Lake Norton Expedition
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The Lake Norton Expedition of 1723 AN is an ongoing two-thousand kilometre trip across north-eastern Corum. The expedition departed from Southman, capital of East Zimia and the Wallis Islands, on 1.IV.1723 AN, with its ultimate destination the lakeside city of Ossyo on the shore of Lake Norton. Sponsored by the East Zimian and Wallisian government, the expedition includes personnel from the Regional Inspectorate of Corum and various friendly countries, most notably Suren and Vegno.
Background
Ever since the establishment of East Zimia and the Wallis Islands, expansionist elements within the kingdom had pushed for the acquisition of the distant lakeside city of Ossyo, capital of the former Realm of Bayen. The successful conquest of Corum Electric in 1721 AN helped to sway public opinion behind the expansionists, resulting in the first plans for an ambitious expedition to reach Ossyo by traversing the two-thousand kilometres of ungoverned territory between the kingdom and the shores of Lake Norton.
These plans were given further impetus by foreign expansion elswhere in Corum, while the highly-publicised ascent of Bear G. Rill to Mount Lacara helped to raise interest in an adventurous expedition through the wilds of the continent.
Planned route
Departing from the city of Southman, the plan was to travel south to Dodona (Thraci: Dodan), before turning west towards Tumi, former capital of the Hhoti Autonomous Territory. From Tumi, the expedition would head in a south-westerly direction towards Anzo, and then west to the city of Komi, where it was hoped to win the support of the local Imab-Adred-Nas population. Leaving Komi, the expedition would then continue westward until it reached Ossyo, where the historic amphibious gunboat, Iron Duck, would take to the waters of Lake Norton.
It was estimated that the expedition would arrive at Dodona within a Norton month of its departure, Tumi by the end of the second month, and Anzo by the end of the third. A further one-and-a-half to two Norton months would be required to reach Komi, while it was judged that the final leg to Ossyo might take four months.
The Surenid contingent arrives
Following the Norasht campaign, the Lady of the Suren had written to Mondo early on in the planning stages of the expedition with the offer of material assistance. Whether Mondo intended to decline this generous offer is unknown but either way events were set in motion and, in the first month of 1723 AN a bulk container ship chartered from the Honourable Company had departed from the port of Kara and arrived off Naya Island, an isolated possession of Natopia off the northwestern coast of Corum, twenty-days later. Aboard were four singular vehicles, along with their designers. These four individuals, the agha sahibs Fuller, Hart, Hobart, and Stern, had previously been kept under conditions of purdah at the palaces of Surenshahr, excepting only strictly supervised visits to the Suren Central Manufacturing Organisation manufacturing facilities. This state of affairs persisted for three years until they had been unceremoniously bundled out of the palace and driven to Kara. During the voyage the four gentleman had received letters addressed to them in vermilion envelopes bearing the seal of the Surenshahs. Upon stepping ashore at Naya Island, the four were bade by their keeper, a fearsome Kumaranchi eunuch by the name of Abbas, to unseal the letters and read their contents. To their consternation they learned that they had been graciously accepted into the service of the House of Suren as kuls and were to be honoured in turn with commissions to the "Surenid Expeditionary Force in Corum". This expeditionary force would comprise of themselves, the four steel beasts stored within the belly of the ship, their keeper Abbas, and his own retinue of kuls. Abbas had received his own set of instructions, in an envelope of vermilion and gold leaf, which he had read during the voyage. In his possession had been placed a bankers draft and a generously filled treasure chest. With these he was to constitute the Surenid Expeditionary Force in Corum to the extent that he deemed fitting. He was further charged to maintain a proper account of his expenditure, to be notified to Surenshahr by monthly returns, including invoices, or to anticipate an appointment with the headsman upon his return.
Logistics
On 14.II.1723 AN, Sarhang Alexios Tzakhas, of the Regional Inspectorate of Corum, wrote to Mondo:
Majesty,I have seen the Iron Duck and the Surenid armoured behemoths that have recently been landed. That they are able to make good distance cross country is all very well, but to go the course they must have fuel, which will require fuel trucks to follow in their wake, and doubtless shall require additional depots to be established along the proposed line of march, so that the fuel trucks may themselves be replenished. Furthermore, as the expedition shall be crossing territory that has fallen into disorder it must be envisaged that a workforce shall be required. As far as I am able to judge, without making any special calculation, I consider that 1,200 labourers and a similar number of porters would be the smallest number that would suffice, and a well-armed guard of at least 500 volunteers, supplemented by a similar contingent of native askaris would be necessary.
Miss Merrick, whom I had consulted as to the force necessary for the safety of the Expedition, is of opinion that I have formed far too low an estimate, but after weighing the testimony of many experienced persons acquainted with Corum, I must adhere to my opinion that a thousand troops armed with modern rifles and machine guns, and under the command of experienced persons, would, if supplemented by the irregular force, fully suffice.
Tzakhas' recommendations prompted the formation of Norforce, short for "Lake Norton Force", a weak brigade-sized command comprising a battalion of regular soldiers from the East Zimian and Wallisian War League, a second battalion of Imab-Adred-Nas auxiliaries, and a mixed support regiment of logistical personnel, labourers and porters.
Bear G. Rill Invitation and Role
On 23.II.1723 AN, Bear G. Rill and his team have been invited by Mondo to participate in the exploration. played a significant role in the renowned expedition across the lands of Corum. Positioned at the heart of an untamed continent teeming with indigenous flora and fauna, Lake Norton had long captivated the imagination of explorers and scientists alike. Bear G. Rill's expertise in natural sciences, and his unwavering spirit of survival and exploration made him an invaluable asset to the expedition. His profound understanding of ecological systems, coupled with his ability to adapt to the challenges posed by the rugged terrain and unpredictable wildlife, enabled the team to navigate through the uncharted wilderness surrounding the lake. Rill's meticulous observations of the native flora and fauna during the expedition could be significantly rilevant to the advancement of ecological knowledge in the region.
Establishment
List of notable participants, contingents, and equipment
Regional Inspectorate of Corum
Norforce
- 1st Expeditionary Battalion (c.600)
- 1st Imab Battalion (c.600 Imab-Adred-Nas)
- Support Regiment (c.1200)
Iron Duck
Surenid Expeditionary Force in Corum
Bear G. Rill and party
Expedition
Meta calculations
Roll d10 for each leg of journey:
- 1: Serious problems!
- 2: Problems
- 3-4: Behind schedule
- 5-6: Neither good nor bad
- 7-8: Ahead of schedule
- 9: Something good
- 10: Something great!
Leg 1: Rolled 4: slightly behind schedule. Depart 1.IV.1723. Estimated arrival 1-2.V.1723. Days behind schedule: d6: 1.
Leg 2: Rolled 3: behind schedule again. Estimated arrival 24.V.1723. Days behind schedule: d10: 6. Actual Departure: 10.V.1723. Arrival: 16.VI.1723.
Southman to Dodona
Following several months of preparation, the expedition departed Southman on the first day of IV.1723 AN. Heading in a rough south-southwest direction, the column initially made decent progress; however, soon after crossing the former border with Thracistan, the more pessimistic predictions of Tzakhas and Merrick quickly proved correct. Even before the decline and fall of Thracistan plunged the area into chaos, the sensitive border region with the Bassarid Empire had been traversed by few roads and it was soon apparent that what infrastructure had once existed was now in a very poor state of repair. What remained of the local population gave the formidably-armed expedition little trouble though and the after just over a month of travel, the head of the column successfully marched into Dodona on 3.V.1723 AN. Although only a day behind schedule, it was to prove an omen of the logistical difficulties yet to come.
Dodona to Tumi
The expedition was obliged to remain in Dodona for an entire week, while essential repairs were conducted and supplies replenished for the next leg of the journey, which although somewhat shorter, promised to be more arduous than that just endured. Leaving Dodona on 10.V.1723 AN, the column turned west, following the route of the old road to Tumi. Although still extant, the thoroughfare was in a notably poor state of repair, and progress continued to lag behind the overly-optimistic schedule.
As feared, the presence of the Iron Duck and Suren's "Four Funnies" proved a major headache for the leadership. Several key bridges were found to have collapsed, and those that still stood were wholly unable to safely support the weight of the mechanised behemoths, necessitating remedial engineering work and in one instance forcing an extensive detour in search of an alternative crossing-point.
Despite the hardships, the expedition finally reached Tumi on 16.VI.1723 AN.
Tumi to Anzo
[Rolled 7: ahead of schedule. Makes up some lost time. Estimated arrival 1-2.VII.1723]
Anzo to Komi
[Rolled 3: good progress doesn't last! Estimated arrival 14.VIII-2.IX.1723]
Komi to Ossyo
[Rolled 4: slightly behind schedule. Again. Planning was obviously optimistic. Estimated arrival 1.XIII.1723]
