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Diplomacy / Mundus Postquam Fallenem Imperium *The world after the Fallen Empire **UPDATED**
« on: June 06, 2012, 09:22:57 pm »
And it is out, the 5th tome of Mundus Postquam Fallenem Imperium *The world after the Fallen Empire: I assembled the ones we had so far, so it would make an easy read for any new person wishing to see it entirely. That being said, I also want to take to occasion to dispel a few rumors I heard about our clan in the last weeks; I will put them in a Q&A form so I don't have to go in the details here...
Q: Your new banner is red; isn't that more English than French? A: google Occitan and stop pestering me with that.
Q: Is your clan still active in strat? A: Yes; we have been less active lately due to the Diablo III release, but we are still fairly active; the confusion might come from our fusion with the Hospit strat faction, and the fact that we don't go out of our lands that often on the strat map.
Q: Why isn't your clan on the Strat map anymore? A: We decided to fusion the Strat factions for centralization purposes. Since hospits are the largest faction, it made sense that we took their color and name on strat while we wait for a name that could designate us all, not only Occitan and Hospitaller, but also LL if they show any interest in the project.
Q: Are you vassals of the Hospitallers? A: No. we are associates, and it works well that way.
Q: Why are you not participating in the coalition meetings? A: Because some of us do not posses the necessary language skills, others have little interest in strat diplomacy, some in strat altogether, and lastly because in 90% of the situations, Hospit can speak for us, since most of what they say in these meetings has already been agreed upon during internal consultations. 90% of the time anyways. For the 10% left, Arowaine or someone else will emerge to say otherwise.
And I guess that's that. So here for the main topic!
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 100 days within the third era.
The greatest ambiguity of the third era are its geographical inconsistencies relatively to the second era. The Great Migration, which initiated the third Era, was triggered by a series of calamities, sent by the all-mighty chadz, blessed be his name, as a way to punish the wicked of their glitchy ways. Nevertheless, theses migrations reorganized the map of Calradia, without reorganizing the allegiances of the second era. Although it is widely said that references of these previous times is condemned by the official chadzian dogma, the popular belief is that neither the almighty chadz, nor the Great Migrations that followed the second Era, really changed the national perspectives.
What in the end really reorganized the minds were the new geopolitical situations. As the chadzian church prescribed, the records and acts of the second Era passed by a damnatio memoriae, and thus, were not mentioned, although they played a great role in the events that followed.
As such, this chronicle will tell the aftermath of the Hospitallo-Occitan war against the Fallen Empire. But first, the protagonists.
The Fallen Empire had a long and proud history. Encompassing people of all nationality, the Fallen Empire could be described as multinational and multicultural, although the official language of the Empire was, what came to be known in the third Era, as the North-Eastern Calradian. This particular language is concentrated in this region, though it is the most widely spread in the Calradian world. The population of the Empire surpassed, by most standards, that of other nations. Estimates that came through, leave this historian with numbers varying from 80 to 120 persons (without the vassal states). Even though nominally an Empire, the Fallen Empire was more or less structured as any other Calradian kingdom, with the Emperor, Loki I, supervising all activities in a very centralized fashion.
The Fallen Empire, as it is the case with many empires, encompassed a certain number of allied/vassal states. Left with some degree of local autonomy, they seemed to have little to no exterior latitude, as the Fallen Empire dictated most of the exterior relations of what composed the Fallenem Orbis; the area of Calradia known across all eras, as the eastern steppes. As far as recorded history remembers, the Fallen Empire always had its core in theses regions.
Of their vassals/allies one, maybe, that deserves mention is the HRE, whose population was significant enough to be considered as an "associated nation" among the Empire, in most chronicler's opinion. Perceived as a lightly fallenized people, the HRE seemed to have a superior degree of autonomy, and particular cultural customs made them easy to differentiate from the citizens of the "core" Empire.
At the other extremity of the specter, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance.
In ancient history, this alliance was born in blood. The second Era history tells of a time of war in the northern land, where, in the myths, and popular songs, a large Empire existed, whose name was lost in the mists of time. It would seem tough that distant ancestors of theses nations fought a war against the already existing Fallen Empire, a war whose records were lost during the late second Era calamities. As an Occitan chronicler, the only written document of this time who came to us to this day is the "Ballade de Decurtius_XII" (perhaps a distant ancestor of your servant?) wich is an epic song, telling the tale of an Occitan farmer boy, sent to war at age sixteen. As written in old Occitano-Calradian, the following fragment has been traduced in North-Eastern Calradian: "And then, from the cold plains, we saw the banners... lost fragment ...they came to me, a man wearing the apparel of an Hoplite layed his hand on my shoulder and handed me a fork and shield. I was to fight and die for the Empire".
Theses ancient tales report customs and people unknown to the actual Hospitallo-Occitan alliance, and thus indicate that this second Era "Empire" englobed more nations than the ones we know today. Some say that former people of this Empire now roam the land as nomadic tribes, but this information, of course, cannot be verified with certainty. What we do know of, and this information corroborates the legends, is that in the beginning of the third Era, two tribes, one known as Occitan, the other as Hospitaller, came from the cold northern plains and settled in the former Fallen Empire territory.
As the Great Migrations that opened the Third Era ended, the Fallen Empire administration was quick to reclaim the lost territory, only to discover that several tribes already settled in their former territory. The Empire's response was immediate, as they declared war instantly on the newcomers. It is said now that they should have changed their course of action and consider a receptio for the new tribes, but this argument is now semantically null, as the newcomers now own the land formerly held by the Empire. But as it was the Emperor Loki's will, they were to be annihilated.
The newcomers were quick to react. and it is said, that in the first day of the Third Era, the two tribes sealed a pact of mutual friendship and brotherhood, an unlikely event, considering that unlike most nations populating the North-Eastern quadrant of Calradia, Occitans and Hospitallers are not from the same ethnic origin. As such, the Occitan people are often considered a geographic anomaly: Tough it is said that they always lived in the North-Eastern quadrant, they are of Occitan culture, sharing in that regard, some traits with distant kingdoms, like Pecores who happen to speak a similar dialect. Hospitallers, on the other hand, are known since the first Era, and share most of their culture with the other northeastern Calradians, although, for what are perhaps historical reasons, they share most of their religious beliefs with the Occitan people, thus easing the close relationship theses nations share together.
The Alliance formed by theses tribes made possible the emergence of a bi-national kingdom, formed from one part by the Occitan Duchy, while on the other hand, Hospitallers are organized as a religious fighting order. That being said, this is where the division ends, because despite the fact that both nations retain their former cultural traits and colors, they share exterior politics and react and live as a "block", as mentioned by the early Third Era pact, wich makes the nations "indivisible". Later on, the Fallen war of annihilation tightened the bonds between the two nations, to the point that they are now known as a single faction whose name and status is unclear, but well understood as the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance.
END OF TOME I
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 101 days within the third era.
Although from the very beginning war seemed inevitable, the first engagements were mainly fought by Hospitallo-Fallen forces. Small contingents fought in a rather unorganized fashion for the control of "crafting rights" over locally administrated villages. The very rural culture and relatively low number of Occitans back then, made them into secondary figures in the early days of the conflict. That being said, even in the very beginning of the war, the Empire forces were considered spread thin, in regard of the immense territory they had to cover.
As the dust of the first battles settled, it became clear that the tribes from the north, ironically held the southern part of the Empire's territories. And its center of gravity moved north.
As the villages started to fall either to the old imperial administration of the Fallen satraps or the newly formed Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance, the southmost part of the steppes became the real battlefield, while the northern part, with the Tulbuk village for center, was starting to be viewed as the "real" Fallen capital, from an Occitan perspective. The armies of the early Third Era were mostly composed of commoners and farmers. Pressed into service, theses poorly equipped troops tried to get an early advantage in a taxing war against a foe used to its land and considered to have a heavier capita count than the Alliance. History left us with some diaries of the first days of the war. This one was found in Dusturil, by a local trader after the successful assault of the imperial troops over the village. A certain Ferguson then wrote: "...they then handed me an old rag, a hood to the colors of my people, a fork and a bag that I later filled with stones. I told them we would not win against the imperial armies with forks and rocks. They told me that if we did not, the imperial armies would massacre the men, women and children of my village. I believed them."
It is also true that theses first encounters were very bloody, even brutish, considering the low experience of most troops, even though screened by veterans. Traditionally, the Fallen Empire relied on large formations of light bowmen, the latter using the highest ground for cover and ultimately falling back when engaged hand-to-hand. While not killing in a single attack, the attack-retreat scheme proved to exhaust most foes before they could even reach the enemy lines. By fighting defensively, the Empire saved both on men and equipment. Your servant's own great grandfather then wrote: "We ran toward their lines, arrows covered the sky dark, men were falling at my side as the officers and I yelled to push further. I received an arrow in the leg, then another killed the man next to me. We reached their line, killed a few, only to realize that most of us had died, when suddenly from my right, a women with blazing hair shot me twice; once in the knee, the other time in the stomach. The soldiers who mended my wounds after finding me on the battlefield later on, told me that we did win, and yet, did not seem happy for it. I praise chadz I survived that day." - Decurtius XIV at the battle of Dusturil.
As a matter of fact, the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance always more or less relied on heavy infantry. Although it is clear that to some extent, the Hospitallers were, and still are, more flexible in that regard, the Occitan infantry mainly consisted of two-handers, as duels were the traditional way to solve conflicts in our culture, or as a certain lord Shinock XI once said: "A man is judged by the worth of his sword. If he holds it high, it will hold him high in esteem too". That tactical and cultural trait lead to eventual problems when met on the battlefield by a superior archer force. That being said, it came to a breaking point after the first battle of Tulbuk, of wich we shall speak in another tome.
Before that point, the perduring conflict eventually dragged attention from outside, as the Empire, never was challenged on its own territories. Our Alliance then came into contact with some other nations, most of which were of north-eastern calradian culture, and a few others from further west and south, past the "great barrier". With those of up north, we noticed we had much in common, in the ways of culture, as they too had songs and tales from the Second Era, relating places and stories common to both people. One of the most common is a song. Although the names and words vary from a place to another, the tale is common. "La Chanson de Sangredent" in Occitan, which can more or less be traduced by Bloody Thooth' song in northeastern language. It tells the tale of a famous warrior of the Second era, but only fragments remains, as the various versions have different segments: "... as he walked among the shadows, with the strength of a hundred men, hopeless his enemies, helpless his allies, as his black armor brought death and despair..." -Anonymous
Still, even tough they shared a lot in the way of culture, the men of the north claimed some ancient bound with the Empire, and these Free Companies of Calradia declared war on an unsuspecting Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance. Wary and concerned, now that the balance of the war dramatically shifted toward the enemy, the Alliance turned its eyes to the south.
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 103 days within the third era.
The Free Companies of Claradia, far from being an established kingdom or empire, were merely a confederation of warring states. Composed of several tribes, this northeastern cultured "federation" recognize but one truth: the notion of war. As they claimed, they did war for war in itself; a terrifying notion that left however, very little place for careful planning or organization. In a shell, although the FCC tribesmen were consider exceptional warriors, they were but poor soldiers. When these swords got turned against the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance however, the balance of the conflict changed, and what was yet an uncertain war turned at the disadvantage of the Alliance. That being said, as it was already the plan already in the early days of the steppic campaign, the Fallen Empire had to be driven away, and the sooner the better, since the Alliance played on timing as a mean of destabilizing the enemy. Regardless of the real tactical advantage gained by bleeding out the Hospitallo-Occitan peasantry, the front did indeed progress. That fast offensive did indeed hustle the the Fallen Empire enough that it had to retreat in its ultimate bastion: Tulbuk.
From the Hospitallo-Occitan perspective, that battle is also known as the Tulbuk Massacre. Far from being equipped and ready for an assault of this type, the alliance's armies broke themselves at the Empire's defenses. Tulbuk being located at a hilltop, there was little choice for the attacking force, but to climb it while being suppressed from two flanking elevations, slightly higher than the village itself. The imperial archery then made short work of the poorly equipped Hospitallo-Occitan infantry. Waves after waves, the attackers got slaughtered by that tremendously superior ranged force. The very Decurtius XIV whom I mentioned for his testimony at the battle of Dusturil, died that day, along with most of the Hospitallo-Occitan soldiers of that army. From an imperial perspective, the battle of Tulbuk is one last triumph, and the last piece of Fallen poetry of the Third Era was written there; last testimony of a civilization reaching its peak after falling in agony. Although the text is still integral, Fallen poetry soon fell out of taste, as Occitan literature replaced it in the steppes. Nevertheless, all in the northeastern quadrant know at the very least the first lines of that epic poem:
Fly arrow! Darken the sky, bring our dreams, our hopes, our words. Fall arrow! Darken the minds, bring our wrath, our justice, our will. Kill arrow! bring torments and sorrows, our promise. - Fallen May.
While the Empire was celebrating what was yet to be the last significant victory of a "native" Fallen army, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance fell on the defensive. Although it is said that the battle of Tulbuk was a disaster for the alliance's troops, the lesson came at that price. For the Occitan army, at the very least, that lesson gave birth to the "Arowainian reform", which implied a new model of armies, for traditional fighting style, was simply not cut for imperial warfare. The newly outfitted Occitan troops were now equipped with a superior degree of armor to give some level of protection against the Fallen archery, but more importantly, a shield, the latter always unpopular among the Occitan fighting class as considered "cowardish" by the aristocracy. Popular or not, the reform proved effective, as the Imperial armies had to resort more and more to infantry charges, in which they arguably had less experience and elan than the Hospitallo-Occitan troops, thus giving a better tactical advantage to the previously disadvantaged Occitan infantry. Hospitallers, on their side changed but little, but as their allies did, the redundancy of the armies of the Alliance was better suited for the type of war they were facing.
Regardless, the FCC intervention almost immediately triggered reactions from the southern territories. As the Second Era is ill-documented, it is hard to say with precision what were the geopolitics of the various states of Calradia. What is certain though, is that the Fallen Empire was rarely seen as a defender of its neighbor's freedom, but rather as a threat and concurrent. For that reason perhaps, but also perhaps for what are economical and historical considerations, a coalition of people from past the "great barrier", decided in turn to intervene in the conflict, only this time, as a thorn in the Empire's flank. As such, the desert alliance started to send money, and then later troops and equipment to the struggling Alliance.
As troops and equipment were being gathered, the Empire took back the offensive. Nominally at the very least, since in itself, it was already depleted. To some historians, the conflict that followed is almost another war. At any rate, the HRE intervention or reconquest from an imperial perspective, was the result of the fresh intervention of HRE troops in imperial territory against the already bled-out Hospitallo-Occitan militias. Without any real resistance other than what local chieftains could muster, the southern villages fell one after the other. Nevertheless, their resistance served the purpose of a proper counter-attack. While on the western front HRE assets were being seized by the Desert Alliance, the armies of the Hospitallers and Occitans rallied, reformed and launched a counter offensive the Empire no more had the vitality to contain. As a tired but cunning old men, the Empire prepared its last stand.
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 104 days within the third era.
Magic, is a subject not often spoken out, as condemned and tracked by the chadzian church. Though it is said by most officials of our holy faith, that its use is limited and well-contained, sometimes, the chadzian inquisition can be slow to uproot heresies and punish them accordignly. Although we live in a "rational world", the people of Calradia, always felt to some extent, that there was something else, something beyond the boundaries of the material world of the chadzian dogma; or in the words of the great fallen metaphysicist Fallen_Curtis: "Though my body and soul belong to chadz, sometimes the material world seems unreal, from the fact that an invisible hand prevents us from leaving the battlefield, to the fact that no one I know ages at the same time. As chadz is my god, there ought to be something outside, for the rules seem different for each. There must be something greater than chadz, and though he plays a great role in our lives, something in the textures of this world just doesn't seem right..." - Fallen_Curtis, LXVII book of the divine prophecies.
Regardless of the religious feelings of the people of Calradia, there is consensus on two points; first, that chadz sometimes intervenes in mortal affairs, and then, magic, though existing, is a sin. At this stage of the third Era, the state of the imperial forces forced them, perhaps, to such a sin. The Fallen reconquest did indeed drain the last of the Empire's resources, and as their auxiliaries of the HRE got called back home to defend their lands from a Desert Alliance invasion, it became clear for some Fallen official, may chadz have pity of their souls, that the imperial armies needed time to prepare against the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance. Meanwhile, the armies of the Alliance did indeed regroup near Dugan, and thanks to their allies help, could breath long enough to take back the offensive. A fully equipped, modern army of thousand of men then marched to reconquer the southern land occupied by the imperial forces. But as they reach Dusturil, they could not attack. - "We stood there, ready for battle, our banners deployed, our army eager to reclaim our land... but as chadz is my witness, we could not attack..." - Hospitaller_Valdian, two days before the last Dusturil battle.
Held back by magical forces, the Alliance army could do nothing, as the empire reinforced their grip on the village, sending troops and weapons every day. "-We spent three days here, watching the ennemy reinforce, while our army sat and waited, melting as the time passed, like the snow in the spring." - Hospitaller_Devestater - talking about the day before the last Dusturil battle. The alliance's morale was reaching an historical low, as their army, was vanishing, slowly but surely, under the weight of the salaries they could no longer pay and of the food they could no longer find. That could have been the end, but on the third day: -"We prayed to chadz and he answered. The faithful prevailed today as our troops saw from the encampment, the wrath of the dev-gods falling on the sinners. Raining fire from the skies, like demons of times past. chadz rescued the true believers today and punished the wicked of their sinful ways. Now that our faith brought balance to this land, tomorrow, after knowing the punishment of chadz, the enemy will know the fury of our blade." . -Hospitaller_Peppovitch, on the eve of the last Dusturil Battle
And indeed, galvanized by chadz's presence, the Alliance forces miraculously recovered both morale and strength and afterwards, crushed the Fallen resistance with a degree of fanaticism rarely seen in the history of the Calradian conflict, as this was no more a war, but a Holy Crusade.
The rest of the alliance reconquest is more or less the history of nameless battles, fought only to be to be lost by the exhausted and demoralized imperial forces. As the Alliance's armies marched north, the Empire simply decomposed, incapable of mustering anything consistent enough to stop the fresh Hospitallo-Occitan forces.
Nevertheless, these last battles indeed marked a the closing days of an Era, not in the sense that new calamities came, but that the world would never be the same. The dislocation of the Fallen Empire utterly changed the configuration of the north-eastern quadrant. Moreover, in their fall, the Imperial forces brought consequences far up north, when invasions from over the great barrier made the already war-weary FCC collapse in a matter of days, leaving the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance in control of the steppes. Still, during the following days, hardened elements of all that constituted the "Fallen alliance" marched north, where local lords offered them shelter and harbour, in order the rebuild and potentially counter-attack; but from a geopolitical stand point, they are but a mere shadow of their former self, and can no longer endanger the steppes area on their own.
Still, as the war came to an end, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance grew weary itself, as it grew and maintained on a territory where hostile sentiments were the normative contact they had with the other northeastern cultures, who saw, and still see the Alliance as the western culture entry point for the northeastern quadrant, contributing to both a will for prolonged peace for the Alliance, as well as a besieged mentality...
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 262 days within the third era.
Here, I take on the work of my ancestors, who left incomplete the codex of our land's history. Much time has passed since the last testimony of a man of my house, and I fear, as all man must, that time forgets, and that all that is not written, is bound to be lost. The events related here will therefore report events that occurred in the time of my great grandfather, Decurtius XVI, who, in his old days, had the privilege to know peace.
What then characterized the eastern steppes for about one generation, is the long peace that followed the demise and fall of the Fallen Empire. In that time, two major trends characterized the life of the people of the north-eastern quadrant: the reconstruction of the eastern steppes area, and the creation of a mighty Empire, north of the steppes, that would later be known as the "Green War Machine".
A last thing though, that must not be disregarded, is the consolidation of several western distant kingdoms who, having completed their unification, were now looking for new opportunities; opportunities that led, in time, to new conflicts.
but, at about 180 days within the Third Era, the Steppes were indeed at peace, and this time was used to mend the wounds left by constant conflicts, and the many years struggle against the Fallen Empire and its auxiliaries. The remaining neutral places that did not pledge alligeance to either the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance nor the Fallen Empire, then fell under the control of said alliance after battles of little consequence. The fact remains that the territory was, at long last, unified. Furthermore, the Lost Legion, a conglomerate of fighters organized as a standing army, and who fought in several conflict for the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance, ended some sort of a civil squabble that prevented them from being fully functional during the previous conflict, making the young kingdom that much stronger.
And what about the Fallen Empire? Its archers, noblemen, men and women, traveled north, and many were lost in the long march that followed their exile from their home. But, as many great nation, it could never decompose, being culturally too strong to even be able to melt as a nation with the north men. Eventually, they achieved to create some sort of a Fallen rump state in old FCC claims, and as no one capable of mustering sufficient forces really opposed to their implantation, they re-established themselves as a nation in the cold plains of the North, and though able again, they sadly never recovered completely from the loss of their homeland.
Finally, if something did indeed characterize that peace, it is the creation of the "Green War Machine". The people of the North, as even mentioned by yours truly ancestor, have always been: "turbulent, undisciplined, prompt to war, and as ready to charge as they were to retreat". And yet, at this time of the Third Era, the North men assembled, as two great nations entered in an alliance, that would in turn, result in the creation of the biggest Empire the North-Eastern quadrant had ever seen.
Ironically, the ones who could create that great "Green War Machine" were not warmongers themselves; at the very least since the beginning of the Third Era. A Lot and Lots of Jolly Knights, or LLJK as we often refer to them, by allying with Chaos, a seemingly peaceful kingdom from further south west, created a new block, able to dictate most of the quadrant, since the fall of several other great nations, FCC, Fallen Empire, to name only these, created a vacuum of power in the whole quadrant. That "influence" of a predominant Empire, was therefore claimed by the emerging Green War Machine.
Weary perhaps that the Hospitallo-Occitan kingdom grew too strong for the quadrant, and always fearing a western invasion, The Green War Machine rapidly integrated many other nations. Although that point was discussed among Occitans chroniclers, the integration was never fully understood; while some claim that the GWM was an Empire in its own right, some pretend it was merely an alliance of many nations, while others, seeking for the answer that could answer most inconsistencies, claim that the GWM was in the end a confederation, loosely lead by the former LLJK-Chaos creators. Nevertheless, confederation, Empire, federation or mere alliance, the GWM soon integrated other medium powers of the area, namely Tkov and HoC, who really made the GWM into a potential superpower.
The world then seemed organized in a very polarized fashion, as most of the north-eastern quadrant militarily organized as the GWM and the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance (that we shall therefore name HOA) further south reinforced its position and was seen from a GWM perspective as a possible invasion entry point for the westerners. Lastly, the Western Nations, whom we just mentioned, but who would play a great role in the events that followed, reached at this time of our history, a point where they were strong enough to consider intervening in what is and had been going on in our quadrant for some time...
Q: Your new banner is red; isn't that more English than French? A: google Occitan and stop pestering me with that.
Q: Is your clan still active in strat? A: Yes; we have been less active lately due to the Diablo III release, but we are still fairly active; the confusion might come from our fusion with the Hospit strat faction, and the fact that we don't go out of our lands that often on the strat map.
Q: Why isn't your clan on the Strat map anymore? A: We decided to fusion the Strat factions for centralization purposes. Since hospits are the largest faction, it made sense that we took their color and name on strat while we wait for a name that could designate us all, not only Occitan and Hospitaller, but also LL if they show any interest in the project.
Q: Are you vassals of the Hospitallers? A: No. we are associates, and it works well that way.
Q: Why are you not participating in the coalition meetings? A: Because some of us do not posses the necessary language skills, others have little interest in strat diplomacy, some in strat altogether, and lastly because in 90% of the situations, Hospit can speak for us, since most of what they say in these meetings has already been agreed upon during internal consultations. 90% of the time anyways. For the 10% left, Arowaine or someone else will emerge to say otherwise.
And I guess that's that. So here for the main topic!
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 100 days within the third era.
TOME I
The greatest ambiguity of the third era are its geographical inconsistencies relatively to the second era. The Great Migration, which initiated the third Era, was triggered by a series of calamities, sent by the all-mighty chadz, blessed be his name, as a way to punish the wicked of their glitchy ways. Nevertheless, theses migrations reorganized the map of Calradia, without reorganizing the allegiances of the second era. Although it is widely said that references of these previous times is condemned by the official chadzian dogma, the popular belief is that neither the almighty chadz, nor the Great Migrations that followed the second Era, really changed the national perspectives.
What in the end really reorganized the minds were the new geopolitical situations. As the chadzian church prescribed, the records and acts of the second Era passed by a damnatio memoriae, and thus, were not mentioned, although they played a great role in the events that followed.
As such, this chronicle will tell the aftermath of the Hospitallo-Occitan war against the Fallen Empire. But first, the protagonists.
The Fallen Empire had a long and proud history. Encompassing people of all nationality, the Fallen Empire could be described as multinational and multicultural, although the official language of the Empire was, what came to be known in the third Era, as the North-Eastern Calradian. This particular language is concentrated in this region, though it is the most widely spread in the Calradian world. The population of the Empire surpassed, by most standards, that of other nations. Estimates that came through, leave this historian with numbers varying from 80 to 120 persons (without the vassal states). Even though nominally an Empire, the Fallen Empire was more or less structured as any other Calradian kingdom, with the Emperor, Loki I, supervising all activities in a very centralized fashion.
The Fallen Empire, as it is the case with many empires, encompassed a certain number of allied/vassal states. Left with some degree of local autonomy, they seemed to have little to no exterior latitude, as the Fallen Empire dictated most of the exterior relations of what composed the Fallenem Orbis; the area of Calradia known across all eras, as the eastern steppes. As far as recorded history remembers, the Fallen Empire always had its core in theses regions.
Of their vassals/allies one, maybe, that deserves mention is the HRE, whose population was significant enough to be considered as an "associated nation" among the Empire, in most chronicler's opinion. Perceived as a lightly fallenized people, the HRE seemed to have a superior degree of autonomy, and particular cultural customs made them easy to differentiate from the citizens of the "core" Empire.
At the other extremity of the specter, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance.
In ancient history, this alliance was born in blood. The second Era history tells of a time of war in the northern land, where, in the myths, and popular songs, a large Empire existed, whose name was lost in the mists of time. It would seem tough that distant ancestors of theses nations fought a war against the already existing Fallen Empire, a war whose records were lost during the late second Era calamities. As an Occitan chronicler, the only written document of this time who came to us to this day is the "Ballade de Decurtius_XII" (perhaps a distant ancestor of your servant?) wich is an epic song, telling the tale of an Occitan farmer boy, sent to war at age sixteen. As written in old Occitano-Calradian, the following fragment has been traduced in North-Eastern Calradian: "And then, from the cold plains, we saw the banners... lost fragment ...they came to me, a man wearing the apparel of an Hoplite layed his hand on my shoulder and handed me a fork and shield. I was to fight and die for the Empire".
Theses ancient tales report customs and people unknown to the actual Hospitallo-Occitan alliance, and thus indicate that this second Era "Empire" englobed more nations than the ones we know today. Some say that former people of this Empire now roam the land as nomadic tribes, but this information, of course, cannot be verified with certainty. What we do know of, and this information corroborates the legends, is that in the beginning of the third Era, two tribes, one known as Occitan, the other as Hospitaller, came from the cold northern plains and settled in the former Fallen Empire territory.
As the Great Migrations that opened the Third Era ended, the Fallen Empire administration was quick to reclaim the lost territory, only to discover that several tribes already settled in their former territory. The Empire's response was immediate, as they declared war instantly on the newcomers. It is said now that they should have changed their course of action and consider a receptio for the new tribes, but this argument is now semantically null, as the newcomers now own the land formerly held by the Empire. But as it was the Emperor Loki's will, they were to be annihilated.
The newcomers were quick to react. and it is said, that in the first day of the Third Era, the two tribes sealed a pact of mutual friendship and brotherhood, an unlikely event, considering that unlike most nations populating the North-Eastern quadrant of Calradia, Occitans and Hospitallers are not from the same ethnic origin. As such, the Occitan people are often considered a geographic anomaly: Tough it is said that they always lived in the North-Eastern quadrant, they are of Occitan culture, sharing in that regard, some traits with distant kingdoms, like Pecores who happen to speak a similar dialect. Hospitallers, on the other hand, are known since the first Era, and share most of their culture with the other northeastern Calradians, although, for what are perhaps historical reasons, they share most of their religious beliefs with the Occitan people, thus easing the close relationship theses nations share together.
The Alliance formed by theses tribes made possible the emergence of a bi-national kingdom, formed from one part by the Occitan Duchy, while on the other hand, Hospitallers are organized as a religious fighting order. That being said, this is where the division ends, because despite the fact that both nations retain their former cultural traits and colors, they share exterior politics and react and live as a "block", as mentioned by the early Third Era pact, wich makes the nations "indivisible". Later on, the Fallen war of annihilation tightened the bonds between the two nations, to the point that they are now known as a single faction whose name and status is unclear, but well understood as the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance.
END OF TOME I
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 101 days within the third era.
TOME II
Although from the very beginning war seemed inevitable, the first engagements were mainly fought by Hospitallo-Fallen forces. Small contingents fought in a rather unorganized fashion for the control of "crafting rights" over locally administrated villages. The very rural culture and relatively low number of Occitans back then, made them into secondary figures in the early days of the conflict. That being said, even in the very beginning of the war, the Empire forces were considered spread thin, in regard of the immense territory they had to cover.
As the dust of the first battles settled, it became clear that the tribes from the north, ironically held the southern part of the Empire's territories. And its center of gravity moved north.
As the villages started to fall either to the old imperial administration of the Fallen satraps or the newly formed Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance, the southmost part of the steppes became the real battlefield, while the northern part, with the Tulbuk village for center, was starting to be viewed as the "real" Fallen capital, from an Occitan perspective. The armies of the early Third Era were mostly composed of commoners and farmers. Pressed into service, theses poorly equipped troops tried to get an early advantage in a taxing war against a foe used to its land and considered to have a heavier capita count than the Alliance. History left us with some diaries of the first days of the war. This one was found in Dusturil, by a local trader after the successful assault of the imperial troops over the village. A certain Ferguson then wrote: "...they then handed me an old rag, a hood to the colors of my people, a fork and a bag that I later filled with stones. I told them we would not win against the imperial armies with forks and rocks. They told me that if we did not, the imperial armies would massacre the men, women and children of my village. I believed them."
It is also true that theses first encounters were very bloody, even brutish, considering the low experience of most troops, even though screened by veterans. Traditionally, the Fallen Empire relied on large formations of light bowmen, the latter using the highest ground for cover and ultimately falling back when engaged hand-to-hand. While not killing in a single attack, the attack-retreat scheme proved to exhaust most foes before they could even reach the enemy lines. By fighting defensively, the Empire saved both on men and equipment. Your servant's own great grandfather then wrote: "We ran toward their lines, arrows covered the sky dark, men were falling at my side as the officers and I yelled to push further. I received an arrow in the leg, then another killed the man next to me. We reached their line, killed a few, only to realize that most of us had died, when suddenly from my right, a women with blazing hair shot me twice; once in the knee, the other time in the stomach. The soldiers who mended my wounds after finding me on the battlefield later on, told me that we did win, and yet, did not seem happy for it. I praise chadz I survived that day." - Decurtius XIV at the battle of Dusturil.
As a matter of fact, the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance always more or less relied on heavy infantry. Although it is clear that to some extent, the Hospitallers were, and still are, more flexible in that regard, the Occitan infantry mainly consisted of two-handers, as duels were the traditional way to solve conflicts in our culture, or as a certain lord Shinock XI once said: "A man is judged by the worth of his sword. If he holds it high, it will hold him high in esteem too". That tactical and cultural trait lead to eventual problems when met on the battlefield by a superior archer force. That being said, it came to a breaking point after the first battle of Tulbuk, of wich we shall speak in another tome.
Before that point, the perduring conflict eventually dragged attention from outside, as the Empire, never was challenged on its own territories. Our Alliance then came into contact with some other nations, most of which were of north-eastern calradian culture, and a few others from further west and south, past the "great barrier". With those of up north, we noticed we had much in common, in the ways of culture, as they too had songs and tales from the Second Era, relating places and stories common to both people. One of the most common is a song. Although the names and words vary from a place to another, the tale is common. "La Chanson de Sangredent" in Occitan, which can more or less be traduced by Bloody Thooth' song in northeastern language. It tells the tale of a famous warrior of the Second era, but only fragments remains, as the various versions have different segments: "... as he walked among the shadows, with the strength of a hundred men, hopeless his enemies, helpless his allies, as his black armor brought death and despair..." -Anonymous
Still, even tough they shared a lot in the way of culture, the men of the north claimed some ancient bound with the Empire, and these Free Companies of Calradia declared war on an unsuspecting Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance. Wary and concerned, now that the balance of the war dramatically shifted toward the enemy, the Alliance turned its eyes to the south.
END OF TOME II
TOME III
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 103 days within the third era.
The Free Companies of Claradia, far from being an established kingdom or empire, were merely a confederation of warring states. Composed of several tribes, this northeastern cultured "federation" recognize but one truth: the notion of war. As they claimed, they did war for war in itself; a terrifying notion that left however, very little place for careful planning or organization. In a shell, although the FCC tribesmen were consider exceptional warriors, they were but poor soldiers. When these swords got turned against the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance however, the balance of the conflict changed, and what was yet an uncertain war turned at the disadvantage of the Alliance. That being said, as it was already the plan already in the early days of the steppic campaign, the Fallen Empire had to be driven away, and the sooner the better, since the Alliance played on timing as a mean of destabilizing the enemy. Regardless of the real tactical advantage gained by bleeding out the Hospitallo-Occitan peasantry, the front did indeed progress. That fast offensive did indeed hustle the the Fallen Empire enough that it had to retreat in its ultimate bastion: Tulbuk.
From the Hospitallo-Occitan perspective, that battle is also known as the Tulbuk Massacre. Far from being equipped and ready for an assault of this type, the alliance's armies broke themselves at the Empire's defenses. Tulbuk being located at a hilltop, there was little choice for the attacking force, but to climb it while being suppressed from two flanking elevations, slightly higher than the village itself. The imperial archery then made short work of the poorly equipped Hospitallo-Occitan infantry. Waves after waves, the attackers got slaughtered by that tremendously superior ranged force. The very Decurtius XIV whom I mentioned for his testimony at the battle of Dusturil, died that day, along with most of the Hospitallo-Occitan soldiers of that army. From an imperial perspective, the battle of Tulbuk is one last triumph, and the last piece of Fallen poetry of the Third Era was written there; last testimony of a civilization reaching its peak after falling in agony. Although the text is still integral, Fallen poetry soon fell out of taste, as Occitan literature replaced it in the steppes. Nevertheless, all in the northeastern quadrant know at the very least the first lines of that epic poem:
Fly arrow! Darken the sky, bring our dreams, our hopes, our words. Fall arrow! Darken the minds, bring our wrath, our justice, our will. Kill arrow! bring torments and sorrows, our promise. - Fallen May.
While the Empire was celebrating what was yet to be the last significant victory of a "native" Fallen army, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance fell on the defensive. Although it is said that the battle of Tulbuk was a disaster for the alliance's troops, the lesson came at that price. For the Occitan army, at the very least, that lesson gave birth to the "Arowainian reform", which implied a new model of armies, for traditional fighting style, was simply not cut for imperial warfare. The newly outfitted Occitan troops were now equipped with a superior degree of armor to give some level of protection against the Fallen archery, but more importantly, a shield, the latter always unpopular among the Occitan fighting class as considered "cowardish" by the aristocracy. Popular or not, the reform proved effective, as the Imperial armies had to resort more and more to infantry charges, in which they arguably had less experience and elan than the Hospitallo-Occitan troops, thus giving a better tactical advantage to the previously disadvantaged Occitan infantry. Hospitallers, on their side changed but little, but as their allies did, the redundancy of the armies of the Alliance was better suited for the type of war they were facing.
Regardless, the FCC intervention almost immediately triggered reactions from the southern territories. As the Second Era is ill-documented, it is hard to say with precision what were the geopolitics of the various states of Calradia. What is certain though, is that the Fallen Empire was rarely seen as a defender of its neighbor's freedom, but rather as a threat and concurrent. For that reason perhaps, but also perhaps for what are economical and historical considerations, a coalition of people from past the "great barrier", decided in turn to intervene in the conflict, only this time, as a thorn in the Empire's flank. As such, the desert alliance started to send money, and then later troops and equipment to the struggling Alliance.
As troops and equipment were being gathered, the Empire took back the offensive. Nominally at the very least, since in itself, it was already depleted. To some historians, the conflict that followed is almost another war. At any rate, the HRE intervention or reconquest from an imperial perspective, was the result of the fresh intervention of HRE troops in imperial territory against the already bled-out Hospitallo-Occitan militias. Without any real resistance other than what local chieftains could muster, the southern villages fell one after the other. Nevertheless, their resistance served the purpose of a proper counter-attack. While on the western front HRE assets were being seized by the Desert Alliance, the armies of the Hospitallers and Occitans rallied, reformed and launched a counter offensive the Empire no more had the vitality to contain. As a tired but cunning old men, the Empire prepared its last stand.
END OF TOME III
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 104 days within the third era.
TOME IV
Magic, is a subject not often spoken out, as condemned and tracked by the chadzian church. Though it is said by most officials of our holy faith, that its use is limited and well-contained, sometimes, the chadzian inquisition can be slow to uproot heresies and punish them accordignly. Although we live in a "rational world", the people of Calradia, always felt to some extent, that there was something else, something beyond the boundaries of the material world of the chadzian dogma; or in the words of the great fallen metaphysicist Fallen_Curtis: "Though my body and soul belong to chadz, sometimes the material world seems unreal, from the fact that an invisible hand prevents us from leaving the battlefield, to the fact that no one I know ages at the same time. As chadz is my god, there ought to be something outside, for the rules seem different for each. There must be something greater than chadz, and though he plays a great role in our lives, something in the textures of this world just doesn't seem right..." - Fallen_Curtis, LXVII book of the divine prophecies.
Regardless of the religious feelings of the people of Calradia, there is consensus on two points; first, that chadz sometimes intervenes in mortal affairs, and then, magic, though existing, is a sin. At this stage of the third Era, the state of the imperial forces forced them, perhaps, to such a sin. The Fallen reconquest did indeed drain the last of the Empire's resources, and as their auxiliaries of the HRE got called back home to defend their lands from a Desert Alliance invasion, it became clear for some Fallen official, may chadz have pity of their souls, that the imperial armies needed time to prepare against the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance. Meanwhile, the armies of the Alliance did indeed regroup near Dugan, and thanks to their allies help, could breath long enough to take back the offensive. A fully equipped, modern army of thousand of men then marched to reconquer the southern land occupied by the imperial forces. But as they reach Dusturil, they could not attack. - "We stood there, ready for battle, our banners deployed, our army eager to reclaim our land... but as chadz is my witness, we could not attack..." - Hospitaller_Valdian, two days before the last Dusturil battle.
Held back by magical forces, the Alliance army could do nothing, as the empire reinforced their grip on the village, sending troops and weapons every day. "-We spent three days here, watching the ennemy reinforce, while our army sat and waited, melting as the time passed, like the snow in the spring." - Hospitaller_Devestater - talking about the day before the last Dusturil battle. The alliance's morale was reaching an historical low, as their army, was vanishing, slowly but surely, under the weight of the salaries they could no longer pay and of the food they could no longer find. That could have been the end, but on the third day: -"We prayed to chadz and he answered. The faithful prevailed today as our troops saw from the encampment, the wrath of the dev-gods falling on the sinners. Raining fire from the skies, like demons of times past. chadz rescued the true believers today and punished the wicked of their sinful ways. Now that our faith brought balance to this land, tomorrow, after knowing the punishment of chadz, the enemy will know the fury of our blade." . -Hospitaller_Peppovitch, on the eve of the last Dusturil Battle
And indeed, galvanized by chadz's presence, the Alliance forces miraculously recovered both morale and strength and afterwards, crushed the Fallen resistance with a degree of fanaticism rarely seen in the history of the Calradian conflict, as this was no more a war, but a Holy Crusade.
The rest of the alliance reconquest is more or less the history of nameless battles, fought only to be to be lost by the exhausted and demoralized imperial forces. As the Alliance's armies marched north, the Empire simply decomposed, incapable of mustering anything consistent enough to stop the fresh Hospitallo-Occitan forces.
Nevertheless, these last battles indeed marked a the closing days of an Era, not in the sense that new calamities came, but that the world would never be the same. The dislocation of the Fallen Empire utterly changed the configuration of the north-eastern quadrant. Moreover, in their fall, the Imperial forces brought consequences far up north, when invasions from over the great barrier made the already war-weary FCC collapse in a matter of days, leaving the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance in control of the steppes. Still, during the following days, hardened elements of all that constituted the "Fallen alliance" marched north, where local lords offered them shelter and harbour, in order the rebuild and potentially counter-attack; but from a geopolitical stand point, they are but a mere shadow of their former self, and can no longer endanger the steppes area on their own.
Still, as the war came to an end, the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance grew weary itself, as it grew and maintained on a territory where hostile sentiments were the normative contact they had with the other northeastern cultures, who saw, and still see the Alliance as the western culture entry point for the northeastern quadrant, contributing to both a will for prolonged peace for the Alliance, as well as a besieged mentality...
END OF TOME IV
By the historian Decurtius,
by the grace of God Count of Occitania.
About 262 days within the third era.
TOME V
Here, I take on the work of my ancestors, who left incomplete the codex of our land's history. Much time has passed since the last testimony of a man of my house, and I fear, as all man must, that time forgets, and that all that is not written, is bound to be lost. The events related here will therefore report events that occurred in the time of my great grandfather, Decurtius XVI, who, in his old days, had the privilege to know peace.
What then characterized the eastern steppes for about one generation, is the long peace that followed the demise and fall of the Fallen Empire. In that time, two major trends characterized the life of the people of the north-eastern quadrant: the reconstruction of the eastern steppes area, and the creation of a mighty Empire, north of the steppes, that would later be known as the "Green War Machine".
A last thing though, that must not be disregarded, is the consolidation of several western distant kingdoms who, having completed their unification, were now looking for new opportunities; opportunities that led, in time, to new conflicts.
but, at about 180 days within the Third Era, the Steppes were indeed at peace, and this time was used to mend the wounds left by constant conflicts, and the many years struggle against the Fallen Empire and its auxiliaries. The remaining neutral places that did not pledge alligeance to either the Hospitallo-Occitan alliance nor the Fallen Empire, then fell under the control of said alliance after battles of little consequence. The fact remains that the territory was, at long last, unified. Furthermore, the Lost Legion, a conglomerate of fighters organized as a standing army, and who fought in several conflict for the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance, ended some sort of a civil squabble that prevented them from being fully functional during the previous conflict, making the young kingdom that much stronger.
And what about the Fallen Empire? Its archers, noblemen, men and women, traveled north, and many were lost in the long march that followed their exile from their home. But, as many great nation, it could never decompose, being culturally too strong to even be able to melt as a nation with the north men. Eventually, they achieved to create some sort of a Fallen rump state in old FCC claims, and as no one capable of mustering sufficient forces really opposed to their implantation, they re-established themselves as a nation in the cold plains of the North, and though able again, they sadly never recovered completely from the loss of their homeland.
Finally, if something did indeed characterize that peace, it is the creation of the "Green War Machine". The people of the North, as even mentioned by yours truly ancestor, have always been: "turbulent, undisciplined, prompt to war, and as ready to charge as they were to retreat". And yet, at this time of the Third Era, the North men assembled, as two great nations entered in an alliance, that would in turn, result in the creation of the biggest Empire the North-Eastern quadrant had ever seen.
Ironically, the ones who could create that great "Green War Machine" were not warmongers themselves; at the very least since the beginning of the Third Era. A Lot and Lots of Jolly Knights, or LLJK as we often refer to them, by allying with Chaos, a seemingly peaceful kingdom from further south west, created a new block, able to dictate most of the quadrant, since the fall of several other great nations, FCC, Fallen Empire, to name only these, created a vacuum of power in the whole quadrant. That "influence" of a predominant Empire, was therefore claimed by the emerging Green War Machine.
Weary perhaps that the Hospitallo-Occitan kingdom grew too strong for the quadrant, and always fearing a western invasion, The Green War Machine rapidly integrated many other nations. Although that point was discussed among Occitans chroniclers, the integration was never fully understood; while some claim that the GWM was an Empire in its own right, some pretend it was merely an alliance of many nations, while others, seeking for the answer that could answer most inconsistencies, claim that the GWM was in the end a confederation, loosely lead by the former LLJK-Chaos creators. Nevertheless, confederation, Empire, federation or mere alliance, the GWM soon integrated other medium powers of the area, namely Tkov and HoC, who really made the GWM into a potential superpower.
The world then seemed organized in a very polarized fashion, as most of the north-eastern quadrant militarily organized as the GWM and the Hospitallo-Occitan Alliance (that we shall therefore name HOA) further south reinforced its position and was seen from a GWM perspective as a possible invasion entry point for the westerners. Lastly, the Western Nations, whom we just mentioned, but who would play a great role in the events that followed, reached at this time of our history, a point where they were strong enough to consider intervening in what is and had been going on in our quadrant for some time...
END OF TOME V