I have to say, the AI's clever decision to deploy its pretender on patrol duty with just capitol PD more or less made that possible. Well, it also helped that formerly-sentient TC's minor border dispute with Marignon was turned into a full-blown invasion while ignoring the raiding army by its capitol (which only became conquerors opportunistically, as their intent had been to raid a swathe through TC to disrupt and delay TC's slow but steady invasion of Ermor).
One thing that everyone involved should be clear on is that going after Ermor will serve as a messy and dangerous distraction. Setting aside what a nasty little mustelid I tend to be when cornered, in the combined area formerly covered by overlapped TC (now carved up by three nations, with a fourth presumably swimming its way inward) and Ermor, there are two thrones. Two. Whole. Thrones. And both are on the borders. I may well become a pankreatormaker by virtue of acting as a time-and-resource sink for those who otherwise would be contenders but had the misfortune of bordering me and succumbing to peer pressure...
On an unrelated note, my internet is very spotty. It took 30m to send my turn last night, and if I may dangerously tip my hand, that was a 155kb .2h... It seems better right now, but problems may return...