Andrew Janssen wrote: > The excerpt describes the > Empire of Torphan's response to Cedonia's invasion and conquest of East > Torphan, Larasia, and Parglug. Minor point: Parglug did not exist at this point, being the name of a barbarian tribe, not a nation. Parglug as a nation did not exist until after Laressia was conquered. > * * * * * * * * * * * * * > In the year 690, the Cedonian Empire invaded the Torphani Shore of the > MidSea. Emperor Arden wished to create an overland link between Tanimbar > and Junder. At the time, it was believed that Torphan consisted solely > of the lands bounded by the River Uns to the west, Between the modern Burcany and Tanimbar? (Hmmm, it occurs to me that Torphan civilization is probably based along the eastern branch of this river, and it's probably as significant to them as the Ganges is in India.) > the Riven Jundara on the east, Between modern Parglug and Junder? I call this river the Prren in a recent post, but have no real attachment to that name. Do you have a name for the eastern river that flow into the Gulf of Labru? > and the Torphan Range to the south. The Torphani restricted > trade and travel in their lands, being very unfriendly to foreigners. > Foreign traders were essentially limited to the port cities along the > MidSea coast. A favored few foreign travellers penetrated into the > interior; they brought back reports of a great wall, running the entire > length of the Torphani Range. When asked the purpose of the wall, the > Torphani always replied, "Protection." > > The Legions attacked by sea, making landings at the major Torphani > ports: Unster, Fauve Monde, Aseria, and Parmouth. I don't know about the others, but Parmouth probably didn't have that name at the time. > The attacks were > swift, sudden, surprising, and supremely successful, taking the Torphani > completely by surprise. Within a month, the costal regions were > completely under Cedonian control. When the Legions began to push > inward, however, a shocking discovery was made: The Torphani Shore was > only a fraction of the true Empire of Torphan. > > In the fall of 690, Cedonian forces had managed to capture a provincial > governor's palace before the staff had time to begin destroying > documents. In the palace, they found a map showing the true size of the > Empire of Torphan, and a set of dispatches ordering the provincial > governor to fall back toward the Great Wall, where he would be joined by > the main army of 100,000 men under the command of the Torphani Emperor > himself. This was nearly shattering news to General Torren, the overall > commander of the Cedonian invasion forces, as after allowing for > garrisons, security, supply lines, and casualties, he could only field > about 64,000 men, and those only if he had time to concentrate his > forces. And time might be critical, for the date on the Torphani orders > was only a week past. > > General Torren immediately issued orders for his forces to concentrate > in and around Valas, a small village about 130 miles south of Aseria, > and located near the gate in the Great Wall through which the Torphani > Emperor and his army would be marching. Then, he turned to the priests > accompanying the Legions. To Marmdal he prayed for rain; to Mithrak he > prayed for inspiration. He received both. > > The southern part of Qaiyore often has considerable rain in the spring > and fall; Suggest: The southernmost reaches of the MidSea are renowned for their wet weather the whole year through; > through the divine intervention of Marmdal, the area to the > south of the Torphani Range was hit by a series of long-lasting late > autumn storms which turned the ground to mud, slowing the Torphani > advance, and buying General Torren the time he needed to concentrate his > Legions and prepare the plan that Mithrak had inspired in him. Even > Marmdal has his limits, however, and after a week, the rains stopped. > Two weeks later, and the Torphani Army was marching through the Valas > Gate of the Great Wall. Jefferson (Exquaestio) http://www.picotech.net/~jeff_wilson63/rpg/ ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send mail to celandra-off@phoenyx.net.
