Ages' Beginnings - An Arrow/Immaculate Reboot

arya126 · Jun 25, 2014

House Arthalas and House Ellarion have the right of it I am afraid. You have jumped to conclusions and come up with all sorts of wild ideas about this announcement, trying to taint the wonderful weddings with rumors of your 'plots'. I can assure you that there is no single entity banding together, nobody is trying to gang up on anybody, and that these are simple marriage pacts, strengthening alliances and friendships to defend each other in these troubled times.

When it comes down to it, you aren't loyalist and are independent just like the rest of us, despite your denials and accusations. There is no Hallowed King, and there does not seem to be any successor on the horizon. You may say you are loyal to the throne, but an empty throne holds no sway over the lands.

thomas.berubeg · Jun 25, 2014

arya126 said:
House Arthalas and House Ellarion have the right of it I am afraid. You have jumped to conclusions and come up with all sorts of wild ideas about this announcement, trying to taint the wonderful weddings with rumors of your 'plots'. I can assure you that there is no single entity banding together, nobody is trying to gang up on anybody, and that these are simple marriage pacts, strengthening alliances and friendships to defend each other in these troubled times.

When it comes down to it, you aren't loyalist and are independent just like the rest of us, despite your denials and accusations. There is no Hallowed King, and there does not seem to be any successor on the horizon. You may say you are loyal to the throne, but an empty throne holds no sway over the lands.

House Massoul Disagrees. The Hallowed Throne is a symbol of unity, peace, and history, one that independantists thow away to the wind. This is a centuries long legacy sacrificed for petty power.

arya126 · Jun 25, 2014

thomas.berubeg said:
House Massoul Disagrees. The Hallowed Throne is a symbol of unity, peace, and history, one that independantists thow away to the wind. This is a centuries long legacy sacrificed for petty power.

Nay. I seek no petty power, only the power to protect my subjects and my family during these troubled times. Should a suitable candidate for the throne of the Hallowed King appear, we will of course give him due consideration for our support. However to my knowledge, no such candidate exists, and therefore I have taken steps to ensure Namidas shall not be overcome by these turbulent times. I am afraid I cannot put faith in an empty throne with no firm ruler atop it.

I am sure the others that are nominally 'independent' would share this view. Without a King, there is no Kingdom. Without a Hallowed King, Auronas is not united as one, and is instead split into its divided Kingdoms. Whether war or peace follows is up to these Kingdoms. Remember that.

Ailedhoo · Jun 26, 2014

The Archduke of Bogatstvo will, in observation of possible rising chaos, offer special offers on mounts to both House Massoul and House Arthalas. Who will buy more of our horses? What you do not buy your nemesis may buy! It also teach why it is best to be outside the chaos than in it when it comes to profit! We most enjoy deals made with our merchants!

Seon · Jun 26, 2014

Legal Opinions

We of House Uradal believes that it is the entity of the Hallowed Kingdom, which has dominion over all of Auronas, that we kings owe our loyalty to. In most cases, the Hallowed King acts as a personification of such an entity, however, the entity of the Hallowed Kingdom has shown itself to be capable of existing without a King.

Legal precedent for the continuation of the entity of Hallowed Kingdom without a king is numerous. There are many cases where a Hallowed King died with a young and incapable heir, forcing a regency council to govern the kingdom for an extended period of time: a time in which there was technically no King on the throne. Despite this, the Hallowed Kingdom did not mysteriously dissolve during the interregnum.

In addition, in a similar case where the main line of Hallowed Kings were extinguished in 337 AF, the entity of the Hallowed Kingdom was not destroyed despite 63 years of interregnum. A new line of rulers were installed on the throne after the interregnum, which has ruled the Kingdom until the present moment.

Thus, to declare oneself independent of the Hallowed Kingdom despite six centuries of precedents is an illegal statement and must be condemned. While refusal to support any of the current candidates to the throne for fears of involving the kingdom into an extended conflict may be a noble cause and there is no legal precedent to justify condemnation, the House of Uradal believes that the unity offered by the Hallowed Kingdom is integral for any long-term peace in the realm of Auronas.

It is the opinion of House of Uradal that for the sake of long-term peace in the whole of Auronas, the matter of the lack of candidate for the Hallowed Throne must be resolved as quickly as possible. The House of Uradal believes that the best way to resolve this issue is through an election by all the Great Houses of Auronas where one of our members will be designated as the ruling house of Auronas.

This cannot happen while our own capital is wrecked by squabbling lords and where many of our central great houses have declared for independence.

In this chaotic times, it is easy to give into fear and wall up safely inside the borders of our own nation. It is easy to justify throwing away the burden of responsibilities owed to the Hallowed Kingdom and think only about what is good for our own petty kingdoms and families. To all the lords of Auronas, whether independent or still loyal to the ideals of the Hallowed Kingdom, we of House of Uradal beseech you to look beyond your borders and see for yourself what is good for the whole of the Hallowed Kingdom.

The Hallowed Kingdom may seem oppressive, but it is through it that we have guarded international trade routes, sources of mediation in petty conflicts between lords, and Common Laws. It is through Unity that we can have peace. It is through Unity that bloodshed can be prevented.

We of House Uradal pledges to do everything within our powers to hasten the coming of the Third Line of Hallowed Kings.

Seon · Jun 26, 2014

Note to the Bogatstvo:`

There has so far not been any overt signs of hostility between House Arthendal and House Massoul.

While we must denounce any statements made between your nation goading our friend, House of Massoul, to needless and bloody war, we would like to know if you have confused things between House Ellarion and House Arthendal.

House Ellarion in the past indicated to House Massoul that they will be forced to "act" if certain unfortunate pirates operating out of House Massoul territories were not brought to justice. While we are certain that House Tareen has only the most peaceful intentions and that they are probably not planning a unilateral invasion of House Massoul territories as a vengeance for piracy, for that would be idiotic and House Ellarion is not composed of fools, we believe that you will find a better market in Tareen and Massoul more than you will find it in say... Arthendal and Massoul.

That being said, House Ellarion-you have been warned. Do not justify our fears that a religiously fanatical neighbors will seek war in times without the Hallowed King's mediation.

Jehoshua · Jun 26, 2014

Ailedhoo said:
The Archduke of Bogatstvo will, in observation of possible rising chaos, offer special offers on mounts to both House Massoul and House Arthalas. Who will buy more of our horses? What you do not buy your nemesis may buy! It also teach why it is best to be outside the chaos than in it when it comes to profit! We most enjoy deals made with our merchants!

House Arthalas has no quarrel at present with House Massoul and has no interest in being the instigator of one.

Ailedhoo · Jun 26, 2014

It appears the Archduke Andreas of Bogatstvo overestimated the possible chaos. Andreas will keep eyes open in case anyone would be in the need of service with our merchants. That said we do hope you enjoy our peaceful merchandise.

Golden1Knight · Jun 26, 2014

Again, I stress that if it is up to me, there will be no war! When I talked about the possibility of acting, I was referring to myself having to hunt the pirates in question. Or in case someone thought I would board my vast armies in a handful of fishing boats and I would start a naval invasion in a region known for its powerful navy tradition? It would be really foolish.

On the subject of union or independence, I only have one thing to say: I will only kneel for a king worth following. Until such a man arises, Tareen will be an independent kingdom, which owes nothing to any Lord or King, with the exception of our allies. You will not threaten me with laws of a kingdom that has been or is being undone. Until someone takes the throne of Auronas, I'm the person who decides what is illegal or not in my own land.

I wish you luck in finding the ideal man for the throne. If he is really a good King, I believe he will be able to unite the kingdom again.

Immaculate · Jun 26, 2014

Year 654 of the Forging

The North

The north was relatively calm, in relation to the carnage around Terrin Bay, but even so it was not peaceful. On the western coast, pirates plied the waters even as both the Bangor Holds and the Salt Kingdom patrolled the waters against them. The Bangor Holds barely saw any success in their endeavour, but the Salt Kingdom managed to sink at a pair of pirate galleys. The cooperation between the two neighboring kingdoms, however, quickly broke down as Bangorian Highlanders were spotted raiding the lands of House Yazet, a vassal of House Cren, plundering several merchant caravans and small town without rebuke from their lords. Outraged, the Salt Kingdom moved many of their forces to the border with the Holds, but the Highlander soldiers were overconfident from their previous successes and, despite caution from their lords, moved against Nadin, a large salt mine near the border. As they descended into the Nadin valley, the Bangorians found themselves surrounded, having been outmaneuvered by the Salt Kingdom. The battle was almost a complete rout, with nearly half of the raiders being left dead on the battlefield.
(+banked kC Haadrade, -2 agriculture, -1 production, -1 trade, -1 levy infantry house Yezat, -2 highlanders House Haadrade)

In response to rumors of piracy, the Chairtans trained their sailors, forcing them out into the harsh winter squalls in order to hone their skills. While they advanced in discipline, many were lost to the waves. In line with their naval training, they also expanded ports along the coast to cater to their sailors and the small but growing number of merchants in the area.

Rallus, too, took action against pirates, though the area had never been known for its high concentrations of the scoundrels. Even so their patrols, even if they did not catch any wrongdoers, inspired confidence in merchants, and the region saw a minor upswing in trade. Simultaneously the army was to patrol the internal trade routes. Here multiple soldiers reported mountain giants in the region. However, it is known that mountain trolls have not been active since the Age of Legends, well before the Forging. Even so, the men are adamant about what they saw.

The North also got its first taste of cavalry as in both Namidas and Cságyűk-Észtergyálj horse units were introduced. The Namidians have trained units who specialize in strategic maneuverability with each soldier boasting three swift horses to rotate the riders weight and to keep them fresh. The enhanced stamina provided by multiple horses allowed the men to travel over large swathes of ground quickly, but the horses are not well suited for combat and these newly trained soldiers typically dismount to fight. House Őctahágyűrë, in contrast, opted for heavily armored axemen on well-built warhorses. The axemen themselves were specially chosen, and each was a giant among men. The rarity of suitable men to train as these soldiers, the excellent training, the expensive armor, and the cost of the immense horses all contribute the the rarity of these new soldiers on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the northeast was more calm. The Rasks, hoping to display their wealth, invited many northern lords to their capital for a wedding feast, celebrating the recent marriage of their heir to a Bangorian princess. Many vassals gave wedding toasts congratulating the couple, and envoys from Chairt, Rallus and Zakijaya could be seen in attendance, as well as the Bangorian king. The Rasks had their main course be a new invention, which was pork on a stick.

All, though, is not as peaceful as it seems in Araskamemni. The Pearl Guild, a renowned trading organization in the north, has announced it will be financing Arot ceremonies in the Rasks’ lands, and it is rumored that the leader of the fishing and pearling guild, one Rir Uha, has converted to the cult.

To their east, House Jana spent lavishly on expanding their logging operations, selling much of it to the warring parties nearby.

And, finally, in the far north at the edge of the continent, a man proclaimed himself king. Loram of House Telaara is now King of Telaar, free of obligation to the Hallowed King and maker of his own destiny. He is far from the capital, an afterthought in many southerners’ eyes, but his independence marks yet another weakening of the bonds between vassal and lord.

As war rages in the in Copperhead, Tareen and Payas, the north stands cold and watching.

The Bay Wars

The Tareenans were not caught totally by surprise, and that may have been what hurt them the most. Tipped off by a friend in the Kishlahi court, they knew further raids were planned, and had massed their forces on the coast, leaving much of the core of their kingdom undefended.

But it was not the Storm Islanders who attacked first: it was the Aelrichi and Langro who, citing the recent declaration of independence by Tareen as the cause, struck hard into the Riverlands. They moved quickly to the nearly undefended Bridgeport, leaving small forces to keep any nearby forts under control, and laid siege to the river port. However, they were reluctant to assault the city, as even the small detachment of knights and city guardsmen could spell heavy losses. And so they waited, and condemned the city to starve.

Near Bridgeport the combined navy of Aelrich and Langro closed in on the lands of House Tydwell, who’s cogs, upon seeing the amassed ships of Langro and Aelrich, fled back to Bridgewater. The two kingdoms were thus able to establish a blockade without a fight.

While part of the Langroan navy supported the Aelrichi in maintaining the naval blockade, the remainder range along the Tareenan coast on Terrin Bay and small Langroan detachments raided fields with nigh impunity, slaughtering smallfolk and burning crops where they stood.

The Tareenan king now had a decision to make. In the north, the Riverlands were burning and one of the realm’s largest cities was under siege, but he also knew of an impending Kishlahi attack. He chose to divide his forces in two, sending most of his cavalry and some of his footsoldiers and crossbowmen to defend Bridgeport while leaving his foresters, about half of his infantry, and most of his crossbowmen to defend the coast.

When the relief arrived at Bridgeport, they found themselves hopelessly outnumbered. Unable to gain access to the city, which was at the time besieged by the Aelrichi army, they set up camp on a ridge and waited. The Aelrichi had set up a defensive position in the form of a palisade around the camp, and looked nearly unassailable. The next few months passed silently, with both sides too wary to attack. On three occasions Tydwell cogs slipped away under cover of night and twice manage to smuggle food and supplies to the besieged city. On the third attempt the Langroan navy intercepted the Tydwell cogs and manage to sink one and damage the other. The Aelrichi continued the siege of Bridgeport, hurling massive stones from improvised siege weapons, but made little progress against the massive walls. Meanwhile the defenders of Bridgeport answered in kind and many a would-be Aelrichi skirmisher falls to catapult jettison. (+treasury, loyalty houses Gildblade, Gathous, Haro, -1 levy infantry, -1 galley, -agriculture House Tydwell)

On the coast, Tareen did better. They had set up defenses on the beaches, and although the fleet they had sent against the Kishlahi was effortlessly routed -- the Kishlashi seizing a Tareenan ship at sea--, they fared better on land. However, they were pushed off the beaches and into the forest. There, though, the foresters were able to enact a guerilla campaign and bamboozle the inexperienced Massoul commanders, making hit and run attacks the aggressors too quickly for the Kishlashi lords to respond to, effectively stopping further advances.
(-2 levy infantry Ellarion, -4 levy infantry Massoul)

While Tareen has been put on their back foot, all hope is not lost. The Kishlahi invasion was ineffective at best, and the fighting in the west has slowed to a standstill. Moreover, a chance for victory still gleams in the form of Namidas, who they have recently formed an alliance with.

Namidas, however, is in a war of their own. They moved against Payas at the beginning of the campaign season after the Payasi refused to swear fealty, pushing quickly toward the capital. As they marched, they leave several forts and castles behind them, effectively shutting down their supply line. Faced with potential starvation, Namidian commanders were forced to send out foraging groups, many of whom were slaughtered by warriors from the uncaptured castles. When the invaders finally reached Paya, the capital of Payas, they were starving and falling apart. However, the Payasi were doing little better, as their lands were being picked clean by the swarm of locusts that was the Namidian army. With much of the Payas military in the field, the capital itself was hopelessly outnumbered and so the the army of Payas declined to give battle, instead remaining in the city. Paya was poorly stocked for a siege, and the townsfolk were left to starve as nearly all rations were funneled to the soldiers.

Relief came in the form of the snows. Unable to keep their military concentrated during winter, the Namidians set up winter quarters for the core of the Namidian military, essentially the light lancers and crossbowmen, and garrisoned the rest of their men throughout the occupied lands. However, most Payasi had no love for the invaders, and aided the scattered groups of defenders, mostly holed up in castles, in slaughtering many isolated groups. However, nothing could be done to lift the siege, and the city seems ready to crack under the strain.
(-2 levy infantry, -1 light lancer House Mandragon, -2 levy infantry House Dammael, -1 levy infantry house Ravenwing, - agriculture, -4 levy infantry, -1 heavy infantry house Payas)

The war itself was paid for by a sudden increase in Namidian taxes upon their vassals, which, while providing extra funds, displeased many who saw it as a breaking of the ancient feudal contract between lord and vassal. Furthermore, they raised tariffs on the Sorrow river trade which, combined with the uncertain stability of Namidas, drove many traders away. In the short term, the measures raised large sums of money, but continuing them in the future may permanently damage the Namidian economy.

The South

Although Kishlah participated in the Tareenan war, the south was for the most part peaceful. The Archduchy of Bogatstvo, realizing the fortune to be made by war, invested heavily in smithies, horses and supply carts and sold them at a large profit. Moreover, trade flourished as merchants migrated away from the chaotic west. Malair and the United Republics benefited similarly.

The Storm Islanders, perhaps trying to stop the mass exit of commerce from the region, commissioned the Orchid Bank, which essentially served as a semi-independent central bank for the kingdom, the first of its kind. While it managed to somewhat mitigate the losses, the Stormlands, and the southwest in general, suffered a drastic loss of trade as merchants took their wares to safer shores. In a similar manner, Tareen searched for new goods, perhaps trying to finance their defensive war, and struck iron in the mountainous southern regions of the realm. Bogatstvo, for one, has expressed interest in refining the iron into weapons and selling them back to the Tareenans at prices which would be profitable for both.

The lord of Kæderith, uncertain of how to proceed, chose to do little but expand the salt mines of his kingdom, but his careful investment turned out to be lucrative as salt demand across the continent skyrocketed in response to the raids on the Salt Kingdom and demand from marching armies: with the burning of many merchant caravans carrying salt and a bloody battle near a mine itself, the kingdom was hard pressed to export any of their salt.

Troubled by the disorder around them, both Ciaden and Dresul saw there sons pressed into service, either as sacred soldiers for the faith in Ciaden or heavy lancers in Dresul. In Aernolea, the Hasks took a different route of defensiveness and began construction of a small fort on the southern bay of Lake Virid, but they ran out of funds quickly and announced plans to invest further the next year.

King Deargwin II the Pious, of House Arthendal, wary of the chaos to their west, deployed many of their troops to their border with Tareen but did not make any moves of aggression. Simultaneously, they spent vast amounts of money on a spider’s web of irrigation ditches throughout the Gildanon river valley. Harvests that year were record high as more and more land became arable. Many a serf attributes this to the support the king has provided for the druids of the Old Religion whom the king has patronized considerably this year and who have in turn, spoken with the spirits to intercede on the kingdom’s behalf. House Arr of Arlen also invest in their economy, building a new breakwater and pier on the island of Tern, complete with an ox driven crane, in order to appease growing merchant interests in the kingdom. To their north the Brotherhood of the Cowl expanded their iron mining operations in response to Tareenan competition.

And then there was Copperhead. Bloody, vicious Copperhead. A snake’s den, but one rapidly running out of snakes. The city throughout the year saw remarkable bloodshed as friend was forced to turn against friend and nobles jumped at the slightest opportunity. House Hart, who had taken Langroan hostages, ransomed them and immediately hired sellswords to continue their war even as people fled the city in droves, many ending up in Malair and Arthendal. The Twilight War itself remained a stalemate, but both sides appealed to the High Lords in Arthendal, Malair, Tareen, Dresul and Aelrich for support. The two houses, originally having gone to war for a strategic river ford, both have hinted toward further expanding their goals, including the city itself. Whether any will intervene was still a unknown even as the fields freeze for winter.

Immaculate · Jun 26, 2014

Notes:

All: We didn’t get orders from quite a few people, so the update is not as long as it could have been.
Everblack: You didn’t have enough money to build both the cogs and the infantry, so we had you build the cogs and bank 8 EP.
Seon: The addition of cavalry to a nation that isn’t used to using it, who has several other ‘Types’ of units, is leading to problems with integration and especially cost. Basically, you’re going to be in trouble coordination-wise if that keeps up, as well as financially.
Orangelex44: Similarly to Seon, the sudden need to supply crossbowbolts when previously you had only needed sling stones is taking a toll on logistics.
Arya: 1kC to each of the two things you tried to do was not enough for either. In the future, you should spend about 5 on improving your command structure, but even then it would be mostly temporary, and maybe around 15 on the compass -- it is a large seafaring advance and your nation is more known for its land and river stuff anyway.

MAP:

Spoiler map :

STATS:

Spoiler :

Immaculate · Jun 26, 2014

If we forgot anything, please send us a private PM so we can discuss how to deal with any mistakes amongst ourselves before responding to you.

arya126 · Jun 26, 2014

@Immac

Edit: X-post, will PM.

Seon · Jun 26, 2014

It turns out that I'm a huuuuge liar.

Jehoshua · Jun 26, 2014

That was obvious already from your demeanour.

Seon · Jun 26, 2014

I can't help it. It's in my nature.

Golden1Knight · Jun 27, 2014

At least this makes me the good guy.

Seon · Jun 27, 2014

I like your new avatar.

And you're new title.

It feels me with... warm and fuzzy feelings inside. I don't know why.

Golden1Knight · Jun 27, 2014

Maybe you should choose Lord Frey as your avatar. Somehow, this seems like the right thing to do. :lol:

Edit: Your title and location are adequately well chosen.

Seon · Jun 27, 2014

Fun fact: I chose that location and title the moment I posted "I'm a peace loving lord" BS I made.

Ages' Beginnings - An Arrow/Immaculate Reboot

Squad Leader

Wandering the World

Squad Leader

wonderer

Not An Evil Liar

Not An Evil Liar

Catholic

wonderer

Emperor

unerring

unerring

unerring

Squad Leader

Not An Evil Liar

Catholic

Not An Evil Liar

Emperor

Not An Evil Liar

Emperor

Not An Evil Liar

Similar threads