Down that road

The Brass Coast has lost much; it may loose much more before there is an end in sight.

Desperate Defence

During the Spring Equinox, Imperial heroes used the Sentinel Gate to travel to Gambit in Kahraman to intercept a force of Jotun yegarra. Lead by Wallis of Sarcombe, the partner of the yegarra warleader Stephen of Sarcombe, they managed to seize the initiative in the area, ultimately smoothing the way to the capture of the town of Rojota. The Empire managed to secure the area long enough for the defenders of the territory, especially the garrison of Fort Braydon, to recover and regroup. While the Lasambrians stole a march on the Empire, the ability of the Corazón raiders to sweep across the territory was greatly limited.

That does not stop them from trying, however. The Corazón focus their attention on attacking wagons transporting mithril from Briante and white granite from Damata, but they don't spare Freeborn paradors and caravans. The garrison of Fort Braydon, supported by some of the local dhomiro, does their best to intercept these raids but even with the advantages secured during the battle at Rojata, it is not enough. But then... something else begins to affect the campaign in Kahraman. Things start to go wrong for the orcs of the Lasambrian Hills - seriously wrong. During the Spring Equinox, a band of Freeborn magicians placed a subtle enchantment over Kahraman; Autumn magic channelled to help the Cinnabar Hills defend themselves against the raiders. Anyone trying to avoid the raiders finds themselves guided to safe paths. Some receive unexpected warnings that a group of thieves is nearby, and are able to take steps to secure themselves and their possessions before the orcs arrive. Misfortune and ill luck plague the Corazón at every turn; their scouts fall afoul of the Fort Braydon garrison, or stumble into the path of a group of kohan, or become confused and take entirely the wrong path on one of the mountain roads. Under normal circumstances, the enchantment would not be potent enough to protect the Great Mine or the Damatian Cliffs, but coupled with the Empire's successes outside Rogota, it completely stymies the Corazón raiders and also ensures that all the mithril and white granite reach the Empire.

Imperial magicians also act to defend Briante and Damatia in more concrete ways, summoning magical castles from the Summer Realm rise in the hills in northern Kahraman. These bastions of stone and ice provide safe havens for the tired soldiers of Fort Braydon. They also supply additional garrisons - snow-haired ogres and iron-toothed bearfolk - who fight to preserve the hills where the enchanted fortifications rise.

It is not only the Empire that receives aid from the Summer realm; a legion of elfin warrior under the red-and-gold banners of the Fields of Glory fight alongside the Hierro. While the Lasambrian Jotun largely ignore the magical fortifications in Briante and Damatia, these supernatural knights seek out every opportunity to clash with the warriors of Cathan Canae, somewhat blunting their effectiveness in helping the orcs to conquer Kahraman.

With the knights of the Summer Realm are too busy fighting each other, and the Corazón raids faltering, the responsibility to support the Lasambrian Jotun falls to the yegarra that fight under the banner of Stephen of Sarcombe. Rather than returning to Bregasland to support Mathilda Fisher, the former Mournfolk remain in Kahraman. Rather than fighting alongside the Hierro or the Escuta, however, the yegarra warband throws most of its support behind the Corazón raiders. Where the orcs are focused on securing resources for the Lasambrians, Stephen seems driven by a need to find out precisely who was responsible for the death of his beloved Wallis during the Spring Equinox. He has apparently sworn a furious oath that he and his yegarra will not leave Kahraman until those responsible pay for what they have done.

We must embrace our past; we need never be ashamed of it. The only failure is to accept defeat; we will adapt our strategy and try anew. Nothing is beyond our grasp; not Jade Range, not Braydon's Jasse, not Kahraman itself, and not the golden grasses of Segura.

Lefsnir Red-armed, General of the Escuta

At Nestor's Bounty

Despite the citadels, and the Autumn aegis, however, the defenders of Fort Braydon are stretched almost to breaking point. The Lasambrian Jotun consolidate their hold over Gambit, and press east into Jade Range, quickly overwhelming the settlements in the western part of the region. There is very little death - the three Lasambrian armies seem to be going out of their way to reduce the numebr of casualties they cause in favour of taking land and overwhelming the defenders.

There is one decisive engagement in Jade Range - a pitched battle for control of the largest settlement in the region, Nestor’s Bounty. While the Hierro are at the forefront, and the Corazón spread their raids across the plains, the third army takes a slightly different tack. The Escuta still show signs that up until recently they were an army of the southern Jotun - the story of why it now marches under the phoenix banner of Lasambria is not generally known. But march it does. Led by the mystic Lefsnir Red-armed, the Escuta number among them charismatic godi, thralls trained in the physick's art, and even a smattering of magicians wise in the ways of healing. While the healers minister to the bodies of their fellow Lasambrian orcs, the godi minister to their spirits - preaching the Lasambrian interpretation of the seven Virtues and kindling something akin to religious zeal among them. The orcs are fired up with talk of Pride and Courage, and the bonds of Loyalty between the three armies and their allies are tempered and strengthened. They preach of the vital role of Vigilance in understanding an enemy and of how the Wise look for opportunities to employ what they have learned. They talk of the just reward that comes from fighting their enemies, and of the ultimate Ambition to reclaim all the land that once belonged to the Lasambrian forebears.

Their words are powerful, and Nestor's Bounty falls, and the Jade Range is taken, and the exhausted defenders fall back again to Braydon's Jasse.

The good news for the Freeborn is that this new virtuous zeal does nothing to change their attitude to the conquered Freeborn. They seem to still be guided by their particular take on the virtue of Prosperity, and continue to offer their unique version of the more familiar Jotun Choice. Join the Lasambrians; keep their land and their possessions but agree to accept the conquerors as their rulers, swearing an oath of loyalty, and offering a portion of their wealth to the orcs. Or simply leave, with nothing save the clothes on their backs, a few sentimental keepsakes, and as much food as they can carry. Loyalty or exile, with death reserved only for those courageous few who refuse to choose either way. The steady stream of refugees from Kahraman into Madruga that began after the Winter Solstice soon turns into a flood.

Look to the Hills

With Jade Range and Gambit both secured, the Lasambrian Jotun turn their attention to the hills and mountains. Some of their allies know the high places of Kahraman well - the orcs that once lived in the passes overlooking Liathaven joined the western orcs some time ago after all. The raids against the Damatian Cliffs and the Great Mines of Briante may have failed to acquire any white granite or mithril but they have provided valuable scouting information to the orcs. Away from the grasslands, and the best maintained roads, it is no easy matter to travel through Kahraman as the civil service assessment of 382YE pointed out. The caravans that carry Bourse resources from Kahraman to Madruge travel predictable routes, because there are no alternatives, and that leaves them vulnerable.

Worse, perhaps, is the news that the garrison of Fort Braydon is stretched almost to breaking point. They have been holding off the Lasambrian Jotun for six months now, and the strain is beginning to show. They've fought the Jotun before, of course, but this time something is different. The Lasambrian Jotun have taken the plains - the farms and the villages that support the hill dwelling Freeborn families and the crucial fort in Braydon's Jasse. Replacing those brave soldiers who fall trying to slow the Lasambrian advance is becoming more and more difficult. Emergency supplies are available - from Mournwold, Tassato, and Madruga but getting them to the defenders of Fort Braydon can prove something of a challenge especially in the face of fast-moving Corazón raiders.

To conquer Kahraman, the Lasambrian Jotun need to capture only one of Braydon's Jasse, Serra Damata, and Serra Briante. The orcs know that, and the defenders of Kahraman know that. They have taken two fifths of the territory without suffering any notable casualties; their main opposition has been weakened by months of fighting a slow retreat back into the hills. Unless something changes, it seems inevitable that Kahraman will fall to the orcs of the Lasambrian Hills.

Game Information

The presence of Fort Braydon, and the two Frozen Citadels, prevented them pushing into the northern regions this season, but only just. The Lasambrian Jotun now control both Gambit and Jade Range. The control of these two regions has some strategic implications for the Empire - armies travelling to or from Segura will need to do so via Madruga which may limit their ability to move freely.

The Corazón have been raiding in Kahraman, supported by Stephen of Sarcombe's Mournwold yegarra. Thanks to the efforts of Imperial heroes during the Spring Equinox, and the Autumn magic placed on the territory during the Spring Equinox, these raids have had limited effect. No personal resources have been impacted, and the Bourse resources have not had their production reduced. This state of affairs is unlikely to continue; the only reason the white granite and mithril remained untouched was the Empire's partial victory during the Spring Equinox - the ritual alone is not enough to prevent the Corazón raiding. Indeed, there is some evidence that under normal circumstances the Corazón are now much more effective at raiding Bourse materials than they have ever been - perhaps as part of the legacy of whatever it was the Lasambrian Jotun achieved in Segura. If they continue their raids with the same fervour, it is likely they will be able to claim half the production of both the Great Mines and the Damatian Cliffs in the coming season.

Battle

• A major conjunction has been identified in Kahraman
• Further details of this opportunity will be added to this Wind of War as soon as they are available

There is a major conjunction that will reach Kahraman during the Summer Solstice. The Imperial prognosticators have examined the conjunction and believe it offers two opportunities. A chance to prevent the Lasambrian Jotun making a decisive strike into the northern mountains that will jeopardise the defence of the territory, and a chance to secure an advantage for the Empire if they engage the orcs in Kahraman this season.