Caligan Courier/September'10SpecialEdition
| Printed in Domus | September 2010 Special Edition - The War in the North
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Editor: Caligan Courier
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The war up north has been going on for a ridiculously short while. Caligus although part of it from the beginning knows little of all the events which happened in the north. Therefore the Caligean Courier did its best to reach out to all nobles in the main three realms involved to see what each had to say and their deffering reasons!
We expect all three realms to completely disagree agree in every single questions and we expect major no difference between them.
Sirion Speaks
Now we will start with Sirions answers to the survey because they were the first to reply we bow down to them in every way. They are also the giant in this war.
Romul Gamel
Greetings Romul Galmel, Baron of Sermbar, Marshal of the Red Dragons, thank you for being here and replying to our survey. Before we start if you would please decrease you explicably long name I would save both my voice and my ink.
So Romul I'd like to ask you the following questions regarding the war.
From your perspective and that of Sirion why did the war up north start?
Well, I was here when the war started,and can tell you what we saw. Old Rancagua, Fontan and Sirion formed in those days a federation that occupied half the continent. For those readers too young to remember, that means every land now controlled by Westmoor, Sultanate of Asena, Fontan and Sirion, and the now rogue ones thanks to this conflict. That federation was, without doubt, the strongest power of its time.
At a given point, relations started to quiver between Fontan and Old Rancagua. Letting aside the coyuntural matter that later led to a war declaration, I would bestow the structural cause to an extended peace period, paliated by the Avamar Selective/Kalmar Islands(current Obsidian Islands) short conflict, caused by the outcome of the war won before it with the fall of Oligarch and the power this federation held.
You can share the reading or not, but fact is, one day King Dekion of Old Rancagua started in some heated discussions with Fontan's Chancellor over Poitiers, and then over an insult casted in the previous discussion and so on until war was declared. Prime Minister Handow sided Sirion with Old Rancagua, for reasons I cannot determine given I was at the moment a humble knight and because of Handow's characteristics as Ruler.
Sirion was never too convinced of the conflcit, but was sure not to want Old Rancagua wiped off the face of the continent. Time went on and, thanks to the extended peace period that preceded it, and some might say inefficient leadership (that in the end is only a consequence of the former), Sirion and specially Old Rancagua's military were too slow and numb to face Fontan's military engine of the moment, helped faintly by the new Obsidian Islands. That is how Old Rancagua got destroyed.
From there, the war has mantained on it's own synetical energy. Everyone has a grudge against it's enemy because of something that happened the last campaign, like a victory being over-celebrated or an insult casted in the field of battle between two new nobles or something of the sort, raising in importance with time and among the eldest of us. In fact, never an actual reason has been casted to perpetuate this conflict, but when peace propositions have been thrown atop the table, and I was one who tried at a given moment, both sides wanted to keep on fighting, with small gaps of doubt when the coyuntural losing side was asked, situation that cycled between the two for a while.
It is very important here to note that this war has not been a conflict between two realms.Old Rancagua was destroyed in this conflict, and Sultanate of Asena was created from it's ruins. Perdan took Sirion's side for a moment,along with Obsidian Islands(who changed sides at that moment for the first time) and Caligus. A lot of land was chewed from Fontan and Westmoor was created by Perdan, unilaterally of course. Then,at a given moment Perdan decided the war did not suit them, so brought Obsidian Islands and Westmoor on Fontan's and SoA's side, hoping that way to gain more land for its new ally Westmoor (the agreement was that Perdan helped Fontan gain land from Sirion,and in turn Fontan gave land from their border with Westmoor)
The war being waged?
The war being waged has been probably one of the best conflicts military speaking ever fought. Sirion withstood the attacks of several realms at a time, I think at a moment we fought against five realms at a time on two or three fronts,losing no ground. In fact, Sirion's map has been almost untouched since OR's demise, until recent times when our expansion begun.
Great military minds have been on both sides of the conflict, and great fails as well. Victories won by the last peasant in the last line of battle with a slingshot and crushing sieges with five consecutive battles.Every possible battle has been fought over the years in this conflict,and great military leaders have emerged from that experience.I have had the honour to meet many of them.
Would you call it civil, honorable, brutal or perhaps even with religions getting involved?
Civil, well,that I could only say of Fontan, and not everyone on it. Fontan has done its best to behave institutionally with honour, but many nobles have acted against this value and faced no repercution. Sultanate of Asena on the other hand has been as vile as possible, executing infltrators and priest over and over again, my son was one of them. Westmoor changes sides in this conflict as it suits them, last I heard they were asking peace now that Perdan has fallen, hoping not to get any harm done now they risk being in the line of fire. Same goes with Obsidian Islands. Perdan acted the most coherent, that is, egocentrical as always, caring for nothing but their nobles and rampaging the rest.
Sirion has suffered several slaughters, priest killed, temples looted and nobles executed. In turn, we have practically never repaid in kind, even when there might be one or two exceptions over these number of years. These has been of great discussion over the time,and not everyone agrees with this institutional position, but so far it has held firm.
What were the objective at the start of the war, and what are objectives now?
The initial objective was to save Old Rancagua from a very hard position,and we failed. Objectives now are many, but I think one of the most important ones is to reinstate Old Rancagua. that is one everyone agrees upon. From there, there are many views, and I fear it would be counterproductive for me to further comment.
From what it seems, Sirion seem to be making some progress. How did this happen and do you think it can change?
Hard work. Sirion has fought in many fronts for a long long time, diplomatically as well.Once upon a time,we stood alone against five realms of the continent, today I can produdly say we have found an ally in Caligus. Doubt not this has been a continental struggle, and that the southern war was as important in this conflict as the northern one. Before Perdan's demise,we were trapped in an endless back and forth battle against superior numbers. When the war struck down south,things started to change.
Even so, I would not put my whole chips on that event. We have had brilliant military minds creating strategies and a constantly improving military engine that has gained a lot from experience and hard work. The geopolitical scenario might have given a small window of opportunity, but Sirion made the most of it with good strategies and clockwork military functioning. I will not give further tips to foreign Generals,as it would also be counterproductive,but anyone who has faced our troops in the field can testify to my words.
Something that hasnt happened in a long time is peace. Is there any hopes for a peace accord in the near future? Would it be on surrender terms or mutual peace?
That is a still foggy question. Many want to advance until surrender terms are put on the table, and others fear what the future might have waiting. Then again, the global scenario has changed a lot, and some of the oldes of us are still not sure of what will happen. For one, I have yet to acommodate the thought of Perdan losing its major player standing, and now we have to think of Caligus and Ibladesh as greater powers than they formerly were. This is a time of transition, and everyone knows that the outcome of this conflict will determine what will happen in the near future, so no one is bold enough to venture an answer.
Do you have any hopes for the future?
I hope individual assets behave in what will be a global happening to come soon.
Vessol Mithridates
Welcome Vessol Mithridates its good to how found you and see you can make some time for an interview. As a rather new noble of Sirion it will be interesting how your view differ from Romul Gamel,..Marsh...err forget it. Anyways lets get started
From your perspective and that of Sirion why did the war up north start? The war being waged? Would you call it civil, honorable, brutal or perhaps even with religions getting involved?
Well I am a relatively young noble, but from my studying of history I can tell a lot of it has to do with the war that Fontan started with Old Rancagua many years ago. This eventually led to the destruction of OR and the creation of the Sultanite of Asena. With it's only ally destroyed Sirion was and continuously has been forced to fight completely on its own up north, defending from multiple realms at a time. My first battle was infact against the combined forces of Fontan, SoA, Westmoor, OI, and Perdan. As for the civility of the war? I have a lot of respect for our enemies in Fontan, and while I question their military tactics, they are both honorable and brave during battle. The same cannot be said of the dogs in the clothing of nobles that are a part of the Sultanite. They rely on pure brutality, they constantly rape and murder our smallfolk. Their tactics are even more questionable than Fontan's.
What were the objective at the start of the war, and what are objectives now?
From what it seems, Sirion seem to be making some progress. How did this happen and do you think it can change?
Survival was the objective of Sirion at the start of this long war. Eventually as it has turned in our favor the objective has changed to our favor. We wish to re-establish the realm of Old Rancagua in the usurped lands of the Sultanite. The reason for these changes of tides is two main reasons. The first is the skill of our general and marshals, our system is effective and strong. The second is much due to the strength and honor of the southern realms of Ibladesh and Caligus whom pulled off us the greedy forces of Westmoor and Perdan. I see little reason for these tides to change, we have just won a decisive battle against Fontan in Montijo, once they fall and we can secure peace with them, then there is nothing holding up the usurper realm of SoA.
Something that hasn't happened in a long time is peace. Is there any hopes for a peace accord in the near future? Would it be on surrender terms or mutual peace?
Do you have any hopes for the future?
I have much hope for the future. As this war concludes, I look forward to a time when I am not marching with my unit. One of my hopes is to perhaps become a statesman and travel to the Obsidian Islands or to the great mountains to the south and see all the sights there.
