1049AT - The Moonshrine of Kirisaka
The evening sun hung low against the shining waters of the Sea of Seven Kings. Lord-Proven Kazeshiro sat holding a cup of miso soup, the steam gently wafting in the cool ocean breeze.
The silent contemplation was broken by the sound of armour rustling and boots hitting the stone courtyard behind him.
"My lord"
"What is the cause of this disruption?"
"The attack we launched on the Moonshrine Forge has been successful, we now have control of the mastersmith and his workshop."
"Tingzun resisted the advance?"
"Yes, My lord, they fought us every step of the way, we launched a forward offensive deeper into Tingzun territory in an effor-"
"You what?!"
The soldier stood to attention as Kazeshiro rose from his seat and discarded the cup on the floor. He began pacing slowly back and forth in front of the soldier.
"You marched our men into Tingzun territory, with what plan in mind?"
"We... we saw Tingzun was weak, so we wanted to press our advantage and position ourselves to take the village of Changshi..."
The soldier trailed off as Kazeshiro narrowed his gaze.
"Tell me, which of the nations on this island is the strongest?" The soldier hesitated, before blurting out his answer.
"Kirisaka!"
"And in Markoth, Who is the strongest nation?"
Trembling and struggling to bring himself to answer, Lord Kazeshiro turned and looked him in the eyes.
"If we harm the weakest of the lion cubs, two things may happen. Should it be strong enough to resist our devastation, it would simply make a cry to its mother for help. This would bring the lion, the lioness, and all of the other cubs down upon us, with no chance to escape.
However, If we were able to not only kill, but to wipe the little cub from the face of Markoth, only then will the others fear this island."
The soldier nodded, acknowledging the wisdom the Lord-Proven was issuing. Kazeshiro continued.
"We are not ready to kill the cub just yet, but with the Moonshrine Forge in our possession, we stand to gain far more than just good steel."
The soldier looked puzzled at Kazeshiro.
"Do not come to me with news of victories little more than provocations. These put our nation at risk, and are not something I will tolerate. You will deal with the backlash your advances have wrought, then report to me that the forge has been retained and that we can now begin production of songsilver to outfit our finest samurai. Do this, or do not return."
The soldier bowed quickly and rushed through the courtyard desperately hoping to reach the front before the next attack was made.
Sadly, he arrived too late, the shrine was alive with soldiers running in every direction. Arrows, battle magic, and the deafening sounds of battle rang through the mountain-scape. Tingzun was fighting to try and retain access to the shrine, and prevent Kirisaka from holding it uncontested. As the battle raged on, the Royalist forces successfully closed off multiple pathways to the shrine, however, one of them remained open, the Imperials holding despite wave after wave of pikes and samurai rushing at them. After a tense stand off, it was conceded that holding that passage would cost more lives than they were prepared to lose, and that the Shrine could stay under Royalist control despite the potential Imperial access.
The victory at Changshi, and capturing the Moonshrine
Kirisakan flags flew furiously in the mountain winds. The Moonshrine stool defiant against the slopes that surrounded it. In the midday sun, the chorus of hundreds of shovels moving earth worked tirelessly to close off the paths that led down into Tingzun. "Why have these roads not yet been closed off?!" called one of the sergeants, pointing his crook at a small road winding down the mountains toward Tingzun. One of the supervisors looked over and yelled back. "Sergeant, That road leads to the Imperial town of Changshi, we currently have troops there - occupying it. We were instructed to keep it open in the event they call for reinforcements." The sergeant nodded, and continued to inspect the works. Things at Changshi were tense. The town was now under Royalist control, had a few burning buildings that were being brought under control, and the remaining citizens being rounded up and brought to the town square. As the Tingzun civilians were pushed into the crowd of captives, the injured Tingzun town guard captain stepped in front of the wounded. "You will pay for your treachery, Kirisakan scum! Changshi will not bow to the illegitimate rule of Kirisaka and her self proclaimed Shogun! Leave while you can!" The Kirisakan soldiers smirked and scoffed to each other, piling loot and valuables on the opposite side of the square as they finished looting the town. One of the soldiers dumped the chest he was carrying and walked up to the town guard captain. "You do not need to bow to our Lord-Proven. If you would like to die along with your women and children, all you have to do is ask." The guard captain's eyes widened with rage as he was grabbed by those behind him, holding him back as the Kiriskan soldier turned and walked away. Overall, the initial attack had taken Tingzun entirely by surprise. They had responded well, but late. They had lost territory, a town, and access to the Moonshrine. This war was certainly not going in their favour. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Tingzun, Kirisaka were preparing for the second leg.
Conflict Type
Military Campaign
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