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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 4:57:46 GMT
The Hauhkuno on Campaign
There was no denying the situation... He had completely misjudged how much good will and faith the people had in him. His moves towards opening the country up and establishing more ties with other nations had resulted now in an absolutely disastrous outcome. Breaking off the betrothal would weaken him at home and damage relations with the other country, continuing with the betrothal had weakened him at home and started a civil war. He had managed to unwittingly fuel the fires of fear with his liberal policies towards the outside world and his avoidance of traditional expectations had led to the the two groups that should have been in his pocket no matter what... Well, they were now too busy murdering one another to try and find a replacement for him just yet.
One thing was certain, he no longer was free to live as he had been. While he doubted that they would try to push for an annulment of his marriage, something which was completely foreign and illegal, he was certain that if he wanted to have any chances of regaining support, he would have to act as he was expected to. The first move in this would be to stop his great-uncle from getting any ideas. As such, he was currently marching towards the northern coast and was going to put down and insurrectionists he found along the way. Once he got to his uncle's estate, he would find his cousin and force a marriage between the two of them if he had to.
She was... Not likely to object, but if she did it would not matter. He needed to make it impossible for her father to move against him and he needed to have the appearance of having reconciled with the bastard. As he contemplated these things, he noted that the lead vehicle in his convoy had just pulled over rapidly from the road. The next thing he heard was 'Tanks! Dead ahead, pull off into the trees.' come over the radio. Thinking for a moment that this might be the shortest adventure in his life, he took a bit to note that no shots had been fired. As he thanked his ancestors for this blessing, a woman's voice amplified and heard by him and his men. 'In the name of the Swersgesat, identify yourselves!'
This challenge was a good sign. Sitting on the road like this and announcing their loyalty to the Throne was too risky to do unless one actually still held loyal, as they would otherwise run the risk of getting attacked by anyone else near instantly. The Hauhkuno leaned forward and asked for the radio. 'Tell her the truth and tell her I wish to meet with their commanding officer.' With that said, an officer stepped out from one of their vehicles and carefully made his way towards the tanks. He returned a minute later with a bewildered woman in what must have been her mid to late thirties.
'My Guth, it is true!' she exclaimed as she was brought over. Rather than saluting, as was customary, she instead fell to her knees and supplicated herself before him. 'We have been doing our best to purge those that profane your holiness and came here after killing our commander for ordering us not to fight the heretics... Please Lord, tell us your wish!' she continued. His head was now absolutely spinning. Of all the forces he could have met first, he happened to meet the religious extremists... And from what he had just heard, ones that had outright mutinied in his name. 'At ea- Please, you may rise.' he said, trying to now to switch to his formal training.
She rose from her knees, but she did not lift her eyes and looked determinedly at his feet. 'How many are with you?' he asked, hoping it was not too many. 'A whole Stafs, my Lord. All devoted to your will.' All he could do was be happy they had not been hostile, as he was certain fighting through them would have depleted much of his forces. Seeing no other option, he decided that the crazy woman and her soldiers would pose a danger to others if left here and was possibly quite useful to add to his own loyalists. 'You and your women shall join with us and we will make our way down towards the coast. You are not to engage anyone unless ordered to or fired upon first, am I clear?' 'Yes, my Lord! We belong only to you!' With that, he sent her back to her own people and got back into his vehicle.
At least some of the Hlutreinden were as doggedly loyal as ever it seemed... This decided it. If there was ever any doubt as to his course of action, he now knew for certain that his best chances of restoring order lay with playing his part... He would have to become the god they all saw him as. With the gods and ancestors willing, he would be able to stop them from burning everything down and restore the traditional balance was this was all over... If not, then he would have to try and find a new one, one which he would be able to live with. He was certain that if they got their wishes, he would end up a hollow shell of himself.
The convoy began moving once more, now with the Stafs taking positions towards the head.
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 4:58:13 GMT
Haimfathicus Rex
As the members of the Raikhgamotjing slowly started to arrive, Haimfaths began taking note of who was present and who was not. A few of them had already been killed during the fighting last night, so he made sure to not count them. From what he could see so far, none had were absent. This was a good sign, as it meant that there were no traitors amongst his mean and that none of the representatives before him had been informed of what was about to happen today. He absent mindedly fiddled with his with his side-arm and flipped through some of the paper's in front of him on his cousin's desk.
'Bill 103-C, Revision III... On the Religious Instruction of the Masses in Appropriate Tongues... Bill 109... The Act to Curtail the Illegal Distribution of Domesticated Examples of the Species Tscherskia Triton within the Borders of the Raikh and her Territories for the Preservation of... Foodstuffs.' he read through their titles, not understanding the significance of any of them nor knowing that a 'Tscherskia Triton' was. To him, it sounded like the name of some fantasy character or possibly one of the names certain... Professional women took in their business. 'Tscherskia? Tchur-ski-uh? Tss-err-ski-ah?' he attempted to sound out the name several times, in the hopes that maybe he was not used to seeing it written.
As he finished trying to say the name, he noted that all members of the Raikhsgamotjing had finally arrived and were making their way to their seats now. The session was called to order and the Speaker began the day off with the first issue of the day. '"An Act providing for the Prosecution of the existing War between thata Raikh af hize Dalen and those Landin Currently in Revolt" has been submitted for our consideration, would the honoura-' immediately, members began shouting down this proposal. Shouts of 'There is no war between us, it is just the peasants!' and 'We will not allow you to interfere in our affairs!' could clearly be heard, with others immediately joining in trying to get them to be quiet.
For the next half an hour or so, the arguments continued on, with every attempt to bring the Raikhsgamotjing to order failing as the obstructionist elements refused to allow the act to even be properly heard. Taking this as all the proof he needed, Haimfaths got up from his seat, pull out his pistol, and shot it up into the ceiling. All eyes turned to him, as he now stood there looking grimly at them all. 'I, Haimfaths Robertsunus, regent of Hauhkuno Vauhoks Abasunus, hereby charge those representatives hailing from Landin in open revolt of the crimes of treason and serious dishonesty before a government official.' They looked at him as if he had gone mad, before the doors to the chamber were flung open and more than a hundred soldiers came into the room, with their bayonets fixed and rifles ready to be used.
The representatives now started shouting again and trying to resist, but were quickly grabbed and beaten until compliant. None of them were willing to die it seemed. As the they were sorted through, Haimfaths had to shout to his men 'Let the men from Estragel and Plattland stay, they are all right!' While he was originally planning on having them taken away, he had noticed that they had earlier been arguing for act. They seemed loyal enough and he had no reason to empty this place out more than he had to. With those few let go off, the rest of the traitors were shuffled out and taken somewhere else... He would likely need to have them publicly executed before too long.
'Now, as that is done, how about we look at that act from earlier?' The Speaker began the process once more. No one said anything this time, with all looking to the Haimfaths and his seat. As the Speaker finished, and said 'All in favour?', the entire room responded in unison 'Yea!' and the act was passed. Seemingly frozen now, even the Speaker looked to him uncertain as to what came next. Thinking for a moment, Haimfaths asked 'What is a Tscherskia Triton and what does it have to do with my food?' One of the representatives stood and answered back 'It is a foreign species of hamster that likes to destroy crops.' 'Ah, thank you. I would like for us to pass this bill next then.'
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 4:59:03 GMT
The Haunkuno in Morthal
The beautiful port of Morthal... Possibly the most well defended place in the entire Raikh. Having the admiralty of the Flutt located here had meant that the city and most of the surrounding region was heavily influenced by the organisation's political leanings. To add to this, the heavily fortified old city and naval base meant that any would-be-rebels would quickly find themselves shot as soon as they made their presence known. There was no tolerance here for those of questioning natures and very little tolerance for those that were less than devout. It made it the perfect place for possibly the most reviled man in Vauhoks' family to live out his days, since he had whole heartedly embraced the belief that he was a god made flesh and that the family's blood was divine and needed to be kept pure.
The man was possibly mad, but unfortunately he was a charismatic bastard. He knew how to play his part well and had become the main idol that those believing in Hauhkunoleikshlutrei had adopted and looked up to. His daughter was... For lack of a better word, possibly the single most worshipped girl on the planet. She had developed over time an association with the goddess Halja. Despite being a god of the dead, the association was quite positive, with her being seen as a caretaker of the unfortunate and dying due to her spending a lot of time in nursing homes and helping people end their lives. Unlike with her father, the association was not cultivated on purpose and she was quite sweet and decent if you were able to get to know her. She had a tendency not to speak in public at all and rarely doing so amongst family, which made her rather distant from most of the others.
Vauhoks thought on how he was here to quite possibly force her into a marriage. She was his half-sister and the idea did not thrill him, but he needed her image and her father's image behind him if he wanted to get control of his own forces again. It was... Not something he was looking forward to. He could see the city growing in the distance, as it jutted well above the land surrounding it due to it being built on a once island. This was probably the first time he had travelled here on the roads and not by the river. 'Oh, what have I gotten myself into?' he muttered to himself, staring intently at the great walls and spires ahead. He decided that there was no use worrying himself overly with this and closed his eyes. He would take a nap and rest until they arrived and he needed to face his great-uncle, Aba sa Muderfolhoronder.
Half an hour later, he was gently awoken by one of his men. 'My Lord, we have arrived at the outer perimeter.' Truly enough, there was the city. The fact that they had been allowed this close to it meant that the local forces were not actively hostile, but the fact that they had been stopped this far out meant that they did not trust him and his men. 'Let me out and have the men keep their distance. I will go in alone.' The soldier looked ready to argue, but the look he received was enough to silence him. The Hauhkuno got out of his vehicle and started walking towards the gates. If he was not able to win the city over he would not have enough men to campaign. If he could not campaign... He was prepared to fall on his sword and allow his cousin to take his place. Haimfaths disagreed with him on most things, but he was loyal and proven. His reputation untarnished from the policy the Hauhkuno had pursued. He would not only be accepted, but he would ruthlessly secure his mandate to rule afterwards.
As he reached the gates, he was met by some of the local soldiers and was allowed in. 'Our Leidands humbly requests an audience with you, my Lord.' Confused by the title used and not knowing who was in charge, the Vauhoks asked 'And whom might that be?' 'Hairas Aba Ottosunus, of course.' was the reply. He was inwardly furious, that the swine had managed to take over the city. How dare he usurp his authority! How dare he style himself as their Leidands! Oh, if he did not need the man's help... He would kill him. He would make sure that no matter what, 'Leidands' Aba sa Muderfolhoronder would die. It did not need to be by his sword, nor did it have to be public, but he Vauhoks swore that the man would perish once this was all over.
As he was led on foot over bridges and along canals, he noted that they were not going to the new city, but to the fortress city itself. Not much of a surprise that the pig had stolen a nicer home for himself... But, that was not it. As they went uphill and passed into the old fortress itself, they did not make for residential districts or the places with all the nice housing, but instead towards the religious quarter. As he neared, he got a sinking feeling in his stomach until finally they arrived at one of the temples. Sure enough, he was led inside and found that it had been turned into a half-palace and half-temple compound.
In the middle of a mass of priests and cultists, Vauhoks found his great-uncle. The man was wearing white and black vestments and he was speaking at length to them about something called the 'heavenly mandate'. The soldiers that had been escorting Vauhoks removed their helmets and coats and kneeled down at the doorway, listening raptly to the madman surrounded by his flock. 'It is only through this purity of being that the great spirits of our godly forefathers can properly manifest themselves in the newer generations! Those vessels of impure essences are not fit for them to be born and as such are either rejected, or manifest only a fraction of their true potential. Those spirits that do try and force themselves into such impure vessels and forgo the customary shedding of self that is associated with such a reincarnation... Those are the ones responsible for the mad kings and babbling fools we see cropping up! After all, the fable of the Two Pauper Boys shows as much when the elder refuses to shed his earthly being.'
The preaching continued on for another two hours, with the people surrounding Aba asking him to answer their questions from time to time and revelling in his 'divine wisdom'. He referenced more than just fables, but the teachers of ancient priests and philosophers and twisted them all to suit his world view. The one thing he kept on returning to though, was this 'heavenly mandate' of his. It shared many similarities with the Vris af hize Guthen. If the gods are displeased, they will bring ruin to the Raikh and all that... But it was different. Rather than it being that the Raikh as a whole had to maintain good will with the gods, it put forward the idea that the rulers of the Raikh had to specifically, and that dishonouring the ancestors and gods could bring ruin on everyone. On the flip side, by maintaining good relations and through our divine heritage, the Raikh would be especially blessed above all other realms and favoured with a mandate from the heavens to rule the world and act with the will of the gods on our side.
While Vauhoks did not fully understand the concept yet nor know all of its details, it made a frightening amount of sense to him. It was insidiously natural in its sense and familiar. He could see how this idea was so easily accepted by others, as it was already quite similar to many other cultural ideas that were well-established and helped shift the responsibility of the Raikh as a whole from the individual to the divine rulers of it... It was a dangerous idea too, as it justified all sorts of actions and made any that wielded this 'mandate' into infallible arbiters of justice and morality... So long as they did not lose, that is. With these rather disturbing thoughts floating around in his head, Vauhoks did not notice that the rest of those gathered slowly started to leave and was a bit surprised when it was just him and the smiling figure that was his target for the day. 'I see that you have come to me. How may I help you, my son?'
Aba was... Unnaturally youthful in his appearance. Unlike Vauhoks, who had already developed a fair few deep wrinkles, the seventy-two year old man before him only had laugh lines and a few light marks on his face. His hair was a vibrant and full mane of red curls and his eyes sparkled like green-blue gems. The timber of his voice gave away his age, but it had aged well... Like a violin. It was all very off-putting and made him feel strangely uneasy, as he became acutely aware of the fact that in some ways, he himself looked older than his great-uncle. Snapping out of his momentary stupor, he looked him straight in the eyes and said 'I am here to take Martha to wife.' A deep and mocking laugh came from Aba, as he shook his head at the thought. 'Oh, tell me... Why should I let you do that? When you were younger, I offered her to you many a time and you refused her. When you ascended the throne and needed a Hauhqene, I once again tried to offer her to you and you would not let me into the city... And when you finally did take one, it was an outlander! One not even half as pretty or good as Martha... Why should I give her to you now, when you so obviously only want her out of desperation?'
Knowing that demanding her as his right would not work at this point, he closed his eyes and said 'Because I can win this war. If I lose this war or end up deposed, it will tarnish our family's honour and legitimise some of those doubts that many have obviously been harbouring and nursing about our rule. I would be the first of our blood to lose his throne to commoners and rebels, and it would gnaw at the very roots of your core for that to happen, as it would prove that we can be beaten and break the spell that many have been under.' 'You disgrace our family enough already, marrying outlanders... Inviting them into our halls and marrying off my niece to those... Blue skinned abominations! You are going to lose and it will show your degenerate thought is the sickness plaguing our lands.' Aba shot back, without any mirth.'
Vauhoks sighed and looked up at the beautifully painted ceiling, wondering if it might just be possible to travel back in time to the time the ceiling was first painted, just by touching the paint... He had to surrender. 'You are right, uncle. My way of doing things has brought us to this point and I will lose if nothing is done.' This confession made the man cock his head and then gesture for Vauhoks to continue. 'I can no longer justify what I have done. I wanted to make the Raikh stronger, by bringing us closer to the outside world, but it has just ended in disaster. That is why I no longer intend to keep to this path.' 'And what assurance do I have that this is a sincere awakening and not some cynical ploy?' asked Aba. 'I will give you my blood oath and swear it before the gods and our ancestors.'
Aba clapped his hands together and started pacing around with his eyes closed, going back and forth and rubbing his nose. Underneath his breath, he muttered to himself various names and places, possibly also mantras of a sort. He went on like this for a minute or two and then stopped, looked at his nephew, and asked simply 'Are you serious?' Vauhoks drew his knife and presented it to Aba before saying 'Yes.' His uncle's face split into the largest and most frightening smile he had ever seen, as the man started to whoop and holler towards the sky. 'Oh, you do not know how much this means to me... Yes! Yes, you may marry my daughter! Oh, my the gods... First of course, will have you make the blood oath to support the true way and not return to your ways afterwards, but oh, what a happy day!'
And so, Vauhoks was led by his uncle through the temple and all the while he felt part of his being die inside. He was no oath-breaker and he meant it when he said he would swear that oath, but he was not ready for how much saying that was paining him. His dreams, his goals, his... Very essence was being sold for his throne. He had no other choice and it had to be done.
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:00:48 GMT
The First Strikes from the NorthThe men were all excited to now be crossing over the border. After the Landwehr (Landsharjis) had overthrown the government, many of them had seen it as their chance to finally make a difference in the world and end the feudalism once and for all. As such, they had formed into militias and volunteered to serve the new military government until the war was over. They were now slowly trudging their way across a river as part of the invasion of Morthal.
After the Hochkönig had made his announcement and gotten the Puristen on his side, the Oberkommando had decided that they could not sit and wait any longer and ordered a full invasion. The goal of the invasion was to try and cut off vital supply routes from the capital of Blairhaim and the mountains to lowlands in Uttamar, where the majority of the loyalist forces were currently massed. If they were successful, they would be able to not only cut off the supplies from the interior, but would also be able to seize the many warships being built by the Flotte and possibly use them as bargaining chips with foreign powers.
This was not to mention the possibility of capturing the Hochkönig himself. As the men continued to cross, they noted how quiet the area was. There were birds singing and insects making noise, but they had not heard any aeroplanes flying overhead or even distant vehicle noises. They had all been convinced that there would be some sort of enemy opposition to their advance. Despite this, it was going smoothly and uneventfully.
 Once on the other side, they started moving up towards some hills in order to get a better view of the land. They had already made a few scouting trips over the border over the last couple of weeks and knew where most of the towns and villages were located, but they still needed to make sure that there were no sudden changes in the landscape or fortifications they had missed somehow. As they reached the top of the hill, their leader raised up his binoculars and searched the land for any oddities. 'Oi, weren't those villages occupied the last time we's was here?' he asked. 'Aye, sir, they were.' 'Then something's not right. I see no smoke, no people, nothing. It's too cold for them not to have fires going.' Handing his binoculars to his subordinate, the Hauptmann grabbed a spare spyglass and looked again for any signs of life. 'I... Nothing. You's right sir, not a soul.' A bit put off by this, they started moving at speed towards the nearest village in order to investigate more closely. As they came into the village, they all noted that there were no animals around or noises at all. Just bird song now. All the houses had been emptied of their contents and the storage places looked burnt out. Not a single piece of food was left there and not a single thing worth taking. Spooked by this, the Hauptmann said 'Funker, get here now.' and quickly started on reporting what they had found. As he explained what they had seen, a sudden roar came from overhead and a burning spear soared through the sky and went northwards. The next thing they knew, there was a loud explosion over the radio and then nothing. The spear must have been a missile and it must have hit their forward command. Over the next few hours, more missiles flew over head and went north, all of them raining chaos and destruction where ever they struck. The invasion continued anyway, but at a much slower pace. It seemed the loyalists were too coward to show themselves and fight, choosing instead to attack from the safety of their bunkers.
For those curious, this is what most of my rebels look like. While there are plenty of professional army units involved in this, a lot of their forces are going to be made up of reservists who are just wearing their normal clothes and carrying their own private weapons. Also, those missile strikes are coming from the sea... Thanks to Arcturus for sending me submarines. As for why I had things in German today, rather than Hundisch... Well, the men from Plattland are almost overwhelmingly Alemannisch and not Gothic. It would not make sense for them to be speaking the same language.  
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:01:20 GMT
In a City Called Thurgau
The unkempt crowds began to murmur and gather as for the first time in a month, new grain shipments came into the city by rail and were quickly being put away into the granaries. While no one had starved to death, the deprivation and loss of basic staples as readily available was intolerable. What is more, they knew that the Landwehr had no such problems and kept grain for themselves, amongst other things. As the sickly and dispossessed citizenry talked about the new shipment, many began to gather around the granaries in anticipation of a new release of rations and a nice meal.
The crowd gathered there and did so quietly at first, but as minutes turned to hours, they began to become less content to wait. They started approaching the guards and asking when they would receive something, but were rebuffed. One of the guards started shouting 'Clear off, there will be no rations this day!' and trying to shoo people away, but this only incensed the crowd, who began pushing back. They came up to the perimeter fence and now angry began chanting 'Brot, Brot, Brot, Brot!' The guards retreated back into the their defences and summoned up others from inside the facility, arming themselves and preparing to face off against the hungry crowd.
One of the frightened guards tried shooting his rifle up into the air, to disperse them, but this only enraged them further. Where as before they had merely been shaking the gates and fences, now they were actively trying to tear them down and get inside. Cries of 'Storm the granaries! Take the food from the Landwehr!' went up and quickly news of the now nascent revolt spread throughout the city. Most people stayed at home, but some did go and join, either out of desperation or a cynical hope to steal something in the chaos. Most of the guards only had batons and shields, whilst a few had bolt-action rifles.
They defenders pulled back away from the crowd and began organising into a shield wall. It was the only chance they had of dealing with such a larger force. As they did so, singing could be heard coming from the crowd. 'Rise up, all victims of oppression, for the tyrants fear your might...' it started quietly. 'Don't cling so hard to your possessions, for without freedom, you have no rights! Let racist ignorance be ended, for respect makes the empires fall! Freedom is merely privilege extended unless enjoyed by one and all!' As the song progressed, more and more began to sing it, with increasing intensity. The irony of this all, was this song was one that the Georgiker Landwehr had originally come up with and now it was being used against them.
The crowd started to break through and sensing that the meeting of arms was upon them, the few rifle men began to fire their weapons into the on-coming masses. The guards stood firm, with some even shouting 'For the Revolution and the Common Folk!' As the crowd of common folk got in and surged forward regardless of bullets or the wounded, a man from elsewhere in the city was coming to them to stop this revolt. The fighting was violent and brutal, with the defenders not being spared anything. If one of them was unlucky enough or foolish enough to fall out of their formation, he would be quickly dragged forward and bludgeoned to death. The wall of men kept firm and held the line, refusing to let up as the peasantry tried to kill them for their crimes.
The peasants were not stupid however and several of them seized upon hooks that were laying around, some in fact being billhooks, and began using them to hack, slash, and drag the defenders. The line was broken and many of the soldiers were slaughtered, whilst others pulled back into corners and carried out stands and others still tried to escape into the buildings. As this was happening, marching could be heard coming from the streets outside of the granaries and those that were not too occupied fighting and had half a brain, made their escape. A new lot of soldiers came to the fray and encircled the rioters.
By this point, most of the outer rioters had quietened down and were trying to warn others that they were surrounded, and as such the fighting died down and a hush descended upon them all. A bald man came forth, an officer, and spoke to the rioters. 'What insult is this? What is the matter, you dissentious traitors, that with your wailing and violence make your opinions into sores upon our land?' One amongst the rioters stepped forward and replied 'We are accounted poor citizens, the leanness that afflicts us is by your own doing. We have resolved to die in struggle than to die of famish, as you would have us do in pursuit of your war with the Hochkönig.'
Hearing this, the officer spat back 'What would you have, you curs, that like neither peace nor war? Once you welcomed us and sang our songs, embracing our cause when we overthrew that government which we all so rightly despised for its slavish devotion to the nobility, the Hochkönig. The one affrighted you afore and the other made you proud. By your reckoning, every minute we change our colours, calling us hated when we were once noble, calling the Hochkönig lord who was once oppressor.' The crowd grew restless, but let him speak and then he paused and shouted louder than before 'What's the matter, that in these several places that you cry against the popular Landstag and Wehr, who, under the gods, keep you in awe, which else would on one another feed and be slaves to nobility?'
'Go. Get you home... You fragments.' Finishing, the officer turned to leave, but a woman threw a rock at him. Turning around, he saw that the crowd would not be reasoned with and he returned to his lines. His men began advancing in lock-step, shields to the front and swords and spears glistening under the sun's light. The fighting began anew, but this time it was the rioters that were broken.
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:01:55 GMT
Storm Clouds on the HorizonThe war had been progressing steadily and well for the Hauhkuno, but he needed something more to energise his forces. Whilst defending lands from invasion was one thing and taking lands without any real or organised military was simple, he did not have confidence in his forces achieving a quick victory once they struck against the east. Moreover, he needed to make sure to break the morale of the rebels and make it abundantly clear that the gods had forsaken them and their causes, as otherwise, they would simply keep on fighting and would bide their time for the next opportunity to raise their flags in revolt again.
The priests had been consulted and thousands of prisoners had been prepared. Beyond those that would make up the Blot itself, nearly five-thousand men had been captured during the fighting in the south and during the Plattlander offensive. They were now being crucified to trees and posts, with some being hung from branches like apples. This was all being done within a circle of the place which had been chosen for the mass sacrifice and ceremony, and had slowly transformed what was otherwise an unassuming hill into a place of true awe and dread. Due to the overwhelmingly flat nature of the lands here and the general lack of tall trees, the top of the hill could easily be seen for miles around and anyone that wanted to approach it now would have to walk through a small forest of the traitors.
As the Hauhkuno surveyed the land, he could not help but think how pretty this would be if it was turned into a permanent monument to him. Rather than just building a stone statue of him or a tower here, he could have water channels dug and others filled in, so that spreading from the hill was a series of concentric circular waterways, with the lands between them being covered in standing stones and trees, with the stones being covered in prayers and the story behind the place. The innermost area would be defined as where the crucifixions and hangings were being done now, and would have a wall of trees going around it.
This project would likely have to wait until after the war, but he started writing down the details of what he wanted in a notebook for later. He would definitely have this placed turned into a monument now, as it really was perfect and would be quite a relaxing place to visit in future. It was just far enough away from the major roads and rivers that people would not overwhelm it once it was built, but it was close enough that it would not be a very long detour in getting here should he decide to visit it on his way home or to Morthal. The whole reason this spot was chosen was to avoid the ceremony disrupting local traffic, whilst also being close enough to a navigable river to make transporting the prisoners a simple matter.
As time wore on and the ceremony began, the Hauhkuno watched impassively as the rebels had their throats slit and their entrails pulled out for burning. The priests around him carried out their duties with clockwork precision, quickly grabbing the sacrifices brought up to them and killing them in the way that seemed most appropriate and then gutting them with the ease of a veteran butcher. No words were passed, but they did incessantly chant prayers and invocations as they worked, which was truly impressive. All in all, they did not stop praying and nattering to the gods for at least three hours, all the while their robes became heavy with blood and their fur and plant headdresses were absolutely ruined. To any of the soldiers watching, as thousands were gathered around to see this ceremony and help, they must have looked like ghouls feasting upon the living.
The Hauhkuno simply had to stand and watch as things were done, as this was all just preparation for his part in the ceremony to begin. They had started at midday in order to time things perfectly, as five hours from then, as had been expected, the moon rose. In its fullness, it slowly came up and into view, sharing the sky with the sun, as the latter began its final descent from the sky. With the rising of the moon and the falling of the sun, the ceremony began in earnest. All of the sacrifices had been killed by this point, except for those that had been selected for death by exposure, and the fires were now burning the fats and entrails of those that had chosen to rebel against the rightful order of things.
With a blade in his hand, the Hauhkuno cut each of his palms and drank a potion that was proffered to him, one which was said to allow men to see spirits clearly in such times as these. He drank deeply of the potion and went to his knees before an effigy of his great ancestor. The other priests switched to a new prayer, with some opting to recite the Saga of Oddumar the Peaceful. All of them had also drunk of the potion, so as to be with the Hauhkuno and help protect him from any evil spirits that might seek to intervene in this ceremony. Peering up, he the Hauhkuno began.
As the Hauhkuno finished, the world started to burn around him and he could see shadows dancing in the sky and across the ground. As the world started to settle once more, he could see distant lands burning before him. Roclevo, the Gankands, and more were being pillaged and slaughtered by his armies. Next, he saw thousands of seamen dragging foreign peasants into the sea and drowning them. These glorious images of slaughter and conquest then cut to his ordering his tankers to assault and destroy the rebels in the east. 'Run wild, O maidens! Fight back, O maidens!' As the vision ended, the Hauhkuno let out a roar that sounded like it could shake the mountains and crush the forests. Looking down to all those watching, he shouted one simple thing. 'The gods are with us, slaughter them all!'
So, for those wondering, this is taking place on the Twenty-Eighth of January, rather than today. The Wolf Moon will actually rise at 16:55 on that day, so it really should rise as the sun sets. Oh, and this is what I was mostly taking inspiration from. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_VerdenThis is the monument the Hauhkuno will build and was imagining. 
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:02:36 GMT
How Not to Fund a War
With the increasing costs of the civil war and advent of a second war overseas, Haimfaths had tried to do something truly unthinkable. He had proposed a tax on women be levied in order to pay for the unexpected expenses and balance the budget, with the justification for this break from tradition and law being that in the past the women of the Raikh had helped fund and raise three armies to fight the Danes. When it was proposed, it caused no small amount of anxiety and gnashing of teeth, as it was seen as unnecessary given the fullness of the coffers. Now that it had been allowed for it to sit and for news of it to spread, the situation was quickly becoming quite uncomfortable for all involved.
As Haimfaths and some of the members of the Raikhsgamotjing made their way through the streets, they happened to come directly into the path of an army of angry women marching with banners and heading to the palace. As they were recognised, the women started heckling them about stealing from aprons and squeezing gold from bread loafs. The heckling became worse as time wore on and they were escorted by their less than pleasant female companions to their destination. There, with much of the government starting to gather to look, Haimfaths received his dressing down.
'Dear women, I implore you to calm yourselves and away! While this is by all accounts irregular, it is for the sake of the Raikh and akin to how your mothers once helped save us from those that would see us made low.' having said this, Haimfaths was immediately confronted by none other than his aunt. Daigijon Selblom Gulfsdauhtar stepped forward and began to speak to him, silencing the now irate crowd. 'You have already deprived many of us of our sons, fathers, and brothers... Taking those that you thought would oppose you and accusing them of treason, saying they had wronged you. This we allowed for the good of the Raikh, as they had indeed stopped you from doing what was good and needed. If we have wronged you, as you say our menfolk have, take us too as you did them.' those gathered shouted their assent.
'But if we women have not swore blood oaths against you nor done anything to make of you an enemy, have not trampled your fields, nor cast wicked spells against you, nor raised armies against you to lead... Then why do we share the penalty when we have none of the guilt? You took from our menfolk their chattels and now you come out, club in hand, to do much the same to us. Why should we pay taxes, when we have no part in the honours, the commands, the rulership, for which you now prosecute wars and contend for amongst those you once called brothers and to such harmful results? "Because this is a time of war" you say? Pray tell us, when has there not been wars and when have taxes been imposed upon women?'
A crowd of various onlookers and government workers thickened and gathered around.
'Our mothers did once indeed gather and make contributions when you were in danger of losing the Raikh and having us all fall slave, through the aggressions of the Danemen. But then, they contributed willingly and freely, not from landed property and chattel of slave and beast, but from their jewellery. Not from violence, but from their willingness to give. What alarm is there now, what emptiness of purses, for the Raikh or Land? Let war with Acielon or Arcadia come and we will gladly surrender that which is needed to safe-guard us against them, as our mothers did; but we will not contribute to your overseas adventure, for which we had no need in this time of brotherly strife.'
Stunned and shamed by this, Haimfaths could not say a word in argument and hung his head low. The women now having said their fill left, with many around parting to allow them to do so without trouble. Many of those that had gathered were now shocked by this public display, but found themselves agreeing with Daigijon Selblom. Her ideas resonated with many, as she had rightly pointed out many injustices involved in the taxes that had been brought against her and her kind. With the women gone, many lingered for a bit before then dispersing as well.
After all had been said and done, Haimfaths got rid of the taxes and went into seclusion to pray.
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:03:13 GMT
From the Sea and Land
As the Raikhsharjis began pushing into Plattland, they were met with heavy resistance from fanatical republican forces. Despite the territory suffering from famine, the defending militias and soldiers all seemed to be healthy enough to hide in muddy fields and forests waiting in ambush for the most opportune times to attack. The situation was such, that the initial momentum built up from the collapse of the Plattlander front-line had been mostly lost. Seeing the danger that the offensive stalling posed, the Hauhkuno personally had decided to lead his men into battle in an offensive along the coast. The plan was somewhat risky, given he would be making his presence known to his own side and the enemy, but it was necessary to bring this war to a conclusion fast.
Once his forces had pushed far enough up the coast and taken all the fortified positions, he would then have the Flutt sail more reinforcements to them and supplies. With fresh troops and supply lines secured, it would only be a matter of a week or two until his forces were surrounding Thurgau-bei-Überwald and circumvallating it. With the rebel capital under siege and then taken, the rest of the Land would have no choice but to surrender without the leadership and the main symbol of their legitimacy gone.
Looking at a map and the routes that he would have his tanks and soldiers taking, he was interrupted by a soldier bringing a report to his attention. 'My Lord, the towns and villages we have been taking are mostly deserted, with the exception being the ports. After questioning, the locals have told us that many of them have been trying to leave the Raikh and head for a place called Hweituzdas. Apparently, Frijbuitjen have been offering them chances to settle some new lands elsewhere.' Hearing this, he simply thought on it a moment quietly trying to figure out if it would impact his offensive at all.
'My Lord, should we stop stop them from escaping?' asked the soldier. Having thought enough on the matter, Vauhoks simply said 'Let them leave.' and went back to his planning. The exodus of so many peasants would present a unique opportunity for him. It would free up much land for after the war and allow him to settle his veterans and others here, mixing the population and ensuring stronger ties and loyalties in future. Combining this with all the land they would be confiscating from the rebels, it would provide for quite a few of this war's expenses and help him with paying off any debts accrued.
This planning and deliberation went on throughout the night, up until the Hauhkno went to bed. The next morning he informed his most trusted commanders of the plan and instructed them to pursue their own fronts as they saw fit in his absence. With free hands given, the Hauhkuno began gathering his tanks and his supplies and set off. With his armoured fist, he burned along the coast, not bothering to occupy any towns or villages they went through and simply killing any that opposed them. Their goal was clear and they did not need to bother with securing supply lines back to their main lines. They would either silence the coastal defences and get aid from the sea or they would end up trapped deep in enemy territory.
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Post by Fleischmann on Mar 12, 2021 5:03:49 GMT
The End of the War
The offensive along the coast had been a stunning success. Despite losing a tenth of his tanks and many of his men, they had managed to find and destroy many of the coastal batteries and all of the hidden S.A.M. sites. Much of the western coast of Plattland was now completely incapable of warding off a naval invasion and more importantly, the Hauhkunoleiksflutt could finally provide artillery support from the coastal waters. With the first part of his plan now complete, he began his march inland to the rebel capital. Thousands of men were being off-loaded and new vehicles brought ashore. A whole panoply of military equipment was brought to the beaches, from bicycles to missile artillery, all of it meant for the final push.
A defensive perimetre was established around the beaches, with none being allowed to approach the staging area or leave it. Those that had been in the area when the off-loading was started had simply been chained to posts and then locked in cages. Any who tried to make their way into the area was either turned away or shot if they were recognised as having tried before. Now and then a probing attack would be attempted, but the skirmishes never got very far before being repulsed or outright crushed.
After a two weeks of preparation, the second part of the offensive got underway. Once again, the armoured units formed a piercing lance that tore through the few defensive perimetres surrounding Thurgau and cleared the way for the infantry, artillery, and cavalry to follow. Else where and further to the south, those commanders that had been given free hands began pushing hard into the Jergtrau lines. They would either break through or they would force the enemy to keep the bulk of their forces where they were, they were not going to be able to reinforce their soon to be besieged capital.
After a few days of further fighting and muddy slogging, the city was finally brought under the cannons of artillery and surrounded. Earthworks were constructed and then reinforced with wooden pallisades. Artillery parks had new concrete positions prepared for them and were provided with plentiful stockpiles of shells and other things with which to render the city into rubble. Finally, a series of barracks and interconnecting trenches were built for the safe movement and housing of soldiers around the city, so as to not expose them to the elements during what could easily turn into a months long siege. With the initial circumvallation complete, the artillery began bombarding the city at a near constant rate and the engineers began making efforts to slowly tunnel their way into the city.
For the first three days there was fairly regular counter-artillery fire coming from the city itself, with sporadic attempts being made by enemy forces in the surrounding areas to try and lift the siege. After that, a large explosion was heard in the city and the counter-artillery fell silent. The next two weeks were marked by the defenders periodically sending sorties and snipers into what was now a no-man's land in order to try and harass the besieger forces. After one got particularly close to raiding one of defensive lines, it was decided that explosives and other nasty traps would be spread out over the land through cluster ordinance. Dogs were also brought up to stand guard along with the soldiers.
After a few booms in the night, the sorties and raids came to an end. Finally, for a period of five days there were no actions from the city. Periodically, outside forces would try and attack, but the city itself was completely silent. This silence was ended when a group of peasants came out in broad daylight carrying a white flag. They had overthrown the local garrison after having been forced to suffer deprivation and now siege, they brought with them a bag filled with the heads of those that had led the so-called government.
Following this, the artillery stopped and the army marched in. The Hauhkuno road in triumph atop of a tank, fully clothed in regalia.
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