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You decide that Methiant needs to help the Cydwyllian loyalists at once, no-

1to2_{oh boy}

"No!" The table shudders when Houlandin's gloved hand slams at it.

"Are you mad, father!?" Your son yells. "What we're going to do is bleed ourselves even more than we have already! Our borders are unprotected, our veteran soldiers dead and recruits not even out of the fucking training fields! Less than three thousand left alive to carry weapons in a nation stretching from Tiftit to the very border with Damdamian Empire! And our Treasury is at low and we've just agreed to pay a significant part of our income to dwarves! What are you doing, father, answer me this! Is this some kind of game you're playing? Some sort, I do not know, real-life chess, and we're extra game assets you can gamble on? Always waiting for some troops to get mustered and then jump to a war at slightest moment of notice! And what is our part in this grandiose part of the plan? First Tywynn, then Connan, I lost my eye and look here - Iwald was sent to a fucking war against an enemy with greater numbers and greater weapons, and Alldivines be blessed for their favors given to him, because if he for once would've slipped in his tactics, our family tomb would have one more sarcophagus and I would have one brother less! No I say! The Methiant Army is not going anywhere, Cydwyls and Cidric be damned!"

"How dare you speak to the Emperor like this, Houlandin-" The Advisor stands but your son turns to him.

"What Emperor?!" He points a finger at you. "He is a joke! A joke I say, a joke and a madman who rushes through things, not caring for people, for the army, for anything, going about only to fulfill his list of goals or conquests or fucking whatever! And I didn't hear that my father has been terminally ill that he has few years left to life yet a league-long list of things to complete before his passes away! Or is it that he has elevated himself to the rank of Emperor and suddenly believes he is immortal, he is invicible, he can get away with anything he wants no matter how huge the cost!? And now he says 'go to yet another war' with barely a soldier and money left!? How can you bunch even consider supporting his decision is fucking beyond me!!"

Clearly the boy had too much ale! It is time for you to...

*KZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTT*

You're Leath, son of Cyl and heir to the throne of Methiant.

You're seated between Iwald and Houlandin, currently standing, and who currently finished his lengthy tirade, blasting your father, apparently for the string of bad choices and governing in past few years. Or at least, venting off his grievances to the Emperor.

The courtiers are aghast. Poor Iwald is absolutely pale with terror. Houlandin and Cyl both look like two hot-headed alley boys ready to come to blows, faces redder than rubies.

You really should do something before something terrible happens.

A) I have to agree with Houlandin. Our father needs to see that another war will only bring further misfortune to Methiant at this moment!
B) Clearly, I've got to persuade Houlandin that it's going to be alright, even if some of his accusations might have a grain of truth of them.
C) Houlandin's done it this time. Guards! We need guards! Where are those guards when we need them the most?
D) It seems I need to calm them down. Uhhh, ask the servants to bring some water? Find a middle ground, if there's one?

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With haste, you send Leath to begin negotiations.

Five days later you learn that in the north, Cydwyl capital has fallen to the rebels, although Cidric, with help of Dahnians, has begun a counteroffensive to reclaim the throne and the southern parts of his Kingdom. Meanwhile, Zonalath dwarves have laid waste to several small cities and towns, killing and enslaving many thousands in a span of last half a month.

Right in the very middle of the month, the word arrives from Leath, along with a scroll filled with monetary calculations. Apparently, they wish for lavish amount of money, in yearly payments, and dwarves from Zonalath were ordered by High Chief Anathazol to stop their pillagery.

Besides money, Leath writes, the dwarves demand that you return Wolf-Fang, made by their runemasters' ancestors, and which by no means you can claim as your own.

The Treasurer cries a little when he finishes the dwarven calculations.

"Sire, this is a robbery! Even if we send them our yearly income of pure silver, it will take eight years to pay this 'tribute' of theirs!"

You decide to send a reply to Leath, in which you write that...

A) He should negotiate for a lesser amount of money.
B) He should negotiate so that Wolf-Fang remains with the Imperial family.
C) He should agree to these, arguably scammy, demands.
D) He should inform Iwald that the fighting will continue on.

You send the Alldivines westwards, to reinforce Iwald's army.

Six days later, a forerunner is sent ahead of a thousand strong Cydwyl cavalry. The exhausted rider falls to his knee and looks up at you.

"Terrible news, Emperor! I bring word from my lord and master, King Cidric, who has been assaulted by his so called 'family', his uncles in west and east. Kingdom of Cydwyl is in clutches of civil war, and the King had to fly toward Dahnia as the uncles massed supporters amongst soldiers, officials and mercenaries. We alone have been dispatched to your Kingdom, as guards."

"Guards?"

"Guards of Queen Eirika and her royal children."

An hour later, Eirika along with Ela, Anwyn and Irsa end up in your Palace. Your daughter speaks with you at once.

"They didn't send any formal declaration of the sorts. Their men just took over some border forts and keeps in vicinity of the capital. CIdric decided to retreat northwards as to keep his rebelious uncles wedged between his loyal vassal, Duchess Astrid of Dahnia and your Empire.

As Eirika has to calm down and breastfeed little Irsa, a council is held between you and important officials.

As for the course of war...

A) We continue fighting!
B) It's time to ask Dwarves for peace!

As for Cydwyllian reinforcements...

A) They shall reinforce Iwald's army.
B) They shall go harass Zonalath dwarves.
C) They will stay at the capital.
D) They should return to Cydwyl and help crush those rebel bastards.

And as for Estrid, Houlandin's wife and heiress of Stjolf of Cydwyl...

A) Execute this rebel spy at once!
B) Imprison her so she won't try anything sneaky at your palace.
C) Nothing, she is of no importance.

You decide to send a messenger to Lametanians, and also an offer of procurement of mercenaries from local Alldivine Cloisters.

As the messengers carry around your pleas for assistance, three days later you receive a report from Iwald: his soldiers and dwarves of Ankurvat have clashed again!

4*

And once again, against all odds, Iwald has scored a small victory against the dwarves, routing them. But another few thousand of Methiantese soldiers perished, and in the report Iwald writes that his Army is basically bleeding out at this moment.

Three days later, you receive a report from northwest; the dwarves continue unopposed, laying devastation to various keeps and richer settlements, plundering everything of worth and enslaving anyone strong enough to do slave work.

The same evening, the horn is heard in the east; your sentries report that about two thousand lightly armed men and women, some of them on horse, are approaching the capital under the banner of gold with the copper carbuncle; it is the Alldivines.

Battlebrother Vrath of Tech Cloister arrives to speak with you personally.

"Greetings, your Majesty. We've heard that you require services of our trained youth, and thus we bring two thousand of those we had at hand. My fellow battlebrothers agreed to postpone the payment for their services for a year."

You decide to...

A) Send the Alldivines northwest, to slow down the approach of Zonalath dwarves.
B) Send the Alldivines west, to reinforce Iwald's shrinking Army.
C) Keep the Alldivines at the capital for now.

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You promote Iwald as the member of royal family to send the forces with. He is young, but his innate skill will help. You give him Lakemetal Tunic to ward off any potential dwarven witchcraft.

4*

A week later you receive first news; the main body of dwarven force from Ankurvat has met with Methiant Army. It was a mighty battle, and despite the fact that the Dwarves had quite a few, quite frightening, tricks up their sleeves, the battle ended in minor victory for Iwald and at least two thousands of casualties on both sides.

The mysterious devices, whilst none destroyed or captured, are now known to your soldiers; apparently, some wicked dwarven magic fuels the pyramids, which then fire off a bolt of purple energy upon enemy Army; shortly afterwards, powerful but localized tremors rend up the earth, knocking people up and swallowing those who had the unfortunate distinction of falling down. Your officers are pretty sure that any Methiantese castle currently standing would turn to cheese after just few attacks of these fearsome magical siege engines, even if it seems that those tremor machines require up to several minutes to power and/or 'reload'.

The dwarven lizard cavalry has also been thoroughly 'studied' on the battlefield; these seem more like ceremonial mounts, as those six-legged, gaudily-colored (mostly in oranges, yellows and purples) reptiles, while large and menacing, are nothing compared to swiftness of a horse or ferocity of Agaresian lizards (which are smaller, faster and several times more vicious).

Exactly two mornings after the report, a messenger brings reply from King Cidric; he shall honor the treaty and is preparing to send four thousand of best Cydwyllian cavalry to help you against the dwarves.

And few hours later you get news from northwest; the Zonalath force has crushed several attempts by local militia to put up any resistance. Two border keeps were quickly turned to ruin by the tremor machines and the men garrisoning them were either killed in battle or captured for slavery.

Your courtiers clamor for more to be done to counter this terrifying invasion. Cidric's reinforcements are surely en route, but still...

A) Time to call up Lametanians!
B) Nah, they will do for now.

Some even believe we should seek help from less trusted neighbours in these desperate times...

A) Let's ask Alldivine Cloisters to provide warrior-priests in return for lavish donations!
B) Let's message the Parsians, maybe King Shapur V can be enticed to send aid.
C) Let's not involve especially these people in our wars.