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Snippet #13

This fascinating series is a combination of historical seafaring, swashbuckling adventure, and high technological science-fiction. Join us in a discussion!
Re: Snippet #13
Post by JBNL1972   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:24 am

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PeterZ wrote:Desnair can't extract value from their smaller neighnors until the industrialize. They can't industrialize until they find a way to adopt Charisian techniques. This points to SH as the source. Those smaller Howard nations have a small window to industrialize faster. If they wait, they get eaten up SH-D Axis testing their war machine.


The conquest won't be about value but politics, possibly under the pretense of 'protection from Charisian influence' and might happen more in the throne room than on the battlefield ... of the three, I'd guess Delferahk might put up the most objections; given Sodar's described poverty it might very well end up getting split up between SH and Desnair ... unless there's mineral wealth to be had, then it might become a battleground.
The other two nations I haven't seen enough details from to hazard any guesses which way they'll jump - or get pushed.

(And I can almost imagine the Wizard reading this and chuckling to himself "oh you have no idea, no idea at all")
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by PeterZ   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:36 am

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I agree with your logic, but not the timing, JBNL1972. SH is still disrupted and won't just jump into Desnair's arms immediately. They need to be wooed into a firm alliance. Desnair gobbling up those smaller nations before SH joins is counter productive. Not just in that way, but Charisian forces haven't drawn down totally. A battle group led by a Haarald, a squadron of cities and some fast troop transports can level one of their coastal cities easy-peasy. If they follow their Corisandian tactics, they keep casualties low and destruction high.

No, Desnair will recognize they need to industrialize first. What is happening up north will just speed things along in creating the Howard Axis. Until the enemies of Charis industrialize, Cayleb and Sharley can impose a Charisian Peace.
Last edited by PeterZ on Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by Randomiser   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:54 am

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Rather convenient that the disorder is mostly concentrated in a strip running up the middle of N Harchong. ;) But all most intriguing.
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by Randomiser   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:55 am

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Can anyone remind me where, exactly, the Mighty Host ended up after the war?
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by Dilandu   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:15 pm

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The question is Dohlar reaction on West Harchong going in bed with Charis. Despite all current rapprochement, Dohlar clearly wouldn't be happy with another Charisian-influenced territory near the entrance to the Gulf of Dohlar. The strategical disadvantages for Dohlar is just too great, to be ignored.

In current strategical configuration, the Dohlarans could - as soon as they have modern-style navy - threw Charisians out of the Gulf in case of confrontation, and secure their main communication lines. The Charisians do not have any positions to fall back on it nearby. But if they would have Western Harchong, the situation is changed not in favor of Kingdom of Dohlar; the Charisians would have at very least secure anchorages & naval bases where they could recover & from where they could launch a counter-offensive.

So, the Regent would probably have some rather unpleasant discussion with Charisian ambassador...
------------------------------

Oh well, if shortening the front is what the Germans crave,
Let's shorten it to very end - the length of Fuhrer's grave.

(Red Army lyrics from 1945)
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by JBNL1972   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:22 pm

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Randomiser wrote:Can anyone remind me where, exactly, the Mighty Host ended up after the war?


Mostly encamped in the Temple Lands, since they got evicted by Siddarkmark (and I guess by extension, the Border States) and blocked from returning home by the Harchongese.
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by JBNL1972   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:34 pm

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Dilandu wrote:The question is Dohlar reaction on West Harchong going in bed with Charis. Despite all current rapprochement, Dohlar clearly wouldn't be happy with another Charisian-influenced territory near the entrance to the Gulf of Dohlar. The strategical disadvantages for Dohlar is just too great, to be ignored.


On the other hand,three or more smaller marginally stable fragments of the Harchong Empire aren't as threatening as the single monolith ... Dohlar could play them off against each other ... or seize the initiative and strengthen ties on their terms. Rainbow Water's Eastern Region is next door. The Dohlarans could choose to recognize it, build their own rail and trade links overland and internally, strengthening that region politically and economically.

Of course, doing that would sour relations with the south ... but if the Desnairians sweettalk the empreor first, that might be a lost cause regardless (given the little love lost between Dohlar and Desnair)
Still it would be a good neighbor with an impressive military next door, with Desnair and South Harchong a body of water away.

The central Harchong area will probably fragment into smaller fiefdoms; possibly along the episcopal lines which may or may not be a pretext for the Church to step in and exert some influence (for all the good it'll do them in the end)

Western Harchong will be the interesting case; Charis will have an impact there, but I doubt they'll want to be too visible or too involved; if they are either or both, the UP council/government could end up being denounced as puppets which would crash the nascent country back to anarchy; not a pretty sight. I'd expect it to be a hands-off deal by Charis, backed from the shadows, letting them make their own deicsions towards their own destiny; Dohlar being smart they might spoeed the process along by parallelling Charisian investment and efforts.

leastways, that's my two hundredth marks ....
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by Isilith   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:44 pm

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JBNL1972 wrote:
Randomiser wrote:Can anyone remind me where, exactly, the Mighty Host ended up after the war?


Mostly encamped in the Temple Lands, since they got evicted by Siddarkmark (and I guess by extension, the Border States) and blocked from returning home by the Harchongese.


Nope, it was stated that they were settled in the western part of the Temple Lands.
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by gblab   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:53 pm

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PeterZ wrote:
JBNL1972 wrote:So the Harchong empire is fracturing into regions ... a reverse Chinese unification sort of!

Wizard, thank you for another snippet to fuel the mind with all sorts of speculations!!

And in keeping with that theme, we have a United Provinces that will be very defensible, large geographically and well populated, which rebelled against the largest Empire of their world. Now all we need is to find a translation of Runzheng Zhou that results in some variation of Orange.


Well, if we allow for some drift in spelling: 'chéng' can mean 'orange' ...
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Re: Snippet #13
Post by NervousEnergy   » Sun Nov 11, 2018 3:32 pm

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Isilith wrote:
JBNL1972 wrote:Mostly encamped in the Temple Lands, since they got evicted by Siddarkmark (and I guess by extension, the Border States) and blocked from returning home by the Harchongese.


Nope, it was stated that they were settled in the western part of the Temple Lands.

And now they're all (or at least a good part of them) in East Harchong. I was wondering if that would happen. I suspect he'll move into the districts that are in complete collapse soon as well.. the 350K of the Mighty Host that support him are going to be, by far, the most powerful military formation in the region. IIRC, when the war abruptly ended, they were mostly intact, with good morale, and top-notch equipment. If he wanted to march on the Emperor in Southern Harchong I don't think anyone could stop him.
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