Winter - Chapter 3, part 5.
The dwarf bowed slightly in thanks, then resumed loking through the maps.
Baris spoke up. “Loris mentioned the Deego League a moment ago. There has been word from them. They offer to support our cause, in return they have their usual list of demands: full membership to the Imperial Council, certain trade treaties, and of course they want the prohibition against psionics lifted.”
Illias the cleric, who had been silent to that point, scoffed. “Allow witches to roam the land again freely? Of course not! Hell they should be supporting our cause since Alhred had the decency to not send in the legions to their backwater lands and burn them all to ash. Surely we are not seriously considering this heresy?”
“Calm yourself Illias, of course we aren’t. The support they could give us would be canceled out from our allies deserting us. However, veiled within their message was a threat…we will not be the only ones to receive their offer. Should they side with Maern or Evards factions we would be facing an enemy from the one direction we currently don’t have any foes. Are you ready for such an event Kelton?”
The General stood, staring at his map for some time. All could see his mind working furiously. He looked over at his cousin, and some unspoken conversation seemed to be held in a series of shrugs and twitches. “To be honest no. We have barely three regiments of the Fifth Legion near the border of the League. Besides them we have no forces within a week’s hard march. Simply put our plans have mainly consisted of stripping that front to feed into the others. I can start now rearranging our forces to counter a Deego assault, but to do so I have to pull men from fighting Maern and Evard. Men we can ill afford. Though I hate to say it, some sort of diplomatic solution would be best. We have no idea what kind of forces they can bring to bear either, hell other than the occasional mercenary unit that comes out form their holdings I don’t think any of their regular forces have been accurately seen since the Witch War. Do we have any options?”
Baris grimaced. “Not really. The other two requests we of course could easily grant. But allowing psionics is not an option, and that is the one thing they really want. We may be able to buy their neutrality with giving into the first two. But if anyone gives them a better deal we’ll be over a barrel. Loris what do you think the odds are that either of the other two fations will go for the deal?”
“The Ertu bunch will definalty not. The Lords of House Magren lay awake at night shaking at the thought of Witchreaders prying into their heads. The Coalition though…who can say. If Evard is serious about this republic nonsense then who knows what he might do. None of his backing Houses have any special reason above and beyond the normal distrust of Witches to shoot it down, but even so he will lose support if he takes their deal. How much is unclear though. As the weakest of our three groups he would theoretically have the most to gain from it. No one seems to know his personal politics on the matter, and none of my spies are highly enough placed in his camp to find out if he will take the offer. What would be best is if we could sabotage any potential deal before it has a chance to take, though how we would do that I couldn’t say.”
The men sat in silence for some time, each lost in his own thoughts. Baris at last spoke up. “I’ll handle it. Hopefully. In case I should fail though Kelton you should start drawing up some plans to prepare for the possibility of a fight on that front.” Kelton nodded. “Also, rumors have been flying over the past week or so about moves among the Altanki. They have broken a dozen or so contracts all over the north, and no one knows why. The obvious guess is that maybe the Prince is just enforcing his promise of neutrality. But darker whispers have him planning to attack outward and reclaim some of his realms old lands during the disorder of the war. I’m not sure what to believe, but perhaps we should prepare for the worst. Kelton?”
“No. Pick one. Either I prepare for the Deego League or the White Prince. I don’t really have the manpower to spare to fight one, much less both of them considering all my other priorities. You men decide which is the more likely threat and I’ll prepare to counter it. Should the other erupt our allies are going to have to do the best they can in handling it. Given my druthers I’d rather fight neither, witchwarriors and Altanki blood clans are equally terrible to go up against.”
After a few moments exchange among the other four regents an agreement was come to. “Prepare for the League.” Kelton jotted down a quick notation on his map, while Lewn began selecting maps from a drawer.
Baris spoke up. “Loris mentioned the Deego League a moment ago. There has been word from them. They offer to support our cause, in return they have their usual list of demands: full membership to the Imperial Council, certain trade treaties, and of course they want the prohibition against psionics lifted.”
Illias the cleric, who had been silent to that point, scoffed. “Allow witches to roam the land again freely? Of course not! Hell they should be supporting our cause since Alhred had the decency to not send in the legions to their backwater lands and burn them all to ash. Surely we are not seriously considering this heresy?”
“Calm yourself Illias, of course we aren’t. The support they could give us would be canceled out from our allies deserting us. However, veiled within their message was a threat…we will not be the only ones to receive their offer. Should they side with Maern or Evards factions we would be facing an enemy from the one direction we currently don’t have any foes. Are you ready for such an event Kelton?”
The General stood, staring at his map for some time. All could see his mind working furiously. He looked over at his cousin, and some unspoken conversation seemed to be held in a series of shrugs and twitches. “To be honest no. We have barely three regiments of the Fifth Legion near the border of the League. Besides them we have no forces within a week’s hard march. Simply put our plans have mainly consisted of stripping that front to feed into the others. I can start now rearranging our forces to counter a Deego assault, but to do so I have to pull men from fighting Maern and Evard. Men we can ill afford. Though I hate to say it, some sort of diplomatic solution would be best. We have no idea what kind of forces they can bring to bear either, hell other than the occasional mercenary unit that comes out form their holdings I don’t think any of their regular forces have been accurately seen since the Witch War. Do we have any options?”
Baris grimaced. “Not really. The other two requests we of course could easily grant. But allowing psionics is not an option, and that is the one thing they really want. We may be able to buy their neutrality with giving into the first two. But if anyone gives them a better deal we’ll be over a barrel. Loris what do you think the odds are that either of the other two fations will go for the deal?”
“The Ertu bunch will definalty not. The Lords of House Magren lay awake at night shaking at the thought of Witchreaders prying into their heads. The Coalition though…who can say. If Evard is serious about this republic nonsense then who knows what he might do. None of his backing Houses have any special reason above and beyond the normal distrust of Witches to shoot it down, but even so he will lose support if he takes their deal. How much is unclear though. As the weakest of our three groups he would theoretically have the most to gain from it. No one seems to know his personal politics on the matter, and none of my spies are highly enough placed in his camp to find out if he will take the offer. What would be best is if we could sabotage any potential deal before it has a chance to take, though how we would do that I couldn’t say.”
The men sat in silence for some time, each lost in his own thoughts. Baris at last spoke up. “I’ll handle it. Hopefully. In case I should fail though Kelton you should start drawing up some plans to prepare for the possibility of a fight on that front.” Kelton nodded. “Also, rumors have been flying over the past week or so about moves among the Altanki. They have broken a dozen or so contracts all over the north, and no one knows why. The obvious guess is that maybe the Prince is just enforcing his promise of neutrality. But darker whispers have him planning to attack outward and reclaim some of his realms old lands during the disorder of the war. I’m not sure what to believe, but perhaps we should prepare for the worst. Kelton?”
“No. Pick one. Either I prepare for the Deego League or the White Prince. I don’t really have the manpower to spare to fight one, much less both of them considering all my other priorities. You men decide which is the more likely threat and I’ll prepare to counter it. Should the other erupt our allies are going to have to do the best they can in handling it. Given my druthers I’d rather fight neither, witchwarriors and Altanki blood clans are equally terrible to go up against.”
After a few moments exchange among the other four regents an agreement was come to. “Prepare for the League.” Kelton jotted down a quick notation on his map, while Lewn began selecting maps from a drawer.