The Rise and Fall of the Remnants of Stratia.
It started small, with just a few men entering the closed Beta. Kophka (me), Socrates, and Onimaho.
Our first order of business was to select a land to build the New Stratia, to recapture the glory of a homeland lost to disaster. After poring over maps of this strange shore we had landed on, and talking to local chieftans, we decided on the land that had been held by the Rhodoks, in the Jelkala area. It was a fertile area, with plenty of green things, warm and sunny, with a coast that seemed to welcome trade.
We laid our plans to take this area, and worked on building up our funds, our man power, and recruiting the brightest commanders we could find in the cRPG world. John, Balbaroth, and Karazo all found our new coast, and we began working feverishly. Our plan was to take the villages AROUND Jelkala to the North, West, and East, so as to form a wall of spears that would protect the unclaimed lands to the south of our position, so that they would be free for us to take. We began with the sack of Ruldi.
We faced a village of 500 men, but we had received word that they were rabble, barely armed, with no cohesion or competent commanders among them. We gathered a force of 400, equipped them with sturdy leather armor and helms, and discussed our strategies. With our friends the noble Templars, the sturdy D'harans, and a contingent of competent warriors from the Deadly Viper Society, we took Ruldi with few losses, and set about rebuilding it's economy and improving the lot of the people we would build our Kingdom on.
We recruited a friend of Onimahos, named Dexxtaa, and an amazing warrior named Canary as our next step. Both were well versed in tactics and diplomacy, and Dexxtaa became my Deputy Diplomat, while Canary assisted us in the planning of strategy for the taking of Chelez. My deputy diplomat and I cleverly contacted the diplomats of the "Caravan Guards" (a group devoted to the eradication of Banditry throughout Calradia) with a story of lost trade, grieving families, and sacked caravans. We found evidence that the banditry had originated in the Chelez area, a village with far more wealth than it seemed to produce. With a strong contingent of Caravan Guards, Templars, and assorted skilled mercenaries, we once again took the village, putting the defenders to the sword, cutting them down as they left their holes to give battle.
With the taking of Chelez, our reputation was growing. The ranks of our commanders and nobles was swelling with recruits like Patrick, Oberge, Dynamike, Nekkid Mike, Rhaelys, and other noteworthy members whose names escape me at this time.
Buvran and Ibdeles fell soon after, while we planned our attack on Jelkala itself. We paused long enough to take Ibdeles Castle, and then began the assault of Jelkala.
The Disaster at Jelkala.
It was horrible. Bloody, long, and disheartening. We had planned so carefully. We had stores and stores of armor, racks and racks of weapons. We had arrows by the tonne, and had been careful in our recruiting, only the best and brightest warriors and nobles were accepted. Our engineers had carefully planned what we we need for the attack, so we thought we were ready.
A miscalculation somewhere resulted in only 50 ladders being brought for the siege of the walls, instead of 500. With the sturdy ramp we built that could not be destroyed, we pushed well until the stores of ladders ran low, then it became a blood bath. Their archers stood upon the ramparts, hooting with derision as they launched flight after flight of arrows at our ranks, felling warriors with every volley. They laughed at our misfortune, and thought themselves safe. But they were wrong.
Hours dragged by as the defenders demeanor changed. From laughing, to grudging admiration for our tenacity, to horror when their stores of arrows began running low. Our stalwart allies and mercenaries stuck with us, and stayed the course through the slaughter. When the defenders had fired the last of their arrows, we marched up the only ramp, and slaughtered them to the man in bloody hand to hand fighting through the streets. It was a dark time, but much glory was won, and friendships were made that would endure for ages.
After that, we began rebuilding Jelkala and it's surrounds, bringing a prosperity and peace that hadn't been seen in the area for many many years.
That is the story of the rise of the Remnants of Stratia
