383YE Summer Solstice winds of war

They all seem to know exactly what it is they want

Empty

It is a confusing time in the Brass Coast, with both Jotun and Grendel seeking to carve it into pieces like a festival-day roast. The Quiet Step and the Strong Reeds are gone from Segura, but not from the Brass Coast. They have marched east into Feroz to protect the rich lowlands from the rampaging Grendel. The people of the westernmost Freeborn territory have not been abandoned however; in their place two Highborn armies have arrived. The Granite Pillar and the Seventh Wave protect the people of Segura from the Lasambrian Jotun, fighting the orcs across the great empty plains and grasslands that make up the bulk of the south-western corner of the Empire.

It is perhaps unsurprising that there is confusion; that the Granite Pillar seem to think they are fighting the Grendel. It is a chaotic time to be in the Brass Coast. They quickly realise their mistake, and adjust their tactics. Yet at the same time it begs the question... how long will it be before the Grendel are in Segura? If their invasion of Feroz continues at its current rate... that is a concern for the future.

For too long have the freeborn stood alone against the vile Grendel raiders. The Granite Pillar will move to Segura and stand as an immovable wall against the Grendel menace. Pursue a strategic defence of Segura and make the Grendel pay horribly for any advances made. Ambition Inspires!.

Mathayus, General of the Granite Pillar

Segura is essentially a vast grassland studded with farms and villages, and the Lasambrian Jotun - the grim-faced Hierro, the rapacious Corazón, the inscrutable Escuta - are adept at using the wide open spaces to their advantage. They strike from unexpected directions, withdrawing swiftly, leading the defenders a merry dance. Fortunately, the Highborn have come prepared - both armies bear insightful Day magic enchantments that allow them to predict the movements of the orcs, and coordinate their reactions even over the great rolling plains of Segura. The Granite Pillar in particular, adept as they are at countering the aggressive strategies employed by so many orc nations, serve as a strong foundation on which the Seventh Wave build a wall of steel and Virtue. The Pillar is supported by a dozen independent captains, primarily from Highguard.

On the other side, the orcs beneath the banner of the Firebird continue to press their claim to Segura. While the Escuta advance cautiously, the Hierro seek to avoid direct engagements with Imperial forces, ceasing their advance and taking up defensive positions as soon as they are engaged.

The Corazón continue their raids deep into Imperial territory, robbing, looting, and driving people from their farms and villages. They are supported by several thousand knights from the Summer Realm - crimson haired warriors in golden scale who fight beneath fluttering pennants showing the roaring lion of Eleonaris. They seem a little out-of-place on the Corazón raids, seemingly more interested in engaging the armed defenders of the Brass Coast than in robbing the Freeborn farmers and merchants.

Yet, as before, their larcenous tactics are stymied by the most subtle of enchantments - a cunning Autumnal spell that weaves serendipity and coincidence to protect the people of Segura. Orc invaders find themselves turned around on the open plains, their sense of direction subtly manipulated to cause them to miss isolated farmsteads and instead wander into Highborn defensive positions. Freeborn fleeing the Lasambrian Jotun make surprisingly good time, or coincidentally meet up with soldiers heading in the same direction who can offer them protection. The orcs find it almost impossible to actually locate anything worth stealing and the impact of their raids is dramatically reduced. They still achieve some bold successes but in the end the Freeborn people are able to protect their Prosperity - all while being largely unaware of the magical assistance they are receiving in doing so.

The Enemy kindly invites our attentions in Segura and we will gladly oblige with a wall of steel in aid of our Freeborn comrades. We shall return to the east to finish the job - but for now we look west and hold in a balanced defence.

Cuth, General of the Seventh Wave

There are no pitched battles between orc and Highborn forces, merely a cascading sequence of skirmishes and minor engagements. The closest either side comes is when a major force of Escuta lead by a pale-skinned orc shaman meet a contingent of the Granite Pillar on the Iron Plains. The Highborn are there to help a column of frightened refugees reach the safety of Anozel. The Iron Plains were the sight of a bloody slaughter during the Lasambrian retreat from Segura several years ago, in which orc and Imperial forces clashed again and again as the invaders were slowly driven west. It is said the fields here became so sodden with blood that the harvest that year was tinged with crimson. There are known to be many mystics and seers among the Escuta; perhaps they are looking for something? Whatever they are here for it is clear they have little interest in the refugees, withdrawing whenever the Highborn seek to engage them. There are few minor clashes, but for the most part the Escuta keep their distance.

Again, the Lasambrian Jotun outnumber the Imperial defenders but again the defenders win the day. It is close - perhaps too close - but in the end the two sides are evenly matched. The difference between victory and failure is so narrow that if the Imperials had lacked even one advantage - the wise tactics of the Granite Pillar, the support of independant captains, or even a single strategic enchantment - the orcs would have begun to push forward again. For their part, the tactics of the Lasambrian Jotun did them few favours here - the Corazón were distracted by the pursuit of treasure which availed them nothing; the caution of the Escuta robbed the orcs of opportunities to defeat the Imperial defenders. There is a great deal of speculation, based on certain senate motions, that the orcs may have been expecting the territory to be abandoned by the Empire - or at least proceeding on the assumption that might be the case. The story being told in Segura is that the Seante united as one to oppose any suggestion of ceding Freeborn land to the orcs, and this news has been very well received even if it may prove to be based on optimism rather than fact. Regardless, it has inspired the Seguran people to continue to resist the Lasambrians as best they can; there is scattered talk of a grand gesture to show the "orcs of Virtue" that the Freeborn will not flee in the face of their aggression.

For their part the Lasambrian Jotun continue to treat the conquered Freeborn with respect, and issue them their unique version of Jotun Choice. Join the Lasambrians; keep your land and your possessions but agree to accept the conquerors as your rulers, swearing oaths of loyalty, and offering a portion of your wealth to the Lasambrians as a tithe. Or simply leave, with nothing save a few sentimental keepsakes, and as much food as you can carry on your back. Submission or exile, with death reserved only for those courageous few who refuse to choose either way.

While the fighting in Segura has been sporadic, it has also been bloody. Some fifteen-hundred Highborn are slain, or maimed, or lost. On the other side, it is estimated that less than a thousand Lasambrian Jotun are killed. The line has been held, but it has done so at a significant price.

Game Information : Segura

The situation in Segura has not changed much since the Spring Equinox. Anduzjasse remains entirely in the hands of the Lasambrian Jotun, and while they have not made any further progress toward conquering Anozserei neither has their foothold there been reduced.

Once again, the raids by the Corazón have been largely thwarted by subtle Autumn magic. The magic fades as the Summer Solstice approaches, however. If the Corazón renew their raids after the Equinox, then every farm and business in Segura again risks losing half of its production.

The Lasambrian Jotun maintain their control of the seven Towers of Anduz they have captured. Coupled with the hostile environment the orcs are creating for foreign traders coming into Segura, the benefits of this great work have been halved. If the orcs take any more towers - if they conquer any of the towers in Anozeseri, Yellow Chase, or Burnish - the entire benefit of the great work will be lost until the regions where they stand are liberated.

Finally, while the orcs have not made many gains, there are still people from Anduzjasse and Anozeseri heading east toward Anozel and Cerevado. Many of these refugees are unable to bring anything of value with them, and while the eastern towns of Segura are coping with the influx of borderline destitute Freeborn at the moment it is a close-run thing. If the orcs manage to overcome the defenders in a later season, they will continue to drive penniless exiles into eastern Segura, and the situation may still become a significant problem for the Brass Coast.