Hi guys,
Sorry, this is my first post in a couple month's due to internet and computer problems besides being busier than I'd like, but such is life.
I'd like to thank the very many many excellent comments throughout this thread for their insights, but make a few points of my own.
Thirsk's primary concerns are his family, his navy, and his country, and Merlin must deal with all of them, and I believe in that order.
I agree with those who feel Merlin must tell Thirsk his family is alive first, to be as forthright from the beginning as possible [unless his daughters insisted he wait etc], then given that Merlin can't leave any physical letter or memento from Thirsk's daughters or grandchildren behind, where it would be found by the valet or someone else before Thirsk woke up, even if it was in one of his pockets, and burning it immediately after reading in the fireplace is also contraindicated; it seems far more likely Merlin will haul out a com, explain as Thirsk already knows, that the ancient or early seijins had received archangel blessed machines to communicate with each other over long distances, and its called a 'com' for short.
If Thirsk asks where Merlin's came from, he can honestly answer the same place their's did.
Showing his daughters and their families alive, talking to him in real time, moving, etc from aboard Destiny [on the way back to Claw Island] would be the best antidote to Thirsk's binge drinking and depression; though Merlin might inject some anti- alcohol agents and inhibitors to help sober him up more quickly, so he wakes up feeling a lot better than in 5days.
I suspect Merlin would offer sanctuary at either the Tellesburg palace or cathedral after the oncoming hurricane season on Claw Island, and those comments regarding it being the safest place are spot on.
Once his concern for his family has been ameliorated, preserving his navy, which he knows is doomed, will be Thirsk's second priority.
Merlin doesn't have to make mysterious hints or describe the 'City' class ironclads; Thirsk knows the Dreadnought is a 3 year old design, having probably found the ship's hull plate etc; his nightmares have probably been filled with imagining what blue water versions of the coastal ironclads the ICN has come up with since, though none will prepare him for the KHVII's.
It'll be interesting if we read anymore from his report on the Dreadnought, or discussions with Maik or Zhwaigair.
The appearance of the two replacement Rottweilers soon will encourage caution by the RDN, but I can't help wondering if a stretched Rottweiler with a pair of double expansion engines and 1-5 days of coal could be quite useful, which might result from converting the last ones on the stocks, steaming mainly for battle.
HFQ has Howsmyn thinking a couple more month's would be good timing for the KHVII's back in August, and that they could reach the Gulf of Dohlar in 24 days refueling at Port Royal, so we might see them in action before the end of October, if not then surely in November, much too soon to miss out on encouraging Dohlar to ditch Clytahn and the inquisition.
Since Ironhill got the word about the Mohryah Lode in August of last year, the EoC's financial constraints that reduced the KHVII's to only three initially has been eliminated, so I expect several more were quickly laid down, depending more on the number of large building slips available, thus the next batch has caught up with first so I won't be surprised if instead of 3 we have 6 or even 8 BB's greeting the RDN's western fleet [half or ~30 galleons?] sooner than most expect, with another 6-8 not that far behind.
Given the new steel works we've been hearing about since HFaF at Tellesburg, Maikelberg, and Lake Lyman, that are or were as big as Delthak, the steel shortage for all of the empire's projects ought to be alleviated rather soon.
Besides these, there are the steam powered colliers and freighters, troop ships and animal transports, that can be built much more quickly while carrying several thousand tons of cargo to keep up and supply them with the coal, food, ammunition and spare parts etc they need, NTM space for POW's.
Given the inner circle's interest in preserving Thirsk's power base, coming up with a plan that demonstrates how outclassed the RDN is, along with what's left of the rest of the Go4's navies, so the admiral is compelled to surrender to spare his men, seems the most likely plan.
How RFC accomplishes this will be fascinating.
I have my own ideas, but the odds are strongly against them being the same as his.
However, once the western RDN has been removed from play, I don't believe the KHVII's will immediately steam for Gorath Bay.
Rather, the semaphore communication nexus at Dairnyth needs to be taken out first; along with all the messenger wyvernries along both shores of the Bay of Bess, and the Mahthyw Passage, to reduce the potential alternate communications, courtesy of the seijin network; they don't have to kill the cute birdie analogs, just open the cages with bolt cutters and let them fly home.
Cutting the semaphore links ought to at least double the time loop for messages between Zion and GC from around 14 hours to nearer 28 [given slower night transmission rates], quite aside from cutting most of Howard from Haven, while the longest internal Dohlaran semaphore messages would be about 4, after the Dohlaran government seizes its internal semaphore lines to protect them in the face of the erupting chaos.
Clyntahn may well recognize Thirsk is a greater threat than before, but if he stays quiet, his reputation might protect him for the short time left before things come apart; though the inquisition assassins would run afoul of the 'fist of god' [FoG] who 'missed' Thirsk thanks to Owl and Nahrmahn.
The sharing of lists of Dohlaran agent inquisitors is a good suggestion, since SNARC's following each inquisitor as they reveal themselves ought to be pretty easy.
Kharmych and the other intendants and inquisitors may have plans and orders to take control if things get worse, which might include having Rahnyld IV abdicate with Thorast as regent, which might go badly and the inquisition blamed for killing the king that outrages the public on top of everything else and a general reaction against the Go4.
Then again, the 'FoG' might strike at the inquisition's leadership as well as pruning its rank and file before Thirsk and friends are ready, to preempt them, as directed by Nahrmahn, Nynian and OWL to decapitate their command and control.
The FoG has yet to be reported using mines, rifles and booby-traps, ie killing at a distance where there might also be civilian casualties; so Dohlar and GC might be firsts in that respect, but there would be many external observers of all this, thinking of their own situations, particularly in the Border States.
Sorry, this is too long already!
Hopefully more later today.
L
