Seventh Collateral Session

Seventh Collateral Session

Spire, the giant whisperer

Campaign	The Collateral Campaign
Game Date	Friday, June 16th, 2021
Start Date	Silde 15th, 261 IM
Start Location	Halperion, Halperion Prefecture, Jalinjeri
Ending Date	Tamiz 8th, 261 IM
Ending Location	Halperion, Halperion Prefecture, Jalinjeri
Absentees	Everybody except Rayjok Halperion
Next Session	Eighth Collateral Session

War had shaped the entirety of theSeventh Collateral Session. Refugees from war-torn areas were flowing in and through Jalinjeri on their way to ... anywhere. Their first stop along the road to the west was Halperion. Rayjok did his best to tend to the needs of the refugees, providing food, shelter and hope to any who entered his town and prefecture.

Halperion Tent City

In the ever growing town of Halperion, the newly appointed Mayor Merey Evnika set up a triage camp to process the vast compliment of incoming traffic. Refugees and other travelers fleeing the Garis war continued to arrive in an endless stream. Merey directed the wounded and injured to medical services and processed those interested in staying in Halperion either permanently or until the war was concluded, and those who simply wished to stay a night or two and pass through to Jalinbeti or beyond.

Merey Evnika enlisted the help of a few people from Jalinbeti and the new town of Jalinkoli to assure travelers that there are places for them to end their flight deeper within the country. For those determined to stay, she engaged in further investigations, to determine who might be of which class, merchant, laborer, skilled laborer, etc. in order to put them to work. Those with abilities in combat and former combat troops from the countries they had fled were strongly encouraged to volunteer with the Halperion Irregulars, to help defend from the impending Garis invasion.

Mission of Mercy

Believing that the remainder of Ortalyk unable to withstand the onslaught of the Garis military, Rayjok ordered a squad from the Halperion Irregulars special forces to make a quick trip to Karagay. There, they were ordered to attempt to evacuate Batil Zhurek and any members of the royal family and retrieve them from Karagay back to the relative safety of Jalinjeri.

The Ælfen Settlers

The Ælfen settlers arrived from Ælfwode shortly after the war started. At the time most thought that the war would be a short one, few reaalizing the ambitions of the Garis. The Ælfes chose a leader among themselves, Aydana Agash who was granted a seat on the prefecture council by Rayjock Halperion. Aydana Agash, incidentally is the grand niece of Dana Agash, the king of Ælfwode.

Through Aydana Altyngul the Ælfes agreed to provide Halperion Prefecture with what troops they could and of course, as many bows and arrows as they would be able to produce. In exchange for this, they negotiated sole conservatorship of the prefecture's forests and first right of refusal to any who would want to settle there or take timber without the express permission of the newly formed Ælfen Circle of Hyperion.

The Grendel Settlers

By Grendel arrived with goals in mind; to join the Halperion Irregulars and become the backbone of the prefecture's military. Every man, woman and child in the Grendel contingent volunteered for service. Nuradin Danijar, the War Chief of the Halperion Irregulars, was nearly tearful with the overwhelming enthusiasm from his fellow Grendel to join the cause of this new land.

The remaining Grendel, unfit for service or otherwise skilled in trades, laid claim to property in what they expect to be the center of a sprawling city. Nurtas Umitzhan, a blacksmith and metallurgist serves as the leader of the Halperion Grendel Horde and sits in council with Rayjok Halperion regarding matters of the prefecture.

The Ungir Settlers

Formerly banished from this territory, the Ungir were eager to return. Madi Mavlan quickly acquired the title of Halperion Fire Boss and created the Ungir Council of Halperion. Madi sits in council with Rayjok and other leaders concerning matters of the prefecture.

Of the matters regarding the Ungir in particular relates to their role in government, having been asked to perform two immediately needed tasks. First, they were to create as many potential lairs as possible for dragons seeking refuge in the region. Second, they were to create earthworks such as collapsing tunnels to thwart oncoming Garis armies, should they ever arrive. This was agreed to in exchange for exclusive rights to the ground directly underneath the city of Halperion. Also, the Ungir would claim first rights to any Garis siege weapons or otherwise captured by the Ungir earthworks.

The Giants

There are eight mountains in the south of Halperion Prefecture, which are home to more than a few giants. Rayjok, having seen the alarming rate that Hedgewind Jalinbeti was able to build with the help of the giants, enlisted the same help, through his translator Spire. The giants did not want any more to do with human affairs, but understanding that they would be in a war allowed an audience with Spire to make a case.

Spire promised the following: In exchange for the completion of the Halperion City Walls, the giants would be granted an assortment of dragon eggs to be provided by the incoming draconic refugees. Giants prize the hatchlings as pets it was learned, and the second half of this negotiation was soon to be underway. Rayjock Halperion further promised an annual collection of dragon eggs to be granted to the giants for their continued help with quarrying rock, suggesting the creation of an arena for the games suitable for both giant and human to enjoy the sport. The giants again agreed to this bargain and quarrying for Halperion's city walls was son underway.

The Aydahar and the Dragon Settlers

The Aydahar arrivals which first came as a result of Togzhan Kuat's embassy were soon followed by a great many Aydahar who came as refugees from their war-torn country. Arriving by the thousands, they were not alone as over a thousand actual dragons came with them in their migration. The Garis were relentless in their attempt to exterminate the chromatic dragons from the face of Otan and might have been successful had they worked any faster in their sweep of the Aydahar Confederation's southern regions.

Through the voice of his newly appointed Minister of Dragons, Togzhan Kuat, Rayjok offered refuge to the dragons in his southern mountains complete with freshly excavated enclosures that could serve as lairs. To the Aydahar he offered employment and land in the center of the city for tradespeople. Lastly he offered shelter, food and protection for the remaining Aydahar refuges.

In return for his generosity, he asked in turn for a clutch of assorted dragon eggs to be presented to him, one as soon as possible and another each and every year. He assured the dragons that the eggs would be allowed to hatch, and the wyrmlings well cared for. Further, he asked that any able bodied Aydahar not in a trade to report to the Halperion Irregulars to prepare for the Garis military should it ever strike at Jalinjeri borders. To this the Aydahar and the dragons agreed.

The Dweorgen Settlers

After the successful embassy of Caladan Ironforge the resulting Dweorgen Settlers came in force, armed with mining equipment and ready to mine. Rayjok granted them exclusive rights to the mountain closest to the city of Halperion and commissioned a road to between there and the city. In exchange he requested that the Dweorges provide at least one unit of heavy infantry, to which they agreed. Caladan Ironforge was appointed First of Halperion Dweorges and granted a seat on the council to represent Dweorgen affairs.

The Return of the Ambassadors

Rayjok's returned in time to herald the return of the ambassadors to the Aydahar Confederation and the League of Dweorgen Miners, both returning with good news for Rakjok Halperion. Togzhan Kuat's tri[ tp the Aydahar Confederation had her spending most of her time visiting the southern regions. She explained to the Aydahar that a new nation was forming where different races would get a seat at the table.

Togzhan's Embassy

Togzhan Kuat pointed out to the Aydahar that migrating individuals would get access to the choicest locations in the hearts of new towns as they were being built. She continued that Halperion and Jalinbeti were likely to give tax breaks to incoming tradespeople and that the the area was becoming a central hub of trade between Ælfes, Grendel, Aydahar, Ungir and Humans alike. She showed how the new territory had mountainous region that would be far better suited for dragons who preferred remote heights and cooler temperatures.

Each of the missions was successful in its own right, however the mission to Togzhan Kuat's native Kizil Aydahar Region was perhaps the most successful, attracting the interest of many a Kizil (red) Aydahar and even some stodgy old red dragons. The point was driven home when Togzhan pointed out that the Garis were thirsting for war and that there was no guarantee that the Aydahar Federation would not be plunged into a war.

Caladan's Embassy

Caladan Ironforge's embassy to the League of Dweorgen Miners was more succinct. Unexplored mountains. Mining rights. Low taxes. If Dweorges don't mine it, Ungir will. Many Dweorges had heard enough and immediately made preparations to visit and possibly move to the region.

The Foundation of Jalinjeri

Halperion Prefecture

On the 1st of Silde, 261 IM, the Kiywar Territory seceded from Ortalyk. This forced the hand of Hedgewind Jalinbeti who moved his contacts to take control of the region before a foreign nations or the Ortalyk Tsar could send an army to regain control. Hedgwind had two key allies in the secession, territorial leader and Boyar Almaz Zhibek and of course the then Governor of Halperion, Rayjok Halperion.

With the Tsar of Ortalyk readying his forces for a possible confrontation with the Garis Triumvirate, Hedgewind only needed to control local powers and agitants. Almaz Zhibek now serves as the Lord Commander of Jalinjeri in all military affairs under Hedgewind Jalinbeti.

Rayjok Halperion's role in the secession was somewhat more complicated, in that his town and lands were in the Karagay Province of Ortalyk. That province did not secede, however the people in the vicinity sided with Rayjok when he joined into Hedgewind Jalinbeti's secession and formation of a new country, Jalinjeri.

Rayjok Halperion was appointed the title of Earth Minister of Halperion Prefecture, one of four Elemental Ministers of the country of Jalinjeri. He retained control of his town of Halperion and made it capitol of his new real which extends over 100 miles to the south into some very mountainous terrain.

Rayjok Chooses a Cabinet

In order to handle the influx of immigrants and manage the defense of his territory, Rayjock Halperion quickly assembled a cabinet. Rayjok had to seriously think about raising taxes to support a military. He knew he would also need to provide humanitarian aid to immigrants who might not find work, food, shelter immediately. He advanced the profile of his Halperion Irregulars to encompass the whole region, creating a separate Halperion City Guard to defend the city proper.

The resident financial wizard Gulshara Rysbek, who briefly served as Mayor of Halperion was promoted to Finance Minister of Halperion Prefecture. Rayjok made a bold and controversial move to appoint a Grendel as War Chief of the Halperion Irregulars, a war hardened veteran from Maercland, Nuradin Danijar. After her success in the embassy to the Aydahar Confederatoin he appointed Togzhan Kuat to be the Minister of Dragons to handle all affairs specifically related to dragons and Aydahar entering and/or settling in the prefecture. Numerous other appointments were made to create Rayjok's cabinet including a new mayor of Halperion, Merey Evnika. an Ortalykshilar from the former Kiywar Territory.

The Garis War Progresses

As Rayjok Halperion made his preparations for governing, the Garis Triumvirate had greatly expanded its war. Having already started a ground offensive in Sigis on Mawsim the 28th, the Garis navy had begun to antagonize the Araldar navy. They brought about its complete destruction by Silde the 8th, effectively leaving a shocked nation without a leader or a means to defend itself.

Barely a week later, on Silde the 13th, the Batis Empire fell to the Garis military, under the leadership of Zhannur Timurlan. Timurlan's banner was no sooner marching down the streets of the Sigis capitol of Asiltas than it was flying over regiments at the Ortalyk border.

The Tsar of Ortalyk, Batil Zhurek moved all of his forces to battle the Garis on Ortalyk's southeastern border only to see his troops crumble under the onslaught of the Garis might. By the 16th, the Garis had reached the capitol of Kala Astanals. By the 18th of Silde, the capitol had fallen. The Tsar, his family and what little of the military remained, fell back to Karagay.

Meanwhile, the Garis military ravaged southern Aydahar, particularly the chromatic dragon regions. Shock troops invaded the lairs of many dragons from young adult to ancient, killing them in preparation for the invasion. The invasion took only days as the Garis military swept through the Aydahar defenses as though they had no defenses at all. By the 28th of Silde the Zhannur Timurlan had negotiated a conditional surrender from the Aydahar and had moved on to invade the Caliphate of Ontustik, quickly capturing the border cities and advancing as far as the major city of Sie.

Rayjok Prepares

Taking in the situation through spies and other sources of news, Rayjok Halperion began to prepare his newly founded prefecture as best as possible. He commissioned a spymaster to be his eyes and ears abroad and began to assemble a special forces team to take out the Garis leadership, where possible.

The results of these efforts will soon be seen...

Player's Notes

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