To be Orc not to be

[Sheng Kaldres]

OOC: Copied from this thread.

IC: Timestamp: TimeStamp: Cryxatum, Summer, Era XIV PF

The office of Sherian’s new Governor consisted of a pair of rooms that were situated at the edge of the council gardens where sunlight would shine through the windows in the morning and make the golden outer walls shimmer as if they were made of the most precious of metals.

The rooms were simple, nothing too luxurious as he didn’t want to be accused of wasting the province’s money.

The door that led inside and to the first room was made of dark wood that stood in contrast to the light walls around. Simple ornaments had been carved into it. A short corridor led to another door behind which the office of the receptionist, a middle aged human woman named Clarissa, was located. She always had a cup of tea ready for those that wanted to see the Governor.

To the left of her desk was another door. A guard, a young dark haired human male, stood in front of it. Since the Governor was an Esh’lahier, a member of a race that was very popular in Sherian, certain security measures had been taken. Gregory had once been a member of the militia in Mystique, but he had adjusted very well to his new job as the Governor’s bodyguard. He would watch anybody who wanted to see his employer and decide whether they posed a threat.

The room behind him was Anvael’s office. A large desk made of oaken wood dominated it. Papers and books were scattered on it. The wooden floor was covered with fine carpets in red and blue. A stone fireplace could be seen in the left corner. Two chairs and a small table stood in front of it. A couple of flowerpots were arranged in front of the two windows at the back of the room. A large painting that showed the city of Taralon hung on the right wall, between a pair of bookshelves.

It was time for initiatives against the orcs and Sheng had to inform the governor of his actions. So going along a route that was familiar to him, Sheng arrived at the governor's office. This was the second time that Sheng was here and the governor that he was meeting was different. The last time it was Nell, the Viceregent, the former governor of Sheria. Now, it was a guy names Anvael Andares.

Speaking to meet the governor, "Serale. I'm Provost Imperatis Sheng Kaldres. Is His Excellency in?"

[Anvael Andares]

„His Excellency is in his office“, the receptionist replied. “Please go in.” Clarrissa was new to this job, and thus she had never had any contact with the Provost before. She did not know why exactly he wanted to see the Governor, but she could guess it. If a military person came to visit the Governor, it likely had something to do with the orcs. That’s all they talked about these days. Building an army, asking the Empire for help, trying to find out how to best kill orcs. Not that she minded it – in fact the human woman was quite keen on seeing all of Ire destroyed – and it’s inhabitants with it – but it probably had some negative effects on one’s mind if all you talked about from dawn till dusk was death.

Governor Andares was not only a guy, he was also an Esh’lahier, a pale dark elf with white skin, white hair and a pair of brilliant violet eyes. If Sheng had met Moranor, the elf’s cousin, he would likely notice the family resemblance. At the moment the elf was sitting behind his desk, reading a text about the orcish assembly, frowing all the while because he just couldn’t understand those orcs, and their way of life seemed violent and illogical to him.

As Sheng entered, he raised his head and arched an eyebrow questioningly. “Serale, Provost Kaldres”, he greeted him, sincerely hoping that this wasn’t the completely wrong way to adress him. His dealings with military people had been limited so far. He knew that almost each one had to be adressed in a different way, but that was it. “What brings you here? Am I right in assuming that your visit has something to do with Ire and the orcish threat?”

[Sheng Kaldres]

Clarrisa was correct to assume that Sheng was here to meet with Anvael with regards to the orcs threat. If all went well with Sheng's plans, the orc might be detroyed. Now, Sheng needed to tell the the Governor that and to seek his assistance.

The Governor was one called Anvael Andares and he was an Esh’lahier. Sheng had seen many of this race but Sheng remembered meeting one called Moranor Andares. Perhaps Anvael was the brother or cousin of Moranro. But it did not mattered much to Sheng. The main thing was that the Governor knew what to do.

Upon meeting the governor, Sheng tipped his head in courtesy and smiled. This was despite Anvael getting his rank wrong.

"Yes, my rank is Provost Imperatis." Sheng said, stressing his rank as gentle as he could. "And my command is that of the Southern Coast, which includes Sheria and Enamoria."

"And yes, this is with respect with the orcs." Then, pausing for a while to let Anvael take in the information. "We're going to war again, starting with the retaking of Narim."

Then, Sheng waited for the questions.

[Anvael Andares]

„I expected that“, Anvael remarked and gestured for Sheng to sit down opposite of him. He’d expected that the Empire would intervene sooner or later, that they wouldn’t tolerate orcs comfortably sitting in the middle of their land, but the question was, would they be successful this time or would it end with another burning city and a few thousand more dead? He’d expected it, but he wasn’t entirely happy to hear it, even though he had known that there would probably be another war when he had accepted this job. Maybe it was because he had never really been a soldier, because he had never killed or even wounded anybody, but a politician who had comfortably sat behind his desk so far and dreamed of bringing peace to everybody.

“Please tell me a bit about it. How do you plan to retake Narim?” The elf arched an eyebrow. He was very polite, showed just the right amount of interest. He’d decided not to try and adress the Provost correctly again, but simply treat him as any other man of high rank that came to see him. “As far as I know we are facing about 50,000 orcs altogether, although I don’t recall exactly how many of them are in and around Narim. How do you intend to ensure victory?”

It was probably reasonable, trying to retake Narim rather than making a peace treaty with a horde of bloodthristy savages, and he’d listen to what Sheng had to say and what he wanted or didn’t want from him.

[Sheng Kaldres]

Anvael did not looked surprise by Sheng’s announcement but then, Sheng doubted that any citizen of Sheria would be surprised given what happened in the last war. The orcs must be conquered and Narim retaken. The more appropriate question would be at what cost?

“You must pardon me if I cannot tell you my exact plans.” Sheng replied as looked at Anvael, looking for signs of hesitation or any negative feelings. “There are many reasons for this but there are two main ones that I can tell you. The first being that plans are always changing due to changes in the situation. The second being that I would prefer that few people know of the exact plans. We do not know whether there are any traitors among us.”

“What I can tell you is that it will involve more men and mages than last time.” And that was as far as Sheng would give. Cassandra had already told Sheng what she related to Anvael and that was enough information for Anvael to form his own theories of what Sheng was going to do.

After the pleasantries, it was time for Sheng to detail what he needed from the governor, the main reason why he was here.

“There are many things that I can do to ensure victory but at the time, there are things that you can do to help me achieve victory. First of all, I need you help in ensuring the supply lines to the frontline. The Legions have our own system but it will help greatly if you can assist in the supply lines. The other thing that you can do to assist the Legions is using the militia is the missions of the Legions. As I remember it, some of the militia did help in our previous campaign by providing some information. This time, perhaps they can do more, like scouting missions and even joining in the assault on the orcs.”

Then, came the difficult part. Cassandra had told Sheng that Anvael might be somewhat an idealist. “The most significant thing that you can do is perhaps limit the movement of information in and out of the city. Only tell people what you need. At the same time, if possible, limit the movement of people working for the government. The orcs must have limited information of the city and the Legions. Of course, even by observation alone, some conclusions can be made. But nevertheless, effort must be made to limit information outflow.”

With his requests made, Sheng waited for an answer.

[Anvael Andares]

„I did not expect you to tell me your exact plans – although I can assure you that I will not go running to the orcs and betray you.“ The young elf allowed himself a small laughter. “I just want to be informed of what is going on. I am Governor of this province, and whatever happens here concerns me.” He stopped her and gave Sheng the opportunity to go on.

“Reasonable”, he remarked as he told that it would involve more mages this time. If there had to be a fething war, if it came to this despite his efforts to find another solution, he wanted this war to at least be well prepared.

“Sherian has the Wilderness Watch and the Golden Scales, and in fact there are spies in and around Ire right now. If it turns out that a war is inevitable, they will assisst you. I promise you that I will do anything to help you. Defeat is not acceptable.”

Was he the only one who had not completely dismissed the idea of peace with the orcs? People would die if he tried to make peace with Ire as well, but there’d be less dead than if they started another war. Was he a fool or the only reasonable person in this province?

Would it help in any way if he tried to reason with them or should he just do what most of the Empire seemed to expect of him?

“And what should I do to limit the information flow?” he asked, not quite willing to make his views public yet.

[Sheng Kaldres]

As Anvael cooperation was vital to Sheng’s plans in Sheria, Sheng decided to give a bit more information.

“I can tell that Taralon will be the launching point for the Imperials. I can also tell you that we will be attacking Narim and perhaps Ire. The route that we will be taking should be the same and hopefully the campaign will be short for we do not want a repeat of the last campaign, laying siege to a city in winter.” The information that Sheng gave was true for most part. In addition to Taralon, Daltina was another launching point and there would also be naval support. But Sheng liked to be cautious, even around the Imperial government.

Hearing that support from the local militia and government is given, Sheng nodded in satisfaction. Local support was another vital part of Sheng’s plans. Hearing Anvael declaration that defeat was not an option was reassuring. At the very least, Sheng had open support from Anvael. Of course, if Anvael was one of those politicians that were more talk than action, Anvael’s open declaration would have no meaning. Only time would tell of Anvael’s true intentions.

In response to Anvael’s question of how to limit information outflow, Sheng would reply in simple terms. “Martial law would be a good option. Only people with the necessary papers and duties can go in and out of the city.”

Sheng had heard from Cassandra of Anvael’s seemingly naďve attitude towards the enforcing the law, but here he was, trying to get Anvael to do what the Imperials thought as necessary against the orcs.

[Anvael Andares]

„I could have guessed that“, Anvael murmurred as Sheng told him that Tarlon would be the launching point for the Imperials and that Narim and Ire would be attacked. “I am aware of how important retaking Narim is. Still, I can’t help but wonder ... the last time we were at war with the orcs, Narim was burning and Paxia was reduced to ruins. There are more orcs than there are capable soldiers in Sherian. Of course, if the Imperial Government intervenes, if the Legions come here, we will eventually defeat them ... but how do you ensure that it won’t be a long, bloody war that leaves Sherian in a worse state than it already is?”

“You say you hope the campaign will be a short one. How do you intend to make that certain? I’d very much like to know what kind of strategy you intend to employ. As the Governor of Sherian I have certain information about Ire and its defenses that make me doubtful about the possibility of a swift victory.” He recalled the letter that Malkaer had written, that he had seen Ire’s defenses with his own eyes and thought that they would not be able to defeat the orcs by laying siege to Ire.

But he had the feeling that that was exactly what Sheng intended to do ...

[Sheng Kaldres]

"I cannot. I cannot give you the assurance that it will be a short campaign. Finding a war is not like making a steel sword, your Excellency." Sheng said, careful not to sound exasperated. Of course, Sheng understood for the assurance that the campaign would be short and if Sheng was one of the pompous bureaucrat fools in the capital, perhaps Sheng would give the assurances if he was not sure that he could achieve one. But Sheng did not want to hoodwink Anvael.

“With sufficient planning, a short campaign is the best possible result. But as with any war, any thing can affect the results. Just the change of weather alone can hinder the progress of the war. All I can give is that I promise to make this campaign as short as possible.”

Regarding Anvael’s claim of having more information, Sheng was again reminded of what happened in the last war. The rift between the provincial government and the Empire still existed despite the lessons learned from the last war. Sheng guessed that it was inevitable. Each had their own objectives to fulfill.

“Regarding the strategies, again, I’m afraid to say that I cannot tell you now as I had explained previously. Of course, certain things will be told to you as the time for them to be carried out come closer. Your participation is important to campaign as is any information that you have.”

Then, Sheng waited for Anvael to make another response, most probably one that would asking Sheng for the plans and Sheng would stay firm in his answer. Would the gap between provincial and Empire wide be closed?

[Anvael Andares]

No, the gap between the provincial government and the Empire likely wouldn’t be closed, not unless Sheng was willing to divulge a little more information.

“If you cannot tell me your exact strategy – which you should do if you really want my full cooperation as I can only decide whether my attention is needed the most if I know the details – answer at least the following question.”

“Do you plan on besieging Ire and when do you plan on doing so?”


“According to the information I have our combined forces would not be enough to ensure a swift victory over the orcs at the moment.”

“I’m interested in hearing why the Imperial Government still plans to go to war as soon as possible rather than gathering a bigger army.”

“You don’t have a secret weapon, do you?”

[Sheng Kaldres]

The cooperation between the Imperials and the Taralon provincial was not smooth sailing, and Sheng expected that. Already, Anvael could to be stubborn on some points. Sheng would try his best to smooth out the process, and hoped for the best. As Sheng had said cooperation was vital to the campaign. But how far would Sheng have to go?

“Narim will be our first concern. For we need a base close to Ire if we want to conquer Ire, and thus Narim needs to be taken first. The date for taking will need to determine after we have retaken Narim.” And that was the idea behind the campaign. Ire had stood strong against the Imperials for a reason, and one of them was that the Imperials could not get a foothold near Ire. Retaking Narim and progressively approaching Ire was one of the plans.

“We have enough men. If taking the navy into consideration too, we would have more than 50,000 men, close to 60,000 men. The composition of the troops is also different. There will be more cavalry, mages and ships involved in this campaign. So I don’t understand why you say that our forces are not enough. What make you think so?”

Anvael was keeping information from Sheng, information that could help the campaign. It did not help that the Governor of Sheria lacked confidence in the Imperials. If he behaved as such in the presence of an Imperial Officer, behaving as such in public would be disastrous. In fact, such a behavior could potentially destroy the campaign.

[Anvael Andares]

„Maybe …“ Anvael murmurred as Sheng stated that they had close to 60,000 men. That was approximately what the orcs had, so it might work. But then the orcs were sitting in a fortress, and the soldiers of the Empire would be outside. Besides, the numbers he had been given by other people in this province had been considerably lower.

“I could be wrong, and your forces might be enough, but then again the information that I have comes from a trustworthy source.”

“Besides, I know of a way to get the orcs out of Narim without bloodshed. I have been talking to the orcish leadership, and they seem to be interested in peace. They are willing to leave Narim and turn it into a trade city open to all races. If we pretended to give in, we could enter Narim when they are gone, fortify it and use it as a base to attack Ire – without losing a single soldier …”

“They’d want to get Narim back of course – and might even go so far as to attack Taralon. If we pretended to be weak, we could surprise them. We could meet them where we want rather than laying siege to a fortress like Ire …”

He stopped here.

Was there a point in talking to a man who was unwilling to reveal his plans to him, who was not cooperative?

Maybe his behaviour was disastrous, but he was not willing to simply trust somebody without knowing anything.

Besides, the one that was in charge, the most powerful man in the military, was the Minister of War, and not this Sheng.

[Sheng Kaldres]

It was slow progress as it was expected. Anvael did not know how the Imperials worked and Sheng had not idea of Anvael’s aims and objectives. But perhaps now, the progress would be faster.

“The Orcs leaving Narim peacefully….” Sheng said as he absorbed this piece of information. Not very likely in Sheng’s opinion and if this information was trustworthy, Sheng wondered about the cost.

“Getting Narim back will be good but there are many issues at hand here. For one thing, what of the blood and lives lost when the orcs attacked Narim. Do you seriously think that any citizen of the Empire would dare to enter Narim with no protection and no actions taken against the Orcs? For citizens to enter Narim again, they need proof that the Orcs threat is dealt with or at the very least held back.”

“And you say that when the Orcs left, the Empire just goes back into the city and fortify it. Do you know that Narim was one of the most fortified cities in the Empire before the Orcs attacked it? We need to do much more than fortified Narim if we want to move on to Ire. And what makes you think that you can trust the Orcs? We had an agreement with the Orcs before and yet they pillaged and killed with no discrimination. What makes you think that this Orc leadership can be any different from the one before Narim was attacked by the Orcs? Perhaps, it might hold for one or two months but be assured that Orcs will start harassing citizens of Sheria once more, then what?”

Sheng was not belittling Anvael but Anvael must know the consequences of what he proposed. True, Anvael might get the Orcs to sign a peace treaty but he should also know that the treaty might not hold.

“Blood must bleed, and it must be seen. An attack on the Orcs is that. But if the Orcs want peace, they must do more. For one thing, any Orcs guilty of killing any citizens of the Empire must be dealt with, preferably by the Empire. Ire must also be opened for Imperial presence.”

“If they are willing to do that, then will I consider peace with them. Otherwise, there are too many unknowns and too little trust between us and them.”

Perhaps the advice was not needed, but Sheng gave it all the same.

[Anvael Andares]

„Nobody will be forced to enter Narim until the orcish threat has been taken care of once and for all“, Anvael answered. He was beginning to get second thoughts about telling Sheng. He should have gone to the Minister of War without ever mentioning the plan to this person. He should just have nodded to everything he’d said and pretended to be an obedient little Governor who was happy to do everything the Imperials asked of him.

“I don’t trust the orcs. Not at all. But there is a chance that the treaty will hold. The current leadership of Ire depends on it. And even if it’s only one or two months, it’s one or two months more than we would otherwise have had.” The orcs had already agreed to this treaty, and Anvael was very well of the consequences of this proposal. He had thought this through. He had thought about everything, everything that could possibly go wrong, but it was still better than what Sheng had in mind, fighting, fighting and more fighting and heavy losses.

“I will tell the leaders of Ire that”, he said as Sheng stated that any orcs guilty of killing Imperial citizens had to be dealt with. “Although you must be aware, that this is not peace for the sake of peace and friendship with the orcs, but peace so that we can better prepare for an attack, and thus any agreements we make now will not matter long-term.”

“I need some time to think”, he murmured. This Sheng really wasn’t particularly willing to cooperate. Maybe it was best to end this meeting soon and meet with those that really mattered …

[Sheng Kaldres]

Time to think; it was a phase that Sheng connected to the idea that one needs time alone. So Anvael was asking for time to think.....Or was it that Anvael was just playing for time? Either way, Sheng could sense that Anvael was not ready to give an answer now to many of the questions that Sheng had asked. Even the question of whether martial law would be declared was not decided.

So be it. Sheng would give Anvael his time alone. In the end, Sheng could only do what he could and Anvael would do what he would.

"I guess that we had discussed what we need to discuss. I hope that you would keep what we said here in mind as you made your decisions. In the end, we want the best for Sheria and the Empire. Let there be no doubt."

With that said, Sheng stood up and offered a hand to bid Anvael farewell. A handshake and Sheng would walked out of the office to do his tasks as he would. A soldier must do what a soldier must do.