The Imperial Spring

May 2013 - T''ensions are at their peak. The Inner Sea is troubled by unresolved long-run conflicts. For decades pressions have been strong in the region.The established Archadian Empire has been integrating land after land and now comprises a large part of the Inner Sea. ''

Chapter One : the war to come
Ten years have pasted since the Thurian independence war that saw the first defeat of the Archadian Empire by the hands of Thurian soldiers. The Empire only mentions a small rebellion at her border.

Thure is now isolated within the Inner Sea and seeking for allies.

In the meantime, the usually neutral Nosamo are denied access to Archadian markets. Mayhap the Archadians don't consider Nosamo goods or cultures to fit their "civilized" habits. Biding their time, the skilled Nosamo strategist will not let this arrogance unanswered.

Undertaking a grand programme of ship building, Nosamo sends spies to study the Archadian fleet. The fleet itself is made of primarily modified Nosamo designs. The characteristics are known to the Nosamo Naval engineers.

The modifications made by the Imperials only worsened theperformances of the galleys. The overweighted front ram made any tight manoeuvre impractical and the ships have been fitted with arpex in useless numbers. After all, the Imperial army's reputation is on land and you cannot improvise yourself a sea superpower ; if a superpower at all.

To counter the threat posed by the Imperial navy the Nosamo Navy will be fitted with the biggest ships ever built on the Inner Sea : floatting fortresses meant for assault combat. At the same time a deal to ensure a Nosamo facility in the southern part of the sea is secured with Thure. Nosamo needs facilities in the southern sea to ensure resupplying and repairs of its fleet. The future battlefield will be far from its natural base.

The arrival of Nosamo Treasure ships in the inner sea draws the Archadian Empire's attention. Two parties oppose on the course of action : the Loremii party, arguing Nosamo is not a threat ; the Makesinii party calling for an immediate declaration of war. The Emperor himself is undecided and prefers to keep things as they are at the moment. He does not want a war that would cost a lot to the Empire.

On their side, the Nosamo are preparing the war along with the Thurians through secret diplomacy. The Western Pact bids its time when it can face and defeat the Empire.

Chapter Two : the enemy within
Though the troops are being prepared and trained for a full scale war against the Empire and its allies, Nosamo and Thurian intelligence insists on sowing discontempt amongst the Imperial bureaucracy. A weak spot is found when the Emperor and Praefectus Makesinii, visiting a fort under contruction in Lorem Ipsum, disregard and harshly criticize the Praefectus Chaese's projects.

Chaese is prefect of the second richest province and a character of temper. He has been named head of the navy and his province holds the most imortant ship building facilities. Nosamo had long seen this strategical position of his, and amongst the peace plans following the hypothetical war are the dismantling of the Lorem Ipsum naval facilities. Removing them will ensure Nosamo naval supremacy in the Inner Sea for at least 20 years.

As tensions rise within the Empire, Nosamo agents encourage Chaese into seddition. By threatening him after a minor trade incident, Cheesum will reinforce Lorem Ipsum's defenses. At the same time, Nosamo agents will let Makesinus know about it and reinforce the general state of suspicion amongst both prefects.

The fleet and troops are ready. Tensions reached their peak amongst Imperial administration. Too self-assured about his ultimate victory the Emperor already starts planning the urban renovation of Lorem Ipsum. While he is busy contemplating his superiority, Makesinus, much more aware of the situation starts negociating a trade treaty with Nosamo, at last ; too late.

The Emperor sends an ultimatum to prefect Chaese to surrender himself and face trial. Upon receiving the letter, Chaese declares himself King of Lorem Ipsum a now independent joined by the far province of Portus Ferrarius as the now independent Duchy of Portsmith.

Chapter 3 : the march to war
As the war between Lorem Ipsum and Archadia breaks out diplomatic actions are undertaken by Makesinus on all fronts. The Imperial situation is very fragile at this point. Though the first power, at the moment, the Empire is diplomatically isolated from powerful nations. Kryero, its vassal is a minor player in the Inner Sea. War preparations commence and the mobilization starts on both sides.

To ensure victory the Empire must have peace on its western borders. One of the proposals made by the Empire is to de facto accept Thurian control of Praxidea in exchange for a non-agression pact disguised as an alliance. The Empire is yet unaware that Nosamo has secretely joined the Western Pact. The Archadian Confortata ship is sent to Nosamo with a diplomatic delegation with the mission to discuss trade negotiations. Upon arrival the ship is seized and the delegation is assignated a residency to stay

Too late and too openly interested the Imperial proposals are met with contempt by the Thurians and Nosamo. The war credits are approved by the Nosamo Council. Thure didn't even wait to vote for such decision, too busy sharpening the edges of their swords. In a last attempt at keeping peace with the external powers the Emperor decides to handle negociations on his own in the Thurian Thing. The Emperor offers himself unarmed to a nation he until recently mentionned as barbaric and unworthy. Not ten years have pasted since the war of Thurian Independence and the annexation of Praxidea. The Emperor is captured with his suite and sent to Nosamo were he will stay as a prisonner for the remainder of the conflict. Thurians march onto Praxidea and start sieging it.

Chapter 4 : an empire at war
The Nosamo navy takes by surprise the Kryeran navy on her way back home and sinks it quickly. This surprise move opens the hostilities officially between the Empire and the Western Pact. At the battle of Praxidea an Archadian legion is anihilated by Thurian forces.

To the East Archadian forces disembark and circumvent Prudentissimus by the north and overwhelm and destroy the military fort guarding the coast. They set up a camp and prepare to engage and besiege the city. After a violent engagement against the Loremii legion, the Archadians and their Kryerian allies are able to crush and force the rebellious forces into the city. The Archadian fleet supplying the troops is sunk by Nosamo and Loremii ships.

The main Nosamo fleet comprising two treasure ships starts blockading Archadia itself. Nosamo troops are disembarked in Kryero and start sieging the now undefended city.

Upon hearing the news of the capture of the Emperor, Legate Makesinus calls for a session of the Curia, the ruling body of Archadia. He seizes the opportunity to proclaim the Emperor dead and gets the Curia to rule out granting special powers to the now young Emperor but to itself and to him in particular as the Archon Supremus.

After negociations Archadia recognizes the independence of both Lorem Ipsum and Portsmiths. A peace treaty comprising an alliance is signed. The Loremii turn their weapons against their former allies.

Chapter 5 : a sea of fire
Though peace is signed to the East, the war between Archadia and the Western Pact continues.

In the bay of Archadia the Nosamo fleet is taken by surprise by a suicide attack from fireships. While busy dealing with it the Archadian fleet manages to escape and takes the route to Nosamo. Some ships are lost and the others temporarily paralyzed.

The Archadian navy reaches Nosamo and starts attacking the fortifications. In the meantime the Nosamo troops leave the siege of Kryero and embark to Nosamo to reinforce the garrison there. The Nosamo fleet starts repairing and prepares to engage the Archadian fleet.

In Praxidea, the Thurians have razed the city and deserted the area, burning all provisions. The now full army of Archadia reinforced by Haramite troops finds itself on a devasted and deserted land with no food to spare.

As the war turns inconclusive, both parties finally agree to negociate a truce. The peace signed between Archadia and the Western Pact includes the annexation of Praxidea by Thure and the opening of trade relations between Nosamo, the now dominant trade power of the Inner Sea, and Archadia.

As a final step to the war, Lorem Ipsum is burned to the ground by Thurian and Nosamo forces, in retaliation for the treason and war declaration.

Epilogue
The War of the Imperial Spring brought great changes to the inner sea and to the world. It was the final episode of the now called Ancient Era.

It saw the liberation of Lorem Ipsum only to find it destroyed and buried in history.

Archadia quickly lost momentum to a new and striving capital : Garantinople.

On the inner sea, bad harvests and epidemic brought Thure to its knees and the city was gradually deserted. The Nosamo trade hub was slowly abandonned as the Inner Sea lost its commercial value.