Byzantine Bay - Blockade of the Korama Shogunate

## Prelude

Byzoria is the heartland of Imperial trade, the Royalist blockade, fronted by Kirisaka and Hardem Plains proved a crippling move that the Empire simply had no retort to. After the Imperial political summit it was decided that a joint force of Imperial Mercenaries and Byzorian Guild Guard would assault the blockade in the cover of night to destroy the ships enough to render the blockade ineffective. This is the story of how that attempt went.

### The First Foray - 1048AT

The Shogun's Son Hinata Korama knelt on the deck of the Imperial flagship, His hand quivering as blood dripped from it onto the damp wooden deck. He watched it roll backward and forward with the rocking motion of the seas, in the distance, he heard the cries and rallying screams of his men, valiantly trying to save his life, to no avail.

"You have a chance to save your lives, Korama, your men and your own. Just take the deal". Guild Leader Hassleboard lifted the Hinata's chin with his sabre and looked into his defeated eyes with a grin.

"You've been bested in combat, and your blockade shall fall in turn, we will agree that you shall give us all of the gold that you currently have on these ships, in addition, we shall rummage through your stores. Once we have seen everything there is to see, we will let you and your fleet return safely, sinking the military ships, but letting you leave with enough rations and boats to get home safe. What say you?"

The Guild had Kirisaka beat. They had launched an attack, in the dead of night on an unsuspecting blockade months after the last arrow fire was exchanged. Once aboard, the Royalist forces of Kirisaka and Hardem Plains launched a counter- offensive, to keep control of their boats, which was largely successful. However, in the fighting, they had lost the Shogun's Son - the commander-in-chief  of the blockade and indeed, Kirisaka itself. They decided to negotiate his safe return in return for removal of the blockade.

   A magical contract was drawn up, imbued with the power to draw the life from whomsoever broke the contract's clauses. It's terms were written and the deal was placed in front of the Shogun, to sign with his blood.

"Sign the contract Hinata, return to your people and save them from death at the bottom of the seas". Said Hassleboard, the other guild members snickering and laughing in anticipation.

"If I sign the contract, I am dead. I will return to my country and must perform seppuku to return my family's honour. If I decline, I die in battle, with honour, but my country suffers a loss greater than just my own. I have no choice but to serve my country and agree to your terms" Said the Shogun's Son, lifting his hand and smearing his blood in the circle by his name, activating the contract.

The Imperials immediately fanned out, rifling through everything, ripping out every box, chest, barrel and crate. It dawned on Hassleboard why Hinata had signed their contract so readily. Kirisaka is a major Royalist producer of silver. They had not a single unit of gold on board these ships, valuing it less than good steel. They had been conned! Hassleboard whipped his head to his left just in time to see Korama smiling at him as his soldiers loaded two big chests into a boat they were unhooking from the flotilla.

"Imperials! Get those chests!" barked Hassleboard, pointing his sabre at the Korama. The Imperials swarmed the boat, soldiers falling into the waters, slashing and hacking at the ropes to free themselves, and throwing hooked nets to traverse the gaps. The chaos spread as the previously surrendered royalists surged forward to protect their Shogun, who was personally grappling with a chest. He was being pulled back onto the flotilla as the Royalist escape ship started to drag it's tethers and break free of the blockade. Royalist soldiers began throwing themselves into the cold waters, swimming frantically over to protect their leader.

"Go, defend our country's honour, continue the blockade at all costs!" screamed the shogun, holding a gemstone in his hand. Everyone stopped fighting and stood in silence, watching the Shogun's son lean over the chest and move the gemstone toward the lock in the chests centre. Hassleboard realised what was happening, his eyes opened wide as he instantly threw his sabre toward Hinata, hitting the chest and bouncing off into the water.

"STOP HII - " A huge blue and white explosion ripped through the water as the entire chest of feyrock detonated on the boat. Shrapnel, boats, bodies and a shockwave flew in all directions as the ocean heaved a gigantic plume into the air - glowing a bright deep blue as it expanded outward.

The blockade stood silent. Both sides in shock over what just transpired. Hinata has broken a hole in the blockade, but more importantly ripped apart the Imperial forces. The Royalists began rowing back to the flotilla, about to launch their counter-assault, the twisted wreckages and burning remains of the boats providing difficult terrain.

## The Final Showdown

The Kirisakan flag - scorched and torn - flapped furiously in the cold wind. Smoke floated quickly across the ceaseless ocean waves. The sound of water lapping at wood, and the sound of wrecked boats thumping against each other was the only noise that could be heard.

The Imperial assaults on the blockade had been expensive in every sense of the word. They'd lost 2 Imperial armadas, more than 13,000 Byzorian Guild Guard mercenaries, and one Imperial guild house noble. This conflict had crippled Byzoria's forces, and cost close to 5 years of earnings.

But the price of their defeat also weighed heavily on Kirisaka and Hardem Plains. Kirisaka had lost two family members of their Shogunate, as well as close to 11,000 soldiers. They had also lost over 200 ships, and a considerable amount of silver. Harden Plains was also not without losses, suffering casualties to their royal family through the Lord's Son, Gerald Goldstime - who lost an arm in initial sorties. They also had their entire naval force wiped from the map, with just a single boat ferrying the injured son being the only return vessel.

As the final few Royalist ships scoured the wreckages and looted the remaining boats. The Imperial forces remaining, lay in wait. For a chance, not only to kill off the last of the Royalists blockading Byzoria, but also to steal a ride home.

The Imperial forces had recovered a treasure, the Heirloom Katana belonging to Korama, and sought to bring it to Byzoria to present to the Guild as a gift. One of Kirisaka's assassins spotted the glint of the katana and immediately reported the sighting to the forces looting the wreckages. The boats converged on the Imperial flagship. Immediately the sides clashed on the deck, as the Imperials were set upon from all sides, the katan switched hands twice, before finally ending up over board and into the hands of Royalists below.

Whilst the Imperials were regaining control of their boat and were scaling the ropes to reach the other boats, a scream stopped the battle instantly. The Royalists had used the Katana to summon an ancient magical construct. The Funayūrei. These constructs took the form of shadowed Kirisakan elite fighters and without a sound, they cut through the Imperial lines like the wind through a torn sail. As the Imperials began to turn the ship and flee, the Funayūrei turned on Kirisakan forces, furiously cutting down those who stood laughing at the Imperial retreat.

Both sides left the Funayūrei to finish off those who were unlucky enough to be stranded, the remaining wreckages slowly sinking or drifting toward Imperial shores.

## The Aftermath

The conflict over Byzoria Bay was one that neither side could really call a clear victory. Kirisaka's armada was decimated, Byzoria had sent the majority of it's forces to the ocean floor and had barely enough ships left to bring the remaining home.

### The Byzorian Return

As the weary and injured soldiers disembarked the last warship, it gave one final groan of discontent before cracking and sinking to the floor of the docks, the onlookers feeling the crushing defeat that brought home 14,500 fewer souls than had left to defend their homes. The Guild Guard Captain immediately stormed to the auction house to collect payment. The mood of Byzoria was bittersweet. Whilst the trade could now be resumed with some level of safety, each person living there personally knew of someone who had paid the cost for that safety. The Byzorian Merchant's Guild began booking in contracts for trade with Andevin that day, having docks full to the brim with merchandise that had been in holding pattern for months. Byzoria could lick its wounds and recover from the hit.

### Kirisaka's return

The blockade had been removed, Kirisaka returned to the docks with close to 1/50th the soldiers they'd left with. As the soldiers exited the boats, and began the journey to the palace, the royal guard lined the road. Citizens flocked to take stock of those who had returned, to see loved ones, to see the victors; limping before them were battle-shocked soldiers who felt they had lost far more than a battle.

The Shogun sat on the platform atop the stairs of the palace, looking down at the courtyard. He sipped his tea as the gates opened, and the royal guard escorted the surviving soldiers into the palace walls. They filed out and stood in their ranks, the obvious gaps on where their comrades once stood illustrated just how severe the losses were.

The Shogun took a darting glance across the faces of each man from atop the platform, he dropped his tea and stood as one of them stepped forward with the Kirisaka heirloom Katana sitting on a pillow. The soldier knelt down, bowed his head and lifted the katana to the sky. The Shogun's wife burst into tears, standing and running inside the palace. Kirisaka had been dealt a blow they would be eager to repay.