Lamashan 4714
Imperator Pax
Talon Master
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Lamashan 4714
Thousands of feet marched to the beat the drums keeping the men on foot inline... and while that organization dated to or predated even the medieval period the march base was based on the armies of the civil war. So to were the equipment and packs that the men carried, the ones not outfitted with early style bergen style rucksacks, using bent branches for the frame, even if those were far more limited. They were allocated to specialty troops, and he didn't expect that to change, even if next year, or the year following he might see the royal army's professional troops outfitted with entrenching tools for the times when there were no druids or other magic users to facilitate preparing breastworks.
That would not be this campaign.
They had departed from Olegton in the knowledge that other troops would be moving to join them. The brevic hinterlands in the south rostlandic plain were already beginning to see peasants pushed south fleeing the fighting, or really theplundering ongoing. Troops would move up to garrison Olegton and reinforce the defenses, and those would be the first real truly serious defensive works around the northernmost town of the kingdom.
Something... loathe as Eire was to admit it not readily factored into his planning for the realm. Olegton had been an early project that had fallen to the wayside of his planning, and his aims to build the kingdom. Not that Oleg minded, and as lord mayor was effective it was just the town had been subject to benign neglect being allowed to largely take shape and grow more along rostlandic and brevic lines ... and it was true Tatzlford was also more brevic in character, more akin to Varnhold in that respect or he supposed less so but still similar to the drelev domain on the lake than they were to his imperial cities.
The sheer difference though had surprised him when he'd arrived... and not just for the the reasons of religious institutions that were more prevalent in the southern portions of his dominion. That was something that would have to be addressed , especially if the crisis continued. He was hoping to force a swift resolution, but that assumed, was contingent on the enemy doing what they wanted... and that wasn't , was never a given.
The Rostlandic plain offered no real barriers to an invading army, or even just an army on the march even during the rainy season it was rarely prone to storms that might turn the land awash with mud, and winters except in the north rarely camecold enough to seriously imperil a prepared traveler. That wasn't to say Brevoy didn't have its share of bandits, and outlaws, but those were hardly a concern in the present situation.
"What do you believe is Armag's ambition out here?"
The uplands, the slight rising of theplains made no apparent better option for a base than that of the hinterlands. Brevoy's southern extent was lightly settled, and the lowlands that abutted it were largely empty grasslands. The uplands were a series of rugged hills and dense undergrowth, not all together dissimilar to the Narlmarches. "Ordinarily this would be a defensive hedgerow, but that does not seem to be the case." He paused, "Amvarean, how close are we to the Tiger Lords?"
"They're near enough, their ancestral lands are not too far from us," Which was relative, yes it was true they could march that way but close for dragons was always a question of wing flight. "All of this is land that the Kellids would say with truth that their ancestors walked in Armag's time."
He nodded, acknowledging the statement... and of course that it brought them potentially back to another argument over Stolen Lands, this or that who and by whom. Gorrum's champion had predated the founding of the city of Absalom. "And what is here that draws them?"
"I would suspect the tomb of that Armag," The silver dragoness replied, "And if history records truth then where Orvinbaane his great sword lays resting."Golarion had no shortage of magic swords, and it was no surprise the weapon of choice for the tiger lords, or most Kellids or iobarian warriors of note... and of course that was true of more southern nations. Ancient Azlant, its descendants in Cheliax and Taldan, Sarenrae faithful amongst the padishah empire, and people further still.
The sword was the weapon of heroes after all.
"We will need to cross the East Sellen River if we keep this course," He replied sparing an eye to the army on the march. Not that crossing the river would be a problem, it was just going to be ironic if they made the march alongthe Taldan road only to then swing south to the western border of where Drelev's influence had come up against where the Tiger Lords extended. It didn't matter, if that was what needed to be done, then so be it.
They road on for several more hours. The outriders turned and signaled they had spotted flags, and it was as the sky descended in the western horizon that the first banners stood on the horizons. The familiar masses of tents encamped of Kellids and Iobarian folk spread out. Shaoyu was static at the sight that splayed out before them. It was, she was right, what they had been looking for.
They were close to the Brevic border, but still yet beyond what was formally under Brevoy's crown at least so far as the Rogavarian dynasty that had disappeared more than a decade earlier had laid claim and to and actually administered... but it was close enough and near enough to the old Taldan road that the gathering of barbarians would have had an easy enough time to ride across the border... and likely in years previous for brevic nobles to ride down and disperse gathering, but much smaller, barbarian hordes before they could become much trouble.
... they were too late for that. If this was what it appeared, to be one of the outer tribes of Armags confederation, then no simple collection of barons and their heavy horse supported by peasant levies would have the weight to push them aside and drive them from their camps. On the other hand, as Amvarean was quick to make note of, "They do not appear hostile," And with reason, if Armag was still hosting visiting warriors.
"Then they may permit our passage," Though also likely would the army loose what if any element of surprise that they already had. A part of him regretted not bringing Akiros with them that might have benefitted them here to speak with the tribe here... or not it might it might have meant nothing but it might not have hurt their chances. "Or they may challenge it," He acknowledged, but this camp if he didn't misjudge seemed to be recent... and that was part of why he suspected it was one of the outer members of the barbarian gathering around Armag.
A confrontation or safe passage was possible for any number of reasons.
Thousands of feet marched to the beat the drums keeping the men on foot inline... and while that organization dated to or predated even the medieval period the march base was based on the armies of the civil war. So to were the equipment and packs that the men carried, the ones not outfitted with early style bergen style rucksacks, using bent branches for the frame, even if those were far more limited. They were allocated to specialty troops, and he didn't expect that to change, even if next year, or the year following he might see the royal army's professional troops outfitted with entrenching tools for the times when there were no druids or other magic users to facilitate preparing breastworks.
That would not be this campaign.
They had departed from Olegton in the knowledge that other troops would be moving to join them. The brevic hinterlands in the south rostlandic plain were already beginning to see peasants pushed south fleeing the fighting, or really theplundering ongoing. Troops would move up to garrison Olegton and reinforce the defenses, and those would be the first real truly serious defensive works around the northernmost town of the kingdom.
Something... loathe as Eire was to admit it not readily factored into his planning for the realm. Olegton had been an early project that had fallen to the wayside of his planning, and his aims to build the kingdom. Not that Oleg minded, and as lord mayor was effective it was just the town had been subject to benign neglect being allowed to largely take shape and grow more along rostlandic and brevic lines ... and it was true Tatzlford was also more brevic in character, more akin to Varnhold in that respect or he supposed less so but still similar to the drelev domain on the lake than they were to his imperial cities.
The sheer difference though had surprised him when he'd arrived... and not just for the the reasons of religious institutions that were more prevalent in the southern portions of his dominion. That was something that would have to be addressed , especially if the crisis continued. He was hoping to force a swift resolution, but that assumed, was contingent on the enemy doing what they wanted... and that wasn't , was never a given.
The Rostlandic plain offered no real barriers to an invading army, or even just an army on the march even during the rainy season it was rarely prone to storms that might turn the land awash with mud, and winters except in the north rarely camecold enough to seriously imperil a prepared traveler. That wasn't to say Brevoy didn't have its share of bandits, and outlaws, but those were hardly a concern in the present situation.
"What do you believe is Armag's ambition out here?"
The uplands, the slight rising of theplains made no apparent better option for a base than that of the hinterlands. Brevoy's southern extent was lightly settled, and the lowlands that abutted it were largely empty grasslands. The uplands were a series of rugged hills and dense undergrowth, not all together dissimilar to the Narlmarches. "Ordinarily this would be a defensive hedgerow, but that does not seem to be the case." He paused, "Amvarean, how close are we to the Tiger Lords?"
"They're near enough, their ancestral lands are not too far from us," Which was relative, yes it was true they could march that way but close for dragons was always a question of wing flight. "All of this is land that the Kellids would say with truth that their ancestors walked in Armag's time."
He nodded, acknowledging the statement... and of course that it brought them potentially back to another argument over Stolen Lands, this or that who and by whom. Gorrum's champion had predated the founding of the city of Absalom. "And what is here that draws them?"
"I would suspect the tomb of that Armag," The silver dragoness replied, "And if history records truth then where Orvinbaane his great sword lays resting."Golarion had no shortage of magic swords, and it was no surprise the weapon of choice for the tiger lords, or most Kellids or iobarian warriors of note... and of course that was true of more southern nations. Ancient Azlant, its descendants in Cheliax and Taldan, Sarenrae faithful amongst the padishah empire, and people further still.
The sword was the weapon of heroes after all.
"We will need to cross the East Sellen River if we keep this course," He replied sparing an eye to the army on the march. Not that crossing the river would be a problem, it was just going to be ironic if they made the march alongthe Taldan road only to then swing south to the western border of where Drelev's influence had come up against where the Tiger Lords extended. It didn't matter, if that was what needed to be done, then so be it.
They road on for several more hours. The outriders turned and signaled they had spotted flags, and it was as the sky descended in the western horizon that the first banners stood on the horizons. The familiar masses of tents encamped of Kellids and Iobarian folk spread out. Shaoyu was static at the sight that splayed out before them. It was, she was right, what they had been looking for.
They were close to the Brevic border, but still yet beyond what was formally under Brevoy's crown at least so far as the Rogavarian dynasty that had disappeared more than a decade earlier had laid claim and to and actually administered... but it was close enough and near enough to the old Taldan road that the gathering of barbarians would have had an easy enough time to ride across the border... and likely in years previous for brevic nobles to ride down and disperse gathering, but much smaller, barbarian hordes before they could become much trouble.
... they were too late for that. If this was what it appeared, to be one of the outer tribes of Armags confederation, then no simple collection of barons and their heavy horse supported by peasant levies would have the weight to push them aside and drive them from their camps. On the other hand, as Amvarean was quick to make note of, "They do not appear hostile," And with reason, if Armag was still hosting visiting warriors.
"Then they may permit our passage," Though also likely would the army loose what if any element of surprise that they already had. A part of him regretted not bringing Akiros with them that might have benefitted them here to speak with the tribe here... or not it might it might have meant nothing but it might not have hurt their chances. "Or they may challenge it," He acknowledged, but this camp if he didn't misjudge seemed to be recent... and that was part of why he suspected it was one of the outer members of the barbarian gathering around Armag.
A confrontation or safe passage was possible for any number of reasons.