Homelands
Chapter Thirty Four: Thicker than Water
Part 1
Prelude:
While King Vishly and his wife were masters of Intrigue, Marshal Árás Kæstótis was a master tactician and commander. Quiet as he was when amongst the nobility, outside of the palaces and manors he was a brave and commanding figure who would often be found deep in midst of combat. The King had entrusted him with reorganizing the army now that nobles were no longer allowed to levy troops. His first step was to divide Prussia into numerous Themes based on cultural and linguistic lines. Men recruited from a certain province would then serve with other men who spoke the same dialects and often were already comfortable with one another. Units were encouraged to form traditions, carry banners and form a strong fraternity between its members. Since the standing army was professional, its numbers were much lower than number in the past and the composition switched from numerous knights on horseback supported by a large, untrained levy to a more balanced system with well-trained footmen. The King could still call up a levy if required, thus swelling the Monarchist Army to greater numbers at the cost of over-all quality. On the other side, the Noble or Fraternal Army had a similar composition to the Prussian Army of old, based mostly on heavy cavalry supported by the levy. At the center of their forces were the Guardsmen, who comprised almost all of the trained footmen of the Fraternal Army.
The 1314 Civil War at its beginning. Red is Monarchist controlled lands; Blue is Noble controlled lands.
April 15th, 1314
Árás Kæstótis marched at the head of the Monarchist Army, a task that he was very proud of. He and his men had already prevented the secession of Denmark, thus keeping Baltic trade up and running. Almost the entirety of the Kinjitlin family had been caught and impaled outside of Krakow, likely the first city that would be attacked by the nobles. It was this act that would give his master the title "Impaler", which he had seen a few times in letters address to "King Vishly, the False, the Imapler". As the army rounded the crest of a hill they were over-looking a large plain, their camp site for the night. At the center was one of the many taverns constructed by King Sviendorog, long ago, and it would serve as their head quarters for the night. Árás found everything rather comfortable, and he quickly looked to set up a base of control in the southern regions of Poland along the border with Hungary.
From the second floor of the tavern he watched as his men built make-shift stables and lodging. Step one was complete, now he had to locate the enemy forces and move to defeat them outright. He knew that four other armies had been called up by King Vishly, each securing a region and defending the heartlands from intrusion. Of course, the greatest risk came from foreign intervention so it was essential to quickly prove to Europe that the Monarchists were going to come out on top. Retaking the Páresláv lands was currently top priority to the King. Having such an enemy in your midst would lead to nothing but doom. So for now, Árás had time to rest.
Downstairs, the innkeeper was shocked to find so many soldiers showing up at once. He tried to protest but soon found that his pleas were being ignored as the officers spread out and claimed rooms for themselves. Soldiers raided the pantry and took out bottles of Roman wine and Italian oils. The officers were quick to confiscate such items for themselves. Árás walked down the stairs and was quickly approached by the innkeeper. It was obvious his temper had already been triggered as he flew into a full-blown rage against the Marshal.
"Sir," Árás started in a matter-of-fact tone, "I will assume you do not know who I am and thus I will spare you from punishment, but hear me: I am Marshal Árás Kæstótis, trusted advisor to King Vishly, true ruler of Prussia. We are commandeering this building until such a time that we deem this region secured from Fraternal threats. Now. Will you oblige us or will you continue to resist?"
"No, I will not resist."
"Good, the Kingdom will repair any damages and provide monetary compensation to all that willingly cooperate. I strongly suggest, however, that you stay clear of our work." Árás walked away and watched as his officers set up a table and several men leave to call up the local levy and all those willing to serve in the army. It was tedious work, but necessary to inflate the numbers of the army. The professional army number only thirty thousand or so, much smaller than levy armies of the past. But it was much better trained, a rigorous process watched over by Árás himself. Men had positions and they were good at them. Scouts quickly dispersed from the inn, disappearing into the surrounding wilderness for days on end recording enemy movements and returning with essential data.
As the sun began to set, Árás stepped outside for some fresh air. All around him men sat around camp fires sharpening swords and telling tales of machismo and virility. In the wind flew the Monarchist flags, the top was the banner designed by King Kárnák, below that was the Monarchist colors, a banner of black with a white cross on it. It was a moment of pride for the Marshal, as well as one that he had awaited for many a year. He would soon show his prowess and hopefully earn the ability to solidify his claim to put his name into the history books. A man of thirty he was still a bachelor, but soon he'd be able to marry into the court. Prestige is what he aimed for, nothing more and nothing less. He thought of Ievá, her beauty caught his heart and now he could hardly spend more than one minute alone without thinking about her.
Kárnák's flag; the often flown over Monarchist armies.
So in the dark he took to his room, alone, and began to write her a letter. But once again words failed him, so he stuffed the letter into a corner of his desk and lied his head down on his hands. With little else to do he returned downstairs and joined some other officers around a map. They were discussing the next possible moves they could make. To them it was a game, they would see who could most accurately predict his own ideas and the one with the fewest at the end of the night owed the others drinks. He was more than happy to play along if it meant that they were learning.
"So?" Árás asked, "What is our plan for these upcoming months?"
"Well," started the first officer, "I believe that we must push forward. If we don't, the rebels might be able to secure recognition and they will be lost forever. So a logical move is to first strike Bohemia."
"Why?"
"Less defended from the east, it is also richer and has more people then areas such as the Carpathians and Brandenmark. It is also contains the largest percentage of Prussian-speaking peoples. As much as a fifth of the region speaks Silesian. So it might be easier to hold onto."
"Okay. Any other ideas?"
The second stood forth, "Yes. I agree that attacking is also the best plan, but I suggest moving against Hungary. Bohemia is richer, but Hungary is largest both in land-area and population. Also the successful conquest of Hungary will divide their forces here in the West."
A third voice his concern, "I think that the best action is to team up with the northern army in Denmark and move to attack Brandenmark and Bohemia simultaneously. From there we can roll up the enemy forces here in the west and finish the war much quicker."
"Ah, but that assumes too much, take it a step back," Árás responded, "After taking Bohemia and Brandenmark we will be waiting for their response." He paused and looked at the map, "Regardless, the best plan is to attack. And though I am worried about Silesians in Bohemia, dividing our enemy by crushing Hungary is probably the best move from here. The North Army will be tasked with Securing Brandenmark and then Bohemia. Our job will be to neutralize Hungary, then wait to defend those lands while Bohemia is retaken. Any questions?"
"Yes. What about a possible counter-attack from Carpathia? Morcárgrád is awfully exposed."
"That will be up to King Vishly to respond to with the East-Central Army. We cannot protect all of Prussia alone gentlemen, and realizing that is an important step forward as commanders. Now, rest for now. Make sure, though, that at least one of you is awake at all times should anything arise. Now dismissed."
