House Bigge made the opening move before the Assembly by mobilizing its entire levy, 1000 men, and sending them to the Peirgarten lands. Crossing the border of Vixhall, they bore construction materials, tools and Bigge banners into the Ravenstad occupied Peirgarten lands. No hostile actions were undertaken towards the Ravenstad forces, nor were any advancements made on any of their military installations, while the heralds announced that the Bigge troops had come to help restore the war stricken Peirgarten lands. Unbeknownst to the Bigge troops however, they would not reach further than the small hamlet of Pilterais. Once beyond the outer forest hedges of Pilterais, the Bigge troops were beset upon first by hail of arrows, before finally cavalry charges into their midst. Not expecting any hostilities, the levies could not even scramble to muster a defence and were mercilessly cut down to the last man, at least, to those who did not waver and flee into the forest. Not a single Bigge levy returned homeward or was captured, the entire levy was was practically annihilated as the Ravenstads took no prisoners, citing the military invasion of occupied Peirgarten lands as a military provocation and akin to hostile conflict. News of the entire endeavor quickly spread to Regalia, especially in the wake of Sigurna Wodenstaff’s new Regalian Safeguard Society. Was this the fate that would await her allies as well? Back in Regalia, Emperor Cedromar I’s month long ordeal finally started taking shape. Entirely separately from any of his advisors or diplomats, or even the central government, the Emperor had seemingly brokered a deal with the Ch’ien-Ji of Yang-Tzu to tentatively abandon the Magic Covenant and leave the beleaguered Elves and the civil warring Songaskians to be, and to take a neutral stance. Furthermore, the Emperor had brokered a deal that, according to his own saying would “Sway the Easterners to join the Crown Alliance if we give the Shen-Xi Empire a good behind-whooping.” With no time wasted, the Emperor summoned the Great Imperial Host, a military force so large and formidable that it had not been summoned since the Chrysant War, and even then this older host paled in comparison, the Empire having grown since then. Riders rode to all corners of the Archipelago, and ships even beyond, to Ithania, Nordskag, Telath and the lesser Ceardian Kingdoms, demanding their dues in troops. From Anglia, Calemberg, Rivellia, Gallovia, Vixhall, and even from war torn Brissiaud and the downtrodden Drixagh levies came forward, swelling in numbers in Regalia. The Emperor assembled the great Marshal host, led by Marshal von Treppewitz and veteran generals such as Heinrich Dressau-Heitenberg, Ser Markon of Helverinthia, and surprisingly, his aunt Lady Aliandre Kade. Imperial Guard Commander Reginald V Kade-Schwarz summoned forth the Imperial Guard, 290 out of the 300 in a regiment, while King Krumme of Nordskag oversaw his own troops that supplied the Imperial Banner. The Emperor mockingly had one of his own banners renamed from the traditional Alltmeister to Allt-Krieg-Meister, a bastardization of his regal surname that meant “Everything War Master” in Alt-Regalian. For hours, columns of troops marched onto the transports. Fleets upon fleets of merchant vessels were confiscated, and even Christopher Black and Virathus Krupp’s entire fleets were recalled into the Emperor’s personal service (though he would not leave them wanting, he commanded the Sancella of Union to make up for the lost battleships from her own numbers). Soldiers were blessed and sermons held all over the Empire to wish godspeed to the fleet, colossal as it were, 60 battleships supporting a huge transport fleet carrying as much as 120,000 troops east, to the distant lands of the Shen-Xi Empire. The Emperor, both short in words and stature appeared like a true manlet next to his advisers and Imperial Guards, though he bellowed loud words onto the crowds at the harbor when he boarded one of the transports himself: “I have heard of this Kai-Zhen Song Emperor in Shen-Xi, and I’ll let you all know this. There is only place for one Dragon Emperor on this world of ours, and I’m going to stab his immortality in the throat, you watch me, because there is only one thing immortal here, and that is my gift of conquest to this Empire”. With those words said, the Emperor turned and the ship sailed out of port. The Emperor’s departure set a peculiar situation for the rest of the country. The Government was vested with the final call in governing matters as the Emperor had left on a massive scale military campaign which the Empire had not seen before in scope and magnitude, he would not prove to have any tangible impact on Archipelago politics. The Imperial Steward and Court were left with a mere 10 Imperial Guards to maintain order in the Imperial Palace, and the Steward would also remain to act as a final communication link between the Emperor and the Archipelago, though a strenuous one at best, given the distance between the two locations. The Emperor would remain at least a month sailing away, with no one as much as having a clue as to how long he would be gone.
Sailing from the Kingdom of the Lusits to Drixagh, Virathus Krupp gawked at the news. Beginning to be filled with glee, his smile broadened with pride; a belligerent was knocked out of the war by wise diplomacy of the Emperor, and it seemed now the waves that had rocked the war effort were followed by a low tide. As he sailed around the isles though, he could not help but wonder one thing: The Emperor was not there to babysit the nobility, and an election loomed. He wondered what this meant for the people of Regalia as the issue of Brissaud weighed heavily on his mind. Just as he bid against, troops entered the fray before the assembly could even convene. His brows furrowed at the thought...
He stared down at the report, eyes widening "Fucking Void, what is Bigge doing?" He shook his head "One thousand men, torn apart without so much as an aggressive fucking move." His eyes darted between his friends "What could he have been thinking?"
The voyage was uneventful until this news reached up upon the vessel that carried Virathius Krupp and himself. He pounded the table in a heartfelt giddy cheer. Followed promptly by him writing out several letters and summons of those around his places, "Aid the War! Conquer the World!" He could see it now and my my the Staargir could not have foretold a great point of life to live in. If only his father could have seen the day that he amongst his kin were summoned for war. "A pox on political wars and courtroom elections when things of such monumental occurrence unfold around us!"A pox he thought as he moved to go commune with the Lord Krupp once more regarding this latest occurrence.
Father paced the Asylum room, stretching his legs from lounging all day, a minor cramp in his back, as one of his despicable children brought news of what was occurring. "How many people was that?" "Hundreds, father." "Ah. Well. You know, I'm all for funerals and celebrations of death, but um.. hundreds of people seems a bit excessive." "Very true, father." The elf stroked his chin, before raising a finger, "We will host a funeral for a single horse that died." "Brilliant, father." With that Father brushed the child away, promising him a reward for his disgusting retrieval of information.
Cerridynn Ulfmaerr wandered about the ship she was abroad, speaking to Eske and Virathus on occassion and keeping her distance from other passengers. She also stumbled frequently to her private corner on the ship and consulted with her rune stones and burning herbs. Cerri garnered an odd look or two when men passed her whispering to her candlemouse, Siona, or rambling about words she had spoken to her by the Gods. 'Oh this role be the beginning of a truly memorable time!' Cerridynn shouted to herself as she watched the ships inhabitants with curious eyes.
Ji pauses as he takes his drink in the Golden Willow, drumming his fingers against the side as he blinks to take in the news. The drink goes untouched, half in part due to the plague mask, and the other half being his excitement. He passes it down the table, inclining his head in a jerk towards the others to take it, before settling to hear the news and leaning forward, golden eyes narrowing in interest in the firelight.
Several young man had gathered at the harbor, where Regalian transport ships hoped to get levies from the Ithanian lands. But this didn't fit in the peacefull politics Ithania had known since they had managed to work out a propper way of governing with their former rulers. Families shouted and ordered their sons back, whilst some members of the city guard would enlist and enter the ship. It was an odd sight to see for the Ithanians, but even more so for the Regalians on the ship. Some joined the army, like souls who had lost everything to the bone horrors, but most stayed, believing that politics would be the right answer. Yet an unsafe feeling did ring through the Ithanian lands. How much longer would they be able to keep up their politics before war, in this world which seemed to get more dangerous by the day. "I want to enlist." Sophia heard as she turned her head to the small child, nearly 9 years of age. A smile found its way onto her lips, as she lowered herself to his level. "But dear, if you are gone, who would defend us..?" The kid didn't react but simply nodded, until a kiss was placed on his cheek. "Now, will you escort us all back to the carriage, Knight Philipe?" And with that, the family made its way back to the estate, the young boy marching in front of the group, as some chuckled could be heard from those who followed.
Conf Ladveer was met with more news, only three days after his little fit at the failures in the west. His eyes bulged "THE EAST!?" he yelled out, probably looking quite the sight. "What the absolute f*cking void, is anyone in Regalia sober at the moment besides me!" He slammed his forehead into the desk, letting out a whimper that was equal parts disbelief and rage. "So now we are at war with, what, the whole Spirit forsaken f*cking world now, right? Should we go piss off the Isldar again, maybe send them lutes shaped like c*cks? Or, I know, lets go spit on the orcs, thats a good f*cking idea!" He kept his face to the desk for a good ten minutes, grumbling and thinking while the poor servant who had come in bearing wine just, stared, wondering if the poor one armed tactician had finally gone mad.
Terrowin Karhter boarded his largest trading vessel, now outfitted with cannons, under the control of some admiral. He sat down in his cabin. The Viridian Knight was going to war, even though he was blind in one eye. "I most likely will not become famous, nor mentioned in any paper of sorts, yet every enemy I kill, is one less enemy for the Empire, and the small numbers do add up," Once Terrowin was done talking to himself, he walked upstairs, and made his way to the starboard side of the vessel, and watched as his small ship, and the massive fleet around it set out.
Olivia had just donned a cloak of Qilin wool dyed in the ink of squids, turning it a color as dark as the namesake of her house, when a servant brought her the news of the Imperial invasion of the Shen-Xi Empire. Her fingers faltered as they attempted to clasp the horn of Qilin buttons and her entire body shuddered from the thoughts of her friends finally being freed from terror at the hands of the Empire. Her own hands trembled as they finished the task of dressing the Ombre Matriarch. Olivia had already been on edge with her coming plans beginning to take form and this news did little to help ease her. Instead, the familiar warmth of rage and passion spread throughout her body. She would handle this situation as she handled all the woes thrown in her face; with absolute focus and determination. Perhaps her "holy" Emperor was not as bad she had once thought.
Christopher Black His boots echoed along the wooden deck as he slowly made his way from bow to stern. A hand ran the length of the wooden rail as a head tilted up to look towards the rigging. Black sails now furled would soon again be full of wind, to be accompanied this time mostly by vessels of the Sancella. A glance over at said vessels waiting patiently further down the dock prompted the order, "Check that the powder stores and other provisions on board all of those are full." "Aye, aye, Sir," came the reply. Soon, they would be at sea once more.
