HFQ Thoughts/reflections SPOILERS

As a review, and to check my facts, can someone confirm the following beliefs.

The only place that any CoGA associated army remains in Siddarmark is a little bit occupied by the Dholarian army in the extreme west of South March Lands and the Harchong army that has at long last made it to Lake City in Tarikah Province.

Every where else in New Northland Provence, the Mountaincorss Provence, the Hildermoss Provence, the Westmarch Provence, the Glacierheart Provence, and the Cliff Peak Provence all the CoGA armies have been destroyed or captured. Yes? No? Do I have it wrong somewhere?

StealthSeeker wrote:As a review, and to check my facts, can someone confirm the following beliefs.

The only place that any CoGA associated army remains in Siddarmark is a little bit occupied by the Dholarian army in the extreme west of South March Lands and the Harchong army that has at long last made it to Lake City in Tarikah Province.

Every where else in New Northland Provence, the Mountaincorss Provence, the Hildermoss Provence, the Westmarch Provence, the Glacierheart Provence, and the Cliff Peak Provence all the CoGA armies have been destroyed or captured. Yes? No? Do I have it wrong somewhere?

I'd say it was rather confused situation in the north west - the main COGA armies have gone, but there are probably lots of smaller garisons and detachments that remain. The EOC armies are more concentrated round Aivanstyn/Marylys and at Five Forks. We also know that some of the death camps have been taken, though I cant remember which/where. Wether that involved the whole of the Midhold army or just flying columns I dont know. - so the Hildermoss, New Northland & Westmarch area is more of a debatable land at the end of HFQ.

Let me ask my question about the disposition of the CoGA member armies at the end of HFQ in another way.

In the west of South March Province Hanth has the Dholar army in slow retrete toward Dholar from Evrytyn and Alykberg along the Sheeryl-Seridahn Canal and the Dairnyth-Alyksberg Canal. So Hanth has the Dholar army fairly well buttoned up and full control of the Seridahn River, as damaged as it locks may be.

In the northern provinces, Green Valley took the town of Five Forks during the winter, entraping 2 large CoGA armies of the CoGA. (and taking their supplies) Another EoC army came through the Sylmahn Gap and captured Guarnak, which had suffered damage via a canal raid. And in a meeting of the Go4 Magwair wasn't letting any armies move east of the Hildermoss River. So, I am assuming that the Hildermoss river is a North/South dividing line of control between CoGA and EoC armies. (more or less).

Another EoC army moved north out of Cliff Peak Province and took part in capturing what was left of a 220K strong CoGA army in WestMarch Province. But how far north did the EoC army get? Did they capture the towns of Talmar, Selyk, Mercyr, and Waymeet?

If those are the boundries, then the armies of the CoGA are fairly well buttoned up in the west of Tarikah Province of Siddarmark and all the rest of Siddarmark if free of CoGA armies. (except for a bit of South March by Dholar)

Does that seem like a reasonable summary of where the armies are at the end of DFQ or have I got something really wrong?

StealthSeeker wrote:Let me ask my question about the disposition of the CoGA member armies at the end of HFQ in another way.

In the west of South March Province Hanth has the Dholar army in slow retrete toward Dholar from Evrytyn and Alykberg along the Sheeryl-Seridahn Canal and the Dairnyth-Alyksberg Canal. So Hanth has the Dholar army fairly well buttoned up and full control of the Seridahn River, as damaged as it locks may be.

In the northern provinces, Green Valley took the town of Five Forks during the winter, entraping 2 large CoGA armies of the CoGA. (and taking their supplies) Another EoC army came through the Sylmahn Gap and captured Guarnak, which had suffered damage via a canal raid. And in a meeting of the Go4 Magwair wasn't letting any armies move east of the Hildermoss River. So, I am assuming that the Hildermoss river is a North/South dividing line of control between CoGA and EoC armies. (more or less).

Another EoC army moved north out of Cliff Peak Province and took part in capturing what was left of a 220K strong CoGA army in WestMarch Province. But how far north did the EoC army get? Did they capture the towns of Talmar, Selyk, Mercyr, and Waymeet?

If those are the boundries, then the armies of the CoGA are fairly well buttoned up in the west of Tarikah Province of Siddarmark and all the rest of Siddarmark if free of CoGA armies. (except for a bit of South March by Dholar)

Does that seem like a reasonable summary of where the armies are at the end of DFQ or have I got something really wrong?

The major AOG formations in Siddarmark have been broken up. What remains are 200,000 AOG soldiers dispersed to garrisons placed to supress the locals and guard the concentration camps.

This doesn't account for any Harchongians who have been divided to Lake City and to guard the Temple's flank against Eastshare.

Don

from memory:

Rainbow Waters was ignoring invitations to hold the line of the Hildermoss south of Traymos. IIRC his front is half-way between East Wing and Cat Lizard lakes. Probably anchored on the Tarikah River, and running south from there.

The Southern Host is holding a line somewhere in the Talmar-Mercyr area. Maybe as far as Waymeet?


So, western Tarikah & northwestern Westmarch. However, it sounds like there's currently a major gap between the two sections of the Host. [probably not, we just don't have all the details]

n7axw wrote:

StealthSeeker wrote:Let me ask my question about the disposition of the CoGA member armies at the end of HFQ in another way.

In the west of South March Province Hanth has the Dholar army in slow retrete toward Dholar from Evrytyn and Alykberg along the Sheeryl-Seridahn Canal and the Dairnyth-Alyksberg Canal. So Hanth has the Dholar army fairly well buttoned up and full control of the Seridahn River, as damaged as it locks may be.

In the northern provinces, Green Valley took the town of Five Forks during the winter, entraping 2 large CoGA armies of the CoGA. (and taking their supplies) Another EoC army came through the Sylmahn Gap and captured Guarnak, which had suffered damage via a canal raid. And in a meeting of the Go4 Magwair wasn't letting any armies move east of the Hildermoss River. So, I am assuming that the Hildermoss river is a North/South dividing line of control between CoGA and EoC armies. (more or less).

Another EoC army moved north out of Cliff Peak Province and took part in capturing what was left of a 220K strong CoGA army in WestMarch Province. But how far north did the EoC army get? Did they capture the towns of Talmar, Selyk, Mercyr, and Waymeet?

If those are the boundries, then the armies of the CoGA are fairly well buttoned up in the west of Tarikah Province of Siddarmark and all the rest of Siddarmark if free of CoGA armies. (except for a bit of South March by Dholar)

Does that seem like a reasonable summary of where the armies are at the end of DFQ or have I got something really wrong?

The major AOG formations in Siddarmark have been broken up. What remains are 200,000 AOG soldiers dispersed to garrisons placed to supress the locals and guard the concentration camps.

This doesn't account for any Harchongians who have been divided to Lake City and to guard the Temple's flank against Eastshare.

Don

At this point we do not have the exact location, mainly due to the text referencing towns not on the map. In addition to this the Southern Harchong contingent's location is depends heavily on where Eastshare is, given its task to block Eastshare's advance.

We may better better off looking at locations that would be suitable for winter, with a focus on ability to maintain and protect supply routes. In that respect Talmar looks to be a solid location, the only question left is can the Harchongese get there before Charis. IMO the answer is no though is just a guess based on where the armies of god were destroyed (Five Forks very close). Plus how Rainbow Waters intends to build up supply suggests to me that there will be no fighting until next spring. If these 2 condition are true it is unlikely that Harchong will try to push out or lay siege to Charis forces should they be invested in any town/city.

What happens if Charis foments a peasant rebellion in Harchong?

Are there enough peasants left there to rebel?

Could someone thinking outside the box have Charisian Marines train a militia of Harchong women to use rifles?

Could the aristocracy fight back effectively against an opponent who always knows what areas are most vulnerable to attack? And who can mine the roads that cavalry would have to use? Could the aristocrats make themselves safe by simply deploying lancers toward the coast?

Could propaganda work on an illiterate population with no radio? I'm imagining cartoons showing lancers falling to peasant rifle fire followed by peasants eating well.

Does Harchong have traveling priests? Could some new ones mysteriously appear with resounding sermons about how God created everyone free and mysteriously disappear before the authorities turned up?

Would it do any good? The Mighty Host is unlikely to turn back, but it can only help the good guys to create friction between the Church of Clyntahn and the Harchong aristocrats.

Would it be worth the resulting horror? Peasant rebellions are ugly things even by the standards of war.

I am of the opinion that a peasant rebellion is the most likely outcome in Harchong. Rainbow Water's opinion that everyone east of Zion is uncivilized, the massive entrenchment of the bureaucracy and nobility and the probable fall of the CoGA all reinforce this outcome. This mindset does not look to me to be capable of dealing with the changes gunpowder weapons and the industrial revolution brings.

How it will unfold IMO is a totally separate story from the current jihad, mostly because while the jihad is still active Harchong has an external enemy to focus on. Plus rifles are very recent almost cutting edge military technology, there has been no time for them to spread. The same also applies to industry, though more to do with how the war is using all the production for now. Industry for Harchong looks to be the catalyst for a secession of South Harchong though, especially given how power will shift to favor the industry owners.

It is of questionable value for Charis to intervene in such a conflict until the rakurai, sleepers and CoGA are dealt with. They pose an existential threat to Charis after all.

CJK wrote:I am of the opinion that a peasant rebellion is the most likely outcome in Harchong. Rainbow Water's opinion that everyone east of Zion is uncivilized, the massive entrenchment of the bureaucracy and nobility and the probable fall of the CoGA all reinforce this outcome. This mindset does not look to me to be capable of dealing with the changes gunpowder weapons and the industrial revolution brings.

How it will unfold IMO is a totally separate story from the current jihad, mostly because while the jihad is still active Harchong has an external enemy to focus on. Plus rifles are very recent almost cutting edge military technology, there has been no time for them to spread. The same also applies to industry, though more to do with how the war is using all the production for now. Industry for Harchong looks to be the catalyst for a secession of South Harchong though, especially given how power will shift to favor the industry owners.

It is of questionable value for Charis to intervene in such a conflict until the rakurai, sleepers and CoGA are dealt with. They pose an existential threat to Charis after all.

I could see a rebellion in Harchong happening off screen, so to speak, as it may not directly impact the direction of the story moving forward.

Rifles are cutting edge, but could easily be handed out by Charisian landing parties in quantities sufficient to ruin the day of a local Simon LeGree.

Then provide a little training in how to hide them in an arms cache, and you've sown the seeds of endless guerrilla warfare.

The Mighty Host is an existential threat too. Setting their home on fire might help undercut them.