War for the Isthmus
As Errezo makes its move to dominate the isthmus militarily, the lines of alliance are drawn up for war:
Aggressors:
- Errezo (vast indebted army, mercenaries)
- The Whispers (covertly)
- Kerrid (fractious internally)
- Ylohom
- Lacrestand (militarily weak)
- Sigmenod (holding majority of forces for their own defense)
- Blackpowder Coast (leaning towards Errezo)
- Commonwealth of Reld (leaning towards the allies)
- Sokani Archipelago (anti-Errezo but also anti-Reld)
- Most Nidari Reach settlements
- First story: the ashen keep. See that story (featuring Rephen of the Lodestone mountain and Tuveek, fur-adept) for details. Promise of information on his lost quarry is used to recruit Borathon, tarnished knight.
- Second story: maze of mists. Fleeing with a frozen Morcrun the grey , Rephen and Tuveek make their way to Lacrestand to hand them over and collect their reward. They are ensnared by the misty labyrinth defending the land, which has been spun (in this section, at least) by Frin the Breath-Witch, who Tuveek recognises as being connected to Deyoctrun the sky-born by her sky-metal bracelet. She softens and fills them in: she had been researching/exploring the border between The Srem and Gollow Wastes , when a mistform dove arrived from the Archbishop of Lacrestand summoning her back for defense of the realm. She flew back nonstop for 4 days, riding a mist coracle on the crest of a wave of fog. She considers the Archbishop to be a weak fool, too soft on the Commonwealth of Reld, and with his generals away in the Sokani Archipelago to plan the war. But she wants to defend the common people of her realm. she advises the duo to continue to Sokani to meet with the war-leaders there. Meanwhile, after Borathon and Syrvoc are rebuffed in their first assault upon the maze, Borathon improvises gold breathing-masks to protect them from becoming mist-infused; he uses Syrvoc's badge of office/sentimental item/funds reserve for this. After a showdown in the maze, Rephen and Tuveek narrowly escape.
- Third story: reaver of the slick. Rephen and Tuveek head to Kerrid, and charter a boat to Sokani. They deliberately make themselves conspicuous, leading to getting caught by Tasmis The Sea-Reaver, currently plying his trade as a pirate captain (the reaver of the slick). Already knows Rephen, though the two had an argument and headed in different directions for some space. They fight off pursuing forces and make it to sokani.
- Meanwhile, Borathon is plying Syrvoc for information and sneaking off to investigate at night, trying to work out what's going on with Errezo and his own history. Also struggling to fight with the wrong weapons and armour, as provided by the army.
- Fourth story: Whispers of Sokani. Dealing with Whisper intrusions into the planning at Sokani, and getting Morcrun thawed out. Borathon changes sides, forcing Syrvoc to flee instead – possibly she is recruited by the Whispers? There should also be a twist or something around Morcrun's use.
- Follow-up: Tasmis flees to the east, pursued by Whisper agents.
The Conflict
Prelude
- over the preceding few years, the Mercantile Board of Errezo changes its loan & contract policies, using this technique to assemble its identured army.
- Errezo also acquires Morcrun the grey and keeps him captive in The Jintvars in order to infuse their army with essences to increase their power.
Battlefield
Various locations within the Isthmus.
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Belligerents
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Secure hegemony over the Isthmus, particularly to secure land as a stable, reliable form of wealth.
Backed by The Whispers for unknown reasons, possibly to extend the scope of their trading/smuggling operations and to secure trade monopolies.
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
A fragile alliance, constructed to keep Errezo from dividing and conquering.
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