Ulor ya Trayavix

[Gamemaster]

Imperial Army Headquarters for the North River Region
City of Trayavix
Trayavix Province

Oron 10, Salgan 1 Adonsik 41 Vylor Cledman VI


A young, but high ranking Verronese officer arrived at the office of the senior commander.

"Ekanor Falan Erian reporting as ordered." He was the garrison commander for Trayavix Province.

"Have a seat, Erian," Said Gurikan Falan Trenyva.

Ekanor Falan Erian did so.

Gurikan Falan Trenyva was the regional commander. He had a higher rank than Erian. He was also a much older and more experienced officer. Also, he was Zekresh and Erian was Verronese. All these things were in Trenyva's favor. Still, it was Erian who had command of thousands of troops while Trenyva only had actual control of a few clerks and officers.

Trenyva said, "Have you heard much news from the capital?"

"I have heard that the Stavuk Vyloresh (Imperial Council) voted to make Naltor Levorek the Imperial Regent and that he now rules in Zekran."

"Yes, that much is true. It is also true that Gurikan Falanorata Krulmuk is marching against the enemies of the Regent."

"I had heard that," Erian said.

"I am sure you received orders that came from Yishil saying that the traditions of the army were to be tossed aside and you were now to obey the orders of the civilian Ulor."

"I did," Erian acknowledged.

"You know Ulor Tervin is one of those reformists. He's part of that regionalist faction, too."

"I have not received any orders from him lately," Erian said defensively.

"And if you did?"

Erian shrugged, "I have not yet received any orders from anyone else, either."

Trenyva tossed a scroll over to Erian, "Now you have. That's from Krulmuk."

"I'll need a scribe," Erian said, not reaching for the scroll.

"I'll save you the trouble. It gives all regional commands operational control of all units in their region."

"I see," Erian said.

"That means I'm now your superior officer."

"I understood that. What if your orders contradict orders from Ulor Tervin?"

"Krulmuk's orders also instruct all units to disregard any further orders from any Ulor."

"I see," Erian said.

"Do you have any questions or objections?"

"No, Gurikan Falan."

"Good. Order your men to prepare for battle," Trenyva commanded.

"What is our objective?"

"There will be three objectives. First, you have two kantoro down in North Peninsula, taking orders from Rubanya's man, don't you?"

"I was so ordered by Ulor Tervin. The 3rd Kantora Trayavix and the 4th Kantora Trayavix are at Angenmar Paven at last report."

"Right. You will order them to disregard further orders from Rubanya or anyone loyal to him. They should attempt to link up with Krulmuk's main force which was marching towards Kast Yvar last I heard. By the time your men get the message, Krulmuk will probably have moved again, but that's the order, attempt to link up with him."

"I'll send the order to them. What are the other two objectives?"

"The first is the Ulor's palace. Have your men seize Ulor Tervin and hold him in custody. The second objective is the Trayavix navy base. Seize it, capture all naval personnel that you can, prevent ships from departing. After that, you are to prevent any forces loyal to Rubanya from passing through Trayavix by land or by sea."

"I understand."

"Will your kantoro remain loyal?"

"I am sure of Gurikan Razamuk and Gurikan Banitanda who went to the North Peninsula. I only have two kantoro left here. One is commanded by Gurikan Havimuk who I'm sure will be loyal and whose sympathies are with Krulmuk to begin with. If anyone would have doubts, it would be Gurikan Marivan, commander of the 1st Kantora Trayavix, but I don't think we'll have any trouble from him, either. He will obey my orders."

"Good. Then you know what to do."

"When do we start?"

"As soon as possible."

[Gamemaster]

Ulor's Palace (Starmet Uloresh)
City of Trayavix (Serat Trayavix)
Trayavix Province(Salan Trayavix)

Oron 10, Salgan 1 Adonsik 41 Vylor Cledman VI

Late at night, a military officer comes to the back door of the Ulor's palace. After hearing what he has to say, the guards escort him immediately to meet with the Ulor.

The Ulor was asleep, but his servants wake him up to hear this.

The officer is Ekanor Danifar. When he is finally face to face with Ulor Tervin he says, "Ulor, there is a plan to attack you here and to attack the navy base. Not all of us are willing to do it. I have been sent to warn you and to carry your orders to the men who remain loyal."

[Ulor Tervin]

After conferring with the Ekanor I give him instructions and send him back. Then I summon the captain of the gaurds and give him some urgent orders as well.

(ooc - I sent instructions via e-mail.)

[Gamemaster]

Trayavix Garrison Fortress (Kast Trayavix)
City of Trayavix (Serat Trayavix)
Trayavix Province(Salan Trayavix)

Oron 11, Salgan 1 Adonsik 41 Vylor Cledman VI

Early in the morning, shoppers are on their way to the marketplace. A wagon rolls through the streets of Trayavix past the garrison fortress. Seagulls call out in the distance.

People passing on the street can hear soldiers shouting orders inside the fortress.

The gate to the fortress opens and a column of soldiers moves out in full armour and carrying spears, swords and other weapons. At an order from Gurikan Havimuk, they increase their pace from a fast march to a run. The clatter of armour and weapons can be heard all over town. They are the 2nd Kantora Trayavix and they are heading for the Ulor's palace.

Ekanor Falan Erian and two of his servants come out afterwards. Erian gestures for more troops to advance and Gurikan Marivan gives an order and the 1st Kantora Trayavix also advances through the gates of the fortress and turns towards the Ulor's palace. At an order from Gurikan Marivan, the 1st Kantora also begins to jog forward, their armour and weapons making a tremendous noise as they do so.

As they advance, Ekanor Falan Erian notices a growing gap between the two units and gestures for Gurikan Marivan to quicken the pace. Marivan gestures to his men to come on, and orders them to "keep up the pace and follow me." To Ekanor Falan Erian looking back at them, it appears that Gurikan Marivan is doing his best to get the men to move faster, but in fact, they are keeping up the pace Marivan is setting, a pace that is not as fast as the pace of the kantora ahead of them. Marivan is doing this deliberately.

When the troops have nearly reached the Ulor's palace, the gap between the units has grown so wide that they are nearly out of sight of each other. The 1st Kantora Trayavix turns a corner and the Ulor's palace is now in sight. Gurikan Havimuk gives the order to charge and he and his men give out a tremendous war cry and sprint towards the palace. Ekanor Falan Erian stops, looks back and shouts at the lagging 1st Kantora, "Come on! The attack has already begun."

Now Gurikan Marivan runs as fast as he can and orders his men, "fast advance!" Erian smiles and turns to continue walking towards the palace.

He thinks only of victory as he hears the men of the 1st Kantora running up behind him. Only when they reach him and he is knocked to the ground does he realize that something has gone wrong.

Half a dozen soldiers jump on Ekanor Falan Erian, knocking the breath out of him and seizing his sword. His servants are also attacked and captured.

"Take them with us!" Gurikan Marivan shouts. "Back to the garrison fortress! Reverse direction!" On this order, the soldiers turn around. Most of them are very confused by this order. Only a few trusted ones knew what to expect in advance. "You heard me! Reverse!" Marivuk shouts. He can already see that Havimuk and his men have gotten over the walls of the palace and opened the door from the inside. Now they are pouring into the Ulor's palace unresisted.

When Marivuk sees that his men have reversed direction, he orders, "Back to the fortress! Fast Advance!"

One of his trusted lieutenants, Ekanor Danifar, has been strategically positioned at the rear of the column and now is in the lead after the reverse.

[Gamemaster]

Gurikan Havimuk was surprised at how easily his men captured Ulor Tervin's palace. At first he thought that he had caught the Rizado Uloresh (Ulor's Guards) by surprise as planned. Then he learned otherwise.

"Gurikan!" one of his soldiers shouted to him, "The palace is abandoned!"

Havimuk was horrified. Far from being surprised, the Ulor had somehow learned of the attack in advance. Havimuk was trying to figure out what to do next when his soldiers brought a prisoner to him.

"This is the only one in the whole place," the soldiers said.

Their prisoner was not the Ulor nor even a guard, but was a menial servant.

"Where has Tervin gone?" Gurikan Havimuk demanded of the hapless prisoner.

The prisoner replied, "He was careful to make sure that I did not know where he was going when I was selected to remain behind to give you a message."

"What message?" Havimuk asked.

"Please forgive me, but I have been commanded to inform you that Ulor Tervin demands your surrender."

Havimuk straightened up and muttered, "We'll see about that," but he walked quickly to the front gate to see if hostile forces were in view anywhere and to consult with his commander, Ekanor Falan Erian who was coming up behind him.

Havimuk was shocked yet again to see that Ekanor Falan Erian was nowhere in sight. Neither was the 1st Kantora Trayavix which was also right behind him when last he looked back. Instead, all he saw now was an abandoned street. There weren't even any civilians on it, just a single dog wandering across the road.

Havimuk tried to think clearly, but he was very confused and uncertain. He needed to link up with the 1st Kantora, to make sure he was secure in case Tervin had some troops of his own and was about to attack. He needed, above all, to get further orders from Erian.

Havimuk gave orders to his men to release the prisoner, abandon the Ulor's palace and return immediately to the garrison fortress.

The soldiers of the 2nd Kantora Trayavix formed up on Havimuk's order and jogged quickly back through the streets of Trayavix to the garrison fortress.

Havimuk already felt like the enemy had anticipated his every move and thwarted him. Now he hoped to escape any trap the enemy might have laid for him at the palace by returning to the safety of the garrison fortress, but when he arrived, yet another shock was in store for him.

"Open the gates!" Havimuk commanded to the soldiers on the wall of the garrison fortress when he arrived there with his men.

Instead of dutifully obeying this order, the soldiers inside did nothing. Havimuk was about to chastise them when a voice from the wall called to him, "Havimuk! You have chosen the wrong side. Tell your men to lay down their arms and the Ulor will spare you."

Havimuk looked up and saw, to his utter horror, Gurikan Marivan, commander of the 1st Kantora Trayavix, a fellow officer, holding the garrison fortress against him. Then he noticed Ulor Tervin standing on the wall beside him.

Havimuk's mouth gaped open in astonishment.

Tervin said something to the soldiers inside the fortress and three more men came up on the wall where Havimuk could see them. Two of them were guards holding the third, a bound and gagged prisoner. Havimuk recognized the prisoner as his commanding officer, Ekanor Falan Erian. (Lt. General Erian).

Havimuk started to say something, but had no idea what to say or do. He looked at Erian as if for instructions. Then he looked at the sword in his hand and let it drop to the ground.

Havimuk looked up at Ulor Tervin and said, "I was just following orders."

Gurikan Marivan said, "Then obey Ulor Tervin's orders now and disarm your men."

Havimuk wearily turned around and ordered, "lay down your arms!"

The soldiers complied. Civilians nearby were astonished to see soldiers of the 1st Kantora Trayavix coming out of the fortress and taking prisoner the men of the 2nd Kantora Trayavix who, until that morning, had been their comrades and shared a barracks with them at the garrison fortress.

[Ulor Tervin]

Ulor Tervin surveyed the prisoners and decided that decisive action was necessary.

He turned to Sternin, his main advisor, and Gurikan Marivan, the highest ranking officer he knew was loyal to him.

"Here are my orders."

1) Gurikan Havimuk is hereby removed from command, stripped of his rank, charged with treason and imprisoned. Marivan, see to that this is done.

2) Havimuk is to be scheduled for a trial before a regular judge. Sternin, make sure this is done, but make sure it doesn't happen right away.

3) Gurikan Marivan, for your courage and loyalty, you are hereby promoted to Ekanor Falan and placed in command of the entire garrison for Salan Trayavix.

4) Ekanor Falan Marivan, leave enough troops behind to secure the prisoners, but go immediately to the regional imperial army HQ and capture or kill everyone there. Make sure Gurkan Falan Trenyva does not escape. Go no. Don't wait for the rest of my orders.

5) Sternin, I am not going back to the palace. I wish to move my residence and office here to the garrison fortress where I will be more secure.

6) Notify the commander of teh navy base what happened.

7) Send a message by imperial courier to tell Rubanya what has happened. Assure him that I am still in control here.

8) Send a message to the Ulor Landyva of Foerfen notifying him of what has happened and warning him that a similar attack may be launched against him. Tell him that it is my opinion that with battles raging in the north peninsula between high ranking imperial officials that we must have strong leadership at the regional level as we have discussed before. Ask him if he will support me in taking over the regional army headquarters and exercising emergency powers throughout the region on behalf of the empire.

[Gamemaster]

Imperial Army Headquarters for the North River Region
City of Trayavix
Trayavix Province

Oron 11, Salgan 1 Adonsik 41 Vylor Cledman VI

It was a short walk from the garrison fortress to the Imperial Army Regional Headquarters next door.

The 1st Kantora Trayavix arrived at a run. The two guards at the front door saw them coming and ran inside to bar the door.

The headquarters building was not a fortress and the soldiers soon smashed in the doors and charged in. The guards fought, but were quickly cut down.

Gurikan Falan Trenyva heard the fighting and grabbed his sword. A group of soldiers fought their way through the guards to his office. Trenyva's assistant attacked them and he was also killed.

"You are under arrest," shouted an Ekanor.

"You will not capture me alive you traitors. If any of you step through that door, I'll kill you right here," Trenyva declared.

The Ekanor waited. Soon Marivan arrived with more troops.

"The general is here, but he won't surrender," the Ekanor said.

"Attack him," Marivan ordered.

A dozen men entered the office. They could not all get in at once and, true to his word, Gurikan Falan Trenyva cut down the first two soldiers with his sword, but then he was overwhelmed and stabbed to death with spears.

Marivan looked at the body, still bleeding and twitching and said, "Mission accomplished. Gather up the scrolls and the money here, bury the dead and return to the fortress."