Event 14
Holy War
15 Mar - 8 Apr, 2017
Introduction
While all eyes have been turned eastwards for the past several months, another power has been setting the pieces for its own rise - Delverne. As Miras concentrated on the North and Koben, Delverne built its own martial capabilities. As Silvan sent his military over the sea to blitz the Empire, the Delvan Navy embarked on military exercises and the Templars entered Cantor with a mission of protecting Delvan priests travelling south to visit the Abbey. And as Miras poured its efforts into building a sea fortress in the waters north of Koben city, the Kingdom only began to wake up to what was happening in its west.
The Templars marched into villages with their priests. With centuries of peaceful precedence, nobody realised it was an annexation until they deposed or forced the mayor to declare fealty to Delverne. Civilians were barred from leaving their village on pain of death and carrier pigeon roosts were captured or exterminated. The reclamation of Cantor, the Templars declared, was Aurea's will and opposition would be treason to Aurea Herself. Fearful, confused and used to looking up to Delverne, most locals obeyed.
By the time warning reached the Abbey, the sweep of Delverne's new territory had almost reached the Veron River. Almost at the same time, a battalion of ships was spotted closing in on Valevo - the Delvan Navy, which had departed on 'military exercises' days ago. War had arrived in Cantor from the knife of a brother. The blood-soaked history of the south was about to repeat.
Delverne has begun the forceful 'reclamation' of Cantor while Miras's military is far from home. Will Cantor go willingly, be crushed or defend with its mish-mash of last-minute allies? Will Delverne survive Silvan's vengeful retaliation?
Event Details
Holy War
Delverne has been slowly positioning itself to take over Cantor. For the past few months rhetoric in Delverne - and accordingly trickled south - has emphasized their closeness, and to the historical fact that Cantor belonged to Delverne long ago. Delvan missionaries in Cantor have been particularly active, and Cantish have responded - especially in the west where Delvan immigrants are common. Sentiment has begun to turn in Delverne's favour.
Starting from the month of Mirrors, the gears set in motion:
24th Mirrors: The White Oracles deliver a prophecy that 'Aurea's children, blessed by her light, shall be called to rise and claim what is truly theirs; lay down arms before them, for they carry with them the spirit of her will and the sword of her judgment'.
28th Mirrors: A procession of high-ranking priests and Templars begins down the Pilgrim Road in west Cantor. Their public intention is to meet with the Abbey to deliver a message about the prophecy.
9th Thawing: The procession reaches Cantor. The Templars take over all towns and villages as they pass through. Mayors are given two choices: declare fealty to Delverne or be excommunicated and executed in Aurea's name. Communications are seized and villagers are confined under martial law. Most feel unable to fight back; some also accept the Templars' reasons and/or feel they're better off with Delverne. All are, however, uneasy with the method.
10th Thawing: The Delvan Navy starts military exercises in the West Ocean. Belport and Miras are informed; nothing is thought of it as both are preoccupied Koben.
13th Thawing: Word first reaches the Abbey that the Templar procession is a surprise annexation. Nobody can agree on whether it's real or not until a canon in the area manages to secretly scry back a message saying the same thing that night.
14th Thawing: Emergency calls between the Kingdom leaders. With Miras's military far away, the only help available is a mish-mash of soldiers left in Miras/Amedra and the Northern militia. It's agreed that reinforcement skyskips waiting in Belport will rush down crack Northern troops, while merchant vessels will take the rest. The North is keen to repay their debt. Silvan is furious and vows revenge; he believes 'Aurea's children' refers to him and his supporters.
15th Thawing: The small number of Miras troops arrive in Cantor city. They deploy immediately to confront the Templars with Abbey leadership. Neither side will budge. A large number of military ships are spotted off of Valevo - the Delvan Navy, which had hidden far in the West Ocean and now closed in.
16th Thawing: The Northern militia and Amedrans arrive. The Templars have almost reached Cantor city. The fight back begins in earnest.
17th Thawing: The sea fortress north of Koben is dismantled; Silvan's priority is now to punish Delverne for their betrayal.
20th Thawing: The first of Miras's main military arrives in Cantor. At the same time, a force of newly/barely tamed Cinden dragons and their handlers arrives in Delverne with the aim if exacting vengeance.
For Cantor, the fight will be long, divisive and evoke the feudal warring of times long past. Many - led by the much-respected Prior Alvriese - are inclined to believe in prophecy and their religious superiors. But for many others, Cantor and its true spirituality cannot be fit under Delverne's thumb. Their ancestors fought for centuries over land and rule... and though they have softened over generations, they too will fight for their identity. Beside them are the hardy Northerners who settled in Valevo, and a handful of Valski soldiers asked to help battle-train willing Cantish. They will not bow easily.
For Delverne, the way is clear - the White Oracles and the Dominus have declared the retaking of Cantor - 'what is truly theirs' - the will of Aurea. They have been merciful and righteous - the Cantish were given the choice to submit or rebel; all who rebel stand against Aurea, and so deserve Her judgment. Silvan's barbaric assault on Delverne's capital brings shock and outrage... but reinforces the fall of Miras into wickedness in their eyes. Their city is blessed and strongly fortified with magic. Their hearts are strong. They will rise above the low blows and emerge victorious.
Story
Activities
Event Outcomes
The event outcome will be determined by the actions of your characters in the art entry. Each entry will contribute to the battle outcome at both Cantor and Delverne.
Event Participation
Event Art
Draw, write or in any way depict your character's involvement in the main event to affect the outcomes! Art or literature entries will receive a bonus 30 EXP. Only main characters are eligible for the bonus EXP and the outcome.
Event Participation
Prompt Art
For characters who cannot be directly involved in the event, you can use this event as a prompt (e.g. reacting to the news from another city). Prompt submissions will get a bonus 10 EXP for the submission but will not count towards the event outcome.
Event Participation
Action Statement
If you don't have time to make an art piece, you can get 5 EXP by simply stating what your character is doing for the event via a post in the #event-board Discord channel. This applies to main characters only and there must be direct involvement with the events to get this. Side characters' involvement can be described to contribute to the event canon however no points will be given. If you go on to enter an art submission later, the EXP received for this will be replaced by the art submission points.
Special Role
Adair Elduir
War's Herald
The Templars had intended that no word of their true intentions would precede them. They didn't count on the presence of a certain Conjurer - the merchant Adair - in one of the towns. His small and swift familiar evaded the Templars' efforts in crippling communications with the outside and bore the crucial first warning beyond the sweep of their newly claimed territory - that Delverne was here to invade by stealth.
Special Role
Zagan Sansar
Salter of the Earth
For days, Cantor had to keep Delverne's Templars at bay with meagre defenses until more help could arrive - they did it by deceit and the sleight of hand of one young man, Zagan. The ruse was this: to convince the Templars that Cantor had cultivated the black thorns that drove light elves from Nisalvini. While townsfolk grew briars wildly and dyed them black, Zagan slipped the rumour into captured territory for villagers to spread. He poisoned food in Delvan camps... not to kill but to sicken. Black thorns appeared close to camps by his hand. Soon, fear began its work; the Templars drew back and stilled their advances. By the time the lie was uncovered, reinforcements had arrived. The advantage was lost; now they had to fight for real.
Special Role
Lazaruz Calisto
Shieldbearer
Legend tells that Cantor city has miraculously stood unbreached through centuries of feudal war. The reason came to light by a keen observation in the face of Delverne's new threat - Cantor was built on a city of ancients, the sister city of the one whose ruins were found in the Leywood. The dormant shields have long been passively helping the city. Now it's time to truly tap their power - and as they discover the old magic responds only to his touch, it falls to the Wizard and former expeditioner Lazaruz to lead the revival.
As a big operation, others are welcome to volunteer help on this! In particular but not limited to those who were on the Leywood expedition. Full details here.
Special Role
Andros Rhodon
Unholy Beast
When he returned with the main Miras military, Andros and his fellow mercenaries were tasked with a suicide mission - to take down a prominent Delvan general from with Delverne-held territory. They infiltrated and waited for their chance... until at one stop on his tour of the taken lands, he left half his entourage behind to help a troubled post. They struck with ferocity and without warning... and against all odds emerged victorious. Andros could now claim the bloody glory of taking the general's head.
Conclusion
It should have been a one-sided battle in the Templars' favour. Their quiet takeover from the west had proved wildly successful, and they had no reason to believe that simple farmer folk could stand against their trained warriors. After centuries of being the benevolent superior, they did not realise how strongly the Cantish would resist... nor the levers they would use.
First the conquesting Templars were rattled and slowed by the thorn bluff. Then when they reached the walls of Cantor city, they pressed and lay siege only to witness ancient shields - dormant unbeknownst to either side for so long - rise over the old city. Their would-be captives fought fiercely, they failed to take the capital swiftly, and with the arrival of reinforcements their chances of a clean conquest sank rapidly. On the south coast, the Delvan navy swarmed Valevo and captured it by sheer numbers, but were driven out as help from the Northern militia swooped in. In free and captured towns alike, the bravery and determination of loyal Cantish and their allies thwarted their invaders. By the end of Thawing the Templars were pushed back to the Veron River.
Neither did Delverne expect Silvan's vengeance - for the skies above their city to darken with what Cinden dragons remained in Miras, and fire to rain upon their streets. The civilians scrambled - their Templars were away and the city had long gone with no threat. With their abundant magic they defended as best as able, but couldn't save everything before their attackers departed. The central and historic Old Delverne burned, along with many homes and a great church of important heritage. Those left homeless could do nothing but seek shelter with priests and neighbours... and, along with the rest of Delverne, decry the atrocity that had struck innocent people that day.
A stalemate came. Delverne had lost ground in Cantor and could proceed no further, especially now that the wider Kingdom was in the fight. Kingdom forces meanwhile could not breach Delverne's defenses and the sentiment in the west, where many light elf immigrants settled, was too pro-Delverne to hope for successful rebellion. Their ambitions stymied but not destroyed, Delverne turned its attention to its true target - the Leywood, and the mysterious powers that lay within it. They now had real access for themselves from the west... but not complete control as they had hoped. The humans could still interfere once they realised - especially since, as they all recently learned, the mirroring ruins under Cantor city were still in Kingdom hands. Although Delverne's holy war had reached a standstill, a new race for ancient power beyond anyone's understanding would now begin.