Autumn 255 AS: Rise of an Empire
Whitepeak is fallen. The Hadrian Empire has conquered the confederation united against it and now dominates the region where it stands. The spoils have already been divided, and the Emperor has offered to pay for the damage done by his legions. However, as the borders of the Empire shift, new neighbors appear besides it; and these neighbors are now looking nervously towards the city that has apparently decided it could rule the land.
[2,4] In the northwest, the Republic of Kaladur watches and does not commit itself to a reaction which might anger the empire. Although they are one of the most powerful states of the region, after having won several wars of conquest to unify the city states which once stood where they stand now, they know their place and the way of things; they will not seek open conflict with Hadria unless it is forced onto them. Indeed, they have sent an embassy to discuss future pacts and diplomatic arrangements with the Empire, now that the "bothering confederation" has been dealt with. Perhaps they believe they can escape the inescapable?
[4,3] In the west, the Union of Salressa watches its borders with uncertainty. To the north, it already had to guard an overly long border against the Kaladurians, who have set their eyes on them long ago, and now it must brace itself against the possibility of invasion from its western border. Of course, they are not pleased with the new way of things and have manifested a desire for the independence of Whitepeak multiple times now. Of course, they do not expect such a thing to happen and they do not have the power to back their demands with threats, but it does say they are not as foolish as their northern neighbors when it comes to the Empire's intentions of conquest.
[6,6] To the southwest, the Kingdom of Aramos welcomes the empire with open arms. They are a weak nation, with a long gone military and not enough political stability to build a new one; their King is weak, yet the noble houses are not strong enough to overthrow him. However, it seems they have sensed a threat; they seem to be seeking an alliance of sorts with the imperials - the ambassador even hinted at become the Empire's vassal, if the right conditions are met. These demands seem a little strange - surely, the noble houses of the kingdom would not have agreed to such a thing...?
[1,1] South of the Empire lies the most probable cause of the fear of the Aramosi. The Kingdom of Ancarus is the mightiest of the four nations by far, and they have manifested their opinions over the empire's new expansion - by sending no ambassadors. Over the years, that nation has built a reputation of harboring one of the most dangerous armies that side of the mountains, a reputation challenged only by a few other key nations - Hadria being one of them. What exactly makes them so special is mostly unknown; they are far from the empire, and they rarely leave survivors to tell tales of battles against them.
[4,5,6] In the delta, the Republic of Eredos holds the access to the river. However, that is a more dangerous position than it might seem; with a weak military and no navy to speak of (a year ago, the port of the capital caught on fire and they did not reestablish the republican navy since), it needs help to ward it against its neighbors. Kaladur might strike from the south in order to get an access to the sea to further finance their wars in the south, and in the west lies another arguably more dangerous threat; the tribes of the West rarely wander past the river, but when they do send warbands that way, they leave no survivors behind... And the Republic does not have the troops to stop them, should they try. As such, they look at the Empire as a savior, remaining hopeful that they might keep some form of independence if they dance to the emperor's tune.
In the provinces, the change of rulers shake many (especially the inhabitants of Clypem). [1+1] Northern Whitepeak does not take the surrender of their forces without even trying to defend themselves, and many plebs start voicing their opinion against the Emperor, although no open rebellion breaks out. [3] Southern Whitepeak, however, seems... Pacified. Perhaps it is because they did not like the previous government? Perhaps it is because they saw the legions fighting the fire and the emperor paying the repairs, and they judged the Emperor was a just man? Or perhaps it is simply because the last city that resisted the Empire was nearly burned to the ground...
[3] A wave of national pride and satisfaction whirls over Hadria for a few days, before calming down. This victory means little to the Hadrians apart from a possible hope of less taxes hitting them and more hitting the conquered states; while they are happy, the effect doesn't last very long.
[5] As the weather grows colder, all the scholars of Hadria agree that the winter will be very mild this year; they doubt it will even freeze for more than a few nights. All agree that this is a good sign, and that the gods are pleased with the Empire's recent conquest - truly, Whitepeak deserved it. In practical terms, a mild winter means the river won't be crossable by foot, which is good news for the civilized nations, and that the snow will not harm nor slow down any army in movement outside of the cities. An omen, perhaps, that the gods favor a continuation of military operations..?
[5] News reach the empire as the season changes: Kaladur has declared war upon Eredos, and has sent its armies across the river on ships to conquer their neighbor. The forces of the two republics are extremely unbalanced; Eredos stands no chance. It was not a surprise, then, to receive a message a week later from the Republic, pleading for support and offering to become the Empire's vassal in exchange for the destruction of Kaladur. While this offer seems too good to be true, one must remember that the Empire has other neighbors; not all of them may be pleased to see Hadrians intervening in foreign wars...
Within the city, activity has exploded since Whitepeak's fall. Three bills have been proposed, two of which serve the purpose of allowing more frequent senatorial sessions (although one is less daring than the other), and the last one proposes a limitation of the emperor's power. The senate will have to discuss that in its next meeting, although the question of whether or not the Empire should go to Eredos's aid remains very important.
On the economic side of things, Hadria is on the look up since its most recent conquest. The cities know more immigration and have a larger economic base than before, while the provinces pay taxes that help relieve the citizens of the core country. Two new patrician businesses have been founded: Kaeso Peregrinus bought a few warehouses in the port that deal in exotic materials, while Crassus Curio has opened a large bathhouse. For the first time in a long period, the patricians are getting interested once again in the city's economy - a sign of wealth and prosperity, doubtlessly.
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Topic: You are King IV: Divide et Impera (Read 17812 times)