Winter 154Friends, it is time. The war against Osme has started in 133 : twenty one years ago ! For twenty one years, we suffered the raids, the hunts, and the pillages of Osme on our territories. Both locale warlord retinue and gigantic state-patroned armies have raided our settlements and the Aconilun paid the ultimate price for trying to defend itself against them. For twenty-one years, therefore, we stood within our walls, hoping the rampages would stop. Our timidity only emboldened our tormentors
This part of Pearlite history is now over. Osmite may only understand violence, but violence is a language we learnt how to speak. This winter of the year 154, we bring the fight back to our enemies at last.
As such spoke Lady Desli, adressing the crowd of the town, gathered in front of the palace. She then turned to Commander Totten, and officially ordered her to launch an offensive before the end of the year.
The end of the year that was only three months. Very little time... or so it would have been if the town's army had not prepared for that event for years.
Startegy and preparationsEarly december wasdedicated to lay the groundwork for the offensive. Every army officer would be invited to give its opinion on the operational strategy the meetings were held in the new bridge barracks and allowed a plan to quickly emerge.
Two operational goals were isolated : firstly, the operation would aim to shock Osme out of its momentum. So far, Osme never has been contested on the territory it claimed. To feel threatened in its own advance would have for effect to slow down their conqust and focusing on securing their holdings. That, in turn, would allow the eastern kingdoms to breath easier for the following years.
The second, more long term goal, would be to gradually remove Osme from the north of the Sea of Singing, a large salt lake around which the Empire is coiled like a snake.Pushing their forces to the south of the lake would allow for pincer attacks with the southern allies and would limit their reach severely.
North of the Sea of Singing, there is three Osmite holdings : Udsmunstu, Ngomzogast and Bostastozu. Eastward of those, it is the much more defended Osme mainland, standing over cursed ground that we will not come close to for now.
« Our goal remains to defeat Osme, not to exterminate its population » noted Uzu. « Time is not a sparse ressource for us let us absorb their villages instead of burning them. »
After some deliberation, the officers saw the wiseness in his words.
« You're right, actually » approved Ipan. « Taking and holding those settlements would allow us to keep a military presence north of the salt lake. The utility of those would go beyond our war against Osme. »
It was the first time Mong Kima would go on the offensive. Its army was prepared as much as it could be and could now only pray to Ino and Edri that no oversight would come to counteract their plan.
The siege of UdmunstuA long, long time ago, before she even came to the vagrant group that would become the Thaguk Alnos, Histamine has been trained in the art of strategy. For years now, she has been waiting for an occasion to put her quite unique skills to the test and now was the time. As the most learned tactician of the army, she was put in charge of designing the plan and to put it in application.
She knew her skills were untested and her formal education rusty. Besides, the plan decided by the military council forbid quick action. Her first idea was to use heavy troops to inflict destructive sieges over the three settlements one after the other, then call the assault troops back and prepare for the counter attack from the central Osmite army shock and awe tactics would lay waste to both population and morale of their enemy... But such tactics would be extremely unpopular among the peaceful pearlites, and would not allow long terms occupation of the banks of the salt lake.
Therefore, she decided upon a more modest plan : the capture of Udsmunstu.
Of the three holdings, Udsmunstu was the most westward and the less defended.
Osme had gone sloppy and allowed itself to over-extend they definitely did not expect to be attacked on newly claimed ground. Totten's army would see them pay for that oversight.
Udmsunstu was a village of one hundred souls their fighters were picked directly from their citizenry. They had neither trolls nor mounts. Victory could be achieved without a doubt.
The siege of Udsmunstu would happen in three steps. First, a reconaissance raid would have to be launched not only to supply the army on the back of the enemy, but also to make sure that Udmunstu village was not underestimated. In a second step, its army and officers would have to be broken somehow. In a last step, the village would have to be seized and its population forced into submission.
First phase of the attack, and therefore the beggining of the siege, began early in the winter, around the 10 of December. A large part of the army was moved directly next to the Osmite village, where it established its camp. The camp was well supplied and manned by twenty heavy infantrymen and Histamine's crossbowmen.
Histamine wasted no time in gathering intelligence. The 13 of December, the army infiltrated the trenches of Udsmunstu, completely undetected they mapped as much as they could of the trench maze, took notes of the defenders position and raider their supply depot.
The raid was fruitful, somehow. A bit of metal, some cultural items, and some ammos. Udsmunstu was neither wealthy nor well defended.
Their nobility was comprised of three goblins : Enforcer Uspum Burostosp, Warlord Ospon Nonumegema, Commander Nique Sasgusbgulo. The three had a military background ; they did recognize they were about to be attacked and requested reinforcements from their neighbours. Two dozen soldiers managed to slip in the village, but that was too little too late soon, the army of Kimaeslo Ori would be upon them.
Onto the breachAfter that reconaissance round, Histamine recognized that very little was holding the village together. : loyalty wasmore suggested than actual, order was what you woudl expect of a village where veryone genuinly believe the right thing to do is to murder each other, morale was the morale of a couple villagers looking for way out.
Without their nobility to hold them together, they would fold this much was clear. She then devised a plan : the army would have to be split in two one team would infiltrate the trenches and slay the noblemen, the other will keep them busy outside the time for the deed to be done.
The five of January, the army laucnhed its attack. The infiltrating team progressed quickly through the trenches, thanks to its earlier exploration. They found the tower where the nobles were, bashed its lock open and stormed the room.
Lord Opsong Nonumequema was fell upon immeidtaly by a master swordsman by the name of Lurit. Three crippling blows later, and the lord expired his last breath. His retainers did not put much more of a fight. The enforcer Uspum was slain by Dag, the master swordswoman who defeated the invasion on her own, last spring. Commander Nique fell last slain by a swordsman by the name of Zebna. And like that, in less than ten minutes, the village was decapitated.
Outside, Captain Ipan havd launch his diversion attack, which quickly turned into an ongoing pursue with uncontrollable momentum.
The army, quickly put together since December, was completely shattered by Ipan's charge and immediately dispersed.
When the infiltration team came back from the village, it was in the cries of terror of Udsmunstu regulars.
The siege resumed, but safe for a miracle for Udsmunstu, the outcome was already decided.
The conquest of UdmunstuAfter that flawless victory, Histamine's squad was recalled to the town, where the new quickly spread. Kimaeslo Ori celebrated in the Candies of Jade tavern songs and dances were performed.
We won ! Lesno cried with a ale mug halfway spread over his rugged coat. Hahaha ! I knew we could push the goblins back ! Serves them right !
Suddently, the tavern became eerily silent someone quickly called Uzu and his men. The young man seized Lesno by the arm, with a non-amused expression across the face.
Lesno, we talked about this. he said, while driving him out. Don't try to interact with the citizen.
With Lesno gone, the party resumed as if nothing had happened.
Three or four days from there, in the town of Udsmunstu, Ipan and Dag were planning their next move.They waited until they were all recovered from their last assault that siege would continue for nineteen more days.
Then, in the morning of the 24 of January, a delegation of villagers from Udsmunstu approached the besiegers. They were led by a woman by the name of Tiquo, and they have come to negociate their surrender.
Ipan conducted the negociations the population would not be harmed, and Tiquo the de-facto Lady, would be spared the usually mendatory live burrial reserved to surrendering nobility. In exchange, the town would have to pledge allegence to the crown of pearls and recognize Ipan as their new direct master.
The terms were too good for the goblins, who accepted immediately. Before the day was through, Ipan was sitting o the Lord's throne, and started to devise plans to transform those horrible trenches into what he wanted to be a peaceful, aboveground, human village.
A note on the price of warThis is mostly overlooked, but war is an expensive, very expensive hobby. By all account, that siege was a complete success -no pearlite live lost, an unconditional surrender from Udsmunstu, a rather short operation overall it was enough to throw the town into negative growth for the quarter.
The latest rapport of Bookkeeper OzoMost of it is caused by the price of gear and clothing leaving the town without being exhcnaged for value, but it highlights the main price of conquering for war : producing an army is a very big investment. Dag's and Ipan'ssquad would have to be completely replaced, which means 20 heavy armors to be produced again, and twenty weapons to be crafted, not counting the (unpriced) opportunity cost of training twenty new recruits. Having the numbers on its side and no regard for life, Osme can, of course, afford to send wave after wave of self-equipped soldiers until their numbers overhwhelm their target's defense...But we do not have that kind of luxury.
After that victorythe industry will have to be driven at breakneck speed. It would be necessary to perform the two next village captures of Ngomzocast and Bosastozu, necessary to drive Osme from the northern banks of the Singing Sea.
Lady Desli's strange box
As the town was exctatic after their victory, and with the price of war being that expensive anyway, the blacksmith decided they could afford one more additional expense : as Lady Desli was manifesting more and more vocally her desire to have a coffin made out of dwarven iron in her room, maybe now was the time to humor her wishes.
Dwarven metal was melted in very high quantity to produce that finely-crafted strange piece of furniture. It was then promptly moved into her room the gods know what she would do with it. Regardless, Desli was happy, and in her happiness, passed a decree forbidding the export of coffins.
Luckily, it iw not a good that the town was used to trade although the other noblemen are starting to show concern for her unusual attraction for death related items, and feared that her growing obsession could lead her to a very dark path.
A word on the town's constructionBecause the main event of this quarter was the assault on Udsmunstu, it totally eclipsed the work done at home still substantial. Two rather large achievements were performed : firstly, Lady Desli's dining room have been completely built out of stone, and now would only lack mendatory tables, chairs and decorations.
Secondary, the second floor of the new barracks was now don, and the third, reserved for archery training, was underway.
The bridge's expansion was now built at the three quarters, and only a couple years were now necessary to complete it.
The future was looking bright for the upcoming year 155.
PS : I've been playing this game for 30 in game years. Best birthday
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Topic: Mong Kima - The Nation of Pearls (DF 0.47.05) (Read 254732 times)