Sea-wood fed with copper
Thunder Speaks
The Golden Axe, Winter Sun, Seventh Wave, and Towerjacks continue their campaign in Mareave, but this season they are joined by the Citadel Guard. The latter four armies each bear the mark of the realm ofthe Sky, and their soldiers fight with uncanny tactical nous. The Vaurshkan force is instead reinforced by mighty elfin knights - broad-shouldered creatures with whose shimmering, braided hair and heavy armour shine with the first rays of the morning sun. Their banners glorify the dominion of the Queen of the Pennants, and their axes are as eager for orc blood as those of their human compatriots. The Golden Axe lead the way, the Towerjacks and Citadel Guard supporting them, with the Seventh Wave taking a more measured, considered strategy. The Winter Sun continue to reach out to the people of Mareave, drawing on the presence of the Sannite sept among their numbers, and looking for opportunities to convince the orcs to join the Imperial cause.
The Brine Turtles - the army of Broken Shore orcs who fought against them last season - are still present. They are supported by the garrison of the Palace of Chains - the fortification that protects the Grendel city of Beoraidh. After having been beaten back quite effectively by Imperial forces last season, they have received reinforcements. The Bone Nautilus and the Hamsin fight alongside the Brine Turtles, with the red-sailed ships of the Samal providing valuable naval support. The Grendel have their own enchantments; the Bone Nautilus fights with supernatural discipline that allows both the soldiers and the mercenary warriors that fight with them to enact extraordinary tactical maneuvers on the battlefield.
Sentinels and Sword scholars, take up your arms, we are joining the assault on the Grendel. Push into Siskarn, then. You may even see the villas of Fleisardh. Make a balanced advance, the Grendel will not dictate this war. Make me proud.
Nicassia Avicia of Phoenix Reach, General of the Citadel GuardGolden Axe, I return for another year. Varushka wishes me to carry on leading once more. Heroes of Anvil have helped once more, to aid us in bringing Mareave to its knees. Along with the Crimson Slachta we move to Fundindelve in Northern Cliserra, here lies a Mithril mine, the source of this slavers power, who calls themself a salt lord. Now let us like this land sieze this mine and topple this salt lords power. Let Mareave be taken with Overwhelming force, and bring it into our Empire.
Belakov Zakharovich Prochnost, General of the Golden AxeHeroes of the Seventh Wave, the time has come to press our advantage in Mareave. Seize the Aerie, and from there press out into Fundindelve. Every step we take draws the eyes of the the Grendel from Mareave. Ambition inspires! Scouts and spire of the wave, use your networks to pass this missive to the Retinue of Salt Lord Ehsan: "There is ever a seat at my negotiation table. I cordially invite you to a comfortable parley at a time of your choosing. Approach with a plain purple banner and I will know you and your retinue approach for business. I look forward to making your acquaintance, Salt Lord Ehsan. Yours in Virtue, General Melkior of the Seventh Wave
Melkior of Balthazar’s Vineyard, General of the Seventh WaveSoldiers of the Towerjacks, we push to show the Grendel that while they may hit our south coast but we can also reach their homelands. Express our disappointment that they are not here to meet us. Draw from the clarity of the master strategist. Use our wisdom to conquor the territory steel guard our bodies. Virtue guard our souls.
Natalia 'The Falcon' Barossa, General of the TowerjacksHello you OK, Snad Viper IKK here. Soldiers of the Winter Sun, This season we stay in Mareave. We will break the chains that hold my Sibling sannites and gather them up into the tender embrace that is the Empire. Then we will join with the other armies of the Empire to take Mareave for the Empire.
Skywise Rykana, General of the Winter SunRipples in the Water
During the Winter Solstice, Imperial heroes used a major conjunction of the Sentinel Gate to involve themselves in the politics of Mareave with remarkable success. A meeting between emissaries of Salt Lord Ehsan and the beast-tamers of the Kraken's Jaws ended in disaster for the Grendel, with many of their finest beasts slain. The orc armies withdrew in disarray, allowing the Imperial forces to quickly complete their conquest of the hills of Eoradal, almost without opposition.
The Dracaild of Rathmonna was bought off, handsomely paid to ensure that they took their savage war-beasts and mercenary warriors elsewhere for the coming year. Ehsan is said to be absolutely furious, but the Dracaild of Rathmonna are principled mercenaries; it would ruin their professional reputation if they were to renege on a paid agreement even with their Imperial enemies. If the Salt Lord had wanted their services, rumour suggests, he should have paid them more in the first place.
That engagement involved more than a little espionage, as well as strategic bribery. The Red Ibis by all accounts was induced to betray their own people for Imperial coin; the Seventh Wave gained access to invaluable intelligence about the Gate of Storms; and the North Mareave Trading Company released a significant number of enslaved and impressed Sannite orcs to the Winter Sun. There is some concern about this arrangement in far-away Anvil, about the legality of purchasing slaves for any reason but that does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm with which the orcs of the free Sannite sept welcome the slaves of Mareave. Some of those freed orcs suggest there was more than just calculated greed at work here; something is afoot in the markets of Beoraidh but exactly what that is, none of those now finding new homes among the Imperial Orcs can say for sure.
The repercussions of this one battle are felt throughout the campaign. The Seventh Wave launch a surprise attack against the Gate of Storms - the fort also known as Rucraic's Aerie. Using the intelligence recovered from the field, elite units of unconquered are able to infiltrate hidden tunnels in the hill atop which the fort stands. While the bulk of the Seventh Wave provide a distraction, a stealthy attack is launched that quickly seizes control of the gates and the defense towers. The castle falls in less than an hour, the garrison slain, and the last pieces needed to conquer Eoradal fall into place. Within a fortnight of the Winter Solstice, Imperial forces control three regions of Mareave.
Storms Break
Winter in Mareave is similar to Winter in the Brass Coast - dry save for occasional violent thunderstorms that sweep in from the Bay of Catazar. These storms are especially vicious as 385YE slowly turns into 386YE, and it is against a backdrop of louring skies and rumbling thunder that the Empire pushes south into the hills of Clisearn. In contrast to the northern parts of the territory, these hills in the shadow of the eastern peaks are wealthy and prosperous. Extensive villas occupy the western part of the region nearest to Beoraidh, while the closer one gets to the mountains the more mines one encounters. Clisearn is rich in tempest jade, green iron... and mithril. The Fundindelve lies between the arms of Mount Finnoderi on the banks of the Ohwinn river.
The fighting last season may have been relatively one-sided, with the Empire greatly outnumbering the defenders of Mareave. Now the pendulum has swung more to the centre. The Bone Nautilus and their mercenaries fight well with the Brine Turtles, and both armies are further reinforced by units of Stone Born who are sworn to defend the wealthy esextates tates and - more crucially - the mithril mine. Clisearn is far from the coast - well as far from the coast as any part of the Grendel lands ever is - so the ability of the Shamal to support the defenders is minimal. They content themselves with attacks against the Imperial supply lines in Icarion, forcing the Empire to pull soldiers back to defend their baggage trains that pass through the Apulian Way. The strangest addition to the fighting here are probably the Hamsin, an army the Empire has never encountered before. Most Grendel armies are made up of orcs of the Broken Shore - the septs ruled by the Grendel rather than the Grendel themselves - but his army is different. They fight with steely discipline, it is obvious that many of their soliders are from wealthier background than the run-of-the-mill orc warrior. Their officers in particular are equipped with both finest quality weapons and armour, and enchantments to help them fight - and lead - more effectively.
It's fitting that the Hamsin are first encountered in Clisean, given the area's prosperity. Most of the Grendel "nobility" flee east toward the safety of the walls and docks of Beoraidh those who don't instead join the defence of the region against the Empire. Each of the Grendel estates has its own cadre of warriors, some of whom are prepared to take up arms and join the banners of the Bone Nautilus or Himsoon to protect their charges. For every unit that does, however, another refuses to obey orders from anyone save their Grendel paymasters; there are reports of disagreements and open challenges between these local garrisons and the armies who are there to defend them.
Most surprising of all to many Imperial soldiers is that there are comparatively few slaves here. There are some estates using forced labour to work the fields and a handful of mines whose occupants have no compunction about seeking out the welcome of the Winter Sun. In these cases the estates are captured almost bloodlessly with the slaves overpowering the relatively small number of Grendel masters left behind to supervise them. Yet many of the mines are worked by professional miners, who are paid for their labour. These orcs are much less amenable to the siren call of "freedom" - because they are already free. The Fundindelve in particular has a large number of these free miners, many of whom are prepared to fight alongside the Grendel defenders to preserve their livelihoods.
In the end, though, these scattered groups are not enough to impede the Imperial armies. Progress is slow, but it is progress. The Brine Turtles bear the brunt of the fighting, and the casualties, and it is quickly obvious to the Towerjacks and the Seventh Wave that the three generals in charge of the campaign are having some difficulty aligning their strategies. They are allies, but it seems they are nowhere near as closely allied as the Imperial forces facing them.
The climactic battle of the campaign takes place at the Fundindelve, at the falls where the northern tributary of the Oshwinn river cascades down Mount Finnoderi. In a real sense, the mine represents the wealth of Mareave; it is what allows Ehsan to claim the mantle of Salt Lord. Most of the warriors sent from Beoraidh, the mercenaries and the soldiers who garrison of the Palace of Chains, have been established here as the Empire captures the estates of Ehsan' family. It is this place, more than any other, that he wishes to keep control of. Unfortunately, the Empire cares little for the wishes of the Salt Lords. There is no siege; the Golden Axe leads a direct assault against the small town beneath the mine workings. Even with their allies, the orcs are outnumbered nearly two-to-one. The outcome is barely in doubt and after several grueling hours of fighting the orcs are forced to retreat allowing the Empire to claim the mine - and after a short subsequent campaign of consolidation, control of Clisearn as a whole.
As Clisearn falls, so falls the territory. The control might be tenuous, but the Empire now controls Mareave.
Salt and Sand
The defeated armies of the Broken Shore retreat south toward Fleisardh, into the ancestral lands of the Brine Turtles. The warriors of the sept are desperate, fighting tooth-and-nail to try and slow the Imperial advance. It's not enough, even with their allies, even with the somewhat limited support of the Shamal.
The Empire follows. The Golden Axe, the Seventh Wave, and the Citadel Guard push south harrying the retreating Grendel while the Winter Sun and the Towerjacks secure Clisearn and guard against a surprise attack from the west. No such attack comes - the soldiers and mercenaries sent by Ehsan seem to have mostly abandoned the fight, withdrawing back to see to the defence of Beoraidh and Sinfoyard.
The people of Fleisardh, the sept of the Brine Turtle, fight alongside their army as best they can. Or rather, the army fights alongside its people. These are the lands of the Brine Turtle, and it is another departure from what Imperial soldiers might have expected. Well defended villages and towns sprawl across he hills, and on the high cliffs of the Broken Shore overlooking the rocky seas. The sprawling town of Fioroult is easily a match for the Imperial Orc town of Torfast, or Varushkan Ivarsgard. Built around a lake of fresh water that feeds the river flowing west to the Blood River Colossi, there is something in the earth in eastern Mareave that rapidly makes the water undrinkable, tainting it with a crimson hue and making it splash sluggishly - like blood - into the Bay of Catazar.
While they are not truly Grendel themselves, the Brine Turtles are not the slaves of the Grendel. The analogy that comes quickest to Imperial mind is the relationship between the nobility and the yeofolk of Dawn, but even that isn't quite right. The Brine Turtles are free to conduct their own affairs, but they have little say in the politics of their nation. So perhaps the analogy is not so far off after all, quips one sharp-tongued Towerjack.
As the Spring Equinox approaches, the Empire is nearly halfway towards conquering Fleisardh. Several settlements, and a number of mines and scrubby farms are already under their control. The armies of the Broken Shore have fallen back toward Fioroult, and while they show no signs of giving up, it's doubtful they will be able to hold the Imperial conquerors off for much longer, not without serious reinforcements from the rest of the Grendel.
Warp and Weft
It's been obvious since the early engagements in Mareave that Salt Lord Ehsan is not... popular. There are divisions between the people here, between the northern orcs and the southern, and between those who live in the city and the villas and those who work in the hills. Throughout the campaign, the Seventh Wave have made it their business to capture a small number of Grendel, and instruct them to deliver a message to Beoraidh on behalf of their General. A message inviting the Salt Lord of Mareave to negotiate. A few of the Winter Sun orcs have done the same, using their Sannite connections to ensure that the defenders of the territory know that the Empire are prepared to make a deal.
After the fall of Fundindelve, to the surprise of many, that message receives an answer. A small contingent of orcs and a handful of human mercenaries approach the Imperial forces under a flag of truce - a plain purple banner that indicates their willingness to treat with the Empire. One of Ehsan's siblings leads the contingent, and brings a rather surprising offer.
The Salt Lord - former Salt Lord now that the Fundindelve has been taken - is not prepared to surrender to the Empire. Nor is he prepared to betray his ancestors in the manner of the former Salt Lord of Apulus. But he is apparently very angry indeed with the way he and his people have been treated - not by the Empire, but by their fellow Grendel. If the Empire will recognise him and his people as neutral - as "foreigners" under the legal definition of such things - then he is prepared to withdraw all forces under his control to Beoraidh and Sinfoyard He will cease all hostilities, looking to the defence of his city and his lands against possible reprisals from his former peers. The Empire will control Mareave, and may complete their conquest of the Brine Turtle as they wish. But he and his family and those who look to him for leadership will be neutral - to both sides - in the conquest of the Broken Shore. If the Senate does recognise the orcs of Beoraidh and Sinfoyard as foreigners, then there will be ample opportunity to discuss trade treaties once the fighting in Mareave is done. They would also offer sanctuary to any Broken Shore orcs who did not wish to become subjects of the Empire - which might avoid a slaughter.
Eshad's sibling indicates that the intention of the orcs of Beoraidh is to send negotiators to Anvil - but there are two further pieces of information that they have been charged to deliver as an offering of good faith. First of all, Eshad has issued an edict freeing the handful of slaves he still possesses in Beoraidh and Sinfoyard, even those who toil in the salt mines. There is paid work for any who want it, but those who don't will be free to go where they wish. This has apparently been a growing problem for some time. It began with Imperial raids on Dubhtraig andBeoraidh, but it has grown much worse since the Liberty Pact sacked Chalonsio and burned Rachensgrab. Slaves have been increasingly hard to procure and prices have spiralled as a result. While a few salt lords have clung to old practices, the smart ones, like Eshad, have switched to employing folk to do the work. Eshad is completely sanguine about this fact, they and their fellow salt lords don't see this as a moral issue, just a simple matter of profit and loss.
The second thing is an offer - or rather the gift of a piece of intelligence. The Brine Turtles will not willingly surrender to the Empire, says Ehsan's emissary. Their ancestors urge them to fight, to protect their lands, and to maintain their ancient traditions. Regardless of what the Empire chooses to do, Ehsan has instructed his negotiators to betray the orcs of Fleisardh, providing a way for the Imperial Military Council to neutralise their warriors in a manner that is both elegant, and comparatively bloodless, and will allow them to continue their invasion of Attar and the Broken Shore...
If they are interested, that is.
Game Information: Mareave
Imperial forces have captured the region of Clisearn and are two-fifths of the way toward capturing Fleisardh. While three regions are not under the control of the Empire, the territory is now Imperial - it can be assigned to an Imperial nation by the Imperial Senate. Likewise, the Fundindelve - a mithril Bourse Seat - has been captured by Imperial forces. It can be allocated either Imperial or National by the Senate, and if it is allocated during the Spring Equinox will be available for appointment at the Summer Solstice for a very short-term appointment before it enters the usual cycle of mithril seats (appointment during the Autumn equinox).
To the surprise of many there is no actual mithril at the Fundindelve; according to captured miners the entire season's supply was stolen by the Gaineamh Tine, a group of mercenaries paid to protect the mine. Instead, they engaged in a complex heist that saw them escaping into the mountains to the south-east with more than twenty wains of mithril. The invading Imperial armies meant that the defenders had a great deal more on their mind than pursuing the mercenaries and their captain Maistir Oiche, but by all accounts the Grendel were quite put out about the theft.
More information about the territory, what allocation would mean for various nations, and the challenges presented by the political situation there, will be included in the Winds of Fortune.
Pots and Shells (Battle Opportunity)
- TBC
Using information provided by Salt Lord Ehsan's emissaries, there is an opportunity to attack the Brine Turtles, and potentially neutralise the army and the sept of the same name.