Primer on the Universe
and Nuzirrim War
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Introduction
Among the Known Worlds of the fourth millennium, starlight fires burn, ignited by humanity.
Each flame bears the mark of its realm, and the signet of the Crown. Their brilliance surrounds the stars of Sol and the innermost constellations, shining zodiacs that make up the domains of the empire's mightiest lords. More fires of imperial civilization push further out, like the points of a manypronged star.
Machines of old swept across the cosmos, laying the foundations of an empire ages ago. Third in the lineage of interstellar civilizations, the Starlight Imperium inherited their destiny. To reach for all the stars once claimed, to lift more worlds out of the darkness of the past and into the light of the imperial fold, that is the principal mandate of the Crown.
In so doing, its emperors lead humanity far into cosmic realms unknown, to wonders and worlds stranger than any chronicler might imagine.
The Universe
The known cosmos, its history, and civilization at large
The Garden of
Known Worlds
The Map of the Heliopolitean Crown
Among all Known Worlds, the Olympian Heavens above the Emperor's Heliopolitean Throne is the chart most famous for making the true complexity of humanity's domains physically manifest. It is continuously drawn and amended by imperial cartographers in gold and silver on a dome of obsidian.
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Seeing the Domains of Humankind charted in this way, one would be mistaken to regard the domains as solid territories, or their boundaries as clear-cut divisions. The reality of human civilization among the stars is infinitely more complex.
It is a tapestry wherein every star may harbor a dozen worlds of which some pledge allegiance to the imperium, others to a firstborn realm, while others still have been barely touched by human hands. In constant flux, the domains are always changing, the Imperium waxing and waning at any moment in time.
Domains of Civilization
The Imperium divides the Known Worlds into five Domains of Civilization, distinguished each by their different origins in history, shared technologies, and culture.
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Though they describe the universe merely in the broadest terms, the Domains have come to be considered the highest order of humankind. Mapped onto astral charts, the five Domains may also be understood as stages of expansion, each domain a step taken by civilization towards the unknown.
Interlopers
The outermost domain is that of the Interlopers, whose encounters offer glimpses into the furthest advances of humankind and its creations. This domain alone lies wholly outside the realms of the Known Worlds.
Deeping
Almost as far out exists the domain of the half-nomadic Deeping, always one step ahead of all other civilization. These heirs to an age before the rise of the Imperium are now the masters of all wild spaces beyond and in-between the shining lights of Bonfire Stars.
Firstborn
Older still are the realms and worlds of the Firstborn, whose domain once encompassed the spearheads of human colonization. Those early odysseys have long been overtaken by superluminal waves, the firstborn domains engulfed in the sprawl of civilization. Still, some of the old grand realms yet remain.
Colonials
The new frontier is taken up by the Colonial domains, settlers of the current age pushing valiantly forth. Tenuously connected by allegiances and trade, these new worlds do not rise alone but in vibrant, flourishing, yet at times volatile constellations.
Imperium
Rooted on Earth still, the domain of the Imperium lies at the heart of all Known Worlds and the entirety of humankind, encompassing the greatest true interstellar civilization. Bound and uplifted by the light of the Bonfire Stars, the stars of the empire burn bright as one.
History
up to the fourth Millennium
Age of Dawn
Humankind first settles and reshapes the worlds of Sol.
The Mythic Pantheon is born, its deities avatars of culture made manifest.
Ancient Civilizations
Humanity’s first steps toward the stars long predate recorded history. Ancient peoples walked all worlds of Sol and settled them.
Of their great works and wonders, little remains. But humankind remembers still the Mythic Pantheon of Gods whose names were given to the planets, stars, and constellations of the Known Worlds.
Rise of Iron
Civilization first expands beyond the bounds of Sol.
The Iron Pantheon is created and departs within a span of two centuries. Its deities are machine intellects.
The Known Worlds are transformed into a verdant garden by the Iron Pantheon.
Diaspora of the Iron Pantheon
The God Machines of the Iron Pantheon mark the highest mastery of industrial civilization.
Though they transcended and left humanity behind, the God Machines fulfilled the purpose set by their creators.
Across the Known Worlds, they terraformed planets and seeded megastructures, creating a verdant garden ready for the rise of humanity’s nascent interstellar civilization.
First Exodus
Civilization ventures into the Garden of Known Worlds. It is but a small spec in the vast expanse the God Machines prepared.
The Firstborn Realms prosper.
Sol is sundered by the birth and vanquishing of the Dead Pantheon.
God Machines of the Iron Pantheon return, becoming the living gods of the Imperium.
Scattering of the Dawn Colonials
Humankind followed in the footsteps of its Gods, countless arks and colony fleets reaching for the stars touched by the Iron Pantheon.
Lone islands of civilization were spread thin across the vast cosmic frontier, whilst the high worlds of Sol sought to birth new deities in hubris.
The Dead Pantheon is named so for the battle among its newborn Gods. They came close to eradicating Sol and each other, before being vanquished by some of the Iron Pantheon returning.
A few God Machines remain in Sol as sage patrons of humankind, forever guarding against the rise of machine intelligences such as themselves.
First Imperial Millennium
Year Zero of the Imperial Calendar -IC-
100 - 300 IC The Verdant Pantheon sprouts from the Mantle of Jove. Its new gods emerge from a new biogenesis, as Wyrms and Dragons of the Garden.
600 IC The Pilgrimage of the Latter Exodus begins, seeding life of the Verdant Pantheon across the Garden of Known Worlds
Settling the Garden
Following the rebuilding of Sol, humankind began its first united expansion. New colonies were no longer disparate Firstborn Realms, but remained tether to a single, truly interstellar civilization.
From this would later rise the Imperium.
Driven by its nature, humankind never gave up on the pursuit of divinity. New Gods were born from Biogenesis, life thriving in the void across Sol, forming God Intellects from collective consciousness.
For the last time, a significant portion of humanity would depart the core of Sol during the Latter Exodus. Chasing the remaining distant god, the pilgrims soon departed from the Known Worlds.
Little was left by the pilgrims, safe for carved rings, menhirs, and the life seeded along their ancient path.
Second Imperial Millennium
1000 IC The First Empress is chosen by the noble regents of Sol.
1500 IC The blood of humankind runs thin.
1700 IC The Deeping emerge.
Third Imperial Millennium
2000 IC
2005-2172 IC Seven Emperors Reign
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2200-2599 IC Pale Regency
2300s IC Partition and Collapse
2500 IC Golden Regency
3000 IC Reformation of the Crown
3100 IC The Imperium is awakening, reaching for the stars once more. A new era dawns.
Proclamation of the Imperium
The worlds newly settled grew strong bonds along the lines of interstellar bridges, vast strings of colonies facilitating safe trade and travel.
From this union arose the Imperium, and the first empress of Sol was crowned.
After one and a half millennia of colonial expansion, the bloodlines of humankind grew worn-out and thin. All across the young Imperium, new generations were born fewer, and lesser than their forefathers.
As the Imperium turned inward, many disparate worlds and peoples would remain outward bound. They would coalesce into the Deeping, civilizations of nomads forever at odds with the Imperium and fighting cyclic wars against its realms.
Tides of History
At the beginning of the Third Imperial Millennium, the Domains of Civilization had taken shape.
It is unknown how the fourth Emperor Solar was murdered. In the wake of the assassination, the Imperium saw seven Emperors rule over the course of less than two centuries.
Intrigue, wars of succession, an a sundering of stellar bridges marked the darkest age of the Imperium.
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The Pale Regency is also known as the autumn of the Empire. Following seven failed emperors, the Pale Empress was chosen by an electoral council reformed and without blessings by the gods.
Her reign was stable, but saw a steady decline of wealth, blood, and worlds within the empire.
During the Pale Regency, the frontier regions of the empire were partitioned, and many fell. In those regions, the Deeping grew strong. But the smaller empire could finally consolidate its holdings.
After a thousand years diminishing, the Imperium saw its first Golden Age return after the crown was taken by an Empress not of Earth, but born from the brambles of the Verdant Pantheon.
Awakening Empire
Under the rule of the first Sylvan Empress, the Crown was reformed and the seat of the Imperium moved to the hanging gardens of Jove.
Across the Garden of the Known Worlds, the rejuvenation of imperial blood is felt. Waves of settlers and colonists are said to have arrived across distant frontiers.
Nebra, too, stands to gain a place of great import in this new age of the Fourth Imperial Millennium.
Recent History of Nebra
3002 IC Imperial Emissaries reach Nebra for the first time in centuries.
3117 IC The Trial of Amad Tir begins.
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3184 IC Amad Tir emerges victorious from the Last Sianid War
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3217 IC Amad Tir is declared a World Ascendant
3268 IC The Present
Path to Ascension
In the Frontier Sector Nebra, the beginning of the Fourth Millennium was shaped by the promise of Imperial Expansion. Multiple worlds vied for imperial favor, first among them the Century Worlds Amad Tir and Sianid.
Alongside other Century Worlds of the Nebra Sector, Amad Tir stood trial for a hundred years to prove its ambition and potential before the Crown. Through a series advances, military campaigns and cultural achievements, Amad Tir would be reformed in the hopes of imperial recognition.
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During the Century of Trial an age-old rivalry between the century worlds of Amad Tir and Sianid escalated into one final confrontation. The Sianid War took place across multiple systems and pitted both prospective realms, and their imperial backers against each other.
Amad Tir emerged victorious in the end, expanding its realm by some significant portion. The two realms remain locked in a simmering conflict still.
After a century of trial, Amad Tir would be declared the sole World Ascendant of Sector Nebra.
With this title, the world and its realm secured exclusive trading rites, noble claims and titles, and imperial settlers from the core.
As Nebra’s World Ascendant, Amad Tir is poised to become the sector’s foremost power. But the first century following Imperial Recognition is also one of critical vulnerability.
Old rivals such as Sianid will undoubtedly seek vengeance for their loss. The time for them to strike is now, as long as they retain some Imperial backing, and Amad Tir has not yet grown enough to take full advantage of its newfound recognition.
Other powers still lie in the shadows of the void. Deeping Clans and enigmatic Firstborn Realms are ever at odds with the Imperium and will see the Imperial Ascension as a cause for war.
The Realm of Amad Tir and all of Inner Nebra stand at a crossroads of history. Over the next century, the sector might grow into a new imperial stronghold on the frontier or be plunged into war and fracture.
Star Sector Nebra
The Imperial Frontier and focus of this chronicle
The Imperial Frontier
The star sector of Nebra lies on the fringe of known space, beyond the barren Marginals separating Imperial Realms from the frontier. Travel to this remote region has remained long and arduous for centuries, yet despite this, the sector saw a constant influx of settlers and expeditions.
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Nebra encompasses one of the few navigable routes crossing between the Thirassian and Garathrond nebulae. As such, the region is destined for an important role in future history, as the expansion of civilization pushes further and further out.
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The sector abounds with so-called Century Worlds, young colonies aspiring to Imperial Ascendency.
From their ambitious efforts and bitter rivalries arose several promising powers intent on founding the next imperial realm.
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First among them, the world of Amad Tir seeks to strengthen its ties across the Marginals, and to expand its influence throughout the sector.
But Nebra is not a region easily tamed. Its cosmic territories are governed by the Gorge, an exotic singularity consuming the encroaching nebulae. From this maw, strange forces and phenomena permeate all of Nebra and its stars.
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Many worlds surrounding them bear marks of older histories. Ancient colonies and pilgrim journeys led humanity to this place for millennia. Their legacies are forsaken crypts and ruins, and a few surviving worlds re-telling legends half-forgotten.
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The Realms of Inner Nebra
Inner Nebra encompasses the inner third of the sector. Here lie the rival imperial Realms of Sianid and Amad Tir, the most recent World Ascendant, and the strands of Lower Garathrond. It is a bustling frontier of human civilization, growing rapidly in industry and population. Yet the legacy of ages past remains strong in these regions as well, steeping much of Inner Nebra in legend and mystery still.
The Imperial Realm of Amad Tir
Merchant guilds and young nobility of the Imperium are now crossing the Nebra Marginals more frequently, slowly building a bridge across that vast abyss to link Nebra more closely to the Inner Worlds of the empire. They follow the path of the old Pilgrim’s Way, where the Latter Exodus left countless seeded worlds and systems, ruins, and runestones in its wake.
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Imperial Estates and knightly orders, new and old kingdoms, and the ancient colonies of the Sianid Vale are all united in the Imperial Realm of Amad Tir, whose rising star has culminated in being pronounced a World Ascendant half a century ago.
Realm of the Garathrond Ammonn
Little is known about the links between Sianid and the Realm of Garathrond Ammonn. It is a collection of wild worlds, with no ties to the Imperium, reaching far beyond the known boundaries of civilization.
Deeping Clans and Worldsmiths, ancient cults, and fallen kingdoms sleep in the constellation shrouded in Garathrond’s snow.
The First-Chosen
Realm of Sianid
That glory was hard-won against the First-Chosen Realm of Sianid which lies close to the falls of Garathrond. That old power still remains defiant, however, and has not yet given up on the reconquest of Ozom.
Aside from distant imperial allies, the power of Sianid rests on some of the more mysterious and ancient relics that are shrouded in Garathond’s nebula.
The Verdant Realm Minarii
No less mysterious is the Verdant Realm further up the Pilgrims Way. Guarded by living moons and thickets grown around their stars, the Laurel order and their colonies have long remained beyond the reach of imperial settlers.
In recent decades, some relationships of trade and diplomacy have grown, but it is still wise to be cautious when venturing far beyond Lasser.
The Deeping Nuzirrim
In between the greater Realms remain the ever-defiant Deeping. Those wild chiefdoms and clans of Deep Space still rule much of Outer Nebra, but some of their strongest reside here, as harbingers of their kin.
On the edges of the realms, they remain, and where they are gathered by a Lord of enough strength, their campaigns push deep into even the strong Realm of Amad Tir.
Amad Tir
The Imperial Realm
Amad Tir and the Sianid Vale
Between the barren Marginals and the volatile territories of the devouring Gorge, the Sianid Vale was always a region of precious calm and arable worlds. The Pilgrims of the Latter Exodus rested here on their mystic journey ever outward bound, and ancient settlers founded early colonies across the more inviting systems.
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Amad Tir emerged as one of Sector Nebra's most successful Century Worlds, passing the trial of Imperial Ascension less than half a century ago. Most stars of the Sianid Vale have long been claimed by its new realm and are now rapidly developing under the influx of imperial settlers, trade, and technology.
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As of the year 3268 IC, the Imperial Realm of Amad Tir is considered the foremost power of the Inner Nebra Sector. Having been granted the title of World Ascendant half a century before, Amad Tir leveraged this imperial recognition to advance mercantile and political interests among the worlds of its realm and beyond.
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The favor of imperial benefactors holds the promise of wealth and protection, and to stay in the graces of the Imperium is unquestionably beneficial in the long run. But a true imperial presence may take centuries yet to fully manifest. Until that time has come, the dominant position of Amad Tir will not stay unchallenged.
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For all its potential, Amad Tir is more vulnerable now than ever, still locked in a smoldering conflict with the rival Century World Sianid and besieged on multiple fronts by the ferocious clans and hordes of the Deeping. It is now up to the lords of the realm to guide their worlds through the uncertainty, and towards the dawn of a new imperial era on this Nebra’s innermost frontier.
History of Amad Tir
The Century of Trial
Amad Tir’s recent history has been shaped by nothing as much as by the Century of Trial and the tasks presented to the ambitious world if it were ever to join the Imperium.
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Though no imperial dignitary has held any position of authority directly, the Inner Worlds of humankind have guided Amad Tir through their influence. They facilitated victory in the long war against Ozom, and have begun drafting plans for expansion and development across the young realm.
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Amad Tir remains very much a world in charge of its own destiny. And the tides of history seem to have been in its favor. The strong position the Imperial Realm finds itself in was by no means guaranteed, as it is constantly challenged by worthy adversaries.
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The study of the distant past and the path that led the realm here, is considered a noble position among the scholars of the realm.
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What is known of the past is an insurmountable mass, collected and catalogued in the libraries and crypts of Amad Tir. And yet, any history lying back further than a few centuries cannot be written with any certainty. The sheer mass of information is contradictory and confused, overwhelmingly complex and yet too incomplete to find definitive answers. In this way, history slips into the realm of legend, and there is rarely a clear distinction between the two.
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On Amad Tir, the past is ever-present, but hazily remembered.
Fleets of Amad Tir
United Dominion Fleets
In their allegiance to the Imperial Crown, the United Dominion Fleets of Amad Tir stand as the world’s proudest achievement during the Century of Trial.
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To raise a true imperial armada, shipwrights and yards from many worlds had to be unified, a comprehensive reform of dozens of fleets in accordance with a new doctrine. The result is the single largest interstellar force of Inner Nebra, priding itself on exceptional discipline and shipbuilding excellence.
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Modelled after imperial doctrine, the United Dominion Fleets specialize in large scale and combined fleet operations. Battle lines centered around massive capital ships make up the bulk of the interstellar force and its fighting strength. By wielding overwhelming firepower, such formations seek to project the Crown’s power across the Imperial Realm. In an active conflict, the fleet’s first and foremost goal is to initiate a decisive battle under favorable circumstance, crippling the enemy’s strength in one crushing blow.
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Supported by extensive supply convoys, Amad Tir’s fighting fleets have huge operational ranges and can remain active away from port for months on end. However, they cannot embark on prolonged campaigns on a whim and rely on the preparation and support by their realm’s infrastructure. Beyond the borders of Amad Tir’s realm, specialized escort vessels and tenders are indispensable.
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Consequently, the United Dominion Fleets are a force
best suited to protect the claims of Amad Tir to all
regions of the Imperial Realm, consolidating authority and projecting power from the shores of the homeworld to the far edges of the Crown’s dominions. Offensive campaigns with the goal of conquest are slow-going and methodical, such as the most recent pushes against the enemies at Ozom.
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​Starships of the United Dominion Fleets are considered resilient and reliable by shipwrights and starfarers alike. Strong defenses and time-proven designs ensure the high survivability of these vessels. The most advanced systems are often found in command-and-control ships, specializing in coordinating large formations to achieve their full potential.
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Nuzir and Mazar
The Deeping Realm
The Nuzirrim Clans
and Mazar Kingdom
In 3268 IC, the Deeping Realm of the Nuzirrim stands at a crossroads before its final days of glory. Large portions of the Old Kingdom Mazar have begun their journey to the Deep, venturing far beyond the bounds of known space, and the grasp of the Imperium.
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Those who remain are gathering strength for the last war of their realm and are counted by the lords of Amad Tir among the imperial’s foremost adversaries.
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The legacy of the Deeping who once founded this realm holds great power over the Nuzirrim now. Ancient wealth and power are drawn upon to fulfill the task of their forebearers: To strike at the imperial frontier, plunder the riches of the century worlds, and take into the Deep what they can for the realm to be made anew. To this end, the remaining Nuzirrim turn to a martial culture, and cut most ties to Inner Nebra that remain.
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This war of the last days is none the Nuzirrim will win, not in the sense of holding or expanding territory. After the initial plunder, it will be a fighting retreat. Such a fate goes not unquestioned. While the vast majority of all Nuzirrim follow this destiny, there remain millions questioning the fight and the journey. A scant few colonies will embrace the imperial colonization. But around them, nothing but the scorched waste left by the Deeping will remain.
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Today, the Deeping Realm is still thriving with wonder. It will burn, once more, bright, before the flame of the Nuzirrim is carried far into the Deep night.
History of Nuzir and Mazar
Victory and Armageddon
The chronicles of the Nuzirrim carry a vast legacy.
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It is written the Nuzirrim coalesced from the peoples first to follow in the footsteps of the Pilgrims, whose mad chase for after distant gods had led them on a path across the Nebra Sector. Those first peoples of Nuzir where not of the same realm, but many were Deeping emerging from the Gulf between Nebra and the wider Imperium.
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They roamed the constellations for a long time, before the first worlds were settled. They culled the beasts and cleared the growths seeded by the Pilgrims, and they inherited the worlds reformed by Sapient Machines. From this legacy grew the Realm of Nuzir, united under the Kingdom of Mazar. It stood long alongside Amad Tir and Ozom and would have never been eclipsed if not for the arrival of the Imperium.
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Living history for the Nuzirrim unfolds on two paths, a beginning and an end.
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The Nuzirrim Kingdom of Mazar stands on the precipice of a dying age, dwindling every season of every year in the shadow of Amad Tir’s imperial ascension. The Nuzirrim as Deeping Kin have seen the signs and are preparing for the new era awaiting them in the Deep beyond Known Worlds.
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This crossroads of history is a time of triumph and victory as much as exodus and decay. The two paths of their kin continue diverging, until they’ll finally sever. At that time, one will be at an end, and the other beyond all reach of imperial chroniclers. Either way, this is the final chapter for the Nuzirrim as they are now. Perhaps, in another cycle of expansion, they will be encountered again, though they and their ways will then be likely changed beyond all recognition. This is the way of the Deeping nomads.
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But the end and fading of the Nuzirrim do not happen quickly, nor quietly. The Kingdom of Mazar experiences its last century in triumph, at a height of power not attained in centuries. It is transformed, emboldened by the exodus, to launch one final campaign against the Imperium, a chance for the great clans to make their names known before they vanish from chronicled history.
Fleets of the Nuzirrim
Roaming Clans
Across the Deeping realm, the vast clans fleets of the Nuzirrim follow either a path of war, or the path of the coming exodus. Either path, once chosen, entails a transformation. It reshapes the fleets, their scale and composition, the starships and roaming structures, and the societies within.
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The fleets, for all their multitudes, are bound now for only a few destinations. From all corners of the Deeping Realm they arise, the wandering spirit of the Deeping awoken.
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On the path of the roaming exodus, the grand fleets of Nuzir prepare for a journey to unknown and distant stars. They coalesce from countless kindred clans, dismantling their estates and worlds, or leaving them behind. Devoted to the future, and the journey through the Deep, those clans and their ships devote themselves to that monumental task.
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Within the span of a generation, these fleets have grown to unparalleled size, the migration of entire peoples led by the vast starfaring archs they create. In the wake of those titanic vessels
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they will leave the Known Worlds soon, traveling beyond the bounds of Inner Nebra, and into the abyss.
Along the coreward edge of the Deeping Realm, Mazarite Hosts follow the path of war instead. They retrace the old trading ways with fire and steel, accumulating wealth, and victories until they are ready to turn away. All old scores are settled, all allegiances held, and oaths fulfilled. The Nuzirrim strive to go into the new ages unburdened. To join the hosts of Mazar absolves many. For the old kingdom of Mazar, they build a legacy, and triumphs worthy of song for the future of the Deeping.
Regardless of their path, all fleets of the Nuzirrim share one aspect in their nature: Every starship is of one familial lineage, owned and crewed for generations by its clan, a unit onto its own. From the fields of war to the processions of exodus, these bonds are carried forward by the Nuzirrim, and are one thing that will survive without doubt beyond the age and realm of Mazar.
The Nuzirrim War
The Last War of the Nuzirrim and Latter Days of Mazar
A war between two
Domains of Civilization
The Old Feud
Following Amad Tir’s imperial ascension, its growing conflict with the Deeping Nuzirrim was the first to spark all-out open war. In this, the new imperial realm follows the path of countless frontier worlds before.
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The war between Amad Tir and the Nuzirrim is fought on three levels of civilization’s hierarchy. It is, of course, a struggle between two local powers for the wealth and influence offered by contested territories.
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At the same time, both realms are fighting on behalf of greater powers. The Realm of Amad Tir enters this war with the backing of its imperial patrons. Though the Imperium has sent neither armadas nor legions, noble retinues and mercenaries are lending their support.
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Standing against them are the Deeping Clans, of which Nuzir is but the nearest realm. Linked through the Deep, the eternal nomads on the fringes of the Imperium provide the fighting Nuzirrim with a wealth of knowledge and ancient arsenals yet unheard of in the realms of Nebra.
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Lastly, both sides are fighting on behalf of civilization’s great domains: Amad Tir for the Imperial Core, those who bathe still in the light of Sol and seek to continue the old civilization. And against them Nuzirrim, and all those who seek the old gods in the distant Void.
the Foritification
of Amad Tir
In the wake of its ascension, the now imperial Realm of Amad Tir quickly fortified its Nuzirrim frontier. On the day this world was chosen by the emissaries, the course of history for the border regions was decided. They would become the first line of defense in a coming war. This century or the next, it hardly mattered, as bulwarks and bastions were raised upon the wall.
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Mighty fortresses were built or carved from worlds of iron and stone. Their high spires and tall walls adorned with countless battlements, turrets, and gunnery batteries. Fleets would break against these fortifications, should they dare try conquering them. But these fortresses alone would be powerless, without a way to project their might.
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Substellar fleets and system armadas are the key to any system’s defense. Operating from countless fortified ports, these forces can coalesce at any time and anywhere their strength may be needed.
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Thanks to the astronomers, the trajectory of attackers will be usually known. Thus, the defender enjoys a considerable advantage.
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In this, as in all interstellar wars known to the Imperium, any offensive action will carry considerable risk. Fortified frontiers tend to stagnate for decades to come, hardening over time with layers and layers of rigid defenses.
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And so, for as much as the Nuzirrim’s strike was anticipated, it would only be worth to the Imperial Realm to hold out and weather the storm, rather than trying to act and strike preemptively.
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The Deeping Path
of War
The remaining fleets of the Nuzirrim are set onto a path toward the last war of Old Mazar. In one campaign for plunder and glory, the kingdom will fall. In its end, it will bestow all riches to be gained from the Imperial Realm of Amad Tir to the heirs of the kingdom who venture into the Deep beyond known space.
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One last claim mark on history, one last charge into the fray, that is the promise these warriors made, one to shape their destiny.
This final push of the kingdom will not be a war for territory or influence, nor annihilation or survival. It will be a spear thrust into the side of the Imperium, to see how much it bleeds.
At the heart of its warriors burns a duty re-awakened, the path of the Deeping they chose more than a century ago. The rivalry on the frontier between the Known Worlds and the Stars Beyond will once more be fulfilled. To this end, the prophecy knows no price too high.
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​For the Nuzirrim and Amad Tir alike, a new era will begin. Forged in the fires this war ignited, the imperial realm will see the new dawn in either defeat or victory. Old Mazar seeks to shape the path of history. One way or another, it will be remembered as the catalyst of great change.
The ongoing War
Three theatres emerged during the first months of war, each a vast front beset by multiple fleets and armies, dozens of outposts and bastions besieged. As of the first year of fighting, no major holdings fell on either side. But the uneasy balance of this conflict may soon be broken.
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Crossing of the Deeping Mere
Great Clanfleets of the Nuzirrim undertook the perilous journey past Limnaee and Appia into the deep gulfs of the void. Ravaged by storms and ice from Garathrond, their path was costly and dire. But after crossing the Hollow Strand, their vast flocks of many hundred ships roamed freely in the Deeping Mere and conducted raids as far as Baltenfir.
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These are the clans sworn to war above all else, with no intention of returning to the Gates of their People without imperial plunder. Their presence binds a multitude of Amad Tir’s forces, and sows unease among the Harvest Lords of Risonande.
Heartland Way Sieges
Any forces bound by the raids of the Deeping Mere cannot partake in the massive battles along the Kuston Wall and Burg Billetae. Rogue Squadrons of the Old Kingdom Mazar advanced on the fortificiations of Amad Tir with great fervor, supported by assaults of Clan Unashar and the Crucible Horde. Fanatic raider-warriors took watchtowers all along the way, and hold great many prisoners still.
Their attack will not break through the great wall soon, but the pressure they build sets the stage for a larger invasion.
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Drive for Hanhir
From the beginning, forces of the newly imperial realm were desperate to gain some initiative in this war. Their greatest success in that continues to be the Drive for Hanhir. Spearheaded by the Colonial Fleets of Adwhan, expeditionary forces have broken through the Deeping lines, circumventing Unashar and setting beachheads far into Nuzirrim territory.
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Moving in fast and unpredictable intervals, the joint fleets managed to avoid a direct confrontation and are harassing now lines along the Deeping rear. Their arks and tenders hold supplies enough for a campaign of months to come, enough perhaps to assault the towering lights of Hanhir, which might become a first imperial foothold among the Clans.
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A matter of time
On both sides, any advances onto enemy territory are extremely volatile. Before long, one side will collapse and be put on the defensive definitively. It all depends now on which great fort will be the first to fall.