Luria

[Lanyon]

5? I only count 4.

[Vellos]

No lower than D'hara and Terran going to war with Aurvandil while their ally Barca is trying to sue for peace, and pretty much ensure the destruction of that realm.

With all due respect, Barca didn't lose a single region to Aurvandil. They lost it to starvation.

And strangely, Terran didn't lose any regions to starvation, yet Barca's surplus was bigger. We call that "Your own damn fault" where I come from.

Honestly, without this apocalyptic level of starvation, we'd still have to be seeking peace, but it'd be a very different ballgame. The current situation in the Moot is 100% politics. Without Lurian support, Aurvandil could beat us, but only gradually, and it'd be a brokered peace settlement. But with Luria hitting D'Hara, we'd have had to seek peace and made real concessions. But with Luria hitting D'Hara AND starvation on a scale which I have personally never before witnessed in Battlemaster... yeah, we're !@#$ed. It's just a question of how much we're going to lose.

On the other hand, if we get lots of D'Haran and Barcan refugees and our noble count spikes, that could help us a lot.

[Vellos]

And about Luria's betrayal of the Moot....

Yeah, super low. In hindsight I shoulda' seen it coming, but I didn't. Hireshmont really thought Solari really liked him. 

Now he feels like the ugly girl at the dance.

Terran's only real hope is that something geopolitical will change before Aurvandil can consolidate the gap between Terran's southern border and their northern border, and thereby remove the Great Wall of Hunger.

But however this ends up, Hireshmont's career may very well be over. He's a "fall on his sword in disgrace" kind of guy (which is totally the heroic equivalent of ragequitting, btw).

[Dante Silverfire]

In hindsight I shoulda' seen it coming, but I didn't. Hireshmont really thought Solari really liked him. 

Well there's your first mistake right there.

Shoot, trusting that Luria would stay quietly in its own corner not hurting anyone like it has since Dwilight's existence was a mistake as soon as Brom left and Alanna stayed while building internal support. This event has been building up since the day that Brom left Luria (and before that even) but the true warning should have come when Brom left. It was only a matter of time before Luria truly united, although I didn't expect Alanna to seize power so quickly.

Brom was the last major divisive element within Luria as he personally eliminated most of the other divisive elements himself (or caused them to eliminate themselves) while also getting out.

I think you'll find a united Luria, if it can remain so internally, will be a force to be reckoned with just as deadly as Aurvandil or close to it. Plus, with Alanna in the lead for now, she'll be able to maintain solid control quite readily. I doubt it'll be a long time before someone else can build up the solid internal following that Brom did in order to cause the political turmoil he did, without being stopped in its tracks before it reaches true strength. (If ever).

[Anaris]

It was only a matter of time before Luria truly united, although I didn't expect Alanna to seize power so quickly.

Weeeeell...I think "seize power" is a bit strong. Luria is a fractious, headstrong team of 4 horses, and Alanna's now holding the reins of all of them at once.

So far, it's taking all her strength just to keep them all moving in the same direction. "Truly united" is also a bit strong.

I think you'll find a united Luria, if it can remain so internally, will be a force to be reckoned with just as deadly as Aurvandil or close to it. Plus, with Alanna in the lead for now, she'll be able to maintain solid control quite readily. I doubt it'll be a long time before someone else can build up the solid internal following that Brom did in order to cause the political turmoil he did, without being stopped in its tracks before it reaches true strength. (If ever).

If Alanna can actually guide this beast (I won't even bother to try using the word "control"), then yes, Luria could indeed be pretty darn deadly. This war will hopefully start the process of weeding out the people who have been content to skate by during the period of reorganization.  (And frankly, I consider that period to have begun the day Alanna was deposed. Everything since then has just been working to get everything sorted out with the split and the Empire.)

Alanna does have friends in Luria—some new, some old—who will probably help her keep things in line. However, it's far from a foregone conclusion at this point that anything will come of this war but Luria tearing itself apart as the shear stress overcomes the structural cohesion.

[Dante Silverfire]

Luria is a fractious, headstrong team of 4 horses, and Alanna's now holding the reins of all of them at once.

So far, it's taking all her strength just to keep them all moving in the same direction. "Truly united" is also a bit strong.

How is that any different from beforehand? Replace "realms" with "Dukes" and you have the same combination.

This war will hopefully start the process of weeding out the people who have been content to skate by during the period of reorganization.  (And frankly, I consider that period to have begun the day Alanna was deposed. Everything since then has just been working to get everything sorted out with the split and the Empire.)

I agree. If one of the Rulers happens to forward my recent RP to you, you'll see that is the case.

Alanna does have friends in Luria—some new, some old—who will probably help her keep things in line. However, it's far from a foregone conclusion at this point that anything will come of this war but Luria tearing itself apart as the shear stress overcomes the structural cohesion.

I've got friends too! Cheers!

Want to try guessing who they are? I won't acknowledge correct guesses though most likely. I just think it'd be funny to see what the guesses are. (Then again, I could just be making this all up right?)

[Solari]

Yeah, super low. In hindsight I shoulda' seen it coming, but I didn't. Hireshmont really thought Solari really liked him. 

Now he feels like the ugly girl at the dance.

Hey, Malus gave you the goods when you asked, and even pledged to limit the impacts! Hireshmont doesn't control the 'moot, and Malus doesn't control Luria. Ce la vie.

[Solari]

5? I only count 4.

Go further south. Fissoa is the Lurian realm that refuses to call itself Lurian.

[JPierreD]

Go further south. Fissoa is the Lurian realm that refuses to call itself Lurian.

Sort of like Solaria?

[Solari]

Sort of like Solaria?

Well played, sir.

[egamma]

Gornak (and me) aren't actually good at politics. Hopefully my smear campaign against Solari helps turn the Lurians against him...I haven't heard from the others yet.

Ah well. Apparently Mendicant has a crush on Gornak or something, so he can go down there and be a trader in a realm with a surplus of food, rather than a deficit.

[Colin Ealdwine]

The idea that Alanna actually controls Luria is... well pretty funny. I've got to say this war isn't Alanna consolidating power, it's not Luria being super united, It's Solaria deciding to go for an objective and quite a bit after Luria follows along. I'll be curious to see if Alanna is effectual, and my guess is, no.

[Dante Silverfire]

The idea that Alanna actually controls Luria is... well pretty funny. I've got to say this war isn't Alanna consolidating power, it's not Luria being super united, It's Solaria deciding to go for an objective and quite a bit after Luria follows along. I'll be curious to see if Alanna is effectual, and my guess is, no.

The real secret is that Alanna is a figurehead, and Brom is the puppetmaster behind her.

[egamma]

And, now D'Hara is totally screwed by a bug in the "move capital" code...

[Vellos]

Hey, Malus gave you the goods when you asked, and even pledged to limit the impacts! Hireshmont doesn't control the 'moot, and Malus doesn't control Luria. Ce la vie.

True.

Which is why Hireshmont hasn't sent you any letters. There's nothing nice he can say (I deleted a message which included phrases like "approximately the honor of a peasant woman after a Zuma has had its lascivious way with her, and about the breeding of their demoniac offspring, deserving of exposure at birth and curses into eternity."), and he can't risk any pleasantries making their way back to the Moot (fraternizing with the enemy and all), but he also doesn't actually want to start a(nother) blood feud.