[For once, I'll get my actions in early, by gum!]
"ORDER! ORDER! By all the gods, this Council will come to order, or I
will have the Sergeant-at-Arms clear the chamber!" Dr. Vellin smashed
his gavel on the sounding block repeatedly until the assembled Regency
Council grudgingly settled down.
The First Councillor surveyed the crowded Council Chamber with something
close to dismay. The Regency Council met in a building that was once
part of the Imperial Palace complex, but the building hadn't really been
designed for the purpose. There was an old indoor theater that had been
taken over as a meeting hall, but it could only seat either the
Commoners' or the Nobles' Circle, but not both. When the full Council
needed to meet, all 441 of them, they had to do so in the old Imperial
Ballroom, which wasn't really a proper meeting space at all.
Worse, the Duke of Caladyn, as Lord President of the Council, should
have been chairing the joint session, but the Duke was suffering from an
attack of gout, and was unable to leave his townhouse. That left Dr.
Vellin stuck with the task of chairing the meeting.
What had triggered the uproar among the Councillors was the double blow
of Foreign Councillor Theran Rinn's announcement of the Royal Family of
Burcancy's deaths at the hands of the Vraa'al, followed by the report
from Councillor for Special Projects Raden Ghere that Torphani refugees
were crossing the Wall after being displaced by Ice Demons.
The Ice Demons were the Cedonians' bogeyman--all the men in the chamber
had grown up with their mothers or nurses telling them, "Be good, or the
Ice Demons will come and take you away!"--and the stories from the last
invasion were even more frightening than the nursery tales. In just
about any nation along the southern MidSea coast, grown men could become
panicked by the merest rumor of the Ice Demons' return.
Finally the chamber grew quiet, and Dr. Vellin spoke: "That's more like
it, my Lords and Councillors! We are grown men here, not small children
clinging to our mother's skirts! Just because the Ice Demons may be
returning, we should not lose our wits."
"Furthermore, I want to reiterate what Councillor Ghere was trying to
say when you all started acting like headless chickens: There are no Ice
Demons on this side of the Torphani Wall. All the refugees who have fled
in Burcancy report that the Torphani Empire has managed to hold the
Demons to within 200 miles of Tavar Pass. That's over 2,000 miles from
here, well on the other side of the Wall. Unlike the last invasion, we
have plenty of time to prepare."
"And, on the subject of preparation," Dr. Vellin continued, "The recent
tragedy that befell the King of Burcancy may in so respects be to our
advantage. If you would all please open the packets the Council
Secretary is handing out, and turn to Council Bill 1449-001, we can
begin . . ."
* * * * *
Action 1: Emergency Redeployment
Weight: Single
Description:
With the assassinations of Villard of Burcancy and his family, the
situation in Vizinia takes on a new urgency. Villard's only surviving
family are all on Celamyr; the son that Villard had picked to succeed
him as Prince of Vizinia is among the dead. To maintain Vizinia's
stability, it is necessary to ensure a functioning government. Another
cause for concern is that Vizinia is the most likely axis of attack for
the Ice Demons if the Torphani fail to hold.
Therefore, the Regency Council votes unanimously to accelerate the
take-over of Vizinia. Cedonian administrators are sent to take over
local government affairs from the Burcancy administrators. Underlings
and middle-management will be left in place, only the top levels of the
bureaucracy will be replaced. The major goal of the Cedonian
administrators is to prepare the Vizinians to elect their Commoners'
Circle representatives next year.
On the military side, Legio IV Vizinia is ordered to move east from its
current deployment in South-West Cedonia and reoccupy the border
fortifications in Vizinia. Legio I Cedonia is ordered to leave its forts
around Thalcedon and occupy IV Vizinia's former position in the south-west.
Difficulty: Normal (0)
Factors: The redeployment of forces should be easily done, but taking
over the civil administration in Vizinia might be harder. Still, the
Vraa'al very effective created a power vacuum in the region, and Nature
abhors a vacuum. Also, the possible threat of the Ice Demons may cause
the Vizinians to welcome Cedonian troops.
Fudge points: 2
Subparts:
* Installation of Cedonian administrators
* Preparation for next year's elections
* Movement of Legio IV
* Movement of Legio I
Action 2-3: Rebuild the Legions
Weight: Strategic, double
Description:
This year, things begin to take shape. The Cedonian High Command begins
forming the cadres around which reserve and conscript units can be
formed when needed. There have never been enough positions for officers
in the Legions, and the formation of the cadres results in promotions
all around. The decision is also made to replace the javelin with the
half-pike in half the centuries in the cohorts. An effort is also made
this year to start recruiting more Selarian cavalry.
Difficulty: Normal (0)
Factors: As in the past, with the added factor this year of the reports
of the Ice Demons.
Fudge Points: 4
Subparts:
* Recruitment, generally
* Replacement of javelins with half-pikes
* Recruitment, Selarian cavalry
* Organization of reserve cadres
Action 4: Build Spy Network
Weight: Strategic, Single
Description: Carryover from past years; no real changes.
Difficulty: Hard
Factors: As in past years.
Fudge Points: 2
Subparts:
* Insert Agents
* Develop codes & ciphers
* "Special Projects"
* Hire Analysts
Andrew
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