Imperial Expedition to Crestfall
| Imperial Expedition to Crestfall | |||||
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 Shireroth
|  Army of Caverden
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The Imperial Expedition to Crestfall is a military campaign launched by The Imperial Republic of Shireroth to reclaim control of the City of Isenbury and the Crestfall Downs, following the city's rejection of Imperial authority in 1680 AN. The campaign is personally led by Kaiseress Salome, flying the Banner of Ayreon as her war banner.
Imperial War Council
- Salome, Kaiseress
- Iessei Ameunin, Lieutenant for the Golden Mango Throne to the Crestfall Circle
- Jamie III of Octavius-Leilani, Imperial Interpreter and Cultural Liaison
- Bernice IV of Octavius-Teleni, Prefect of the Camp
- Bethany V of Octavius-Leilani, Personal assistant to the Kaiseress
- Arn bi Płentek, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Hænrek Kuldraþ, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Olf bi Arnæst, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Uta bi Suirsva, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Miruih Afrgalb, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Admir bi Łestkin, Bivarhins Ahmst Tazstraneï
- Uezei Isseiq°e, Myćyiereheme ia-Syretḥemat
- Ahyim Dźasbatyq°e, Myćyiereheme ia-Syretḥemat
- Ḥeẑ° Ietyq°e, Ġ°eg°yuenek°'ynyrł'yheme ia-Syretḥemat
- Alder Edzard, Gauhthvaszhaldan Fortis
- Raïnuld Bakavan, Gauhthvaszhaldan Fortis
- Adun Hvapak, Gauhthvaszhaldan Fortis
- Baþun Halmods, Gauhthvaszhaldan Fortis
Battle of Samback
On 4.XII.1680, screening units of the Imperial Expedition encountered their counterparts in the Banners of the Southern Marches, south of the road to Samback in an abandoned farming estate. The Imperial Expedition secured the area and made camp at this estate. The bodies of "gentlemen of the road" who had been encountered between the towns of Mastun and Samback were nailed to trees along the roadside, bearing signs that identified their various attempted crimes.
On 5.XII.1680, Kaiseress Salome detached the Ŝḥenĉeł'yhe under Uezei Iesseiq°e with orders to locate and define the disposition of hostile forces located around Samback. Encounters between skirmishers continued throughout the day.
On 8.XII.1680, a battalion of poorly-trained soldiers under the Banners of the Southern Marches launched an attack on the estate and attempted a feigned retreat towards a location identified as a location where Banner troops were massing, on the hills west-northwest of Samback. After this failed, the Banners of the Southern Marches, having gathered its strength in and around town, opted to strike.
The force was divided into three wings, to take advantage of their numerical superiority:
- The Center Wing, under Uitih Baen, would consist of the bulk of their forces, mostly lightly-armed and inexperienced troops -- its mission would be to hold the Imperial Expedition in place
- The Left Wing, under Kæïl Sunfriþs, would circle around and cut off the Imperial Expedition from being able to retreat back towards Mastun.
- The Right Wing, under Valmir bi Aþałn, consisting of well-equipped veterans, would annihilate the Imperial Expedition
The attack, scheduled to begin in early afternoon on the 9th, was uncoordinated, allowing the Imperial Expedition to destroy the Banners of the Southern Marches in detail. The Left Wing initiated its attack in the morning hours and deployed too spread out to be able to concentrate its forces effectively. The Center Wing waited until early evening, once the Right Wing had already been defeated, then attempted a disorganized retreat back to Samback.
By this time, the column of Ŝḥenĉeł'yhe under Uezei Iesseiq°e had been able to clear the town of any remaining opposition forces and set up a defensive line along the western edge of town, turning the town's encircling farmland into a killing field for the demoralized and retreating Center Wing to march into. Captured soldiers were forced to make submissions to the Kaiseress, and the Banner of Ayreon was raised above the town.
Battle of Dalbruï
First Engagement
Intelligence on the Town of Dalbruï in the prelude to the battle had suggested that the majority of hostile parties were locals who had signed onto Brookshire Anti-Alienation League precepts, with a core contingent from the renegade Army of Caverden to prop them up. The goal of military action here, therefore, was to preferentially harass the town, draw out these rebellious elements, and then defeat them in a second, larger engagement, cleansing the town of dissidents.
1.II.1681 AN, three Ŝḥenĉeł'yh companies from the Journeymen (RL. Ġ°eg°yuenek°'ynyrł'yhe) were deployed to begin this process. They made station on a prominent ridge outside of town and initiated their first sortie with a hit-and-run attack against a police station known to be used by Banner Troops as a patrol headquarters. Further hit-and-run and hit-and-capture attacks continued through the evening.
At dawn on 2.II.1681 AN, the Ŝḥenĉeł'yh took account of their captives (21 police officers, 13 soldiers, 4 bureaucrats, 3 town council members) and the means of their capture in order to properly delineate who earned how many counts of ł'yġe, when scouts reported the arrival of several regiments worth of regular Banner Troops, taking position around the town. They were identified as falling under the Banners of the Western Marches, possibly consisting of the entire regular formation.
The Ŝḥenĉeł'yh chose from among them who would gain prestige as an un-armed messenger to the Banner headquarters. The lot fell on Terze Iydarpx°e, who entrusted her se with her brother, Daute Iydarq°e. Their message to the Banner troops was that they had captives, whom they were willing to trade in exchange for free passage, but whom they would kill if battle were to commence.
The exchange was not accepted, and the messenger was killed. Once they finished killing their captives, the Ŝḥenĉeł'yh mobilized for a break out maneuver, of whom half succeeded.
An Appeal to Salome
The surviving Ŝḥenĉeł'yh, who vowed to avenge the fallen and their significant loss of prestige, appealed to Kaiseress Salome for men and equipment to aid in achieving this goal. Their attempts with other leaders had so far been ignored. On 9.II.1681 AN, Salome granted the request on the condition that they swore personal allegiance to her.
Salome formed her own personal Ŝḥenĉeł'yh, the Eagle-Owls (RL. Tyġ°ryġ°yh), paying both the cost necessary to free all of the supplicants of their debt to the Journeymen shareholders, as well as the cost necessary to elevate several of the supplicants to shareholder status, so that this new group would have sufficient qualified officers in order to form five companies. The ranks of this new group were filled out by young Laqs eager for an opportunity to earn prestige.
Salome also chose to appoint Daute Iydarq°e as her adjutant.
Second Engagement
Salome, as the Syretḥemat of the Eagle-Owls, led the second engagement at Dalbruï from the front lines, under the assumed name of Mamyr Aslanpx°e.
On 24.II.1681 AN, the Eagle-Owls engaged patrols near town, picking off small groups and intentionally allowing individual soldiers to escape. The Banner Troops in town again called in for relief by the Banners of the Western Marches, which had since dispersed. As this relief force began to consolidate, the bulk of Salome's forces then engaged them and destroyed them in detail over the next several days.
By 6.II.1681 AN, the remaining force stationed at Dalbruï were forced to surrender. Fifty seven of the surrendering troops went so far as to perform submissions to Salome in person and join the cause of the Imperial Expedition.
At Dalbruï's town hall, the Eagle-Owls proclaimed Salome their "Battle Sister" (RL. Zauśypx°).
Siege of Isenbury
Battle of Szirlah
Highdown
On 10.XIII.1861 AN, Kaiseress Salome personally accepted the surrender of the City of Highdown and the submission of the city's leaders. A majority of the Banners of the Northern Marches offer oaths and submissions to Salome.
Salome issued a decree that afternoon, granting the Ŝḥenĉeł'yhe the right to hunt down and enslave the portion of the Banners of the Northern Marches that refused to surrender, as well as the remaining lingering banner troops that had thusfar avoided death or capture and the troublesome "gentlemen of the road" that pervaded the area.
Footnotes
- ^ A loose confederacy of slavers, active in Eastern Benacia following the Kalirion Fracture of 1671.
