NationStates Jolt Archive

The Eternal Alshorian Empire of the Ralish is no longer eternal.

It is true that they are large, but their size only hastens their downfall. They have grown corrupt and decadent, relying on the forces of questionably loyal foreigners to fight with their every-further-stretched Guard. It is not only that the Ralish is declining, but we and others like us are rising on the fringes of the Continent, eager to set the world stage away from where it has been for hundreds of years. Already, Osteia is in revolt, the Ralish's most powerful vassal declaring open independence, with Caladonnian support. The lands of Terror Incognitia, across the channel from Caladonn; our own brothers to the North, the Kalmaar; and the far-off riders of Angermanland, all descend upon the Ralish with a gathering fury born of generations of living in the shadows next to the Alshorians. Not only that, but due to the recent alliance with Kamasha, we are sure to gain another nation on our side soon enough.

Caladonn seeks but a small part of the Ralish; we only wish to take the farthest northern lands of theirs, to control the entrance to the Baltic. With the most powerful navy in the world, we can blockade the islands of Frisia away from the mainland, and take them one by one, by starving them into submission and selective slashing raids. The Ralish has sent a large force to Frisia, it is true; but they cannot have sent more men than they sent to fight Osteia, which was 20,000, and those men will be spread out between the Frisian mainland of Jutland and the islands, while the Caladonnian expeditionary force, with 20,000 well-trained soldiers, will be able to concentrate on one of these three parts at a time, while the enemy is already weakened by blockading and raids. The Ralish subjects of Madnestan and Airidiris are far away, and already concerned with Angermanland.

Such were the sentiments of Supreme Consul Aramil Holimion, ruler of Caladonn and commander of the vast force sent to subdue Alshorian Frisia. 20,000 men and 100 ships would destroy the Alshorian invaders and bring the lands of Frisia into the Imperial Republic once and for all.

The fleet has already arrived in Frisia, and established a blockade of the islands of that land, which will be the first objective. It has been long known that these islands were reliant upon the mainland for trade and foodstuffs; we shall see how long they, and their Alshorian garrisons, last without this vital link. And when they are at their weakest, then the Caladonnian expeditionary force will strike with deadly accuracy.

The fight for Frisia has begun.

OOC: Bump...

Crown Prince Valter is at the head of 15,000 men moving across the straights and to each island before landing in Denmark and beginning the conquest of new lands. In coordination with this the Cult of Thor, an order of warriors who serve as the King's personal enforces in the Pomeranian territory, have been mobilised and are moving west towards Prussia and Alshorian territory.

(OOC:
Crown Prince Valter
-500 Berserkers
-3000 Carls
-1450 Spearmen
-1550 Housecarls
-1500 Raider Cavalry
-1000 Pomeranian Knights
-1500 Peasants
-12 Longships
-6 Knaar

Cult of Thor
-500 Pomeranian Knights
-1,750 Housecarls
-750 Carls
-5 Knaar
-4 Longships)

Caladonn welcomes support from our friend Kalmaar in this war. We want to conquer the Frisian Islands and possibly Jutland, but you are free to whatever other territory is in the Ralish, and of course, since you are helping us with this goal, we shall help you gain whatever territory you wish.

We wish for the lands of Prussia and other parts of Germania extending to Jutland possibly.

Kalmaar is free to all of Germany and other Ralish territory.

OOC: Bump...

OOC: Bump again...

Ralish Okolor, that's what the Empire called this part of the world. They often called the Kalmaar Okolor much as they called the people and places of Angermanland Rus or Rustican while also referencing the adjoining parts of the Empire the Ralish Rus. Ralish Okolor covered the peninsula and its islands as well as lands along the coast to the border with Kalmaar. It wasn't bad land, but in its northern extremes there had long been difficulty in impressing the Imperial faith upon the pagans there.

In this large region, 24,000 men mustered in an Imperial army that sat its bulk at the base of the peninsula, sending substantial scouting forces north, east, and west (it isn't like the Incognitians can be trusted!). Here, major crossroads and other infrastructure made it possible to turn the army almost into a city, and supplies came in from all sides to sustain the substantial population, which, after all was equivalent to half that of Azaria!

The army was great, with a large body of Imperial Guardsmen and fairly well-equipped militia and mercenaries, and the surrounding country still contained some militia detachments on their usual duty.

But the islands were relatively subdued. The population was low, and the militias hadn't tried to directly challenge the invading army, merely to continue keeping order as before. The few temples and other public and military buildings generally hid their wealth and tried, for now, to operate more or less as if they were not under occupation.

Ships were gathering around the region and being taken under military control, but not at an especially fantastic rate, and building of new ships was not increased very dramatically as yet.

Alshor sent a Cassir -a fairly high-ranking diplomat and administrator- to the islands and another to Caladonn. With the situation changing elsewhere in the Empire, King Ralish had decided to discuss an arrangement with Caladonn. Azaria would consider selling the islands, averting the need for war and enabling trade to continue rather than forcing the Empire to take steps to shut-down its markets and resources so far as Caladonn was concerned.

The Caladonnian marines have fully occupied the islands, and have been building fortresses and camps to sustain themselves. Contrary to the wishes of some of the more hard-line commanders, Galatar has decided to pay the populace for the food and resources they provide. Meanwhile, the fleet, hearing of the concentration of Ralish ships, has decided to begin a blockade of the ports of Frisia and northern Germany, with patrols covering the empty coastline as well, to prevent Ralish ships from concentrating. Any enemy ships will be attacked on sight.

The Ralish Cassirs have been taken into custody. Despite the Alshorians' terrible treatment of the Caladonnian ambassadors sent to their lands, we are willing to be fair and hear what you have to say.

Finally, experts have been sent to the Ralish temples, to ascertain their workings.

Crown Prince Valter's force was just off shore. They were going to landjust across the Kalmaaran border in Ralish territory, directly beneath Jutland. In coordination with this landing the Cult of Thor has began to move out of Pomerania and into Prussia or as the Ralish term it, Oskolo. They are to secure this undefended province of the Alshorian Empire and then move on to converge with Crown Prince Valter in Jutland.

With news of the Alshorian diplomat being received by the Caladonnians, Valter has decided to send High Lord Maynarkk Ogglfjorson as his representative.

Consul Galatar welcomes the Kalmaaran representative to Frisad (IRL Copenhagen), the capital he has set up for the Frisian islands.

The Ralish diplomats would suggest that Caladonn deliver a large sum in gold (saying that the Eternal Golden Empire, as it was sometimes called, did not need it but would accept it as a token of good faith) or a bounty in useful goods such as tin and wool -there was some question as to what exactly of value was produced in distant Caladonn- and receive Azaria's recognition of its right to administer the Empire's contested northern islands, averting the need for war.

In the temples in occupied territory, fires were breaking out, many elder priests -one of whom looked after each temple- burning themselves alive within, while the two young fighting priests at each temple tried to escape with some of the most valuable and holy trinkets, often to bury them in the countryside, or in some cases fought those sent to investigate the temples so as to delay them while the elders destroyed or hid what remained within.

It was really something to see men not only killing themselves but also destroying what seemed like a king's ransom in treasures. Was the Empire giving-up on ever recovering these lands, or could it simply afford to replace such great temples and their contents?

In just one or two cases, a careful investigation of the ruins of a temple that hadn't enough time to evacuate all of its treasures, the invaders might find a few gold items that didn't quite seem right after fire-damage and such. Though heavy and sparkling when on display, they now seemed oddly dirty. Inside one half-ruined temple, the strength of the structure had prevented a full collapse into the catacombs below, and the strangest sights could be seen. Pipes came through the ceiling from the ruined temple above, many into vats of water, others opening above fireplaces. Elsewhere lay damaged bags with boards attached to them, likely quite baffling to a barbarian, but in truth primitive bellows. Some pipes were apparently blocked... again there was no garuntee that anyone but an elder Alshorian priest would understand, but this was due to (often somewhat ill-fitting) pistons involved in creating movement and music inside the temple.

More strange was what looked like an apothecaries workshop in the corner of the underground room. Several dozen small vases, all containing liquid -vinegar? something not entirely dissimilar, one might think- and many with copper-wrapped iron rods hanging inside them. The vases were all connected in a sophisticated manner, and scattered around the room were several gold trinkets such as usually found in Alshorian temples, while, stacked in one corner, other items almost identical except that they were not gold.

Another similar set up had collapsed through the roof during the fire, but this was was more ornate, most of its workings locked within a decorative alter... the Alter of the Empire, a shrine in some of the larger temples said to harness the energy inherent to the skies, lands, and seas of the Ralish Empire, energy lacking outside the Empire's frontier, as per the imperial faith. It was a well-known fact within the Empire, and seemingly fantastical rumour outside, that one could actually feel the force of the Empire by making a pilgrimage to one of these shrines and laying one's hands upon the alter in a manner prescribed by the elder priest. It was reputed that one could feel either a sharp pain or a moving sensation of tingling throughout the body, depending upon what exactly the Empire wished to tell its subject. A priest could usually interperate the experience.

It was of course entirely likely that the catacombes would not be discovered, or that their contents would be dismissed as useless or even actively discredited or destroyed as the holy symbols of the old empire that ruled here for generations and held a strange almost mystic sway over its subjects. This had always been the way in times past when, briefly, small corners of the Empire were occupied by enemies. But, who could say, for sure?

South

Though trying to negotiate with the Caladonn, the Empire was a bit behind on learning of Kalmaaran involvement, communications being what they are. When that nation's ships and troops appeared on the Empire's border, panic went up in the east of Okolor, and small militias were raised to secure the limited defences of the villages and minor granaries and armouries around there. None had more than palisades and earthworks in their fortifications, and a few small turrets, and only a few hundred armed men were available across the region since most had joined the imperial army to the west.

Still, it did not take long for word to reach that army- longer than it would take for Kalmaaran representatives to meet the Cassirs talking to the Caladonn and then for those Cassirs to send word back to the army and inform it of Kalmaar's association with Caladonn. The bulk of the army was soon marching east to meet the enemy.

Crossing the eastern border, troops on land had just small fortifications that could be by-passed, defended by small groups of militia and the general peasantry. Valter, though, was throwing himself directly upon the 24,000 men of the Imperial Army. The Cult had perhaps a couple of hundred miles to march -many days even if they used the well-watched imperial roads, most of the supplies along which were shut up in the fortified granaries- and hadn't a chance of reaching Valter before his men, their backs to the sea, were engaged by the Ralish, unless Valter chose to wait on his ships for a week or two with whatever supplies were aboard vessels on a short-haul invasion trip while the relatively undefended coastline awaited. Of course, it would not be undefended for long, as the army marched the relatively few miles to see-off the landing attempt in the bloodiest fashion possible- lead by a large force of Guardsmen, the Ralish wanted to allow enough time for the enemy to unload much of his force before arriving to crush it decisively.

Caladonn refuses to pay any sum of money to the Ralish for the recognising of lands already controlled by the Imperial Republic. We are, of course, eager for trade, but we shall not cede any goods to you for nothing in return. It should be enough for the Ralish that we will not send your emissaries home in multiple pieces, like you did with our own Praetor.

SIC: With rumors reaching Frisia that the Ralish army is marching south, the Caladonnian marines are preparing for a possible landing in the north of Jutland.

OOC: Ralish, valter is offshore of Pomerania(my territory) and the Cult of Thor is already mobilized and on the border of your territories. Maybe you misunderstood what I wrote.

"Crown Prince Valter's force was just off shore. They were going to landjust across the Kalmaaran border in Ralish territory, directly beneath Jutland"

Maybe I am confused!

I assume that if they're just off shore by Jutland, our watchtowers, scouts, boats, villagers and what have you sighted their sails. As I said, the Ralish are prepared to wait since the Cult probably has the better part of two hundred miles march through northern Germany before they arrive, and we're not really expecting a large invasion fleet to just sit and wait for that long after a relatively short-haul voyage.

As described, the Cult will face just potential resistance, which it can attempt to assault in its walled villages and granaries, or by-pass en route to face the main imperial army situated near the base of Jutland.

"going to"

I never stated that they had crossed over to your waters yet. As far as that post states, they are in Kalmaraan waters and awaiting news of the conference...