Debauchery Foothold 5 (Patreon)

Debauchery Foothold

Chapter 5

-VB-

A Fine Commander (Azka-Evran mission)

Akal Deggarion I Evranzuir, before his ascension to the throne, was thained in the Wallguard of Azka-Evran. Known throughout Bulwar as an unparalleled garrison force, they are some of the most disciplined and skilled troops in the land. In his time as captain of the Wallguard, Deggarion I has managed to make many improvements to their function and skill and has proven himself a fine soldier and astute commander. 

Now, however, it is time to prove that he knows how to put those skills to use outside the walls of the fortress. A battlefield is nothing like a siege and so his must show the armies and generals that he is capable of leading them to victory!

---

The Akal’s Speech (Religious Incident)

The plan is clear: our Akal will make a speech to the people, with couriers to send the message to all corners of our nation. He will promise to improve the lives of the people and ensure their safety, as is his duty as one of Surael’s Chosen. The people gaze up in wonder but also in agitation - things are getting very bad in Bulawr, and they need something to grasp onto in hope.

Dartaxes, unquelled rebellion, and other strife has caused many with little reason to question their faith in us to stir and rise up with thoughts of the old ways (and the human-run kingdom that saw the Age of Monsters come). We have even heard whispers of vile heresy: that we are usurpers, and must be removed by any means necessary. Our administration is woefully unequipped to handle this dissent, and the more the people are mishandled by crude actions, the more of them join these causes. 

Beyond our borders, the monsters press ever closer, raids striking ever further. Our military has suffered loss after loss and the people fear that soon it will not be the reasonable Sun Elves that they rebel again, but the demon-worshipping gnolls, or the man-stealing harpies, or the savage goblins from the mountains.

The Akal will make a pledge to the people to end this instability and push back the invaders! All we need now is to figure out where to start and how to go about all this.

[Pledge to restore order in the realm before 10 years have passed.]

---

The Demands of the Defeated (Azka-Evran specific mission)

The army of Baharkand was smashed and scattered during the Fall of Aqatbar, with companies fleeing or being forced to retreat in all directions. Many of these remnants have found each other and banded back together, forming something of a guerilla force, prowling about in Aqatbahar.

Their leaders have sent messengers to us, offering to return to our service in exchange for land and titles and guarantees of position within our government, despite their human lineage. It would bolster our armies quite a bit, but can we afford to be giving away what little land and control the crown has left?

Our advisors worry that they may eventually give the same offer to our human-ruled vassal state. What should we do?

[Gather these men! We need all the soldiers we can get.] (1 of 2 event decisions)

-VB-

Captain Mahrn So’vealti

Nesru Fort

1440

Mahrn knew the answer before he heard it. 

And why wouldn’t he know it? He was the elf who spent the most time with the human war wizard in front of him and the rest of the war council of the Nasru-ean March.

“Absolutely not.”

The marquess looked surprised by the war wizard’s response. “We are offering you a lot of gold and authority. Why would you reject this?” she asked him befuddled. 

“Because I’m not a greedy general who would happily sacrifice the troops he trained for money. And you are asking me to perform what is basically a suicide attack on the goblins.”

If this had been anyone else, then Mahrn might have been ordered to strike the man down for his “disrespect.” Except it wasn’t disrespect because even he could see that this was an insane request. 

“But you are capable of it. You are a war wizard of the highest caliber that we have seen,” the marquess asked again. 

This was also true. Commander Alan Marris of the Frostfire Company was one of the most powerful and versatile war wizards that they have encountered in their centuries long lifespan. Normally, a war wizard was capable of launching fireballs across the battlefield and a single battle might exhaust all of their mana. But Alan? Mahrn saw him fight before and from the reports that he and others have been getting, he did not tire even after multiple consecutive battles. On top of that, he was an expert in multiple magical disciplines and performed feats that would require half a dozen court mages.

“And I am also the commander of my own brand new mercenary company,” he replied back. “I am in charge of lives, however wretched they may be compared to ours. I am not one who spends my men’s lives so easily, especially on a plan that calls for me to hold off an entire nation of goblins by my lonesome, no matter how unorganized they may be.”

“Damn mercenary!” someone hissed out. “You should be taking the money and doing as you’re told!” 

Mahrn snapped toward one of the marquess’s officers. Even the marquess looked upset that the officer in question had interrupted, but the officer himself was oblivious to the anger being directed at him. 

If Mahrn remembered correctly, then the officer in question was the fort’s garrison commander. Saurial or something like that. He was of middling military background and achievements, but retained his position because his noble family had been in charge of this fort since Jaher’s conquest of Bulwar. 

Marris turned to look at the garrison commander and gave him a very unimpressed stare. 

And then proceeded to ignore him.

Which was equally bad because in the Kingdom of Azka-Evran - and according to the laws of the Kingdom of Baharkand that they were the remnant of - a commoner could not ignore a noble, especially not in a manner like this. This could allow the noble to demand a duel out of the commoner, which was normally something restricted to the nobility and royalty. Though the nobility and the clerics were the stewards as Sar-Arukanas dictates, an insult like ignoring their betters was not accepted at all! 

But the commander wasn’t dumb enough to challenge a war wizard. 

“I demand you come down to the court yard for a duel!” he shouted as he shot up from his seat. 

Never mind, he assumed too much. 

Why was the commander going so far? 

“Silainna.”

The garrison commander stiffened before looking at the marquess. 

“You are disrupting my negotiation.”

The elven man’s face slowly grew blotchy red before he gave her a bow and excused himself, but as he left, he made sure to glare at Marris as he left. 

“... Also, putting myself under the command of your kingdom for a campaign would mean putting myself at the mercy of people like him,” Marris added while pointing to the now missing garrison commander over his shoulder with his thumb. “And that’s really unacceptable.”

“Is that the main reason why you don’t wish to work with us for the campaign?”

“No. The main reason is that you’re asking a suicide mission out of me.”

“Then what would you accept?” Marquess sil Noqatsul asked as she leaned forward.

“... I am willing to act as an independent army,” he replied. “I will bring evidence of my and my company’s work. I will hit targets from a list of targets you provide me. I will have the right to refuse missions, but of course, not fighting means I won’t get paid.”

“In essence, you don’t want to change anything from our current relationship.”

“Yes.”

“Then how do you intend to be useful when we have an army of nine thousand goblins marching toward us?”

“I will burn their supply lines.”

Mahrn blinked. 

“With my teleportation, I can cover a lot of ground and find where the goblins are ahead of the battle. I can use that maneuverability to scout out the enemy formation, convoys, and more. With that information, I will strike at the enemy supplies. I can probably bring along one or two of your officers with me to get confirmation for my payment. Of course, if the officers lie about what they saw and try to scam me of my work, that will most likely be the end of our cooperation.”

Mahrn thought about it. It was actually a thing Marris could do, wasn’t it? 

“Captain Mahrn.”

“Yes, marquess?” he responded immediately. 

“You’ll be our liaison.”

“Yes, marquess.”

“Would this be acceptable?” the marquess asked the war wizard. 

Marris, after a moment, nodded. “Then let us discuss payment.”

Mahrn wanted to crumble in his seat. This was going to take forever…! 

-VB-

At the end of the day, I accepted the mercenary contract with Marquess sil Noqatsul because I did need to help them.

I very much still intended to push my way into the Serpentsreach and the Serpentspine Mountains with whatever colonists that I could hire, swindle, and drag along for the ride. To do that, I needed four things. 

One, I needed money for supplies, which included everything from food and clothes to weapons and tools. 

Two, I needed a certain amount of fame and respect to be taken seriously. I was getting there, but just being a war wizard with a small mercenary company I made wasn’t going to be enough. I needed a real source of “glory and fame,” as it were, to convince people to follow me.

Three, I needed a trading partner when time came for me to establish my own kingdom and trade with. If I just went and did it on my own, then the Kingdom of Azka-Evran would have no reason to trade with me favorably or at all. After all, from their perspective, a war wizard that they tried to hire refused their requests and went on to create a kingdom nearby in the mountains. That was a rival, not a friend or trading partner. But if I was a war wizard who helped them out, even if I was paid for it, then I was someone who they had worked with before and thus someone who they could work with again. 

Four, by helping Azka-Evran conquer Azkasad, the province connecting Bulwar and Harpy Hills to the Serpentsreach, I would secure my rear. If I walked in without my rear secured, then the goblins of Greysheep could always hit me from the back when I least expected it. 

I had all of these reasons to work with them, but at the same time, I couldn’t be seen as subservient.

Actions created precedents, and precedents birthed expectations. 

If I went along with them too smoothly for them and continuing to do so over the course of this war would set a precedent, and that would set into motion the idea that I was working not with them but for them. Such attitudes would create expectations, and when I inevitably broke their expectations to journey into the Serpentsreach, then I would create an enemy whether I intended it or not.

Because that was how people worked.

… Assholes, weren’t they? There was a reason why the old saying “a people is a mob” rang true time and time again. People, as a group, didn’t react logically or rationally. Hell, even their own self-preservation was not a people’s priority. 

Their satisfaction was.

My plan, thus, was to satisfy them and their leaders in a manner that left me in the black in their budget. 

I could be thinking about this too hard but this was real life; I should be thinking as hard as I can for the optimal outcome. 

So! 

My job was simple.

Go around and raid the shit out of the Greysheep Clan. My primary focus will be on their enemy supplies and rear guards. I will join the marquess and her soldiers occasionally in battle where my presence was critical to their success, but otherwise, I had operational independence. And that was important for me and mine. 

“And that is what we will be doing in this war.”

The Frostfire Company, my mercenary company, sat before me and began murmuring.

One of them raised a hand. “Um. Boss? You didn’t actually explain. You just said ‘and that is what we will be doing.’”

I giggled. Straight-up giggled like a little girl. “Sorry, sorry. I wanted to do that once and this was the perfect chance. I’ll properly explain what we will be doing now.” I cleared my throat after and began my explanation. “For the past few weeks, we have been working as scouts and eliminators against the Greysheep Goblins. Even though we wiped out most of their outposts and small tribes, we have a big ass army headed our way. Our job as mercenaries is to fight them. However!” I shouted the last word when I saw them looking at me horrified. “We will not fight them head-on. That is suicide even with my magical might. I may be strong, but I’m strong enough to take on thousands of armed goblins at the same time.

“Instead, we will engage in hit and run tactics. We will strike them when they are at their weakest. We will strike in the night. We will not give them the satisfaction of seeing us die. We will stick to the valleys, mountains, and forests. I want their scouts to never leave the forests we are in. I want their leaders to fear for their lives more than they want victory! I want them all to realize that the half-goblins and their former slaves they dismissed are better than them!”

Those words seemed to light a fire in them. 

I saw a few clenching their jaws. 

Good.

“This means we will have to move fast. We will not stay in one position for longer than a few days at most. That also means we will not take on any camp followers for this mission but only the most swift-footed fighters. The fighters will need to know how to use a melee weapon and ranged weapon. Crossbow is fine, but if you aren’t hitting at least nine out of ten shots, then don’t bother volunteering. But I need at least a pair of porters who will carry a significant chunk of our camping gears. I will take on a total of a hundred fighters. If you want to volunteer, then the sign up sheet will be in front of my office. That is all. Does anyone have any questions?” 

Some of my mercenaries raised their arms.

“Atu?”

He put his arm down. “So we will be fighting the goblins and killing a lot of them?” he asked me intently. 

“Yes,” I replied as equally clearly. “I expect to kill at least a thousand goblins by myself at the very least.”

He looked satisfied by my answer. 

“Then I will endeavor to kill at least five hundred with the power you gave me.”

I paused and glanced around. 

At the mention of power, some of my mercenaries looked at him and then at me.

There was an expectation there. 

But I had no desire to give out Templates to anyone else right now. And even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn’t give out something that powerful. At the same time, money wouldn’t be a good enough of a reward when they knew there was something better. 

“I will give you a similar reward to Atu’s. Not quite as strong and certainly not as versatile but certainly enough for anyone to notice that you were indeed … rewarded.”

Using Panacea’s biokinesis to bolster their physicality would have to do.

All of my soldiers got excited.

“W-What if we want to give that reward to someone else?”

I paused and looked to my right.

There, standing among the humans and half-goblins was a single elf. A young boy. One of his ears had been torn away. He had slash scars all around his face. 

And the woman standing next to him? I remembered her. She was a slave to the goblins. A broodmare for the goblins to make half-goblins. She was used as a toy. Blinded, mutilated, and used. 

I hadn’t healed her because I didn’t heal everyone. I didn’t want people begging me for healing every time I left my company compound, but I had taken pity on her and allowed her son to work for me while providing for her and her son’s basic needs. 

“Yes,” I replied. “If that is what you want, then I can do that as well.”

That got many more people interested than before. 

That’s fine. Whatever got them motivated to kill, I’ll take it and use it. 

-VB-

The Baharkandi Reconquest War, or Azka-Evran’s Reconquest of Bahar, began with a declaration of war by the Kingdom of Azka-Evran against the Marblehead Goblins. The purpose of this war was to drive out the goblins from the Aqatbahar area as a whole and retake the City of Aqatbar, the jewel of Bahar, which would naturally connect the kingdom to its distant vassal along the coast of the East Divenhal Sea.

On the surface, this was a suicide move. 

The Kingdom of Azka-Evran was the black sheep of the elven and human nations, acknowledged by very few and supported by none. On the other hand, the Marblehead Goblins were allied with the Greysheep Goblins, and together, they covered both the east and the west, leaving the north covered by the Serpentsreach mountains to the north and the province of Farramaz connecting Azka-Evran to the heretical human kingdom of Dartaxagerdim. 

Surrounded on all sides, and yet the kingdom declared war on its two of three neighbors. 

The akal of Azka-Evran was not an idiot, so why would he do this? 

The answer was simple.

Preparation.

For a full year, he had hoarded all of the gold dug out of the western Azka-Evran province as well as the gemstones mined from the northern Qasnabor province. Marquess sil Noqatsul also secured the eastern Nasru-ean province. On top of this, the akal accepted the defeated army of Baharkand into the kingdom’s service. With these preparations, Akal Deggarion Evranzuir felt that he had enough money and an opportunity to strike at the goblins. 

He was right. 

The Marblehead goblins were still consolidating from their conquest of the region, and while they did outnumber Azka-Evran’s standing army, they were also an unwanted newcomer in the region, no matter how much the local humans preferred them over the Sun Elves, who had squandered generations of goodwill with their recent devastating succession war.

So right before he declared war, he hired as many major mercenary bands as he possibly could, amassing an additional army of nine thousand soldiers.

(This, unfortunately, left the Marquess of Nasru-ean with few mercenaries for her to hire in the defense of her march.)

Suddenly, what would have been a two to one fight in favor of the goblins flipped to become a near one to one fight, numerically, and a numerically even war put the technologically and magically superior Azka-Evran at an advantage, especially with rumors of a war wizard hired by Marquess sil Noqatsul.

-VB-

Attacker: 

Kingdom of Azka-Evran - 18,000 soldiers (10,000 mercenaries)

Defenders:

Marblehead Clan - 11,000 rabble

Greysheep Clan - 9,000 rabble