Spires of Aeldrum/Session 6

Key events:

* Aeldrum amends its constitution to give improved status to humans and other non-elves who serve in the army: Aeldrum cannot raise conscripts, but it taps successfully into a pool of hundreds of thousands of willing soldiers.
* Aeldrum reshuffles its cabinet: etherics tycoon Hannon Mossag and Doge Augustine Tiello join the Serene Doge's circle.
* Aeldrum pulls off a foreign policy coup and finally coordinates the Coalition to fight together.
* The Nipponese are attacked in Imperial Space on four fronts, and while the Nipponese manage to beat back an offensive and land at Genova, the Shantine and other Coalition forces successfully make and hold a landing on one of the Nippon Gates worlds. Thalranese efforts to blockade the Nipponese via Saldan are unsuccessful, and an ATC-Directorate fleet blockades the Gates via Mir'Thalran but fails to make landfall.
* Harwel looks almost lost until the arrival of the Aeldrum volunteer army reverses the course of battle and leads to a disastrous encirclement for the Fialta, resulting in more or less a return to the status quo but with heavy Fialta losses (and major loss of civilian life).
* Two assaults are launched on the key Fialta Imperium world of Firbahnk, one by Aeldrum and Alusia via Ahlam and another by the Thalranese via Tar'Thalran: neither assault successfully lands on Firbahnk, but both manage to blockade the world.
* Major losses of life on all sides: Fialta/Nipponese losses total an estimated 676K dead, 807.5K wounded or captured (1.48 million casualties). Coalition losses total an estimated 717K dead, 564.1K wounded or captured (1.28 million casualties). Civilian deaths/wounds/unaccounted across both sides are believed to exceed 920K. Total death toll of the war has now reached at least 2 million.

**Aeldrum Home Front:**

* Serene Doge Bareth Aefendt promises that there will be no conscriptions under his administration, agrees to meet with Aeldrum Militia to discuss grievances.
* Serene Doge Bareth creates the Aeldrum Department of Energy, directed by Baron Hannon Mossag, President of Mossag Etherics Corporation... the Department is not funded by Parliament but instead by the Office of the Serene Doge.
* Serene Doge Bareth Successfully passes a massive "War Volunteers Amendment" to the Aeldman Constitution with support from a coalition of the Reform Party, Popular Party, Conservative Party, and Industrial Party and creates a new Office of Social Affairs, headed by Doge Augustine "Brick" Tiello of Estonne Spire.
	+ The Amendment Makes the Following Provisions:
		- Any human who volunteers for a combat deployment and survives two tours, or one tour as an officer, will get the legal benefits of being a (non-high) elf.
		- Anyone of non-human, non-elvish race who volunteers for a combat deployment and survives three tours will be considered human. If that non-human person can get ten other members of their race to sign up with them, they will be considered for officer training and allowed to command a unit of their own race, and their tour requirements for benefits will be shortened to two.
		- Privileges due to service will be inheritable.
		- Parliament will create five slots to promote existing noble titles or create new baronies for aristocrats who serve with distinction.
		- Volunteers will be paid from the Parliamentary Budget and form the "Aeldrum Volunteer Army" (colloquially, Harwel's Heroes) under the Parliamentary Guard

The Aeldrum War Department is officially recognized as centralizing wartime command of all Aeldrum military assets under the Serene Doge of Aeldrum.

* + - The Aeldrum Trade Company's army is recognized as falling under the direction of the War Department in wartime, and it will conduct its own volunteer recruitment effort from the colonies, using an ATC-designed aptitude test.
		- Designated government offices will have the right of first recruitment for any volunteers showing exceptional aptitude: key offices will be the Academy of Lidenia, the War Department, the Aeldrum Department of National Resources, the Aeldrum Department of National Intelligence and the Department of Energy. The Serene Doge will determine the priority of recruitment for each office.
	+ The Conservative Party has to be arm-twisted to follow its leader... the act is unpopular with establishment conservatives but Orim-Spire loyalists and New Conservatives back the Serene Doge.
	+ The Industrial Party fully falls behind the act, driven by Marquise Vendrin and the human financier F. Mervodan.
	+ The Reform Party and Lidenia Political Machine vote unanimously for the act, and the Vanguard Party stays suspiciously quiet.
	+ The Common Party collapses under political rift between Doge Tiello and Doge Ulysses: Tiello takes half the Common Party and 60% of the Aeldman Party into a new "Progress Party" while Doge Ulysses takes the rest to form the radical "Workers Party of Aeldrum". The Progress Party forms a tacit coalition with Bareth's government to pass the amendment. The Workers Party votes against the Amendment and demands an immediate end to the war.
* The Cardinal of the Church of Idolmar on Aeldrum, Clotius Morweld, receives permission from the Serene Doge to form a volunteer hospital corps to support Aeldrum's military: 43,000 volunteers join the corps.
* Cardinal Morweld, under the auspices of the Serene Doge and the Coalition of Nations, raises an army of 40,000 Knights of Idolmar and Knights of Kirva to fight at Brumaire.
* Mass volunteer enrollment in the Aeldrum Volunteer Army (AVA) —: 420,000 humans, 210,000 elves/half-elves, 103,000 orcish/half-orc volunteers, 160,000 other non-humans/non-elves, 893,000 total volunteers from Aeldrum alone.

**Foreign Policy:**

* Lornav Ildesh (Aeldrum Sec. of State) concludes a memorandum of understanding between the Orcish Directorate and Thalranese Marches, recognizing 100,000 orcish troops in Celestial Space as "counting" for purposes of mutual armament and allowing the orcs, transported by ATC ships, to transit via Thalranese space (not landing on any Thalranese worlds) to attack the Nippon Gates.

**Korinth Theater:**

* No major action reported

**Harwel Theater:**

* Fialta Losses: 132K Dead, 196K Wounded or Captured (328K total casualties).
* Aeldrum Military Losses: 105K Dead, 60K Wounded or Captured (165K total casualties).
* Aeldrum Civilian Casualties: 84K Dead, 336K Wounded, Missing or Unaccounted For
* Fialta General "Bush" takes the city of New Estonne, threatening the second etheric gate at Harwell and overwhelming Aeldrum Parliamentary Guard Artillery positions -- Aeldrum Gen. Jack "Fatman" Boehmer loses an eye from shrapnel.
* General Bush seems poised to encircle the Estonne Gate, when a mass landing of "Harwel's Heroes" turns the tide: covered by Aeldrum Air Corps led by Dragoons Maj. Gen. "Grouchy" Vilnus, the volunteers make landfall and push into the heart of Bush's line.
* Parliamentary Guard General Barty Fitch encircles Bush: Fialta General Lindon tries to relieve Gen. Bush, fails to break through and abandons assault after massive losses — substantial share of Bush's forces forced to surrender as Bush retreats to suburbs of New Estonne.
* Bank Forces make measured gains and can support Gen. Lindon: stop their advance after encountering heavy Aeldman resistance.
* Serene Doge Bareth Aefendt visits the front to inspire the troops, pin medals and award officer commissions to volunteers: 99,000 Harwel citizens enlist in the AVA overnight.
* End State: Fialta seized but failed to hold the city of New Estonne: Fialta net gains are the suburbs of New Estonne and some rail depots seized by the Bank of Valdos. major Fialta losses after encirclement.

**Nippon Gates Theater:**

* Nipponese Losses: 329K dead, 376.5K wounded/captured.
* Coalition Losses: 348K dead, 317.3K wounded/captured.
* Civilian Losses at Genova and Nippon States estimated to exceed 200K.
* Nipponese intelligence learns of an assault by Orcish and ATC troops against the Gates passing through Saldanese space.
* Nipponese scouts observe mass Shantine mobilization on Brumaire and Genova.
* Nipponese corsairs skirmish with Thalranese ships at the Gates.
* Nipponese realize that they face an attack on four fronts against their Imperial-Side Gates.
* Shantine make strong gains in the ether via the Brumaire and Genova routes.
	+ Successful Shantine Landing at the Nippon Gates via Brumaire led by Idolmarite Knight-Captain Kryptos Kataremenos, who is said to take his counsel from an angel of Idolmar and to heal the wounded with his own blood.
		- Shantine/Coalition Losses: 11K dead, 1.1K wounded (naval); 61K dead, 36k wounded (ground)
		- Nipponese Losses: 21K dead, 21K wounded (naval); 61K dead, 25K wounded (ground)
	+ Brutal fighting at the Nippon Gates via Genova ends without Shantine landing, and Nipponese manage to press counteroffensive to Genova. Yakuza and Genovese partisans break Shantine defenses, and Nipponese land at Genova.
		- Shantine Losses: 22k dead, 13.2k wounded (naval); 125k dead, 125k wounded (ground)
		- Nipponese Losses: 7k dead, 13.5k wounded (naval); 155k dead, 233k wounded (ground)
* Aeldrum Trade Company ships make headway to Nippon Gates and establish a blocade, allowing ships carrying Orcish Directorate troops to arrive and attempt landfall. Multiple Orcish assaults are repelled, and a substantial orcish army is allowed to land in a brilliant trick by Daimyo Kashegimas of the Nipponese, who proceeds to encircle the orc army, set fire to the area and massacre any orc that flees the burning buildings. The ATC/Orcish landing is a costly failure that wipes out a majority of the ground complement of the invasion fleet, but the blockade is a success.
	+ ATC/Orcish Losses: 22k dead, 9k wounded (naval); 89k dead, 125k wounded/captured (ground)
	+ Nipponese Losses: 30k dead, 6k wounded/captured (naval); 38k dead, 70k wounded (ground)
* Thalranese corsairs fail to establish blockade of the Nippon Gates. In punitive action, Nipponese ships push the Thalranese past Saldan and corner the Thalranese corsairs for a decisive fleet action, but the Nipponese do not mount a counteroffensive
	+ Thalranese Losses: 18k dead, 8k wounded (naval)
	+ Nipponese Losses: 17k dead, 8k wounded (naval)
* End State: Nipponese fail to maintain full territorial integrity but repel assaults on two of four fronts and make counter-gains to threaten Bishant itself. Race may be on for Coalition to push via the Brumaire line into Nippon vs. Nipponese push on to Bishant. Shantine morale will be critical.

**Firhbank Theater:**

* Fialta Losses: 215K dead, 235K wounded/captured
* Coalition Losses: 264K dead, 186.8 wounded/captured
* Estimated civilian dead/wounded/unaccounted exceed 300K
* Aeldrum Navy and Alusian Navy jointly push back Fialta fleets from the border of Alusian planet Ahlam -- Coalition forces push to the Firhbank Gate, outpacing and outflanking the Fialta with minimal losses (but also allowing the Fialta to retreat in good order); disastrous landing efforts at Firhbank blunt the Coalition assault via Ahlam. No successful landing thanks to defense by General Frel'Tal the Butcher of Korinth, who orders his men to hold positions against brutal Coalition bombardment. Thousands of Fialta die, but the Coalition landing forces are swiftly overwhelmed by ground troops.
	+ Alusian Losses: 2k dead, 0.8k wounded (naval); 31k dead, 22k wounded/captured (ground)
	+ Aeldrum losses: 4k dead, 2k wounded (naval); 32k dead, 23k wounded/captured (ground)
	+ Fialta Losses:10k dead 11k wounded (naval); 64k dead, 20k wounded (ground)
* Thalranese forces push out from Tar'Thalran.
	+ Initial naval encounters favor the Imperium, with the lighter Thalranese craft chewed up by Imperial warships, until a Thalranese corsair captain leads a daring boarding action to take an Imperial warship, driving it into a collision path with another warship and thereby disabling both. Against all odds, the corsair captain, Lilliana Desrus, survives: her remaining crew name her Sied'Sade'Thalran, "Thalran's Bastard Daughter."
	+ The Fialta fleet between Tar'Thalran and Fihrbank is devastated and the Thalranese take two more warships as prizes. The Thalranese are less successful in their landing efforts: the first two waves are obliterated, until a suicidally heroic band of Thalranese drop troops takes a critical etheric power plant and blows it up. General Frel'Tal responds with customary brutality; without searchlights or communications, he bombs everything, including his own men, vowing that he will personally beat to death any officer who outlives his men.
	+ The implacable brutality of the Imperium's most horrific general meets the daring of the last free Fialta... and in the end it is Imperial gunnery and numbers that prevail. The Thalranese cannot make any lasting landing at Firhbank, but tens of thousands of men die in brutal melee, illumined only by roaring flak guns. (meta note: both sides had special abilities in play — the Thalranese can turn critical failures in suicidal heroism, and the Fialta under Frel'Tal can burn men to re-roll their command dice).
	+ Thalranese Losses: 52k dead, 26k wounded (naval); 141k dead, 113k wounded/captured (ground)
	+ Fialta Losses: 40k dead, 72k wounded or captured (naval); 101k dead, 132k wounded (ground)
* End State: Firhbank is blockaded on both sides by Aeldrum/Alusian and the Thalranese, but neither group has made any ground headway. Without relief from the Imperium, a blockaded Firhbank will fall eventually... if the Coalition has the appetite for it.

**Trans-Celestial Theater:**

* Fialta and Aeldrum intelligence learn that Nipponese forces in the Margravate of Tarim have stalled their advances under pressure at the Nippon Gates.
* No major military engagements: Margravate regains control of trade lanes, orcish auxiliaries fortify their positions. Skirmishes produce some casualties, estimated <10,000 per side.
* Rumors of uprisings by Petty Kings rebelling against Nippon States are unconfirmed.
* Troop movements by Aksai Chin and Middle Kingdom appear to threaten Nipponese but could take a long time to reach Nipponese assets.
* End State: Reduced pressure on Margravate, possibly allowing consolidation against Nipponese and reduced resource demands of Celestial operations on coalition forces. Pin Jump remains isolated from Harwel/Aeldrum by Fialta troops, but Nipponese threat reduced.