Huallapan Crusade

2005: Beginning of Huallapan Crusade

   Following the successful actions of the PCs (September), the Vasar are thrust from Yrth.
   All PCs are knighted and receive lands.
   While still recovering from wounds sustained in the Fall of Simonton, Lord Wallace begins calling for a Crusade to retake the Huallapan home from the Vasar.
   The Caithness Civil War is temporarily halted as the two opposing forces unite for this grand crusade. Warriors are also drawn from Megalos and the Elves of the Great Forest. There are probably some dwarves in there too.
   The great Host begins to march against the Vasar via the portals crafted by Huallapan weavers. There are a couple of minor, unnamed skirmishes that take place here.

2006:

   After a difficult winter (and considerable slowness in assembling of forces), the crusaders besiege one of the Vasar hive.
   Due to the intransigence of the crusader nobility, Dane is not in command of this siege and, as a result, it drags out for half the year and has very high casualties.
   Eventually, this Hive falls, thanks heavily to the actions of the PCs, who sought out the Bear Clan and led them to the fight.
   To assuage the nobility, Magnifico crafts a story identifying Dane as the bastard son of a landless noble who died penniless. Satisfied that they are not following some jumped up commoner, the nobles agree to allow Sir Dane to act as senior general.
   From the now razed hive, the crusaders march on a second one, leaving behind a token force. Recognizing the bitter acrimony between the two sides of the Caithness civil war, Dane divides the army into two more-easily managed groups. He assumes command of the Rebel element and appoints Baron Elohar of Tacitus to command the Royalist army.
   In June, the forward element of the army – the Rebels – are ambushed by a great host of Vasar, but Sir Dane’s capable generalship (plus the active presence of a handful of PCs) results in a stalemate that is quickly broken by the approach of the Royalist army. The sight of Vasar fleeing from battle rather than emerging victorious is witnessed by more than a few Huallapan peasantry/slaves, which will result in a series of uprisings throughout the region over the next two years that further drain additional Vasar resources.
   Because of this victory, the march to the next Hive was virtually unopposed, but was remarkably unpleasant due to the environment. It was the middle of the summer and the crusaders were ill equipped to handle a Huallapan summer.
   Late in October, the crusaders reach the second Hive and begin a siege. Due to the losses incurred on the long, miserable march of both armies, a prompt victory was out of the question.
   Vasar reinforcements hit the crusaders in mid-November, but are again repulsed.
   With winter, the crusaders’ plight was eased somewhat as the Vasar nature worked against the insectoid creatures and forced them to limit their activity. This would allow the crusader army to regroup and recover.

2007:

   The new year found the crusaders still besieging the second Hive, which was so large they were unable to fully surround it. Another Vasar army attempted to break the crusaders, though this one was completely made up of poorly armed and equipped Huallapan slaves who were no match for the crusaders.
   In March, a great force of Huallapan citizens joined the crusaders, bringing much needed supplies. These locals had heard of the actions of the Yrth-men and threw off their oppressors to join those they considered saviors.
   With these reinforcements, Sir Dane prepared a new attack, but this time, had the numbers to accomplish what he wanted. Through subterfuge (probably the PCs sneaking in and killing some guards), the crusaders gained entrance to the Hive where they went on a killing spree – the freed Huallapans were especially brutal, and their numbers quickly swelled as others were freed and picked up weapons.
   In May, another host of Vasar assaulted the captured Hive, but this time, the crusaders were completely ready and the Vasar were thoroughly defeated. Word of this great victory spread even more quickly than the previous ones did.
   Unfortunately, the crusaders were unable to capitalize on this battle. Conflicts between the opposing sides of the Caithness civil war flared up when the Royalists accused the Rebels (and specifically, Sir Dane) of using them as shock troopers to soak up heavy casualties. While not an entirely accurate description of the recent battles, it is true that the Royalists had taken more casualties than the Rebels, though this is more due to poor leadership on the part of the Royalists than any malicious intent. Additional conflicts erupted as evidence of Controller activity was discovered in both camps, which resulted in a purge of those affected (and the loss of several dozen nobles who had been suborned.)
   Even worse, a crippling plague broke out within the crusader ranks, believed to have been caused by consumption of Vasar foods (or of slain Vasar themselves!) While the worst of it would be contained by casters such as Mendel, this plague caused the crusade’s forward progress to falter rather significantly.

2008:

   After suffering through yet another winter, the crusaders are once more on the road by March, again augmented by Huallapan citizens and barbarian tribes. Of the core crusader element, less than a third (or perhaps even a quarter) of the original soldiers remain and entire formations are made up of poorly trained Huallapan levies pressed into service (but eager for revenge.)
   By early June, the crusaders had reached the outskirts of the last known Hive in this region. This hive was less capable of defense as the previous ones – due heavily to it having deployed numerous reinforcements to its sister-hives over the last two years – but even with the reduced capability, the Hive held out until the middle of July when crusader forces, led by Sir Radskyrta and Sir Rainald breached the southern entrance. It would take another five days for the Hive to be fully pacified.
   With no additional Hives known, the Yrth expeditionary force declares victory over the Vasar.
   A grand council is held and a new Kingdom is established in this territory, against Lord Wallace’s explicit instructions. Lord Berd of Fordham is named regent. This results in Wallace returning to Yrth, furious at what he perceives as a betrayal. It will also result in the Caithness civil war resuming once more.