Turn 17 Rumor Mill
- Location
- Maryland
End of a Dark Age: Celebrations break out across the known world, from the steppes of Yakyakistan to the Cities of the Empire to the shores of Neighpon, peoples of every race, class and creed rejoice at the news of Sombra's final defeat and the liberation of the Crystal Empire. Already stories of the battles of Redstone, the Peregrines, and the Crystal Keep are passing into legend, growing ever more mythical and exaggerated with each retelling. You are certain that the war will be an event talked about for generations, a defining moment for the Empire and its neighbors.
Konrad Hardbeak is being hailed as the war's greatest hero, much to his consternation and despite his protests that he wasn't really responsible for the "final death" of Sombra. This does nothing to stop him from being idolized by the public. You personally think it's because "thus the hero Hardbeak slayed the Shadow King three times over" sounds a lot better than "and so the Scary Pony was vaporized by a shiny rock he'd been hiding in his basement." Indeed, while the Crystal Heart and its role in ending the war is publicly known, most choose to focus upon the heroic efforts of the tens of thousands of sapients who fought and bled to lay low a tyrant. You are of course not spared from such adoration, though your role in the stories is more that of a steady hand of leadership or a stoic commanding presence rather than a legendary fighter. You're more than ok with that.
The Crystal Conundrum: Of course, though Sombra is gone, the mess he left behind still remains. Though the Windigos have been banished, the lands of the Crystal Empire remain barren and infertile. It's limited infrastructure has been ravaged by war, its population deeply traumatized and scarred by Sombra's reign. After decades as slaves and prisoners in their own bodies, none are capable of stepping forward to lead their people. Once the joy of freedom has passed, a universal feeling of uncertainty grips the former servants of the Shadow King. Most now look to their liberators for guidance and assistance as thousands of Crystal Ponies are forced to relocate to the Griffonlands or Neighpon to avoid starvation, their homeland incapable of supporting even their greatly reduced population, those who remain behind relying primarily upon food exports from the North as they struggle to re-establish their meagre agricultural base.
Already there is much debate within the halls of power as to how the situation should be resolved. Should the Crystal Empire be reformed into a new nation? If so, what sort of nation should it be? What will it's relationship to its neighbors be? What of the thousands of Refugees who already call the Griffonlands home? Should the Empire simply annex its newly pacified neighbor, or leave it to fend for itself? And not least of all, what is to be done with the Crystal Heart? There is no consensus among the public or the Imperial Leadership, nor a clear right or wrong answer.
Forged in the Fires of War: There is no question that the Winter War has had a great impact upon its participants. Every race, every nation and clan and class was affected by the conflict. The Yaks learned the horrors of true war, and became aware that the world beyond their homeland was both very big and very dangerous. The varied races of Neighpon were forced to reevaluate their differences and rivalries in the face of a mutual threat to their freedom and existence. And Gryphus? The nation that fought and bled and suffered the most at the dark hoof of Sombra, the nation that served as a bulwark against his cruel ambitions?
The Empire of Gryphus went from a collection of fiefdoms loosely affiliated by virtue of a shared history to a unified nation under a centralized authority. It's people, once divided along cultural, economic or racial lines, are now united in the face of a dangerous outside world. The demand for material to fuel the Imperial War Machine has led to a massive increase in agricultural and industrial output and the creation and spread of numerous revolutionary innovations. Though countless lives have been lost, some dare to say that the Empire has emerged from the war stronger than it was before.
This has not gone unnoticed by its allies. The Yak reformists point to the victory, growth and continued prosperity of their western neighbors as further proof that their nomadic lifestyle is unsustainable, and the Neighponese who fought and bled alongside Griffons and Dogs have come to respect and be interested in these mainlanders. Already the Dragon Emperor Kōryū Ryuō has expressed an interest in forming a more formal alliance between the twin empires, hoping for a reliable ally against unknown foes yet to be encountered. Regardless of its consequences and aftermath, the Winter War will surely be remembered as a defining moment in the History of the Empire of Gryphus.
Konrad Hardbeak is being hailed as the war's greatest hero, much to his consternation and despite his protests that he wasn't really responsible for the "final death" of Sombra. This does nothing to stop him from being idolized by the public. You personally think it's because "thus the hero Hardbeak slayed the Shadow King three times over" sounds a lot better than "and so the Scary Pony was vaporized by a shiny rock he'd been hiding in his basement." Indeed, while the Crystal Heart and its role in ending the war is publicly known, most choose to focus upon the heroic efforts of the tens of thousands of sapients who fought and bled to lay low a tyrant. You are of course not spared from such adoration, though your role in the stories is more that of a steady hand of leadership or a stoic commanding presence rather than a legendary fighter. You're more than ok with that.
The Crystal Conundrum: Of course, though Sombra is gone, the mess he left behind still remains. Though the Windigos have been banished, the lands of the Crystal Empire remain barren and infertile. It's limited infrastructure has been ravaged by war, its population deeply traumatized and scarred by Sombra's reign. After decades as slaves and prisoners in their own bodies, none are capable of stepping forward to lead their people. Once the joy of freedom has passed, a universal feeling of uncertainty grips the former servants of the Shadow King. Most now look to their liberators for guidance and assistance as thousands of Crystal Ponies are forced to relocate to the Griffonlands or Neighpon to avoid starvation, their homeland incapable of supporting even their greatly reduced population, those who remain behind relying primarily upon food exports from the North as they struggle to re-establish their meagre agricultural base.
Already there is much debate within the halls of power as to how the situation should be resolved. Should the Crystal Empire be reformed into a new nation? If so, what sort of nation should it be? What will it's relationship to its neighbors be? What of the thousands of Refugees who already call the Griffonlands home? Should the Empire simply annex its newly pacified neighbor, or leave it to fend for itself? And not least of all, what is to be done with the Crystal Heart? There is no consensus among the public or the Imperial Leadership, nor a clear right or wrong answer.
Forged in the Fires of War: There is no question that the Winter War has had a great impact upon its participants. Every race, every nation and clan and class was affected by the conflict. The Yaks learned the horrors of true war, and became aware that the world beyond their homeland was both very big and very dangerous. The varied races of Neighpon were forced to reevaluate their differences and rivalries in the face of a mutual threat to their freedom and existence. And Gryphus? The nation that fought and bled and suffered the most at the dark hoof of Sombra, the nation that served as a bulwark against his cruel ambitions?
The Empire of Gryphus went from a collection of fiefdoms loosely affiliated by virtue of a shared history to a unified nation under a centralized authority. It's people, once divided along cultural, economic or racial lines, are now united in the face of a dangerous outside world. The demand for material to fuel the Imperial War Machine has led to a massive increase in agricultural and industrial output and the creation and spread of numerous revolutionary innovations. Though countless lives have been lost, some dare to say that the Empire has emerged from the war stronger than it was before.
This has not gone unnoticed by its allies. The Yak reformists point to the victory, growth and continued prosperity of their western neighbors as further proof that their nomadic lifestyle is unsustainable, and the Neighponese who fought and bled alongside Griffons and Dogs have come to respect and be interested in these mainlanders. Already the Dragon Emperor Kōryū Ryuō has expressed an interest in forming a more formal alliance between the twin empires, hoping for a reliable ally against unknown foes yet to be encountered. Regardless of its consequences and aftermath, the Winter War will surely be remembered as a defining moment in the History of the Empire of Gryphus.
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