PeterZ wrote:I have suggested in other threads that Rainbow Waters conquers Desnair. Siddermark and Charis would facilitate travel to the South just to get those trained troops away from Sidermark's borders. South Harchong would provide support as a means of acquiring Desnair's wealth. North Harchong would expand their Empire AND keep those troops as far away from home as possible. Duchairn wouldn't support the move but also couldn't prevent it, if Emperor Waisu ordered it. I suspect that the Northern Harchong clergy would see attacking Desnair as a way to vent their spleen on a worthy target.
Incorporating Desnair into the Empire serves to find space for those troops where their experience wouldn't disrupt the homeland. Given the wall between Desnair and South Harchong, the two empires have butted heads in the recent past. Further given Desnair's displayed incompetence in fighting a modern war, Waisu would rightfully see this as a short victorious war.
Actually, he would be made to see it as a not so short victorious war. The bureaucracy would make the war last longer than it needs to for two reasons. First, the longer the war lasts, the more of those soldiers who might disrupt the Empire will die. Second, the longer the war lasts, the more graft the bureaucracy can skim off the top. Also, the merchant families of the South will keep peculation to a minimum, so the war will need to be lengthened to fatten their purses suitably. Afterall, most of the bureaucracy have already gotten too used to the amount of graft available from the jihad to forego the prospects of continuing the cash flow.
That sort of treatment would disillusion the MH soldiers even more. Toss in Duke Kohlman wheedling weapons from Cayleb to sell to worthwhile Desnairians and the war lasts even longer. Desnair as a society is shattered. South Harchong has to expand its industry massively to support the war. That expansion would require even more liberation of serfs into the manufactories. Heck, liberated would be more productive if they were actually paid for their work. The mercantile families would recognize this quite readily.
That leaves North Harchong completely isolated as every other polity on is Safehold changing. If Charis directs its attention at North Harchong's serfs, North Harchong would find their own internal social upheaval to deal with. The good news from a Charisian/Inner Circle perspective is that the fight to free serfs and slaves is a moral imperative. The consequences to those that would keep God's children shackled is secondary to the imperative to free those people. If Duchairn tries to defend slaveholders, he loses whatever moral authority he gained after his coup against Clyntahn. The same applies to any Archangel/virtual personality that awakens and tries to turn back the clock should the serfs and slaves of Safehold have been emancipated before the Awakening. Any Archangel that demands God's children be enslaved would be suspect.
Anyway, that seems a likely direction this story will take.
Randomiser wrote:EvilAuthor
Settling the Mighty Host somewhere, attractive as it sounds, looks like a non-starter. I forget the exact figures, but 1 Million+ men need a whole lot of ground plus lots of logistic support while they set themselves up, vastly more if it's on unconsecrated ground. Then they also need 1 Million+ women. Where are they coming from? NTM many of them have wives and children back in N Harchong and they all have extended families there. Are their owners going to agree to losing even more serfs and who will pay for their transport and feeding even if the landowners agree? The MHoGA plus the reinforcements that are on the way/in training are a really difficult problem whichever way you approach it. Siddarmark is the last place that will want them. And wherever they go, who pays?
Peter,
Nice summary but I need some things cleared up... first, isn't there only one emperor and capital city for all of Harchong?
I know we are told that the southern population (as a rule) seem to be more progressive but, at bottom line, they report to the same leaders so, the Mighty Host is a product of the entire nation, even if most of the troupers came from the north.
I think most of them would like to go home and even if the bureaucrats try to disarm them, "Use a knife till you can capture a gun" and there are a lot of them who could form squads even if they never worked together before, they are trained.
I think the inner circle wants to end the transition as quickly as possible, with as little additional bloodshed as possible. I also think they are more practicable and experienced about where and how to hit to knock down the walls.
Yes, they want a favorable balance of power against Desnar but I think that comes second.
David has promised a more detailed map... I hope we can see the boarder between Sodar and Desnar.
I seem to recal that Sodar was identified as a poor nation with no need for a navy (because they had no seacoast) and, yes, the map will be redrawn in the south as well as the north so the prospect of the fall of Desnar is very real and desirable from the perspevctive of the social order.
