=-=Year 833, Summer - Fall=-=
Language of War
As summer in Jollas slowly turns to fall, new issues began to arise within the nation as the difficulties between the two feuding Dujals of Loskadia and the Beast Isles soon came to a head. Along the western borders, each side had occupied old abandoned forts and castles with fresh garrisons, but it was clear that both the Souden and Beastfolk had no interest in raiding or skirmishing, as neither lord openly declared for one side. As it would seem, Dujal
Arminas Kucys had second thoughts about pushing a claim on New Strekkad. What had appeared to be a merchant scheme to unite the peninsula under a Loskadian banner seemed hampered by the 'young and naive' Beast Isles Dujal, and even commented to his courtiers that perhaps he would make peace with the angered Otum.
Yet this was not meant to be, as during this time, the western border between the Beast Isles and Loskadia erupted into conflict. A small team of 23 Kobtum mercenaries had gone beyond their border to a common Souden village they would normally visit, but ran into garrison of guardsmen who chased them off. Rather then return to the village, the garrison guard chased down the Kobtum on horseback, riding hard into the forest and over the border, cutting down 7 of the mercenaries in their pursuit until they cornered them at a ravine. Trapped, the two sides skirmished unsuccessfully with one another, injuring but not killing one another. Yet, human reinforcements grew as the pursuers sent a courier to other camps demanding assistance, gathering a pretty sizable force, but had not known that the Kobtum sellswords had done the same.
The small skirmish at the ravine grew and grew until small armies began to grow and challenge one another in the open fields near by. Barely over 17 Kobtum mercenaries became a force of 100, which soon became a 1000, and suddenly a huge host of 12,000 troops had gathered into a pitched battle at the riverside. The battle spilled over into a glade and became intense during night time raids by both factions, with the human forces numbering 14,000. Neither side was well led, leading to pointless melees in the forest, and ambushes became commonplace. Mercenaries on both sides regularly changed sides, to a point where they almost became a third faction within themselves simply out of confusion. However, during the coming weeks, the battle turned more formal and became to be led by more organized commanders.
A Kobtum tribal elder and a Otum Valk gathered what remained of their army, 10,000 and slowly marched on the 11,000 humans commanded by a Kucys relative. The human commander had organized a cavalry division and led the charge personally from two flanks, allowing his infantry time to form up from their camp and march out into the glade. Much to the humans own surprise, as soon as the cavalry neared, the Beastfolk led a rather sudden and hasty retreat back into the deep forests. Not wishing to waste a good route, the human cavalry blindly followed the Beastfolk back towards the sight of the original battle at the ravine, cutting down slower creatures. Yet, as the cavalry continued their route, the human infantry moved at a snail's pace, unsure whether to follow. Their officers decided they would send out some scouts and ask their commander if they were needed, and slowly advanced towards the ravine.
Yet, as the Cavalry was forced to dismount near the more thicker woods, battling lone groups, the human commander looked about his surroundings, as if. . .it was constantly changing. The cavalry split up and could not find neither their counterparts or many Beastfolk. It was when a sickening scream followed by a loud snap did the humans know what was happening. The commander yelled for a retreat from the forest, but noticed as twisting wooden vines and plants began to crawl across his body at a demon's pace. The commander tried to cut the vines, and his men tried to help, but they too were overwhelmed. As the vines began to pull apart at the commander's limbs, arrows began to rain down on the Beastfolk from the forest above, spears came out of the waters of the ravine, and Bolam charged blindingly into the confused groups.
The spellwork of the Kobtum elder, a druid, was one of legendary work. Beforehand, the Kobtum and the Otum had planned this ambush as the battle in the glade had intensified, and caught the entire hostile cavalry by surprise. Over 2,000 men and their horses were slain, including the enemy commander, with a very well timed ambush. As the Beastfolk re-entered the field of battle, the commander's broken and dismantled body dumped from a cart onto the glade's field, the men lost heart and fled back over into Loskadia. Despite the chance to decimate the forces, the Otum commander refused to give chase, believing it to be dishonorable and cruel. Regardless, the Beastfolk having won the Battle of the Black Glade, the army cheered and reported their progress back to Dujal
Mislav Poljak.
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No longer able to ignore the victory, Mislav Poljak sent a ultimatum to the hostile Dujal of Loskadia, demanding that he step down from his throne and begged for the forgiveness of the gods, but most importantly he made a quick and swift peace with him. However, a couple weeks later, a messenger came with a morbid gift for Mislav, the tails of 7 Otum who were living in Fiskvach and a message declaring Mislav a traitor, a heretic, and so forth. It clear that this was a threat more then a declaration of war, with Arminas wanting a white peace rather then a embarrassing peace. Mislav talked solemly with his advisers at New Strekkad, worried deeply for the Otum lives that still remained in Fiskvach. Yet, his advisers sorrowfully told Mislav that regardless of what he did, it was now likely their lives were very much forfeit. Mislav weighed his options, and declared in Strekkad before his court that he intended to march on Fiskvach, and burn Arminas out of his 'nest of rats'.
Following his declaration, his generalings wasted no time sending for officers to carry out the task of rounding up levies. Across New Strekkad's counties and districts, sons and fathers were gathered by officers and gathered near the armories and barracks of New Strekkad. On the islands themselves, the Otum Valks sent reinforcements via boat, being their more elite infantry. Beastfolk mercenaries, once a more neutral force, eagerly gathered in new Strekkad to declare their allegiance to the Otum Dujal. Yet neither of these things were as importent as when a united group of Bolam clans of New Strekkad personally made their trip to meet Mislav, bowing to him humbly, and offering their services as warriors to fight Souden. Mislav decided to skip many of the processes and wished to march swiftly to Fiskvach, as he did not want to give any opportunity to the Souden to raise their army more then it most likely had.
A large procession of soldiers marched from the city of New Strekkad, as the gates widened for Mislav, his generalings, and New Strekkad's human Valk and his own generalings, carrying the Beast Isles banner A host of Beast Isles knights had gathered to Mislav's banner, but more had gone north to support Arminas. 25,000 soldiers were gathered, with the high intention of using the western roads to swiftly make their way to Fiskvach and challenge the Loskadian army to a pitched battle. Mislav confided in his officers of his worries. Loskadia had nearly three times the people despite being poorly managed and lacking a great deal of proper roads and farmstead, many of it's people still lived as tribal pagans. Loskadia's army would be twice or maybe even three times as large, with Mislav commenting that even with his own army, the Loskadians could still easily turn a Otum and Kobtum army to route and slaughter his most elite soldiers with ease. However, what Mislav had on his side was tactics beyond the age and skill of Arminas, who he was convinced relied on cheap tricks and popular charisma to win his battles.
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What Mislav could have not known or even predicted was just how much trouble his rival was in. Arminas, before even chopping off the tails of his Otum 'guests' he invited to his court, had been sending out for his generalings to gather Loskadia's army in Fiskvach. Yet, as he did so, days swiftly turned into weeks, as his Generalings slowly and with great regret brought back into Fiskvach only handfuls of soldiers. Arminas at first cared very little for this, up until the soldiers were coming back with only a couple farmers boys or with no one at all. Arminas soon found himself at the gates of his city, with a worried expression as he barely only gathered and measly 3,000 troops to his cause, most being poor farm hands and undisciplined rabble. If Arminas had not known better, most of these soldiers were common thugs and bandits, who only came because the Generalings had arrested them.
Arminas called a emergency meeting with his generals, trying to figure out what was going on. His generalings explained that the Valks they visited were not only upset, they were furious or simply absent. For years, the Valks had little control over their own lands, often warring with the local elders and tribal villages which refused to bend to their will. Arminas, who was often busy in his court with his arts and schemes, had not even noticed that his own vassals were struggling, but this mattered little to him and he quickly declared them traitors. He personally went to local Valk, demanding that he, his people, and his family support his war, but the Valk hid in their villa estate and refused to come out. Arminas then laid siege to the small keep outside Fiskvach, but to no avail, his army was already suffering from poor morale and his Generalings didn't have the time to drill them properly for war.
Many of the vassals it had seemed were unresponsive, and Arminas's advisers were suspicious of this. It was entirely possible that the local Valks were being blackmailed or held captive by Bolam clans, or worse, the Souden backwater villages which wished to see Arminas overthrown. Regardless, Arminas figured he could not waste time besieging his own vassals, and told his Generalings he wanted a army by any cost. However, they also informed Arminas of other problems, much to his increasing ire. Another issue was that apparently, the local cults had been denouncing Arminas rather publically, especially in the rural areas. When Arminas demanded to know why this was, having personally donated a great deal of coin to the temples, it was apparently due to personal tastes that Arminas had which offended the cults deeply. Coin apparently did not make the cults more favorable towards his reign, but perhaps had even soured it, with his 'gifts' seen more as bribes. Arminas could at least understand this and changed the subject with his generals, for his also could not swiftly restore his standing with the Tresist cults.
One Generaling however did speak up, saying in a rather concerning and even perhaps treasonous voice that Arminas, and his father before him, had laxed the will of the Generalings and officers alike. Apparently, which was partially true, Arminas and his father had a deeper interest in arts and court politics, lavishly spending money on finery and making expensive trips to Kolum. Where they got this money from was 'borrowing' it from the treasury, and occasionally defunding the Generalings. This had the result in which most Generalings unable to perform basic tasks, resorting to training the otherwise pious and slightly pacifist Souden with sticks. There were plenty of young men to train for the army, but most didn't have the proper training for service. The generalings could barely bring the levies into line without them suddenly breaking ranks and trying to sneak their way back home. Arminas listened to the generaling, and only gave a nod. Later, he recalled his officers back to his court with a new emergency plan to build a army.
He divided his generalings into three groups, sending two to forcefully bind local men both old and young and bring them back to the capital even if the Generaling knows that they have no proper training, another group was sent to advertise in the northern villages and bring further volunteers to fight 'the Beastial menace', and another group had the odd mission of kidnapping village elders from the deep forests. Naturally, while two groups in swift time brought in a great group then before, the kidnapped elders were brought personally to Arminas who offered them freedom for their support. When one elder threatened that his village would rather support the Beastfolk, Arminas had the man's throat cut, and then made the same calm offer to the other elders who eagerly begged for their lives and agreed to send them young warriors to his aid. Within a week, the 3,000 men became 10,000 without the aid of Loskadia's vassals, but were poorly trained and ill disciplined.
Arminas got short word that the Beastfolk army had crossed into his southern lands, conquering territories and looting villages for supplies, with their march intended to take his seat at Fiskvach. 10,000 levies and no knights were not going to stop 25,000 beastfolk, and Arminas knew this. Arminas called for allies, but he had no word as of yet, even being desperate enough to send for a magical message to the Dujal of Karlemgrad, who laughed so much over a spectral vision with a court mage. The Karoe Warlord had been eating in his hall when a ghostly vision appeared of Arminas calling for his help, but while the Karoe Legedari panicked, the warlord demanded his court mage to remove the vision so he could continue on eating, more annoyed then scared like his fellows. Without much options left, Arminas called for the Black Knights to appear in his court.
Who appeared in his court was the Black Knight leader, the young, dashing, and arrogant
Gausbertus the Black and his squire, the equally young and dashing maiden
Vincenta Kanapkiene. Arminas and Vincenta's eyes met briefly, remembering olden times. Arminas had saved Vincenta from bandits once during his adventures in his youth, and the two had a very active (but often open) relationship. Yet, Vincenta was far more free spirited and a lover of more violent tastes, tastes which did not interest Arminas as he grew up. He, and she, remembered when Arminas did one last ride, bringing her to the hall of the Black Knights to help her escape and disastrous arranged marriage to a farm oaf, and the two had since parted ways. Now, she was a proud member in the Black Kights, and the second apprentice to it's infamous leader.
Gausbertus was a different sort entirely, and neither he nor Arminas liked one another. Gausbertus was a Karoe, a Legedari in his youth and a fervent monster slayer. He claimed he slew a hundred wendigos with a swing of an axe, but often described them so wrong it was laughable. Gausbertus was a very skilled swashbuckler, but a poor soldier, the perfect leader for the Black Knights who lived freely in their den of debauchery. Gausbertus didn't bother to bow to Arminas, and grew annoyed when Vincenta did make a slow and humble bow to him. Arminas smiled, and drew straight to the point, standing and greeting the two personally.
Gausbertus demanded that Arminas got the point of why he was summoned to court, but he already knew the answer. Arminas needed mercenaries, in which Gausbertus was only willing to offer 500 of his 3,000 troop for a extra 'annoyance' sum. Gausbertus however taken aback when Arminas wished to buy all of his services, with a 'desperation' payment to be made upon competition. Arminas offered the lands around the Black Knight's land, meaning they would gain the formal ownership of it's farmsteads and peasantry, which amused Gausbertus to no end as he shocked Arminas's courtiers and advisers with his lecherous remarks on what he would do the locals. He however did not accept fully, for the lands he would only give 1,500. Arminas and Gausbertus insulted each other back in forth until Gausbertus came to a more final offer. Gold, land, slaves, and 'a woman of noble birth'. Gausbertus wanted 1 in ever 10 Beastfolk captured in this war as a slave, remarking that he always wanted to 'train a Bolam to dance', but his demand for a young maiden as a concubine nearly had him thrown from the court. Yet, what was even more shocking that Arminas agreed to the offer, putting up an potential heir as part of the agreement. Gausbertus tried to bargain, claiming that Arminas was probably sterile anyway, and his once half hearted cruel jest soon turned to a serious discussion. Ultimately, Gausbertus agreed to the full offer and shook on it.
Gausbertus stayed that night in the castle, given finery and entertainment, including the presence of
Pranas Milius who got drunk with the Black Knight leader and went on a painting spree with him. Meanwhile however, Arminas and Vincenta happily enjoyed each other's company and discussed current events. Arminas had been without a wife and his father never bothered for a betrothal since Arminas had no trouble finding young noble women to date or have a relationship with. Vincenta and Arminas drank together, and even remarked to have a little song, with Arminas eventually changing his tune, demanding that Vincenta not go into battle with him. Vincenta argued with Arminas, who eventually relented, remarking that their relationship had long since passed. The next morning, Vincenta and Gausbertus left to gather the Black Knights for battle, with Arminas watching half naked from the balcony of his room as they left, his face sour and for once in a long time, regretful and serious.
The next few days, guards outside the city were shocked when 3,000 black clad knights entered the city gates with black banners and yelping wildly as they entered. Men and women, young and old, the Black Knights arrived and pledged themselves to Arminas's service, and each was granted stay in the city. They partied for days until the local city council had enough, demanding Arminas either left with his new army, or they would personally throw them out. Arminas chose the former, gathering 13,000 men to him and marched out of Fiskvach and towards the approaching Beastfolk army from the Beast Isles. As they left, the army sang a rather morbid song.
'In place ye high and dale
there be pikes from yonder pale
heads of Otum
traitor all
their faces seared
and skulls be bald
invaders be, soon to fall
Bolch be burned
Borrow buried
Beasts and all
deserve the noose!'________________________________
Mislav's army had been raiding the southern parts of Loskadia, cornering and besieging castles and smaller villas, and forcing their surrender. By the time Mislav was approaching Fiskvach, he nearly had just an equal army of prisoners. He bargained with their families, but instead of getting their gold, he demanded food and supplies, as well as to denounce Dujal Arminas before him. After having done this, the Beastfolk army was well supplied and healthy, but it's movement was slow and difficult to maintain. Bolam regularly ventured out, usually never to return, to raid the human settlements for beer and supplies and then make off with their ill gotten goods back to their clans. A southern Generaling had also taken on the nasty habit of slaughtering and beheading Otum prisoners, putting them on pikes on the main road, knowing that Mislav would stop the army to give proper funeral rights to his slain people. Eventually Mislav got the better of this murderer, and his head stuck on the spear of his banner.
Mislav was swiftly informed on his way to Fiskvach that a huge army was approaching his own. It was Arminas's army, and much to Mislav's surprise, as his army was camping on the road, he stared out to only behold a army which was far smaller then his own. His scouts believed the army to be 10,000 or 16,000 in size. Mislav was cautious, for he saw black banners from the distance to his own camp, and sent out skirmishers and scouts to prod the enemy army for weaknesses. Arminas and his army was building a pallisade on the road, building reasonable defenses to prevent the Beastfolk army from a open field battle, but in doing so, his army was also stretched thin. During the night of the 2nd day, Mislav ordered a attack on one of the pallisades and had no success, and it annoyed the Beastfolk to no end. However, the supply lines had been secured at least, which gave both armies plenty of time to plan their attacks.
On the 4th day, the Beastfolk awoke to horns blows, with the main human army advancing out of their main camp. In the front were the Black Knight mercenaries on horseback, and Mislav ordered a counter quickly. He had a vanguard of Bolam clansmen in the front to midicate the main attack, and Otum and Kobtum archers and spearmen in his flanks. Beastfolk armies lacked efficient cavalry divisions, and the one division he did have was in his reserve, being made up of human knights from the Beast Isles. Battle begun with a charge of the heavily clad Black Knights, followed by two divisons of infantry charging behind them. Mislav and his commanders were at first confused, but soon were dropping their jaws when the Black Knights drove past the main line of Bolam clansmen with incredible ease. The Bolam Vanguard was felled quickly, and their strikes mattered little, and soon the line fells apart as the other Beastfolk lines advanced.
The Bolam stood, but not for long, as the cavalry broke through and into the Beastfolk reserves behind them, which was another group of younger Bolam who stood no chance. Luckily, several armored clansmen and older veterans of the clans were there to drive away the cavalry, but the huge host of human infantry broke into the main lines of the and began a slaughter of the Beastfolk Otum and Kobtum who could not keep up with the human infantry. Despite being far worse in discipline and training, the human infantry could easily crush the Otum, who could only keep up by resorting to ranged weapons or by hiding behind a group of human Beast Isles infantry. As lines were mowed down by cavalry and infantry, the army began to route. Mislav, trying to rally his people, had only one last trick up his sleeve before the battle could end.
Hiding in the forests was a reserve group of Bolam mercenaries of his own, mostly Loskadian Bolam clans who had swore themselves to Mislav. They were hidden in the forests, and were now suddenly enforcing the left flank of the army. While the right flank collapsed entirely, the left flank of the army held and forced the battle ti quite literally turn. Again the Black Knights charged, but their charges were now far less successful and claimed fewer lives, as the Bolam often retreated into back rows while Otum pikemen came to the front. The Beastfolk changed tactics quickly under the direction of Mislav and the New Stekkad Valk who rallied his knights and chased down the back rows of the Loskadian archers, his fresh cavalry crushing the flank of the Loskadians. Arminas was in the thick of battle, nearly losing his own life until a Black Knight had saw him fighting a desperate battle with a Bolam and saved his life just barely, rushing to his aid and forcing him onto his own horse and slapping it to drive it away. Arminas's last sight of the brave soul was the enraged Bolam ripping his arm from his socket.
The Battle of Fiskvach was over, and 9,000 souls laid dead on the field of battle, most of them Beastfolk. Most of the Loskadian army fled back to Viskvach, gathered their things, and forcefully marched to the sister city of Neulbach on the otherside of the mountains. They were half way to the city when Arminas got word that the Beastfolk had laid siege to his home. He rode in silence the entire way, utterly humiliated and all his desperate attempts to build his army had been for nothing. Mislav's army was now outside the gates of his capital, and would soon be defiling it with their greedy paws. Yet, the Beastfolk camp was not exactly happy either. Mislav's general were furious with him, despite their numerical advantage, they had lost a great deal to a open pitched battle, and blamed Mislav for the disaster. Mislav marched to Fiskvach, watching over very injured Beastfolk who lost far too much for this campaign of his. His army was outside the city, and was building siege towers in short order. Mislav retreated to his tent, sending a letter back home to his wife and children, complaining of the weather, a sign his wife knew was a sign of his depression.
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In less then a couple weeks, Mislav was being approached by the city's council and agreed to open the city gates for the Beastfolk in return for their safety. Mislav however had no intention of deals, putting the councillors in chains and demanding the gates be opened to his army under threat that the councillors would be killed. The gates opened shortly there after and the Beastfolk army entered the city. Mislav's more elite forces led a siege to the inner keep, but their time getting into it was just as easy, bribing the local guard and some Black Knights trapped there with mercy with the Otum provided freely for entry. These guardsmen and Black Knights were escorted outside the city, as Mislav moved in, his generals and vassals beside him as he entered Arminas's court with triumph. Mislav ordered parts of Arminas's extended family in the castle be taken prisoner, but disaster came when Arminas's mother died while being collected. The elderly woman had a heart attack when a Bolam tried to force its way into the room and she died shortly there after. Mislav was presented with the corpse, cursed to himself, and had the family released instead to honor funerary customs. Arminas's family escaped to the court in Neulbach to bury Arminas's mother there, but also spread rumors that Mislav had poisoned her as well.
Mislav ordered his army to lock down Fiskvach and put it's noble families under arrest, but led to a group of Bolam to the city's treasury which was stored in a small arts academy. Amongst the treasures there, several famed paintings and statues could be seen amongst chests of gold and precious things. Mislav ordered this treasury pilfered, along with much of the academy's students and teachers, to be taken back to Otek instead. Mislav then ordered the building burned, and demanded the head of the painter Pranas Milius. The only member of the court who had been taken captive was an annoying philosopher named
Giedrius Jurkynas who spewed atheistic ideas which offended Mislav deeply. Mislav had the man placed under house arrest, even though he grew to be popular amongst some his generals who found his idealism 'quirky'.
As Mislav was staying in Fiskvach, he had been planning to chase Arminas until her surrendered, but took a great deal of personal pleasure to humiliate him. Yet, what happened next was never his intention. During the end of the week of the occupation, Mislav's Bolam allies raided tavern after tavern, and eventually began to raid the noble distilleries in the city itself. Souden workers and peasants were fighting over beer at first, but soon racial tensions spurned into a race riot. Bolam guards seized the oppurtunity to avenge years of oppression, and led a purge of some of Fiskvach's districts, dragging peoples from their homes and killing them on the spot. Mislav was informed, but he had been personally terrified to confront his allies and sought out a different way to handle it and sent word to the Order of the Hunt who had a barracks near by.
A messenger was sent out, and 80 cavalrymen rode in, led by the brown clad
Renatas Liachtas who entered the city and challenged the Bolam pillagers. Renatas quickly restored order when his men uses crossbows to kill several of the looters and rallied some Bolam chieftains to remove these genocidal vandals. Renatas had been informed that monsters were killing peoples inside Fiskvach, and soon found he was duped into cleaning up Mislav's mess. The Huntsmen angrily confronted the Otum, who were already beyond furious that Beastfolk were pillaging the city. Renatas and Mislav met into a more private conversation, with the Otum wishing to just return to his capital in peace and not wishing further harm, and Renatas eventually agreeing to help the Otum achieve peace so he could continue his work in peace. Mislav allowed the Huntsmen to claim control of the city in his absence during the war, knowing he was subjecting the populace to perhaps a far worse fate, considering the ever dwindling reputation of the Huntsmen. Already, many of the philosphers and educated men that Arminas invited to live in Fiskvach were fleeing, perhaps in part due to Mislav's warnings.
The personal feud had a huge diplomatic impact in Jollas who were shocked that the Beast Isles would not only have the audacity, but also the strength, to challenge any of the Dujals. It had been assumed that out of all the vassals, the Beast Isles was perhaps the weakest, but two victories and taking Fiskvach had caused rumors to spread in the court of the King. Annoyed more then concerned, King
Tymon II sent two messengers demanding Mislav and Armenias to show up in Kolum to answer for the personal feuding, and by order, that both armies were to hold a truce under pain of treason. Both Dujals answered the call, especially when both got word that Tymon II's generalings were already forging a army near Kolum to deal with both Dujals, with possible support coming from Karlemgrad. Mislav was especially concerned that this may be a trap, sending word to his generalings to return to the southern tip of the border and to leave a garrison in the mountains to prevent Arminas from simply restoring himself swiftly into his capital.
