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