First off, a mini-rant, skip if you'd like:
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After the Aenilian-Arcaean conflict -- which if I must say was a very good one and a lot of fun for me at least -- I looked along with the players of other southern realms as to where the next conflict would emerge. A relative peace fell over the region for maybe 2 or 3 weeks. Nobles in Zonasa became all hissy and a few didn't want to recruit up because we weren't at war and there was nothing to do (although, of course, there was a starving city and some a few regions in disrepair after a bit of starvation).
Now that conflict has come, I must say I'm rather perturbed by the responses from some of those same hissy characters (who of course aren't ideally prepared for this conflict). Many of these characters (who conveniently have friends or family in other realms) want the war to go a different direction, regardless of the ongoing plot lines. "We just got out of a war defending Aenilia along with the Kindarans, we have a history of alliance and friendship with both realms... now's the perfect time to go attack them!!" Or, "Zonasa has a well documented history of fighting against C'thonia and Nighthelm... let's go help them!" etc...
*facepalm*
Just goes to show you can't please everyone, and there are some people you can never please.
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And now, to the Southern Conflict and it's causes from the Zonasan perspective, for those who are a bit farther removed IC-wise from the situation but still OOC curious. Of course, to all the following reasons/motives, one must consider the greed and boredom motives. If realms aren't fighting each other and trying to grow their influence, why play a game called "Battlemaster?" If I leave any motives out, please feel free to add them in the thread. Anyway, here goes:
Kindara is declaring war on C'thonia for a whole host of reasons, which some will debate the influence/merit of. But principally:
1. Giving C'thonia an honorable death -- admittedly the realm has done little and gone nowhere since its initial founding.
2. Removing King Thain, who at least in Zonasa is generally viewed as a future threat to the security of the Duchy of Batesaor, from power.
3. There was a little bit mentioned about C'thonia having betrayed NeoSartania, but I'm not sure of the merit of that motive.
Zonasa, of course, can support any/all of these. There's no love for C'thonia in Zonasa.
Cathay (ally of Zonasa) has also declared war (still unofficial, I think, but forthcoming) on C'thonia with the intention of annexing a few rural regions in order to feed her cities. While Zonasa would typically support this -- because again, there's no love for C'thonia in Zonasa -- in this case the realm has objected to the actions. A few reasons:
1. First and perhaps most important on the sovereignty level, Cathay annexed the region of Ahael from Aenilia (ally of Zonasa) in the previous conflict (with as-of-now unfulfilled promises of returning the region once peace was restored).
2. Also, Kindara has objected to Cathay's advances in the region (how is Kindara to feed Hatdhes without Edairn, afterall?). The region of Edairn has been historically connected to Hatdhes as well.
3. And finally, and this most important to Erandi, Erandi (IC) and I (OOC) object to characters/players blatantly teaming up on isolated or smaller realms because they can (one of the reasons my characters left Beluaterra recently. Also the reason why Zonasa did not attack NeoSartania although she had more cause than any other realm). Therefore, Erandi's own sense of honor (yea, he's got an ivory tower, although Jenred among others can certainly tell everyone why he shouldn't.
), would dictate that C'thonia should have the chance to fight Kindara mano-a-mano, so to speak. And so by coming in to annex regions while C'thonia is engaged elsewhere, the Cathayans are behaving dishonorably. Erandi doesn't view the Cathayans as enemies of course, just simply misguided. Ergo, as soon as Cathay launches a TO in C'thonian territory, Zonasa will declare war against her ally, with the intention of bringing them back to the 'honorable' path and returning Ahael to the Aenilians.
I don't quite know the full background behind Ohnar West's grievances with Cathay as recently aired on the rulers' forum, nor do I know exactly what's going on in Aenilian politics to speak on those matters. Jenred has said a little about the conflict on the rulers' circuit, but with little in the way of a concrete position. Although I am interested in his reference to a "crusade" and what this could mean for the South...
Anyway, hope that informs those interested in knowing. Cheers.
