Update 3: AF 146
Great Happenings
Intrigues at Court
The court of the Emperor has become a very dangerous place. Tensions rise as the number of players in the city rises. Behind the scenes, the kings and courtiers play a deadly game.
Callistas faction rallied from the blow of Vorchks failure with the help of the patriarch of her house, Matteo. Matteo arrived at the Capital to much fanfare. As soon as he could , he disappeared into his wife Elissas rooms. After heated discussion, they emerged. Matteo pledged to stand by the Emperors side as his advisor in Callistas place, as was his right as Imperial Grandfather. He was supported in this by Heodest, the Werar ambassador who greeted him with great humility. The victory of his son in the south enhanced his already sizable reputation in the city.
Matteos presence calmed the city for the moment, but another Validiran quickly brought chaos to the streets. The prophet Phridia infiltrated the city in the late summer after Hroak led his Tera command northwards.
Phridia surprised his followers by throwing his support behind Venci. He claimed that the duel was genuinely the judgment of Haeka. Obviously then, Callista must be destroyed. The Phridians rallied around their leader and led a riot calling for the death of Callista. This has shaken the city and dealt both Callista and Venci a blow. Vallari now speaks against both women, calling them corruptors of the Imperial children. Venci, for her part, has denounced the Phridians, but has been unable to remove the association.
Phridias actions have had the side effect of distancing the Phridians from Validira and have angered many Validiran Phridians who must now choose between their divided loyalties.
While the city was in turmoil, her champion, Vorchk maintained a constant vigil at the Hrafn temple as the guest of the priest and champion Helgiverðr. He prayed for three straight before he was granted a vision by Haeka. He saw himself rising, covered in red and green slime from the river Dhun strangling a fulanti as the stars swirled around his head in an eternal struggle. With the help of the priests, he interpreted the dream as a sign from Haeka. He shouldnt take the duel as a judgment against himself, he did only as his Emperor commanded. It was a judgment against Callista. Vorchk lived through the ordeal in order to protect Hroth V and protect him from his mother and other usurpers.
The secret war between the great families of the Empire has turned violent once more. While returning from a session with the regent and the Emperor, Matteo was set upon by armed assailants. Through luck and skill, he managed to fight off the attackers, though none were found nor any corpses recovered. What was found among the bloodstains was a broach with the crest of the Regents house. Matteo received only a few scratches, but a fever overtook him as he related the story to the palace Raeka. He slipped in and out of consciousness for a week, with no one sure whether he would live or die. Finally, the Imperial physician stabilized him. He is weak now, barely able to walk, but he will recover in time. The physician says only poison could do this to such a vital man.
Taka, despite his decades of loyal service, found his allies abandoning him as accusations were raised against him. If he were behind this poisoning, could he have been behind the possible poisoning of Vorchk? Did he want Callista and the Validirans out of power? Elissa held off on accusations for now, but her the court turned on Taka. He grew weaker still as he fought to regain control of the city. His last days were filled with loneliness, anguish, and toil. He died on the eve of the winter solstice.
Immediately, the courtiers began jockeying to see who would replace the Regent. A conclave would need to be held, and soon, to prevent the city from falling into chaos. The Emperor summoned the kings and thanes to send their representatives to Varica to choose Takas successor. By law, anyone of thanely or kingly rank, or who is a member of the Imperial family, may nominate a candidate for regent. The regent may be anyone of any rank.
The Wild War
The savage advance of the Tikeecee, Drisili, and Zostor pressed on into the civilized Thune cities. The neutral town of Ikili was sacked by a large band of Tikeecee. The citizens were deliberate left a path to escape south towards Tessilki. The Tikeecee occupied their homes and immediately began to sow the fields and fortify the town. It is clear that the ancient Tarnee-Tikeecee grudge has nothing to do with this war. The Tikeecee are heading south for entirely new reasons.
The campaign against Tarnee has also borne fruit for the exhausted Tikeecee. They broke up into several smaller, but still robust, groups as they advanced towards the bulk of the Tarnee forces. The Tarnee made a stand within sight of the walls their city. The ferocity of their onslaught, spearheaded by the Drisili, battered the Tarnee. The Drisili, towering over the other thune by an average of six inches, some as tall as five feet, simply overpowered the Tarnee the way the Yumin overpowered the Tessil thune in the last great war. Surrounded and beaten, the great Tarnee warhost surrendered. Tarnee lies before the allied army, defenseless but for its proud citizenry.
Behind the Tikeecee advance, the Drisili and Zostor have ended their journey. Theyve settled down into their newly won land. Behind them, the true enemy has appeared: Jorrae, a duke of the Manische. Sweeping all before him, Jorrae, supported by the Prince Hymbae, have defeated the mighty Drisili. Content with the Drisili homeland and the northern quarter of Tikeecee, the Manische have stopped. Though Hymbae rode with Jorrae on his campaign, it seems the prince has disappeared, leaving Jorrae invest the new thune march.
The fall of Ikili has forced the hand of the Tessil. With Ikili, a member of the Yirshian League sacked, the Tessil have no choice but to march to their aid. They are joined by hundreds of Oerdan and two hundred Validirans.
The Cirici March Again
The massive Karskian army, reinforced by Sbsisian forces and Kissulin exiles, maneuvered spent the beter part of this year trying to bring the smaller Cirici force to battle. The Cirici, in better shape and under better discipline, were able t outmaneuver the Karskians through the winter, spring, and summer months. Finally, as the autumn harvest began, the Cirici turned to face a worn down, but still eager Karskian host.
General Rii of Tiana led the Karskians towards after the Cirici, who had positioned themselves against a cliff face in the western edge of their territory. Rii knew the Cirici liked to make last stands like this, but something didnt seem right about such a large force deliberately putting themselves into such a position. He held onto a substantial reserve in case of the Cirici trick.
The fighting was fierce. The terrain left Rii with few tactical choices. He let his arbalesters and light ballistae do their work, but the Cirici stood strong. With the heavy siege equipment he was forced to abandon in order to catch the Cirici, he would not break the Cirici. After two hours of volleys, he ordered his infantry forward.
The battle continued long into the day. Neither side could break the other. Phalanxes pushed against each other, but neither the superior numbers of the Karskians nor the superior strength of the Cirici prevailed. Slowly, the Cirici were weakening. Even is two Karskians fell for every Cirici, the Karskians would eventually win.
A hail of arrows suddenly rained down from the cliffs into the Karskian host. Volley after volley fell in the Karskians in a torrent of death. The Karskians began to panic. Rii dispatched the core of his reserve: his elite Iyikitch riders to deal with the threat. The Iyikitch raced into action, but the path above the cliffs was difficult to find and the damage had been done. The Karskians couldnt regain their early fervor. Even though the Iyikitch eventually found a path and killed many of the hidden Yumin archers, Riis thune lacked the courage to make another attempt.
Both armies quit the field. The Cirici are claiming victory.