Update 31- Years 2000 to 2064: Unlikely Allies
It was not a good time for the people of Kelios. The disastrous reign of the aged Revered Temen had ended with Tsayan barbarians advancing on all fronts, carving their own kingdoms out of Kelios’ lands. A feeling of doom had fallen over the besieged people- but in the darkness, rays of light began to appear.
The new Revered, Sabin, immediately set out to raise a new army to fight off the invaders. Leading this enlarged force was a man named Daren- a skilful general of a calibre rarely seen before in Kelios.
Skillfully orchestrating several difficult cavalry raids out of the Vale of Kelios, raiders began to attack the rear of the advancing Naetsayan forces. Raids into the west threatened the invaders with the cutting of supply lines to their large coastal force. They were ordered to withdraw, but their local commander, Koroz, a northern Tsayan who had only recently left the homelands in search of war and plunder, refused. Declaring himself king of ‘Korotsaya’, he immediately gathered his forces and headed straight for the city of Kelios with a force over 1000 strong. The defenders around the already largely-ruined city held for a time, but were quickly crushed and forced to flee either into the mountain forts around the Vale, or back to the fortified city of Aldis. Victorious, Koroz sacked the city and razed it to the ground.
(-500 Naetsayan Swordsmen, -500 Naetsayan Archers, (mostly defections) Minor Keliosi Casualties)
General Daren, realizing himself to be outmaneuvered, realized that his plans needed to be adjusted. He led his cavalry corps out of the mountains, quickly regaining the coastal region. Meeting up with a naval force, he then advanced upon the Vale of Kelios, which had fallen into the Tsayan Warlord’s hands. The man realized his situation too late, and tried to fight his way out of the trap that his short-lived kingdom had become. With heavy casualties, he managed to fight his way through a fortified pass and northwards, back into Tsayan lands, bringing much of the remaining wealth of the city of Kelios with him. He was quickly apprehended by King Tezar, who had the rogue general executed for disloyalty.
This event set off a shockwave of instability, as Koroz had been a popular leader amongst the Naetsayans, and many felt that Tezar had just killed off one of the countries brightest hopes. Survivors of Koroz’ force, and many other people who had immigrated from the north along with him, began to fight against the government in Allan. Much of the population of Naetsaya was torn between the two groups, and the ensuing troubles effectively prevented Naetsaya from continuing their campaign.
(-500 Naetsayan Swordsmen, +1 Bonus Naetsayan Spending Point, -500 Keliosi Cavalry)
General Daren of Kelios, seeing one of his nation’s great enemies hobbled, ambitiously set out to break another. Contacting the Tricameron of Syracia, the two former allies renewed their bonds, and the Sephabod’s forces struck out into Saratsaya.
King Sargad, realising his dire situation, called up all the militia he could. However, he was suddenly caught up in a rebellion, as many of the Keliosis living in his lands saw a chance to overthrow their conquerors. Saratsaya’s fall was shockingly fast, as it was never able to put up significant resistance against the skilfully-led and advanced Syracian army. The arrival of General Daren and his army in support of the rebellion was, by this point, merely a formality. Sargad and several thousand Tsayans attempted to escape to the north, but were intercepted by the Sephabod’s forces and summarily executed.
(-Saratsaya, -500 Syracian Sparakae, -500 Axemen, -1000 Spearmen)
Syracia’s gains, however, were offset by gains made by the Pirate Kingdoms of Ida’an’i’i, who were able to capitalize on the reduction of Syracian presence in their hard-earned island conquests. Fears are growing amongst the population that the Kingdoms are once again uniting (or worse, being united) into a centralized Kingdom.
Kelios, meanwhile, has scored a great victory in its continued existence. However, the Naetsayans have been reunited by King Selez, son of Tezar, and he appears to be much less willing to compromise with the Keliosis than his late father. Just as worrying is that the continuing migrations from the Tsayan homelands in the north are continuing. There seems to be little doubt that war will continue for some time into the future.
Zamdar has done well in pacifying Arcadia, gaining allies in the many of the Nontinese, promising them self-rule in exchange for peace and cooperation. Peace, seemed within grasp. However, fear forced the nation back into war.
The Justiciar Council, quite convinced that the Valins and Davians were plotting an assault against them, narrowly voted to strike first. Lacking the ability to assault them directly, however, they determined that the ideal course of action would be to remove their control over their Azulian Vassals.
Thus, a force of 6000 of Zamdar’s famed cavalry, backed up by a division of infantry, moved into Tir Tairngire, declaring their intentions to be the liberation of the Divotheist Tuatha. Given Zamdar’s history of religious tolerance (with a few minor exceptions) they had little reason to disbelieve. An exiled Divotheist Prince, Chanlaech, led a force of Tuatha volunteers from Zamdar.
The invaders ran into a surprisingly strong defense at Shae da Dale, the coastal capital. Chief Chawric ‘The Bear’ commanded a force of 6000 Infantry and a contingent of Davian Marines. As the defenders spread out along the border to prevent further advances, Prince Chanlaech laid siege to the Capital.
If this had been a simple military war, it would have been likely that Chawric would have won. However, the religious conflict within Tir Tairngire, widely known as the ‘Curse of Connall’, for the early Chief who first converted from Divotheism to Pirian Oneism, once again proved to be its undoing. A traitor in Shae da Dale opened the gates for the invaders, and thousands of soldiers and militia rushed in. In a bloody, two-day street battle, Chawric was killed along with many of his supporters. Countryside rebellions scattered much of the remaining army, the majority of which pledged allegiance to their new chief, Chanlaech, sometime afterwards. Chanlaech was quick in moving the capital back to Murias, and reasserting Divotheist control over the country. The rather anticlimactic war had finished with surprising speed, but it caused several significant problems back home for Zamdar.
(-1000 Tuatha Spearmen, -2000 Tuatha Swordsmen, -500 Davian Marines, -1500 Zamdar Cavalry, -Several thousand Militia Volunteers (Not in Stats))
In recently occupied Arcadia and Nontin, revolts broke out over the fighting in Tir Tairngire. Zamdar has managed to put them down, but the large, multiethnic, multireligious nation is still straining to hold itself together.
Meanwhile, Zamdar’s Cavalry Army passed through the lands of the Tuatha. Supply lines approaching the breaking point, it nevertheless continued its advance into Chancosanx. The nation was in a truly pathetic state, with virtually no army, little population, a minimal economy, gangs and hoodlums roaming the countryside. Even the Valins had left next to no garrison in the country, leaving it ripe for the taking. Zamdar moved in and, promising a return to order, peace, prosperity and independence, took control (temporarily, Zamdar insists) of the country, searching for an heir to the previous dynasty of Kings. It has been recently discovered that the Naetsayans, also taking advantage of Chancosanx’ weakness, sent in a respectably-sized force of around 1000 infantry to take control of the northeastern corner of the country. Zamdar has threatened war if they do not withdraw immediately, though serious doubts are being cast upon its ability to maintain its forces over such a vast area.
At any rate, there is, as of yet, no declared war between the Naetsayans and Zamdar, and the situation seems to be stabilizing. Perhaps Zamdar’s wars are finally approaching a close.
At this time, an alliance called the ‘Azulian League’ is being formed between Zamdar, Tir Tairngire and Chancosanx. This League is designed to defend the residents of Azulia from the depredations of their Terranian counterparts. Its effectiveness shall likely be tested soon enough- Zamdar is certainly no slouch at making enemies.
On the other side of the Exodian Ocean, much of northern Gamorrea has fallen into a state of general anarchy. The civil war has essentially died off, as the northern population is overtaken by barbarians and the southern urban population of the south simply sits in a state of general decay.
(-1500 Takil-Gorrahn, -1500 Axemen)
Meanwhile, the Baron of the Hugions has begun to build a navy, based off the Khemrian model, to help protect the increasingly important trade routes off his nation’s coast.
Fairhelt has continued its war against the Iron Faces, advancing north of the Sea of Merhai and southwards to within eyeshot of the Capital of Khori. However, there has been extremely little fighting in this, and the war has slowed to a point of near non-existence. King Stakir has passed away, to be succeeded by his son Falhir.
Faced with a series of brutal defeats following its brief Zenith, when it ruled the three realms of Arcadia, Davar and Orum, the Union of Ardan has collapsed. Councilman Joel of Ardan overthrew the council and instated himself as a dictator. Sensing no legitimacy in the title, all of the other farflung remnants of the Union rejected his authority and marched on towards their destinies (destruction for the Davians in Tir Tairngire, conquest for the settlers in Peresofo at the hands of the Norvalins, due to an apparent souring of relations, and independence and minor warlordism in Orum- though this would prove to be a temporary situation).
Joel, continuing the actions of the old Union, followed through with an earlier agreement, and set up a most improbable alliance with the Loyalist Khemrian leader of Davar, Lord Enrae. It is difficult to imagine the surprise felt by the Anabetan commander who first encountered these three forces working in cooperation. Together, the united forces of Dengarai, Loyalist Khemri, and Ardan crushed the Anabetan presence in Davar.
(-500 Dengarian Archers, -500 Knights of the Sapphiric Order, -500 Loyalist Khemri Royal Guards, -500 Anabetan Crystal Knights, -1000 Anabetan Pikemen)
Gorin, in the early 13th century on the Crystalist Calendar, was not in a particularly enviable position. Over two thirds of its land was beyond its control, and it was beset by enemies on all sides, with no external allies. More than ever before, Gorin was all alone. This war was to be an unprecedented challenge. And an unprecedented challenge, declared Kaiser Basu Oborski XII, required unprecedented sacrifice.
The forges of Gorin glowed red for one cause alone- the creation of weapons. A colossal stockpile of food and arms was needed to supply one of the largest levees ever seen before. Fully one quarter of a million young men were called up to shore up the beleaguered defenses of Gorin. However, all of this chaotic action had to take place in a state of total assault. The land war would prove to be most interesting...
At sea, Gorin was quick to take control. Croyodon’s fleet, which had remained off its’ own coast for defense, was surprised by the entire Gorinese navy, over three times its size. In a naval battle off the coast of Nord, Croyodon’s naval power was crushed, and the remnants hunted down while blockades started up on the major ports.
(-25 Croyodonian Galleys, -20 Gorinese Galleys)
In the north, the Khagan’s horsemen continued their rampage. Their limited supplies and numbers proved to be a rather serious problem. Most of the lands between them and their homeland were anarchic, though the limited population of this region meant that this was not a particularly serious issue.
Most of the Iron Face’s fighting was to take place against the Nkondi. The defenders had a strong martial tradition, but they largely lacked the colossal forces raised elsewhere in Gorin. Making matters worse was the fact that the Nkondi were facing a two front war. Struggle though they might, they could do no more than slow the enemy advances to hard-fought crawls. However, the arrival of Dengarian reinforcements following the completion of the war in Davar spelled doom for the defenders. Internal strife between forces loyal to Gorin and forces seeking independence marked the final days in Alaki before it fell to Iron Face forces.
(-2000 Iron Face Horse Archers, -1000 Dengarian Cavalry, -500 Dengarian Swordsmen, -500 Gorinese Mooseys, -500 Gorinese Archers, -20 000 Militia)
Meanwhile, Gorin, shortly after gaining naval supremacy over Croyodon, launched a damaging and demoralizing raid against the city of Nord. Striking at night, a mysterious force assaulted the city, raiding several religiously important structures and setting the city alight before retreating back to sea. Infuriated, many Nordrassans called for all out holy war against Gorin, and a renewal of the military advance (the commanders of Croyodon had chosen to hold their ground and wait for Gorin to break first). This was hardly a good situation for Itornicus the Elect, who was working to portray Croyodon as a tolerant nation. Great internal strain took place between the relatively secular militarists, and the ever more powerful Nordrassans.
(-500 Gorinese Mooseys, -1 Croyodonian Spending Point)
Eventually caving to the enormous pressure, Itornicus ordered a resumption of the advance into the Gorinese Heartlands. However, this was much easier said than done- Croyodonian positions were all under attack by the colossal- albeit very poorly trained- conscript army of Gorin. It was the very best the Croyodonians could do to hold the cities, let alone push off the vengeful Gorinese besiegers and march further south. Several brutal battles were fought along the cities of the Wardash, the agricultural heartland of Gorin. Some tales claim that, weeks afterwards, the water in Delhi still tasted of blood.
As it would turn out, a great deal of the blood came from the titanic conscript and volunteer forces raised by the Kaiser. Croyodon was careful to avoid fights in the open fields of the Gorinese plain, preferring combat in the developed river valley. This prevented Gorin from taking full advantage of its numbers, accentuated the greater average military skill of the much smaller Croyodonian force, and caused vastly more damage to Gorinese civilian life and property. Several minor cities were entirely depopulated. However, the Gorinese, despite this, could still afford to replenish their losses, while Croyodon simply couldn’t.
Perhaps, if history had gone differently, the Gorinese Empire could have survived and turned the tide back on its enemies. However, the ambitions of a certain Khemrian Lord would prove to be the final push that would set the edifice of Imperial Gorin crashing down into chaos and destruction.
Crossing through over the mountains near Bathar, and moving up the coast near Basu, Lord Anabet’s forces, having several months earlier sent ‘King’ Erias fleeing into the hands of the Valins, entered Gorin.
At first, the jubilant Gorinese believed that the victorious Anabet, who they had recognized as the rightful ruler of Khemri, was coming northwards to crush the enemies of their longtime friends in Gorin. However, Anabet sudeenly revealed his true intentions, as Khemri suddenly attacked their unwitting hosts, then rapidly expanded their newly-held territories.
Kaiser Basu Oborski XII, horrified by this betrayal, tried to move his forces into place to stop the advance, but his huge, unwieldy forces were not fast enough. The Anabetans crossed the Wardash and assaulted the capital with a small, but battle-hardened force. They were repulsed, and retreated southwards a distance, but the damage had been done.
Worse still, the loss of so many of Gorin’s agricultural regions and the loss of labour from conscription had led to widespread famine. The very final years of Imperial Gorin saw starvation and anarchy, as Khemri secured territory for a vassal state in the south, Croyodon secured the north, a Crystalist Rebellion arose in an attempt to avoid foreign dominance, while Dengarai, the Iron Faces and Emor took over the west. Emor’s entire contribution to the campaign had been almost comical, as it struggled to take the city of Shard in a huge siege, succeeding only at the end of the war, with Dengarian assistance.
Within a few years, Gorin was reduced to little more than a few besieged cities surrounding the ancient capital of Gorin itself. As Khemri and Croyodon moved in, one great, final battle took place. The Last Kaiser of Imperial Gorin was last seen walking through the central plaza of his burning city, arms outstretched, seconds before he was crushed beneath the hooves of Croyodon’s Mounted Crusaders of Nordrassa.
(-Gorin, -1000 Emoran Swordsmen, -1000 Emoran Spearmen, -1000 Khemrian Crystal Knights, -1000 Spearmen, -1500 Swordsmen, -500 Axemen, -500 Guards of the Council, -1500 Mounted Crusaders, -5 Catapults, -35 000 Militia)
With this defeat, the last of the great ancient empires has been brought down. A great power vacuum remains to be filled, though it seems that Croyodon and, to a lesser extent, Dengarai are the most likely to fill this in. The future of the occupied Nkondi and Gorinese remains very unclear, though it seems unlikely that their colossal population will tolerate occupation for long.
Following the demise of the Anabetans in Davar, the Khemrian Loyalist Lord Enrae moved swiftly through Kalmar, much to the dismay of the already badly-stressed and severely alcoholic King Vadon III, whose nation was being torn between the two rival factions. Several battles between the two forces had already taken place on his soil, and he wanted no more of it.
The force passed through without incident, then rapidly struck into what were at that point firmly Anabetan-held regions Old Veritas. Meanwhile, Vadon received an important message, and quietly began to mobilize his considerable army, in preparation for events ahead. However, all of these events were outshadowed by a new and not at all unexpected force entering the fray.
Majorian was not what one would expect in a Valin Stratikrator. He was short, middle-aged, bearded, and somewhat portly. His interests had always been in construction and engineering, though his intuitive talents in military matters were considered to be his most important traits by the Assemblum- it would be he who would lead the Valin contingent liberating Old Veritas.
Having already secretly struck a bargain with the Valins exchanging an alliance against Lord Anabet for shared rule over Old Veritas, Lord Enrae pulled another huge surprise on his Anabetan foes by advancing on Lux with several thousand Kalmarians in tow. Around the same time, Stratikrator Majorian led a land and sea assault against Andama. There was some confusion and accidental battles between the Khemrians and Valins, and a huge amount of discontent, but the bizarre alliance managed to hold together.
All throughout Old Veritas, the Anabetans were on their heels, being pushed back by great numbers and an overwhelming Valin rebellion. They finally managed to regroup, forming a defensive strongpoint at Dysonis, with a second line around Delhi. Attempted naval assaults failed, due in part to the extreme structural stresses placed on Pentaremes by the new ‘Tormentae’ rock-hurlers, and the presence of the Anabetan Navy. Veritas, not wanting to fight the larger and stronger Khemri navy, has carefully avoided pitched battles, but maintains enough of a presence to prevent the possibility of a full blockade of the region.
(-1000 Kalmar Swordsmen, -1000 Valin Autorian Knights, -20 Valin Septaremes, -500 Anabetan Pikemen, -500 Anabetan Archers, -15 Anabetan Caravels, -500 Loyalist Khemrian Royal Guards, -500 Loyalist Khemrian Crystal Knights)
As news spread throughout Khemri of the Loyalist alliance with the Valins, Lord Anabet was quick to spread word throughout the land that the Ptolemaic Dynasty had betrayed its own country, and was allowing the Valin Republics a foothold in Khemri itself. Very quickly, public opinion turned against the Loyalists. Betrayals took place in several key cities, and discontent multiplied. Only in places isolated from Anabetan propaganda did things continue as they were- not to say that ‘as they were’ was a good state to begin with.
In what was the major campaign of the civil war, and one of the greatest triumphs, Anabet’s forces marched eastwards through Tekrehexou. At sea, the Loyalist fleet had the bad luck of being discovered, and was all but annihilated off the coast of Hasko.
(-5 Loyalist Galleys, -15 Loyalist Caravels, -10 Anabetan Caravels)
Meanwhile, the Loyalists made several valiant defenses in the population centers of Tekrehexou, but unrest and the overwhelming force of Anabet’s skilfully-led armies didn’t give it a moment’s reprieve. At the same time, whole contingents of militia were defecting away, ironically, from the Loyalists. Unable to gain a solid footing from which it could push back, the Loyalists in Tekrehexou were forced eastwards until they were caught between the advancing Anabetans in the west, and Anabetan Mogulia to the east. After a handful of inconclusive battles, the majority of the Loyalists surrendered. Only a few divisions of bold soldiers, and the Royal Guards, fought to the death.
(40 000 Militia to Anabet, -1500 Loyalist Crystal Knights, -2500 Loyalist Royal Guards, -1000 Loyalist Pikemen, -5 Armoured Ramids, -500 Anabetan Pikemen, -1500 Anabetan Crystal Knights, -10 Armoured Ramids, -20 000 Militia Casualties)
After this devastating defeat of the Loyalists in Tekrehexou, Anabet’s forces split up. Some went to reinforce the Mogulian front against the forces of King Vadon III, Stratikrator Majorian, and Lord Enrae, some traveled to various other fronts, and the rest voyaged up the Hexki Valley, through the Crystal Ridge Mountains, towards the fortified city of Said, the last stronghold of the Loyalist Lord Kyroth.
With the arrival of more besieging forces from the mountains, Said was now completely surrounded. Kyroth, knowing just how dire the situation outside was, and realising that the city could withstand a siege no longer, took his most loyal and dedicated troops and made one last, glorious, but futile sortie against the besiegers. Shortly after Kyroth’s defeat and death, Said was assaulted, and fell into Anabetan hands.
(-1500 Loyalist Royal Guards, -500 Pikemen, -500 Archers, -5 Armoured Ramids, -500 Anabetan Pikemen, -500 Crystal Knights, -5000 Militia)
Around the same time, treachery behind the gates gave the city of Swadri to the Anabetans, along with the highest prize- King Erias III and his family. For what Lord Anabet declared to be treason against Khemri, he was offered two choices- exile or execution. Erias chose exile, and was quickly shipped off, with his family, to Valin-held Old Veritas.
The remainder of the war in the south was simple cleanup. In exchange for the territory of Emor, Myocaca joined the fray, capturing surviving Loyalist fortresses one by one. Meanwhile, the dark-skinned people in the southern desert simply started ignoring Khemrian authority, whose presence in the region was limited to a few desert patrols.
(-1500 Myocacan Swordsmen, -500 Knights of Divine Enlightenment, -500 Longbowmen, -15 000 Anabetan Militia, -1500 Loyalist Royal Guards)
As for the forces in Kehexou, when the Valins arrived, Anabet had his remaining forces in the area retreat, to reinforce a more imminently dangerous front in Mogulia. Thus, the island of Kehexou has managed to gain complete control over itself, and has declared Birae Keledex, a noble of a family believed to have ties to the ancient Manayas and Gayanax houses, as their King. Their existence and navy are constantly threatened by Anabetan Khemri, but for the time being they are holding out comfortably.
(-10 Kehex Caravels, -10 Anabetan Caravels)
The situation in Khemri is finally stabilizing. The Anabetan Empire is nearly victorious, and the Ptolemaic Dynasty has been pushed into the one remaining trouble spot for Khemri- Old Veritas. While its significant forces are moving into place, they are still struggling to retake the area, though they have relieved the pressure on several of their cities near the front.
BTW it will be a red CR England truck. 
I wish I had gotten involved in this NES sooner. I'll try to write some more stories and such from here on - Rajkutra has some interesting potential, I think.
I assumed it was all staged. Went and put my foot in it now. 
