Episode: Chainbreaker
Posted by Story on 01/26/20
House Pravus dominates conversations for the most of the peerage. Their meteoric rise under the stewardship of their current leadership is a source of envy mixed with no little resentment, and opinions vary all throughout the Peers of the Realm. A large number, particularly in the Lyceum, have admired House Pravus' ambitions, and feel the creation of a new great house can only serve to strengthen the Compact (and the South, of course). Peers in the Oathlands fear a stronger Lyceum, some hoping that a fealty-split could weaken their southern foes, and a minority hoping for a new era of warmer relations with a divided (but significantly larger) South. Most of the peers of the Crownland saw that anything that makes for a stronger Compact ultimately is a net gain, while some worried about any instability that could potentially weaken the Crown. The peers of the Northlands, never ones much to worry excessively about formality in tradition, largely were indifferent to the rise of a new great house. Hey, if they earned it, why not? The Saffron, after all, is rather far away from the Northlands. And many peers of the Mourning Isles, devout to tradition and frequent raiders of the Saffron Chain for thralls despite all attempts at reforms, were quietly seething at the thought of any house shattering tradition of the five great houses to begin with, and doing it at the expense of one of their chief supplies of cheap labor.
Opinions shift dramatically as word of the Battle of Pieros arrives in Arx.
It had been common knowledge that House Pravus had been at their expansion in the Saffron Chain for some time, fighting Abandoned all throughout the Chain and particularly ones that engaged in the contemptible practice of slavery. The true scale of those operations becomes more widely known now. A massive fleet had been spending the past few months patrolling the Saffron Chain, and many Mourning Islander ships loudly complain to their lieges they had been turned back from raiding the isles in attempts to attack Abandoned villages for war thralls. Those sort of diplomatic incidents happen, and can be worrisome, but can pass with relatively little notice to most of the Compact. Similarly the Pravus attacks on Abandoned slavers, such as the so called Sons of the Centipede, and their freeing hundreds of slaves- commendable, and a matter of great interest to the Discipleship of Skald and other progressive minded peers, but it does not normally penetrate the consciousness of the peerage as a whole. The battle that was just fought in the Saffron Chain by Pravosi forces is different. After destroying several slaver camps in the Saffron, it seems that House Pravus uncovered a truly massive ongoing Eurusi slavery operation by the Dune Kingdom of Skal'daja, known as the City of Chains. Over twenty thousand slaves were freed in an attack by House Pravus forces, which prompted a retaliation attack by forces flying the banner of Skal'daja- a black flag with golden fetters. A legion of seven thousand Eurusi soldiers and a fleet of over a hundred Eurusi ships attempted to attack and utterly destroy the new city-state of House Pravus in the Saffron Chain, the outpost of Pieros.
What followed was the largest naval engagement fought by a single Arvani house against a foreign adversary since at least the Crownbreaker Wars, with a decisive victory at sea and on land, though at the cost of thousands of Pravus dead. Tens of thousands of freed slaves are now arriving in Arvum, survivors of a lifetime of victimization that had been happening in the Saffron for what seems to be generations. Word spreads that a Dune Kingdom had been transporting slaves from Arvum for at least generations back to their slave city, and House Pravus had put a stop to it. Support among Peers of the Realm and commoners alike for Pravus' elevation increases rather dramatically.
In the Oathlands, many suddenly are now talking about supporting Pravus as a moral mandate, with much of the irritation that Pravus had done this first without their help. In the Mourning Isles, most of the traditionalist houses are revolted at having thralldom associated with actual slavery and grow much more quiet, hoping they can weather out the reformist storms. The Northland peers are glad to see someone hammering slavers, and only hope Pravus keeps at it and gets the support they need. The Crownlands feel more strongly about slavery than anyone, and twenty thousand slaves is some of the most freed from bondage since the time of Queen Triscali the Blackrose. Most of the Lyceum is just hoping to take advantage of the current fervor and be associated with how fashionable it is to be anti-slaver, and the peers with strong concerns are being rather quiet to not have criticism of Pravus' ambitions to come off as pro-slavery. In political terms, it really couldn't have had better timing for Pravus, since most peers would insist upon House Pravus' elevation at the next Assembly of Peers at this point, and would be aghast if it doesn't happen. What better way to give a gigantic show of Arvani condemnation to a Eurusi slaver-kingdom that dared to enslave people of Arvum? The commoners are furious at the idea that foreign slavers were stealing away people from the Saffron Chain, and if rewarding Pravus is a way to show how much they hate Skal'daja right now, then that's what it should be.
Opinions shift dramatically as word of the Battle of Pieros arrives in Arx.
It had been common knowledge that House Pravus had been at their expansion in the Saffron Chain for some time, fighting Abandoned all throughout the Chain and particularly ones that engaged in the contemptible practice of slavery. The true scale of those operations becomes more widely known now. A massive fleet had been spending the past few months patrolling the Saffron Chain, and many Mourning Islander ships loudly complain to their lieges they had been turned back from raiding the isles in attempts to attack Abandoned villages for war thralls. Those sort of diplomatic incidents happen, and can be worrisome, but can pass with relatively little notice to most of the Compact. Similarly the Pravus attacks on Abandoned slavers, such as the so called Sons of the Centipede, and their freeing hundreds of slaves- commendable, and a matter of great interest to the Discipleship of Skald and other progressive minded peers, but it does not normally penetrate the consciousness of the peerage as a whole. The battle that was just fought in the Saffron Chain by Pravosi forces is different. After destroying several slaver camps in the Saffron, it seems that House Pravus uncovered a truly massive ongoing Eurusi slavery operation by the Dune Kingdom of Skal'daja, known as the City of Chains. Over twenty thousand slaves were freed in an attack by House Pravus forces, which prompted a retaliation attack by forces flying the banner of Skal'daja- a black flag with golden fetters. A legion of seven thousand Eurusi soldiers and a fleet of over a hundred Eurusi ships attempted to attack and utterly destroy the new city-state of House Pravus in the Saffron Chain, the outpost of Pieros.
What followed was the largest naval engagement fought by a single Arvani house against a foreign adversary since at least the Crownbreaker Wars, with a decisive victory at sea and on land, though at the cost of thousands of Pravus dead. Tens of thousands of freed slaves are now arriving in Arvum, survivors of a lifetime of victimization that had been happening in the Saffron for what seems to be generations. Word spreads that a Dune Kingdom had been transporting slaves from Arvum for at least generations back to their slave city, and House Pravus had put a stop to it. Support among Peers of the Realm and commoners alike for Pravus' elevation increases rather dramatically.
In the Oathlands, many suddenly are now talking about supporting Pravus as a moral mandate, with much of the irritation that Pravus had done this first without their help. In the Mourning Isles, most of the traditionalist houses are revolted at having thralldom associated with actual slavery and grow much more quiet, hoping they can weather out the reformist storms. The Northland peers are glad to see someone hammering slavers, and only hope Pravus keeps at it and gets the support they need. The Crownlands feel more strongly about slavery than anyone, and twenty thousand slaves is some of the most freed from bondage since the time of Queen Triscali the Blackrose. Most of the Lyceum is just hoping to take advantage of the current fervor and be associated with how fashionable it is to be anti-slaver, and the peers with strong concerns are being rather quiet to not have criticism of Pravus' ambitions to come off as pro-slavery. In political terms, it really couldn't have had better timing for Pravus, since most peers would insist upon House Pravus' elevation at the next Assembly of Peers at this point, and would be aghast if it doesn't happen. What better way to give a gigantic show of Arvani condemnation to a Eurusi slaver-kingdom that dared to enslave people of Arvum? The commoners are furious at the idea that foreign slavers were stealing away people from the Saffron Chain, and if rewarding Pravus is a way to show how much they hate Skal'daja right now, then that's what it should be.