1000 Keranian Cataphractoi, -2000 Keranian Spearmen, -4000 Lengel Horse Archers, -8000 Lengel Recruits)
Meanwhile, Toghol-Advisor (Now known as Toghol-King) had reappeared and taken control Gerbers with an iron fist. Money was forcibly taken from the affluent and put into funding military. Any who resisted or even had minor disagreements with Toghol-King were executed. Constant guerilla warfare forced the Shalamari out. Almost all news was good, given the nation’s situation. But the Tristarian rebellion was also flourishing. As Tristarian lands were far less damaged than those of the Gerbers, they were able to support a larger army. Soon, almost all of former Tristaria was taken. But the rebellion is held back by one critical thing. Terror at what the Gerbers will do to them should the rebellion fail and their lands be retaken.
Tellium, following some political instability, has become an autoregium, like Veritas under Strategius of old. Will Luculis Rex live up to this high standard? It is unlikely, but history shall ultimately tell.
For years, the Kehex and Khemri forces at Hasko had been fairly evenly matched, and no land had traded hands.
But this was all about to change.
One of the major Lengel armies, led by the Davarian General Aden, marched through Tekrehexou. Along with it were the forces of Kalmar and Tellium. It was hoped that Verta would aid, but Emor’s declaration of war against a Lengel ally put it into an extremely awkward situation. The Vertan Assemblum humbly approached the Lengels and explained its situation. Aden was understanding, and accepted the minor loss of the Vertan army.
The multinational force soon reached Hasko. No time was wasted in attacking Khemri. At the Battle of Hasko, the Khemri force was forced into retreat by their vast enemy. It has since followed a policy of slow retreat, taking anything of use to supply their army. Intervention from the Khemri navy has prevented landings south of the River, and the imperturbable fortress of Said still holds out. But it seems that, unless something changes soon, Khemri will be sliding back down the slippery slope to destruction.
(-2000 Khemri Royal Guards, -3000 Khemri Horse Archers, -5 Khemri River Boats, -1000 Lengel Horse Archers, -1000 Tellian Spearmen, -1000 Kalmar Axemen, -1900 Kehex Swordsmen)
Shalamari refugees in Gorin have developed a plan of, like Veritas and other nations before it, crossing the sea. Due to their ridiculous belief that the world is round, they believe that by crossing the Kaosian ocean they can reach the same land that other nations have settled.
Scouting expeditions have been sent out, but none have returned.
All of this activity on the Gorinese coast, plus growing naval trade, have turned Drago into an economic center.
(+Drago Economic Center, -5 Gorinese Galleys)
In Svitzerland, discontent with Ascendant Royurqui was brewing. The motherland was collapsing, the nation was still wretched and miserable.
One man had a dream of saving his people from this. Azlan, born Oneist and taught their ways before being found by the Suwapa program and raised Bladeist, dreamed of a nation like now-fallen Tristaria. A nation with freedom of religions, with freedom and prosperity that he and so many other people of Svitzerland were denied.
Quickly gaining popularity, he and thousands of followers traveled south, to an uninhabited piece of land between the former Emoran colony of Trenta and Guangfei. Azlan’s peaceful and tolerant ways have allowed him and his people to survive with the nearby nations without conflict. Now that they are settled, the challenge of nation building appeared. Will Azlan be as skilled at this as he is at diplomacy?
Also, I did order to crush the Tristarians first and foremost. Ah well, easily rectified...
