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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3816209" data-attributes="member: 3448">Dame Brionna reviewed a briefing of her own:"Unto the Honored Dame Brionna of Stanway, OKV, Captain of the Archducal Guard, Chief Military Attache to the Throne, presumedFrom Sir Clarence Richards, Director, Military IntelligenceRe: Present movements of armies surrounding the incident with the Abomination of Shur. Daily update and briefMovement continues of the following major forces:1. The First Field Army of Brightspan together with forces formerly owing allegiance to the houses of Caligshire and Caldra – continues methodically forward at a steady pace. Drowan forces, still flying no banner but with two battle barges continue to accompany this army. Tendencies continue as before – all goods taken from (now scattered) farms are paid for in silver; no rapes or other breaches of discipline are permitted; courtesy is shown, even to refugee encampments, or which there are few that far north.2. The Horde of the Ripping Tusk – continues forced march. ETA to join with Brightspan is this evening at the latest, they could have joined already if the Uruks and Orcs were not foraging extensively, and driving a large number of Kine with them. As per your direction, a dead “messenger” in livery has been left in such a position that Orcish scouts should catch sight later today.3. The Armies of renegade chivalry from Debonai continue to move South, and will be passing west of Canberry. These number 20,000 crack troops and support personnel. 4. Lesser Orcan hordes in the West are continuing to harass us, and abandoned farms in the western dales are now being looted and burned by them.5. Spicelands forces are not moving. Supplies and equipment are being moved into Taluni at great speed. Already fortified, the city is becoming a giant bunker. Rammed earth is being used to strengthen stone walls, a layer of strained tar and tar-oil has been added to the moats, all trees and other cover within a powerbow shot of the walls have been removed, chopped and taken inside the walls to underground storage and the number of trebuchets, catapults and powerbows has been increased, and ammunition for those engines is being turned out at great speed within the walls. Supplies for a siege of years have been laid in. At the same time, at the suggestion of the Doge, a steady stream of civilian refugees are fleeing the city to take refuge in Tummalstac, Jondril and Cammarra primarily. Those that remain are ready for the siege, and willing to sell their lives along with the troops for their homeland.6. The Seachen army is also unmoving, and has greatly increased its fortifications.Analysis: Even without the Debonai forces (which we do not see how can join them in time), the force under arms (not counting supply and medical personnel) is in the range of 34,000 – a huge army unprecedented under circumstances such as these. If Debonai can magically join them, the army becomes 54,000.However, the Doge of Tulani, together with the Archbishop of the Spicelands has, beyond all hope, made his city a tougher nut than could be expected to crack. Chivalry are worthless in siege, and Orc-kind not much better. We have cautious hope that if the elves and Rakasha that have joined the defense can balance out the power of the drow and Trolls with the attacking force; Tulani may be able to hold until it is relieved.The lesser orcan hordes are harassing our territories to pin down our armies – unfortunately, we believe that this will work. If we send our most powerful available units to the southwest while our own lands are being burned – the fallout will weaken the loyalty of the commons in the western holdings for generations – and will do more to weaken the empire than almost anything else could. From a military perspective, the orcs raiding the western duchy must be stopped. From an intelligence perspective, other possibilities may unfold – but I must leave these decisions to you, most gracious eminence.Respectfully submitted to the throne."She considered it carefully-- it was not quite pressing enough to require waking the Archduke, although she would surely wish to discuss it with him later that morning.  Still, she judged, it could wait until she had dealt with a different matter of security.</blockquote>

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