The War of the Imperial Succession

[Aerandariel]

@Mestra: That was kinda the idea from the start. Each of the four would start out on their own but then shift allegiances depending on the situation on the ground. The most likeliest turn would be Legion/Aiuria vs. Arreat/Virginium. But keep in mind, with this being a historical event the Aiurians end up on top anyway. So that is probably how this goes down when it comes down to it.

As to splitting the main four factions up, I'd be interested to see how that could develop. Virginium would probably be the most fractured as the main economic faction in play. Some of the Virginians might favor heavy military involvement while others might favor strangling the other three factions economically and politically. The Imperial Legion may be split on who to take out first. I don't see how Arreat or Aiuria may be divided.

I will say this to you: looking at the lay of the land, it makes NO SENSE for Mestra to back Aiuria, not considering it would be more likely Mestra would (and should) consider our treaty of alliance to pertain to the Legion, not the other groups. So it would make a bit more sense for Mestra to back the Legion and let Carpathia back the Aiurians. As for who backs Arreat or Virginium, should someone come forward I can adjust.

@Arkiania: Arreat, or the Children of Bul-Kathos, is the main military faction in this war. They control much of the western part of the Empire and hold their capital in the state of Arreat around the sacred Mount Arreat.

@Lines: Carpathia might be involved but I don't know what they'd be up to.

A formal backstory detailing the buildup to the war, its outbreak and first few battles is incoming, so do pay attention to this thread for when I release it.

[Aerandariel]

This map pinpoints each of the major cities of the other twelve states of the Angirisian Empire. Angleterre is essentially empty because I've already posted a map of Angleterre cities. I also featured Mount Arreat, which is the tallest peak in Angiris and the home of the Arreatians.

Now, some information...

Faction Capitals
Children of Bul'Kathos (Arreat) - Sescheron
The Imperial Legion (Angleterre) - Cathedrium
Aiurian Protectorate (Aiuria) - Aiur
Virginium Consortium (Virginium) - Appomattox

THE BACKSTORY

1321 CE.

The Emperor Joseph II has died without an heir or a succession plan, effectively ending the Athelonian Dynasty and throwing the Angirisian Empire into chaos once again. Quickly, three lords lay claim to the Imperial Throne in hopes of establishing their own dynasties. The crisis initially began peacefully, as each lord tried to negotiate with one another to secure the right to be called Emperor.

But then in Septem 1321, an event took place that destroyed all hopes of peace and began what would be called the "War of the Imperial Succession". Tensions had already begun to mount in the months after the Emperor's death and amidst the wrangling, the various factions had begun deploying their respective militias to "protect" border crossings and smaller towns. With the leaders arguing with each other in the Imperial Capital, these militias began to trade blows with one another causing a fair deal of blood to be spilled in the resulting disaster.

As the three faction leaders returned to their capitals to decide on their next moves, they get reports from panicked and wounded soldiers from the borders telling them of a series of disastrous assaults that led to innumerable amounts of blood to be shed. Each side blamed one another for the attacks and the leaders were none the wiser so they inevitably declared war on one another, resolving to settle their differences on the battlefields of the once-glorious Angirisian Empire.

Much of the Western Empire rallied to the banner of a group calling themselves the "Children of Bul'Kathos", led by an Arreatian lord by the same name and heralding from the sacred Mount Arreat itself. Their goals were to reclaim the glory days of the Empire by a show of righteous force, to prove to the rest of the world that Angiris is no longer a moribund nation but a nation of superior military prowess. The Arreatians would stop at nothing, include sacrificing Angiris's reputation, to achieve their goals. The Eastern Empire's states fell in line behind a group of Virginium financiers and mercenary leaders calling themselves "the Consortium", who felt that economic pressure was the remedy to their problem and subterfuge their methodology. Though they had an army (mostly comprised of mercenaries and pirates), they would be more comfortable using it behind closed doors rather than exposing it on an open field, although they wouldn't mind that too much. In the North, the ancient Praetoss realized that this was their chance to finally seize the glory and power that they had sought for centuries since Aiuria was overrun by the Angleterrans when the old League was formed. They rallied their forces in Aiuria readied for war, believing their stronger weapons and tactics would be enough to turn the tide of war in their favor.

While all this took place, the Imperial Legion - the only piece of the Imperial regime still functioning since there was no formal government anymore - quickly seized control of Angleterre and marched through the streets of the Imperial City of Cathedrium with the black, gold and red standard proudly flying. Hoping to contain the crisis, the Legion installed their High Commander as the new Emperor and instituted military rule in the central province. When word of this got out to the other states, they were furious. Believing the Legion was only interested in protecting their own interests and well aware that they would be quick to sound the war cry to allied nations elsewhere, the other factions declared the Legion's actions to be illegitimate and every one of them prepared armies to march on the Imperial City. Along the way, each army seized strategic territory before anyone else could lay their hands on them. At the same time, the Legion began spreading out across the Empire, taking back territories left and right. They solidified their hold on Angleterre, swept through Athelon and much of Skovos and Kehjistan. The Arreatians took possession of western Westmarch and Scosglen before marching into Khanduras. The Consortium seized all of Virginium, Ohiae and Aranoch and managed the drive the Legion out of nearly all of Kehjistan, forcing them back into their fortifications at Caldeum. The Praetoss struck out of Aiuria into northeastern Skovos, seizing the important city of Nordum and along the way pushed into western Skovos, taking with it the city of Amazonium and laying siege to Paladium.

Alva, 1324 CE.

The Angirisian Empire teeters near the brink of total collapse. Legion control of its territories is hanging on by a thread, with a revolt having just been put down in the city of Moria just six months prior. The Legion is fighting for its life under the duress of a seemingly never-ending Consortium siege of the important eastern port of Caldeum. But the Legion did just recapture the Khanduran cities of Wortham and Waystruck from the Arreatians, but the roads to Tristram were heavily barricaded by Arreatian armies seeking to bar further push into the state and knowing that the loss of Tristram would devastate Arreatian hopes of victory. To take pressure away from Tristram, Arreatian armies began marching northeast from Bramwell towards the metropolis of Westmarch City, hoping to steal away the economic heart of the Empire. Praetoss forces were mildly successful in penetrating the solid Legionary walls of northern Angleterre, with the first forces approaching the "gate"-city of Durielum but found their grip on northeast Scosglen to be slipping as Arreatian forces were launching relentless waves of attacks against Nordum and the Praetoss armies there. The waters of the Angirisian Gulf and around the Terran Peninsula were becoming a graveyard of ships and bodies, as naval forces of all of the factions constantly were firing arrows, ballistaes, or whatever species of rubbish they could find in hopes of sinking enemy ships.

The war is only just now heating up. And now, with rumors flying around that Mestra or other foreign powers may be preparing to intervene in the war, events could go from bad to worse. Time shall tell... and what happens will determine the course of Angirisian history forever.

---

So... what do you all think? Sound good or could use some tweaking?

[Mestra]

Looks good to me. This gives the Imperium ample time to prepare for war. Three years is more than enough time to stock pile provisions, build ships and bolster the Imperial Legion (Mestra). It might be possible for smugglers to get around faction navies to get supplies from Mestra to the Imperial Legion, could also be how the Imperium is getting its intelligence from the north.

[Ayzek]

Looks pretty fine. So, right now, all three factions are attacking the IL? If they are, how tenacious is the "alliance"? And how liable are their petty militias to defeat the trained, standing military forces of the great and powerful Angirisian Empire on the battlefield?

[Aerandariel]

Looks pretty fine. So, right now, all three factions are attacking the IL? If they are, how tenacious is the "alliance"? And how liable are their petty militias to defeat the trained, standing military forces of the great and powerful Angirisian Empire on the battlefield?

They're actually all attacking each other. And its fairly reasonable to say that some units of the Imperial Legion could defect to one of the three factions, especially units comprised of soldiers all from one province. Outside of that, it'd be tough to say.