EASTERN EMPIRE THREATENED WITH DISMISSAL FROM THE FREE REALMS
Hsia-Ch'in is leading a push to have the Eastern Empire ejected from the Free Realms following confirmation that Emperor Gnesius has ordered the reoccupation of the Dawnisle and Seaholm. This follows earlier discovery by the metahuman superteam the Rising Sun that Eastern agents were also at large in Hsi-Ch'in and Minaea seeking to obtain information about the lost Valley of the Meks.
An informal vote of the Free Realms members will probably decide whether or not a formal vote is necessary, as if most realms vote to keep in or throw out the Eastern Empire, no formal vote will be necessary under existing conventions.
The High Council of Chivalry, still recovering from heavy losses in the Dedite War battles, has said it can only provide a token force to investigate the Hsi-Ch'inese claims.
Lord Rock of Rockport stated that:
“No matter our political differences, the Eastern Empire realms are a part of the Free Realms and deserving of a seat within this Assembly. It is only if they refuse to respect the sovereignty of fellow Free Realms member states and disregard all principles of freedom and justice that we should remove them from this Assembly and redress their mistakes with force. I invite the nations states of the Eastern Empire to speak in this Assembly and address the issues and charges of misconduct raised against them. I do not support a move to eject the Eastern Empire before there has been a chance to see this matter resolved in the Assembly. What I will support is a team of non-partisan observers to go to Seaholm and report back to this Assembly on what they find. I am prepared to contribute some of the Rock Legion to this ends.”
WORLD WAR SITUATION AS OF 30-10-1101 YAC
There are approximately 200 commonly encountered Sky Federation vessels, comprised of the pre-existing Sandsweep Nomads' dhow-class vessels and the weird and wonderful previously "mothballed" vessels of Arion ("Floating Ar"). Both these pre-existing naval reservoirs had similar cultures, perhaps stemming from a much earlier common origin? We do not currently know that [from in-game information]. The Dedites and their (presumed) allies use mainly living monsters as "aircraft" in the same way that the Eastern Empire and Alicia navies use large numbers of Knights of the Air or Sky Riders mounted on griffons, pterosaurs, pegasi, small dragons, drakes, firewyrms, airmanta, sky jellyfish or cloudwyrms. There are also native creatures from the air realms including a handful of giants, beholders and other "natural" fliers.
Dedites are believed to be using a subrace of savage men from a mysterious ruined city who are a race of Wyvern Riders. These Wyvern Riders have stolen and summoned many draconic wyverns and wyvern subspecies from the surrounding lands and have restocked their own losses. They remain an extreme dangers across the Dedite-controlled areas. As yet the Dedites have not attempted to restart their own aerial bombardments following their loss of their Dragon allies. If they do attempt to restart this it will be via the much smaller and less suited Wyvern Riders.
The Dedites have conclusively lost air superiority as of 28-10-1101 YAC. They retain massive ground superiority in and around their capital of the "Temple of Death" and the southern expanse of the Nighweld Forest, where they are successfully counterattacking against the mass of the Free Realms, local rebel, and Sky Federation combined ground and air forces. The local forest canopy is at an average of 80', well below the minimum safe operational height for all but the skirmish-level Federation vessels, and this canopy also negatives the suggested (and opposed by the High Council of Chivalry) aerial bombardment. The Sky Federation has also not decided whether or not to implement large-scale bombing, or whether to allow others to attempt to do so.
The Eastern Empire sky navy and Knights of the Air squadrons are currently at one-third strength.
The Luire Nee Goi (of Sekuthar) are currently at half strength following the Mogador/Zombie War.
The sky navy of Imperial Hsia-Ch'in is at full strength and currently ferrying supplies to the Free Realms who are providing ground forces.
The O-Kai-Lia Imperial Sky Navy is at half-strength following the civil war of 4month to 6month and is providing half of this force as transport ships for Ulgarth and the High Council of Chivalry. It will be anchored in the air over the waters of Rockport by 1month 1102YAC, in anticipation of a full-scale invasion of the Dedite-held Forest Kingdoms in spring (3month) of 1102. It is taking heavy losses on the way to Rockport from ocean-going pirates with spellcasting abilities and marauding Fog and evil-aligned Cloud Giants.
Nowhere that was dragonstruck by the Dedites has made more than a limited recovery. Some realms have restored the building damage magically, but no-one has compensated for the massive casualties. Open revolt is now a real possibility in several previously stable and "friendly" realms. This is also promoting the increase of "traditional" threats from local evil-doers and monsters.