As I posted above, many have suggested sending the Corisandan forces east rather soon, I on the other hand, have pointed out their training and equipment is rather obsolete, so they should be delayed until that's rectified, and 'soon' could be interpreted to include fresh ICA divisions arriving with or soon after the KH VII's.
I suggested some years ago that Greentree and Westbreak Islands were inhabited, settled from South Harchong, and would provide nearby refuges for liberated serfs from Haven and Howard, I included a possible history of how Greentree might still be off the tax books of the empire and even the CoGA, because they hadn't been officially consecrated NTM the corruption in both, and that because the EoC now effectively owns or controls every island the ICN can reach or blockade, past ownership is now moot.
Then RFC provided us with the Safehold population chart that put Greentree's population at 3 million and Westbreak and the 'Barren Lands' at 1 million, IIRC; so yes the islands are being consecrated and farmed, but could use a lot more motivated manpower, the EoC has the cash for all the starter tools, food and supplies, and the ex-serfs do know how to farm, consecrate new land, NTM fish, etc.
Regarding the many excellent points of the education discussion, the EoC NTM the CoC certainly have the cash to pay for all the required teachers to support further consecration and colonization of these and other islands, NTM sustaining the independence of the ex-serfs on the islands, while the ICN might provide free return transportation for all the ex-South Harchongese who don't like the advantages of living under the EoC, although I expect many will see lots of reasons for staying.
There may need in some cases need to be some separation of some clans or groups from their neighbors because the antagonisms of their lords reached down to even the serfs, but I suspect many will leave all that behind.
Given the EoC's merchant fleet numbers include some 3000 ships combined by now, and all honest trade with everyone on the continents except Siddarmark has been lost [how many are smuggling, winked at by the EoC, is another question], there are some hundreds of ships, possibly over a thousand, that have little to do until the next tranche of ICA troops finish training.
Thanks to a little planning now, such raids after the storm season in the spring could drastically upset the Go4's summer campaign planing when the Harchong Empire insists on recalling at least the second wave of the MH home to defend it.
Although, even a half million men or so couldn't defend a coast so long, as the ICN and ICA will quickly demonstrate, so even RW's MHoGatA might be recalled or at least requested, so even Clyntahn might have to readjust his thinking regarding how dedicated the HE is to the jihad.
I believe its known as a win-win for the good guys.
L
Randomiser wrote:lyonheart wrote:
Vastly more important than whipping the poor troops left behind and running off the local aristocracy and any inquisitors they can catch, ie destroying the power and credibility of the traditional authorities, would be the encouragement and protection of all the serfs willing to leave, to be free with their own land on Greentree, Westbreak Island or some other nearby island.
Now that the EoC can charter hundreds of galleons to transport hundreds of thousands of ex-serfs, moving a 1/4-1/2 million over a month or so, to start with, would shock the aristocracy to its very core, challenging all their assumptions.
Seems pretty random to me.
Where are the troops coming from?
Just because Charis may have 'endless' money, doesn't mean they have the number of vessels needed available. Where are all these vessels with nothing of higher priority they can be used for coming from? What will be the economic impact of diverting them from whatever they are currently being used for?
Who owns Greentree or Westbreak and what is their reaction to such an influx going to be? What is the terrain, climate and soil fertility like and how many people live there already?
Are those islands generally even 'consecrated'?
Where is the materiel, food and transport going to come from to support all these people during their first year or so, building homes, starting farms etc.?