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The Ostmark Army led by Ulric Typhonus marches east to the Songaskian city of Massoilagui, another pearl city on the coast of the great ocean. The war is still young, and most other nations in the region haven't even fully reacted to the outbreak of the war yet. Preliminary scouting points out that Massoilagui is far more defended than Shaaq-Turnaal was, and that it is very likely that an enemy would sally out of the city to meet the Regalians in the plains in front of the city. As such, the Regalian Army camped a bit further away from the city, while the naval attachment of the Frontier Armada led by Christopher Black engaged the city's defences by bombarding the city walls from the ocean. The Emperor made another statement with regards to the state of the Army and some reforms that he instituted:
As the changes were passed along bureaucratically, the Undercrown at home took a more executive direction by seizing the newly appointed Grand Armada, as well as the Kaisermark Army to engage in his own military campaign in Drixagh. Bypassing the orders sent by Nathaniel Bigge to stop troop movements, the Grand Armada was sent north instead to bombard the coastal villages of the rebellious northerners. The Kaisermark Army was combined with the Imperial Standard Army which normally defends Regalia, and both armies were sent north to Drixagh on a military campaign against the locals. In complete contrast with the Lieutenant-General's previous actions, the Undercrown declared total war on the Drixagh locals and started an effective purge. Orders were given to trample fields, loot granaries and burn villages. In the lacking of granaries and fields in Drixagh however, the soldiers instead started killing livestock and focussing most of their efforts of destroying the villages.
Village after village was put to the sword and the repression was absolutely ruthless. Whole villages were summarily hung from trees, until the landscape of the many isolated tribes became macabre and desolate. Worse yet, the Undercrown incurred the punishment of Justifixion, an old Unionist practice of cutting birch tree logs, strapping criminals onto them, raising their arms above their heads and nailing their wrists and ankles to the pole while they were still alive. The poles were then raised in a line around towns that had been repressed as a lasting reminder of what the state inflicts upon those who would rise up in Rebellion. All crude artillery made by Eirik Valdemar was burned on large pyres. Original orders were to seize it for state property, but local commanders were of the opinion that old-age artillery such as catapults were too crude for the Regalian Army, and as such, they were simply destroyed.
The Northern Rebellion had no hopes of actually beating the combined force of the Kaisermark and the Imperial Standard Army, especially since the Imperial Standard Army was one of trained experts. Many of the locals fled into the hills, mountains, and the forests, but hundreds of Skagger Berhednars were slain as their sacred halls of teaching were defiled by disrespecting Regalian soldiers who often urinated on edifices of the Old Gods. The repression of the Northern Rebellion turned more and more into a cultural warfare where the intention, at least of the soldiers, seemed to be completely about rooting out the inferior wild barbarians. The Northerners that did not support the Rebellion and who nominally supported the state with Imperial loyalty became uncomfortable at the harshness that was employed on their rebelling brethren. The lesser Barons in particular wrote an open letter to any Northern family, interest group or person, in an attempt to convince them to reason with the state to tone down the violence in Drixagh, to avoid Drixagh turning into a permanent Vultaro of sorts. Furthermore, they feared such hostility would only serve to weaken the bond between Regalia and Nordskag, as well as potentially put the state at risk of hostilities with the northern Crag nations.
Either way, the ball was now in the court of the other Northerners in the city. Would they just stand by as their heritage was trampled? Would they submit to the new Imperial standard and leave behind the wild north, or would they stand up against the government, if not through military means, by virtue of diplomacy attempt to convince the rhetoric to become more forgiving.
"I have decided to un-castrate the Inspector Admirals by reforming them to become the Lieutenant-Admirals. They will no longer be attached and commanded by the Lieutenant-Generals, rather, they will now be their own independently moving force that can engage at their own discretion. To facilitate the fleet sizes, I have further decided to simply disband the Südmark and Obermark fleets, and to reassign their ships to the various fleets. The Kaisermark fleet will become the Grand Armada, led by Nathaniel Bigge. The Ostmark fleet will become the Frontier Armada, led by Christopher Black. The Westmark fleet will become the Crown Armada led by Valentino dei Orazio. Furthermore, I am informing the people that I have sent a missive to the Undercrown some time ago to create additional armies for the war with the Songaskians. The Hohemark and Nebenmark armies will be created by my instructions, while Percival Kade will be transferred from the Obermark Army to the Nebenmark Army, as Ulric Typhonus will be transferred from the Ostmark to the Hohemark Army. New appointments are to be made by the Undercrown for the replacements on the Obermark and Ostmark Lieutenant-General positions."
As the changes were passed along bureaucratically, the Undercrown at home took a more executive direction by seizing the newly appointed Grand Armada, as well as the Kaisermark Army to engage in his own military campaign in Drixagh. Bypassing the orders sent by Nathaniel Bigge to stop troop movements, the Grand Armada was sent north instead to bombard the coastal villages of the rebellious northerners. The Kaisermark Army was combined with the Imperial Standard Army which normally defends Regalia, and both armies were sent north to Drixagh on a military campaign against the locals. In complete contrast with the Lieutenant-General's previous actions, the Undercrown declared total war on the Drixagh locals and started an effective purge. Orders were given to trample fields, loot granaries and burn villages. In the lacking of granaries and fields in Drixagh however, the soldiers instead started killing livestock and focussing most of their efforts of destroying the villages.
Village after village was put to the sword and the repression was absolutely ruthless. Whole villages were summarily hung from trees, until the landscape of the many isolated tribes became macabre and desolate. Worse yet, the Undercrown incurred the punishment of Justifixion, an old Unionist practice of cutting birch tree logs, strapping criminals onto them, raising their arms above their heads and nailing their wrists and ankles to the pole while they were still alive. The poles were then raised in a line around towns that had been repressed as a lasting reminder of what the state inflicts upon those who would rise up in Rebellion. All crude artillery made by Eirik Valdemar was burned on large pyres. Original orders were to seize it for state property, but local commanders were of the opinion that old-age artillery such as catapults were too crude for the Regalian Army, and as such, they were simply destroyed.
The Northern Rebellion had no hopes of actually beating the combined force of the Kaisermark and the Imperial Standard Army, especially since the Imperial Standard Army was one of trained experts. Many of the locals fled into the hills, mountains, and the forests, but hundreds of Skagger Berhednars were slain as their sacred halls of teaching were defiled by disrespecting Regalian soldiers who often urinated on edifices of the Old Gods. The repression of the Northern Rebellion turned more and more into a cultural warfare where the intention, at least of the soldiers, seemed to be completely about rooting out the inferior wild barbarians. The Northerners that did not support the Rebellion and who nominally supported the state with Imperial loyalty became uncomfortable at the harshness that was employed on their rebelling brethren. The lesser Barons in particular wrote an open letter to any Northern family, interest group or person, in an attempt to convince them to reason with the state to tone down the violence in Drixagh, to avoid Drixagh turning into a permanent Vultaro of sorts. Furthermore, they feared such hostility would only serve to weaken the bond between Regalia and Nordskag, as well as potentially put the state at risk of hostilities with the northern Crag nations.
Either way, the ball was now in the court of the other Northerners in the city. Would they just stand by as their heritage was trampled? Would they submit to the new Imperial standard and leave behind the wild north, or would they stand up against the government, if not through military means, by virtue of diplomacy attempt to convince the rhetoric to become more forgiving.
