Nordveld

Nordveld
At some point in the ancient past the entire face of Nave changed drastically. The continents of Myrland, Sidoia, Sarducaa and Nordveld – once connected, were torn apart. The land mass split up into the continents as we know them now. Sidoia in the south-west, Sarducaa in the west, and Nordveld in the north-west fell apart from Myrland, as the tectonic plates of the southern hemisphere sunk several hundred meters into the ocean. This left a huge landmass fault and an enormous waterfall, hundreds of meters steep, between the Inner Sea in the north and the Coral Sea in the south, called Tecton’s Fault.

The former land bridge between Myrland and Nordveld became an island and enormous bridges were constructed to link the two continents again. In the ages before the conflux the Kallards of Nordveld and the Tindremenes waged whole wars atop of Tecton’s Fault for control over the island itself and its strategically important bridges.

The Nordveld campaign Eventually the Tindremic generals led their armies to a great success over the Kallard forces, leaving the heavily defended town of Meduli behind and setting up a bridgehead on the eastern coast of Nordveld. After conquering the town of Varborg in the west, the Tindremenes controlled the greatest parts of the south of Nordveld and started to assimilate the "savages" into their Empire. They subdued those who actively resisted and tried to enlighten the others by using the full force of the Tindremic political machine.

The main target for the Tindremic forces was Branth, the capital of the Kallards in the far north-east of the continent. However, to access Branth they had to either cross the Fensalir Mire, or attack the well-defended mountain stronghold Rimfrost.

Fensalir Mire To the frustration of the Tindremic generals, the consuls of the Tricapita back in Tindrem completely underestimated the difficulties of crossing what they saw as “a small puddle“, and the army lost vast numbers to the mire’s unfamiliar terrain and dangerous inhabitants, human and creature alike. The Tindremenes, though greater in number, faced an enemy who was not only familiar with the land and it‘s dangers, but also used to the rough climate. When the consuls finally realized that the situation in the Fensalir Mire was hopeless, they had the army pull out of the wetlands. The political bickering surrounding the invasion continued, many consuls eager to be part of a successful conquest of the Kallard capital. Winter was coming and Rimfrost‘s Gorge, the only pass wide enough for an army to cross, would have been snowed in for the next few months. Against the generals’ advice to properly regroup and wait for spring, the consuls ordered an even riskier advancement; a full frontal attack on Rimfrost. The consuls where somewhat aware of its massive defences built by the Blainn, and predicted they would need the help of the Huergar to overcome them. Knowing that this could be a sensitive matter to the Huergar council (the Huergar are cousins to the Blainn race), the Tricapita never revealed its true intentions to them. Instead they requested a small party of Huergar "emissaries", among them carefully selected architects, to help in "negotiating" with Rimfrost.

Attack on Rimfrost The stronghold of Rimfrost was built centuries ago by Blainn craftsmen and engineers and is set inside and above Rimfrost‘s Gorge. Its defences are excellent and the strategic position over the pass make it virtually impossible to besiege it. The entrance to the pass is closed off by a massive defensive structure made of what looks like a single piece of polishedGabore.

The Tindremenes felt confident in their campaign since the Huergar architects had served them well before, for example in the construction of Tindrem, and their prowess in masonry was second to none. However when the Huergar architects arrived and realised that they were supposed to take part in fighting the Blainn they immediately refused. The planned efforts to persuade the individual Huergar by promising them the spoils of Rimfrost, or huge sums of gold, just insulted them and without further ado they all turned on their heels and marched back to Myrland. Both sides felt betrayed by the other. The Huergar were infuriated by being asked to fight their own and on top of that destroy a great piece of masonry and engineering. The consuls however couldn’t understand the principled squeamishness displayed by their old ally and felt that this betrayal had cost them their victory. Thus the alliance between the two peoples that had lasted for centuries was fractured.

As winter came the Tindremenes had to retreat to Varborg – not a single man had been killed in battle at the siege of Rimfrost and not one Blainn or Kallard had been captured during the expedition. As no blood was spilled, this is still considered the most shameful campaign in Tindremic history. The consuls in Tindrem had nothing but snide remarks and incomprehension for their generals’ lack of military skill; while the army set up winter quarters outside Varborg, the generals were brought back to Tindrem to fight a variety of Nordveld beasts and, in the end, each other to at least amuse the Emperor until the army could make a new attempt on Branth.

Then the Conflux happened.

To be continued.