I'm not sure Hobs are particularly radical compared the non-elves, they are just somewhat drawn to the liberationists as the pro-military faction. Hobs didn't really become wealthy before the revolution since they were grunts barred from the officer ranks, but they are also poor humans, poor elves and poor halflings. It's just that humans and elves were sometimes part of a upper crust, which the hobs lack. Comparing most hobs with most humans and most halflings, you might get a fairly similar picture.
The liberationists are part of the radicals I mean here, we are equally liked by the liberationists and the levelers and the levelers are supported by humans, halflings and hobs too.
Hobs are noted to be proportionally more represented in the liberationists and levelers and the only race not mentioned as making up a support faction of the constitutionalists.
Of course not all hobs are radicals, but I still think that they are on average more radical than the norm, similar to humans.
The liberationists are part of the radicals I mean here, we are equally liked by the liberationists and the levelers and the levelers are supported by humans, halflings and hobs too.
Hobs are noted to be proportionally more represented in the liberationists and levelers and the only race not mentioned as making up a support faction of the constitutionalists.
Of course not all hobs are radicals, but I still think that they are on average more radical than the norm, similar to humans.
I see. I sort of consider the Liberationist to be the ideological centre of the emerging republican landscape, with the constitutionalist increasingly a fringe holdover. Given that the constutionalists are drawing from nobles, merchants and landowners, the lack of hob support does make sense. Plus the king screwed the hob families in a very open way, mass army layoffs wouldn't endear him very much.
I'm actually not sure if humans as an entire group are much disposed to support liberationists/levellers than the norm. A decent chunk of them were trading/artisan middle class due to having the racial monopoly, which isn't a terribly precarious situation. Their enthusiams and deep belief is noted, but firm convinctions alone don't make you a radical liberationist/leveller. You can also be very firm in your convinctions for a constitutional monarchy or moderate, piecemeal revolution. The human trait during character selection indicates this:
+Dreamers:Humans feel things strongly and attach themselves to causes and friends like no other people. Their devotion to those they believe in is unbreakable. More than that, humans are always striving and looking for more, dreaming of something greater. You have greatly improved relations with any one faction of your choice. Human Units require less experience to improve their fighting skills and gain greater benefits from morale and mood.
So if a human supports a cause, their support is a lot more firm, whatever the cause might be. This might mean humans are generally more politically active, but not necessarily predisposed towards radical/ republican support.
So if a human supports a cause, their support is a lot more firm, whatever the cause might be. This might mean humans are generally more politically active, but not necessarily predisposed towards radical/ republican support.
The reason I assume the humans are particularl radical is that they are one of the two factions supporting the liberationists and one of the three bases of the levelers.
While there are wealthy humans supporting the constitutionalists too wealthy individuals are rare and so unlikely to shift the broader group.
OTOH dwarves and elves are explicitly not part of the levelers base and halflings aren't an explicit group supporting the liberationists
I think radicalism is Elves>Dwarves>Halflings>Humans>Hobgoblins with the small races being very radical just because the levelers are their champions.
The nymphs of la Durance may support the royals, but when it's the leveler delegate arguing to preserve the ancient groves and for a land reform to put them into the care of their native inhabitants it's hard to vote for a traitorous king instead
It's also a hastily raised army tasked with defence, so they may not have gotten much in the way of hob recruitment. If you want somebody to hold a line, I wouldn't give them shock troops. Lots of elves, possibly?
Thing with it being so hastily raised though makes me believe that it was formed out of whatever was immediately available rather than what might have been the 100% optimal troop configuration. Quadruple Hussars but only 1 Artillery is not exactly the most optimal for defensive operations.
It has been noted that there is still a large contingent of former royalist soldiers who were dismissed during the crisis and who are now called to serve again, with this being a reason experienced troops are cheap atm.
True, but the VI is composed entirely of Trained units rather than having any amount of more experienced troops. They'll probably get at least some amount of veterans once those old formations are reconstituted, but at the moment I think they're in a similar spot to the initial mass of Trained troops the V Army started with before veterans/better equipped units were added in, which seem to have been whoever was willing to sign up from the local area.
I see. I sort of consider the Liberationist to be the ideological centre of the emerging republican landscape, with the constitutionalist increasingly a fringe holdover. Given that the constutionalists are drawing from nobles, merchants and landowners, the lack of hob support does make sense. Plus the king screwed the hob families in a very open way, mass army layoffs wouldn't endear him very much.
Well, it's probably worth remembering that by the standards of the continent, even the Consulars are probably fire-spittingly radical, when the prior norm was a church-backed racial caste system with the Elven nobility and monarchy on top.
Well, it's probably worth remembering that by the standards of the continent, even the Consulars are probably fire-spittingly radical, when the prior norm was a church-backed racial caste system with the Elven nobility and monarchy on top.
Well, it's worth pointing out that Arne was explicitly a degree more restrictive than the other Golden Realms. The dwarven meiserrats of Norn having significant authority over their towns/cities are a good example.
Still, the Constitutionalists are probably the only faction foreign powers would be comfortable with, and they're on the road to political extinction.
Consulars are the center in the sense of "we have a specific objective that is replacing the monarchy with a representative democracy and are not otherwise trying to reformat the very basis of Continental society".
Liberationists and Levelers are both much more radical than that, and calling liberationists "the center" is a HIGHLY relative term that probably no one except maybe the liberationists themselves would agree with.
Consulars are the center in the sense of "we have a specific objective that is replacing the monarchy with a representative democracy and are not otherwise trying to reformat the very basis of Continental society".
Mmm, Consulars believe the monarchy is obsolete and intend to make all races legally equal, and establish a broad, if not universal suffrage. It rather is "reformatting the very basis of Continental society," it's just that the Liberationists and Levelers want to go ever further.
Consulars are the center in the sense of "we have a specific objective that is replacing the monarchy with a representative democracy and are not otherwise trying to reformat the very basis of Continental society".
Liberationists and Levelers are both much more radical than that, and calling liberationists "the center" is a HIGHLY relative term that probably no one except maybe the liberationists themselves would agree with.
Obviously there is going to be a significant rift between the political system of monarchies and republics, just by virtue of "a monarch exists and does stuff". Talking specifically about the republican politics, I meant they will be the centre in the sense of "part of the political spectrum inbetween the others", not in the sense of "centrists who want little change". They want a lot of social reform, but I don't think that precludes somebody from being in the middle of the political spectrum if the other ends also want reform. Not radical when viewing the revolutionaries specifically, if that makes sense.
Something else I would note: We've actually never been told that the racial hierachy is established in every continental society. To give the exact quote:
Traditional Arnése society, now increasingly referred to as the ancien régime, was founded on the principle of the "harmonious union". This set of laws, customs and expected behaviors fixed the Kin of Arné into several distinct social classes, based on their perceived aptitude for a certain kind of work and way of life. This racialized class system was theoretically wholly consensual and equal in the sense that all of its participants played a necessary part, but in practice it formed a feudal pyramid of obligations and privilege.
Now, Wachenheim confirmed similar elf privileges for Norn's army and the religion endorses it via a creation myth, though the system doesn't have to be universal among the continent. It should also be noted that humans or dwarves weren't given a place in the creation myth, with them landing the rather lucrative job of traders and artisans. This would imply that the racial caste system emerged more recently than religious ideas about it, with Arné making this system according to regional ethnography. Other realms are probably going to have restrictions on who actually become a noble (likely just elves), but they don't need to share an explicit caste system like Arné dictating occupation for every person. With Arné being particularly restrictive on women's rights, it's not out of the question some realms have fairly tolerant occupation laws for much of society below the nobles. So abolishing the caste might be perfectly acceptable to some of the golden realms rather than reformating society.
[X] Plan: Wait and Search
-[X] 10th Hum Art: Fire at 31st Dwa [Brilliant, -6 cohesion currently]
-[X] 84th Elv Art: Fire at 31st Dwa
-[X] 31st Elv Art: Fire at 31st Dwa
-[X] 45th Elv: Move NW
-[X] 42nd Elv: Move NW
-[X] 5th Horse Hob Artillery: Set up
-[X] 28th Half Pfd: Move NW,NW,W [Half Movement, full movement complete after next turn]
-[X] 13th Hob Lanc: Move 3*W, NW [no reason to bind our cavalry behind our back currently, we might set up ready charge later]
-[X] 108th Elv Hsr: Search
-[X] 55th Elv Hsr: Move NW, 2*NE,NW [horse artillery cavalry escort]
-[X] Guillory Hussars: Search
-[X] 251st Hobs: Search [unlikely to yield results, but they are discount elves]
-[X] 200th Hobs: Ready Fire [400m, N]
-[X] 72nd Hum: Hide
-[X] 148th Hum: Hide
-[X] 16th Half Pfd: Hide
-[X] 19th Half Pfd: Rapid Move NW, Hide
-[X] HQ: resupply 10th Hum Art
10th Hum Art Fires on 31st Dwa!
>Hits: 24, 52-50+30=32; 29 Casualties 84th Elv Art Fires on 31st Dwa!
>Hits: 83-50+10=43; 41 Casualties 31st Elv Art Fires on 31st Dwa!
>Hits: 76-50+10=36; 30 Casualties
45th Elv Moves NW
42nd Elv Moves NW
28th Half Pfd Moves NW, NW, halfway W (1/3)
13th Hob Lan Moves W, W, W, NW
55th Elv Hsr Moves NW, NE, NE, NW
14th Elv H Art Moves ??, SW
15th Dwa Moves SW, ??
31st Dwa Moves SW, ??
4th Hum Moves SW, SW
33rd Dwa Moves SW
20th Dwa Moves SW, SE, SE
74th Elv Moves SE, ???
155th Elv Moves SW, SW
1st Roy Elv Lan Moves W, ??
75th Elv Art Moves SE
28th Elv Art Moves SW
66th Elv Art Moves SW
Prov. Elv Art Moves SE
5th Hob H Art Sets Up
108th Elv Hsr Searches
251st Hob Searches
350th Elv Hsr Searches
341st Elv Hsr Searches
31st Elv Art gained +1 XP.
84th Elv Art gained +1 XP.
10th Hum Art gained +1 XP.
31st Dwa lost -9 Cohesion from Casualties.
More of the enemy force is coming into view. Von Trotha's forward elements advance on both sides of the road, but to what end? Your artillery hammers the enemy's dwarves as a farewell gift before they march out of view behind the hills. He is eager to return the favor, you are sure, but moving and setting up his guns is taking its time. You don't envy his job as an attacker in this terrain.
***
"I think I made surface around here," Lignit Alscher notes, helping the nearest soldier along. Arnése cannonshot is still falling into the rear ranks. Shattered limbs and powdered muscle litter the plain. His 31st is taking the brunt of the enemy fire.
"I am fascinated by this information," Captain Sövit replies. Half of his shoulder is missing, revealing veins of darker stone underneath the pale crystalline surface.
"Observe the terrain," Alscher says. "Signs of engineered collapse below the surface. Young soil, thin and dispersed. Minute traces of tunnel mouths running from here to there. Stomp and feel the bedrock answer. I say it's holed through. What do you make of it?"
"Animal burrows, sir?"
Alscher grinds his tracholith in barely concealed disappointment. "No, Captain. This is dwarven work. There was once a tunnel beneath our feet. An exile's stairway. What the fleshlings call a dwarf hole. I wonder if it was us who destroyed the exit once we were out, or the ones who remained below."
"I don't quite follow, sir."
Alscher does not immediately answer. The regiment is reforming, the last stragglers escaping the furious Arnése bombardment. He is pleased to see their neat formation work.
"You were made on the surface, were you not?" he asks at last. The Captain nods, uncomprehending. "I thought as much. I came to the surface somewhere around here, Captain, two hundred years ago, give or take a decade. I took the exile's stairway. I was made in the old way, by tireless hands in the deep dark. I could not tell you why I was exiled. The memories are few, and they crumble to dust."
And there is no going back, anyway. He finds himself nursing a bitter sort of envy towards the younger dwarf. Sövit has no memory of a world below the world to trouble him, no conception of anything but Norn and the surface. He has no nagging worm of curiosity gnawing away at his saprolith. Alscher sighs. No use getting hung up on forgotten things. The river of life flows ever onwards, and the current pulls you with it.
Still, perhaps after the battle, he'll come back here and dig around a little. Not that he expects to find anything, least of all a tunnel back below. Just to see. Just to try and feel how it was, there in the beginning. Before all of it is dust.
***
BATTLE OF DAURSTEIN, ROUND 2 +Primary Objective: Defeat the Army of the Centre.
Our 108th Elv Hsr, 42nd Elv, 45th Elv, 5th Hob H Art, 55th Elv Hsr, 28th Half Pfd and 350th Elv Hsr spotted! Enemy 4th Hum, 14th Elv H Art, 75th Elv Art, 28th Elv Art, 66th Elv Art and Prov Elv Art spotted! Lost sight of enemy 31st Dwa! Enemy lost sight of 148th Hum!
16th Half Pfd is Hidden 13; can't fix right now, will for next turn (if still relevant).
"No, Captain. This is dwarven work. There was once a tunnel beneath our feet. An exile's stairway. What the fleshlings call a dwarf hole. I wonder if it was us who destroyed the exit once we were out, or the ones who remained below."
hm. That's a concerning vulnerability. If we are allowed to know, Photo, do such tunnels have other exit points in the local area? or is a straight down to the Underdark sort of arrangement?
Well, we have more information. No sign of an eastern flanking, seems like the artillery focused general didn't like the idea of infantry taking a hill without proper artillery support.
The positioning of the horse artillery this far forward is interesting, to put it lightly. It's just about in range for the 55th and 341st if the 19th moves away. Granted, Trotha could be moving to block those attacks with infantry, but it's still rather strange. Even if this intended as bait, we can hit and run before getting into enemy range. Will math this out later, but it's a very odd thing to do.
hm. That's a concerning vulnerability. If we are allowed to know, Photo, do such tunnels have other exit points in the local area? or is a straight down to the Underdark sort of arrangement?
The positioning of the horse artillery this far forward is interesting, to put it lightly. It's just about in range for the 55th and 341st if the 19th moves away. Granted, Trotha could be moving to block those attacks with infantry, but it's still rather strange. Even if this intended as bait, we can hit and run before getting into enemy range. Will math this out later, but it's a very odd thing to do.
The 15th Dwa can't intercept us. Moving trough forest takes 3 movement points, meaning they end the turn just as we attack. A subsequent attack on our hussars is possible, but the exchange of killing horse artillery for one retaliation attack goes very much in our favour.
Well, we have more information. No sign of an eastern flanking, seems like the artillery focused general didn't like the idea of infantry taking a hill without proper artillery support.
*looks at mix of infantry, artillery, and Lancers covering the north rim of the eastern valley*
I mean I guess that could be strictly defensive, or a reserve for the road, but I don't think those suppositions are more likely than creating a buildup for a push in a couple turns. Gonna give it a few minutes and math out whether it's worth shooting his Lancers at this range.
We also can, in theory, get three Hussars on his horse art. He also can, in theory, block all three with infantry unless I've forgotten how movement priority works, which would quickly become a problem next turn. Hm. EDIT: Apparently I forgot how much forest costs to move through so I guess at least one Hus would get through.
I don't really see why Von Trotha would position his HArtillery there. It's vulnerable to charges, but it doesn't actually hit anything of us with medium range.
*looks at mix of infantry, artillery, and Lancers covering the north rim of the eastern valley*
I mean I guess that could be strictly defensive, or a reserve for the road, but I don't think those suppositions are more likely than creating a buildup for a push in a couple turns.
Unless you're proposing lancers and elven infantry charge across forest terrain onto the hills, that is far more likely to be a screening/scouting force. We're seeing the actual high-cohesion infantry in the centre, with no moves to further reinforce the Rotholz.
The worst case scenario of a charge at the HArtillery is that it's actual bait, Von Trotha moves it back this turn while having half his army ready firing at charging hussars.
Shooting the enemy elite cavalry should be the most valuable target for the 5th unless we want to move it
I don't really see why Von Trotha would position his HArtillery there. It's vulnerable to charges, but it doesn't actually hit anything of us with medium range.
Hm. Counting out the spaces for his hussars and Lancers as well as infantry, I'm leaning toward the interpretation that this is bait, and that he's intending to fall back and force our horses into a poorly-supported melee. I don't want to overthink things, but that is a far more valuable gambit than anything he could actually do from there. It's also possible that he just wants cover for forming his infantry up on the road, but he has no real reason to be this risky with it.
Unless you're proposing lancers and elven infantry charge across forest terrain onto the hills, that is far more likely to be a screening/scouting force. We're seeing the actual high-cohesion infantry in the centre, with no moves to further reinforce the Rotholz.
Honestly I've lost the plot of what he's doing a bit in the first place, because I don't understand why his arty is so spread out. He's going to need to concentrate fire on our entrenched positions, so why is that field artillery way over there?
(Also if he's gonna move through Rotholz it'll be forming up in the forest. Lancers, at least, can easily charge out of the forest and into the hills in the south, which I'd be very happy if he went for, but seeing as he sees two inf and a cav over there, probably won't with equivalent numbers).
Why did the 16th get revealed? They should have 8 concealment right?
And the enemy cavalry got their table messed up.
I am struggling to understand his goal here too.
Honestly I think his movements are closest to setting up his own defensive position expecting us to charge him, nearly mirroring the setup of fortress Rotholz but with Sarnscheid as the lynchpin instead.
But Sarnscheid is way worse terrain and he doesn't have the fortifications that would have made Rotholz such an incredible strongpoint.
