Blackpowder and Blood (A Fantasy EU4 Quest)

To state when the Lilac Wars truly began is a somewhat difficult task, but the commonly agreed upon source of the conflicts was the troubled reign of Riannon Silmuna, elected sovereign of Anbennar at the grand age of five years old.

The reason for this is multifaceted: the crux of the matter was Riannon's unprecedented magical ability, readily apparent even as a babe. Although the magocratic traditions of the Empire had been abolished previously (being a powerful mage didn't translate into being a good ruler and the decentralized imperial princes disliked how much power the practice consolidated into the hands of the monarch) it still was seen as a potent boon, a sentiment bolstered by the widespread rumor that the young duchess bore the Aspect of the Dame, the Regent Court's Goddess of magic. There was another angle, however - the Silmuna dynasty had long held a special status amongst the members of the empire, and were loath to surrender a decades-spanning continuous monopoly due to an inconveniently timed death. Thus, a literal toddler was elected Empress of Anbennar.

It didn't go well.

House Silmuna had overplayed their hand by pushing through the election, causing many in the empire to turn against the Damarian hegemon, viewing their efforts as a prelude towards abolishing the electoral system as a whole. Additionally, Riannon was ... unstable. Whether that was due to her incredible magical powers addling an inexperienced user's mind or a simple consequence of turning a five-year-old child into the center of a political clusterfuck soon after losing a parent is unknown, but the empresses' destructive temper tantrums and general emotional instability swiftly became impossible to hide. Political opponents also began spreading rumors that Riannon's reign was meant to bring about a new magocracy, where the only qualification of a ruler was their magical talent. This is highly unlikely, but stories of evil witch-queens served to underscore an increasingly large wave of popular hysteria over the entire incident.

Finally, the entire situation culminated in a motion of no-confidence being held by the Electors in 1348, where it was agreed that the child-empress would be forced to abdicate and another election held. Upon hearing this, Riannon went completely ballistic, used her immense arcane prowess to murder much of the responsible nobility present, and locked herself and her closest retainers in the throne room once the inevitable retaliation arrived. When it became clear the vengeful armies of the nobility were determined to see her dead, an increasingly panicked empress cast a spell over much of Anbenncost's civilian populace to force them to attack her foes in a berserk fury, and personally slaughtered dozens of men when they attempted to break into the throne room. Horrified by the mass death and Riannon's utterly unhinged demeanor (ten-year-old children making grown knights chunky salsa while screaming about burning the realm to the ground makes even the most stalwart loyalist reconsider their choice of liege), one of the empress's own bodyguards stabbed her in the back, intended to bring the madness to an end. But in one last act of spite, Riannon detonated a magical explosive of incalculable might, completely destroying the palace, killing everyone present, and leveling a good section of the city as well.

Needless to say, the Empire was stunned by the event and House Silmuna's once exalted name was now mud, even as they scrambled for a new Grand Duke with the sheer amount of kinsmen slain in the bloodbath. But while Anbennar struggled to recuperate and re-summon the electors, foreign observers sought to take advantage of their weakness. To the North, Gawed once again attempted to reclaim the mouth of the Alen, and to the east Corvuria re-ignited their conflict with the breakaway princedom Ashienade. But it was the west that held the most dangerous threat: King Rean Siloriel of Lorent, the White Fox. Widely regarded as a canny and talented leader, in his youth Rean had done much to reign in the Rose Kingdom's unruly vassals and centralize the power of the monarch, and delivered several stinging defeats to the Gawedi barbarians in the Small Country. But as he aged, the king grew unsatisfied with his accomplishments. He wished to etch his name into history in a manner befitting a man of his stature, to do something so great that he would go down in history forevermore. And with Empress Riannon's extremely controversial reign, the king saw his opportunity. After all, there was no rule stating the emperor of Anbennar had to be elected from its ranks. And if Rean were to succeed, he would be the most powerful man in all of Cannor.

The White Fox had begun his campaign of charm and blackmail before the Imperial Palace was vaporized, but it served as a perfect opportunity for the Lorentish monarch to push his agenda - House Silmuna's diminished status left a power vacuum no one was quite able to fill, one that could be hypothetically replaced by the House of Siloriel. Indeed, to the princes on the west coast of the Dameshead, it didn't seem like such a bad deal, and the crucial vote of the Duke of Pearlsedge was won over to what came to be known as the 'Rose Party.' Prophetically, among this group stood the Marquiestate of Wesdam, Dameria's western shield.

But just as the Silmuna's before, King Rean's ambition got ahead of him. When he managed to snag the election through a razor-thin margin, the outcry was immense. If the thought of a Damerian hegemon was unpleasant to the lords of Anbennar, the reality of a Lorentish overlord proved outright revolting. Many of the member states blatantly refused to acknowledge the new emperor, and even the usually apolitical Magisterium voiced its opposition to the election. Nonetheless, 'Emperor' Rean had faced a similar reaction from his own vassals to his various reforms, and presumably believed he could bring his new subjects to heel in a similar manner. Undeterred, the White Fox made it clear he intended to go through with the traditional crowning in Anbenncost - although the Imperial Palace was still being rebuilt. However, when Rean attempted to sail to the Deamsear Isle, he found his passage barred by an imperial fleet, and when the Lorentese attempted to run the blockage, their vessel was boarded and the monarch humiliated by having to sail to shore in a rowboat. Vowing revenge, the would-be Emperor of Cannor turned to his Plan B - to seize his rightful prize by force ...

The First Lilac War is something of an odd duck out compared to the rest of the conflicts that came to be swept under the term 'Lilac Wars.' The war was initiated by the Kingdom of Lorent, the House of Silmuna was a minor player for the first half of the war, the primary theater was a maritime struggle for the Dameshead Sea, the conflict was largely low-intensity and there were few notable major battles, the war ended in a genuine peace treaty that lasted for nearly a decade, the 'Wine Lords' of Lorent had little direct involvement, indeed, there was virtually no actual fighting on the Lencori peninsula until the very end. In many regards, the First Lilac War lacks the attributes and themes that define the Lilac Wars so significantly in popular and historical consciousness, and wouldn't really be associated with them ... except for the fact that its result was instrumental in the resulting eighty years of nigh-continuous warfare.

The war began with a surprise attack by the Kingdom of Lorent in conjunction with the turncoats they'd managed to secure among the Anbennarian lords, most notably the Duchy of Pearlsedge. This assault was a largely unqualified success, the royalist aggressors capturing much of the imperial fleet and burning the rest while overrunning the 'Moon Party' (although this term wouldn't be used until decades later) loyalists with little difficulty. Simply put, the forces of Anbennar on the western coast of the Dameshead had always been the weaker leg of the empire and were totally unable to withstand the applied military of the entire Lencori peninsula, a paradigm that would prove true through the rest of the Lilac Wars and even much further into the future during the Wars of Religion and Blackpowder Rebellions. Even the March of Wesdam, created specifically to defend Dameria's western flank, found itself defeated in short order, although its forces would go on to conduct a brutal guerrilla campaign for the rest of the conflict.

King Rean wasted no time capitalizing on this success, and within six months his troops had successfully conducted an amphibious invasion of the Damesear Isle (an island straddling the center of the Dameshead Sea). It was here that the rest of the empire had assembled their forces and attempted to meet the Rose Party in a pitched battle, but despite pouncing on the Lorentese forces fresh off their ships and achieving local quantitative superiority, the united imperial princes found themselves unable to overmatch the cream of Lorent's chivalry, and the divided command was dealt a swift and shocking defeat. The Grand Duke Aldres III Silmuna, the older half-brother of the child-empress, was killed in the ensuing conquest of the island, leading his men in a futile last stand to try and protect Anbenncost, whose walls had been damaged by Rionnan's death making defense unfeasible. With this House Silmuna's fortunes seemed to hit an all-time low, confined to their holdings on the east coast of the Dameshead, having suffered at another slain head of House, and the anti-Siloriel coalition falling apart almost as quickly as it had been formed. The White Fox took the time to consolidate his conquests with the successful capture of the imperial capital, giving himself the ceremonial crowning that had previously been denied and preparing for his next move.

It was at this time Vincen I Silmuna was anointed as the new Grand Duke of Dameria.

Vincen's reign did not get off to an auspicious beginning. Having taken up Munas Moonsinger's legacy at the age of fifteen, yet another child lord was seen as the last thing House Silmuna needed. Aware of the coalition's faltering morale, Vincen attempted to reverse the momentum of the war by boldly seizing the initiative while simultaneously re-asserting the Silmuna's pre-eminent role among the houses of Anbennar. The plan to accomplish this was an invasion to liberate the Damesear Isle, the logic being that they wanted to do it before the Rose Party had time to rest and fortify their position, and the sheer boldness of the ploy would catch the invaders off guard.

The new Grand Duke's plan was certainly seen as bold, but he had less success convincing his peers to accompany his counterattack. A sense of defeatism had infected the Anbennarians, with it becoming believed it was impossible to defeat Lorent's forces in an open battle. There was little enthusiasm to throw their troops back into a bloody mess the coalition had barely managed to escape from the first time, and the naval situation had only gotten worse since. King Rean's reputation for strategic genius had also only grown, so the possibility of seriously catching the king with his pants down was considered very unlikely. Even Vincen's own retainers and companions voiced reservations about the plan - it was agreed that a daring ploy was required to turnabout the war effort, but they'd also need to win for the plan to work - a glorious defeat was unlikely to accomplish anything more but worsen the situation. Still, the young prince remained resolute, determined to reverse the series of disasters that had overtaken his house and empire, and convinced his plan was the only way to see through the 'trials of the gods.'

The invasion technically wasn't a total disaster. Vincen Silmuna's audacious attack legitimately did take King Rean off guard, and his planned follow-up offensives ended up being stalled by the need to redirect troops and ships to address the incursion. That being said ... by any objective military analysis, the invasion was a catastrophic failure. Out of the 20,000 soldiers Vincen took with him, the bootstrapped reserves of an already exhausted House Silmuna, less than 800 managed to return home. The invasion force was set upon by the occupying garrison lead by the White Fox himself, and the result was a total slaughter, made worse by the naval forces piercing a trap behind the Damerian troops, shattering their fleet and leaving the landed forces trapped on the Damesear. There was an attempt by some of the survivors to go to ground and fight a resistance campaign like the men of Wesdam, but the confined terrain of the island made the tactic unfeasible, and the would-be guerrillas were rooted out and executed en-mass within a year. The Grand Duke himself attempted to go down fighting with his men, but ended up crippled when his steed was slain beneath him and collapsed on his leg.

The debacle ended in Vincen Silmua being dragged before King Rean in chains and what remained of his army surrendering. The failed counter-invasion and unexpectedly bitter autumn storms ended up delaying the planned additional offensive long enough they had to be called off for the year, but the victorious knights of Lorent weren't concerned. The war had thus far been a march from success to success, and it had become apparent that without the Silmuna's, the Annbenarians had no suitable leader - with the Damesear conquered and their foes' last desperate gambit crushed, it was only a matter of time before the 'rebellious' princes saw sense and bowed to Cannor's true hegemon. There was no need to rush the next parts of the war and potentially give their foes an easy victory that could rejuvenate faltering spirits. No, Lorent's army would winter in their occupied territories and continue wrapping up the war in the spring.

King Rean certainly had reason to be confident - indeed, the captured Silmuna youth may have given him a false impression of the rest of the Empire's willingness and ability to fight. The exact nature of Vincen's captivity is difficult to parse, as the Damerians and Lencori give very different accounts of what exactly happened. It's exceedingly unlikely the boy was actually tortured, which Silmuna historians would later claim caused the wounds he bore for the rest of his life, but Siloriel's claim that he took Vincen under his wing like a son only to be vindictively betrayed is also most likely a fabrication. Whatever the case, it seems Vincen spent at least some time with his captor and it may have been the cause of the White Fox's overconfidence. Or perhaps it was a deeper cultural misunderstanding - the kingdom of Lorent and Empire of Anbennar were two very different organizations, and Rean had only further pushed the centralized nature of Lencori monarchy, the source of much strife between it and the southern Wine Lords. With the imperials 'decapitated,' the invaders probably overestimated the effect it would have on the war effort and didn't feel the need to maintain the pressure, instead opting to begin trying to peel apart the coalition diplomatically over the winter.

But Anbennar was not like an 'Empire' in the Castanorian sense. A union formed in the aftermath of the war with Black Castanor, the empire is better described as a federation of dozens of aligned kingdoms, principalities, theocracies, and merchant republics. Despite efforts to change this, it had always been a strongly autonomous institution, which meant its states were not only used to but preferred to operate independently. With Dameria partially subjugated and the Silmuna's a non-factor, Anbennar splintered along regional lines ... but continued to refuse King Rean's authority and maintained a war footing. Ironically, the Duchy of Wex was one of these realms that rose to the occasion, rallying the princes and marches of the Borders to serve as a relatively untouched homefront, something that would earn it much prestige and reward in the aftermath, elevating the formerly secondary Allenic realms to the forefront of imperial politics as well as seeing a surge in the overall region's importance. Other areas proved less successful - the Grand Duke of Esmaria initially was one of the Moon Party's most strident supporters, but eventually was poisoned and his fiefs splintered into a vicious succession struggle, with candidates being supported by both factions of the war. In the North, the mercantile states of Damescrown and Vertesk suffered significantly from the disruption of trade in the Dameshead and erupted into hostilities between each other, while the Gawadi took the opportunity to snip away vulnerable border provinces, only seriously opposed by the Marquieste of Arbarran, which thus had little it could offer to fight Lorent. The Heartlands, finally, received the brunt of the subsequent warfare, Port Munas and the lands of Vern falling under direct assault by the Rose Party seeking beachheads to further push their advantage.

What absolutely was not happening, however, was peace - indeed, many parts of the empire took the opportunity to settle long-standing grudges between themselves. And to the Kingdom of Lorent, this was a problem. As previously mentioned, it's fully summoned might was incredible, but maintaining such a massive army and navy proved ruinously expensive. The levies of Lorent could be mustered away from home for a year or two, but only so many harvests could be missed before severe economic harm was inflicted, or in the worst cases, outright famine risked. Confident victory was just within his grasp, for over five years King Rean kept his nation on a full war footing, heavily taxing the halflings of the Small Country and his wealthy southern vassals to make ends meet in the meantime. Trade was seriously disrupted by the conflict, and the Lencori found themselves needing to ship in mass amounts of food to feed the now impoverished occupied citizens along the Dameshead's coast. Finally, a large part of the diplomatic effort to win over the lords of Anbennar consisted of sending them funds and arms in exchange for support, adding yet another necessary expense to the overburdened budget. The White Fox was eventually forced to concede the situation was untenable, but so long as the war continued, there was no way to fundamentally resolve the ruinous expense of maintaining such a large standing army overseas.

It was this financial crunch that probably lead to the overturning of the king's policy of refusing to accept ransoms while at war. A slew of captured nobility, some of which had been held in captivity for the entirety of the war, was released at extortionate expense as part of the Silistra's measures to produce funds. Among this group included Grand Duke Vincen Silmuna, the once would-be rival contender for the throne of Anbennar. Having reached his majority behind bars, the formerly vibrant prince appeared a shadow of his former self, his beauty marred through a vicious mace strike and only able to walk with the aid of crutches. It was as if the tragedy in his life had sucked the very spirit from him, gossiping Lencori nobility observed whenever the prisoner was trotted out during major events, leaving behind a shell of a former potential hero. Confident his demanded ransom would leave the already bereaved House Silmuna destitute, King Rean believed the broken prince would pose no further threat and signed off on his manumission, his mind already turning towards the next years newest offensive, intended to extinguish the fierce resistance of Istralore and finally tear out the heart of the Moon Party's cohesion. With the Heartlands subdued, the White Fox was sure that at last, the opposition to his rule would gutter out, even if it meant providing unpalatable concessions to various major regional actors such as Wex and Arbarran.

Ransoming Vincen Silmuna did not turn out to be the key to winning the war, however. Instead, it proved the worst mistake of King Rean Siloriel's life.

1363 represented the absolute height of Lorent's power in the First Lilac War. The Magisterium had begrudgingly accepted 'Emperor' Rean's legitimacy and restarted their normal operations. The war in the Heartlands had gone well, with Istralore beaten in the field and their last holdouts under siege. Similarly, the incursions on the Wyvern Gulf had been successful, albeit the insular and independent nature of Vernman city-states preventing a similar singular victory from being achieved. A combination of ransoming noble prisoners and a detente with Eborthil (an influential island kingdom on the Divenhal Sea) had served to alleviate the strain on their coffers, although domestic resentment against the war continued to be a problem. Rean's diplomatic efforts had also started to bear fruit - a number of western Anbennarian lords had been convinced to cooperate with the occupation, inroads had been made into the fracturing Grand Duchy of Esmaria, and the north was completely distracted by Gawed and their own petty squabbles. Although the Borders seemed likely to be a problem in the future, seemingly having fallen under the thrall of those "pseudo-allenic barbarians," the region was easily one of the least important parts of the empire.

It was to this situation that Vincen Silmuna returned home ... or rather, to the unoccupied eastern fringe of Dameria. It was to a duchy and empire teetering on the brink of collapse that met the returned prince, who seemed an almost alien figure to those who'd known him previously. The Grand Duchy's inner circle perhaps expected to be drafting articles of surrender when their liege summoned them to a private meeting.

Instead, they found him staring at a map, his posture completely changed.

As it turned out, Vincen didn't have a new grand plan to turn the war around. What he did have, however, was hate that Nerat himself couldn't extinguish, and a willingness to do anything to see Dameria restored and the invaders sundered. Hate like that revealed many options previously considered unpalatable or impossible, Vincen's advisors found, and for a time there was a serious discussion as to whether the young master needed to be 'removed' from his position and someone saner appointed to finally make peace. But they'd all suffered under Lencori depredations and felt the burn of wounded pride, so when they reconvened with Vincen it was not with an ultimatum but a plan. An unthinkable option that hadn't even been brought up at the first meeting half a decade ago. It was time to make a deal with Gawed.

Cannor has been defined by a triple division of power for as long as there'd been civilizations to fight over it. In antiquity, it was the Empire of Castanor, Gnomish Hierarchy, and Damerian Republic that formed the balance of power, but in the "Age of Ascendancy" this dynamic was fulfilled by three realms: the Empire of Anbennar, the Kingdom of Lorent, and the Kingdom of Gawed. Gawed was a relative newcomer to these high-level geopolitics, replacing the influence of Escann since its isolationist tendencies following Black Castanor's fall. Stemming from the Gawedi tribes of the Alennic frontier, they're primarily known for their "human-supremacist" attitudes (although in reality this can be better described as an antipathy towards the 'elf-philia' that's defined the southern realms since the Landing) and are often compared to the Allenic barbarians that were so infamous in antiquity. In particular, Gawed and Dameria had fought wars over the city-state of Vertesk, sitting at the mouth of the Alen river (the northern tip of the Dameshead Sea), ones that had pushed the Gawedi north and established the new frontier of the empire. There was much bad blood over the incident and other conflicts stemming from efforts to drag the Allenic people into the Anbennarian/Lencenorian cultural sphere or vice-versa, and the current ruling dynasty - House Gerwick - usurped the previous one under the promise of avenging their defeats and reclaiming the lost territories.

Needless to say, crawling to them for help was deemed both a terrible humiliation and unlikely to actually work, but the simple matter of fact was that the Silmuna's had no better options. The Escanni had already refused to get involved, Busilar and Corvuria were all but declared for Rean, and Lorent completely dominated their own home region - there was little hope of convincing nations like Reveria or the gnomish remnants to commit a glorified suicide. If the Moon Party wanted an ally with the means and motivation to take on the Kingdom of Lorent? They were either looking at Gawed or a pipe dream.

Initially, the envoys to Gaweton met an incredulous response, and in one case actually physically thrown out, but it didn't take long for the northerners to reconsider. In blunt terms, Dameria was offering to throw Vertesk under the bus by forming a semi-open alliance with Damescrown and Gawed with the intention of dividing northern Anbennar into respective spheres of influence and tacitly signing off on the territories Gawed had already conquered. While a far cry from the total victory the Gerwicks had promised, the proposal held an undeniable allure. Their attacks against Arbarran and Vertesk had made consistent gains, but thus far they had failed to take any of the important fortresses, with the Black Citadel, in particular, proving an impossible nut to crack. Additionally, while the Gawedi loathed the Anbennarian swine, they hated the Lencori just as much and were growing increasingly unnerved at how well Rean was doing. Plus, while the Small Country had been lost for some time, reclaiming it would provide House Gerwick just as much a boost to their legitimacy as defeating the Anbennarians, and quite possibly be a lot easier than pounding their heads against the empire's northern marches. Thus, after a month of more detailed negotiation, the two bitter enemies came to terms. Dameria would sign off on whatever land Gawed had managed to grab thus far, and in return they would back the Silmuna's in their war against Lorent, consisting of subsidies to make ends meet, "mercenaries," and later on, an outright invasion of the Small Country.

This was hardly the only thing the rejuvenated Damerians were doing, of course. While previously Vincen's attempts to rally the coalition consisted of badgering them to appoint him emperor, now he took a more utilitarian approach of winning over support. The First Lilac War turned into a chessboard between what became known as the Rose and Moon Parties, representing the sigils of the Siloriel and Silmuna dynasties. Nothing exemplified this tendency more than the fall of Esmaria - when the duke of the grand duchy fell to poison, both factions immediately backed their own claimants in the ensuring succession war. In the Heartlands, however, Vincen took a more direct course of action. The Duchy of Istralore was on the verge of collapse when the Damerians launched another counter-attack, but instead of a hail-mary at the Damesear, it instead consisted of surgical strikes at Lorent's strained logistical network, forcing the besieging forces to fall back to the coast. With House Silmuna's backing, the Duchy of Wex solidified their de facto hegemony over the Borders, funneling the experienced marcher troops to the frontlines and founding a line of manufactures to supply the war effort. Busilar, which had previously eagerly watched their long-time foes fortunes tank, were convinced to side against Lorent due to their negotiations with Eborthil (an even more hated rival), and Corvuria was intimidated by the fierce resistance displayed by Ashienade, eventually submitting to an ultimatum from Vincen to pull their troops out of the empire.

This back-and-forth went on for a number of years, but by 1368 the war had pretty obviously shifted against Lorent. Eastern Anbennar was completely liberated from Lencori invaders after the last army retreated from Verne, and the Rose Party found themselves unable to sustain the naval competition in the Dameshead, the maritime advantage that had enabled their early crushing successes slipping from their fingers with each port lost. This was clear even to the turncoat lords, and King Rean found the progress he had made winning over a plurality withered away each year he couldn't provide a victory or end to the war. Understanding the opportunity was slipping away from him, the White Fox called for a final surge of conscription to overwhelm Anbennar, burning every last favor and blackmail he had to push his country even further, but the proclaimed build-up of soldiers was abruptly and brutally aborted by Gawed's blitzkrieg into the Small Country, overwhelming the defenders which had been stripped thinner and thinner with each year the war continued and the Eagle of the North did nothing. Instead, Rean actually had to pull back men from the Dameshead lest Lorent completely loses control over the "Breadbasket of Cannor," all of which compounded the decline of Lorent's position and further encouraged the Moon Party.

The Second Liberation of the Damesear went a great deal better than the first, with the Grand Duke forcing himself back on a horse so he could see his greatest shame avanged in person. King Rean attempted to replicate his earlier success by attacking the landing forces before they could organize, but by this time Anbennar had grown familiar with Lorent's tactics - the battle was hard-fought and bloody, but by the time the next wave of reinforcement landed the beachhead was maintained. Meanwhile, another prong of the invasion sailed south of the island and attacked Anbenncost, with the intention of encircling the Lencori garrison and trapping the usurper himself. This attack was repulsed, but only through the mass sacrifice of Lorent's captured navy, further eroding their naval superiority. Recognizing the situation was lost, the White Fox didn't attempt to commit to another battle and instead ordered a full retreat, the Rose party completely conceding the Damesear and forming a new line of defense on the west coast.

Instead of attacking the heart of western Anbennar through Pearlsedge and securing the Damesneck like expected, however, Vincen leads the next campaign to Beepeck - where the Halfling Elector immediately switched sides yet again and surrendered without a fight (not doing their species' reputation any favors but probably saving a lot of people from unnecessary deaths). From there, he moved his soldiers south and liberated Wesdam in conjunction with an uprising of insurgents who'd been fighting for over a decade at that point. But when the Rose Party rushed troops north to stop the next attack south, to their shock they found no sign of their enemy - Vincen had taken his entire army and marched it into Lencanor itself, intended to take the war to the enemy in a way they'd never forget. Furious about being outwitted and the course of what was supposed to be his greatest legacy, King Rean Siloriel angrily ordered his army to pursue.

But at this point, Lorent was fed up with the conflict and Rean's inability to follow through with his promises. When Vincen arrives at Lorentaine expecting a brutal and rapid siege, instead finds Prince Kylian riding out with a peace offer. King Rean had been couped by his own vassals who put his son on the throne and demanded the war end (and their previous privileges be restored while they were at it). In order to ensure that the peace would be "genuine and long-lasting," the new Lorentish king promised the hand of his sister, Eilis Siloriel, to sweeten the deal. Vincen - to his credit - accepts the offer with a strained smile, restoring the status quo antebellum, as if nothing had ever happened at all. The Silmuna prince returns to Anbennar in victory, his grand gambit has paid off this time, and is promptly elected Emperor, restoring House Silmuna's prestige and position back to its pre-Riannon days. Feted as a hero and savior, Emperor Vincen sets about the lengthy process of restoring the damage inflicted on his empire and duchy while the former King Rean stews in house arrest, all of his accomplishments having been undone by the end of his days.

... Except things are never that simple, are they?

AN: I'll be wrapping up the vote in 12 hours.

Ser Percival was received by a room of confused stares, a common reaction to the former Castellyrian knight. In pretty much all regards he was the very image of Escanni chivalry, from his decorated armor to his grand mustachios, with one jarring exception: in the place of an Adenic arrow or Castanorian dragon, he bore a simple bronze tabard, its only decoration simple Allenic script. The same heraldry of noble whom they were petitioning, the banner upon which the city now hung over its gate: House Bronzehardt of Wex.

If Percival noticed the attention or found it unwelcome there was little indication, merely a polite nod to the petitioners as he marched up to the door and waited for a lull in the conversation before giving a quiet knock.

Inside the room, Millard of Vernham jolted as if the knight had kicked open the door, and immediately flushed as he realized what had happened. The very picture of a well-to-do burgher, Millard brought to mind one of the wealthier residents of an Imperial Free City rather than an Escanni merchant who oft-made pains to downplay their commercial nature instead of displaying it. He was also undeniably nervous, a palpable glean of sweat on his balding head, something that probably had to do with the fact he still wore fine clothing and bore an undeniable pouch; a striking contrast with the state of his surroundings and countrymen.

"Come in," said the man who sat behind the desk across from the burgher, unperturbed by the interruption. Roland Bronzehardt was the kind of person you'd expect to see on paintings slaying a dragon, a man who could give speeches about abandoning everything you'd ever known to fight in a foreign land for the sake of righteousness and be met by something other than awkward silence. Even sitting at a too-small desk squinting at outdated maps and trying to get a cowardly merchant to talk about the food they both knew he was hoarding, Roland cut a striking figure.

If you'd asked Percival what his idea of an Anbenarrian noble was like before the Greentide, he'd have given a depiction of a self-absorbed fop dying his hair fanciful colors to imitate the elves his culture adored, presumably having gotten his position through murdering a baby or some other horrifically dishonorable deed. The usually chauvinistic rivalries between the realms of Cannor had only been provoked through the unfettered brutality of the Lilac Wars, and any regard an Escanni might have left for their neighbors died when they were left to dry in face of the Greentide.

Roland didn't meet any of his preconceptions. If you'd told Percival that the noble he was meeting was a Wexonard, there'd be a few seconds of silence as that chugged through his memory, but eventually, he'd make the connection that the Wexonards were unique in the empire for being Allenic - and he'd immediately think of the Gawedi "barbarians" that exemplified the culture (much to the chagrin of the Wexonards, and Blue Reachmen, and Verteskers, and Marrodics, etc, etc). He'd imagine some broad-chested blonde thug, blustering about the negligible glory of his nation and bloodline while poorly hiding a desperate inferiority complex towards his southern neighbors. The Allenic tribes were just as proud of their long history of raiding Castanor as the Escanni were of being its successors, and Gawed was as infamous for its ability to make enemies as it was fighting them.

If this hypothetical questioner had then proceeded to expound upon Roland's professed attributes, Percivals mental imagine would have continued to change, eventually arriving at a pleasant Escanni knight with some foreign trappings - a silly accent and maybe some kind of weird curved sword, but essentially his idea of what an ideal lord should look like.

In-person, of course, Bronzehardt met none of these expectations. Artists, upon asking his parents what their son was supposed to look like after being commissioned for some prestige-boosting fodder, would be given a few general descriptors: young, brown-haired, fullbloodedly human, handsome, tall - to their frustration, Roland lacked any truly distinctive features such as Corin's famous red hair or Bluetusk's, well, tusks. Much like his homeland, he stood at an awkward fulcrum between cultures and stereotypes, leaving biographers with only poor half-analogies until the world adapted to an Emperor reigning from Wexkeep.

Percival could have told them about the persistent stress lines that had grown across his face, the way Roland would fidget with his blade whenever his hands weren't occupied, how his eyes would burn whenever he spoke about one of his many passions … but, to their detriment, it had long become clear Roland's family didn't know much about their son at all.

"My Lord," the Knight dipped his head, glancing at the merchant before continuing. "We have a situation." The momentary excitement in the noble's eyes died as soon as it lit up, and he leaned back into his chair.

"I take it the river isn't clear." Roland 'asked,' rooting through the desk for a few moments, searching for the correct map. Millard leaned back faintly, clearly uncomfortable at the sudden shift in the conversation.

"... No." Percival admitted, resisting the urge to lean against the wall or look for another chair - it had been a long, tiring journey, but appearances had to be maintained. "Goblins have set up at the Devaced pass, east of where it parts the Godshield, and at least two tribes of them. We didn't stick around long to overstay our welcome, but you know how bad the little bastards can get when they've had time to dig in." Roland's already grim expression tightened, and although Millard was no warrior, he did understand the trade implications, judging by the man's steadily paling face. "The river's completely blocked off, the greenskins have literally knocked trees down over several sections of it and seem to be trying to ambush any traders brave enough to come up the pass or anybody trying to flee down the river.

The noble stopped his drawer rustling and just took a second to rub the bridge of his nose, allowing a moment to pass before confronting the new situation.

"There's no way we can stay here for the winter, then." He eventually stated, looking back up. "The Band is already straining Vernham's food stores, and the refugees are still coming in. If we can't import Corvurian wheat, there'll be starvation on the streets." There was a moment of silence as the room reeled from the frank declaration, but when neither of the men spoke up to argue, Roland stood up. "I'm afraid we're going to have to continue our meeting another time, Freeman Millard - I must convene with the rest of my officers as soon as possible."

"M'lord," the merchant flustered, the reality of the situation dawning on him, "if word gets out that your soldiers are leaving, there'll be a panic!"

"I'm sure that the people here are used to making ends meet." Sir Percival also cautioned, clearly reluctant to abandon the safe area the Band had secured and maintained at no little effort, and perhaps a little less understanding of the logistical concerns his liege had been stressing over. At heart, he remained an Escanni knight.

"The smallfolk will die just as easily to famine or disease as an orc's blade," Roland said, although he remained standing above the desk, drumming his fingers against the fine wood as he ran the numbers through his head. "We simply have too many people concentrated in Vernham. Either we move to another area, open up a new source of food, or face starvation." Shaking his head, he glanced up at his close friend and second. "Ser Percival, go get the officers assembled for a council, I don't want to make a decision like this without everyone on board."

***

There are hundreds of adventurer bands roaming Escann in the aftermath of Dookanson's death, although the term encompasses groups barely over a few dozen glorified bandits to small armies funded by foreign states. Most of these ephemeral polities will perish or fade away with time, yet many more intend to settle down and lay roots in the land they helped save. The Bronzehardt Band is a unique amalgamation compared to the typical would-be adventurer-states seeking to carve out a dominion in Escann, originally a feudal levy that's grown through volunteers from home, recruitment of locals, and absorption of various small adventurer parties during the bitter fighting against the greenskins.

Starting out, the Band is guaranteed to have these many soldiers:

Roland's Retinue [200 Superheavy Infantry/Heavy Cavalry] (Count Roland Bronzehardt)
The County of Asperage's Levy:
-Wexonard Foot [1,000 Medium Spear Infantry] (Captain Mikalson)
-Wexonard Foot [1,000 Medium Spear Infantry] (Captain Vendrick)
-Wexonard Foot [1,000 Medium Spear Infantry] (Captain Lendry Flowers)
-Wexonard Men-at-Arms [1,000 Heavy Sword Infantry] (Captain York)
-Wexonard Flatbows [1,000 Crossbow Archers] (Captain Neville)
-Wexonard Flatbows [1,000 Crossbow Archers] (Captain Wends)
-Wexonard Knights [500 Heavy Cavalry] (Ser Charleston Toussaint)
-Wexonard Knights [500 Heavy Cavalry] (Ser Darrick Flax)
Percival's Paladins [200 Superheavy Cavalry] (Ser Percival Sebastian)
Kohlhaase's Regulars [200 Heavy Crossbow Archers] (Niklas Kohlhaase)
Venia's Myrmidons [200 Light Infantry, Irregular] (Captain Venia)

All of these units will have increased veterancy, loyalty, and morale due to being part of the original adventurer group, but will also be impossible to replace or recruit more of moving forward. You'll have access to a pool of 1,500 points to be allocated towards units that will retroactively have also been absorbed into the Band and benefit from these bonuses, or that can be spent on accruing various other advantages to the benefit of the proto-adventurer state. All of Roland's various competitors will have access to a similar menu that determined their starting forces and situation, albeit with different modifiers depending on the faction. Speaking of which …

Much of the domestic policy of the "Greentide Era" will be focused around balancing the needs and demands of the three primary factions which influence the transitionary stage between a nomadic adventurer band and a settled state: The Marchers, the Colonists, and the Locals.

The Marchers represent those who're the least enthusiastic about abandoning the adventurer lifestyle and wish for the band to retain a free-roaming, meritocratic, and violent disposition, taking what they want at the end of the sword and moving on to the next adventure. They're mostly composed of, well, adventurers, but can also represent those with a strongly martial outlook.

The Colonists represent foreigners who came to Escann not to fight monsters but to profit. Mostly - but not always - made up of people who arrived after Dookanson's death, they're composed of a wide gamut of folks, whether it be carpetbaggers looking to make a quick buck off of the suffering of a subcontinent or settlers trying to establish a new home for themselves. They're most notable for possessing a storing connection to the homeland of the band and represent ties to the outside world, in one manner or another.

Finally, the Locals represent the people that were on the land prior to the arrival of the band. In the majority of cases, this will mean Escanni survivors or refugees, whose relationship with the adventurers can be complex, but it can also refer to greenskin slaves or turncoats depending on the region and policy the band pursues. These folks are usually resigned to a foreign rule, but ultimately must be placated, oppressed, or removed should the band ever wish to truly rule the land.

Roland's unique trait is Heart of Bronze, which replaces the Colonists faction with House Bronzehardt. The new faction represents the Band's primary connection to Anbennar and will provide a number of advantages over the competition as befitting of an established noble, Roland's 'complex' current relationship with his family notwithstanding. Additionally, it allows a 50% discount on units purchased with the "Wexonard" tag.

***

1,500 Points total are available to be spent on purchasing units or acquiring boons. Be aware that eventually at least some of the Asperage levy will wish to return home, and that many of the boons can be replicated through dedicated effort in the quest. A large army will take more effort to supply but will also mean Roland can accomplish more things at once. Opportunity cost, however, cannot be avoided, so choose wisely.

The Marchers:

-Adventurer Companions: A diverse cast of characters united by bonds of camaraderie, a taste for blood, and an appreciation of coin. Armed with every weapon under the sun, they perform well in confused melees or other unusual situations, but struggle in the closed ranks of pitched battle or other endeavors requiring tight discipline. [1,000 Medium Infantry, Irregular] ($100)

-Adventurer Spellblades: Arcane talent is no small thing, and is carefully husbanded by the ruling class of civilizations across the world. But the call of adventure spares no man, and among the ranks of adventurers, you can find those able to call upon the winds of magic. A unique and versatile skillset, albeit difficult to maintain and undeniably inferior to the highly trained war mages of Anbennar, not that you'll be seeing any of the latter in Escann anytime soon. [200 Gish Infantry, Irregular] ($250)

-Adventurer Skirmishers: Many have unflatteringly named adventures no more than glorified bandits, and these brothers in arms push that blurry line further than most. Nonetheless, they're capable at harassing foes and dancing around the edges of the battlefield as well as "foraging" for supplies or scouting dangerous locations. [1,000 Skirmishers, Irregular] ($50)

-Adventurer Sharpshooters: Keen marksmen and prodigious braggers, these adventures have taken mastery of the bow to the next level and can hit targets from a distance with remarkable accuracy, and can handle themselves in a melee should the situation devolve. [500 Elite Archers] ($150)

-Adventurer Freeriders: These riders resemble an actual military unit more than the typical formation of adventurers, stemming from the long tradition of Cannorian outriders as much as the Greentide volunteers who were wealthy enough to own a horse and skilled enough to use it in battle. Not quite agile scouts or heavy lancers, the horsemen fill a niche between the two traditional roles of cavalry. [1,000 Medium Cavalry, Irregular] ($150)

-Buscannori Sword Dancers: A remnant of the Stalwart Band that survived particularly intact, these warriors turn the bloody business of war into an artform, displaying the exotic foreign traditions of their homeland through their startling dress and elaborate ceremonies. Although somewhat of a glass cannon, given a favorable target the dancers will reap an awful toll faster than the eye can catch. [1,000 Light Sword Infantry] ($250)

The Colonists House Bronzehardt:

-Wexonard Foot: The mainstay of any Anbenarrian army, these men march to war with spear, shield, and gambeson, although kettle helms and vanbraces have grown common over the Lilac Wars. Much of their focus lies on keeping ranks and maintaining a shield wall in the press of battle, acting as the anvil to the chivalric hammer. [1,000 Medium Spear Infantry] ($100) ($50)

-Wexonard Men-at-Arms: Armed and armored far better than their lowborn origins would suggest, these semi-professional soldiers were an invention of the Lilac Wars, fulfilling a need for quality infantry that could be deployed in numbers at a time when the sanctity of noble privilege was considered less important than winning the next battle. Tough and capable on both the offense and defense, these troops are thrown in the thickest fighting to swing battles in their favor. [1,000 Heavy Sword Infantry] ($150) ($75)

-Wexonard House Guard: The noble houses of Wex have integrated in many regards to the standards of Anbennar, but Allenic traditions such as the honor guard remain. Bearing flanged maces and stylized brigandine armor, these intimidating champions act as protection details for important figures and enforce the will of the house, as well as terrifying line-breakers when on the battlefield. [500 Superheavy Mace Infantry, Unbreakable] ($250) ($125)

-Wexonard Flatbows: Any true Wexonard will proudly insist that their flatbows' efficiency proved superior to the lauded Damarian Longbows during the Lilac Wars, and victory certainly grants merit to the argument. Decently armored and studiously professional, these soldiers are meant to give and receive punishment at a range, their complex weapons meant to puncture armor or slay mighty beasts. [1,000 Crossbow Archers] ($100) ($50)

-Wexonard Outriders: Another legacy of their Allenic past, the men of Wex maintain a strong tradition of light cavalry and talented outriders capable of traversing the Wexonard highlands and other difficult terrains with ease. Capable scouts and eager raiders, in battle these horsemen will harass flanks and punish exposed units with zeal. [1,000 Light Cavalry] ($100) ($50)

-Wexonard Knights: Garbed in pristine plate, mounted on massive warhorses and carrying a martial tradition spanning centuries, cannorian knights stand at the apex of current military doctrine and are the domain of the nobility. When at a charge with lances crouched there's little that can impede their way, and once their momentum is spent, the knights dismount to engage in melee with longsword and vigor. Such is their effectiveness, much of Cannor's dominant political and economic systems are bent around providing for their daunting price - fine steeds and sturdy plate armor aren't cheap. [500 Heavy Cavalry] ($300) ($150)

The Locals:

-Escanni Levy: The chivalric kingdoms of Escann considered war an ugly thing best kept as a ceremonial domain of the highborn, and while this may have left their realms peaceful and prosperous, it also meant little trace of Castanor's legendary legionaries can be seen in the conscripted peasantry called forth during times of crisis. [1,000 Light Spear Infantry] ($50)

-Escanni Squires: The concept of knighthood was invented in Escann, and it remained a deeply important and elaborate process as compared to their neighbors. Squirehood could often last well into adulthood, and during the Greentide, this unintentionally formed a block of foot-bound soldiers with decent equipment and training, an arrangement first made out of desperation that has now solidified into practice. [1,000 Medium Sword Infantry] ($150)

-Blademarcher Pike: Bordered by nations with strong cavalry traditions such as Marhold and Adenica, it's hardly a surprise the Blademarchers learned to make their spears long and foot disciplined. Although lost in the Greentide, the martial traditions of the realm remain and can be tapped to form new pike walls to defend where their predecessors failed. [1,000 Medium Pike Infantry] ($150)

-Escanni Bowmen: Hunters drafted into ranks out of necessity, these soldiers are decent shots and practiced bushmen, but unused to the needs of open battle - that is, getting shot at as much as doing the shooting. [1,000 Archers, Irregular] ($100)

-Escanni Knights: The homeland of chivalry, Escann possessed some of the finest cavalries in the world - but the Greentide has put two generations of Escanni nobility in the ground, and what's left is a tattered remnant of the region's past glory. Nonetheless, those that remain are fiercely motivated and call upon one of the greatest martial traditions in the world, determined to avenge their people and restore their own estates as well. [500 Heavy Cavalry, Unbreakable] ($300)

-Escanni Pilgrims: The people of Escann reacted to the Greentide in a multitude of ways, all some measure of shock and despair at the apocalypse that had sprung seemingly out of nowhere. With the death of Dookanson, however, some have been seized by a religious mania through the sacrifice of their savior, and consist of Corin's most zealous followers as the Regent Court's newest diety. These men in particular have devoted themselves to the holy cause of smiting her enemies and freeing Escann from the accursed greenskins. [1,000 Medium Greatsword Cavalry, Unbreakable] ($250)

Boons:

Orcs Decapitated: During the Band'searly exploits in the region, they launched several decisive blows against the local orcish tribes, succeeding in executing several of the major warlords the greenskins had been coalescing around in the aftermath of Dookanson's death. This has served to deplete the numbers, organization, and morale of the invaders which remain to harass the good people of Escann. [Neighboring Orc tribes weakened] ($200)

Goblins Intimidated: Roland's reputation as a Companion of Corin hasn't just spread among the civilized peoples, but also made the rounds through his foes. The Goblins in particular, never a race renowned for their stalwart nature, have become frightened of the famous human adventurer, and it wouldn't take much to convince the tribes that easier pickers are found elsewhere. [Neighboring Goblin tribes demoralized] ($200)

Escanni Impressed: Noting the strong loyalty shown to him by Ser Percival and his fellows, Roland has made a dedicated effort to woo over what Escanni notables remain to ensure their cooperation with his occupation stems from more than desperation and lack of viable alternatives. This seems to have paid off, with the nobles and peasants more willingly accommodating foreign eccentricities or excesses, and there have even been talks of absent titles being potentially filled with suitable alternatives. [Higher Locals faction loyalty] ($200)

Numerous Survivors: For one reason or another, the Vernham region was spared the most brutal ravages of the Greentide, and when the Band moved in, they found an unusually large population of indigenous survivors still remaining. This means a larger base population, but also the requisite difficulty in feeding and protecting it, as well as an increased amount of power still remaining in Escanni hands. [Higher initial refugee population, Locals Faction strength increased] (Free)

Letters From Home: "Blood is thicker than water," goes the popular misquote. Although Roland might still be estranged from his House at large, he's made an effort to remain in contact with siblings and other relatives he departed on good terms with, opening the potential for a much quicker reconciliation, ability to request favors in a pinch, and a semi-current read on the political situation back in the Empire. [Higher Bronzehardt faction loyalty, useful contacts back from home] ($200)

Tagalong Relatives: Roland's Escanni exile quickly earned him enormous notoriety in his house, but to his surprise, imitators as well. Cousins, nephews, and brothers-in-law began to join the Band, having heard of his exploits and seeking to earn glory and wealth of their own. While the retinues and expertise they bring are of substantial use, they also bring the interests and agenda of the House with them. [Bronzehardt faction strength increased, +500 points] (Free)

Adventurer Comraderie: Roland is a figure of significant respect in the community of adventurers which has been established in Escann for his deeds and as a Companion of Corin, but there's always been some inherent distance due to his nobility. Noting this, he's made a committed effort to ingratiate himself as "one of them," seeking to reinforce the oft fickle bonds that draw the wandering warriors to a lord. [Higher Marcher faction loyalty] ($200)

Stalwart Remnants: The Bronzehardt Band grew substantially in its early days through absorbing another group of adventures known as the Stalwart Band, Buscannori warriors seeking to one-up their perennial Sugamber rivals through participation in the Greentide. However, the remnants have banded together and retained their previous identity, acting as a unified political interest group and pushing to continue their former ambitions. [Marcher faction strength increased, x1 Blade Dancer unit] (Free)

Vernham's Legacy: Vernham was renowned as a manufacturing center, producing many steel weapons and tools for southern Escann. Dedicated effort and cooperative locals have revealed surviving caches of these goods which will make both outfitting current troops easier, as well as expediting potential efforts to restore the town's decayed blacksmithing infrastructure. [Military and civilian equipment shortages abated, urban infrastructure repair eased] ($100)

Rose Party Contacts: House Bronzehardt's participation in the Lilac Wars earned them many things, and one of them was friends among the wine lords of Lorent. Roland unexpectedly found an opportunity to use them during his time in the Greentide, striking up a friendship with some fellow Lencori adventurers that has blossomed into something more official with the death of Dookanson. [Full alliance and trade agreement with the Order of the Ashen Rose] ($100)

Deepwood Mysteries: Corin's adventures into the Deepwood and discovering the long-lost wood elves happen before Roland's arrival in Escann, but he nonetheless got to know some of the strange folk who followed the heroine afterward. While they have since disappeared back into their hellhole of a forest, Corin has opened a door that can't be shut, and geographic proximity might mean Roland's friendships could prove useful in cracking the isolationist tendencies of these elves. [Contacts with and knowledge of the Wood Elves] ($100)

Escanni Blood Ties: There's been a long history of intermarriage between the nobility of Escann and Anbennar, the Bronzehardt's being no different. Part of what drew Roland south was a search for the fate of a sister sent east for a betrothal, and while his sibling met a cruel end at the hands of orcish rapists, her progeny (both half-orc and legitimate) live on, providing a surprising local ally and dynastic claim for the House [Surviving Escanni relatives discovered alive] ($100)

***

A.N. It's been some time, folks, but I'm hoping to get this quest moving again. Feel free to ask questions or clarifications about the vote, and think carefully about the army size and composition as well as which boons are selected or ignored, it will all play a heavy role in determining the flow of the early game.