Struggle for the South

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(Note: Ongoing event, hence sketchiness of the narrative, please accept my apologies)

The Struggle for the South (1649–1651) was a series of inter-related disputes and conflicts following the Elwynnese confiscation of Mishalan and the collapse, demotion and or dissolution of the Lich Realms of Lichbrook and Minarboria, ending the dominion of the dead over the lands of southern Benacia. The disputes saw an increase in anti-Elwynnese sentiment and the first semblance of opposition to the Ayreon-Kalirion dynastic succession to the Mango Throne.

The Struggle ended with the restoration of Mishalan, the establishment of the Domain of Malarboria and finally the Auspicious Occasion of the promulgation of Imperial Decree 969. This decree marked the beginning of a systemic purge of Vanic influences in Shirekeep and Elwynn, with the locus of the conflict reverting back to northern Benacia.

Background

The collapse of Lichdom

Mishalan after the Treaty of the Two-Bears

Elwynnese narrative, to be developed:

  • After an initial phase of euphoria and complacence reality strikes that there no such thing as a socialist paradise:
    • A bloated military and oversized bureaucracy resented by an increasingly embittered population burdened by requisitions and recurring shortages in essential commodities.
    • the communist government getting increasingly authoritarian and oppressive, knowing that is days are numbered
    • plummeting industrial output (note: Red Bear LLC was a major success story and economic powerhouse, but could have distorted the agrarian economy)
    • corruption and incompetence with the bureaucracy (note: the usual perennial problems of a centrally planned economy)
    • crop failures
    • mass protests (note: link to Elwynnese agitators inserted under the guise of missionaries permitted under the treaty)
    • food riots
  • irredentist Amokolians royalists sending agents provocateurs to undercut the communist government
  • The Imperial Government over time growing increasingly dissatisfied with the communist government because of:
    • with the poor way the commies handle the economy,loosing the Imperial Treasury lots of tax revenue in the process;
    • Mishalan's continued antagonism and belligerence towards the Imperial Government and Elwynn;
  • communist government freeloader attitude towards Shireroth, only wanting the benefits of being an Imperial Dominion, but not the burdens
  • death threat against Prætor;
  • threatening hostilities against Queen Noor's coalition and refusing to take military action against the usurper. (Note: reference to the Year of the Four Kaisers)

The death of Noor

Fall of Lichbrook

Loss of Statehood

  • Cessation of government as defined by Imp. Charter
  • Nostalgia's revolt/exile
  • Reconstituted as Imperial Dominion

Partition

  • Recreation of Duchy of Brookshire as Imperial Dominion

Into the Lichlands

Operation Erebus

In Eliria and Shirekeep there had, for a long time, been an ongoing and discrete discussion as to the course of action to take in the event of the failure of the main poles of opposition to the Dynastic rule over the Benacian continent suddenly failing.

The suppression of Communist Mishalan

  • Detention of senior officials and party functionaries
    • During the great roundup General Secretary Kirov is arrested by the UDF dressed in filthy rags and shaking with fear in a pig sty in rural Mishalan
  • "Epistle of Warranty": Relations between III Corps of the Frontier Army and Elwynnese occupation forces
  • Pursuit of Mishalanski Refugees

Invasion of Lichbrook, Tellia & Minarboria

    • 04 Qinamu 1649 - citing Charter (Article V, Section D), Lichbrook deprived of statehood. Altea Lomax appointed Imperial Governor.
    • 23 Qinamu 1649 - The Countess of Amarr, a Lich rejoicing in the improbable title of Lady Nostalgia the Eager, is deprived of her titles and offices for an act of lèse majesté. Imperial Forces instructed to enforce the surrender of Lichbrook.
    • 34 Qinamu 1649 - the Kingdom of Lichbrook breaks off communications with Imperial Government and mobilised it's military.
    • 35 Qinamu 1649 - the government of Lichbrook orders the arrest of all Imperial Government officials in the service of Base 3-C in Amarr. The Dirigent of Musica arrived in Lichkeep.
    • 04 Silnuai 1650 - The Lich Countess orders that her forces "exterminate (sic) one of those arrested each year and throw their heads in the river".
    • 20 Silnuai 1650 - An ill-conceived Lichbrookian plot to place a bomb in the luggage of the mediating Natopian Regent, Christo Eucalyptos, on his visit to Raynor's Keep is foiled by Jeremy Archer and the Shirekeep City Guard.
    • 19 Gevrader 1650 - invasion of Minarborian Tellia and Karalakh.
    • 24 Filadinu 1650 - Lichkeep is surrendered to Shirekeep and transferred to the Imperial County. The crumbling Lich Countess subsequently fled to Treisenberg.


The occupation of Lichbrook comprised of a three pronged attack along separate lines of advance converging upon Maltenstein:

  1. From the Shirekeep Garrison, via Lichkeep and Woodshire Village:
  2. From the Goldshire & Novaya Sorensk Garrisons via Musica & Gatonia, Alexandretta, Isenbury and Fortis:
  3. From the Goldshire Garrison and MoMA Station Sagittarius, via Fatehpur Sikri, Base 3-C, Elder Beacon, Jakovita and Dolorous:

As may be seen, by virtue of the prior distribution of forces, the heaviest blow was dealt by the second attacking force coming ashore at Musica and Gatonia whilst the swiftest was that launched across the river from Shirekeep itself. The purpose of the third force coming ashore at Fatehpur Sikri was to serve as a menacing distraction, preventing the western counties from sending reinforcements to the threatened cities further east and north. At the same time, by striking in land to secure Base 3-C, the attackers would be in a position to liberate the political prisoners incarcerated there by Countess Nostalgia. Additional benefits to occupying Amarr included securing the strategic oil fields and making manifest the formal deposition of the rebellious Countess.

This represented a force of 264,000 legionnaires & 282,000 auxiliaries against whom the recalcitrant and moribund Kingdom of Lichbrook could only field a few formed professional units; the Royal Lich Dragoon Guards, the 1st (Overdolor) Regiment of Lichniks and the 2nd (Lachmodan) Regiment of Lichniks. Yet even these elite formations had fallen into disorder with the crumbling of the Liches and the emigration of the Deep-Singers.

The most professional 'human' fighting force available to Countess Nostalgia was the Musican Defence Force, but even that was only a marine brigade on land. At sea however, the Musicans were in their element and could put to sea two battleships, a carrier, three cruisers, two destroyers, six attack submarines, nine corvettes and five minesweepers. Their fleet air arm was also small but proficient, consisting of twenty fighter-jets, ten bombers, eighteen attack-helicopters and twelve multi-purpose helicopters.

Against this compact but competent force, the attacking Imperial Forces committed the entire Aurangzeb Battlegroup, comprising of two battleships, an aircraft carrier, six destroyers, two nuclear submarines and four diesel submarines, which accorded the attackers parity at best. Yet it was in the air that the Imperial Forces enjoyed their greatest advantage with thirty-five multirole fighters, twelve maritime strike aircraft and eighteen multi-purpose helicopters, as well as twenty Snaggletooth gravimetric attack-scouts. In addition, the Aurangzeb's air division was supported by the Imperial Protection Squadron and Protocol Support Group which consisted together of a Gravrig-Cruiser, five gravships and eight amphibious maritime patrol aircraft.

Operation Credulity's Edge

  • Kalgachi Defence Force occupation of Sansabury for purposes of securing international recognition as successor to moribund Minarborian Empire.
  • Establishing "line of contact" with Shirerithian Imperial Forces

Protests in Shirekeep

  • Appeals for leniency towards Mishalan regime, preservation of autonomy, cultural identity
  • Concerns notable amongst non-Elwynnese citizenry at perceived Elwynnese "high-handedness"
  • Regent holds firm on irrevocable transfer of Mishalan to Elwynnese control

Foreign reactions

  • Kalgachi concern over "Froyalanic homogenesis" leads to offer of asylum for Mishalanski refugees
  • Hostility and scepticism in international institutions (MCS:"quit yo monopolising") over relentless Shirerithian territorial expansion

"The appetite grows with the eating"

Concerned that the sudden emergence of an undefended and ungoverned coastline along the southern shores of central Benacia, the Imperial Advisory Council, now effectively acting as a regency council for the infant Kaiser Ayreon IV was resolved to take precautionary measures lest any additional Jingdaoese or USSO garrisons be infiltrated onto the continent.

Between the Steward, Kyle Kilynn, and the veteran Minister of the Exterior, Hallbjörn Haraldsson, it was agreed to swiftly expand upon the territories seized thus far and to link up Lichbrook in the east with Amokolia in the west, and to create an Inner-Benacian Quarantine Zone to confine the worst of the genetically engineered horrors wrought by the Deep-Singers to the interior of the continent where, with any decent luck, they would focus their energies on devouring each other and tormenting the mountain redoubts of the obstinate Kalgachi.

The misadventures of Kizzy Drakland

  • Where does one even begin?
  • Self-styled Daemon-Queen
  • Bearer of the Sword of Fire
  • Purges Lichbrook of remaining Liches with, appropriately enough, fire and the sword
  • Leads surviving mortal population towards a new future under a Daemonically influenced regime
  • Relations with Cedrists uncertain

Landings along the littoral

  • Lachmeren
  • Lywall
  • Siyachia

Evacuation of Siyachia & Lywall

All change: the realignment of forces in Mishalan

A representative of the Imperial Forces Mishalan Garrison greets the security advisor of the Provisional Government (cap) and the Mishalanski commander of the Konkordskaya Bratva partisans (helmet).