Chapter 5: Welcome to Lustria

Three ships. That's all he was given. Marco Colombo had to make do with this small squadron, as he prepared to sail west into the Great Ocean. The king of Estalia, Esteban I, had entrusted this Tilean explorer with finding a route to the trade lanes of Cathay, Nippon, and Ind in the east. Although all of the king's advisers and chancellors warned against funding such a foolish journey, for all knew that Colombo would either perish in the open ocean or end up marooned on some far-off land, Esteban and his nation were in a desperate state of affairs. The incursion into dwarven lands had failed, and he needed resources and wealth to save his homeland by any means necessary. Even though Esteban had assured his lords and ladies that this voyage would be nothing more than a trade mission, the Estalian ruler quietly mobilized a small contingent of state troops to sail with Colombo's crew. If the merchants of the Orient did not allow Estalian trade, then the king's troops were to secure it by way of fire and sword. Although a paltry number, they supplemented their meager party with enough arquebuses and ship cannon to scare the soul out of any eastern soldier.

Yet, where they were going, gunnery alone would not win the day. For as Colombo's three ships, La Pinta, La Gallera, and La Santa Clara, set sail towards the setting sun, it would be two months before the vessels finally made landfall not on the beaches of the Orient, but on the coasts of an entirely new continent. Lustria, home of the lizardmen, pirates, elves, and countless other unknown peoples and creatures.

Colombo's voyage to the New World primarily consisted of coastal travel along the coast of the Old World, mostly near Araby. After having evaded Arabi corsairs along the way, they sailed southwest into the Great Ocean and arrived not in Cathay or Ind. Instead, they landed on the coasts of Lustria.

Colombo's fleet sailed along the coasts of the Old World for roughly a month before veering off into the open sea, where the gales carried them southwest towards the continent of Lustria. Furthermore, during a summer storm, La Pinta was driven off course and separated from the squadron. However, even with the loss of a ship, Colombo pressed his crew onward. He promised his men that King Esteban would award the first man to spot land with a hefty sum of gold sovereigns, and many were now poised to stay alert while on watch. Finally, after some weeks of hard sailing, land was sighted. A sailor, perched atop his crow's nest, hollered to the crew below. Colombo stared out west, spotting the coast of a lush, jungle-ridden landmass. This was it, he thought to himself -- this must be the Orient. But, as his eyes scanned the coast, he noticed something. There were no ports, no cities, no coastal patrols. This must be a deserted stretch of land, or perhaps even a large island. No matter. They would land, head inland, and make contact with the locals as quickly as possible. To the sailor who first spotted the new continent, the prize he so desperately desired would not go to him. Instead, Colombo would write that he alone was the first to have sighted land, but chose to not alert the crew. When he returned to Magritta in the Old World, the full reward went to Colombo and not this humble sailor. The Tilean's greed began to make itself manifest.

Colombo was not alone on this journey. In addition to his crew, King Esteban sent the Tilean explorer with a contingent of 150 troops, ranging from musketeers, to swordsmen, to even pikemen and cannoneers. In addition, a party of questing Bretonnians, seeking riches and fame, accompanied their allies to the New World.

Upon making landfall, Colombo christened the landing point as territory of Estalia, naming it Santa Myrmidia. Estalian soldiers and Bretonnian adventurers, following the lead of a young knight named Sir Ramsay whom was in service to the previously mentioned Lady Sabina d'Roussel and her champion Sir Robert of Cousland, disembarked from their vessels and swiftly established camp on the shores. The Estalian contingent, led by the newly re-instituted Hector Navarro, that man who had once retreated from the battle for Irrana Pass, began to set up defenses while the Bretonnians chose to scout inland in search of honor and glory. Navarro had much to prove, for his sentence of ten years had been pardoned by King Esteban himself on the condition that the young commander be demoted to captain and serve his duty abroad in the exploration fleet. In short, Navarro had exchanged his penance in a dungeon with service in unknown lands, fraught no doubt with danger and disease. It was better than rotting away in a dungeon, for sure. Nevertheless, as Navarro and Ramsay prepared their forces, Colombo too surveyed the area. After three days, all parties reported no sightings with any local inhabitants. Just an endless, dense jungle that went on for miles. With no contact, Colombo commanded a force of Estalians and Bretonnians to pierce deeper into the heartland of this place in order to find some evidence of civilization. Navarro advised that the party proceed along the coast for the sake of safety, while Ramsay eagerly propositioned a push west. Colombo, although driven by desires for fortune, fell on the side of caution and chose to send the troops south along the shoreline.

"By the Lady, what are those?!" As patrols head south, the natives of the land make their presence known. Lizardmen warriors, brandishing spears and obsidian blades, charge into the fray! Bretonnian men-at-arms, in service of Sir Ramsay and his band of questing knights, defend themselves best they can.

For two more days, the troops managed to make it along the coast without any problem. At least not from any sentient lifeforms. Disease did begin to claim some of the soldiers and adventurers, as men keeled over from the summer heat, fevers, or dehydration at the hands of horrid blights that drained them of all life and energy. Finally, as the party grew thin both physically and in literal size, the sounds of snapping tree branches and rustling foliage began to wear on the nerves of the company. By midday of the third day of marching, these sounds revealed themselves to be the inhabitants of this land: the lizardmen of Lustria. Warriors charged from the undergrowth, archers and skirmishers pelted the invaders, and massive war-beasts chased off the remaining survivors. Entire parties were lost in this fashion, and when both Navarro and Ramsay heard of this, both knew they had to find a fortified position quickly. Being too far in to make it safely back to the landing point at Santa Myrmidia and seemingly close to nearby structures promising shelter or loot, the Estalians and Bretonnians pressed on for one more day of travel. Then, finally, they stumbled upon a complex of temples that had been teasing them in the distance. However, upon their arrival, the air around them grew heavy and the jungle became thicker and denser. Darkness soon fell upon them, almost as if the sun had ceased to exist and was instead replaced with the blackest of nights and the most ghastly of fogs known to sentient man. The explorers had entered the temple complex to the Monument of the Moon, a sacred site honoring the lizardmen's god of Tzunki, god of water and the tides.

The Monument of the Moon, dedicated to the old god Tzunki, was shrouded by a mystical darkness that compelled all outsiders to steer clear. It was in these conditions, shrouded by endless night and thick fog, that the Old World explorers and lizardmen forces engaged in open battle for the first time.

As they waded through the darkness, Sir Ramsay and Captain Navarro took up their positions with their respective contingents. Navarro, eager to rectify the wrongs of his sins at Irrana Pass, marched forward aggressively into the darkness. Sir Ramsay sought to follow the man's lead, but he found that his troops were not as eager to follow him along. Many, intentionally or otherwise, slowed down their marching speed. Ramsay, who began to grow impatient, roughly ordered his warband to quicken their pace and head inland. Eventually, after some motivation, particularly concerning threats of flogging or flaying, the Bretonnian host moved into the dark jungle. In the distance, hisses and war-cries could be heard. The lizardmen were here, and it would be at the Monument that both forces were to clash for the first time since Colombo's landings some days ago. Navarro made contact on his left flank, as his hand gunners took up position and prepared to open fire. However, in the dark, they could barely see their targets, thus their volleys were not very effective. From the thick brush, lizardmen warriors leaped out at the Estalians and cut down many of their soldiers. Nearby swordsmen rushed to the aide of the gunners, but they found barely any survivors upon their arrival. In the center, Estalians and Bretonnians engaged brave lizardmen champions, warriors chosen for their prowess and devotion to the gods. Armed with massive blades and adorned with ancient armor, they dueled with the explorers and smashed their way through formations of these would-be conquerors. The Bretonnian right flank was faring better, however. Ramsay's heavy cavalry was giving the lizardmen quite the beating, no doubt frightened by the appearance of heavily-plated knights riding atop thundering hoofed beasts. These horsemen trampled their way through swathes of lizardmen foot infantry and skink skirmishers, some of which were crushed during the Bretonnian charge.

Hector Navarro and Lady Myranda, huntswoman and part of Sir Ramsay's retinue, fight atop one of the temples within the complex of the Monument. Lizardmen warriors, sworn to protect their holy sites and people, duel with the Old World conquerors under darkened skies. The occasional spark of metal grinding against metal lights up the night!

As the battle progresses, things begin to look bleak for the Estalians. The swordsmen sent to reinforce the slain gunners are routed by a lizardmen cavalry charge, while under-equipped ship crew, sent in to reinforce the Estalian royal troops, are beaten back near the center of the fighting by lizardmen warriors and infantry. Eventually, Captain Navarro charged forth alongside Lady Myranda, part of Sir Ramsay's retinue, and engage a pair of lizardmen atop one of the temples. Navarro manages to wound one of the mighty temple defenders, but he quickly notices the state of his troops. As the darkness lifts over the field, the horrid sight of his contingent in utter disarray strikes fear and concern in his heart. Not wishing to abandon the survivors of his company, he informs Lady Myranda that he must retreat. "Coward, then!" shouts the Lady, sprinting towards her lord, "I shall inform Sir Ramsay, but your lack of spirit shall be noted!" Navarro, for a second time, flees to fight another day. The troops under his command had fought bravely, but he knew he was no infantry commander. He dreaded reporting back to Colombo in Santa Myrmidia. Meanwhile, Sir Ramsay and his troops fared better. Although Ramsay had elected to stay back and not join the fighting personally, choosing instead to leave such duties to his underlings, his troops were winning the day. His cavalry had smashed the lizardmen flank, and the remaining troops were now charging forth and mopping up any remaining resistance. What few Estalian stragglers remained joined the nearly full-strength Bretonnians at the center of the field. By now, whatever wizardry was cast over the Monument was fading, for sunlight now pierced the thick forest canopy. The lizardmen forces were now surrounded upon a nearby altar, were they were beaten back -- thus opening a path further inland into Lustria.

Surrounded! The remaining Estalians rush to aide the main Bretonnian advance, finally managing to contain the remnants of the lizardmen host at a nearby altar. After a bloody final stand, the remaining lizardmen flee into the jungle, while the humans regroup and count their losses.

Bretonnia had, for all intents and purposes, won the day. The Estalians had guarded the flank, but all their forces had fled or been slain to a man. Taking into consideration that the Estalians were undermanned, however, things turned out in favor of the human explorers. Yet, it was a shallow victory -- many were dead, the lizardmen had not been beaten decisively, and the reality of the situation had been revealed. Lustria was crawling with countless kingdoms and tribes of lizardmen, all now banding together to defend their homelands from the outside invaders. Colombo didn't find the Orient. He found himself and all those with him in the middle of an all-out war! Still, not all was lost. The remaining troops near the Monument of the Moon began excavating nearby burial mounds and raiding the sacred temples, finding untold amounts of gold and artifacts. Although Lustria did not hold the profitable trade lanes of the Orient, it did contain precious minerals and great wealth rivaling that of any eastern nation. It would have to do. Neither Colombo nor Estalia were about to abandon their efforts just because, as predicted, Colombo didn't find the Orient. Lustria was to be Estalia's salvation, even if it meant hard fighting.

And so it was that the first steps towards the conquest of the New World began. Estalia would not stop until their ships were filled with gold, and treasure fleets sailed to and from Lustria without impediment. It was the dawn of a new age. An age of conquest, exploration, and great suffering on all sides. From this conflict, Estalia's new motto would be forged.

Plus Ultra -- further beyond the great sea.

Chapter 4: Consolidation & Exploration

With the destruction of the greenskin armies on the fields of Vizcaya, the Estalian nation found itself in a state of economic and political turmoil. King Esteban I needed to garner support from his court and find a means to pay off the massive debts the kingdom had incurred during the fighting. Tilean mercenaries sat around in Bilbali and Magritta without pay, Bretonnian lords chased their levies around the borderlands as they harassed local towns, and many Estalian noblemen and women could no longer afford to raise new regiments to defend their lands -- let alone all of Estalia at the behest of the king! This why the appearance of the seasoned Tilean explorer, Marco Colombo, gave King Esteban a sense of hope. Here, he thought, was the salvation of his people and nation. Although he dismissed the irony that this would-be 'savior' was a Tilean, King Esteban nonetheless granted Colombo an appearance at the royal court in the capital city of Magritta. The news Colombo brought to present to the Estalian ruler was everything King Esteban could've hoped for, for the Tilean promised a means by which the bankrupt nation could restore its former wealth.

They simply had to sail west, into the great azure beyond.

Estalian ships, along with those of Tilea, Araby, and Marienburg, are some of the highest quality sea-faring vessels in all of the Old World. Sturdily built, well equipped, and manned by decent crews, the Estalian navy was already prepared to venture west into the watery unknown.

Yet, there was reason for delay in garnering support for an expedition. Before Colombo's arrival at the royal court in Magritta in 1492, there had been other supposed voyages to the western seas. The purpose of most, as with Colombo's proposition, was to find an easier sea route to the trade lanes of Cathay, Ind, and Nippon in the east. No one doubted that the world existed on a globe and that it could be circumnavigated, however concerns were raised as to how far the distance between the Orient and the Occident actually was. Most speculated, and rightfully so, that unknown landmasses blocked the path, but they couldn't estimate how large these undiscovered could be and where exactly they were situated. Others argued that only open sea stood as an obstacle to western travel, meaning that a well supplied expedition, crewed by veteran sailors, could make the crossing. The majority, however, believed it was impossible to make a western crossing of the great seas -- what creatures lurked in those waters and how long would the voyage last before supplies and favorable winds ran out? Apprehension and a lack of proper technologies limited the scope of any crossing attempt, but there had been reports of previous successes. Tales of Northmen on longships and Arabi traders making it to new distant lands were not uncommon, but most were dismissed as folk stories. Colombo's claims received similar skepticism, but his case was reinforced by one element lacking in all others: King Esteban was desperate.

After the battle of Vizcaya, King Esteban dispatched two army contingents to the Irrana Mountains: one to go chase off the remaining orcs, and another to regroup with Bretonnian reinforcements from Brionne. These troops, hailing from the Duchy of Nyrond, were to march towards the border with a nearby dwarf hold in order to dispute resource rights.

So desperate, in fact, that he was willing to to entertain Colombo at his court. However, even before proper talks between the Tilean explorer and Estalian kind were held, Esteban was considering other options. One of the King's chancellors approached him at court, stating that he might have answer to the nation's current economic woes. Long ago, ancient treaties with the neighboring dwarf hold of Karak Izor had been struck regarding the borders of the Irrana Mountains and mining rights for the ore veins in the area. Since there was no nation of Estalia at that time, the chancellor proposed that the treaty, struck originally with the now-defunct Kingdom of Cantonia in the east. With no treaty, the Estalians could theoretically push for a new treaty, one that may favor the now-stronger unified nation. In short, it would be war if the dwarves did not agree. Esteban had no quarrel with the Karak, but his nation was in a desperate state of affairs. Besides, he thought, how hard could a war against a single hold be? Karak Izor had little to no allies, and their armies were predominantly engaged with fighting the Bad Moonz to begin with. The excuse for war was right in front of him; all he needed to do was draft a treaty the dwarves couldn't possibly accept. 

The banner of Karak Izor, residing just east of the Irrana Mountains. For centuries, Karak Izor has served as the main competition against the greenskins of the Bad Moonz.

And so he did. As Estalian and Bretonnian forces rallied at the base of the Irrana Mountains, a messenger delivered a missive to representatives of King Alrik Ranulfsson of Karak Hirn, to whom Karak Izor swore fealty to. Ranulfsson was provided with a simple, albeit skewed, deal: the Estalians would be able to extend the borders of the Irrana Mountains by several hundreds of miles, covering ore mines previously held under the control of Karak Izor. These mines referenced in the document were, for the most part, unused by the dwarves and instead lay in contested territory between the Karak and the neighboring Bad Moonz strongholds. However, even if no soul actually settled those lands, the dwarves had claimed ancestral ties to them. Ranulfsson caught wind of this and immediately sent back a reply: the Estalians, with the usual firmness characteristic of the mountain-dwelling dwarves, were rejected. King Esteban took this as an affront to his power and people and swiftly marched a small army over the mountains into the disputed territories. The dwarves, although preoccupied with the remnants of the Bad Moonz armies that had failed to invade Estalia, summoned a warband and marched west to meet the human forces.

Estalian regiments march towards the dwarven mines, approaching by way of a valley. It would be here, on this relative chunk of flat land, that both armies would clash.

Both armies met near a hilly valley leading out from the Irrana Mountains and towards the Grey Mountains, which border the Bretonnian kingdom of Parravon for the most part. The Estalians, reinforced by levies from the Duchy of Nyrond, formed up along the western side of the valley, while the dwarves assembled their contingent in the east. Both armies lined up at dawn, facing each other as the sun rose over the mountains. The human forces, composed of standard infantry and some spell-casters, faced a host foreign to most Estalians or Bretonnians. For on the opposite of the field, the dwarves fielded heavy gunners, giants, and even bone dragons that served as deadly mounts to ride into battle. Rightfully so, many of the soldiers trembled somewhat at the sight. Many more questioned why their masters would order such a foolhardy venture. Surely, the dwarves had the home advantage. It would be hard fighting in order to dislodge them, especially at one-to-one odds! Nevertheless, as morning came, the order was given to advance. The human armies went on the march, while the dwarves readied their positions.

"These mannlings sure have another thing comin' if they think they can invade dwarven lands!" Dwarven forces, reinforced by riders and giants, assemble on the field opposite the human army.

The human commanders agreed that it would be best if their forces concentrated on just one flank of the dwarven army. The Nyrondese commander, fielding light infantry and archers, took the lead in rushing up the dwarven left flank. The Estalians meanwhile chose to begin crossing a nearby river that ran off the mountainside, electing to join the Nyrondese forces instead of simply spreading out and meeting the dwarven right head on. Immediately, however, the dwarves' position allowed them to see this maneuver clear as day. The dwarven right began to ride hard towards their left, bolstering their flank and preparing to meet the humans in pitched battle. Desperate to slow them down, the Estalians summoned some of their cavalry, sending them forth in an effort to stall the arrival of dwarven reinforcements. As the Estalian riders closed in, hellish volleys of gunfire tore them apart, with the only delay suffered by the dwarves being the inconvenience of reloading. Still, some cavalry did penetrate the dwarven line, causing only minor havoc as opposed to the stalling action the humans had hoped for.

"Quietly, lads. 'Lest the beasties on that hill see us!" Nyrondese scouts advances through the mountain woods, attempting to take up defensive positions before opening fire on the dwarven forces.

Meanwhile, on the human right, Nyrondese forces were faring much better. Many of their scouts had been able to advance without much trouble, sprinting through rough ground with ease. Bretonnian wizards, well trained in the art of spell-craft, advanced alongside them. Upon arriving at the front, a hail of arcane bolts and arrow fire blunted any attacks conducted by the dwarven left. Even their mighty giant fell to the barrage, leaving only some riders and weakened infantry to hold the dwarven line. However, with Estalians having been unable to delay the dwarven reinforcements, any gaps in the line were quickly filled in by fresh troops. When the Nyrondese hoped for their own reinforcements, what they got instead were battered and tired Estalian troops. Foolishly, the Estalian commander had decided to lead the crossing himself, resulting in him becoming an excellent target for the trained dwarven gunners. Suffice to say, the Estalian commander fell during the river crossing, leaving his force in disarray. Although the humans put up some residual resistance thereafter, the result was clear: the humans did not have the manpower necessary to breach the dwarven defenses on the mountain.

"The commander's dead! Finish the crossing, quickly -- they're tearing us apart!" Estalian troops cross the nearby river out in the open, making perfect targets for dwarven gunners.

The "battle" for Grey Mountain became the massacre for Grey Mountain, as the Estalian flank collapsed and thus forcing the Nyrondese levies to retreat 'lest they too be slaughtered. The grudge created against the humans, what with their bold attempt to attack the dwarven ancestral lands, was forgiven in blood. The dwarves won the day and saw no reason to go on the offensive, for they had other problems to worry about. King Esteban, embarrassed by the defeat, blamed the failed invasion on an uppity general that had impatiently marched against his orders. Still, the ruse was a poor one. The dwarves offered the humans "favorable" terms: Estalia would honor the previous treaties of the Kingdom of Cantonia and cede some miles instead to serve as a buffer zone against any future human military invasion. Esteban's efforts to find the necessary resources and coin to stabilize his nation's crumbling economy by way of military incursion had failed, but he still had one more option. Marco Colombo, still patiently waiting for an audience with the Estalian king, was summoned to speak with Esteban.

Marco Colombo before King Esteban I and his wife, Queen Christina. He proposed what many others had in the past: sailing west into the great sea in order to gain direct access to the trade lanes of the Orient. Esteban, already in a precarious position, had nothing to lose.

"Your Majesty," said Colombo to the tired Esteban, "I believe I have an answer to your woes." What Colombo proposed was the same many others had before him: sail west and claim the Orient as Estalia's own. It was a bold move, but certain advances now made it possible. The Estalian navy had updated many of its ships with cannon and sturdier construction. The navy itself had consulted with the Imperial Engineering School of Nuln in recent years, crafting novel instruments for long-range sea travel. Yet, there was one final piece to the puzzle. Something that had been missing in almost every other attempt to cross the Great Western Ocean: desperation. All other voyages had been conducted under the guise of exploration or curiosity, but this one was driven by the desire of a nerve-wracked king seeking to save his newly unified nation. King Esteban virtually had no choice. He either sat back and witnessed his country be torn apart by greedy Tileans and blood-thirsty noblemen or he gambled on Colombo's success. If Colombo could find a route to the Orient, the income from trade would no doubt save his people and his throne.

"Or so I've heard," replied Esteban to the Tilean explorer, "Go on." With that, the path was set. The quest for the Orient had begun.