27-28 10Month 1101 YAC
The End of the Beginning, not the Beginning of The End.
by Eregorian Many-Skins, Chief Herald of the High Council of Chivalry, Mayor of the Palace of Rockport
In a combined sea land and air operation, the Free Realms forces led by a small contingent from the tiny nation of Rockport assisted the armies from the High Council of Chivalry members, as well as the fleet air arm of the Western Sky Marshall of the Sky Federation.
Port Cuidad was liberated in a day and night of the heaviest casualties yet seen in the war. Over 5,000 confirmed dead and twice that in injured were lost to the Free Realms and their allies. In the course of the Second Battle for Port Cuidad the city was liberated although little remains of it other than weirdly isolated pockets that were untouched through the initial siege, week-long occupation, razing and liberation.
For the first time, significant numbers of Dedites were captured alive. Unfortunately for them, survival of the captured is lawfully a matter for the Regent of the occupied realm and the recently rescued Grand Duke Freduardo ordered all Dedites tried and executed, a process still occurring.
Simultaneous attacks by Sky Federation forces and Knightly forces liberated the rest of the southwest of the Dedite lands. Civilian government is now being reinstituted there, with Knights of the High Council of Chivalry contacting the resistance movement of the region, chief amongst which are the "Rogue Knights", surviving freedom fighters from the Order of the Blue Moon, Order of the Silver Oak and Order of the Winged Boar. The western Forest Kingdoms will soon be restored.
A titanic aerial battle was waged resulting in the loss of two of the enemies giant metallic disk ships, the "Iron Clouds".
SFV-71 "Stella Aeris", SFV-74 "Qasim's Menagerie" and SFV-46 "Verdant" were all too heavily damaged to function. With most of their crews dead the three Wind Dhows delisted and are currently adrift awaiting rescue by the Dwarf-crewed smithy skyship "Endurance", SFV-777. The "Avenger" (SFV-987) is now functioning as a picket ship, patrolling the skies around the liberated western Forest Kingdoms. In the midst of this area is the mighty aerial dreadnought SFV-3001 "Waterstone's Shard". This colossal island-ship destroyed both of the Iron Clouds sent against it, strewing gigantic pieces of wreckage in a 30-mile wide circle. One large piece is now a river island in the river system south of Steerhorn City.
Intense fighting is occurring throughout the Nighwhelm Forest with thousands of Dedite orc troopers and ogre raiders still forcing Knights with their retinues to battle their way for every inch of ground eastwards. Due to the tall and thick forest canopy air support is next to useless.
Port Cuidad is now used as the westernmost port outside of the Utter West (currently closed by plagues) and a resupply base for the Free Realms nations and the Sky Federation is being built there at joint expense. As it is an aerodrome as well as a surface port, the new port land of Port Cuidad will technically be a Sky Federation skyharbour. It will have both secure Sky Federation and open "merchant" facilities.
The Dedites have for the second time lost a decisive battle in the west. However, there are still strange rumours surfacing from the liberated areas about some sort of vast and ghastly operation that Gorgo is leading on behalf of his besieged empire. The Dedites are most certainly not beaten yet.
Escadrille "Boniface" (16th Air Arm) and Escadrille "Ghorshthor" (12th Air Arm) are providing the equivalent of heavy aerofighter cover for the 1st Air Arm Escadrille "Swift Dispatch" on its trade runs. Grounded elements of the Sky Federation still in Ienos are believed to be researching the mysterious UFO sightings during the climactic battles.
The 13th Air Arm, Escadrille "Mulinar" has taken extremely heavy losses during the most recent battles, which are basically a series of running skirmishes as Free Realms and HCOC forces head east along the Dedite-controlled river systems. The Escadrille has now broken off contact with the enemy and returned to the bivouac and airfield at Steerhorn City where they are defended by the looming presence of "Waterstone's Shard" as well as SFV-100, the Heavy Wind Dhow "Forest Conveyor".
28 10Month 1101 YAC
A House Divided Will Not Stand.
by Eregorian Many-Skins, Chief Herald of the High Council of Chivalry, Mayor of the Palace of Rockport
Senator Gnesius has gained support through the last few days and now controls all of the Eastern Empire other than the area immediately around Empire City.
Empress Olagna has re-emerged from hiding and is trying to raise enough troops around the capital to strike back at Gnesius. This seems a vain hope. Too late she has realised how destructing her previous policies were. Having sown the wind she must now reap the whirlwind.
She who laughs last laughs longest, indeed.
28 10Month 1101 YAC
United We Fall.
by Eregorian Many-Skins, Chief Herald of the High Council of Chivalry, Mayor of the Palace of Rockport
The Free Realms policy towards the Sky Federation has been nothing short of suicidal. Unlike the High Council of Chivalry which has in its short career offended no-one of good reputation and has battled magnificently against overwhelming odds, the Free Realms has gone from a homo sapiens only club to a group dominated by the Eastern Empire to a group dominated by self-interested capitalism. Only when the Free Realms guarantee the freedom of all peoples, members or not, can the organisation take its rightful place as the pinnacle of civilisation in the world.