[center][h2]February 8th, 1901, 3:00pm[/h2][/center][center][i]The Imperial Treasure Hoard*, Lymwurm Palace-Citadel[/i][/center][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/o0v9iH9.jpg[/img][/center] [center]‘They have all gone mad.’[/center] Those were the supposed last words that came from the Vaurgemyrean Ambassador to the Kingdom of Avalia, before silence down the telephone line followed, or so it was said. The sudden and violent upheaval had taken Vaurgemyr’s leadership totally unawares - far more so than the civil war now ripping apart the Yllendyre Imperium. Within the halls of the Lymwurm Palace, halls, where were made far larger than for mere humans, gathered the attendees, servants and minions of Vaurgemyr’s rulers. The gathering was one of a plethora of peoples; from elven calligraphers and ministers to harpy Dragoon guards, human servants and even a goblin - the last of which was dressed as a jester. They represented the highest slave classes. Oxymoron isn’t it? The highest of the slaves. But that was the life of being in the service of Dragons, thought Heinka of Ghrimaulungdr. Heinka was a Dragoon Guard, the elite of the elite when it came to soldiery in the Vaurgemyr Dominion. As she walked behind her master, the golden-scaled Lord Orthysliz, she couldn’t help but glance momentarily at the riches of the hall. Gold; and it was everywhere. Paintings, statues, jewels, relics and yet more gold covered the expanse of the chamber. Like a contained golden sea or dunes of some distant new world desert. Heinka was a slave, but she knew that very few in the world could claim to be able to witness such a sight. She was a Valkyrian - of the imperial breed mind you. Born into slavery, if you want to call it that, but nothing like what those human savages endure - or what they once forced her people to endure. Every day she had to remind herself that she was proud of her status, of the great privilege and honour it was to be a Dragoon, to be born into a retinue* and fight for her master the Lord Orthysliz. Sometimes she hid doubts, a hidden shame for the word ‘slave’. But here, in perhaps one of the most bejewelled chambers in the world, she knew the majesty of the lords she so loyally fought for - far more than the squalor that she would have lived in under the heel of the human anyway. She and the Dragoon Guard detail following the Lord Orthysliz continued walking through the gold dunes, ignoring the questioning looks of various Dragons lying on or among the gold, many of those looks come from glaring eyes that only broke the surface of the gold, the rest buried and invisible. The guard detail walked until they approached what appeared to be some kind of raised dais surrounded by silk and a canopy, raised just above the dunes of gold. One of the Lord Orthysliz’s three heads turned, facing her. He did not even need to speak - the slight nod and squinting of his eyes were all he needed for her to understand he wished his guard detail to halt. In that following instant, she raised her arm and the guards behind her stopped. The Lord Orthysliz, A huge dragon of gold with three menacing heads, cared not for the sensibilities of this court - in fact, he and in extension Heinka were here without even a summoning. The Dragon, however, was powerful. He had secured the current Dowager-Empress her rule with his coup, among other things… The courtier dragons and various advisers and servants quickly made room and pretended Orthysliz was supposed to be here. She could not hear what they said from this distance, but she knew why they were here. It was time. The Imperial Valkyrians have been waiting for generations for this moment - the return of their people to glory. It had only been a mere three days since the treacherous Avalians had shown their true colours yet again. War was coming very, very soon, she was certain of this and The Lord Orthysliz, always eager for a fight was calling for first blood. He would lead the intrepid 4th Air Regiment personally, and in fact, he had them assembling in the capital already. It did not matter if the child-emperor or his ruling mother said yea or nay, they would be attacking the Avalians by the light of tomorrow’s dawn. To be honest, thinking on it as she grinned, the rare expression breaking her usually stoic frown... She was eager too. [center][b]/~~~~~~~~~~~~\[/b][/center] The wait was long, but Heinka was used to standing at attention for long periods of time. Her draconic masters were hissing their words, and from her distance, she could see exaggerated movement of wings and tails. A seemingly female voice from the distance finally shouted a definitive ‘Then go!’ - Heinka assumed it was the Dowager-Empress. The Lord Orthysliz turned and almost pranced back - and the look of the dragon was one of a cat just before it pounced on an unsuspecting mouse. He had done it. ‘Captain, We make for Adrean’ One of the Lord Orthysliz’s heads announced, walking past his guards to exit the palace. Battle-eagerness had quickly moved through the guard detail like an electrical spark upon this realisation. The guard detail with new vigour formed up behind Orthysliz on Heinka’s command. They marched through the halls, chambers and great passages of the palace until they reached the city beyond it, leaving through the great gates of the palace and returning to a gathering of soldiers that were those of the 4th Air. The Harpies and Valkyrians saluted immediately, while the various Dragons bowed their heads. ‘Dragoons of the 4th Air! The Emperor Vermathysliz has given me his orders, and they are to take first blood!’ The middle head shouted, drawing the attention of not only his personal army but those of nobles and servants around the palace. ‘We make for Adrean at once, and once there we will be putting down this pathetic insurgency’. Orthysliz’ wings then started beating, great gusts of wind blowing across the palace courtyards followed. ‘The Emperor has deemed it is time to march to war, but those peon commoners and chattel don’t have the privilege to strike first - I expect you all to show no mercy or hesitation, and to show the rest of the Dominion and the Yllendyre how it is done. I know you will not fail’. The Lord Orthysliz declared the final comment part warning, part praise for their skill. Orthysliz was a simple enough master to understand. He was honest and direct and would reward competence but be harsh to those who failed him. ‘Yes, my lord!’ the 4th Air shouted in response, Heinka along with the others. Orthysliz then lifted himself into the air, and the rest of the regiment gathered did so as well, a small swarm of flying soldiers rising above the cities spires, drawing the attention of much of the city. The 4th Air Regiment quickly reached higher altitudes, the capital city shrinking as they rose above the clouds and arced towards the direction of Avalia. They flew significantly slower than their maximum speed, as the heavy 2nd rate dragons* in their regiment could not meet the same speeds as the 4th rates*, or the Valkyrians and Harpies. It is for this reason that the Lord Orthysliz, in mid-flight, turned one of his heads towards Heinka. ‘Captain. The Northern regions of Avalia must be taken, immediately, and I expect to see a proper war when I arrive - you will give me a landing at Adrean. Take your Company and fly them straight to the city, and make sure it is ready for my arrival. Engage hostiles as you see fit. I remember your ferocity from my little adventure at the Palace those years ago. You will serve me well again. Now go.’ He hissed, and Heinka nodded, her eyes turning to steel and her former bloodlust turning to cold determination. ‘It will be done my lord’. She responded, a dry monotone as her eyes hardened. She leaned her wings to the side, and reformed formation with her company. ‘Falk Company, to me! Our lord Orthysliz has orders. We are moving ahead at 80 km/h! It's time for war’. She shouted over the wind, and with a burst of speed, she and the other Falk Company Dragoons rushed forward, leaving the rest of the Regiment behind. They would be in Adrean in but six hours. [center][b]/~~~~~~~~~~~~\[/b][/center] [h3][center]The Imperial Treasure Hoard, Lymwurm Palace-Citadel[/center][/h3] The Emperor Vermathysliz watched quietly from his canopied dais, observing yet another exchange of sharp words between his mother and one of her current ‘favourites’. ‘Then go!’ yelled the Dowager-Empress Ciziebetta. Ghrimaulung Orthysliz, the recipient of his mother’s temporary wrath merely grinned, the smugness visible on all three of his faces. He turned with a proud show-off beat of his wings and left to the small army of awaiting Dragoons. The Emperor noted that Orthysliz’s guards now leaving behind the smug goldenscale seemed to include Valkyrians, particularly a fierce and serious looking black haired girl. They were his favourites. One of his maids, Natiya, was one too. She was friendly and moved around the figurine soldiers and Goblins when he told her to. She may even be his favourite servant, like Roman the Dragoon or his elven Governess, even if he kept forgetting her name. ‘Mother, why did the Avalians rebel so violently?' He asked, now that Orthysliz was gone. It seems mad, they were already gaining their freedom. 'Are they coming for us now?’ he continued, wondering if his dear Natiya or Roman would one day go crazy too, and betray him. ‘The Avalian nobles made a terrible mistake - They forgot what it meant to be a ruler of lesser peoples. You may be feared, or you may be loved, but love is temporary while fear is enduring - and so they once ruled with fear, as does all wise rulers’ his mother spoke. Vermathylis wished to argue with her, but was prematurely shushed by his mother. ‘They ruled with fear, and then tried to be loved - but all they did was give those who hated them freedom and power, and with that power, those that hated them rose up and now they will slaughter them to the last. Do not make the mistakes of the Avalian nobles, or the foolish Emperor Olarth. One day you will rule this empire, perhaps even as a free nation again, but if you do not mature and recognise that your ‘dear maid’ acknowledges you only through fear - that the lesser races do not forget - then the human commoners and their ilk will rise up and butcher everyone in their path here too, as they have done in Avalia and surely soon in Aurelia. The Emperor frowned, partly frightened by the certainty of her words, partly refuting her statement as he thought her words wrong. He lived in his mother’s shadow, ever since the Palace Coup, he had little to no influence over his own nation or people. So he went silent and returned to hiding under the silken canopy the resided within. His mother though, turned her long neck towards another adviser - this one a Yllendyr, or dark elf. The ones that lorded themselves over his people. In fact, this particular elf was THE elf that Yllendyre had sent to lord themselves over him particularly, even if she was really outmatched in that regard by his mother. ‘Yirva, I expect you will have the reins over the Yllendyr forces in Vaurgemyr?’ ‘It is as you say, your Grace. The Imperial Army will respond to your will, so long as they are aimed at the separatists’. ‘Then know this. The time for waiting is over. I will not stand idly by while the future of our nation and my son’s rule is jeopardised by a mob of fanatical zealots’. His mother then went quiet, and looked slowly around at the various courtiers and servants, all now listening closely. ‘[b]I hereby decree a state of war now exists between the Imperial Dominion of Vaurgemyr and the unsubstantiated rabble that would dare call themselves the… Republic of Avalia’[/b]. His mother took on that haughty, cold voice he heard from her when she was lecturing him. He knew he should be the one making that speech, but there was nothing he could really do. These men and women listened to her, not to him. ‘With my declaration of war, it is within my powers to call on the College of War to assemble my army, and as such, I am calling on said esteemed body to proceed to a general mobilisation. By my will and the grace of Yllendyr, the many gods of Vaurgemyr and by the glory of our empire - Let the Avalians know that their days of inflicting terror are numbered, and their day of dying has only just begun!’ The entire court responded by a combination of shouts, hurrahs, ‘Yes, your majesty’ and even some draconic roars. The Emperor sighed and folded his wings over himself as to try futilely to drown out the noise. Perhaps he could try and play another game with Natiya - pretend war, where no one died and he actually had a say with how his people would die. [center][b]/~~~~~~~~~~~~\[/b][/center] [h3][b]February 8th, 1901, 8:00pm[/b][/h3][i]Dowager-Empress Ciziebette’s declaration of war, as heard by the Imperial Court of Vaurgemyr, is officially announced across the nation via radio as the Emperor Vermathysliz's declaration. The declaration of war is also transmitted to both the still present ambassador to the (now-defunct) Kingdom of Avalia and publicly to the people of the unrecognised Republic of Avalia. A state of war now exists between the two nations and peoples as of this date. Official Communications are also sent to neighbouring states concerning matters of the war, including messages passed through the Yllendyr Regent to both Emperor Ecruir and (more discreetly) to Emperor Olarth. The Elite 4th Air Regiment rushes forwards straight to Northern Avalia. The Falk Company detachment of lighter air units (4th Rates and Escort Harpies/Valkyrians) will arrive in 5-6 hours, moving at around 80 km/h.[/i] [h3][b]February 11th, 1901, 9:30am[/b][/h3][i]Air-Knight Regiments are promptly deployed from their garrisons and household guard posts. The fastest 4th Rate Dragons are immediately deployed to likely engagement zones along the dividing mountain range between Vaurgemyr and Avalia.[/i] [h3][b]February 13th, 1901, 6:00am[/b][/h3][i]The Vaurgemyrean Dominion Navy (VDN) is deployed, heavy cruisers sail to join Ecruir’s navy in the blockade of Avalia. While the mass mobilisation of Dragoons and Slave-Conscripts begins (through the form of drafting the Aristocrat’s of their slaves or by ordering Aristocrats to war and through that them mobilising their own slaves), the 300,000 Yllendr guardsmen and women of the Imperial Army immediately make movements towards Avalia. Trains begin transporting troops and supplies south. These are guarded by air-based escorts in preemption of possible Valkyrian strikes. [/i] [center][b]/~~~~~~~~~~~~\[/b][/center] [hider=Notes concerning terms] [b]Treasure Hoard:[/b]-Treasure Hoard here is used in a similar sense of Throne or Throne Room, as Dragons use Treasure as a throne. [b]Retinue (Elite Slave):[/b]-A Retinue is a family of hereditary ‘elite slave’ servants, typically bound to a specific Draconic dynasty and given heredital positions that are passed down the generations, ranging from maids, to governesses, calligraphers, dragoon-guards and a host of other roles. Retinues despite being slaves and lacking freedom are generally well-off and given a high level of prestige and respect, and typically live an above average living standard (a standard similar to the middle-class of other free nations), particularly compared to the lives of the average commoner or slave. Many Dragons tend to view the well-offness of Retinues as a measure of the competency of their owner, so abused or neglected Retinues are a sign of a poor master. (This concern though does not typically extend to more distant slaves, like the Chattel) [b]Dragon Rates (Air Corps)[/b]-The concept of Rates’ are a form of military jargon used by the Vaurgemyr Air Corps, and refers to the weight classes of different Dragons employed or potentially employed by the Air Corps. 4th Rate Dragons are small, lighter dragons that typically can reach high speeds around the same as a Harpy, which is around 70-80km/h. Dragons that are heavier, bulkier, larger by birth or (in the case of certain aristocrats) simply fatter progressively go up the rate-scale, with 2nd Rate Dragons considered ‘Heavy Dragons’ used by the Air Corps, and typically fly around 25-35 km/h. Most of the Air Corps consists of 4th and 3rd Rate Dragons, with a smaller number of 2nd Rate Dragons that can keep up to speed. Nearly all military 1st Rate Dragons and most 2nd Rates are either given roles in the land-based Imperial Army or simply ignored altogether with military service as they are too large, slow and cumbersome to use for regular military action. [/hider]