Military action against rebels - be on notice

[Nemt]

Forces under the command of myself (3rd Kantora Zekresh) and Ekanor Falun Krevimuk (1st and 3rd Kantora Kopixer) have defeated rebel elements consisting of bandits and imperial deserters in Kopixer province. The remnants of the enemy are known to be fleeing the area, and could possible cross the river into Zamarula and other nearby provinces. Due to continuing security concerns in the area around the capital, our forces are unable to pursue them further.

[Nashlan]

<Message relayed through Imperial Courier Service, written in Zekresh.>

Ulor Nemt of Kopixer.

Greetings,

Congratulations are in order for your recent victory over the rebel elements in Kopixer Province. I wish to learn more of military actions recently undertaken by Uloro, as my own research into the matter is proving frustrating. It is my understanding that the Kantora stationed in a Province are under the control of a regional commander, yet I have heard several rumours that Kantora have on occasion been commanded by an Ulor.

I wish to inquire into the specifics of your situation; what channels was it necessary to go to to obtain command of the Kantora in your region and how did they respond to your command?

On a less trivial note, did the rebels bear any uniform or other items that might be used to identify them? I wish to aid in the capture of any that stray into my own Province, as well as maintain vigilance to stop a similar situation occuring in Nassavix.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Ulor Nashlan of Nassavix Province.

[Nemt]

Ulor Nashlan of Nassavix,

Thank you for your support of our continued fight against lawlessness in Kopixer province.

In response to your query as to how an Ulor can command forces, as Gurikan the 3rd Kantora Zekresh is under my immediate command, and was dispatched with me when I was sent to restore order to Kopixer. I am unfamiliar with what measures must be taken by non-military Ulors to dispatch and command local garrisons, though my forces acted with the Kantoro under command of Ekanor Falun Krevimuk. The regional commander in the South Plains is Gurikan Falan Guvalnuk, though I am unsure whether Krevimuk has had any contact whatsoever with him.

Many of the rebels are unidentifiable beyond being the slightly less starving folks carrying weapons. The imperial deserters, however, are easily identifiable by their standard imperial armor and equipment.

Regards,
Ulor Nemt of Kopixer

[Gamemaster]

Ekanor Falan Krevimuk reports to Ulor Nemt, "We have now 526 volunteers for the military. Also, that naval force has returned with more food supplies so we can really feed our troops and the new volunteers on a regular basis. I suggest we assign the volunteers to the 3rd Kantora Kopixer because it is so far under strength, but I will defer to your decision if you disagree."

[Nemt]

Very well, assign them to the 3rd Kantora Kopixer. What is the plan for training and equipping these men, though?

[Gamemaster]

Ekanor Falan Krevimuk says, "I can have my other men train them. As for equipment, it may be difficult to get the normal equipment, but most of the volunteers brought weapons of some kind and with a small allocation of money, I can get some sort of weapons for the rest.

[Nemt]

Armor may very well have been the saving grace of our last engagement. I am less concerned with arming the men, as I'm sure a surplus of farming tools and crude weapons are available, but defending them may prove more difficult. Do you predict many more engagements in the immediate future, or do you suspect the rebels' withdrawl is significant enough to avert any more large scale operations?

[Gamemaster]

Krevimuk says, "I doubt we will see a force of rebels that large ever again in our lifetimes. Smaller groups may still be out there, but they will likely be scattered easily. More to the point, I doubt there is armor for sale in this province at any price."

[Nemt]

I wouldn't have expected to find suitable armor for the new recruits, but without much of a threat it shouldn't be a major factor. How would you feel about granting amnesty towards imperial deserters should they return to their kantoro? I've contemplated it since our decisive victory, though perhaps they've fled too far for word to even reach any of them in time for it to matter.

[Gamemaster]

Krevimuk says, "The normal penalty for desertion is death by slow torture, generally involving beating and burning. But if you wish to make an exception due to our shortage of troops, it is certainly understandable. I do not wish to express an opinion on the matter, Ulor. I will go with whatever you decide."

[Nemt]

A large part of imperial merit should be the belief in the zekresh nation. By extending goodwill towards zekresh folk, and those tasked with defending the empire, not shown to others we are strengthening the core of the empire. Not to mention, of course, the shortage of troops in the Kantoro Kopixer. A primary concern of mine, however, is the loyalty of "forgiven" imperials - will all signs of dissent fade when they realizer imperial power has returned to Kopixer, along with food, or will they pose a problem with trust? Perhaps a limited period of amnesty could be offered, to capitalize on their decreased morale following our victory, after which the normal penalty will be imposed on all captured or returning men.

[Gamemaster]

Krevimuk says, "Maybe I'm old fashioned, Ulor, but I think you should impose the full penalty. If you want to favor Zekresh soldiers, that's fine, but most of the troops in our garrison are Kopixers, not Zekresh."

Danask says, "I think you have a good idea there, Ulor. If you offer amnesty plus some quantity of grain, you would probably find most of the rebels accepting your offer."

[Nemt]

Amnesty plus a bit of grain for zekresh deserters returning quickly enough sounds reasonable, with full penalties for all others - rebel or deserter.