Thunder Horse Negaverse: Once Again...
The first signs of unrest came when the Royal Trade Mission to the Forhuch returned back early. Rumors spread quickly of the displeasure of the foreign king, and the Governor's investigation into the matter brought forth even more unnerving clues. The offer to attend the Games had seemed to somehow insult the new king, with many of the traders whispering of the Forhuch king's weakening grasp on his own nation.
The shadow of greatness cast by his father and the People was indeed vast, and while far from incompetent, the king was still only an echo of his father's brilliance.
Worried at the failed mission, the Governor gave orders to quietly begin laying in stocks of food and arms, as well increasing the patrols of the border regions, under the guise of hunting bandits.
The raids started off small, groups of horsemen raiding isolated settlements at first, but even as patrols were increased to counter the raids, the raids increased in intensity. It became evident that a possible war was looming. Word was sent to the King, requesting assistance and guidance in dealing with the issues, but before the messenger could return from Valleyhome, another rider came from the east, from the Forhuch king.
The message was a straightforward declaration of war, to be commenced in half a turn of the moon. While this would be enough time to allow word to reach the capital, even if King sent his forces out immediately, support would be a long time coming. Word was sent back west, while the Governor worked to raise his forces as quickly as he was able.
When the Forhuch descended from the mountain passes, it was only this time of preparation as well as the Governor's own foresight that allowed resistance against the horde. The Forhuch attack in many ways resembled the Pure's murderous strike so many years ago, but for all that the Forhuch seemed to move as quick as lightning and to strike nearly as hard, their attacks were also slower.
Rather than destroy the settlements, the Forhuch spent much of their effort capturing and looting their way through the borderlands, as well as taking the chance to blood their warriors. This, combined with the prepared defenses and ready warriors of the Thunder Horse lands, had slowed their assault to a comparative crawl. Still faster than could be borne for long, but only a fraction of the speed of the Pure.
Still, the attacks had been slowed enough that the King's army arrived well before the damage had reached catastrophic levels. The War Chief who led the army was overjoyed to see that so many Thunder Horse warriors still lived, and quickly took command of the entire force.
The King had indeed sent his best. All three Banners, along with a large segment of the Sacred Orders. Most important of those orders, of course, were the Spiritbound. While they numbered far less than their Forhuch counterparts, their presence would still allow for a far more flexible strategy against the invaders.
Even better came news of the royal decree calling forth the levies. Numbers that many could not even begin to imagine were bandied about by the War Chief. The idea of an army as numerous than the grains of sand upon a beach was greatly uplifting to many, a badly needed bolster to the flagging morale of the Thunder Horse people. Though that news was somewhat balanced out by word of more nomad attacks on the Memory of Spirits and Heaven's Hawks.
With the arrival of the King's army, the fighting began in earnest. The results were... mixed. The Blood Rain Banner would quickly suffer a devastating defeat, their leadership tricked by the Forhuch's use of captives. The War Chief, on the other hand, proved himself to be a true genius at war, as he used his forces to quickly crush a similar attack, as well as managing to continually thwart attacks on many other settlements. It was not long before the Forhuch would choose to retreat merely upon seeing his banner present, rather than risk a confrontation.
Of course, even for all his genius, the War Chief was unlikely to be able to decisively defeat the Forhuch with what he had now. Without a way to pin them, he could only strike when an opportunity presented itself.
Your Governor has proven himself surprisingly adept at handling what should have been an utter disaster. Choose a bonus for him:
[] [Hero] Heroic Admin, Good Martial, Mediocre Diplomacy
[] [Hero] Excellent Admin, Excellent Martial, Excellent Diplomacy
[] [Hero] Good Admin, Heroic Martial, Fair Diplomacy
Choose Reaction:
[] [Reaction] Expand Econ (Sec Expand Econ x2)
[] [Reaction] Raise Army (Main Raise Army)
[] [Reaction] Build Roads (Main Build Roads)
[] [Reaction] Another War Mission (Main War Mission)
