The colony effort is not new. It was started IC months ago, my advie heard about it through the grapevine from other advies, joined the colony effort guild, and eventually even actively spied on and reported details of the gradually-evolving colonial discussion to Blood King Carstein of Eponllyn, weeks ago. Sigrid was also involved in an advisory role to the Blood King and has discussed the colony. Here was her overall assessment:
Report from Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: rp
(Personal message to Gray Von Carstein) - just in
If I understand the stakes correctly...
They claim to want Kalmar, Kazan, and Kazakh - regions that would create a tactical bridge from Perdan, to Chaos temple, to Kalmar, right into the heart of the north. It'd be a dagger poised at the heart of Sirion, set to swipe down on our heads at that. Its very existence, empty claims of neutrality as they often are, threatens the north with twin-front wars for the foreseeable future.
Nivemus has 13 regions, and this war would deprive them of a quarter of their land, assuming they actually take -only- those three. Noble threads when skillfully weaved, but if they get Nivemus on the retreat... Big ol' eyes have a habit of thirsting for more. I'd bet on Gadlock and Juazeiro to really lock Nivemus out of future fights and secure the colony's multi-front advantage.
Gadlock might be badlands but its also a perfect staging-point for a siege against Kazakh. Juazeiro's a rural breadbasket with a rich port beside roughly sixty percent of Westmoor's population just outside of Old Rancagua's former capitol.
With both regions they'd effectively deny the north its easiest avenue of naval invasion, prevent an easy siege-point against Kazakh, and secure their own future siege against Oroya. Worst of all, they could gobble up the roguelands east of Juazeiro and arguably create twin colonies; effectively cleaving the north from within.
Either I'm a better strategist than they are, or I've merely uncovered the long-game behind their clever plot. Something tells me I'm not the first one to consider such a plan.
Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in
Dame of Oligarch
Also, might I remind you,
"Letter from Lionel Kinsey Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: combat
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (13 recipients) - 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
As for nobles leaving Eponllyn and retiring, I will say this:
When the northern realms began taking region after region, the southern realms whined, and the Titans decreed that the number of regions a realm may hold was now tied to its number of nobles.
When the northern realms kept winning battle after battle, the southern realms whined, and the Titans decreed that alliances are now limited by their total number of regions.
And when the southern realms began minting new noble after new noble, the Titans said nothing.
I do not blame anyone for leaving. If I were not still holding onto my oaths to the Xerarch, I would have retired a long, long time ago.
Lionel Kinsey
Talon of Eponllyn
Count of Dulbin
Marshal of the Phoenix Hussars"
"The flip of bruck was by a player/character who was bored, which is fine, but growing discontent was never known outside of discord."
Do you not recall the massive argument, and RP's, and unfortunately personal OOC attacks, over a month ago, resulting from Nabarl bringing up a series of events that included the whole Perdanese slave thing?
Or when Sigrid stated publicly that she wanted to find Goldwing Renodin, and Kinsey called him a traitor to the Xavax? Or any of the other of a series of discussions that took place?
This is not the first time y'all have forgotten what happened and accusing me of making things up or doing things without precedent. I have missives dating back to 2017 when Sigrid came to Sirion and kicked off many of the events that came to pass. But, for now, back to Eponllyn:
Sigrid spoke to the King of Eponllyn -extensively- about her feelings on the current state of Eponllyn, and went so far as to state she was planning to leave. The Blood King tried to convince her to stay, and she ended up being being made countess of Bruck after providing counsel about the ongoing colony effort's intel her spies were gathering and forwarding to the Blood King, despite repeatedly stating she wanted to leave Eponllyn to go on to bigger and better things. She made a massive hullabaloo, publicly and privately, accusing the Redwing Xavax of being out-dated, wrinkled old men chasing after phantoms of the past via their hate of a Perdan now populated by noble families who don't even know, understand, or in any way took part in the Xavax wars. She publicly demanded both Nabarl and the Judge of Eponllyn explain themselves regarding the Perdanese slave accusations, and ended that whole bit with effectively telling everyone to screw off. So on and so forth.
June 6th or 7th (ish) is when most of these took place. I will post some of the public ones as proof of Sigrid's ongoing feelings, arguments, and public discussions.
"Letter from Lionel Kinsey Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: combat
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (13 recipients) - 9 hours, 41 minutes ago
Dame Sigrid Gudrun,
Perhaps you will recall that Asher Renodin was a traitor who defected to First Oligarch just as we were about to storm Oligarch. He and Garas Gabanus fled to Perdan after we destroyed First Oligarch.
After that, Asher climbed quite high in Perdan, and was even crowned King for a while, but he later disappeared in circumstances that remain unknown to us. If the Perdanites knew why he disappeared, they did not tell us.
And some time after that, a noble named Nemean JeVondair Renodin appeared in Eponllyn. Several of us questioned his loyalty, but Xerarch Selenia insisted that he be allowed to stay, likely because he is a relative of the Xerarch. But two months after the Xerarch retired, Nemean fled across the border and joined up with Perdan. He serves Perdan to this day.
... And I see that Smiddich Fontaine was just elected as the new King of Perdan. The Perdanites seem quite fond of electing former Xavax traitors as their Ruler.
Lionel Kinsey
Talon of Eponllyn
Count of Dulbin
Marshal of the Phoenix Hussars"
---
"Report from Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: rp
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (13 recipients) - just in
Strategos Kinsey,
Many years ago, in the final hours of his reign, First Xerarch Magnus named you Strategos of the Xavax Imperium - that you might safeguard the peace beside our half-sister as she took to the throne. You sacred task was to bring war upon those who would dare silence us. For both First and Second Xerarchs, the end goal was never an eternal war. You know this, and yet you have faltered.
Have we been exiles for so long that we've forgotten the essence of Xavax? What we cannot secure by force, we finesse through guile. We have become a bitter people incapable of seeing past the red tides of Perdanese blood.
We ground Itorunt into dust and sacked Semall. We brought the imperial vanguard to the very root of the bandit kingdoms and wiped clean the slate of their unspeakable crimes. Unto ashes and dust are our enemies, but their friends remain... How many, exactly? How many of the traitors, the Dodgers, still live?
Who are we fighting... Striking out in fear of shadows from the past. Grizzled old men who can no longer remember what we were fighting -for-. Itching for blood and fire; war and righteous annihilation...
We lost our sense of peace long ago. All that remains are the wraiths of a dead empire whose souls refuse to rest.
"1) The Enemy of my Friend is my Enemy.
2) The Friend of my Enemy is my Enemy.
3) The Enemy of my Enemy is an Enigma.
4) The one who Fights Beside Me is my Friend."
– Noiram'Kah
"This is where I will be laid to rest...At first I fought because I didn't know how to do anything else. Then I found something to live for. Now I have something to die for. If that isn't worth the trouble, the grief, and the heartache, then I do not know what is. I can tell you for certain, if I was still a Knight of Partora, living comfortably and rich in gold, I would not know any of the peace I know here and now."
– Sir Gilth Gildre
Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in
Dame of Oligarch"
---
...Or when Sigrid publicly threatened to execute Nabarl after y'all accused him of being a Perdanese spy, while simultaneously being pissed at the Talon and Arbiter alike, and also mentioning publicly why she was in Eponllyn in the first place, which had also been discussed in private with other characters prior and after these events.
"
Request from Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: rp
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (13 recipients) - just in
Royal Nabarl,
Watch your tongue when you address the blood-heirs of the Phoenix. You may have qualms with some of us, but to insult Xavax is to insult us all.
While we're on the topic of spies, I have something to say.
I was dispatched to Eponllyn years ago on a mission to spy on the reigning king, in the midst of a potential deal where I would be married to them as 'Xavax princess, heir to the First Xerarch' in order to solidify relations between our realms, and possibly form a new home for the Xavax.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I was not a fan of this deal, or the stupid bloody title. Still, if it meant an avenue toward the reclamation of our homeland, I was willing to make the necessary sacrifices and sell my soul to the devil.
In building a dossier on civil, military, economic, and political realities within Eponllyn, while influencing the king's perspective on Xavax relations and the boon our warriors and strategists would offer, I dispatched valuable data back home to our Xavax - with which we would gauge whether or not this deal had merit, or if the former king just wanted a Xavax trophy-wife on the side of an already profitable deal of taking in a massive influx of well-trained immigrants to populate their dying realm.
During negotiations I fell ill and entered the long-sleep. Oh, my surprise to awaken and find my fellow Xavax... Rather, a select few Xavax... Here in Eponllyn.
Apparently negotiations proceeded well in my absence? That or fate took an ironic twist and we ended up here by some other means.
So please, with that in mind... Please do not talk so lightly about spies when we Xavax have so proud a history of employing espionage to further our goals.
Royal Narabl,
Answer to someone who knows a thing or two about the topic.
Did you spy on Eponllyn on behalf of foreign powers or did you not. A simple answer to a simple question.
Do not lie to me. I have no qualms about gutting a royal publicly, ban be damned. I belong to Xavax, and Xavax is dead.
By the Phoenix,
Sigrid Gudrun Auru'in
Dame of Oligarch"
---
Here's a few more, also from the first week of June. Tell me again how this was a last-minute decision with no basis on Sigrid's general feelings toward Eponllyn, the Redwings, and the direction the realm is taking, beside her own feelings on putting aside the hate of Perdan to pursue healthier things:
...And the one where Kinsey talked down to Sigrid, referencing Titan decisions, after completely forgetting or willingly ignoring the fact that Sigrid was physically IN Sirion prior, during, and after we planned and founded Redhaven; Sigrid was a Lord of Sermbar IN Redhaven; and Sigrid was an extremely vocal part of the many discussions that took place in Sirion and Redhaven among the Xavax. Up to, until, and even after she was rebuked by the dominant Redwing faction for suggesting we negotiate with the south. I went so far as to send a series of missives denoting a 4-part plan, with various potential asides, of major avenues we can take to found a new Xavax colony: one was around Oligarch, one in the Obsidian Isles, and the other two were in the south. One of my plans was to overthrow the Sirion government and use Sirion's long-standing power and economy to carve our way south. Behind closed doors, a further 2 potential colony plans were discussed, which were not mentioned in the main Xavax group because we were being rebuked so aggressively for the more tame concepts, even though I did blatantly state the idea of overthrowing Sirion at least once. When the Redwings refused any negotiation with the south, she blatantly stated she would do so anyway so long as it gets us home to Xavax, and with the private but very vocal support of a number of Xavax within and beyond Sirion, then linked up with folks across the continent to negotiate with their respective rulers and councils. Recall that Sigrid publicly announced she had received overwhelming support from nobles of every northern and southern realm, promises of thousands of gold in funding, and assurances from various dukes and council members of various realms in support of the Goldwing-led colonial planning. She publicly announced that she and her allies had negotiated with Vix Tiramora+other realms both northern and southern to establish a Xavax colony that would specifically split the North and south apart, bring about a ceasefire between all involved parties due to both parties having to march through the Demilitarized Zone that the new colony would form. This ceasefire would last up to three, at the most six months in-game-time, and allow everyone to re-assess their long-term goals, while we negotiated further for a prompt return to Xavax proper as a reward for halting the continental war, tempering the north-south schism, and bringing peace across the land. Unfortunately, we were silenced - despite overwhelmingly achieving everything we claimed we wanted out of the Path of Ashes. The goal was to go home in peace, and we had it in our hands, but the dominant faction's hatred of Perdan won out in the end.
"Letter from Lionel Kinsey Player experience level: mentor Player play preference: combat
Message sent to all nobles of Eponllyn (13 recipients) - 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
Dame Sigrid Gudrun,
Please, I ask that you do not lecture me on the teachings of the Xerarch. While you were gone, I fought for the Xerarch for decades. And after she was gone, I fought on for yet more decades for the sake of her nobles, and for the sake of the Eponlli nobles.
Since you have been gone since before the Path of Ashes, allow me to summarize the broad strokes of what happened. If anyone sees anything incorrect, feel free to correct me. I do not claim to have an infallible memory.
We were fighting the two bandit realms, and winning. They sought help from Perleone, Vix, and Perdan. Fallangard helped us for a while, but then switched sides after they began losing regions. It was then six realms versus one.
Through the Xerarch's diplomatic efforts, Sirion and her allies made the gesture of declaring war on Perdan et al, but they were busying dealing with a rebellious Sirionite duke in Oligarch, who called himself the Grand Duke of First Oligarch. Caligus was contesting Fallangard's claim on Hamadan, and was fighting Fallangard the entire time.
We managed to barely hold the line, but then the Duke of Isadril betrayed us. We were quickly reduced to Xavax city and a few other regions. The Xerarch made the decision to walk the Path of Ashes north. The bandit realms and Perleone swept in and began killing in Xavax city. Men, women, children, anyone and almost everyone who did not flee north with us were put to the sword. At one point, Xavax city was reduced to a few dozen souls.
We moved north and joined Sirion, who gave Krimml to us to set up a new realm. We established the Xerarchy of Redhaven, and then after some time, we managed to help Sirion destroy First Oligarch. Sirion allowed us to take Oligarch as a war prize.
By this time, Eponllyn was being hard pressed by Perdan, and Caligus had already lost many regions to the combine forces of Fallangard, Vix, and Perleone. They set up a colony realm called Highmarch, which controlled the lands around Domus and Akesh Temple. The bandit realms roamed where they could in Eponllyn and Caligus, killing and raping wherever they went.
With the acquiescence of Sirion, Redhaven, and other allies, Caligus's King tried to surrender to the southern realms. All they asked for was neutrality. The enemy's counter-offer was "switch sides or be destroyed".
From that depth, from that pit, we fought back. Redhaven, Nivemus, Eponllyn, Sirion, Shadowdale, and Caligus against the rest of the continent. Perleone eventually began fighting the bandit realms, which helped turn the tide of the war.
We helped Caligus take back much of their lost lands. We helped Shadowdale take Akesh Temple. The King of Caligus convinced the leaders of Highmarch to switch sides, and eventually join Caligus. Caligus finally reclaimed Hamadan and drove Fallangard south of the river, into Isadril.
Perdan held us off for a long time with the choke-point of Bescanon, but Eponllyn eventually reclaimed Bescanon by magick and by guile. But by this time, the many restrictions the Titans have placed upon us have taken its toll, and the war began to stall as far as territorial gains and losses. Redhaven merging with Eponllyn was one of the many tactics we tried in trying to regain some momentum.
And we eventually lost Bescanon again after Perdan surged in their number of nobles, and overran Bescanon with their sheer numbers.
As for the goings on in Perleone, the bandit realms, and our lost lands, there have been so many betrayals and upheavals over there that it would take another long letter to explain it all.
Lionel Kinsey
Talon of Eponllyn
Count of Dulbin
Marshal of the Phoenix Hussars"
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