The War of the Imperial Succession

[Mestra]

I'm questioning why Mestra and Carpathia would instantly support the one faction that seems to have the least chance of winning.

Mestra and Angiris have at this point been allies somewhere around 700 years, give or a take. It would be likely then for the Imperium to support the faction with whom the treaty would be transferred to. Of course, this goes back to my original question about how that would work, and of course it would depend on what the treaty originally said (that part was never worked out). In any eventuality, the Imperium will likely not rush straight away but debate whether to adhere to the treaty, which it will do in the end.

[Aerandariel]

@Jam: First, I was only taking a first stab at a RL comparison considering the timing of the first firearms, the Industrial Revolution and the spread of industrialization from West Brigidna to the Near East and beyond.

Second, it's probably geopolitical. Think for a second: Arreat is more war-like, so it wouldn't make a lot of sense to back them considering an Arreatian emperor could easily turn around and war with either Mestra or Carpathia at any turn. Virginium is more economically inclined, so from a financial standpoint, the Virginium Consortium might have been better. All the Legion wants to do is restore order and not address anyone's concerns, and Aiuria seems to be the one in the middle.

@Mestra: The faction that honestly would be the one where our alliance treaty stands is with the Imperial Legion. Remember, they control the Imperial City of Cathedrium and the economic heart of the Empire in Westmarch City. They also have the largest army and navy, so a blockade of the Angirisian Empire as a whole would be quite difficult to accomplish unless of course you aim your blockade at one faction over another. I cannot see any other way unless the treaty is abrogated and a new one is negotiated.

[Aerandariel]

A map of Angleterre, the major battleground of the War of the Imperial Succession. All the red lines depict roadways leading in and out of and around Angleterre's major cities. Yellow lines depict primary shipping lanes by the Angleterre Merchant Marine that moves without impunity essentially around Angleterre's southern coast.

There are ten major cities in Angleterre, nine in the state proper and the Imperial City District and all ten are controlled by the Imperial Legion. Here's a breakdown of each city:

Andarielum - primary trading hub in northern Angleterre and the state's second-largest city if you factor in Cathedrium. Andarielum also maintains a large local militia which is well reinforced by Imperial Legion forces. Along with Tarsonium, Andarielum is considered one of the two "Keys to the Imperial City"; if a faction controlled one or both "Keys" they could march into the Imperial City District and lay siege to Cathedrium itself.

Durielum - sometimes called the gateway to Angleterre, Durielum is one of the first major entry points travelers enter when heading further south into the state. Control of this city is important due to its natural defenses being built on hills and much of the city being on a plateau in mountainous North Angleterre.

Augustgrad - the only major Angleterran city not on a coastline, Augustgrad is the primary military hub in Angleterre and it is here where many Legion troops are trained. It is extraordinarily well-defended with tall walls, powerful artillery and numerous local and Legion forces.

Azmodanae - sometimes considered "the runt of the litter", Azmodanae is considered the "Gateway to the East" due to its easy access to the Eastern states and a direct waterway route to Caldeum, the capital of Kehjistan.

Thames - primary trading hub in southern Angleterre and a city that rivals Andarielum for influence on state affairs. Much like Andarielum and even Augustgrad, the Imperial Legion maintains a significant garrison here and uses the city's many docks as shipbuilding stations with which to dominate the Angirisian Gulf.

Seine - a city built on a island off the tip of the Terran Peninsula itself, Seine is a city that largely avoids much of the conflicts of the mainland. But its importance cannot be understated; due to its mostly isolated nature, Seine is used as the primary docking and resupply station for the Legion's Navy. Control of this city is key to the Legion for without it it may lose the ability to marshal their full naval power.

Tarsonium - third-largest city in Angleterre and a major trading city with the Western Empire, particularly due to its straight shot to Westmarch City. A very large Navy and Legion presence stands here, largely due to its strategic nature. Along with Andarielum, Tarsonium is considered one of the two "Keys to the Imperial City"; if a faction controlled one or both "Keys" they could march into the Imperial City District and lay siege to Cathedrium itself.

Moria - a connection with Aranoch and the city of Lut Gholein is the only thing keeping Moria alive, especially after the Legion cracked down hard on the city's populace due to an uprising. A city on edge, Moria is considered largely expendable but don't expect the city to go down without a fight.

Umoja - its central position in southern Angleterre makes it an important port-city as well as the key to Legion power in southern Angleterre. Much like Augustgrad further up north, Umoja is a major military center and it is here where many officers are trained and commanders gather to discuss strategy.

Cathedrium - the capital of the Angirisian Empire. Few words can describe the importance of carrying Cathedrium, due to its massive political, social and economic pull in the Near East and the world. It is the home of the largest numbers of Imperial Legion troops and ships, as well as the largest city in the Empire. Foreigners will constantly hear Angirisians refer to Cathedrium as simply "the Imperial City".

[Mestra]

@Mestra: The faction that honestly would be the one where our alliance treaty stands is with the Imperial Legion. Remember, they control the Imperial City of Cathedrium and the economic heart of the Empire in Westmarch City. They also have the largest army and navy, so a blockade of the Angirisian Empire as a whole would be quite difficult to accomplish unless of course you aim your blockade at one faction over another. I cannot see any other way unless the treaty is abrogated and a new one is negotiated.

I suppose the blockade i mentioned would have been of the narrow straight connecting Angiris to the ocean, I believe this is listed as the Angirisian Gulf on the map. That would effectively cut off naval access. Questionable how neighboring nations would react, namely Ustarya and Pythos, if this were to occur. If carpathia choose to support a faction, and dependent on what it is, that may cause problems with the Imperials. Questionable if Carpathia and Mestra were at odds in the south, would be race to supply their northern allies. hmm... up to you and others on that. Of course you do have an island south of Pythos, what would become of that? It could be seized as a forward operation base? In such a case, the Imperium would be able to station and supply the island while it moved military assets to the north. As for naval power, this perhaps should be considered. I imagine it is more likely that Mestra's navy is far superior in many respects to Angiris. Mestra is positioned on the cusp of the ocean and is a former colonial power and continues long range trade. However, I am unaware of Angiris position in the world at this time. Perhaps also, Angiris uses smaller more effective ships, such that could be used to easily navigate the gulf and to out run Mestran heavy ships making the larger navy less useful in the long run, this would likely drive the mestran navy to engage in tactics that allow that superiority to be effective, like blockading single ports and such. Again all a matter of speculation on my part, just going with what can be potentially assessed from history.

As for the treaty, perhaps it wasn't a treaty between royal/imperial families but rather a treaty between the empires themselves. By this, if the Imperium choose to do nothing and let this faction war play out, Mestra would side with the victor as this would be the faction now controlling the Empire. In such a way, it would mean a debate would play out in I'valis as to whether the Imperium should get involved or not. I suppose in the end, the risk of certain factions taking control could be a driving force for intervention? Like what would be in the best interests of Mestra... A stronger Angiris could be viewed as hostile to Mestran business interests by the Datiums, a stronger military oriented Empire may mean increased warfare in the north if that faction choose to be aggressive towards its neighbors, which in turn would potentially drag the Imperium into conflict or some other such thing. Perhaps this could be why the Imperium chooses the faction it does? Correct me if I am wrong any of this, trying to get back in the flow of things.

[Aerandariel]

@Mestra: The faction that honestly would be the one where our alliance treaty stands is with the Imperial Legion. Remember, they control the Imperial City of Cathedrium and the economic heart of the Empire in Westmarch City. They also have the largest army and navy, so a blockade of the Angirisian Empire as a whole would be quite difficult to accomplish unless of course you aim your blockade at one faction over another. I cannot see any other way unless the treaty is abrogated and a new one is negotiated.

I suppose the blockade i mentioned would have been of the narrow straight connecting Angiris to the ocean, I believe this is listed as the Angirisian Gulf on the map.  That would effectively cut off naval access.  Questionable how neighboring nations would react, namely Ustarya and Pythos, if this were to occur.  If carpathia choose to support a faction, and dependent on what it is, that may cause problems with the Imperials.  Questionable if Carpathia and Mestra were at odds in the south, would be  race to supply their northern allies.  hmm... up to you and others on that.  Of course you do have an island south of Pythos, what would become of that?  It could be seized as a forward operation base?  In such a case, the Imperium would be able to station and supply the island while it moved military assets to the north.  As for naval power, this perhaps should be considered.  I imagine it is more likely that Mestra's navy is far superior in many respects to Angiris.  Mestra is positioned on the cusp of the ocean and is a former colonial power and continues long range trade.  However, I am unaware of Angiris position in the world at this time.  Perhaps also, Angiris uses smaller more effective ships, such that could be used to easily navigate the gulf and to out run Mestran heavy ships making the larger navy less useful in the long run, this would likely drive the mestran navy to engage in tactics that allow that superiority to be effective, like blockading single ports and such.  Again all a matter of speculation on my part, just going with what can be potentially assessed from history.

As for the treaty, perhaps it wasn't a treaty between royal/imperial families but rather a treaty between the empires themselves.  By this, if the Imperium choose to do nothing and let this faction war play out, Mestra would side with the victor as this would be the faction now controlling the Empire.  In such a way, it would mean a debate would play out in I'valis as to whether the Imperium should get involved or not.  I suppose in the end, the risk of certain factions taking control could be a driving force for intervention?  Like what would be in the best interests of Mestra...   A stronger Angiris could be viewed as hostile to Mestran business interests by the Datiums, a stronger military oriented Empire may mean increased warfare in the north if that faction choose to be aggressive towards its neighbors, which in turn would potentially drag the Imperium into conflict or some other such thing.  Perhaps this could be why the Imperium chooses the faction it does?  Correct me if I am wrong any of this, trying to get back in the flow of things.

First, Angiris at this stage in history is probably as strong as it is in the modern era. It has been at least three hundred years since the end of the Third Civil War and there had been relative peace throughout the country. The death of Joseph II ended that peace. The Angirisian navy at this point is comparable to the RL English navy used against the Spanish Armada in the 1500s: small, fast ships capable of outrunning larger ships. However, many of these ships were seized by many of the different factions in the outbreak of war. So the Imperial Legion is left with larger ships capable of upfront battles with Mestran ships. The other factions, particularly the Aiurians and Virginians, would have the smaller ships.

Second, you mentioned Xiansai, the islands south of Pythos. That state is under nominal Arreatian control but its highly unlikely that they would have any troops or ships there. Considering that at this time most Angirisians didn't really see much use in Xiansai as a military asset like they do now it would have been easy to just concede the islands and focus on fighting on the mainland. So if Mestra or even Carpathia made a move for Xiansai they would not find much resistance.

Third, politically it might not be a wise idea for Mestra or even Carpathia to jump in right away. I would say at least Mestra would probably need to wait and see how the early war plays out before backing a faction. Carpathia? I don't know. But remember, historically the Aiurians end up winning this war and because of them industrialization begins to take place. So take that into consideration before making your next move.

[Mestra]

Points well made sir. I'll see how things play out once the RP starts, of course I may RP the deliberations in I'valis to give a sense of whats going on in Mestra during this time. After all, the Imperium's great ally in the north is now "unstable". As for Xiansai, depending on how things went, Mestra would probably seize the islands for a forward operating base, as I mentioned earlier. Of course, the mestrans would fortify the island if this were the case and then once the war concluded the island plus its new landscaping would be transferred back to its rightful owners. If this were the case, maybe your empire would view those islands as more strategic? Who knows other than you.

Should be exciting RP nevertheless.

[Aerandariel]

Likely Players:

Aiurian Protectorate - Anakinexi
Virginium Consortium - Brum Brum (possibly)
Legion of Bul'Kathos (Arreat) - X
The Imperial Legion - X

Mestran Imperium - Mestra
Allied States of Carpathia - Carpathia

[Aerandariel]

Anyone else interested in playing this? Otherwise I shall begin this RP in the coming days.

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

Perhaps the reason the Aiurians ended up winning is because the Kubanizans came in and fucked shit up while on their way to world domination.

[Aerandariel]

Last call for additional players before I officially initiate this RP.