John Carr - The Fireseed Wars

"Yes, but this false summer will not last for long. It will provide us with about a moon's respite, then Soton will be back and the Grand Host will follow us into Ulthor. We can't afford to be here when they arrive. I mean to be long gone before they ever leave Hostigos Town."

"But how? Only Theovacar has the ships necessary to move your army and your subjects-and even the Grefftscharr Navy would be overtaxed, if there are more refugees in camp than when I left, for Wodan's sake!"

"You're right and they're still pouring into Ulthor. We need a new solution. I've been talking with Ambassador Dykar from Nythros City States and he tells me that maybe we can cut a deal with the Nythrosi. It appears they are in a major trade war with Thagnor and they would like Our help in settling this dispute."

Tortha shook his head. "The Nythrosi merchants are well-known for shaving the truth off their promises, they will deliver but only if their hands are tied to the captain's chair and a knife is held to their throats!"

"That is what Prince Kestophes told me. Only he was more diplomatic." Kalvan paused to laugh. "I know better than to trust any of these ambassadors and emissaries. They are all aware of our great army, our horde of refugees and our situation with Styphon's House; they would all like nothing better than if we vanished in the morning mist."

"Very true, Your Majesty. The Middle Kingdoms are much older than your own Northern Kingdoms. They have survived a hundred barbarian invasions and migrations from both the Cold Lands and the Sea of Grass! However, never in all those millennia have they faced an army the size of yours, followed by half a million people in search of a home, since Echanistra was overthrown. All the princedoms and kingdoms up and down the Great Mother River are in an uproar: Who is this Great King Kalvan? Will Styphon's House destroy him? Where is he going? Will he bring the Styphoni butchers behind him?"

"Those are good questions; I wish I had answers."

"Your Majesty, Greffa City was in such turmoil, I could not get out fast enough. Although, I did manage one boon for Your Majesty, right after I left."

"What was that?"

"I had Verkan's chief clerk, Kostran, set charges at the Fireseed Works. The entire mill was scheduled to blowup three days after I left Greffa City."

"Won't that fuel Theovacar's suspicions about the House of Verkan working more for Hostigi policies than Greffan?"

"No, several of the 'new' fireseed mills that have sprouted up in and around Greffa have already exploded or burned up. I didn't want to leave such a valuable military asset in Theovacar's hands once it was determined that he would not work in tandem with Hos-Hostigos. Besides, Kostran was convinced that the King was about to take over ownership of the mill as a Crown Asset."

"Thank you, Tortha. Someday I will find a way to repay you for your efforts-if I'm ever in such a position again."

"It was my pleasure, Your Majesty. But let me add, I would not rule out Theovacar becoming an ally, but only if it benefits Grefftscharr or his own ambitions. In your present situation, there is little you can offer the King except more problems-and he already has a belly full-due to his own attempts to consolidate his rule over Grefftscharr. Theovacar has angered his princes, merchants and nobles. Those he has not angered, he has made fearful. It is apparent to anyone who understands politics that the King intends to concentrate power in the Throne at the expense of every other faction.

"Princedoms, like Thagnor and Lyros, Grefftscharr possessions only by old treaties, are pulling away, attempting to assert their own autonomy before they are reined in by King Theovacar. His subjects support their King's policies of expansion; however, when he oversteps his authority, raising new taxes and duties, they grow angry and resentful. One day they will turn their ire on the King and blood will fill the streets of Greffa City."

Kalvan nodded, pausing to lit his pipe. "I see why Theovacar would not welcome a new neighbor moving into territory traditionally controlled, if not ruled outright, by Grefftscharr or its interests. In that case, I won't waste my time with envoys and ambassadors; instead, I'll try and see if I can find another ally."

"I believe that's the wisest course, Your Majesty." Tortha looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped. Then started again, "Theovacar is a dangerous man, Your Majesty. Do not accept his help, even should he offer, unless you can hold a dagger to his throat."

"Good advice, Trader. I am forewarned and will be wary regarding all future dealings with Theovacar. What can you tell me about his military might?"

Kalvan had been questioning every military man in Ulthor Port about the art of war in the Upper Middle Kingdoms and the conclusions he'd reached had provided him with guarded optimism in regards to what they would be facing once the Hostigi openly moved into the Upper Middle Kingdoms. To begin with, the princedoms were about two hundred years behind the Five Great Kingdoms in all things military. There were few calivers and arquebuses, but no muskets. Styphon's House had kept the supply of muskets limited as part of their attempt to control the dissemination of military technology. After all, muskets were capable of piercing armor. No real cannons, either, only a few old hooped-iron bombards-none with field carriages.

Traditionally, Upper Middle Kingdom forces used crossbows and pikes, instead of arquebuses and other handguns. Overall, there was much more reliance on heavy, armored cavalry than in the Five Kingdoms. In some areas longbows were still predominant. Their military technology, tactics and arms were similar to Italy in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. The Italians were slow to adapt to gunpowder weapons until the French invaded Italy in 1494 under Charles VIII and seized Naples.

The Italians had raised noble gendarmes, local and mercenary crossbow-men and militia pikemen for their armies. Few city-states had maintained a standing army, most had relied on condottiere. The Middle Kingdoms didn't have large standing armies either, and also relied on mercenary forces-even more than the Five Kingdoms until Kalvan's arrival. They also used tribal (Urgothi and Ruthani) irregulars, much like the Cossacks or Stradiots.

Typically, most Upper Kingdom armies had very few arquebusier companies; at least, not until recently, and there was still some local resistance: "everyone knows crossbows are better than those new-fangled firesticks! Much more reliable and they don't belch fire and brimstone." one informant from Ragyath told Kalvan when questioned. This was due in large part to Styphon's House who only sold serpentine powder-an unstable form of gunpowder, not the more reliable corned powder-in the Middle Kingdoms. It had been in Styphon's House's best interest to keep the Urgothi kingdoms dependent upon the Temple and militarily inferior to the Five Kingdoms.

He hoped to use the long simmering anti-Styphoni sentiment, which came from their restrictions, to his advantage.

The switch from crossbowmen and lancers to musketeers and cuirassiers wasn't going to happen overnight; however, it would happen much faster now that Kalvan was on the scene-you could put that in the bank and draw compound interest.

Tortha finally put his pipe fixings back into his tobacco pouch and lit his burl pipe. "Hmm. I didn't get a chance to do much reconnoitering, but Kostran has been keeping a keen eye on the Grefftscharr Royal forces, including troop and naval movements. The Grefftscharr Army is big by Upper Middle Kingdom standards, around ten thousand soldiers-a quarter cavalry and the rest foot, half of them marines. Heavy cavalry is predominant in the Middle Kingdoms since they fight a lot of Ruthani and Urgothi light cavalry, which they cannot match. Therefore, they overrun them with big heavy knights on armored destriers. Most of them are armed with lance, sword, mace and an occasional horse pistol. There are very few mobile guns, mostly old bombards carried on huge carts, and they take so much maneuvering the battle's usually won or lost before they're even fired.