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HFQ Official Snippet #20

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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:53 pm

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Hi McGuiness,

Kudos for the excellent points.

The fact that Ahlverez is effectively going around three sides of a square or a 'U' or 'V' route to Fort Sheldon that has or should have given DE and EHM plenty of time to get ahead of him, being kept fully informed by Merlin etc.

Side points: First, EHM doesn't need to go to Aivahnstyn, which is over 900 miles away or at almost a month, since General Symkyn already has 75,000 men there, almost all with rifles; while traveling 900 miles west would put EHM around 200 miles east of Dairnyth or just another 5-6 days marching, for a far more strategic objective, so which way do you really think he's headed?

Keep in mind, Kaitswyrth had only ~9,000 rifles left after DE drove him back 100 miles back into Westmarch [and all replacements went to the MHoGatA], while his HQ in Aivahnstyn is 200 miles further back, which makes Kaitswyrth's command and communications capability even worse than they could be.

Given Symkyn's evident competence, and being several hundred miles south of Guarnak, Kaitswyrth will be toast very soon without any help from EHM.

We still don't have a time hack for his march, so Ahlverez could have been marching for 2 or 3 5days already, and from your point for his location is some 600 miles from Fort Sheldyn or at least 3-4 more 5days, the latter more likely given his men's weary state, more than enough time for DE and EHM to get in front of him, if they aren't already.

Given DE's probable familiarity with Ahlverez's condition, I suspect he's sent close to half his army or EHM's forward, beyond Fort Sheldyn while he stays to meet Ahlverez.

Again I don't see Hanth settling down for a 'siege' of Evrytyn.

Last time, he was clearly on the defensive, with only his ~7500 men, not he has closer to 20,000 minimum, if not more from the still 'missing' 50,000+ Port Royal convoy we've yet to here from, so he may equal if not also outnumber Rychtyr, which as Thirsk pointed out to his officers is a losing proposition, so Hanth with superior firepower can maneuver Rychtyr out of his fortifications by threatening his canal.

I can't help wondering if DE acting on Cayleb's instructions, might offer Ahlverez terms that permit his men to go home if Dohlar stops fighting the alliance, in effect holding his men ransom for a change in Dohlar's war on the alliance, even if it's a temporary truce, which sprouts all sorts of interesting potential possibilities.

For example, Dohlar doesn't have an army to oppose EHM if he's headed for Dairnyth, and might even not try given the advantages such an excuse would give them, even evacuating the city as the "only thing they could do" since they had no army to stop him etc...

Or, suppose Rychtyr accepted such an offer if only for 6 month's or 200 days etc, King Rahnyld might object but it might then be too late if Rychtyr is already retreating.

Intriguing times. :D

L


McGuiness wrote:*quote="Louis R"*What's your definition of 'best map we have available'? Kind of hard to know what you're saying if we don't know what you're looking at ;)

If it's the one Pokermind posted for us upthread, I'd guess from the text that he's probably a lot further toward the hilt of the sword - somewhere within 100 miles of the center of the line from Malyktyn to the top of the east upright on the H. That's a lot closer to what his thoughts indicate, IMV. He'd have been moving fairly quickly up to the point where he left the high road. He didn't start slogging until then, and would still have been in fairly good shape for the first 5-6 days after leaving the road. Progress is bad now, and getting worse quickly, so I'm guessing that he covered a good 2/3 of the distance he's marched in half the elapsed time, or even less. He'll be further out into the South March than the description we just saw would suggest, and probably further north than you seem to be thinking.
*quote="lyonheart"*"Howdy everybody",

< snip >
Fourth, despite the several chapters of HFQ, Ahlverez is still "over 300 miles from Thesmar" (NTM almost 300 from Kharmych) or further than he was at the end of LaMA; so it may have only been 7-8 days since LaMA ended, so he's approximately near the northeast side of the 'o' in 'South March Lands' on the best map we have available.

< snip >
L*quote**quote*Using the map from LaMA, since there doesn't seem to be a link to a map from Pokermind in my browser, I'd peg Ahlverez's position somewhere in the area of the "T" in the "South March Lands." His next destination is Malys, which is 80 miles southwest of his current position, which would be 30-40 miles directly south of the "S" in "South March." From there he intends to move northwest towards Fort Sheldyn, which will require him to cross the Cheryk - Fort Tairys high road, passing slightly north of the center of the cross on the shield to get there. Evidently his lousy map must show some sort of road leading to Fort Sheldyn from Malys, which has five roads forking from it.

His army is in no shape to march 500 miles to Alyksberg, and we don't know if Fort Sheldyn or Syrk to the north of it on the high road are still in CoGA hands. Brahnselyk and Cheyvair were both captured by the Army of Cliff Peak, lead by Earl Highmount, and we don't know how far south the AoCP troops went before the majority of them pulled back to prepare for an assault on Kaitswyrth as soon as the weather allows.

LaMA is fairly clear that the Dohlarans were rushing supplies and troops forward to Evrytyn to hold that position, not to stop Hanth's advance. He's likely to dig in and shell the place until the Delthak arrives, and then things will get interesting. Hanth will either cut the canal behind Evrytyn, forcing a Dohlaran retreat, or the Delthak will blast through the defenses and force the Dohlarans to blow the locks and retreat. Either way, there may be no friendly faces anywhere nearby when (and if) Ahlverez finally reaches Fort Sheldyn. It's possible that the Dohlarans there pulled back, as did those at Syrk when Hanth moved up from the south when Brahnselyk fell to the north.

At best Ahlverez is aiming for a narrow corridor that's not garrisoned or picketed by allied troops. As he explained, “The way I see it, our best bet is to strike northwest from Malys, through Thyssyk, across the high road, and then through Fyrnyst and on up to Fort Sheldyn. Once we cross the high road, we break almost due north for Alyksberg.”

Although it isn't shown on the map in LaMA, the online map from MTaT shows a high road from Fort Sheldyn to Alyksberg. If the area northwest of the fort is still in CoGA hands, Ahlverez could possibly make his escape, especially if the fort is still held by CoGA forces and he can take its garrison and their weapons with him.

That's his plan, which surprisingly takes into account Hanth's offensive all the way to Evrytyn, which I thought began at roughly the same time as the Battle of Kyplynger. I'm surprised that Ahlverez knows about it.

The bad news for Ahlverez - well, more bad news... Duke Eastshare is undoubtedly moving tens of thousands of troops from Kharmych and will have the entire high road picketed all the way to Cheryk. Seijin Zhevons could drop by anytime to give him the location of the shattered remains of Ahlverez's army, which would force Ahlverez to surrender rather than face a pitched battle. Even if the Dohlaran scouts that are looking for him with the news of Hanth's offensive find him, he already seems to have that news, and their information of whether his intended escape route will work is going to be outdated by the time he receives it.

At this point DE is several times more mobile using the high road than Ahlverez, and his army is intact, well fed, and flush with victory. For the first time the ICA actually outnumbers the enemy force it faces, and it's not short of weapons or ammunition, but the Dohlarans are.

Once DE links up with Hanth, any corridor of retreat will close and Ahlverez will have no chance of escape. If that hasn't happened already, it will within the next couple of five days. That will vastly simplify DE's logistics as well, since he'll be supplied through Thesmar. :twisted:

Ahlverez is toast. If he makes it home he'll be executed as a scapegoat, so the best use of him as a character is as the senior Dohlaran POW, and later as part of a regency council with Thirsk after the EoC captures and executes King Rahnyld for turning Gwylym Manthyr and the rest of the Charisian POWs over to the Inquisition. I do realize that's an aberration from how the EoC has treated enemy leaders in the past, but Cayleb and Sharleyan have sworn that Rahnyld will pay personally for that action. Plus the EoC isn't trying to annex Dohlar.

Don't expect the EoC to even try to conquer Dohlar, or even cross the Dohlar/Siddarmark border except to conduct small raids. Dohlar has 97 million people vs. 72 million for the entire EoC. It's also the most technologically advanced of the mainland realms. The EoC simply doesn't have the troops to garrison it, couldn't possibly hold on to it, and it doesn't need to invade it to win the war.

Unlike most of the other mainland realms, Dohlar does have the option to surrender, since its geography makes that possible. It's surrounded on the three sides by the Gulf of Dohlar, and is bordered on the east by Siddarmark (which is out for blood) and the Grand Duchy of Silkiah, which is neutral and located across the apparently impenetrable Salthar mountains. In other words, Dohlar can be effectively separated from CoGA control and invasion by any CoGA forces. The EoC will soon have complete control of the Gulf of Dohlar, and no CoGA army is going to be able to get past Hanth and DE on the Dohlaran border with Siddarmark to threaten internal Dohlaran politics.

Desnair and South Harchong will also be out of the war in the next few months, once the Haarahld VIIs arrive in the Gulf of Dohlar. Those countries won't surrender, but they won't contribute much to the war effort either. Desnair's land route through Silkiah is cut off, and its days of building commerce raiders are coming to a messy end due to Merlin's "network of spies." South Harchong will be completely cut off from the war once the ICN controls the entire Gulf of Dohlar.

Keep running, Sir Ahlverez. Hanth and Duke Eastshare are waiting to save you and your troops from the wrath of the Inquisition! ;)
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:56 pm

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Hi Jeff Engel,

Merlin is far too tall to impersonate Thirsk.

L


JeffEngel wrote:
Joat42 wrote:Re RFC's negative on Thirsk and family getting rescued by Aivah's organisation.

I have posited the theory that Thirsks family could be saved by Aivah's organization quite a while ago, but thinking about it now I doubt it's very realistic.

The same goes for Merlin rescuing his family, however if Thirsk is dead there is no need for the inquisition to keep them under their thumb.

So, we have a couple of scenarios that might be possible:
  1. Thirsk gets killed because the enmity from a certain Dohlarian noble which sees his chance to get his revenge.
  2. Thirsk gets killed because the inquisition thinks he is of no further use.
  3. Thirsk plans his own "death" as a way to defect. See LAMA Aug 896 - Ch IX and his thoughts about Ahlvyn Khapahr and his daugthers.
  4. Thirsk plans his own death as a way to save his family from the inquisition.
  5. Merlin impersonates Ahlvyn Khapahr and feigns killing Thirsk as a way to help him defect.
In my opinion, Thirsk's death by Ahlvyn Khapahr hand is very fishy since we know that Thirsk thrusts him implicitly and we have the reference to that Ahlvyn is up to something that Thirsk can't tell his daughters about (see point 3 above for reference).

I'd like to add: Merlin impersonating Thirsk for the apparent assassination. Thirsk is whisked away; his heart-torn but Church-loyal assassin can report a successful operation; Nimue gets the family out; happy endings.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:25 pm

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Hi McGuiness,

I think PICA transformations are more flexible than you think, but the major problem is Thirsk's height.

The problem isn't Nimue wearing heels in a dim lit room, but from the textev, its a brightly lit room possibly the admiral's quarters aboard ship, but that she's still too tall.

Thirsk, according to LaMA's August Chapter 9 where Thirsk visits Lt. Zhwaigair's workshop, and sits on a stool but his feet still dangle, making him too short for Nimue to mimic.

Oh well, another interesting possibility shot down by brutal textev.

Regarding your possible terms, ending serfdom is a given to be near the top of the list, while #4 and #6 are really non-starters, as non-enforceable and not required; while #3 is a natural result that doesn't need to be forced, leaving Dohlar to solve its problems is best for Charis and the alliance, Siddarmark's reparations might be territorial, NTM at the expense of those opposed to such an accommodation.

L


McGuiness wrote:
JeffEngel wrote:I'd like to add: Merlin impersonating Thirsk for the apparent assassination. Thirsk is whisked away; his heart-torn but Church-loyal assassin can report a successful operation; Nimue gets the family out; happy endings.
Great idea, but unfortunately a PICA can only be reconfigured in a limited fashion. Quoting Sharleyan: “Well, I must say you’re much … solider-looking in person,” Sharleyan observed ... "And you really don’t look very much like Merlin. But there’s … something ... A family resemblance, I suppose.”

“Bone structure, probably,” Nimue replied ... “He altered his a bit when he decided he had to be a man instead of a woman, but it’s still basically the same, really, except for the jawline.”


Since there's been no mention of a PICA imitating the appearance of anyone else, which the TF certainly would have frowned upon, while RFC has gone into great detail regarding the limitations of a PICA's ability to alter its appearance, I highly doubt that either Merlin or Nimue could impersonate Thirsk. Merlin is too tall and Nimue is too short for starters, and there isn't much variation available in a PICA's height. (Which was a major reason that Nimue is much shorter than Merlin - she can imitate both a woman or a man, as long as she wear heels.)

I think Thirsk will manage his own escape, with the help of Ahlvyn Khapahr. With Thirsk "dead" there's no reason for the Inquisition to keep his family in "protective custody." At that point they can quietly slip away and join his corpse in exile. :lol:

There's also the possibility that the ICN attack on Gorath Bay may result in a reshuffling of Dohlaran royalty, since King Rahnyld may end up hanging by the neck until dead. (If Cayleb is feeling charitable!) :twisted:

Should something like that occur, a regency council will be needed, and who better to serve on it than the heroic commander of the NoG who actually defeated several Charisian war galleons, and whose researchers added greatly to the defense during the Battle of Gorath Bay?

I'd toss Ahlverez into the mix as well, once he's no longer a POW. That won't occur until the EoC and Dohlar reach terms. That may seem to be a stretch at the moment, but Dohlar is about to have its armies decimated and chased back to its borders. It's going to be cut off from all the other CoGA forces, and it faces a resurgent Siddarmark out for blood on its eastern border. Finally, it may very well lose its king and have an enemy fleet in Gorath Bay able to shell most of the city with impunity.

In that case reaching terms with the allies will be a very good idea, especially since Clyntahn isn't going to have an easy time punishing "cowards" and "traitors" when he can't even send assassins into the country. :lol:

The terms? Here's some possibilities:

1. Dohlar renounces the jihad.
2. War reparations to Siddarmark.
3. Reestablishment of trade.
4. Limitations on the size of the Dohlaran military.
5. A regency council with Thirsk as a member, since
he's known to be an honorable man.
6. A possible arranged marriage with Zhan or
Zhanayt, depending on the age and sex of Rahnyld's
children. (But I wouldn't want to be the one
married off to a Dohlaran, since I doubt Dohlar
will be quick to forgive the hanging of their king.
Perhaps Cayleb will only require him to abdicate.)
7. Recognition of the CoC as an alternative way to
God, with a mandate requiring religious toleration
and allowing CoC congregations in Dohlar.

Feel free to add your own terms, or tell me why some I've suggested won't work. For example, the marriage of state may be impossible if Rahnyld is executed, and recognition of the CoC as the official reformist church may simply spark a religious civil war within Dohlar. Cayleb and Merlin are smart enough not to ask for terms that will only make things worse.
Last edited by lyonheart on Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:41 pm

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Hi Don,

thank you for your kind words, and its always nice to read your posts.

NTM you're quite right.

Simplicity is often the best solution.

Leaving Dohlar to the Dohlarans will please the Dohlarans the most, given the other possible outcomes, generating the most future good will.

L


n7axw wrote:
lyonheart wrote:Hi SighsHeavily,

You're quite right in your terminology and references regarding princes, but not all here as familiar as you appear to be.

May we know a little of your background, possibly an interest in the Renaissance, professionally or personally?

You are very kind, probably overly polite, and rather eloquent; but allow me to apologise in appearing to suggest I expected Thirsk and Ahlverez to be co-rulers in the empire.

Cayleb, Sharleyan and the inner circle have been very wise in avoiding continental territorial commitments.

I don't see them wanting to rule or attempting to control Dohlar after its been reconstructed, or any continental territory with the possible exception of the Salthar Canal, though Siddarmark may feel differently about extending its borders.

There are many good reasons to let Dohlar be as independent as possible immediately after it turns its coat, and Dohlar will have several good reasons to keep its commitments and improve itself, among them the increasing apparent to all likelihood that the alliance will win this war with the Go4.

Being the leaders of the regency council will be interesting for both of them, NTM I think both will be pleasantly pleased at how mature their relationship is when they meet again, in moving beyond the past antagonisms.

Safehold and the Charisian Empire still depend on the aristocracy, even if its increasingly meritocratic in the EoC.

In that sense, Thirsk and Ahlverez stand as excellent role models for those remaining in Dohlar.

Dohlar has a population of some 97 millions, so the military even with its extended families is still a drop in the bucket, but you're right in that their public reputations will gain them much of the critical public support they'll need.

Delferahk may indeed turn its coat at some future date; and while I love the idea of a note on his pillow, if he's heard what happened to King Gorjah, Delferahk is inconsequential in this war on Haven, and if Howard is entirely cut off from direct contact with Zion, he may have excellent reasons to fear an unbridled Desnar, and seek new allies on his own.

I look forward to many more intriguing and informative posts.

L



Hi Lyonheart,

Always nice to see your posts...

I'm not convinced that the alliance replacing Rahnyld is a good idea. Just get Dohlar out of the war, either by knocking her out militarily or by negotiating her exit, and let the Dohlarans themselves decide whether or not they want to keep their "worthless sot of a king." Outside meddling invariably creates problems of its own, especially for the meddler. There is a saying, "you break it; you buy it." No way does the EOC want to own Dohlar's problems.

Don
Last edited by lyonheart on Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:55 pm

lyonheart
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Hi Don,

Given how Zhevons or Slaytyr [February chapter 2] popped up to advise local ICA units and officers in LaMA, the ICA should be able to follow or screen Ahlverez rather well without following too closely to be caught at it.

The public support Ahlverez would have if he makes it back with his army would be almost overwhelming, so I too kinda hope he makes it too, even if I don't see now how he can either.

Which may be one reason why RFC is stretching the snippets out, to make it more excruciating for his most ardent fans. ;)

L


n7axw wrote:
McGuiness wrote:
Ahlverez is toast. If he makes it home he'll be executed as a scapegoat, so the best use of him as a character is as the senior Dohlaran POW, and later as part of a regency council with Thirsk after the EoC captures and executes King Rahnyld for turning Gwylym Manthyr and the rest of the Charisian POWs over to the Inquisition. I do realize that's an aberration from how the EoC has treated enemy leaders in the past, but Cayleb and Sharleyan have sworn that Rahnyld will pay personally for that action. Plus the EoC isn't trying to annex Dohlar.



Maybe, but maybe not too. First, I think it makes a more interesting plot twist for Ahlverez to escape allied armies... Besides, it ain't over until the fat lady actually sings...although I admit she is spraying her throat in preparation for the song....

As for the inquisition, I doubt that they are going to be very influential in Dohlar by the time Ahlverez gets home if he makes it. By that time the Dohlarans are going to be muttering under their breath, "who got us into this mess, Clyntahn and his bloody Jihad, that's who!" As for the disaster in the South March lands, they will cheerfully project that on Desnairian incompetence. If Ahlverez gets home, he will be greeted as a hero for getting his men out.

I wholeheartedly agree with you that Ahlverez's people are in no shape to march 500 miles.

Don
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:08 am

lyonheart
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Posts: 4853
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Hi Senior Chief,

Well the winter weather isn't quite as bad as Napoleon's, the AoJ/AoS wasn't half so big, albeit traveling half again as far, and typhus isn't wreaking havoc.

The fact that Ahlverez isn't been harassed by Scout Snipers or local type partisans is quite notable, almost as if the ICA is discreetly screening and protecting Ahlverez, for reasons yet to be discovered in the next snippets.

L


Senior Chief wrote:this last snippet reminds me of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow.... Miserable conditions, lack of proper clothing, food, weapons, and ammunition.

At least the army is not being harassed by Cossacks.... just my thoughts... thanks for the Snippet.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:22 am

lyonheart
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Hi PeterZ,

Having such strong support among the army veterans will be quite a potent power base for Ahlverez, regardless whether he escapes or not.

If Dohlar drags out its surrender/accommodation until summer, by which time the ICN is raiding its whole long coast, the remaining nobility will have too much on their plates keeping what they have, to waste too much time scrambling for the national leadership; if the ICN isn't raiding specifically to remove them, while an alliance army from Salthar advances on Gorath, with Hanth etc driving from Siddermark, the terms they might get being far less. ;)

L


PeterZ wrote:What happens if Ahlvarez is captured with his men and kept with all the other POWs captured in the Kyplinger? I suspect that Ahvarez will turn that group into a coherent unit. Fast forward to the destruction of Dohlar's coastal cities by the KH VIIs and the shredding of Dohlar's armed forces. Dohlar can turn into Somalia as the petty aristos fight for supremacy or an effective leader turns up. Thirsk is either dead or does not have enough pull with the army to gather a sufficient force to consolidate power. How much is Ahlvarez and his coherent force worth then? Quite a lot if the goal is to make Dohlar stable.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by lyonheart   » Wed Mar 18, 2015 1:39 am

lyonheart
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Posts: 4853
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Hi JeffEngel,

Quite right and thanks for making some excellent points.

We don't know how many Rahnyld IV children has or grandchildren, but its inferred from no Dohlaran concerns over the succession.

You're spot on regarding Zahn's status, and Zhanayt seems more interested in Nahrmahn III [Gayreyt].

King Tarot's son is still quite a baby, who might be available to wed princess Alahnah.

The Baytz younger children are indeed available, but are unnecessary, as such a marriage isn't required, at least at this moment.

L


JeffEngel wrote:*quote="McGuiness"**quote="JeffEngel"*I'd like to add: Merlin impersonating Thirsk for the apparent assassination. Thirsk is whisked away; his heart-torn but Church-loyal assassin can report a successful operation; Nimue gets the family out; happy endings.
Great idea, but unfortunately a PICA can only be reconfigured in a limited fashion. Quoting Sharleyan: “Well, I must say you’re much … solider-looking in person,” Sharleyan observed ... "And you really don’t look very much like Merlin. But there’s … something ... A family resemblance, I suppose.”

“Bone structure, probably,” Nimue replied ... “He altered his a bit when he decided he had to be a man instead of a woman, but it’s still basically the same, really, except for the jawline.”


Since there's been no mention of a PICA imitating the appearance of anyone else, which the TF certainly would have frowned upon, while RFC has gone into great detail regarding the limitations of a PICA's ability to alter its appearance, I highly doubt that either Merlin or Nimue could impersonate Thirsk. Merlin is too tall and Nimue is too short for starters, and there isn't much variation available in a PICA's height. (Which was a major reason that Nimue is much shorter than Merlin - she can imitate both a woman or a man, as long as she wear heels.)*quote*
Thanks. I wouldn't put too much weight on it not having been mentioned though: given that the Federation would have frowned on it, it would not have been a regular practice then, but what the Federation would have frowned on isn't governing what Merlin, Nimue et al do on Safehold. If Nimue in heels may do - if poor lighting and more conventional disguise techniques can full in the rest - it could still work out. The reconfiguration done for Merlin especially and Nimue wasn't to reach any disguise goal but mostly just to tweak Nimue Alban's appearance enough to be a man or be a plausible female height for Safehold, so those two at least aren't establishing the limits of reconfigurations. Even Merlin's other identities aren't for specific appearances so much as looking not just like Merlin.
*quote*
I think Thirsk will manage his own escape, with the help of Ahlvyn Khapahr. With Thirsk "dead" there's no reason for the Inquisition to keep his family in "protective custody." At that point they can quietly slip away and join his corpse in exile. :lol: [/quote]
That one is far and away the top of my list of most likely possibilities too; I'm just not as tight in my list of flat-out not-going-to-happen ones.
There's also the possibility that the ICN attack on Gorath Bay may result in a reshuffling of Dohlaran royalty, since King Rahnyld may end up hanging by the neck until dead. (If Cayleb is feeling charitable!) :twisted:

Should something like that occur, a regency council will be needed, and who better to serve on it than the heroic commander of the NoG who actually defeated several Charisian war galleons, and whose researchers added greatly to the defense during the Battle of Gorath Bay?

I'd toss Ahlverez into the mix as well, once he's no longer a POW. That won't occur until the EoC and Dohlar reach terms. That may seem to be a stretch at the moment, but Dohlar is about to have its armies decimated and chased back to its borders. It's going to be cut off from all the other CoGA forces, and it faces a resurgent Siddarmark out for blood on its eastern border. Finally, it may very well lose its king and have an enemy fleet in Gorath Bay able to shell most of the city with impunity.

In that case reaching terms with the allies will be a very good idea, especially since Clyntahn isn't going to have an easy time punishing "cowards" and "traitors" when he can't even send assassins into the country. :lol:

The terms? Here's some possibilities:

1. Dohlar renounces the jihad.
2. War reparations to Siddarmark.
3. Reestablishment of trade.
4. Limitations on the size of the Dohlaran military.
5. A regency council with Thirsk as a member, since
he's known to be an honorable man.
6. A possible arranged marriage with Zhan or
Zhanayt, depending on the age and sex of Rahnyld's
children. (But I wouldn't want to be the one
married off to a Dohlaran, since I doubt Dohlar
will be quick to forgive the hanging of their king.
Perhaps Cayleb will only require him to abdicate.)
7. Recognition of the CoC as an alternative way to
God, with a mandate requiring religious toleration
and allowing CoC congregations in Dohlar.

Feel free to add your own terms, or tell me why some I've suggested won't work. For example, the marriage of state may be impossible if Rahnyld is executed, and recognition of the CoC as the official reformist church may simply spark a religious civil war within Dohlar. Cayleb and Merlin are smart enough not to ask for terms that will only make things worse.

Zhan is spoken for, engaged to Princess Marhya of Emerald. Zhanayt is not; neither are two of four children of the House of Baytz, which is currently among the most high-ranking in the Empire. (Chisholm and Corisande are thin for surviving royalty; I don't recall about Tarot but it's not in the same prestige league.)

I do agree with others that a hands-off approach as much as practical for Dohlar is best for the Empire, and for that matter Siddarmark and Dohlar itself.

I imagine the minimal terms would be renunciation of cooperation with the Inquisition and surrendering Rahnyld and perhaps some senior ministers for that for Charisian justice; renunciation of the jihad; and toleration for Temple Loyalist churches, Reformist ones, a hypothetical national Dohlaran church, and the Church of Charis. (Your 1 and 7, plus details.) Dohlar out of the war, detached from the Temple, and with its specific grievances outside the customs of war with Charis settled, gets all Charis needs and is least likely to re-make an enemy of Dohlar, while being more than enough to keep it from being a friend or ally of Clyntahn's Temple. What Siddarmark demands is another issue, but hopefully and presumably it can be kept in the same spirit: mutual territorial recognition and resumed trade would help a lot.

Dohlar is certainly going to have to settle its own affairs in the wake of such an agreement, and re-organizing into a genuine constitutional monarchy (or even one in which the monarch is essentially a figurehead) would be one likely move. It'd save them from another Rahynyld, it would regularize the effective balance of power that his removal would leave, and it would look a lot better to their new friends (let's call them that, in the spirit of hope) Siddarmark and Charis. But that's for them to work out, not forced into it by treaty imposed by brutal victors but as a natural Dohlaran evolution in the context of recovering from a war and Safehold's changes.[/quote]
Any snippet or post from RFC is good if not great!
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by octavian30   » Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:52 am

octavian30
Ensign

Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:13 pm

“Any word from Colonel Tyrwait?”

“Not since this morning, Sir.”

But to offset that, he’d still heard nothing from Tyrwait, who commanded the other one of those regiments. Tyrwait was doing his best to screen the main column’s western flank, and he was supposed to be scouting towards the village of Zhonstyn, eighty miles south-southwest of Malys.

After that, unless Colonel Tyrwait reports that something’s headed our way from Thesmar, I think we’ll have to assume our good friend Hanth has other fish to fry


I feel that Ahlverez is about to find his march is over. The silence from Tyrwait is defeaning.
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Re: HFQ Official Snippet #20
Post by anwi   » Wed Mar 18, 2015 5:03 am

anwi
Commander

Posts: 176
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 3:53 pm

octavian30 wrote:I feel that Ahlverez is about to find his march is over. The silence from Tyrwait is defeaning.


It's a bit premature to make that call. I'm somewhat sceptical to the idea of Charisian troops coming up from Thesmar. That said, I fully expect Charisian troops to be ahead of Ahlverez; the only question is whether they come into the wilderness to find him or not. We'll find out, hopefully in the next snippet.
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