Ralgon War of Succession
The Ralgon War of Succession was a military conflict fought between the Imperial Federation and the Holy Ralgon Empire, over the succession rights to their respective Imperial Crown. The War resulted in a catastrophic defeat for Ralgonese forces, which were pushed to various strongholds on Mainland Cibola before finally holding the line against land-based partisans from the mainland. While the war on the coast was written off quickly in favor of Adrestian forces, the inland battles remained fierce, especially in the Great Swamp and other portions of the Drag'osian Badlands. After the defection of Glacier City to the Adrestian forces, the warfront for the Ralgon government rapidly deteriorated as the Holy Draconic Church no longer publicly supported the Senate, assured it would have a place at the new, Adrestian, Emperor's table.
Timeline Before the War
1698
June 1698:
The Emperor Shiro, having lost his ability to leverage with the Adrestians for further help stabilizing the remaining heartland's frontier, makes a last ditch move to save what is left of Ralgon's crumbling empire. He offers to move the Imperial Navy Headquarters to Gondolin, along with the High Command, the latter contingent on a lasting victory. Together, they occupy Dragon's Reach, although their forces do not control enough territory to allow its reintegration into the Empire. Joint forces make a bid to occupy land north of Glacier City, SAR, but similarly fail to make significant gains. Although the Emperor is an extremely valiant warrior, he remains an ineffective general and a poorly trained grand strategist due to a lifetime of leading only small forces into battle.
November 1698:
The Adrestians threaten to withdraw after a lack of notable success on the battlefield. Having failed to conquer territory permanently, they blame the Imperial Army, and thus the Emperor, for their failure to follow up on very considerable Adrestian naval might beyond the coastline. Unable to succeed in a positive offensive without Adrestian help, he offers them the Imperial Crown upon his death. This is an offer the Adrestian Prince Masamune II cannot refuse. He has held the throne for less than a decade, and although the Ralgon Emperor has a chance to live extremely long, the Adrestian royal knows that this may be the golden opportunity to place an heir on the throne, as he would likely claim the Imperial Throne as a feeble old man should he live long enough. The Emperor has similar thoughts, but both would prove wrong in the coming years.
1699
March 1699:
The Emperor is diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. Despite doctors' attempts to save their Emperor's strength, they soon realize that modern medicine will not help stop the cancer. Efforts turn to delaying the cancer's progress as the Empire's authority crumbles, and allies abroad turn towards internal pressures. If the Emperor dies without foreign allies, the Empire would be placed in existential danger. Knowing that his decision to will the Crown to the Adrestians is now an unmitigated disaster, the Emperor attempts to accelerate plans to strengthen the Empire's remaining mainland holdings, and orders more vigorous expeditions out of Yixing. However, these expeditions similarly fail to conquer territory, and instead Byalia's hold over Ralgon-cleared lands becomes more apparent. As a result, the Emperor's authority finally begins to crumble under the weight of his weakening physical state and the declining influence of the Holy Draconic Church over the Empire.
November 1699:
Prince Masamune II is involved in an accident that permanently disables him. He was 49 years old at the time of the event. He would cling to life support for the next several years, delegating responsibility increasingly to a regional council headed by an old friend, the Duke of Gondolin. A strong ally of the Emperor, however, he remains committed to ensuring that the Holy Ralgon Empire remains intact long enough for a future Adrestian heir to lay claim to what remains after the Emperor finally dies. Plans are made for the coming decades. With the full might of the Imperial Navy completely under Adrestian orders, the port at Nova Victoria is further retrofitted and strengthened. Additionally, the former military bases of Dragon's Reach, notably Zamma, are occupied by Adrestian marines in proportion to the slowly withdrawing (and increasingly defeatist) Ralgon forces. Meanwhile, Adrestian settlements abroad see stronger investment and even, where possible, Adrestian military presence. Notably, the International Mandate's navy base sees heavy investments, to a degree where the increased Adrestian presence has a notable impact on the local economy.
1701
January 1701:
Prince Masamune II is informed with irrefutable evidence that his devastating "accident" was caused by none other than his 25-year-old son and heir, Masamune III. His wife is also discovered to have played an indisputable and central role in the plot. Masamune III is immediately executed by being poisoned. To the rest of the world (and even most of the Royal Court) it looks like an accidental food poisoning. A chef at court known for his undesirable habits is similarly executed swiftly by a kangaroo court, and this only barely settles the Imperial Government in Glacier City, which by now has only nominal authority over the severely handicapped Prince's actions.
March 1701:
Prince Masamune IV is born. His mother mysteriously disappears immediately after the birth. Claims circulate she died in childbirth, but suspicions of murder circulate around the court. The extremes of having to kill his own son and daughter-in-law for treason begins to take a toll on the Prince. To prevent more precious royal blood from being spilt in the future, the Prince orders the Navy to proceed to Bomei Island, located off the coast of Sankt Ludwigshafen, and begin construction of a settlement to comfortably house exiles from the Ralgon Empire who otherwise would have benefitted the Empire.
December 1701:
Prince Masamune's health continues to decline. It is by this time that adherents of a new sect of Draconic take root in the upper echelons of the failing Prince's court. These so-called Draconic Humanists preach a much stronger central government within Adrestia, and take advantage of the respective weaknesses in both the Royal and Imperial Courts to advance their agenda, finding success in only the former. Sensing mortal weakness in the Empire, the Prince is influenced by his humanist counterparts to order the construction of a new naval base far from imperial territory. The Admiralty settles on a small island off the coast of Corum to house both a labor camp for prisoners to work off prison sentences, as well as a large naval base to ensure Adrestian protection of vital waters in the region should the Bassarid Empire continue its decline.
1702
January 1702:
The penal colonies are completed (at least on paper), but due to a lack of population on Bomei Island, an MCS claim is never lodged, as there are only a tiny handful of nobles housed on the entire span of territory. The Naval Base on Devil's Island continues its construction and will evolve over the next four years to become Adrestia's second-biggest overseas base outside of the International Mandate. However, no interaction occurs with the Imperial Trade Union due to its singular purposes as a shipyard and a massive prison. However, a town eventually springs up, although this is never logged onto the official cartography charts due to the diplomatic implications of expanding its military in waters patrolled by both the Bassarids and Natopia near Naya Island.
December 1702:
Byalia's government implodes over the course of 1702 to 1703 AN. Adrestian troops move in and occupy its coastal regions, setting up naval bases staffed with troops from Ralgon. Refugees from elsewhere in Drag'os quickly repopulate the island where native Byalian settlers have fled from en masse. Settlements are established that include Rai to the west, Reiwa to the north, and Edowara to the south. However, uprisings make the primarily Ralgonese city of Val'nor hard to access, resulting in a top-heavy presence of troops from the Ralgon capital. Although the Adrestians are in a prime position to take advantage of the situation, it slips from their grasp for the next few years due to the sudden lack of cohesive authority in both the Royal and Imperial courts, due to the unwillingness of the Adrestian Prince to betray his old friend the Emperor while he still lived, and the terminal illness of the Emperor taking its toll on the central government. This sets the region up for the later confrontation between the two sides.
1703
June 1703:
The Holy Ralgon Emperor celebrates his third, and final, Sed Festival on Midsummer's Day of 1703, in commemoration of his 30th year on the Imperial Throne. According to the ancient tradition, festivities continue over the week. During the Emperor's reign, two other Sed festivals were observed: First, on the 20th anniversary of his reign, and tradition calls for a renewed celebration every five years after. The Emperor's battle with cancer rages on, but he is able to still display some of his old strength on the battlefield, something that barely holds the Empire together by this point.
July 1704:
The Emperor learns of the rapidly increasing presence of national humanists in the Royal Adrestian Court. He sends loyalists to the Princely Court to ascertain the cause, to find out that the ideology started at the very top with nobles espousing an ideology not dissimilar to domestically grown ones that dated back to Adrestia's official annexation into the Empire over 30 years ago. Efforts are made to steer the Court towards a pro-Empire stance.
September 1704:
The Emperor's efforts are discovered by radicals withing the Princely Court, and their broadcast of the discovery creates a panic within the Adrestian Court. Sensing a dire threat to Adrestia's prestige within the Empire, the mortally weak Adrestian Prince manages to call up enough anger and political strength to order a purge, although with the condition that the same purge be both bloodless yet painful for the Emperor to witness, as consequence for attempting to sabotage the Princely Court's station within the Empire. Lead by the Duke of Gondolin, Nikamura Hawkins, a trial is held in public before the Princely Court, and the loyalist nobles the Emperor sent to influence the Court are tried for sedition, convicted of subversion of national ideals, and are sentenced to be transported to the recently completed Bomei Island instead of sent back home.
October 1704: Despite his best efforts to recover the nobles and have them patriated to Drag'os, his efforts over the subsequent months fail and a permanent rift begins to form between the Princely Court and the Imperial Court. The direct anger of the Prince of Adrestia against the Empire combines with the increasingly strong influence of Draconic Humanism over the Adrestian Royal Court to send a very clear message to the Emperor of Ralgon: the days of amicability and unquestioned authority with his counterparts across the ocean are over.
1704
April 1704:
Prince Masamune II slips into a coma and then dies at the end of the month from his injuries from the failed 1699 assassination attempt by his own son. He is succeeded by a Regency Council headed by Duke Nikamura, and the Council consists of a strong minority of Draconic Humanists who favor either overtaking the Empire or, favoring that, severing political ties with it. However, moderation prevails, and the Regency Council instead opts for patience... and heavy militarization.
June 1704:
The worst has been confirmed by the doctors, in private: after just over 30 years on the Ralgon Throne, the Emperor's life is nearing its end. The doctors have given their prognosis: The Holy Ralgon Emperor's illness is terminal, and he has about one year left to live before succumbing to the disease. Despite the best efforts of the country's most advanced physicians, this newly discovered type of blood cancer is proving impossible to beat. Without treatment, the Ralgon Emperor will rapidly weaken and be unable to discharge his duties in the final months of his reign. Instead of battling the cancer, the Emperor instead chooses to pursue treatments that keep him functioning as he normally would, despite the devastating toll on his body.
July 1704:
The Imperial Senate and the Royal Court of Adrestia are secretly informed of the Ralgon Emperor's deteriorating battle with cancer. They are also reminded of the promise the Emperor made six years prior, in offering the Crown to the Adrestian heir of their choice upon his own passing, in exchange for both their help and loyalty that preserved the Empire. Despite knowing the division will cause, the Emperor also knows that the Adrestians will invade if the Emperor's word, despite is decreased value in the past decade, is spurned. The coming months are spent putting the Empire's affairs in order, with signs of regionalism starting to show as the battlefront against The Green finally stabilizes with a combination of Adrestian military might, armed partisans, and Ralgonese soldiers holding ground near key strategic points as they claw back land once controlled by Nobunag'an IV of Ralgon and by Shiro I of Ralgon during the first decade of his reign.
December 1704:
During Yule of 1704 AN, the new Masamune IV is crowned Imperial Prince of Adrestia before a massive crowd. Flanked by his Regents and Viceroys, the coronation ceremony of the four-year-old child is an obvious power play by the heavily militarized Adrestian government. In the same ceremony, he is proclaimed Defender of the Great Western Ocean, another aggrandizement of the Court to provoke the Ralgon government. Immediately upon taking the throne, the new Prince's education begins... starting with the tenets of Draconic Humanism by none other than his own caretaker, the 35-year-old Duke Nikamura of Gondolin, an ardent adherent to the new belief. In secret, the government of the Benacian Union is contacted in the coming days with a strange request: to send a missionary of sorts to educate the new Prince on gaps in his caretakers' knowledge in this radical new ideology.
1705
January 1705:
The Emperor Shiro I of Ralgon lies on his deathbed. He articulates his will. In the coming weeks, he sees the end coming and chooses to send letters of encouragement to loyalists around the world. He also sends a testament to his allies in Çakaristan, thanking them for the help their previous Sultan had provided during his reign, sharing fond memories of his interactions with the great man. He spends his final days penning an autobiography, in hopes that his successors will read it and learn from his perspective on his own successes and failures. With affairs finally completed, the Emperor stops treatment and spends the next month in convalescence, preparing for the end of his life.
March 1705:
The announcement has finally been published that the Empire has dreaded for many months: The Emperor, Shiro I, is finally confirmed dead, having passed during the night in his palace in Glacier City. The various centers of the Imperial Government continue to function out of Gondolin (now home to the Navy Headquarters), Glacier City (the executive branch's home under the late Emperor) and in Valeria (the long-time capital of the Empire), each claiming enough moral authority to run their regions and a tentative agreement that the Empire should not fall, in anticipation of the upcoming Election Trials. Gondolin nominates its own Prince to contest the Crown, despite the fact that said Prince is ineligible to compete for the Imperial Crown due to his youth. Regional governments in Drag'os have successfully called for Trials to be held later in the year, but the colonies in the Sunfire Sea have remained silent.
May 1705:
Regionalism has already taken deep root. Frontier garrisons have already begun to operate independently and take sides in the succession dispute. The Imperial Government has moved back from Glacier City (where it relocated under the late Emperor) to its traditional place of business in Valeria, Stormhold. The Lord Mayor, in retaliation, has thrown out any Imperial Senators left in the City until the crisis is declared over. The city now already governs itself like an independent country.
August 1705:
The Imperial Senate, in a desperate bid to restore its remaining authority over the Empire, has held secret elections and then crowned pro-USSO Crown Prince Draeg'ar Ral as Emperor Draeg'ar Ral X. Their deliberate act of excluding Adrestia's candidates has enraged the entire Sunfire Realms. The Adrestian Regency finds out quickly thanks to its extensive spy network, consisting mostly of Ralgonese sympathizers. Acting in defiance to its nominal overlords, the Royal Adrestian Regency Council has crowned the Draconic Humanist candidate, the four-year-old Masamune IV, as Emperor of the Holy Ralgon Empire. They add the caveat in the legal language surrounding the ceremony that will allow their claimant to pick a regnal name at a later date, also in anticipation of a name change in the Adrestian nation, should a full-scale civil war make its way home.
September 1705:
By this point, each respective regional government and each regional frontier garrison, save Glacier City, has been forced to take sides in the intensifying succession crisis.
Scarterra, Al-Hamra, and Nixtorm have sided with the Adrestian candidate in Gondolin.
The smaller regions of Violight and Avalon go unnoticed, although they've sworn fealty to the new government before the crisis started.
The St. Mara Region, Aurora, and Stormhold have sided with the government in Valeria. The Dragon's Reach, Saisei, and Dalgar'on Reclamation Forces are divided on the issue. Before things come to blows, each camp holds a vote. Independently of one another, they split into camps supporting each side and call temporary truces to avoid pointless bloodshed, due to the extreme weakness of the Imperial Government. Radicalized pro-Draeg'ar units withdraw into the Drag'osian Badlands, eliminating pockets of fauna that remain from the Great Swamp War, driving the creatures into Imperial controlled outposts, which inadvertently cause their own faction serious military damage.
The Alphaville and Glacier City Autonomous Regions have remained silent, although each has notably failed to declare itself neutral.
Initial Stages of the War
1705
October 1705:
The government of Glacier City, SAR closes off its borders to Imperialist traffic, but also does not allow the Adrestian Royal Navy to quarter in its vast, almost perfectly defended ports without concessions given. Knowing that the great city is better conquered with diplomacy, the Admiralty is ordered to treat with the government. They quickly reach a breakthrough: the capital of Drag'os is to move to Glacier City in perpetuity, the territory is considered a special "Imperial City" in perpetuity, and future Emperors are to be crowned at the Imperial Palace "as well as elsewhere you would like." Finally, the two parties agree that ensuring the complete safety of the Emperor Emeritus Nobunag'an IV of Ralgon (wherever he goes) remains sacrosanct, in both a political and a religious sense. As having the city and the Emperor Emeritus in Adrestian hands would lend Imperial status to both parties' ambitions anyway, the Regency Council unanimously accepts these terms, while also publicly pledging to aid the city against "all aggression."
However, the City Government does not agree to defect, considering the war being far too early and not wishing to cause further divisions in the Empire due to its Lord Mayor's personal leanings (despite his own comments on Prince Draeg'ar's unpopularity as a politician). However, it does agree to armed neutrality, pending negotiations. However, they do promise, as "concessions," to keep the Imperial Senate, Prince Draeg'ar, and other openly armed "Loyalists" (as these forces are now known) from the confines of the city walls. The Adrestians reluctantly agree to these terms, and withdraw their own forces from the docks, instead blockading the south coast of Aurora and Stormhold provinces, while leaving nationals of Glacier City, SAR alone and capable of trading with nearby countries, thus keeping the economy afloat and preventing the population's ire from turning on the Adrestian forces instead.
Regardless of Glacier City's self-proclaimed neutrality, this means a purge, which itself targets pro-Draeg'ar Loyalists within Glacier City either with banishment to Bomei Island or transport to Devil's Island for menial labor in the massive construction sites still underway. Although significant reports are made based on personal grudges, this abuse quickly gets quashed when examples are made of false reporters -- often with abusers receiving the same punishments (along with a brand on the arm to signify their status as traitors to innocent countrymen). At the same time, the port at Nova Victoria is shut off to Loyalist forces, which had been using the port to ferry their armies to and from mainland Cibola. The entire city and nearby industrial complexes are soon completely secured after pockets of fighting, with the majority of Loyalist forces retreating inland or retreating by ship to
November 1705:
Almost a month into the civil strife quickly escalating around everyone, the all-encompassing purge in Glacier City successfully sees Prince Shizuo Ral whisked off to Bomei Island. He suddenly finds that, although he is a prisoner on a faraway island, he is placed into a rather luxurious lifestyle, especially for a prisoner of war. The Imperial Government knows nothing of his treatment, though, and now-"Emperor" Draeg'ar Ral I acts immediately. With the Imperial Government kicked out of the all-important Glacier City, now based out of Valeria, declares Adrestia to be a hostile power, Draconic Humanism to be a heretical teaching of the "one true faith," and the Prince of Adrestia a traitor. Then, in the same speech, Draeg'ar Ral declares war on all three.
The rest of November 1705 is spent with Senatorial forces rapidly gathering themselves to fight, with the Adrestian Navy moving to shell positions formerly in The Green that still belong to Loyalist forces. They also move to cut off the island to the southwest, formerly home to Byalia and now referred to as "Chidao Island' by loyalist forces entrenched there. No reinforcements or supplies arrive, and a humanitarian crisis quickly develops, pitting the locals and Loyalists against each other while the Adrestian Navy is ordered not to land a single Marine on the beach until conflict ensues there. Following a defensive victory in Zamma by Adrestian forces against a raid conducted by troops personally led by Emperor Draeg'ar Ral, the Adrestian rebels proclaim Masamune as King of Adrestia, instead of Prince, as a way of publicly gloating over their former overlords, who continually lose territory along the coast, leading to weakening communications between the Loyalists' front lines.
December 1705:
Although fighting commences in earnest, the frontlines remain hardened and unchanged. The Adrestian Navy positions itself for attack, while partisans on both sides jostle for supremacy and relative safety before the fighting begins. The Imperial Senate splits, but most of its Loyalist members take to the field to join Draeg'ar Ral on the field.
Course of the War
1706
January 1706:
Seeing a Loyalist loss on the horizon at land and sea in Drag'os, Glacier City reaches another deal with the Adrestian rebels in the small hours of the morning. Knowing there is no turning back, the head of the Holy Draconic Church grants his blessing to the new King of Adrestia that he is blessed by Thr'or himself. The city prepares to host a new government supported by members of the nobility, royalty, and other leading figures of the former empire that have switched sides up until this point.
The front lines begin to stabilize for pro-Adrestian forces, with the Adrestians and their allies having kicked the Loyalists almost entirely off the coasts of Drag'os and the northern coast of Cibola. Adrestian marines once again storm the beaches of Chidao Island, formerly home to Byalia, which was renamed by the Loyalists in the years after its fall and subsequent, albeit very limited, occupation. This time, the Marines succeed thanks to greater precision of new weaponry in the Navy as well as pro-Adrestian ground forces from Drag'os, themselves experienced in ground warfare. The Loyalist front lines outside of Mainland Cibola begin to crumble, and in the next two months it slowly turns into a rout.
February 1706:
Cut off from supply lines, St. Mara surrenders rather than allow itself to be subjugated to a prolonged siege. The huge fortress at Sho'ri, which prevented the entire western half from being lost since the post-Crisis, 1686 dragon attacks, holds out. The fortress withstands heavy bombardment. While Adrestia manages to pin the defenders down, ground troops fail an encirclement due to fierce resistance and threats to inland supply chains from government forces fully in control of the Badlands and the Great Swamp.
March 1706:
Fervor regarding the Church's siding with the Adrestian cause to breathe life into the empire, its politics, and its very religion leads to zealots among the Knights Templar to fully defect to Adrestian forces. This causes a domino effect, and leads Glacier City to fully defect three months ahead of schedule. Mashiro's leadership follows suit, ending the coastal blockades to the east and almost immediately releasing the industrial might of eastern Drag'os to fund Adrestia's war effort, which was the Admiralty's primary objective. With the industrial zones captured without a shot, the Royal Adrestian Navy, now granted imperial insignia by Glacier City, instead land soldiers, marines, and materials and liberate lands that were once held by Scarterra. They quickly liberate the former city of Drag'nor, which has renamed itself Guang'nor in the absence of its former government, and restore the city's links with the rest of the country. The capture of the remaining coast on the island's eastern half fully cuts off loyalist forces, ensuring that victory for the Adrestians and Drag'osians is only a matter of time.
The fortress at Sho'ri surrenders after their supplies and munitions run out. For the Adrestians, the Battle of Sho'ri proves the single bloodiest engagement of the war, but discipline holds in the wake of victory as they disarm their countrymen. With any threats on the coast eliminated from mainland Ralgon, units all over the island either capitulate or defect, having lost faith in the ineffective leadership of Emperor Draeg'ar Ral, who has incidentally left the island to carry on the struggle from mainland Cibola. Words of this triple defeat spreads quickly, and fighting slows on the mainland, with guerrilla fighting characterizing most activity on the island outside of the capital. In the wake of this victory, fresh recruits are used to great effect in finally surrounding the capital of Valeria.
April 1706:
Later in the month, after heavy fighting, the ruling Ral Clan surrenders Valeria to Adrestian and Glacier City's forces. Adrestian forces capture the Imperial Crown and Sword, but they learn that Draeg'ar Ral took the Imperial Scepter, as he had been named Emperor in the city, but his forces had been split from the city and driven into the wilderness before he could recover the rest of the Imperial Regalia. Although the war is far from won, Adrestia declares victory on Drag'os, and shifts the bulk of its rapidly growing Imperial Army towards taking Tar-Armenel'os, having renamed it from "Chidao Island" after a shared, revered historical figure while invoking both Adrestian and Ralgonese heritage (and, at the same time, displaying a lack of care for the great man the island was originally re-named for).
Heavy bombardment followed by further beach landings results in the capture of Ralgonese settlements Reiwa in the north, Rai to the east, and Edowara to the south, the latter only being taken after an intense battle. In the east, the Adrestians are unable to hold a complete front line. In an act of deception, the Adrestian commanders, not wishing for further bloodshed of Ralgonese blood, negotiate a surrender of the island's coastal defenses in exchange for safe passage to the mainland, which remains firmly in loyalist hands. However, the city of Valin'or does not yet capitulate, leaving parts of Tar-Armenelos's interior susceptible to guerrilla attack. However, even the garrison knows it is doomed, and so negotiations for an island-wide surrender begin.
While these events are taking place, Emperor Draeg'ar Ral and his Loyalist forces garrison the interior city of Yixing, which has seen very little combat, outside of subterfuge by political enemies. The remains of the Ralgon Imperial Senate soon arrives and re-establishes imperial government over the territory. With no enemy forces present in the region, cleanup operations occur quickly for the Loyalists. The city is quickly pacified, and defenses are restored. With the fall of Valeria and the sealing off of Nova Victoria, Yixing becomes the effective capital of the Ralgon Empire. Moves are, consequently, taken to defend this last bastion for the Holy Ralgon Empire's government, having written off anything across the Straits of Drag'os as permanently lost to an enemy they cannot beat at sea.
May 1706:
The stronghold of Valin'or surrenders after hearing of Valeria's fall and confirming the information to be the truth. With Valin'or's surrender, the rest of Tar-Armenel'os is swiftly conquered by Adrestian forces. With only token resistance now being offered, the pro-Adrestian forces declare victory over the seas of the empire. A pre-planned conference is held between the Imperial Regent, Grand Duke Nikamura Hawkings of Gondolin, and the Lord Mayor of Glacier City to re-establish a "more glorious" version of the Empire, this one based on the tenets of Draconic Humanism, albeit in a tone delivered for the masses on Drag'os not accustomed nor receptive to the ideology's more ground-breaking principles. The conference lasts but a few days, as it aims to merely establish the continuation of most norms, with new characteristics and additions to be slowly melded with the system later.
June 1706:
Confident of their impending victory over the Holy Ralgon Empire in Cibola as well, the new government in both Glacier City and Gondolin makes a momentous declaration in tandem with the securing and scouring of the Badlands nearing completion. The Imperial Federation is declared, with Masamune IV & I as Emperor of the Federation of Adrestia and Drag'os. Plans are immediately laid out for solidifying the existing Empire, with attempts to bring the war to a swift end, as the unified governments how have a strongly vested interest of ending the war early to retain soaring popularity and secure the rest of the island of Drag'os for the new government, as a final act of glory.
The Adrestian forces combine with Drag'osian organized units under the new banner of the Imperial Federation. These new Federation forces attempt to land on western Cibolan territory, but find unexpectedly strong resistance due to a very strong Loyalist commitment. After two weeks of heavy fighting, Federation forces withdraw from the beach, with a joke circulating among the troops that even the revenants of the region have turned into Ralgons. Thus, it turned out that the one thing that killed the Holy Ralgon Empire was the one thing saving it from otherwise certain destruction. Knowing that it would take a horrific, indiscriminate bombardment to dislodge the newly strengthened Ralgonese defenses and clear third parties such as undead forces from the region, the Adrestians instead institute a total blockade of these waters. The only land entry point between Loyalist and Federation forces now becomes Nova Victoria.
The Siege of New Ralgon goes on for several more months after these events, with no progress in negotiations in neutral territory outside of Nova Victoria, and no progress at the front, with only minor sorties being launched by each end. Communication is completely cut off from Ralgon to the outside world, and the newly formed Collective Security Association is quickly informed that the so-called "Imperial Federation" would only be cleared away with catastrophic costs due to Adrestian naval superiority in the region.
The situation on the ground, as of late 1706 AN.
