Events for 1454

Tana [-6]: The Ice Demons cross the Imbros river with heavey casualities, but overwhelm the defenders on the other side of the river and then cut like a cannon bolt through a cottage. The destruction is formidable, but it is concentrated along a direct route towards northern Tana.

Zelkor [-4]: The horrible monsters in the sea plague the Gulf of Gomel, and the coastal areas of Zelkor in particular. The unnatural storms have ended (partly thanks to the joint efforts of Mir and Burcancy Weather Mages), but at worst times every tenth ship -- be it small or big -- is attacked, and only few of even the biggest ships manages to escape from such attacks. The harbor of Zelkor practically closes down, and the Zelkor economy takes a terrible blow.

Taltheran [+3]: A peace agreement is negotiated between the major factions of the civil war. The agreement effectively transforms the former Kingdom into a union of city-states. It reaffirms the privileges of the Talthrean Wizards, formalizes the conduit of trade and travel between major cities, greatly diminishes the powers of the King (making him mostly a figure-head), while giving each city (or effectively, the local Merchant Guild) almost total freedom in arranging local matter. There is no agreement on unified army. Each city is responsible for its own defence, but may request aid from the others at a certain cost. Military actions against other cities are strictly forbidden, and incur a penalty cost, as determined by the Taltheran Trade Council, where each of the cities, and the wizards, have their representatives.

Actions for Vraa'al

Action submission

The people of the Vraa'al having been miss led and lied to by the council and having backed the High Lords deranged plans. when the people voted in the year1453 the majority of the council was replaced, by people who would represent them better then their former council members and where also against the High Lord.

Action1&2

The Council of the Vraa'al is trying the High Lord with Treason against the interest of the people. After the threats from Burancy along with the threat from Mir. took it upon themselves to take the High Lord to trial for the Massacre of Villard and the Royal family of Burancy, along with His alienation of the 20 original Great houses of the Vraa'al, and his choice of his Bastard half blood child as his successors.

Diffuculty: Normal

Weight: Double

Fudge Points:0

Notes:

Actions 3

Investigation of the archives of the council and the High Lords personal records. looking for incremenating evidence against The High Lord. so that they may fully understand what they are trying him for.

Difficulty: Normal

Weight: Single

Fudge Points:0

Action resolution

Action 1-2: Treason of the High Lord

Resolution: Diff = Very hard (-2) + Dice (0-++) + Extras (double: +1, success in actions 3-4: +2) = +2 Success

Dice:

• Reaction of the people: 0
• Reaction of the High Lord: -1
• Society stability: +1
• Society integrity: +1

Results: Success

The High Lord rejects the Authority of the Council. While there is some support for him among the Great Families, and slightly more among the common people, mostly he is left without any significant support. The threat of a civil war is quickly forgotten.

Action 3-4: Investigation of the archives

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (-+++) + Extras (double: +1) = +3 Great success

Dice:

• Access to the personal records: -1
• Access to the archives: +1
• Incremenating evidence: +1
• Luck: +1

Results:

The High Lord's personal records are hidden (or perhaps destroyed), but from the archieves of the Council, a lot of material is acquired, for example accounts of the transactions with Burcancy and Mir during the crisis, how the High Lord persistently rejected any other than the blood vengeance way of settling things.

Actions for Sedonia

Action submission

The action to rebuild Vizinian roads is suspended.

Action 1: Mobilize the Reserve

Weight: Single

Description: Following the receipt of Legate Martros' reports of the loss of a third of his force at sea, and of the defensive campaign against the Ice Demons in the waning months of 1453, the Regency Council votes to mobilize Sedonia's reserves. The five reserve Legions, VI through X and their supporting cavalry formations are activated, a total of 37,240 men. A detatchmen of 1,800 men is assembled from all the Reserve Legions and is immediately dispatched to Aseria(see Action 2); the Legions and cavalry will require training time, and will not be available for deployment until 1455.

Difficulty: Normal. Sedonia, as part of its military reorganization during the 1440s, established the infrastructure for this type of situation.

Subparts: * Sending out the call-up notice * Response to call-up by reservists * Rearming of reservists * Refresher training for reservists

Fudge Points: 2

Action 2: Marching Through Tanimbar

Weight: Single

Description: In Lussuth of 1454, the Regency Council sends movement orders to I and IV Legions, their supporting cavalry units, directing them to prepare to march to Aseria via Tanimbar and Burcancy. Additional reinforcements for II Legion, a detachment of 1,800 reservists, will follow as soon as possible.

However, reaching Aseria will be difficult. With the seas closed by monsters, the Legions will have to march overland through Tanimbat and Burcancy, and Sedonia' relations with Tanimbar are poor. While this is in part due to Empress Yzara's abortive invasion of Tanimbar just before the Sinari War, the roots of the animosity go back to the last Ice Demon invasion: the Tanimbari have always felt that the Sedonians abandoned them to the Ice Demons then. In addition, there are communities of Ice Demons still living in Tanimbar's interior.

Countering this animosity is the fact that Tanimbar is obligated by the the Treaty of the Mid Sea? Federation to let the Sedonians pass through, as per the mutual-defence clause. That does not mean that they have to be happy about it, however.

The Sedonians are ordered to march through Tanimbar as quickly as possible, to avoid Tanimbari cities and towns, and to avoid contact with the native Ice Demons. The Legions are to send most of the cavalry ahead with multiple remounts, retaining only a minimal scouting force. If all goes well, the cavalry will arrive in Aseria two weeks after leaving, with the last of the infantry arriving 57 days later.

Difficulty: Hard (-1). The Miserable Relations between Tanimbar and Sedonia are partially offset by treaty obligations and the changes in Sedonia's government over the last 30 years. The Sedonians are going to be pushing their pace to spend as little time as possible in Tanimbar.

Subparts: * Legions Marching to Aseria * Cavalry Riding to Aseria * II Legion's reinforcements Marching to Aseria * Preventing Straggling & Looting

Fudge Points: 4

Action 3: Building the Spy Network

Weight: Single, strategic

Description: This is a continuation of the work of previous years--no radical changes in course.

Difficulty: Hard

Sub-parts:

• Insert 'deep cover' agents
• Hire analysts
• Develop counter-espionage
• "Special Projects"

Action 4: Making an Imprint

Weight: Single, strategic

Description:

"So, how many pages can you get on a single sheet of paper or parchment?" Minister Ghere asked Davor and Lecon as Raden and some apprentices worked the press.

"Well, sir," said Davor, "it depends. But, printing front and back, as few as 4 pages to as many as 32."

"32 pages on a single sheet?" said Ghere skeptically. "How do you manage that?"

"We have a chart we use when typesetting," replied Lecon. "It shows us the orientation of the type and the order in which to set. Here, take a look." He handed a printed chart to the Minister:

Front Side: Back Side: +-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+

v

08

25

32

01

v

v

02

31

26

07

v

+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+

09

24

17

16

15

18

23

10

+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+

v

12

21

20

13

v

v

14

19

22

11

v

+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+

05

28

29

04

03

30

27

06

+-+----+----+----+----+-+ +-+----+----+----+----+-+

"The little arrows at the ends of each row indicate the top of the page for that row, and the numbers indicate the order in which each page of the signature should be typeset when you're printing 32 pages to a sheet," Davor explained.

"Fascinating," said Ghere. "And you have similar charts for the other sizes of book?"

"Yes, that's right," said Lecon. "Ah, I see that Raden's finished printing."

Raden Tomasros came up to the other three men, and with a flourish, he presented the sheets of paper he carried to Minister Ghere. "Here you go, Minister, as you requested, 500 copies of the pending reserve mobilization bill, ready to be delivered to the Councilors."

Raden Ghere, Minister of Special Projects, smiled. "Very good, my boys, very good indeed."

* * * * *

The three university students, Davor, Raden, and Lecon, are well on their way to a successful press. The only technical hurdle left is finding a better ink recipe. As far as funding goes, they are being backed by the Ministry of Special Projects. If they can print enough copies of pending bills for all the Councilors, plus copies of the final acts as passed, Minister Ghere will pay them to publish all government-related material, and provide enough funding to build multiple presses and hire apprentices to operate them.

Difficulty: Normal

Sub-parts: * Finding a better ink * Tweaking the press design for efficiency * Government printing jobs * Securing other printing jobs

Fudge Points: 3

Action resolution

Action 1: Mobilize the Reserve

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (+0+-) + Extras () = +1 Success

Dice: fp=2

* Sending out the call-up notice: +1 * Response to call-up by reservists: 0 * Rearming of reservists: +1 * Refresher training for reservists: -1

Results: Success

Overall, the call-up goes as well as can be expected. There are enough arms and armor for everyone, and the call-up notices reach everyone they need to. Not all reservists recalled report, however. In some cases, this is because the soldier in question died or became disabled; in others, the reservist demonstrated that he was his family's sole means of support. Refresher training does not go well--the reservists have a hard time adjusting to the changes in doctrine from the reforms of the 1440s.

Action 2: Marching Through Tanimbar

Resolution: Diff = Hard (-1) + Dice (++0-) + Extras () = 0 Mixed results

Dice: fp=4

* Legions Marching to Aseria: +1 * Cavalry Riding to Aseria: +1 * II Legion's reinforcements Marching to Aseria: 0 * Preventing Straggling & Looting: -1

Results:

The I and IV Legions and Cavalry supports arrive in Aseria successfully, and participate in the defeat of the Ice Demons in Parglug. II Legion's reinforcements, however, are involved in a nasty incident which began with a fight in a tavern and ended with a small Tanimbari town being looted and burned.

Action 3: Building the Spy Network

Resolution: Diff = Hard (-1) + Dice (-+++) + Extras () = +1 Success

Dice:

• Insert 'deep cover' agents: -1
• Hire analysts: +1
• Develop counter-espionage: +1
• "Special Projects": +1

Results: (Hard: +2,+1,+2,+1,+1,x)

One deep cover agent in Mir in uncovered.

The project is generally successful. A small ring of Hand of Garr cultists is uncovered in the Imperial Topographical Service (a.k.a Sedonian Military Intelligence), providing an early success to the counterespionage specialists. The exposure of the deep cover agent in Mir is frustrating, but could not have been prevented.

Action 4: Making an Imprint

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (+00+) + Extras () = +2 Success

Dice: fp=3

• Finding a better ink: +1
• Tweaking the press design for efficiency: 0
• Government printing jobs: 0
• Securing other printing jobs: +1

Results: Imprint (Normal: 0,+2,+2): final result = +1 Success

The three students perfect their press and open for business. By mid-year, they have a total of six printing presses in operation, are training apprentices in typesetting and press operation, and are planning further expansion. While government printing jobs are for the moment confined to printing copies of legislation, Raden Ghere's influence attracts private customers, including the University of Thalsedon's Library, which contracts with the three young men to make printed copies of several of the oldest books.

With each press capable of printing two sheets per minute(one-sided), and working an eight-hour day, the boys can print a run of 1,000 copies of a 500-page octavo(8 pages per side per sheet) in 11 days, not counting typesetting time and signature assembly times.

Actions for Exquaestio

Action submission

Events

* Exquaestio grows by 15% (31.051% remaining).

Action 1-3: The Third Demon War

Description: Though Exquaestio is neither large enough nor powerful enough to affect the progress of the campaign as a whole they can still lend their influence.

Difficulty: Quad Normal (+2+0), 0 Fudge Points

Factors: military, rohain magic

Results: Casualties, Reputation, East, West = .

Action 4: Principality of Junder (3 of 3 1st)

Description: Having reached an agreement about the new government, the major parties in Junder are now responsible for putting things together and making it work.

Difficulty: Single Normal (0), 0 Fudge Points

Factors: + Threat of Ice Demons, - Factionalism, + Interdependence.

Results: Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Economic = .

Action 5: Shared Authority

Description: Feroze meets with Miracradsa to develop the techniques to share divine authority. (This isn't a strategic action because the primary agents are gods. They will either succeed or they won't.)

Difficulty: Extra Normal (-1+0), 6 Fudge Points

Factors: unknown

Results: Relationships, Theory, Practice, Use = .

Action resolution

Action 1-3: The Third Demon War

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (---+) + Extras (Triple: +2) = 0 Mixed results

Dice:

• Casualties: -1
• Reputation: -1
• East: -1
• West: +1

Results:

The Battle of Lildra annihilates Exquaestio forces in the east to some strategic advantage. Exquaestio's military reputation suffers some temporary damage.

Action 4: Principality of Junder (3 of 3 1st)

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (0-0+) + Extras () = 0 Mixed results

Dice:

• Executive: 0
• Legislative: -1
• Judicial: 0
• Economic: +1

Results: (Normal: +1,+2,0) => final results = +1 Success

Junder is off to a good start.

Action 5: Shared Authority

Resolution: Diff = Hard (-1) + Dice (++++ ++-0) + Extras (extra: -1) = +3 Great success

Dice: fp=6

• Relationships: +1+1
• Theory: +1+1
• Practice: +1-1
• Use: +1+0

Results:

Between them Feroze and Miracradsa successfully figure out how to merge divine authority, and the information spreads quickly. Though much easier than expected there are a few problems with mortal applications.

Actions for Mir

Action submission

Actions 1 & 2: The War.

With the Mirrish, Burcancy, Cedonia, Parglug forces in place. The Ice Deamons numbers make facing them in open combate unadvisable. The Warlord is going to choose a defensible position that will also be in a position to block the the Ice Deamons advancment. This army has a large amont of magical fire power as well as the seige engines moved brought from Burcancy and Mir.

The Burcancy Weather mages are to their weather abilities to inchorage the Ice Deamons towards the choosen location. In the battle itself the mage artillery as well as what we have of regular artillery will be used in abudance to do as much damage as is possible from a distance. The Warmages are to be used to help the artillery. The Dragon shall be brought from Parfalx since it is proble one of the Western armies biggest advantages. If the battle does come to direct confrontation the Warmages will move from Artillery to help the infintry.

Difficulty: Normal (Again Mir and Burcancy have been preparing to work together and war since the begining of the decaded.) Weight: Double Fudege Points 2

Actions 3 & 4: Searching Mir

With the warning from the Vraa'al to be wary of followers of Garr, Mir desidedes to head the warning. Once long ago Mir rediscovered the Amulet of Truth. Used rarely since then the amulet compels the wear to speak the truth.

The Archmage rutenly interviews members of the Brotherhood, and the Goverment. So an increase in the interviews would not really be noticed. The Archmage will be searching for anyone who might be betraying Mir spacifically anyone searching for might be working for the Goblin gods, but someone who is betraying Mir might not know they are doing it for the goblin gods. So the search will be a bigger search.

This will first start with high levels and then will go to the military and from their to th rest of the order.

Difficulty: Normal (this type of action has been performed before) Weight: Double Fudge Points 3

Action resolution

Action 1-2: The War

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (+-++) + Extras (double: +1) = +3 Great success

Dice: fp=2

• Positional advantages: +1
• Weather mages: -1
• Dragon: +1
• Luck: +1

Results: The united forces in Parglug, with considerable help from the dragon, crush the Ice Demons in a pitched battle in southern Parglug. There were considerably less Ice Demons than estimated.

Action 2: Searching Mir

Resolution: Diff = Hard (-1) + Dice (++0-) + Extras (double: +1) = +1 Success

Dice: fp=3

• Reaction of the interviewed: +1
• Secrecy: +1
• Interrogation: 0
• Luck: -1

Results: A lower level secretary is found, who is part of the Hand of Garr. He sent reports and schedules to an address in Unster, but knows relatively little of what is going on. It is something major, something that will "bring back their Lord" - but that's what they always say... In addition, several agents of other foreign agencies are uncovered.

Actions for Kaeir

Action submission

Action 1-3: Great Council of the Republic of Kaeir. Weight: Triple. Description:

Anger over the Ranger debacle, the loss of a third of the Tirmaeiri Rangers, and two squadrons of the Republican Fleet creates a crisis in the Kaeirean government. The Houses of the Republic, some 400 strong, call for the Republican Council to convene (the last time it was convened was during the Republican Revolution). The existence of a proxy Kaeirean army in faraway Taltheran adds further fuel to the fire.

The Houses are unhappy with how the Senate, and Consul Jafaarsan in particular, has handled state affairs. A demand is made for the reformation of how the state is organised, and a return to the original goal of the Republic, the protection and promotion of trade. It is only Jafaarsan's successes in Tirmaeir, Rimrivertown and his moderation of state policies that saves him from immediate impeachment and possible conviction. Finally, the absence of any kind of magical defence for the Republic also has greatly disturbed the Houses.

The Great Council of the Republic is the final source of all executive authority in the Republic, and all decisions made by the Great Council are binding and final, and only able to overturned by the Great Council. The Houses of the Republic, the Guildmagisters of the major Guilds, the Commanders of the Guard, the Fleet, the Tirmaeiri Rangers, and the heads of the various government ministries will attend.

Before the Great Council is held, it is clear what many of the Houses want:

- To renew the Houses' commitment to the Republic through the signing of a written constitution, the Compact of the Republic. - To formalise in the Compact document the organisation of the State. - To formalise the non-religious nature of the State, and forbid State sponsorship or involvement in religion. - To appoint a new Consul more attuned to the commercial interests of the Houses. - To strengthen both the Senate, so that it may act as a check on the powers of the Consul. - To decide upon a new makeup of members for the Senate, and elect a new Senate after that. - To appoint Karl van Kahshaar to the new position of Inquisitor of the Republic, separate from Senate, charged with defending the Republic against the external threats of espionage and subversion, and from the internal threats of treason, corruption, conspiracy and the abuse of power, including the power to try individuals for treason (noble individuals though would be tried before the Senate). Van Kahshaar would thereafter no longer be a Senator, but the Inquisitor of the Republic (though still possessing the right to sit in on the Senate). - To reform the Information Secretariat, transforming it into the Office of the Inquisitor. - To charge the Office of the Inquisitor with addressing the problem of the Republic's lack of magical defences. - To review the state of Republican defences, and call for the raising at least 7 new divisions. - To limit membership of the Great Council to those Houses in attendance at either the 1st or 2nd convening of the Great Council, and to the major Guilds. The names of these Houses are recorded in the Green Book, and a House's name may only be added if an absolute majority of the Great Council vote as such.

Difficulty: Hard (government reform). Key Elements: Great Council of the Republic. Factors: + Anger amongst the houses at the lack of focus on trade. ++++ Anger at the Ranger catastrophe. ++++ Anger at the loss of two squadrons of ships. ++++ Anger at the lack of magical defences. - Supporters of Lord-Consul Sanus Jafaarsan.

Questions: - The Great Council should be fairly straight forward, as a majority consensus is probably in existence. The difficulty will be in the election of a new Senate, though a moderate majority committed to trade are expected to be elected. - What will be the Grand Council's decision on magic? Many republicans are opposed to magic for ideological reasons, and many Houses are Millati, and potentially opposed to magic. - What impact will the Millati Keeper's 10 Points have on the development of a new "magic policy"? - What will the Grand Council decide regarding Basiluddin and the Tal Legion? Many would rather not discuss it, others would not want to give up the "March" that southern Saltrim would provide. - Will the convening of the Grand Council (and its decisions) have an impact on relations with its neighbours?

Fudge points: 2

Action 4: Withdrawal of Basiluddin and the Tal Legion to the southern borderlands. Weight: Normal. Description:

Osric Basiluddin, one time Commander of the Kaeirean Guard and leader of the Republic, is forced to leave Saltrim, knowing that staying could cost him his life. If he does not leave, the kind of pressure that the rest of newly at peace Taltheran will bring to bear on the republican Saltrim Conclave (see 1449) could destroy it. The other Taltherani cities would quickly move against Saltrim if the founder of the Republic of Kaeir remained their military commander.

Surrendering the banners of the Tal Legion to the Saltrim Conclave, Basiluddin quietly leaves Saltrim city, and the troops of the Tal Legion in Saltrim city also depart.

So, in order to protect himself, the Tal Legion and the Saltrim Conclave, he orders a withdrawal from Saltrim proper by the Tal Legion, pulling back to the Legion's main camp in the southern borderlands. The camp, located half-way on the route from Saltrim city to Crownsbane Keep, was first established when the Tal Legion annexed the lawless counties of the southern Taltherani borderland on behalf of the Saltrim Conclave (see 1448). Since then, order has been maintained by the Tal Legion, half of whom had been permanently located in the camp on the Saltrim-Crownsbane road.

Basiluddin renames the Tal Legion the "Legion of the March", declares the southern borderlands to be part of the "Saltrimi Protectorate of the Marchlands" which the Legion of the March will henceforth defend on behalf of Saltrim, resigns from his position as commander of the Legion, and turns command over his lieutenant, Captain Masgrix Ollnor (originally from Saltrim). With the Legion having maintained control of the southern borderlands since 1448, and with the Legion still receiving supplies from Crownsbane Keep, Basilludin's 11th hour maneuvre appears highly effective.

Basiluddin's last action is to inform his lieutenant that he has tired of soldiery, and intends to return to the Republic to lead a more.... stable life.

Difficulty: Normal (the hard working having been done in previous years). Key Elements: Lord Osric Basiluddin, the Tal Legion, Saltrim Conclave. Factors: + The Tal Legion under Basiluddin bolstered the defences of Saltrim during the civil war. + Saltrim is already republican, so they are reasonably friendly with Basiluddin. + Saltrim is relieved to get Basiludidn out of their hair. + The Tal Legion already controlled the southern borderlands (no conquest required). + The new Legion commander is a Saltrimi, and the majority of the troops are Taltherani by birth (but all hardline republicans). - The Saltrimi Protectorate of the Marchlands could be interpreted as an annexation. - Basiluddin disappears.

Questions: - How will all the parties concerned (Taltheran, Saltrim, Kaeir) react? - Will this be cause enough for the other Taltherani cities to intervene in Saltrim affairs? - Or will it be a marginal enough of a concern at the current time that the Taltherani cities ignore it for the time being? - How will Kaeir react at Basiluddin's disappearance (after all, where the hell is he?)?

Fudge points: 4

Action resolution

Action 1-3: Great Council of the Republic of Kaeir

Resolution: Diff = Hard (-1) + Dice (+---) + Extras (triple: +2) = -1 Failure

Dice: fp=2

• Grand Council integrity: +1
• Millati: -1
• Magic: -1
• Luck: -1

Results: The Great Council remains at first in good order, but when the decisions of the Council w.r.t Millati (no official position) and magic (no to magic), the people of Kaeir march to the streets. Apparently the 10 Points has reached great popularity among the people.

Action 4: Withdrawal of Basiluddin and the Tal Legion to the southern

borderlands

Resolution: Diff = Normal (0) + Dice (++--) + Extras () = 0 Mixed results

Dice: fp=4

• Withdrawal from Saltrim: +1
• Reaction of Saltrim & other Tal cities: +1
• Disappearance of Basiluddin: -1
• Luck: -1

Results: The withdrawal is succesfull, but the disappearance of Basiluddin wrecks havoc on the morale of the troops.

-- Juuso Vesanto - 01 May 2005