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Post by Stormwall on Jan 18, 2017 5:01:11 GMT
OOC/ This is another thread along the lines of The Conquest of Silverclaw Valley. Kingdom-scale and individual-scale participation are both encouraged. In the end, various kingdoms and groups may gain influence or control over some or all of Therien. Some kingdoms which might have interests in the region are Aida, Aureus, Ashdell, Idmidum, Arlek, Vaundsberg, Acholt, and Gyn. Maybe even the Vampire Bund, Perona, and Mystmarch, thanks to their footholds in nearby Silverclaw Valley. I have no intention of DM'ing this thread or controlling any of the named NPCs. Do as you will. IC/ Therien, ah, Therien. A beautiful and peaceful kingdom, but beauty and peace always came at cost. In this case, the price comprised the commitment and work of its people, and even their freedom. Therien, which waited for the Mapheri Dynasty's return with such dedication, was not a kind place to live. Still, its people paid the necessary cost willingly, knowing that few kingdoms were so beautiful or so safe, or had such ideals. It was a crime in Therien, and had been for years, to arrive with any soldiers beyond a small personal guard force. The punishments ranged from imprisonment to exile to death. Normally, when diplomatic realities interfered, such things were handled delicately by the autocratic Steward, Harmon Aladir. But when a noble merchant brought a few guards too many, and one of Steward Harmon's deputies held a grudge against said merchant, circumstances escalated. Now two loose factions have formed, and each has sent word far and wide, seeking allies. Full civil war has not yet erupted, but it might. FACTIONS The Loyalists: The ancient Elven Steward of the Mapheri Emperors, Harmon Aladir. His loyal staff. His guards, most of whom were elite Imperial soldiers a decade back, or their students. A handful of highly experienced ex-Imperial battlemages. And most of the people of Therien.
The Rebels: An association of merchant princes with ties to the Free Cities. A shadowy network of rebels within Therien, resisting the Steward's dystopian rule. A young fugitive who calls himself Giovannus Mapheri, claiming to be a grandson of the last Emperor -- and thus heir to Therien and a good portion of the continent. LOCATIONS
The Summer Palace: The heart of Therien's only small city, and the seat of Steward Harmon's power. Several Rebel leaders and operatives are imprisoned here.
Brecken Town: A midsize farming town east of the Summer Palace, one of six such farming towns. The secret headquarters of the Rebels.
Lake Adler: South of the Summer Palace and between them, Lake Adler is characterized by bucolic fisheries and gorgeous waterfront mansions. The people of Lake Adler publicly support Steward Harmon, but certain ambitious nobles and courtiers have their homes here, and could perhaps be persuaded to lend an ear to other agendas.
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Post by Éléonore Rousseau on Jan 18, 2017 5:45:43 GMT
With word of the unrest not far away the Queen ordered one of her vampire servants Akasha and a small group of officers to take a force to seize the former small nation under the guise of putting down the rebellion. She took a contingent of 5,000 troops along with 1,000 undead forces to back them up and gave them order march to and seize the area. Her forces came up from the south along Lake Alder. From here she’d sent word ahead to those there that if they in the time of crisis followed the Empress on her throne all would have a place in the new order of things. All who opposed would be among the dead serving her in death as penance for their refusal in life.
The soldiers were mostly comprised of sword and spear infantry with light and some heavier cavalry support. The heavier Calvary were all undead servants elite warriors who even in death served their Empress. The archery units existed but made up a smaller contingent of the force. The host of the undying empress was marching.
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Post by Rhun Llewelyn on Jan 18, 2017 10:25:19 GMT
The road to Therien had been long.
Yet despite the travel Rhun always found the natural beauty of the area a positive pay off for the riding chafe and rumbling of his belly. Carefully laid crops scattered with well trimmed hedgerows and thickets of small but established trees gave the surrounds a warm, welcoming feeling. The political climate however was far different the Rhun had ever remembered.
The Errant-Knight had been stopped by a band of peasants near the outskirts of Brecken Town, they were well armed for just local populace and the questions that they had insisted on asking felt more like an interrogation of his need to be in the area more then anything else. He had done as requested though and had been allowed to head into the town unopposed to get a lay of the area.
It had been here in the local Tavern, The Red Herring that the young Knight had learnt that a conflict was brewing between the Steward and a band of Rebels with a potential royal link. As much as he wanted to get back on his charger and head back towards less conflicting lands he knew he had a civil duty to at least investigate the matters and assure that there wasn’t anything he could do to help.
He had chosen to take no side as yet, purely because as a Errant-Knight nobody was really on his side. So he had taken to his charger and headed off the muddy road that headed towards the Summer Palace, where from rumour the Steward was amassing a small army to claim his lands with as much violence as he possibly could.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Jan 21, 2017 6:49:54 GMT
A series of events had linked Harrier to the Rebels, in the loosest possible sense. Contractor, provocateur, double agent: she'd dabbled in just about every role around, and left a good few memory-charmed insurgents in her wake -- on both sides. She'd signed on for the promise of coin and found the promise hollow. She'd been set up, and rather than go all out for revenge she'd found the situation interesting. Her disguise was of the hide-in-plain-sight variety. A festival was underway, one of the many occasions when the ostensibly straightlaced Therieners loosened those laces. She'd traded her tinker's garb and her necromantic regalia for a low-cut green dress and bright flowers in her black hair. She couldn't fight in the getup, but she wasn't much for fighting in any case. Her cover involved drinking weak wine in quantity, flirting with noblemen and bureaucrats, gossiping with their mistresses, and enjoying the bounteous sunlight of Lake Adler's estates. So far she'd tucked a few actionable hints and secrets away in her memory, with an eye to finding some potential advantage and -- if she was being honest with herself -- screwing both sides. Neither the convoluted sneakery of the Rebels nor the paternalistic autocracy of the Loyalists had much appeal to her. The libraries and archives of the Summer Palace and the lakeside estates? Considerably more so. The main problem today was that the juicy gossip played second fiddle to a more pressing, serious, and anxiety-inducing topic. Multiple persons of station at this festival had received messages from one Éléonore Rousseau , Empress of Vaundsburg. As a necromancer, Harrier had at least a general idea of where Vaundsburg was and why it occasionally fielded undead. She hadn't known it was an expansionist power, though. And as she joined various courtiers on a grassy bluff that overlooked the lake, she kicked herself for not doing her research. From here, that looked like an army of several thousand. Part of her was professionally curious to see if any of those rumoured undead had come along. Most of her started wishing for practical clothes, a weapon, an ally, a home. Kendric Blayde or Roy Gilmour might have known what to do. For the moment, she had no idea.
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Post by Éléonore Rousseau on Jan 21, 2017 7:06:05 GMT
As the army marched it stopped outside the festival in formation with only an honor guard dispatched in the evening with two figures. One was a necromancer himself. The other was one Lisa Vorquin. She was a in appearance young vibrant woman of stunning beauty and strength of build. She’d been a captain before in the mortal ranks of the army but had earned her vampire state now. She approached calmly and as the nobles were gathered she gave a smile. “Today our Empress has asked you to listen to an offer she has. I today act as her voice she offers to those willing to swear fealty the positions of importance due to them. A place in the undying court as men and women of status and nobility. To those however who defy her she offer only the peace of the grave. While fear may be the first thing you feel know she does not desire to have this end in worthless bloodshed without need. But it is obvious the old order here is fading. A new era begins and you have the choice to be a part of it. We give until the next night to decide.” With that she left for her small camp where she was safe from the daylight sun.
The army stood made mostly of mortals but with plenty of undead. Around her place of rest were the honor guard still most old undead clad in armor who had served as elite soldiers in life and now did so in death. Alert and ready with only a few mortals to act as a mix. She waited she doubted they would come quietly but perhaps they could see the benefits. Stability again, a Empress who would ensure things got accomplished. Also better to rule among the court than be ground under march of an army.
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Post by Harrier Wren on Jan 21, 2017 7:22:35 GMT
With eyes, judgment, and a hint of her necromantic senses, Miri sipped her wine and got a read on the approaching army. Much of it, she realized, was mortal, but a significant fraction was unquestionably dead. And within that fraction, she detected significant variation. The dead foot soldiers seemed temporary or disposable, equipped in the most basic manner. The knights and various heavy infantry looked stronger in her mind's eye: more durable, permanent, intelligent undead. The same could be said for what looked to be an elite bodyguard force. It occurred to her, too late, that if a necromancer had come along for the ride, they might sense the jade pen in her belt pouch and the ring on her finger. Each housed a spirit of unique talents. Maybe this too-clean, too-perfect woman had the skills to detect necromancy. After delivering the message, the woman -- the Empress's emissary -- left the festival and made for the army, which showed every sign of pitching camp. Vaundsburg was staking a claim at Lake Adler, it appeared. It made sense: push farther north and risk being flanked or cut off; avoid coming off as a full invasion and win some of these noble courtiers to your side. Therien being Therien, seasoned guards tended to be omnipresent. Now Harrier realized that she hadn't seen patrols in quite a while, apart from private guards. Pulling back and gathering, presumably, and without them around it seemed the nobles were willing to debate the merits of treason. These people appeared shaken to the core by the disconnect between their reality and their ideology, their understanding of how the world worked. An existential crisis, in a way. As dissention rose among them, fear and anger turned to blows between several courtiers. Some stomped off toward the Vaundsburg camp. Others called for horses and headed north to the Summer Palace at best possible speed. Still others retreated to their various estates. And quite a few stayed for the festival. For her part, Harrier found a quiet, abandoned tent. From her belt pouches, she produced a small soapstone tray, a wrapped ink-stick, and a jade fountain pen. She mixed the ink using a bit of wine, dipped the pen, and laid out an unfolded piece of parchment. "Speak to me, al-Kaateb," she whispered. "Tell me of the vampires and the dead of Vaundsburg. What do I need to know?" The pen twitched, and the soul of the ancient Macharian archivist began to write. Riddles, as usual. Éléonore Rousseau
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Post by Éléonore Rousseau on Jan 21, 2017 7:33:00 GMT
Harrier Wren Wren would see the pen write in it’s riddles as usual. Poetry and quirky little quips. “What costs a persons soul but ensures they do not suffer leave after losing it?” “Who remembers the days before the Empire and watched it’s rise and falls? And lastly. “Who is the black noble upon her dark throne who now calls the night her day and yet speaks not of the northern princes.” “All these answers lie in the place where the court never dies and has been dead. The Empress is dead, long live the Empress.”
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Post by Harrier Wren on Jan 21, 2017 7:47:05 GMT
Éléonore Rousseau Any sensible necromancer, reading that, would run for the hills. Then again, Harrier had never met a sensible necromancer, let alone been one. As she mulled over al-Kaateb's writing, the skeleton of a plan took form. She'd shielded the pen and her ring from sorcerous detection, due to Steward Harmon's excellent Imperial battlemages. The risk existed, though, that another necromancer could discern them, especially at close range. Therefore, she produced a small knife, cut a flap of sod near the tent's corner, and stowed the ring and the pen in the ground. If someone stepped on that exact patch of grass with significant weight, the pen could break, but the festival grounds were mostly deserted anyway. All the while she pondered the implications of al-Kaateb's revelation. Assuming the scholar's shade was telling the truth, or speaking entirely of one person, the ruler of Vaundsburg had just topped Harrier's list of interesting people. Now that all her objects of magic were concealed, Harrier reexamined her costume. She looked to be just another mistress (or would-be mistress) of some social-climbing courtier. Workable, but she could do better. Five minutes' search found her a drunken, sleeping minor noblewoman -- there were several scattered across the festival ground. Harrier had done her research, and she still didn't recognize the crest on the signet ring: a minor house with minor holdings. If she didn't know this one, Vaundsburg absolutely wouldn't. She slipped on the ring and left the festival ground on the fringes of a group of bickering, nervous minor courtiers. Their destination was the Vaundsburg camp, there to pledge allegiance to the undead Empress.
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Post by Alexandra Feanor on Jan 22, 2017 1:48:26 GMT
Location: The Road outside of Brecken Town Accompanying Force: 100 Broken, 2000 Soldiers Alexandra's hands ran over the blade, her armor shifting on her body as she touched the hilt of her main blade, the secondary eastern blade hanging from her horse rather than her side. It was odd being in armor again, a situation she didn't get into very often anymore but this was a time when she needed to act. A week before she had received letters from both a group claiming to have an heir to the old empire but also a letter from the steward of the crumbling empire. It was unclear who was telling her the truth but in the end she chose to bring a portion of her men to Therien and find out for herself. She would find this heir, and see for herself what he is like before making her decision, knowing that if she did side with these rebels it would mean she could be painting Gyn an enemy of the more devout nations who still side with the steward. Gyn could survive a greater war, but she hoped it would not come to such and this conflict would end here. The thought caused her eyes to drift over to the commander riding near her, waving for him to come closer. "Michael, get the men prepared for conflict. It is unlikely this will end without a full war starting up." She said to the man, only receiving a nod before he rode back to relay her orders to the other captains of the force. Her force was nothing spectacular, The Reforged were here in force, a hundred of the war mages of gyn and alongside them was around two thousand normal soldiers. She wanted only a minimal force, something able to keep on its feet and protect her should the need arise. This was not an army meant to hold castles and if fighting did begin they would act as a strike force and vanguard rather than a bulk force. She was still banking on the thought that this would end without full out war but the closer she got to Brecken, the more unsure she was.
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Post by Éléonore Rousseau on Jan 22, 2017 8:56:04 GMT
As the second evening came and those who swore fealty were given sanctuary the rest were now settled in their fate. The army broke camp and marched. The Vampire general Lisa gave order to spare civilians and to only take down those who resisted. The marching army then moved onto the lake side town and began to go about the business of conquering it. However little if any damage would be done outside those few who might try to fight them. The army otherwise did not bothered the festival goers if they presented no threat. However once cleared of the area they would need to secure the holdings briefly before fighting out how far they might go. As of now however mortals and undead alike scoured the area for anyone who dared challenge them.
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Post by Alexandra Feanor on Jan 22, 2017 13:50:52 GMT
Location: The Road outside of Brecken Town Accompanying Force: 100 Broken, 2000 Soldiers Alexandra was not blind to the army that was assaulting the lakeside defenders and people running for safety, after all while this was a sizable region, it was not impossible to see one of the most notable features especially when there was an army coming along its banks. The sight made her groan as she could already taste death in the air, its foul magic tainting her senses and making her grimace. The other mages, one touching mana and could feel its use, also showed signs of knowing which means they would have little time. She had wanted to get set up, talk to this boy pretender and figure out if there could be some peaceful reclamation of the throne but already there were beings here trying to achieve greatness of their own. Therien still belonged to the Imperial seat, whether in that seat was a prince or a steward she could not care. Cutting off the force from further initial expansion was the key to ensuring that. That problem now came though. Lake Adler was surrounded by farming towns, not mountainous or even hilly terrain. This meant she would have trouble sealing off the Undead even more so considering her smaller force from eyesight. She might be able to scrounge up some volunteers if she sent out one of her few riders but that would take time which she did not have. There were two options for her. The first was a small hill further up the bank, this meant sacrificing land in order to get more secure and stop the army from getting to far. The second option would be to set up in a small village, using the housing and fields to provide limited cover but no advantage past that, this would stop the army though before it could expand too far. "Send out two riders, one to the towns, the other to that enemy force." She shouted this to the captain nearby, his head nodding as he moved to do so. "You, divert the rest of the army to that village, ask any that would wish to defend their homes to do so but do not force them." She would only get a small increase anyways, and she would not force a man to put his life on the line for a home as long as his family was clear. "Take a hundred soldiers to ensure the route away is clear from raiders."With those orders she and her men would leave the road and start marching to where she could intercept the army that was on the south of the lake, ready to stand their ground and wait while her rider went to that army's leader. She had not wanted to fight so quickly, and hoped a meeting could be set up by her rider with the leader of that force, but if she did need to fight she would. Éléonore Rousseau
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Post by Harrier Wren on Jan 22, 2017 16:54:41 GMT
Éléonore Rousseau Alexandra FeanorHarrier and the other pledges, with the aid and tacit supervision of some of the Vaundsburgers, moved in the army's wake and contacted their estates. Dozens of household guards joined their employers, the courtiers who'd sworn allegiance to the undead Empress. The additional forces were a drop in the bucket, and wouldn't be serving in the front lines of anything, but the pledges were taking the opportunity to demonstrate loyalty. As the situation grew complex, Harrier took the opportunity to do two things. The first was an extremely minor cantrip, the kind that any number of nobles could pull off. It involved a small ritual with a bowl and some water or wine - easily procured in the festival grounds. Under the incurious gaze of her Vaundsburger escort, Harrier filled the bowl and muttered the charm. The wine began to go cloudy at the edges of the bowl. The disturbance emanated from numerous scattered points. Directional points, indicating elements of magic: powerful undead, spells being cast, etc. The ritual offered no specific knowledge, just a general idea that quite a few magicians were in the approximate vicinity. The currents of magic were growing complex as a result. That meant she could do the other thing. A simple pretext - looking for a friend - took her into a handful of tents in the festival grounds. In one of them, while briefly out of her escorts’ line of sight, she bent down and pulled two small objects from under a flap of sod. Both were extremely minor for objects of enchantment. Now that the currents of magic were more complex and confused around Lake Adler and throughout the nearby countryside, the risk of their detection was extremely low. Those errands complete, she returned to the army’s train. Too minor a noble for dedicated guards, she clearly had little to contribute. Among other pledges and the camp followers, she watched across the lake as a second army came into view. Much of the cloudiness in the bowl had come from that direction. Plenty of practitioners marched with those troops, at a guess. And was that a rider?
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Post by Éléonore Rousseau on Jan 23, 2017 1:41:52 GMT
As the army noted the arrival of another force one of the mortal captains moved up to inform the General herself and she nodded. “I see. Until we confirm who it is and strength move to defensive positions.” As they began to the vampire herself marched out with her honor guard sword coming out as she looked out trying to identify this new threat. One of the undead knights stepped toward her on it’s undead steed and looked over. “We are ready.” Is all it said. She nodded. “Stand fast for now.” She watched and waited for their next move. The next hour or so would decide how things went. Harrier Wren Wren Alexandra Feanor Feanor
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Post by Alexandra Feanor on Jan 23, 2017 5:57:21 GMT
Location: The Road outside of Brecken Town Éléonore Rousseau Harrier WrenAccompanying Force: 100 Broken, 2000 Soldiers, 100 Local militia Alexandra and her men took their positions about ten minutes later, settling in and doing what they can to fortify the position with what they could. The Broken had been sent out to the outskirts of their lines with a small guard, ordered to set up runes and obstructions for the other force. The idea was to funnel them into the town where Alexandra's troops could negate the usefulness of their cavalry and keep their numbers in a controllable location. This meant the use of alterations to the landscape through magic, this would mean the fields would be disrupted but in return the people beyond her battle line should be safer. In addition to those alterations, she had a handful of locals already reporting to her line, giving her information about dips in the landscape and locations where she could funnel soldiers through and set some more traps. In large this would still be an open battle, but with the village restricting the movement of troops alongside her own men's alterations and the advice given to her by the people who were used to the land she was less worried. Less was all though, looking to the south and watching the army as it stood away from her own men as best she could. They were barely in sight as it was, something that unsettled her considering she knew they likely outnumbered her. The thought made her chew on the inside of her cheek while the normal soldiers worked to create some crude form of barricades and barriers from what they could find and gather. Unknown to her the rider sent towards Éléonore Rousseau would be arriving soon enough, delivering the message of wanting to talk before things became hostile. If the vampire would accept, Alexandra would be waiting not far from her own battle lines, if not, then battle would be inevitable. Meanwhile the second rider would continuing on to gather what it could and search for aid, moving towards the mansions of any nobles who might find this as a chance to keep their positions and places of splendour in addition to any other forces that would wish to aid in keeping an invader from taking direct command of the region.
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Post by Solaiel on Jan 23, 2017 6:21:00 GMT
Solaiel stepped past the grandiose doors of his manor before stopping to look at the worn stone surface of the wall next to him. He reached his hand out and ran the human fingertips over the finely porous material. The value of life had long been of little importance to the dragon, but he had found a fondness for possessions. The human form that hid him from the Mapheri Dynasty was so easily adapted to seeking out the fine luxuries of the upper class of lesser races. He had taken these estates after migrating from Pakellan when the Empire fell. Now Therien would fall. The beast knew it was inevitable. Yet there was a pang of sadness deep down in parting with the halls that he had occupied for some ten years. There was also a tinge of anger that his spy network had failed to give him better warning. "My lord, the men are ready for your command." His captain of the guard eyed him for a moment before Solaiel finally nodded to him. "The guard are released from my service, captain. Have them secure their families and leave Therien. Do not waste time with belongings. The men without families that wish to stay with me may do so." Fifty men wouldn't wouldn't have made a difference. In truth it would have made him more of a target. The guard paused before finally pulling his fist to his breast plate in salute. He then turned to carry out his orders. Solaiel was certain he could have an orc war band in range within three days. There was also a few decent bandit and raider outfits that could be moved into advantageous position. He'd have to bide his time until invading and defending forces were weakened by sustained fighting. The man sighed again and finally left for the horse that awaited him. Already he could see about ten loyal guards lining up to stay with him. _________ The dragon and his personal guard had been fortunate to avoid fighting as they walked their horses down one of the dirt roads leading away from Lake Alder. The force from Vaundsberg had moved quickly to take the civilized areas around the lake. Luckily this spread them out and slowed their advance enough for Solaiel to stay ahead of them. The undead threat was less than trivial in his mind. The real problem was the Vampires. They'd be able to literally sniff him out in a crowd. He couldn't bide his time if he was forced to reveal himself to escape. This meant staying out of their grasp. The problem was that another army was approaching from a different direction. Ironically it was the direction he had been heading in. There were enough battle mages among them for the dragon's senses to pick up on it. Enough mages in one area could be deadly if he was careless. That left either fleeing to the city or to the wilderness. At least the mages would have a much harder time detecting him. Solaiel narrowed his eyes as he saw soldiers moving in the village ahead of him. Alexandra's forces seemed to be moving about peacefully as they secured their perimeter. It was a chance, but he'd learn precious little in the wilderness. The beast would also be damned if he'd defend the fools in the city that fantasized about the return of the Empire. "Fly white cloth from your lances. I want to learn more about the forces ahead of us," added the noble before kicking his horse into motion. Alexandra Feanor
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