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Visitor :  Dice Roller| Game Info| The Cast |
| Fuzzy: Midmarch Council. Posted by Henry LeMaistre. | Group: 0 |
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| Author | Message | Page: 5 4 3 2 1 [all][bottom] |
OOC: I knew I had written it down somewhere, but have been struggling to find it. Apparently, I blogged on it, then ran out of time to put it in the mass combat rules section of the Wiki. See the Sieges section at the end of this page :_ http://galinia.org.uk/263-2 | |||
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Besides, the letter's nothing more than a pile of empty threats, anyways." As the wine passed, Kiera would grab a glass of her own, taking a sip before continuing. "It's not like they would have the troops to back up whatever threats they might make at the moment, either. Any troops he might send down here are that many fewer that he can't send against the Aldori in the east- and even after this all passes, he'll have his hands full with occupying the east and keeping things under control... and even after that, there's no populace that I know of who could handle two big campaigns, one after the other, in such a short amount of time. Same with the Aldori- they win this thing, they'll have a lot of the same problems- having to deal with a bunch of new territory, occupying and securing it. They won't have time to worry about Midmarch, or the supplies or manpower. Both sides might be a little cross at us, yes, but at the same time, what can they do about it?" Taking another few sips from the glass, she'd eye it, and shrug. "...neutrality is a funny thing- besides, how would it appear to the rest of his allies? You attack a country that's trying to stay out of a civil war, what does that say to the rest of the world? What kind of impression does that make? It doesn't make you look strong, it makes you look vindictive, petty- some might say downright evil. Declare Midmarch as neutral in all this, refuse to send him even a copper. If he keeps bucking, look into how much bite he really has, and call him on it instead of just rolling onto your back. Midmarch and her people are loyal to you, my lord. If we have to go independent, well... what do we have to lose if Noleski pulls our ranks? We couldn't be a member of the Brevic Order if we didn't live in Brevoy, anyways..." | |||
This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Mon 06 July 2020. | |||
Kendrick was at odds during the entire discussion. There was no easy answer, but there was a hard choice to be made. "Lord Henry. It is difficult to make a decision but since you have call us to offer our opinion on this matter" "Ultimately it is your decision, but from where I see things. The best choice for you and for Midmarch is to announce your independence." He paused to let that idea settle before he continued. "Once you announce the independence of Midmarch, that will force the hand of the Regent and that of the Aldori swordlords. Based on how they receive the news, it may give you guidance on your next move." | |||
"I wish diplomacy or strict neutrality could be our answer - with all my heart, I do not want a war. But, neither of those are good means to deal with a despot. And that is what presently sits the throne, and what we bend the knee to." This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:20, Tue 07 July 2020. | |||
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Cass took another guzzle of wine and then stroked at his beard. “A similar letter could be sent to the Aldori stating that a plot has been uncovered here in Midmarch. Surtova’s nephew Stanislav was not only sent to spy on Midmarch, but to put in place certain agents. These agents all being fire mages with orders to burn Tusk city to the ground if Midmarch takes arms against Surtova. Time is needed to ferret out these agents before Midmarch can send forces to join the Grand Coalition.” This message was last edited by the player at 02:50, Tue 07 July 2020. | |||
"By that time, we will have already failed to protect Brevoy's southern border. If the Aldori win, they will control all the land to the north of us. Southern Rostland is lightly populated at best, although there has been expansion since we closed down the bandits who were operating along those borders. While my intelligence isn't perfect, I believe many of those settlers will be Aldori supporters, rather than royalists. We know the Aldori have been strengthening and reclaiming land in east Rostland, it would make sense to do the same in south Rostland. As for strengthening that border, I am upgrading to a small castle in Newgate, and a keep in Outpost. It makes a small defensive line and allows me to scout that area very effectively. Most of my troops are gathered in that area at the moment." Political map of Brevoy - http://rp.baileymail.net/lib/e...brevoy-political.gif | |||
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"We are working here on the assumption that House Surtova stands alone against the Aldori coalition. But just because Noleski has not married yet, does not mean he must stay bachelor forever. If he is under enough pressure, he could offer a marriage alliance to one of the great houses, an offer that any of them would consider very seriously." "If the forces are already equally matched just between Surtova and Aldori, what will happen should another house join Surtova? I would not be so quick as to write Noleski off just yet, regardless if we join the Aldori or not. And I fear this war will not be a quick victory in the field Aldori likely assume it will, but a long and gruelling affair. It takes more than swordsmanship to win a war." | |||
"What would that actually mean, apart from a question of legal authority? I presume he would not just leave that position vacant, but would appoint someone else with the same orders you were given. Likely someone with enough strength behind him to enforce those orders, too. Do you have any idea who that might be?" he asked. | |||
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"And if it is but a coin toss of choice between the Surtova and Aldori, then the matter of whether their troops be friend or foe, which set of colours might fight by our side and which vitals our blades will seek is likewise on a knife's edge." "Whatever is decided, my fellow clergy will be ministering to the fallen. All the fallen." The priest considers ... "If war must come, we should not seek to glean advantage. Though the Grey Lady herself does not judge if a death be just, I, her simple priest, would rather fight for a cause that is right." "And if neither Surtova nor Aldori be worthy, then perhaps we should not lend either our blades. Perhaps we should stand aside and see to our defences so we are prepared when the victor turns vengeful eyes towards us as they surely will. It may not be the most advantageous choice, but it may well be the right one." He smiles at Cass. "And perhaps there are other allies who would be worthy and who would stand by us and us by them - there may yet be a need for words." | |||
Noleski has spent the last fifteen years trying to take the throne and still the great houses are resistant to him and now Rostland, with Mivonese support is breaking away. I am not sure any of the great houses would back such a weak ruler when there is a chance should he fall one of them may gain the throne of Issia. Finally let me say that should a replacement be sent to replace Lord Henry then I suggest we send any candidate packing with his tail betwixt his legs and might I suggest that at that point the chapter resigns and a new chapter arise in it's place with our loyalty to Lord Henry. We have all worked too hard to build Midmarch to what it is today to see some interloper arrive merely to take the cream of the top of all our efforts." | |||
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Andalon from the time I was small enough to sit on my mothers lap I remember her telling stories about the good old days when Rostland was free of the Rogarvarians, I was still a boy when whatever it was made them all disappear. My grandfather remembers those times, he told my father about them when he was but a boy and that is one of the reasons he came to Restov and met my mother. My father would tell me stories of the great Aldori swordsmen who met their end at the Valley of Fire how Choral's dragons burnt and pillages Rostland, how the Mivonese fled to keep the dream of freedom alive. Brevoy wasn't really our country, it was one where you Issians stood on our necks, our mothers kept the dream alive and we trained for the day we would take our chance to rise up and throw off the shackles and be free again. Those are reason enough for Mivon to assist Rostland, after all they are family." | |||
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She hesitates before continuing. "Mind you, I am not saying Mivoni could not have been offered something extra. Mercenaries generally fight better when they are paid after all, and Mivoni are mercenaries. I doubt it's Midmarch though, I do not believe Restov Aldori would do that. Now, whatever they can pillage, raid or conquer from Issian held lands, that I could see. That's how this game was played before Choral showed up." | |||
"The king has stepped on a good many toes during his reign. And while it is possible one house or another might wed itself to Surtova, some of those sore feet are likewise bound to be disinclined to dance to his tune. Perhaps even more so if it involves wedding a beloved daughter to a sadist. But, I do not argue at all the potential for a protracted, ugly war. And the sanity of avoiding it." | |||
I mean, yes, he wouldn't want to lose us, but still... what's worse to have on your southern border- a neutral country, or an enemy country? Send his majesty a letter declaring our independence, and our willingness to stay neutral to the war- we don't give aid to either side, we let them fight it out. If he decides he's going to get all huffy and whiny with us- or anybody else allied with his decides to start trouble, then suddenly we're a lot more friendly with the Aldori and we've got a lot of countryside they can ride through to come up and hassle his southern border from. He gets a neutral border that he doesn't have to worry about, we don't have to worry about attacks from the north unless Surtova is a complete and utter jackass, and we get our own country out of the deal. You can call yourself whatever you want to, I suppose- plus, if the Aldori win this thing, we haven't completely burned our bridges with both of them. The survivors are going to need supplies and food and everything else after this is all done, and who has the closest farms and markets and trade routes to both sides? It'll cost us any shot we might have at being Brevoy nobility, but in the end, well... we were going to have to have this discussion sometime. I've lived my life without it for years, going back to being sort-of-plain-old-me wouldn't be too bad." She finishes off her wine, and then looks for a second glass. | |||
Safiya dismisses this matter with a wave of her hand. "In any case, whatever we choose we also need to be ready for the deluge of refugees as the population to the north is introduced to all the wonders of war again. I dare say there will be plenty of Rostlanders, Issians, and just plain Brevoyans among them, as well as the ever popular I-am-whatever-will-not-get-me-killed-m'lord nationality." | |||
"Let me see if I can summarise the situation based on what has been said here today. "It seems to be agreed that there is no hope for negotiation of a peaceful agreement between the King-Regent and the Aldori. "Civil war seems inevitable and our support to either side may well be enough to tip the balance in their favour. "If we go and support the King-Regent and he wins, our current situation is not likely to change greatly. Some of us may be granted noble titles or other symbolic recognition but our trade with the Aldori lands to the east, including Restov, and with Mivon and Jovvox in the south will suffer. "If we support the King-Regent but he loses, then we have enemies to the east as well as the south, much less reliable support from the north leaving us more open to attack from the south in particular, and our trade to the east and south will also suffer. "If we go and support the Aldori in Rostland and they win, they say they are only interested in reclaiming Rostland so we end up with Brevoy cut in two, with us allied to the Aldori in Rostland, some degree of friendship with Mivon in the south, but with the remainder of Brevoy to the north hostile to us. Trade routes to the east and south will flourish but the pressure from the River Kingdoms for us to embrace their River Freedoms would probably also increase. There will be changes in our lives. "If we support the Aldori but they are still defeated, the King-Regent will send someone much more heavy-handed to replace Lord Henry here in Midmarch, which would not be pleasant for any of us, even if we don't end up in prison, or worse. Our troops would have suffered badly on the battlefield so we would not be in a position to prevent the King-Regent's man from taking control of Midmarch. "If we remain neutral and the King-Regent defeats the Aldori, the outcome would not be much different than if we had supported the Aldori. The King-Regent will send someone much more heavy-handed to replace Lord Henry here in Midmarch. I suspect we wouldn't face imprisonment but you can bet that we would be taxed to breaking point. If we fought back to prevent the King-Regent's man from taking control of Midmarch we might be successful at first but we could not hold out forever against the full strength that the King-Regent would eventually send against us. "If we remain neutral and the Aldori win, I expect the King-Regent would still send someone much more heavy-handed to replace Lord Henry here in Midmarch. If we remain neutral it probably doesn't make much difference whether the Aldori or the King-Regent is victorious; we lose either way, eventually." He paused and looked down at his hands, holding them in front of himself and moving them up and down like a set of scales weighing each option. "None of those outcomes are without drawbacks but, to my mind, the outcome for Midmarch would be best, or should I say least bad, if it is our support that tips the balance in the King-Regent's favour and he manages to defeat the Aldori. "Nonetheless, as I said at the start of this meeting, I would not be where I am today if it were not for you, Henry. The final decision is yours. I trust your judgement. I am with you either way." After delivering his considered opinion and his pledge, Andalon shrugged apologetically to those who had been arguing in favour of joining the Aldori, and sat down. | |||
Henry goes on to sum up Midmarch’s defences. ”I don’t think we can do much more defensively at the moment. Many of you have mentioned it, and that has been useful advice, If nothing else we are as prepared as we can be for any fallout from the war. Tusk, which marks our southern boundary, is strengthening its defences significantly. Our eastern border is dominated by the Shrike River, which can only be crossed easily using the bridge at Ringbridge. That is fairly well fortified, and WSM are helping to strengthen it further. The far side of the river has Eastgate and the new watchtower at the Burial Mound – which can patrol that area and, perhaps, provide a small guerrilla force to harry any enemy in that area. Our northern border, between us and the civil war will be our strongest, with a castle and two keeps. To the west, we have the Narlemarch – it is difficult to march an army through and is scattered with settlement and troops that can harry – we will even have outer patrols based in Westgate and The Old Villa. I don’t think we can go much more defensively at the moment. My family has some experience of civil war. My mother came here from Ustalav after our family holdings were destroyed in the War without Rivals. It makes it more difficult to face a second war within a generation. However, both my sister and cousin have holdings in Aldori territory, and have pledged their support to their respective leaders, as you have offered your support to me. It makes this a particularly difficult decision for me. However, I think we have covered most things, especially with Andalon’s masterly summation of the situation. So I would like each of you to express, in simple terms, your preferred option. This message was last edited by the player at 18:15, Wed 08 July 2020. |
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