Pharaoh Karses II, Governor and Godking of the Loam Coast, and Head of the Divine Clay Elf Bloodline:Condition: Fine
Equipment:
Broach of Protection (Eight years of enchantment remaining)
Self Defense Scepter (Concealed Flask of Transformation Potion: Full)
Hardy Dragonscale Clothes
Holdings:
Cash Reserves (Approximately 4.7% of Imperial Coin in Circulation)
Tsunamia's Treasure Hoard (Approximately .3% of Imperial Circulation, among other valuables)
29% of Total Shares in 'Sons of Caesar Trading Company'
45% of Voting Shares in 'Sons of Caesar Trading Company'
Mansion in the Heartland City of Portum
Tsunamia's Mansion in the Everstorm County of Yawning Chasm (Not Maintained)
4 Docks in the City of Portum
Luxurious Apartment with the Imperial Palace
Luxurious Cottage on the Grounds of Tusk Falls Castle
Country Home along the Imperial Highway
Tsunamia's hideout in the Shrieking Mangroves (Well concealed. Houses a witches workshop and Tsunamia's treasure hoard)
x19 Shops and Workshops (Scattered Across the Imperial Heartland)
x17 Vineyards and Plantations (Scattered Across the Known World)
x14 Mines (Mainly Precious Metals and Gems, Scattered Across the Known World)
x30 Imperial Merchantmen (Divided into two fleets)
'Wayward Clay' (Personal Flagship made from Enchanted Ceramic. Armed with two ballista and a crew of trained soldiers. Coming of age present from your father)
'Breaking Lust' (Tsunamia's Flagship made of lumber grown on unhallowed soil. Armed with a single ballista and a crew of freaks and hardened mercenaries. The driving wheel of this ship is engraved with runes to increase its speed and empower the magic of its Captain)
Personal Military Might:
x63 Assorted Mercenary Warships (Fleet commanded by Tsunamia)
x345 Assorted Unstaffed Warships (Wedding Gifts, Held in Ports Across the Loam Coast and Imperial Heartland)
x50 Elite Tarantula Elf Soldiers
Traits:
Businesself
Networker
Negotiator
Public Speaker
Wealthy
Well Traveled
Greedy
Ambitious
Empathetic
Self Controlled
Living Legend (Civil Rights Icon, God Incarnate)
Occupied Government of the Loam Coast:Positions:
Pharaoh: Office held by You
High Priest: Office held by your uncle Xamul, who dwells at Sacred Point
Holy Guardians: The office of holy guardian of Traggix is vacant. The office of holy guardian of Stimilif is vacant. The office of holy guardian of Icarixip is vacant.
Military:
Army:
Chief General - None Appointed
x332 Soldiers of the Traggix City Garrison, stationed at Traggix, Lead by Captain Vikishux
x450 Elite Dive Guards, stationed at Sacred Point, Answers to High Priest Xamul
Wartime Military Payroll tracking approximately 5000 veterans of the Loam Coast Army
Captured Ceremic Gear to equip approximately 3000 Clay Elf Soldiers
Navy:
Chief Admiral - Although no such officer is appointed, Your brother Xamut V seems to have gained defacto control of the navy.
x60 Ceramic Warships of the 1st Loam Coast Fleet, stationed at Traggix, Lead by Xamut V
x60 Ceramic Warships of the 2nd Loam Coast Fleet, stationed at Stimilif, Lead by Rixixifux
Wartime Naval Payroll tracking enough sailors to crew approximately 500 Warships
The Imperial Province of Loam Coast:Positions:
Governor: Office held by you
When separated from the office of Head Judge, the governor's main duties are to collect imperial tax within his province, coordinate the actions of local imperial land and sea forces, enforce the law of both Caesar and the Senate, and ensure that local occupied people and nearby savage populations remain peaceful. The governor has full and undisputed authority to carry out these duties however he sees fit, and may only be overruled on any matter by a unanimous vote of all local judges serving under him, or a 75% super-majority of the Imperial Senate. The emperor, or any military officer invested by the emporor with the authority to do so, may overrule the governor on military issues while they are leading troops or ships in his province, but otherwise Caesar's only leverage over a governor is the right to strip him of office, which is usually an undesirable and bloody affair.
High Judge: Ganymede Agilis has been aproved by the Senate to take this office, but has not yet arrived in the Loam Coast
Judge of Traggix: Office held by the Coal Elf Dust Crone Pyriusia
Judge of Stimilif: Office held by the Acid Elf Boil
Interim Judge of Icarixip: Office held by General Detesabilis
Military:
Army:
Provincial Army Commander: Commander Bufo Fidelis
Provincial Garrison Commander: General Detesabilis
x3000 Soldiers of the 53rd Imperial Legion, Hunting Rebel Clay Elves in the South of the Province, Personally lead by Commander Bufo Fidelis
x750 Soldiers of the Imperial Garrison at Traggix, Lead by a set of captains loyal to General Detesabilis
x750 Soldiers of the Imperial Garrison at Stimilif, Lead by a set of captains loyal to General Detesabilis
x2500 Soldiers of the Imperial Garrison at Icarixip, Personally lead by General Detesabilis
Navy:
Provincial Naval Commander: Admiral Fugit Figulus
x350 Imperial Warships of the 14th Imperial Warfleet, Patrolling the Waters of the Loam Coast and the Southeast Cape, Lead by a set of captains and naval officers loyal to Admiral Fugit Figulus
x??? Imperial Warships of the 10th and 11th Imperial Warfleets, Stationed at the naval installation at Southeast Cape and occasionally coordinating with Admiral Fugit Figulus to patrol Loam Coast waters.
---
You inquire about the motivations behind a potential Acid Elf/Frillfolk Alliance, and aside from the obivious fact that the appetite of the dragonkin aligns perfectly with the vengance of the elves, nobody knows much for sure. Redmane informs you that from time to time the Frillfolk will attack Silvershoes or Spiceflood, as both cities house populations of enslaved and impoverished Frillfolk that the leaders of Wraith Valley want sovereign rule over.
Detestabilis explains that in terms of methodology,
Frillfolk will not pose much threat in direct combat, as they are much smaller than Acid Elves and don't have the ability to mass produce high quality gear (although their champions are often garbbed in frightening armor of various supernatural materials).
They often rent themselves out as mercenaries, in exchange for coin and the right to eat the dead,
providing support to other armies in the form of engineering skill, sorcery, and war animals. They are infamous for quickly crafting many low quality siege engines from little more than bone and twig, and some of the more terrifying creatures they breed can function as siege weapons in and of themselves.
Whipscale guesses that the fifteen thousand Acid Elves working with the Frillfolk would be under command of either War King Heckle or War Queen Ripper.
The mention of Heckle causes a shocked silence to fall over the room. Out of all the War Monarchs to serve the Dune Demon Horragle in the Tall Ears War, Heckle was the only one to both do so willingly and escape with his life. By all accounts he was an absolute monster, with a penchant for coming up with terribly creative ways to painfully kill his victims, including your litter-mate Xexllas. In addition to Heckle's reputation for unspeakable evil, he is also known as one of the most knowledgeable living witches, which freaks out many in attendance. Horragle was executed at Spiceflood, and Tsunamia confirms every-bodies unspoken fear when she states that there is a non-zero chance Heckle could resurrect his master if he were to gain access to the spot of the Dune Demon's death.
The name Ripper rings a bell to you, but you can't quite place it at first. According to Redmane she has been trying on-and-off to beat a path to the coast for the last fifteen years, and her once proud clan has suffered great losses because of it. Redmane notes that Ripper has no ties to the Tall Ears War, but that she is known to form alliances with anything interested in helping her attack the coast.
Whiptail Chimes in again, helpfully explaining the motivation of the other War Queen.
Apparently Ripper used to keep an adventurous human from the Eastern Provinces as a lover and adviser, but after several years said human ran away in the night, breaking her heart and stealing her prized Dragon Tooth sword. She now seeks to capture a coastal city, and build enough boats to transport her entire clan to the Eastern Provinces so that she may track the man down, ensure he never leaves her again, and reclaim her sword.
It is at this point that you remember that your friend Jericho owns a Dragon Tooth sword named Ripper that he claims to have gotten from a War Queen he seduced...
On the matter of rebel leaders,
Stellixeth thinks that there is only one pretender Pharaoh who might be dumb enough to raise serious hell while there are Acid Elves about. Her son Tull II, the first born litter-mate of your father and High Priest Xamul, was passed over for the office of Pharaoh in favor of Xamut IV upon the death of your grandfather as he was considered too dull and bloodthirsty for the job. Tull commands about six hundred soldiers, many of whom are dangerous criminals he broke out of the Traggix Prision in the waning days of the war. Tull would definitely start raiding farms if Commander Fidelis withdrew his men from the region, and may even have the balls to try and take a city left undefended if given the opportunity.
Tull's men are apparently very well armed, as Stellixeth sheepishly explains that her eldest son...
somehow... got his hands on weapons and armor personally made by her for the Divine Guard at Sacred Point, as well as the last twenty siege engines made at the Traggix ovens before Caesar captured and destroyed them.
You inquire about the possibility of evacuating Spiceflood, and although you learn such an evacuation would be possible, nobody present would advise it. The enemy forces are amassing too close, and nobody knows when they will mobilize. A stream of fleeing refugees would make a tempting target, and the western front cannot afford to lose troops defending them.
As it so happens, you actually own a plantation just outside of Spiceflood, and the Sons of Caesar Trading Company is tied to the cities market.
You know exactly how much of a powderkeg that town can be. It is perhaps the most diverse city on the Southern Continent, and many of the races that call it home hate one another. When Spiceflood comes under siege, there is inevitibly at least minority group that works to sabatauge defense efforts as they would benefit from the siege-layer's agenda. This conflict is unlikely to prove any different, as both Frillfolk and Acid Elves call Spiceflood home.
You then mention to Whipscale the possibility of providing her clan with the ceramic armaments you already have. The War Queen considers your offer, and agrees to take just the weapons if you are willing to split up your armor sets. Her species is much larger than yours, so there is no way in the infernal realm of Drake that Acid Elves will be squeezing themselves into Ceramic or Metal Plate that isn't custom made for them.
---
The assembled group debates deep into the night, and eventually a general plan is reached.
On the Western Front neither Detestabilis nor Redmane is willing to back down, so an uncomfortable compromise is reached.
You will send westward the entire 53rd Legion, The Clay Elves under the command of Captain Vikishux, and 2/3rds of the Imperial Garrisions at Traggix and Stimilif. These soldiers will unite with the strength of Libertas, Silvershoes, Treasurewaves, and the Lion Elf Tribes, and split three ways to garrison Spiceflood and the canyon chokepoints. It is understood that such a three-way split leaves your side extra vulnerable; If the enemy devotes its full might to besieging any one of your positions, you will have six months tops (perhaps a few more than that if they target the actual city) to establish strong supply-lines or a large amount of reinforcements before they break through.
Redmane will be in charge of the Western Front, and Commander Fidelis will be second in command.Xamut V also declares his intent to travel west. Although he promises to return if it is Ripper who has aligned with the Frillfolk, he has every intention of avenging his sister if Heckle is there.
You find this to be absurd and bordering upon suicidal; Your twin is a sailor, not a soldier, and the injury he received in the battle against Vulfhorn's fleet means he no longer possess the range of motion required to effectively wield a parrying knife in his non-dominant hand. Even if Xamut was fully healthy, no Clay Elf would stand much of a chance against an Acid Elf War Monarch in single combat, and you are quite positive Heckle's mighty witchcraft trumps your brother's divine magic.
With all that said, however, you are not sure how you could go about talking your twin out of this, and if he does wittness Heckles' death, he might get the closure he needs to love again and put his hate of Acid Elves behind him.As for the Eastern Front, you will send the 3000 clay elf veterans you recruited to Icarixip, to join with 2500 strong imperial garrison already in town. Your grandmother will tag along with the intention of making new gear for both Clay and Acid Elves. You have no control over the actions of the Imperial Naval Installation... yet, but you will send it a letter requesting that they encourage Whipscale's clan to continue moving on towards Icarixip so that they may receive arms.
Your brother Nixulop, legendary defender of Icarixip, will re-assume his old role for now, and is charged with recruting as many additional clay elf veterans as possible. He is, however, expected to play second fiddle to Detestabilis once the judge returns from his trip to the heartland with you. 'Ol Fuckwit and you will be traveling to show a united front to the senate in attempt to win large amounts of imperial support for the cause. While there you will also see about annexing the Southeast Cape, and may perhaps help organised a response to the conflict from the Sons of Caesar Trading Company, which invests heavily in the War Coast region.
Tsunamia will take your Tarantula Elf guard and a letter of introduction from you, which she will take to Sandwalls in hopes of convincing the king to let her poke around with his rune wall. With any luck, she may just earn you an ace in the hole...
If you wish to speak with anybody, attempt to modify the agreed upon plan, or preform any action before leaving for the Heartland, now would be a good time to do so.