Miliary Affairs
As Cathak Cainan, unofficial head of House Cathak and most senior of the Five Heads of the Martial Hydra (five-star generals of the legions, advising the Empress directly on the Legions), is a stickler for increasing the reliance of satrapies and tributaries on imperial legions and ensuring the Realm's military visibility, the 42 Imperial Legions are bogged down in fifty-seven minor wars- some barely more than skirmishes- aiding in the strategic defense and/or expansion of various tributaries and satrapies spread across Creation.
The policy of aiding tributaries in their intercine politics in the North-East has become so complex that recently, Leedal Kebok Fugue and Cynis Denovah Avaku led their forces against each other, ultimately dueling diaklave against diaklave, to expand the territories to two competing tributaries. This story has made the two into a minor joke, and caused some bad blood between the Keboks and the Denovahs that continues to spread like poison.
While this policy did allow for the Battle of Mishaka and the involvement in Thorns, which worked out well for all involved, it is growing stale and the legion's are growing impatient for victory. Following the glory reaped in the Battle of Mishaka, six years past, the Empress granted the army permission to form three new legions. Most critically, she has given permission for one to be formed entirely from the volunteer civilian population of the Blessed Isle, and these are universally known to be the best funded, most popular and most prestigious units. The military high command- Canian and his elite Cathak-heavy Hesiash's Seraphic Host aside- are therefore looking for breathing space from these minor and annoying engagements so as to reorganize their officers freely, moving the best dynasts with the best training charms to the Isle for the recruitment and training of the new men.
Conveniently, rumor suggests that Cainan is retiring this year to return to his third great passion- the Wyld Hunt. In the absence of the Red Lion, the Empress is likely to tap the Blue Wolf, Tepet Arada, likely to move out of the Deliberative and into the top spot. Every career officer from generals to scalelords suspects that reassignment and promotion are possibilities.
The stars of the reassessment are likely to be:
- Tepet Ejava, Tepet Essenda & Tepet Lisara. These three beautiful and ambitious officers are all out of aspect for their House- woof, dire and water, respectively- but this is the only stain on their otherwise glowing family lineages and military histories. Neither is exactly due for a promotion, but nepotism is the greatest duty of all!
- Cathak Garel Garum will be promoted to the high council because of his long-standing professional relationship with Tepet Arada and as a strategic allowance to prevent House Catahk from loosing too much prestige in the change. This bothers many field officers because of Garum's disdain for the lives of his men. It is said that he treats his men like pieces on a Gateway board, and lets them die for the slightest gain. It is also said he gives complete focus to winning a victory, and no thought to the long-term repercussions of his manner of achieving success.
- Mnemon Ai, the Bridgebuilder, who has been overused in minor satrapial reconstructions by Cathak Canian and is likely to be better appreciated by Arada. His recent recall from the field back to the Isle is perhaps a foreshadowing of higher-level duties.
- Leedal Appelate. This senior member of House Leedal is perhaps the most renown of all military sorcerers. He left the legions to teach at the House of Bells after a semi-public falling out with Cainan over the role of sorcery in war. With Canian gone, he will reenter service as the head of mystical intercine conflict for sure.
- At a mere 48, V'Neef Tapiaku will be the youngest general in the Legions, and the first member of House V'Neef to become a general. Rumor says this is a direct favor to the Empress.
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