I edited my long history piece, to remove any suggestions that we might be employing spies, as this is obviously not true, and we wouldn't want to spread false information.
Let me know if you think it needs more pruning, or if it can be shared in the core thread.
The History of the Embral Empire
The First Empire:
The Samnite-Embral War ended suddenly and conclusively, with the total surrender of the Samnite Empire to the Embral people. This thrust the commander of Embral's forces, General Samarata, into the position of Emperor over a vast expanse of territory. One of his first acts as emperor was to grant independence to almost anyone who asked, but this still left him ruling a land more than three times the size of his homeland- which had not been a unified nation until recently, making the culture shock even greater. Therefore, the new Embral Empire adopted many of the practices of the former Samnite Empire, with many Samnite officials continuing to serve in their former roles, just under a new master. Even Samnite Legionaries joined the newly-formed Embral Legions- many of them having been citizens of subjugated nations anyway, it made no difference to them who gave the orders.
There were some notable changes, however. Military spending was reduced considerably, reflecting both the reduced size of the Empire, and the new Emperor's policy of peaceful relations. The money that would've been spent on extra legions was instead invested into infrastructure- specifically, the installation of Wellwood Drums (mostly waterwheel-driven) throughout the Empire, along with the necessary hydraulic engineering. This served to raise the prosperity of most regions, endearing the new rulers to the citizenry.
Religious freedom was proclaimed, as the Embral people did not follow the Samnite pantheon- rather, they mostly followed the Kai Guna Rasata (the Manifold Path), more of a philosophy than a deistic religion. Rasata temples sprung up in Samnium, and soon throughout the empire, attracting adherents who appreciated the emphasis on personal growth, as opposed to the Samnite pantheon's capricious gods.
Emperor Samarata ruled for three decades, a period which after some initial hiccups was one of prosperity and growth. On his death, his son, Samarata II, took the throne, and served ably as the Empire's steward for two decades more. It was during the reign of his son, Samarata III, that the first signs of trouble emerged. Samarata III was an ambitious visionary, enacting many great projects to the betterment of the Empire. Such wonders as the Grand Canal, the Flooded Citadel, the Harbour of One-Thousand Ships, and the Terraces of the Northern Mountains were all constructed during his reign, along with dozens of lesser achievements that elevated the Empire to new heights of prosperity. Unfortunately, all these projects needed to be paid for, both figuratively and literally. The increase in taxes stirred discontent amongst the people, resulting in minor uprisings. Furthermore, the ambitious scope of the hydraulic engineering resulted in rivers changing course or even drying up completely, which aggravated neighbouring nations- who also envied the wealth of the Empire.
Whilst Samarata III reigned, things remained stable- the budget was carefully balanced, upset neighbours and citizens skilfully appeased. However, Samarata III died with no heir, and a distant relative was elevated- Bharakana I. Though he initially appeared competent enough, Bharakana was not prepared for the responsibilities heaped upon him. Debts accrued, tensions flared, and Bharakana grew increasingly reclusive and paranoid. Bharakana died relatively young; historians believe he died of stress. ((Note: written around the time that MoP was talking about his misadventures in CKII))
His replacement, Harana I, did what he could, but things were already slipping away. Despite several attempts at diplomacy, the Empire was invaded by a coalition of several nations six years into his reign. The war was hard-fought, but the Embral Legions found they were overstretched, constantly having to rush from one battle to another. Nevertheless, the superior resources of the Empire allowed them to fight their enemies to a standstill, resulting in a white peace. However, this simply made the Empire's problems worse; debts had built up during the war, whilst unrest had grown, and other neighbours who had stayed out of the war saw signs of weakness. Harana's successor, Harana II, was invaded less than one year into his reign, and this time there would be no standstill. The Legions were overstretched to breaking, incapable of facing the many enemies arrayed against them, and eventually war came to Samnium again, this time with the Embralish on the defensive against a coalition of enemies.
Samnium fell, and with it, the First Embral Empire.
The Second Empire:
The Embral Legions beat a hasty retreat to Embrallia, the impregnable homeland of the Embral people. There, they mustered their strength, whilst their enemies succumbed to infighting. However, when they marched forth once more, this time with the assistance of the newly developed "Strings of Motion", they did not set out to restore an Emperor. It had been decided that one man could not rule such an expanse. Instead, they announced the New Empire would be a federation of Kingdoms, with Kings chosen by each member state, who would convene to make decisions for the Empire as a whole.
This proved a popular concept, and the Second Empire quickly retook most of the territory that had been lost, and even managed to attract nations that had not been part of the First Empire to join the Second. For several decades, everything worked perfectly. However, the new system was unable to recreate the same scale of great works that had defined the First Empire, and prosperity declined on average. In addition, despite the Embralish tendency towards honesty and benevolence, not all kings were equally concerned with the well-being of their people.
Inevitably, uprisings resulted. Sometimes popular, with over-taxed smallfolk rising up to overthrow a tyrannical king, sometimes noble, with ambitious kings seeking to make it big by themselves, at the expense of the rest of the Empire. The Embral Legions were almost never idle, as whenever there was no internal strife, there was almost always some neighbouring nation that needed to be put in their place.
Nevertheless, the Second Empire persisted, sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, but with the (increasingly refined) Wellwood Drums keeping the farmland prosperous, and the folly of the First Empire's pacifist tendencies burned into the cultural memory, the Embral Legions were generally able to win out over all comers.
The Second Empire lasted for over a millennia. It was known as the Eternal Empire at the time of its fall, as the period before its rise became almost mythical. Its downfall was not military, but ideological. Foreign travellers started to visit the Empire from far-off lands, attracted by tales of its great prosperity. They came in grand ships, and brought with them weapons unlike any seen before- weapons of smoke and fire. Fortunately they came not to fight, but to trade. They seemed harmless enough- indeed, the trade with the foreigners brought great wealth to the coastal regions of the Empire, resulting in a swelling merchant-class. They were happy enough to sell their weapons and knowledge of their creation, although the Embral Legions, convinced of their own superiority, were slow to adopt them. But what no one realised was that they brought with them an infection- an infection of the mind, which they called "Enlightenment".
Enlightenment philosophy spread slowly, and seemed harmless. It resonated well enough with the tenets of Kai Guna Rasata, and many temples incorporated elements into their sermons. The emphasis on education initially paid off, as smarter people were more productive, leading to rulers spending more money on schools, some going so far as to make basic schooling freely available to all. But like a plague, by the time symptoms appeared, it was too late. It started with merchants, who clamoured for more say in the ruling of the Empire. Educated peasants questioned the status quo. Then radicals started to call for the abolishment of Kings. And the foreigners, who had seemed so friendly before, supported these radicals, providing them with money, then weapons. Rebellion broke out, and the Embral Legions, still mostly reliant on old-fashioned weaponry, discovered that a peasant with a cheap musket could kill an armoured soldier who had trained for years. The rebels declared "Republics" all over the Empire, and quickly formed ties with the foreigners, giving them favourable trade deals and allowing them to station troops in their territory.
Within four decades of the first foreign ship making landfall in the Eternal Empire, it had fallen.
The Republican Period:
Embrallia itself remained true to the Embral ways, the people loyal to the King, who had always treated them fairly. But the rest of the empire was overtaken completely by republics of various flavours. For a few years, the spirit of Enlightenment united the republics, some of which formed a coalition that attempted to invade Embrallia. However, the remnants of the Embral Legions that remained loyal were joined by volunteers who excelled in guerilla warfare, like the ancient Embralish Woodsmen, albeit now armed with muzzle-loaded rifles (developed locally) instead of spears. The republican armies found the jungles surrounding Embrallia impossible to penetrate, and the roads heavily guarded by Legionaries, who by now had adopted and trained in the use of muskets, and developed tactics to counteract enemy musketeers.
Eventually, the republican coalition gave up- their home situations having become problematic. For the friendly foreigners had turned out to be less friendly than advertised, as they exerted more and more control over the newly-formed republics. Some were even persuaded to appoint foreign governors- unpopular figures, but ones guarded by large retinues. The foreigners spread ugly rumours about the Embralish to justify their takeover, yet their true motives were clear. And so, foreign influence spread, and the 'free' republics became little more than puppets of the foreign empire.
However, the people did not take this lying down. They soon realised that they had been hoodwinked, and started to fight back. Foreign armies landed en-masse, and with superior weapons and more experience using them, put down many uprisings. But the Empire had been very large, and without local forces to augment their elite troops, the foreigners could not hope to rule it. As luck would have it, dissent spread quickly amongst said local forces, hampering the foreigners' efforts. Eventually, those opposing the foreigners turned to the one place that remained entirely free of their influence: Embrallia.
The Embralish had not been idle whilst foreigners ran roughshod over their former lands. All of Embrallia had been gearing up to fight back: the Legions, swelled with volunteers from across the Empire, had been training incessantly for years, with large contingents of 'Sikari', who had modernised and perfected skirmish warfare; the Wells had been plumbed deep to make weapons that used the Ancient Music in never-before seen ways, whilst engineers had developed ways to mass-produce rifles and high-quality muskets; and politicians and philosophers had worked tirelessly to create the framework for a new empire, that would satisfy the new spirit of egalitarianism, whilst still presenting a strong, resilient state that could fight off foreign aggressors.
When the resisting republics came to Embrallia with their hats in their hands, they were welcomed with grace, and aid promised in exchange for their participation in the New Empire. Almost without exception, they agreed to the terms, and so the Embral Legions marched forth once more, now fully prepared for a new age of warfare. Their first encounter with hostile forces was over in a flash, with the local conscripts breaking almost immediately, and the foreign troops left without support against weapons that rivalled their own. The republics bordering Embrallia were quickly liberated, and incorporated into the New Empire.
The New Empire:
The Legions of the New Empire marched forth, seemingly unstoppable, until they reached the coastal republics. These had been under foreign rule for a long time, and they were heavily fortified and garrisoned with large numbers of foreign troops, as well as local soldiers who were unwavering in their loyalty to the governors. In addition, the shores were the domain of the foreigners' ships, which were replete with many cannon, and built of stronger stuff than any Embralish vessel. To dislodge the foreigners would not be a simple task, yet the Legions did not waver.
Before fighting could begin, the foreigners offered a truce. They would recognise the Embralish claim to the lands the New Empire had reconquered, and cease hostilities, in exchange for hefty reparations and a rather unbalanced trade deal. Needless to say, this offer was taken as an insult, and negotiations broke down. The Legions began besieging several forts and cities, with the garrisons often finding themselves having to watch their backs versus the citizenry. Artillery was lacking, slowing progress, but the attacks from both within and without, as well as dwindling supplies, meant that the garrisons could not hold out forever. Naturally, the foreigners mustered their forces, and marched forth to break the sieges. However, as they approached the beleaguered fortifications, they found themselves harassed by the Sikari; camps raided in the night, commanders sniped on the roads, supplies stolen- all by soldiers who would vanish without a trace if any attempt was made to chase them down. One army, the 6th Expeditionary Command, suffered almost 2000 casualties- 10% of their starting number- over a three day march through a densely wooded region.
Nevertheless, skirmishers alone could not stop the foreign armies, though the attrition and demoralising effect was significant. But when the foreign forces arrived at their destination, they invariably encountered one of two situations: the besieging forces had packed up and left, mere days before their arrival; or the besieging forces had their numbers bolstered by reinforcements, to the point where the relief force found itself severely outnumbered. It did not help that scouts were the most vulnerable to Sikari interference- and those that did report in often brought back conflicting information.
Thus did the New Empire whittle down the foreign armies, through superior strategic manoeuvring and the use of expert skirmishers. The inland regions of the coastal republics fell, leaving the foreigners with only the fortified port-cities.
Again, the foreigners offered a truce. They now offered a reasonably fair trade agreement, and to surrender half of their remaining territory, asking for nothing in return. They pointed out that the Embral Legions could not best them on the seas, and would be hard-pressed to win a siege if they could not cut the garrison off from naval resupply. However, the Embralish were not fooled; they knew that the war was draining foreign coffers, and said as much. The Embralish negotiators made their position clear: the Embral Legions could maintain this war almost indefinitely. They did not have to win at sea, or capture any ports. They needed only to continue to sap the resources of their enemy, until economic factors forced them to surrender.
Not having the power to surrender unconditionally, the foreign negotiators were forced to return to their homeland. When they returned, they came bearing a white flag. The war, as they say, ended with a whimper, not a bang. Yet this was, and always had been, one of the Embral people's greatest strengths: prosperity.
Jubilation was widespread. People who had once rebelled against the Empire now lauded the New Empire, for saving them from the foreign menace. However, the new Emperor (Dubara I) knew that true safety was a long ways off. Neighbouring nations had fallen victim to the foreigners, and refused the New Empire's help. Should the foreigners sort out their finances and return, the Embral Empire would have to be ready. And for that, he declared, they would have to voyage out into the world, so they could share in whatever innovations were happening in distant lands, and invest in homegrown innovations as well- which meant that, despite the desire of some to destroy the schools and universities that had poisoned the minds of so many citizens, education would have to be a priority.
Ships were built, by shipwrights who had worked on the foreigners' ships, to carry Embralish envoys to distant shores. Schools were founded, now teaching an Embralish curriculum. And, of course, debts had to be paid- for all their bravado towards the foreigners, the war had not been kind on the Empire's finances.
In time, contact was made and embassies established with nations all over the world, and goods and ideas flowed freely- though always with someone watching, lest a new poison be introduced. This scrutiny, for instance, helped prevent a ploy by the same foreigners to export an addictive drug into the Empire- a combination of stringent anti-smuggling work, strict laws, and some threatening diplomacy put a halt to the opioid epidemic before it started.
As the years passed- now measured using the same calendar as the rest of the world, by which reckoning it was the 19th century, the Embral Empire developed rapidly. Steam power was adopted, with Embralish inventors contributing some small but important tweaks to the development of the innovation. Railways criss-crossed the Empire, making the use of Strings of Motion somewhat less crucial in moving troops quickly (although it still aided greatly in regions without rail access). Industrial agriculture was integrated seamlessly into the Embral's traditional agricultural expertise, whilst factories sprung up in the cities like mushrooms.
Throughout this, the Embral Legions continued to modernise, going from smoothbore muskets to bolt-action rifles (with some stops along the way). There were always wars to be fought, though none of the same intensity as the formation of the New Empire.
Until, of course, 1911. Tensions with neighbouring nations, many of which still had strong connections to the invasive foreigners, boiled over, as they finally managed to put aside their internal strife for long enough to unite. This, of course, drew in their foreign ally- a superpower with a grudge, as the Embral Empire had continually been a thorn in their side. The Empress Jita I gave a stirring speech, distributed across the empire by telegram. War, which the Embral people knew all too well, was here again- but the Legions were, as ever, ready. ((Note: This was written before the Khada-Miti situation, and is therefore not entirely accurate))
Structure of the New Empire:
The New Empire is a parliamentary empire, meaning that it has an emperor, who more or less controls the executive, and a parliament, which more or less controls the legislative side of things. Emperor is not a hereditary position- the next emperor is chosen by a select group of people, on the basis of competence and honesty, a process which most citizens trust to produce a capable ruler. Members of parliament are elected on a by-district basis, with universal suffrage (more or less). Parliament has some power to overrule the Emperor, and vice-versa. The former kingdoms of the Second Empire form administrative provinces, with a provincial parliament (elected locally) and a governor (appointed by the Emperor).
The military of the New Empire retains the legionary structure, with legions consisting of about 10000 men. Legions are subdivided into 500 man Cohorts, each of which is made up of five 100 man Centuries. Each legion has 500 Sikari, who remain experts in sniping, scouting, and all manner of unconventional warfare.
Different legions may have different specialities; some employ more artillery, others excel at defensive warfare.
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Topic: Mechanized Warfare: Embral Thread / Final Phase, 1941 Cold Season (Read 24915 times)