The war between the North and South had come to an end. The Nilfgaardians were driven out, and Cintra—the gateway to the North—was reclaimed. After years of brutal conflict, the Northern Realms were expected to finally enjoy a period of rest and recovery. Time, it seemed, would roll back to the days before the war, and each realm would return to peace and stability.
That's what the kings and nobles of the North believed.
What none of them expected was that certain people—or more precisely, one particular individual—had no intention of allowing the North to remain too quiet.
With enemy nations still growing in strength, with foes eyeing them greedily at every turn, and with apocalyptic threats looming ever closer, a 'peaceful life' would be nothing short of suicidal.
The frigid North needed to burn a little hotter.
…
Among the Northern kingdoms, it was Kaedwen, whose military strength had remained most intact throughout the war, that first underwent change.
On January 2nd, 1266, King Henselt was assassinated. According to testimony from palace guards, the assassin appeared to be a member of Nilfgaard's sorcerer division.
The very next day, the Scoia'tael began gathering in large numbers across Kaedwen. Following the command of their elven leader, Iorveth, they conducted an unprecedented consolidation of their scattered forces.
On January 6th, Iorveth launched an assault on Ban Ard, clashing violently with Kaedwen's elite Dun Banner Division, stationed there as a special forces unit.
On January 7th, a green dragon was sighted in the ancient forest near Ban Ard. Later speculation suggested that the beast had been slumbering deep within the woods for many years, only to be roused into a rage by the din of war.
That day, a decisive battle broke out between the Scoia'tael and the Dun Banner Division along the River Lixela. The green dragon descended suddenly. The light cavalry of the Dun Banner Division stood no chance against its toxic flames and was completely annihilated.
After wiping out the division, the Scoia'tael managed to temporarily repel the dragon with arrows—only for it to abruptly turn and attack their rear logistics unit, which was advancing at a slower pace. The Scoia'tael suffered devastating losses.
On January 9th, a female warrior named Saskia appeared in Ban Ard. She gathered refugees displaced by the fighting and organized a force to resist the Scoia'tael.
On January 11th, Saskia held negotiations with Iorveth. During the talks, she revealed herself to be one-quarter elven and proposed a bold new ideal: racial equality.
On January 12th, Saskia ventured alone into the dragon's lair—and slew it.
The Scoia'tael, moved by Saskia's strength and grateful for her vengeance on behalf of their kin, withdrew their forces from Ban Ard under her lead.
As King Henselt had no heir, his assassination plunged the royal bloodlines into internal conflict over the throne. The Scoia'tael seized the opportunity and captured several cities during the chaos.
Saskia, bolstered by her fame as a dragon-slayer, began rallying refugees on a large scale and establishing outposts.
On January 20th, she announced the formation of a rebel army. In a widely circulated declaration, she condemned the oppression of non-humans during Henselt's reign and denounced the nobles who, in their scramble for the crown, had shown no regard for the lives of commoners. She once again advocated for the concept of equality, calling for the creation of a new nation on Kaedwen's soil—one where all races could live in harmony.
On January 21st, Iorveth declared that the Scoia'tael, composed primarily of elves, dwarves, halflings, and gnomes, would join Saskia's rebel forces in support of her call for racial equality. He also urged all Scoia'tael cells in the North that had not yet rallied to make their way to Kaedwen and join the cause.
On January 30th, Saskia's army marched into Bann Ard. After reaching an agreement with the local half-elf mayor, she declared the city under her control.
On January 31st, the Ban Ard Academy of Magic formally announced its support for Saskia's leadership. From that point on, her forces began referring to her as Virgin of Kaedwen.
...
"Ban Ard might not train its apprentices as professionally as Aretuza on Thanedd Island, but it's still a magic academy, right?" Saskia shrugged at Lann, her tone casual. "And it's an all-boys school, too—should help break up the awkward dynamic you've got going with all those female mages under your command."
Just that morning, she had been issuing orders in Kaedwen. Now, in secret, she stood inside the royal study of the Cintra palace, briefing the renowned Duke Lannister on the latest developments.
As she spoke, her eyes lit up with growing excitement.
"Lann, your understanding of guerrilla warfare is incredible. I honestly didn't think a bunch of farmers in the early days could hold out against professional soldiers. And that strategy you suggested—taking the rural areas first before going after the cities—it's been spot on. I've already—"
Lann cut her off with a couple of light coughs and shook his head. "The Northern Realms are vast and sparsely populated—Kaedwen especially so. That's why this tactic worked so well there. But now that your foundation is solid, what you need is steady, methodical progress."
"When do you think you'll be able to take Ard Carraigh?"
Saskia paused to think. "It is the capital, so... it won't be easy."
"No matter," Lann replied. "I'll support you. If you run into any logistical issues, don't hesitate to reach out. Once your Free State is established, Cintra and Temeria will be the first to issue formal recognition. Aedirn, Lyria, and Rivia won't be a problem either."
Saskia nodded enthusiastically. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Then should I reach out to Iorveth and the elves of Blue Mountains, see if we can bring in more elven troops?"
Lann shook his head.
"You need to draw a clear line between your elves and those from the Blue Mountains. Ancient races like theirs can only be properly managed if you prevent them from dragging their 'history' into your ranks. What you have now—a force made up of young blood—is actually ideal. Besides…"
He let out a derisive chuckle.
"The truly old and powerful elves were mostly wiped out in their wars with humans. As for the younger ones with any real spirit, most of them are already in the Scoia'tael. The ones still hiding in the Blue Mountains are just a bunch of so-called 'elders' and 'politicians'—clinging to fantasies of the past and their 'elves first' dogma. They're not warriors. Bring them in, and you're just asking for trouble."
"I seem to recall you, in dragon form, wiped out a number of Scoia'tael who disobeyed Iorveth's orders. That means things are in a good place now—there's no need to stir the pot any further."
Saskia listened closely and, after a long pause, nodded in agreement.
"But," Lann added, "they do have someone named Ida Emean, an elven sage—and she's definitely worth your attention. Talk to Iorveth for me, get more details about her, gather everything you can into a full report."
"She'll be handled through Cintra. Elven sages are incredibly powerful, far beyond what you can manage. Leave her to me."
Saskia gave a soft laugh and shrugged.
…
"So, that's basically the situation in Kaedwen."
Lann turned his head to the side.
Enns, Mousesack, and the rest of his think tank were seated nearby, taking notes on Saskia's report and analyzing the state of affairs.
"Enns, what's the situation in Redania? How much have we gathered on the other kingdoms' responses since the Thanedd Island incident?"
The old steward adjusted his glasses, flipped through the pages of his notebook, and carefully composed his reply.
"Vizimir II was assassinated on the very day of the incident on Thanedd—Philippa's planning in that regard was... impressive. Fortunately, Chappelle took your advice and visited the capital, Tretogor, two days beforehand. He and Vizimir had an excellent conversation—so good, in fact, that they even planned to travel to Oxenfurt together that day."
"Once the king was assassinated, Mr. Chappelle immediately launched a manhunt for the assassin, earning immense public approval. He personally led the interrogation and officially declared the killer to be from Nilfgaard."
"Most people in Redania are devout believers in the Eternal Fire, and Mr. Chappelle claimed he received guidance through the flames. He then arrested several ministers for 'secretly colluding with Nilfgaard' and put them on trial."
"When the news from Thanedd finally reached Redania, Mr. Chappelle stabilized the royal court even further. Just recently, we received word that Queen Hedwig is considering asking him to tutor Prince Radovid, and to support his ascension to the throne."
Lann nodded with satisfaction. Chappelle had handled things steadily.
"Keep Kiyan close to him as protection. Make sure Chappelle stays safe. Tell him that once the Brotherhood settles down in Cintra, we'll send new royal advisors to Redania."
"Yes, young master."
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