Its been many years since the Laurian invasion of northern Calradia. Queen Imelda's idea of capturing the port towns has proven a much more difficult task than she had anticipated. Yet she has no intention of giving up. The occupation of those cities would provide Lauria with complete control of the Obello sea. Two men stand in her way: King Leiss of the Dual Monarchy, and Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm of the Imperial State. Knowing that the Imperial State stands strong, she directs her forces towards the Dual Monarchy, weakened by Khergit incursions and constant internal struggle. The Laurian army, numerous, profesional and cohesive, strike a desicive victory against the Kingdom army near the town of Wercheg. King Leiss is killed in battle, struck by an arrow in the eye. The Vaegir cavalry flee, and the Nirdamesse bowmen, left behind without protection, are massacred by the laurian infantry.
The death of King Leiss leaves the Dual Monarchy heirless. However Feodor, lord of Zenislev, acts quickly to seize power. Blaming the Nirdamesse for the defeat at Wercheg, he storms the palace with his boyars and puts all the non vaegir to the sword. In less than a year he sits on the throne and orders the deportation of all the non vaegir people from the Dual Monarchy. Massive pogroms ensue. Those who resist are executed. The Nobility crowns him as Tsar Feodor The Great. The rest calls him Feodor Grozny, "The Terrible". A new era for the east begins.
Imelda has not time to enjoy her victory. Wilhelm has no intention of sitting back and watch Lauria grow stronger. The Imperial State put many of its resources into building a powerfull Navy, in an open challenge to Lauria for control of the Obello Sea. The Imperial State declares war on the Laurian Kingdom, and its army marches east.
But someone is watching, as war breaks out in the north. Sigismund Augustus "The Mad Prince" has been waiting for an opportunity like this for years. The Ellis Empire lies at his mercy. His spies have informed him that the Khergit Khanate has been using the Long Guo to raid the Lion Throne's eastern frontier, and so nothing but a single division of the Brigade of the Radiant Cross remains in Ellis. No match for the whole military power of Swadia.
The combined armies of all the swadian lords march to the south west.
Nikephoros dons his armor, and Zepyulos, the Spear of God, as he and his Legions head to the north to meet their enemies. The desperate letters he sent to the Pope have not been answered. The Brigade has left Ellis, and headed south to fight an invasion. He is alone. Weeks later the armies clash. By the end of the battle, the once proud Legions, conquerors of the world, are no more. A bleeding Nikephoros is brought to Sigismund. He takes the Laurel Crown from the Ellisian Emperor, and places it on his head. Sigismund leaves a garrison to keep control of Ellis, in charge of his son, the Imperial Prince Maximilian, and heads back to Swadia.
A week later, to the horror of all of Calradia and beyond, Nikephoros is burned at the stake in Marienburg, for embracing the Filaharn faith, and refusing to accept Sigismund as head of the Calradian Church. This will prove to be the mad Holy Swadian Emperor's biggest mistake, and all of Calradia will suffer because of it.
Some weeks later, a comet is seen on the swadian sky, a bad omen say the sages.
Months go by till suddenly the swadian garrison of Jamiche Castle spots a cloud of dust in the horizon, and a strange gleaming.
A week later Sigismund receives an urgent report. Jamiche castle and its surrounding villages have been taken by the armies of the Lion Throne, the garrison captured and flayed alive, each one of them, their skins later sent to Emperor Sigismund.
Three weeks later all of the Ellisian conquered towns, villages and castles now belong to the Lion Throne. But that's not the worst news. His son, Prince Maximilian has been captured, his arms and legs broken, his tongue cut off. Still alive, he has been thrown down a cliff in the wilderness, and agonized for three days before dying, his corpse later ravaged by wolves.
Upon hearing the news Sigismund's wife, Empress Adelheid, suffers a stroke and dies two days later. Sigismund sinks deeper into madness. The Pope closes his gloved hand on a map of the continent.
The face of Calradia is about to change, forever.
*Removed the dates till I can get them right*
