Varica: Children of the Sky

The Manische War

Forces Involved:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second
- Army of King Haecadem II: 475 Archers, 450 Spearmen, 445 Tiaka, 85 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 680 Warriors, 225 Skirmishers, 115 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 200 Warriors, 70 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 300 Warriors, 110 Skirmishers, 55 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 60 Raeka led by King Matteo and Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 55 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 180 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 380 Spearmen, 190 Archers, 325 Tiaka, 205 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 80 Warriors, 25 Skirmishers, 15 Aikings
- Romadi: 190 Tiaka, 190 Warriors, 20 Aikings, 10 Seers, 40 Trained Jormanda led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 135 Archers, 130 Spearmen, 140 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 200 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae, 1 Siege tower

The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1500 Manische Spearmen, 400 Manni Blood Brothers, 280 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 195 Imperial Guardsmen, 50 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 800 Manische Spearmen, 200 Manni Blood Brothers, 100 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 400 Imperial Guard, 200 Yomba Cavalry, 3 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun, Rimae)


The Siege of Jozioc
The Varicans, well supplied and energized after their successful campaign the year before, were ready to move against the Manische as soon as the first snows melted. The Werar army advanced to Jozioc first while the Hrafn focused on absorbing the Thune and Hrothnani into the Black Army, making sure to bring everything they needed for a long siege.

The Werar quickly re-occupied western Zio and advanced on the fortress of Jozioc. The Werar did their best to convince the defenders to sortie, hiding half of their forces behind the lip of the crater, but the Manische defenders refused to sortie, perhaps due to the low quality of the warriors defending the castle, or due to the commander’s stalwart refusal to disobey his orders.

When the Hrafn arrived, they helped insults and threats upon the besieged army. They remained unmoved, however. Even the loss of relief convoys and a few foiled attempts at infiltrating in or out of the castle which the Varicans boasted about did little to move the Manische. They remained behind their walls waiting for something. The Hrafn settled in for a long siege while the Werar moved on to juicier targets.

The Thune engineers prepared siege lines in the Thune style and began to build their engines. The Hrafn left the siege under the eye of Dalrir and enough forces to prevent the Manische from breacking out, then joined the Werar in the field to act as their hammer.


Maneuver
The Werar planned to draw the Manische army out where it could be crushed between the Werar and Hrafn armies. However, the Manische had learned the strength that Varicans could display. Despite their dwindling food stocks, the Armies of Zio and Locia remained at Zioc for the arrival of the Prince’s professional army.

The Varicans occupied the countryside, removing ducal administrators, raided grain stores, and generally having their way (though gently) with the countryside. After weeks of nothing, the Werar began to withdraw. This was the final attempt to draw the Manische from behind their walls. The large Manische army would have to move quickly too, or face starvation that winter if they failed to retake part of the countryside in time for the harvest. As it was, the summer fruit and vegetable harvests would be needed to feed them.

Finally, bolstered by Prince Hymbae, they marched out after the Varicans. As the enraged Zion Vanguard skirmished with the Werar rear, Haecadem put his next ruse into play. His veterans began to break up and lose cohesion, as if they were routing ahead of the advancing Prince. The Zion vanguard plunged ahead, eager to rescue Lord Eijion, who had been paraded before the walls of Zioc itself in order to draw out this very reaction.

The Hrafn maneuvered their smaller army out of sight of the Manische, preparing the strike the Manische from the flank or rear. The stage was set for the next great battle of the war, but this time, the Manische had their greatest warriors ready.


The Red Valley
Haecadem’s men had scouted the perfect spot for the ambush. The rearguard retreated widthwise across a long depression and over a ridge on the far side. As the Manische followed, they were struck with a hail of arrows from the reverse slope. The Manische spearmen had only a moment to rally before the Werar came screaming over the ridge in great numbers. Out of formation, the Manische were slaughtered. It was a deceptively easy beginning for what would turn out to be a much more difficult battle.

The Werar arranged themselves on the ridge, ready to meet the Manische head on. The Werar outnumbered the Manische, but the bulk of their men were warband troops. Haecadem had the skill to direct them effectively, but Prince Hymbae was an unknown quantity and the only Varican commanders to face the dreaded Princely armies were three years dead in Hyren land.

Prince Hymbae knew he was outnumbered. His own levies were poorly motivated and poorly disciplined, but he had three tools at his disposal that could strike fear into the hearts of the Varicans. His three weapons would win this day. Slowly, he moved the first of his weapons into place. The Imperial Guard, armed with their massive crossbows, slowly advanced. Out of Varican bow range, the Imperial Guard set up their wooden pavises into a makeshift palisade. Varican skirmishers ranged ahead of their lines, peppering them with arrows while both sides’ thune fought their own deadly duels on the sloping green ridge.

A few Guardsmen fell, but once their work was done, a greater number of Werar fell. The giant crossbows carried by the Manische are incredibly fearsome weapons, capable of killing from hundreds of feet away. They had a range equal to the experimental Scorpion that the Tessil engineers were making as siege engineers for the Varicans, but in much larger numbers.

Haecadem was content to led his more numerous skirmishers thin out the ranks of the Manische, but the deaths of his men from such a range with weapons that could pierce through their shields worried his men.

Yuarn, a brave Torican aiking, decided to take the honour of the first charge into his own hands. He charged down the slope, eager for blood, ready to break the Guard. But as they approached the Guardsmen, beams of light struck Yuarn and other leading Aikings, along with another volley of bolts. The Toricans faltered.

Word reach Haecadem at that moment that the Hrafn were nearly at the battlefield. He ordered a general advance to keep the Manische occupied to prevent Vigvitr’s army from being noticed.

Protected by a great volume of arrows, the Werar advanced. The large Tiaka contingent aimed to break the wall of pavises the Imperial Guard defended. The Manni closed ranks twenty paces ahead of the Guard on either flank, ready to aid them in repelling the Tiaka horde.

The Tiaka were just about to hit the Guardsmen’s line when two great explosions ripped through their advanced men. Many Tiaka were blown back by the blast. Body parts rained down on the rear ranks or clattered off of the shields of the Guard. Though only a score of men had died, the Tiaka’s charge was blunted severely. It seemed that the Prince was risking four of his precious Sky Warriors together in one ball, two with longer ranged god lances like Dalrir’s and two with the shorter ranged star throwers.

The Tiaka did their best to recover. They struck the Guardsmen’s line, which was defended by a special company of Guardsmen armed with some sort of spear with a small axe like head attached. The thing could cut or puncture and wrecked a toll on the Werar.

On the Flanks, the warbands fared better, buckling the Manische lines and throwing them back. Varican man proved the better of the Manische while the Blood Brothers fought hard against the Tiaka and accompanying spearmen.

The Prince had hoped his sky warriors would break the Werar. It had terrified them, but somehow they still held, if shaken. Unless he did something soon, it would be the end. Already, a breach appeared in his line, a hole carved by fanatical Tiaka.

He had one last card up his sleeve.

Lord Ubjion, eager to rescue his brother, was already leading the Yomba down into the valley, onto the flank held by the Bealdor. The Yomba came screaming towards the flank. The Werar, with their superior numbers, had left a guard on that flank just in case, but the Yomba rode through the Bealdor, carving a path of destruction. Leading the charge, Lord Ubjion left terrified enemies in his wake. Once his spear had broken off in the chest of Bealdor man, he had only his hands to fight with, one of them covered in a great metal gauntlet that shone with an strong, blue inner light. With each swing of that hand, a man was sent flying into the air. Thane Boheort hurried to meet the lord with a team of picked men. With a throwing axe, he slew the lord’s yomba. The lord rolled landed well. Boheort charged Ubjion, but the later caught the blade in his hand and crushed it. Boheort was struck and suffered badly, but still breaths.

Seeing this, the Bealdor broke. The Kaldar, whose unreliable flank the Belador had been there to support, fled with them. Finally free to shoot at the Ubjion’s cavalry, the gibraly and Werar archers let fly, killing a fair few of the beasts, but the Yomba drove behind the Bealdor and threatened to ride right into the weakened archers, if not for Miaeus’ brave stand with his Raeka. Miaeus was wounded in the fighting, but he held the Yomba back from the archers long enough for Haecadem’s Raeka to support him.

With his flank collapsed, the toll of the light weapons, and the threat to his archers convinced Haecadem to withdraw. The fight in the middle of the field threatened to annihilate all of his Tiaka along with the Imperial Guard they faced.

He managed to withdraw in good order, hoping that the Hrafn would arrive in time to protect still catch the Manische, but the battle had been over too quickly. The Black Army arrived in mid afternoon. Yomba riding scouts reported the Hrafn. Hymbae set himself up on the same ridge, hoping to use the same upper ground against the less numerous Hrafn.

When the Hrafn arrived, they faced an enemy that outnumbered them by a factor of more than 3:2 who held the high ground across a valley slick with blood who had just defeated their Werar allies. Despite the odds against them, the Black army was ready to fight. The Romadi promised that their trained Jormanda snakes and seer magic would defeat the Manische. They gave the Romadi the opportunity to try their luck.

Advancing over the bloody ground, they advanced into range of the Imperial Guard’s crossbows. The guard were exhausted and low of bolts by this point, so the fire was sporadic. The Romadi jeered and flashed their privates to the Manische as their seers advanced along with the Jormanda handlers.

Once again, the thune skirmished, supported by Varican archers.

The Seers chanted and danced in the center of the valley where the Werar Tiaka and Manische Guard had fought. There they were slowly picked off by bolts. Eventually, one brave star warrior rode out on a Yomba and blasted the advanced party of seers with his star-thrower. The Seers promised the earth would tremble, but they were the ones scattered by it.

The Jormanda were more successful. They slithered in a fan towards the Manische. Some caught with running thune, mostly the enemy, and quickly strangled the life out of them. Others continued on to the Manische spearmen who ran as the snakes approached. But they were few in number and easily distracted. Most of the Jormanda were hacked to pieces as they tried to crush the life from unfortunate Manische. Others ignored the Manische altogether and left.

The Romadi had promised much, but their magic was shown to be no match for the Manische’s. King Goros was inconsolable. He had been shamed greatly by this failure.

The Hrafn quit the field soon after. They regrouped with the Werar the next day. Haecadem turned the allied army back towards Jozioc, determined to gain a permanent foothold in Manische territory.


The Assault on Jozioc
After the army arrived at the siege lines of Jozioc, rumours reached them that one of the Tiaka had broken through far enough to strike down Prince Hymbae himself. It is said the Prince only allowed himself to collapse from blood loss after the Hrafn retreated and all of his men were seen to, but these are only just rumours. If they are true, then the Manische have extremely poor luck with the commanders, as all three of their commanders in the three major battles of the war have been killed or badly wounded.

The Tiaka had indeed penetrated deep, as one of them returned carrying a star-thrower, one of the short ranged light weapons that shot exploding balls of death. The weapon belonged to Rimae, a star-warriors of the Prince’s retinue, according to lord Eijion. The Tiaka suffered badly in the fighting for these two victories, but their hold their weapon high and brag about which of them struck the Prince.

Dalrir and the Tessil had made progress on the siege. Large siege ballistae that fired rocks against the Manische walls had made managed to knock the battlements off of a good sized portion of the wall. The thune built a tower covered in oiled skins that could be used to walk onto the walls itself protected from arrows.

The Black Army prepared to take Jozioc, an honour they request and the Werar were quick to grant. Dalrir’s light weapon destroyed the hinges of the great gates he had weakened earlier. The wooden fortifications were moved ever closer to the castle walls. Everything was done, in short, to convince the Manische a final assault was underway. This was the last chance to draw the Manische out before a final assault.

The Manische took the bait. The Werar army was hiding beyond the crater edge, ready to assist, while the Black’s army archers, which greatly outnumbered the defenders wall mounted crossbows and lighter thune models, showered the sorting Manische. As the Tiaka met the Blood Brothers outside the gate, the Romadi began to wheel the siege tower into place, eager to remove the stain on their honour.

While the Romadi charged forward with wild abandon, the Hrafn were silent and solemn as they marched. The Werar began to flood over the crater edge once the battle was joined, as well the Hrothnani who hid with them.

The Manische retreated once they realized the trap, gathering together at the gate, but by then many were already dead. Blood brother fought Tiaka in a wild melee at the gate while oathmen hurried to stem the tide of Romadi on the walls. The Tiaka broke through, inevitably, forcing the blood brothers to break ranks. The Manische fled to the central tower. Half-starved, exhausted, and missing two thirds of their men, the Manische Commander, a brave blood brother named Lochi, who kept the defenders together threw his own iron will alone, surrendered the castle in exchange for his life. His men are now prisoners at the whim of the Black Army. Their fate does not look bright. Lochi demands that his men be released with an oath not to raise their arms against the ‘Varessans’ again. He will submit his head in place of his men, if it is a price that must be paid.

Autumn

With Jozioc taken, the Varicans decided to make it their base of operations for the coming year. Prince Hymbae’s forces moved south to Eicain, anticipating Haecadem’s plan campaign there. Haecadem moved to the now more weakly defended Zioc. This has denied the enemy some of them food, but a Locian march north to Jozioc forced the return of the Werar. At the end of the year, half of Zio was in the hands of the Varicans. There have been few problems dealing with the people. Their duty, apparently, isn’t to fight unless called. They don’t have any obligations either, so consider themselves independent until Zio returns, whatever the reality may be.

The winter wasn’t as harsh this year. Few Varicans succumbed to it thanks to the continuous flow of supplies from Werar, Assfell, and Validira. Half of the surviving Hrafn volunteers have left. The rest will likely leave before the end of next year. A few Romadi have left with them. The Werar have begun to see a few desertions as well, especially among the Kaldar. They will be much greater next year.

Results:
- Varicans occupy countryside again
- Hrafn begin siege of Jozioc
- Manische forced to leave their castles
- Werar catch Manische vanguard in a trap
- Werar lose battle of Red Valley, but maintain order as they retreat
- Thane Boheort and Prince Hymbae badly wounded
- Romadi magic fizzles
- Varicans retreat to Jozioc
- Jozioc taken by storm
- War of maneuver begins, Manische prevent Varicans from seizing another castle
- Supply situation remains great for the Varicans, poor for the Manische
- New light weapon captured by Werar

A summary of information gathered on the Manische this year:
- The Mansiche severely lack ranged weapons, though their heavy crossbows outmatch anything short of a thune repeating crossbow
- They must have some reliable source of metal, as their Imperial Guard wear more of it than even a Varican Raeka
- The ‘Hand of God’ wielded by Lord Ubjion is second in power only to the near-mythical ‘Fire-pike’, of which only five copies exist, one of them by Prince Hymbae, who chose not to use it at Red Valley
- The Varicans lost only a few more men than the Manische at Red Valley. It was fear that broke them. This fear will be dimished if its sources can be soundly defeated. Captured Rimae’s weapon and wounding Hymbae has helped.
- Yomba Riders and Imperial Guard seem much rarer than Raeka and Tiaka
- The former Drisili city of Silisre has been located. This was once the hall of the greatest Drisili chieftain, now it a wooden fort and Haecomus settlement in a march controlled by Duke Locia
- Another duchy, Frulin, has been discovered. The Frulin are not involved in the war currently. The people of Jozioc say that Frulin is important enough to have its own prince, unlike Hymbae’s principality which protects three duchies
- The injury of the prince seems to be what stopped the Manische from making further aggressive moves.

Forces Remaining:
The Allied Varican Army
- Commanded by Haecadem II of Werhold, Thane Boheort serves as his second (incapacitated)
- Army of King Haecadem II: 400 Archers, 305 Spearmen, 275 Tiaka, 75 Raeka
- Werar Warband: 530 Warriors, 175 Skirmishers, 100 Aikings
- Kaldar Warband: 130 Warriors, 45 Skirmishers, 20 Aikings
- Bealdar Warband: 175 Warriors, 60 Skirmishers, 35 Aikings
- Torica Warband: 215 Warriors, 75 Skirmishers, 45 Aikings
- Validiran Contingent: 45 Raeka led by Prince Miaeus
- Gibraly Contingent: 50 Archers, led by Captain Berg
- Sisiric Auxiliaries: 110 Thune Skirmishers, 10 Scorpions
The Army of Sisiric
- Commanded by Chief Riciki of the western Sisiric, seconded by Earl Beriar of Werhold
- Werar: 100 Archers, 100 Spearmen
- Sisiric: 170 Thune Skirmishers
The Black Army:
- Commanded by King Vigvitr, seconded by Queen Jyanna (de facto commander)
- Hrafn: 320 Spearmen, 170 Archers, 280 Tiaka, 200 Raeka, 1 Light Weapon (Dalrir)
- Hrafn Volunteers: 30 Warriors, 10 Skirmishers, 5 Aikings
- Romadi: 170 Tiaka, 150 Warriors, 15 Aikings, 2 Seers led by King Goros
- Imperial Varican Army: 125 Archers, 120 Spearmen, 135 Raeka led by Hronu
- Sisiric: 180 Thune Skirmishers
- Tessil: 20 Engineers, 6 Heavy Ballistae

The Army of Duke Zio
- Commanded by Duke Zio, seconded by Lady Rian the Hyren
- Ducal Oathmen: 1100 Manische Spearmen, 250 Manni Blood Brothers, 140 Thune Skirmishers, 1 Star Warrior (Duke Zio)
- Princely Contingent: 180 Imperial Guardsmen, 40 Yomba Cavalry
The Army of Duke Locia
- Commanded by Lord Ucae, seconded by Lord Hysos
- Ducal Oathmen: 600 Manische Spearmen, 150 Manni Blood Brothers, 60 Thune Skirmishers, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ucae, Hijon)
The Army of Prince Hymbae
- Commanded by Prince Hymbae, seconded by Lord Ubjion
- 300 Imperial Guard, 150 Yomba Cavalry, 2 Star Warriors (Lord Ubjion, Logun)
Jozioc Garrison
- Commanded by Lochi
- 100 Spearmen, 20 Thune, 40 Blood Brothers captured. Twice that number died in the battle and another hundred from the siege. Another two months would have completely starved the garrison.
 
The Great Southern War: Aftermath

Thanks to the efforts of general Hroak, the war that threatened to destroy the entire south has ended. At least, that’s the version he has spread around the city of Varica. The leaders of the south, Naxis, Cul, Lovaris, Tyrion and Duren have come to an accord that has allowed all parties to claim victory.

The Validirans may be the biggest winners of all. They have achieved their war aims completely: to bring the southlands back under Imperial control. The Huroto and Teral have both pledged to pay 10 EP in tribute to the Emperor and to send warriors north to aid in the war against the Manische. Though Naxis had mixed success in his campaigns, no one can argue with results. Some of the provincial kings have seem this as an attack on their independence, as many of them rule as if they were independent already, others have condemned Naxis for started his own war while the rest of Varica fights and dies in the north. However, the Hrothnani respect his enforcement of Imperial unity and it has bolstered the Validiran family at court. Both Hroak and Naxis’ agents have worked hard to see that their version of the events has become the accepted one in Varica.

At home, Naxis has been generous with his treasure. Even though there were no spoils won in the war, Naxis has granted the Andala and Kargtha large rewards and exempted them from taxes. This will ensure quick recovery and growth from his vassals. (Andala rises to Friendly)

The Sunta left these lands forever with the Varra and Terasu in tow. They abandoned the remainder of the Tera slaves and even a few of their weaker Welaku and Yolo slaves. Taking everything that wasn’t nailed down, they left for the southlands. The Hillmen aren’t happy to see their powerful brethren back on their side of the mountains. The Sunta’s war for a new homeland are disrupting trade in the south (all trade income through the mountain passes is halved).

The Huroto and their allies were quick to seize occupy the Suntan land. The Tera were granted a large strip of land, securing both sides of the Alane River and well into the interior. Tyrion is being hailed as a hero among his people for finally removing the Sunta menace, especially for succeeding in the last stage of the struggle without spending a single Sunta life.

Perhaps the biggest winner of the war is Lovaris, thane of the Lokvar. He proved the strength of the Lokvar, especially his new professional army, for all of Varica to see. Cut has granted all former Lokvar lands, minus those taken by the Tera. Though his people have abandoned their homeland of the last forty years, they are have done so willingly, eager to reclaim their much larger birthright. It will be a long while before they can fully recapture their glory and become a recognized provincial kingdom, but one day, Lovaris is sure he will rule as king. The Lokvar have received lordship over the Welaku and Yolo, their former vassals. Though the war has weakened both severely, they are overjoyed at their freedom under a ruler who sacrificed so much to free them (Welaku -1 power).

The Huroto have taken as their spoils the former Lokvar lands. Well maintained and prosperous, they will give the Huroto significant room to grow. Cul was as generous to his vassals as Naxis was to his. Even the Rugasa tribe received some reward. The spoils of war were spread among all the tribes. The Gorka and Oortan earned slaves for their steadfastness and the Loupor, who had sacrificed so much, we granted a third of Varra’s former territory. Cul’s vassals are content with his leadership for now. All the Huroto tribes are free of tribute this year. (Loupor -1 power, rises to Distrustful, Gorka rises to Brotherhood).

The final clause of the treaty called for honour to be settled. Prince Acacio of Validira and Prince Rulf of the Huroto would fight for the honour of their tribes before the leaders of all the nations involved in the southern war. The duel was fierce, but in the end, Prince Rulf triumphed. Acacio was knocked unconscious by a pommel strike to his temple after a long and bloody combat.

Lords of the Val

Forces Involved:
Validira
- Commanded by Lord Kipt
- 250 Archers, 300 Spearmen, 100 Tiaka, 50 Raeka, 70 boats

Valarma
- Commanded by Thane Maiari
- 280 Warriors, 100 Skirmishers, 50 Aikings, 10 boats


Valdira, as part of its campaign to re-establish the Empire’s might, have turned on the tribes of the northern Val river. The tribes of the southern portion (the Vali) have always had a much closer relationship to Varica than the tribes of the northern portion (the Vala). The Valarma, while recognizing the Emperor, haven’t sent tribute in a long time. The Validirians used this as their excuse for conquest.

The plan called for a quick surgical strike against the Thane, a powerful woman named Maiari. Lord Kipt planned for a quick strike to remove the Queen, but the picked men chosen to infiltrate the thane’s hall arrived at a poor time. They stumbled into a late-night session of the thane and her three large, warrior husbands. The infiltration party was quickly cut down.

The Thane gathered her warriors to meet the Validirans. Realized how badly outclassed she was, she surrendered the river to her invaders, sending her boats north to ask her allies, the Linai, for help.

The Validirans used their command of the river to their advantage. They struck with impunity all along the riverbank, striking at night and sending infiltration parties to search for weak points. But Maiari stood strong. She countered these moves deftly, though she couldn’t meet all of them. She defended the western bank well, but when Lord Kipt realized the eastern bank was weakly defended, we focused his efforts there and quickly dominated that half of the tribe.

Still, Maiari fought on, hoping for the Linai to relieve her. The Linai had waited to see how well the Valarma would fight. Many at their court thought they were too far from the Validirans to involve themselves, but eventually Maiari’s captains and her stalwart defense convinced the Linai to mobilize. The Linai are marching southwards now. Casualties have been light and the land has been spared looting. This war remains civil, unlike the brutality of the south.


Results:
- Eastern bank of the Val river captured
- Linai move south to reinforce

Forces Remaining:
Validira
- Commanded by Lord Kipt
- 230 Archers, 280 Spearmen, 90 Tiaka, 40 Raeka, 65 boats

Valarma
- Commanded by Thane Maiari
- 220 Warriors, 80 Skirmishers, 40 Aikings
Linai:
- 280 Warriors, 100 Skirmishers, 50 Aikings


All Quiet on the Frontier

Forces Involved:
Rheni
- Commanded by Prince Bereniki
- 160 Archers, 160 Spearmen, 80 Tiaka, 50 Raeka (including reinforcements)
Lombek
- Commanded by Thane Thrombeki
- Lombek Warband: 120 Warriors, 35 Skirmishers, 20 Aikings, 12 Slingers

Sargothi’s Eye
- Led by Loka-Jaw of the Two Lines
- ~720 Fulanti Warriors


The Lombek and Rheni fortified the thane’s village for weeks, drilling the peasantry and waiting for the assault by the forest demons. But the attack never came. Instead, Loka-Jaw’s warriors hunted refugees through the forests and on isolated farms. They retreated back into the darkness of the deep jungle before the Rheni relief column arrived, possibly to hunt easier prey another time, apparently having learned much from the wars with the Huroto, Bexian, and Validirians.

The Lombek have thanked the Rheni for their assistance, fully aware they would likely be dead by now without their aid. They have promised to aid the Rheni when they march to war, but have yet to swear an oath of fealty.

Results:
- Lombek Power -1
- Lombek agree to an alliance with the Rheni

Forces Remaining:
Rheni
- Commanded by Prince Bereniki
- 160 Archers, 160 Spearmen, 80 Tiaka, 50 Raeka (including reinforcements)
Lombek
- Commanded by Thane Thrombeki
- Lombek Warband: 120 Warriors, 35 Skirmishers, 20 Aikings, 12 Slingers

Sargothi’s Eye
- Disbanded



Shadows in the Boreol
The Sargothi’s Eye are not the only Fulanti to take advantage of Varica’s time of crisis. Attacks from the minor tribes of the Boreol have continued to grow in strength and frequency. A series of attacks on the Ropp and Rokina have convinced the two to swear a blood oath to protect each other from the vicious attacks. Is this just the natural ebb and flow or the Boreol tribes, or is there something more sinister at work in the jungle’s heart?
 
Growth and Trade

The Hrafn have focused on building a road, known as the Royal Road, from Assfell through Brandhaus to Rissik. Slave labour has helped them greatly in this, ensuring that at the very least a dirt road runs between the three cities. However, this massive undertaking couldn’t be completed in a single year. Another year is required, though most of the funding is already in place. The cobbled road has been completed between Assfell and Brandhaus at this point. This will lead to greater growth for both cities.

The Hrafn have held sacrifices in both Varica and Assfell and have given any excess goods to their people. The Hrafn are quite content under Jyanna, who has cemented her regency in a way Taka, Callista, and Venci could only dream of.

The Hrafn ventured into the ruins beneath their city again this year. This time, their goal wasn’t to find metal. Instead, they planned to map the ruins to aid future searches. This is a large undertaking and will require at least two more trips below. No Hrafn were lost this year. (A small chance to avoid hazards will be given to the Hrafn and anyone who searches this ruin with a copy of the map. When metal is found, there will be a second roll with a small chance to find more or a Sargothi artifact, this will increase depending on how much information the map contains)

Werhold continues to growth, strengthened by trade, thune refugees, growing urbanization, and exploitation of lands conquered in Hroth IV’s time. They remain the strongest economy in Varica next to the Hrothnani. They are, however, just beginning to feel the strain of having their men away. If the warbands don’t return early next year, Werhold’s economy will stagnate. Unless they are released by the end of the year, it may even begin to shrink.

The Dolu continue to grow in peace, aloof from he struggles on the fringes of the Empire. The Nakar, Four-Claw, and Darians all remain quiet. King Cradu has seen the revival of his realm, as he can focus all of his energies on the stewardship of the land, rather than splitting it like the kings of the north, south, and east between war and domestic affairs.

Callista’s departure has allowed the King Ban of the Bexian to stay out of Varican politics for the time being. He remains at home, guiding the development of his province. Meanwhile, Irzki the Cirici continue his work molding the men of the Bexian into a more efficient fighting force.

The arrival of Validiran forces in Tessilki was the most obvious sign of the spread of Thune influence in Varica. For their part, the Tessil sent a band of scholar, led by Councilor Irialis of Siriali. These Thune have established a school in Telius for the children of rich aikings and merchants. Their most promising student is Prince Adonis, who has fallen in love with exotic Thune ways.

Naxis’ expedition underneath Telius has yielded 1 metal. Cul’s expedition to the Tera ruins has yielded nothing.

The Huroto economy suffers from the scars inflicted by the war. The tribal warbands are exhausted, but content with their victory. Growth is slow this year, but the Hurotoan economy is expected to increase greatly in the next few years as they digest the rich Lokvar territory. The City of Skav has been rebuilt, this time with new defense on its waterfront. The city has yet to fully recover, but like the rest of Huroto land will if given a little time.

Feasts were held in the newly rebuild Skav to celebrate the marriage of Cul’s son Kenner to the Aral, daughter of King Tyrion. King Tyrion secured himself a second wife in Orla, widely regarded as Cul’s most beautiful daughter.

The Rheni have continued their experiments with democracy. The king and his council seem unsure of what their exact relationship is. Some of the king’s advisors believe the king should do whatever they decree while the majority see themselves as a debating society, meant to give a second look to the King’s decisions before he chooses to make them public. Trade with the Thune and the south grows slowly. The Rheni are growing more prosperous, but lack direction.

The Oerdan King Haergar’s son, Haraenicar, has assumed most of his father’s duties as his illness and age cause him to grow weaker and weaker. Haraenicar has held true to his promises to both the Tessil and Varicans, though he has been sluggish in doing so. His main contribution is crossbow armed warriors to support expected Teral and Huroto foot soldiers.

Rumours

A Cheminid raiding party was ambushed as they attempted to enter Gamar territory. Lord Damarkes has ordered the Darian tribes to stop their senseless raiding with the Gamars, lest they be drawn into a larger conflict.

In another country raid, a small handful of young Nakar warriors escaped from Gamar territory by the skin of their teeth, leading away a portion of the cattle stolen from them last year.

The Four-Claw fulanti have sent a hunting party into the western wilderness to hunt down the shaman they believed summoned the unseasonable hail in their lands.

A prophet has emerged amount the Gibraly. He claims to be inhabited by the spirit of Hroth himself. ‘The Voice of Hroth’ has gathered a large following and his ideas, breaking the power of thanes and kings, uniting the world under the Emperor and Haeka’s guidance, are gaining traction among the disaffected in the Gibraly Empire.

The Reyki have passed along rumours that a band of Hyren were found frozen solid in the midst of some unknown ritual on the far northern coast.

A strange thune ship of unknown designs beached near the Rheni city of Fynnica. The ship’s sailing master speaks the thune language in an accent similar to that of Risano. He asks for aid in rebuilding his ship.


Diplomacy

From: Thane Maiari of the Valarma
To: King Naxis of Validira


I don’t understand why your people have done this. Our people have been friends and trading partners since long before either of our reigns began. I pray for the return of your more enlightened father to the throne of Validira. But I am a reasonable woman. I don’t see your father’s return from Varica anywhere in the near future. Though I cannot forgot you betrayal, I am willing to deal with you. I invite you to come to my hall in the flesh to work out a deal to save more of our people from slaughtering each other.


From: Prince Hymbae, general that unites the plains, loyal oathman to the God-Emperor of Mannioc
To: Our honourable Varessan foe, Haecadem II and his subordinate commanders


Why do you persist in occupying our lands and killing our men? We don’t understand. The God-Emperor wishes to bring a great union to the people of our plains, why do you try to halt us at every turn? I beg you to me at Eicain so we might find a way to make peace. You have proven yourselves to be honourable and brave men. There is no need for them to die here.

The Map



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OOC stuff

I think that’s all guys. I don’t have any notes to put here.

Next round of orders are due Midnight on Thursday May 20th Korea Standard Time.
 
OOC; Great update! :D

IC:
From: Thane Maiari of the Valarma
To: King Naxis of Validira

I don’t understand why your people have done this. Our people have been friends and trading partners since long before either of our reigns began. I pray for the return of your more enlightened father to the throne of Validira. But I am a reasonable woman. I don’t see your father’s return from Varica anywhere in the near future. Though I cannot forgot you betrayal, I am willing to deal with you. I invite you to come to my hall in the flesh to work out a deal to save more of our people from slaughtering each other.

From: King Naxis of Validira
To: Thane Maiari of the Valarma


Greetings Thane, I have received your message. As a sign of my good-will to ensuring lasting peace, I agree to your request. I shall come alone, and without bodyguard to your hall so that we can work out an agreement that shall end the war.

To: Prince Rulf of Huroto
From: Prince Acacio of Validira


You have bested me this time in honorable combat. I have learned much and I have left behind for your pleasure the finest Validiran mead available. As much as I would look forward to crossing arms once more, I am afraid that is something behind us. You are welcome in my home in Telius at any time.

From: Lord Matteo of Validira, Your Grandfather and Advisor
To: His Imperial Grandson, His Most Majestic Emperor Hroth V, Lord of Varica and Descent of Haeka


My Emperor! The death of your Regent, Lord Taka has moved me beyond tears. The assaults against him were unjust. I knew him for many decades, and we once fought together from the walls of Varica to the fields of Darium. If I had not been impossibly bedridden, I would have come to his defense for I do not believe him to be a man of deceit and subterfuge. Your Father, the Late Majestic Hroth IV, was an excellent judge of character. Taka was a victim, a victim as much as I was. Others may whisper or even raise accusations, but know that I stand by Taka. For I shall defend His Name even after his death, and an accusation against Taka's honor is an accusation against mine.

I mostly humbly petition Your Majesty to grant permission for Lord Taka to receive a funeral procession, and burial, with full honors, as fitting an individual with his decades of loyalty and service to Varica.
 
From: Lord Matteo of Validira, Your Grandfather and Advisor
To: His Imperial Grandson, His Most Majestic Emperor Hroth V, Lord of Varica and Descent of Haeka


My Emperor! The death of your Regent, Lord Taka has moved me beyond tears. The assaults against him were unjust. I knew him for many decades, and we once fought together from the walls of Varica to the fields of Darium. If I had not been impossibly bedridden, I would have come to his defense for I do not believe him to be a man of deceit and subterfuge. Your Father, the Late Majestic Hroth IV, was an excellent judge of character. Taka was a victim, a victim as much as I was. Others may whisper or even raise accusations, but know that I stand by Taka. For I shall defend His Name even after his death, and an accusation against Taka's honor is an accusation against mine.

I mostly humbly petition Your Majesty to grant permission for Lord Taka to receive a funeral procession, and burial, with full honors, as fitting an individual with his decades of loyalty and service to Varica.

From: Emperor Hroth V (assisted by Magistrate Tomakin of Varica)
To: Our Imperial Grandfather


We take strength in your faith in our beloved regent. We too, believed in Taka's innocence, but could not shield him from the whispers at court. Taka will be buried with full honours in tomb to be built next to our father's tomb, so that he may serve the Emperor in Haeka's halls as he wished.
 
This war just got serious. Great update.
 
OOC:
Thanks man. This year has the potential to be exceptionally brutal and dramatic in the Manische War, in Varica, and potentially in the entire world.

Map has been updated.

Does anybody know if there is a feminine form of 'thane'?

***************************************************
IC:
Validira and the Valarma have agreed to settle their differences. The Valarma will accept Validiran suzerainty and Thane Maiari will marry King Naxis.
 
"Thaness" is being used on some Scottish history sites apparently, which makes as much sense as anything but I suspect that such a form simply didn't exist originally before the aristocratic titles became more standardised.
 
Thanks das. I might use that. I might just call them all thanes to make it easier instead, but I'm not sure yet. I still need to figure out some aspects gender politics. I'm thinking women can easily rise to positions of power, but they often take on 'manly' traits like Jyanna, Venci, or especially Maiari have in order to prove their right to rule. Though it might be said that valour is a gender neutral trait in Varica some tribes, like theirs... lots to think about ^_^
 
Well, obviously it varies from place to place. It is nearly unthinkable for a woman to openly hold a position of great power among the Werar, as they strive to be very patriarchal in all senses of the word, though this ofcourse doesn't preclude informal influence. But as you might recall this is not as true for some of our vassals, among whom women might even provide spiritual leadership to the point of leading the local crypto-pagan cults. I'd argue that those cultural differences had a lot to do with why the Witch-Queen affair turned out as it did; that and the resulting precariousness of her position in Werhold pushing her to some desperate actions or being suspected of planning such. The Hrafn, as well as the Hrothnani, seem clearly different from us in this regard. Don't know about the others.
 
Good points. I'm thinking the more thune influenced East Varicans (including Werar, Hrothnani, Gibrali, Oerdan, etc) are similar to the Werar. I think it's probably an element of thune culture absorbed by the east Varicans centuries ago. So far, most of the female rulers (Angaladan, Gorka, Valarma, etc) come from the South Varicans (Bexian is the border between the two cultures). The Hrafn are an obvious exception for the east Varicans, they must have evolved in a different way at some point.

Btw, here is a cultural map pre-Hroth I forgot to post earlier:


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Note that Dolu should read Hyren. The Dolu are actually migrants related to the northern tribes conquered by the Hrafn who have since been mostly assimilated.

Here is a culture map from before the second game started:


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Don't forget that the original Werar homeland was quite a bit to the west and generally closer to Hrothnani. Ofcourse, that still counts as East Varican. The Hrafn seem to be an exception in many regards. So do the Romadi, but for a different reason.
 
I sort of envisioned the Hrafn and Romadi being granted territory they carved out under Hroth's initial conquests. The Hrothnani themselves moved westwards quite a bit under Hroth. The Rheni moved the furthest, mostly under later Emperors I think.

Of course, I can still change all of this if you guys want something changed ^_^
 
Well remember according to Hrafn’s own founding myths they are tribally apart from “East Varicans” which would help explain the differences. Speaking as a later Varican scholar speculating on the Hrafn, I would say the Hrafn and Romadi were originally migrant tribes, perhaps from beyond the northern mountains or among the tribes originally pushed out by the Manische. The original Hroth might have originally made them into foederati, suddenly gaining so many new men from an unknown tribe “out of thin air” might have seemed almost miraculous to Hroth’s men, which might help explain the popularity of the Hrafn creation myth as coming from Ravens. I would further speculate that the Romadi and Hrafn were originally animists which would explain the fascination with snakes in the former (snake charming is unique to them it appears) and ravens in the latter. It would also explain the relative absence of the three sisters and more emphasis on various “spirits” in early Hrafn myths, with some references added later under Varican influences. Under such a scenario, Hrafn would have adopted Haeka but have seen no reason to pick up the “dead” foreign gods. If my hypothesis is correct, perhaps there is justifiable reason to create a “northern Varican” culture group consisting of Hrafn and Romadi.

As it relates to gender, the warrior culture trumps any patriarchal bias. Socially, the much more important distinction is the elder warrior who is now retired because of age; those who have fought in battle, the warrior proper, along with bards and priests (which still is because of the association with warriors, bards make them immortal through song, priests are needed to complete the necessary death rites); those who have not fought in battle but have the potential, the young, many women, men who for whatever reason haven’t ever fought; the outsiders, slaves, children young enough to not even have the potential to fight, the handicapped, etc. Being on the frontier of the empire, and bearing the brunt of raids and outside aggression, the traditional warrior culture managed to maintain itself in spite of patriarchal pressures from the south. To officially hold a political title, you have to either be a full-fledged warrior or a retired warrior. In peaceful times, most get around this requirement by having a duel with a respected warrior to prove themselves after which their assembled warriors acclaim them and they go through the various secret Hrafn warrior initiation rites.

As an example of the culture, Jyanna, despite being the sole wife of Adalbrandr was merely a consort until she took part in the battle against the Nakar and slew a Fulanti at which point she was formally initiated into the tribe and became Queen. This partially helps explain why despite technically being a “foreigner” she has been accepted so easily by the Hrafn as regent (as an aside, it also explains the absolute necessity for Vigvitr to have accompanied Adalbrandr on the campaign which led to the latter’s death. In the hypothetical in which Adalbrandr died, Vigvitr could not officially be recognized as king until he fought in a battle. Later Adalbrandr epics will highlight this fact by having Adalbrandr fight with the infant Vigvitr strapped to his back so that Vigvitr might “suckle on the blood of his enemies as once he suckled on the breast of his nurse”). Other than “secular” leadership, which requires a warrior of any gender, there is a fair bit of gender equality. In the past there have been female High Priests, though since to be High Priest you have to have royal blood and there have only been sons in the royal family for quite a while, there hasn’t been a female High Priest in quite a while. The official court bard, Kenna, is female as are many warriors, most notably the commander of the archers, Signy.
 
Creating a north Varican cultural group seems like a good idea. They'd be less thune influenced than the East Varicans, which is in part why the Haeka/three sisters are so dominant in the east and why women don't have as high a status.

The Hrafn/Romadi gender politics and animism are both similar to the Hyren (I haven't had a chance to explain why Lady Rian of the Hyren is, but she'll become important later) or what assimilated Hyren are like. Maybe the North Varicans have some Hyren influence? I imagined the west Varicans as being much more egalitarian as well, but they've mostly migrated away or been absorbed.

Beyond the northern mountains no Haecomus lived before the Snerkitta fled there (there are other occupants). The Manische rose after the Hroth's campaigns (I really need to write a timeline). Perhaps the the Hyren pushed the north Varicans south, or perhaps they went south and west on their own to fight the west Varicans.

The idea of carrying the infant Vigvitr into battle reminds of Dwarf Fortress ^_^
 
Would it be too late to join the NES?
 
Not sure, but I actually am going to hold off until I get back from my Vacation on the 24th (I leave on the 14th, but right now it's finals time so I wouldn't have much time to devote to this atm, and I really want to put out my best for this NES!)
 
Very well. Think about it and let me know when you get back from your vacation.
 
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