Heya, in my game, the tension between the Sacred Holy Empire and the Azur Alliance are getting more and more intense, and everyone are worried for a war to break loose.

I am a bit curious on some strategical things, and also I would love to hear from your experiences in the game.

What I am mostly wondering about is how would each faction handle their warfare. Togarini and Abel are right next to each other, so I would assume the conflict would be most intense on their boarders. The Alliance's forces would seem to have a hard time to advance, considering most areas are reinforced and their navy is limited to a single path.

I think their best bet would be to aim to conquer the ships in Kanon and cripple the Empire's naval forces, at the same time have an advantage in the inner sea.

As I see it, attacking Abel directly seem impossible. They'd have to go around, break through Arlan and Galgados, and later somehow get through Dalaborn and flank Abel. But there is lot of opposition, and frankly...

Could the Azur Alliance really pose such a threat? They seem to be placed on strategical poor areas where they can easily be choked or flanked. They don't have much body of water to effectively use the navy, and it would take a loooooong time to cruise around the whole continent, not to speak dangerous to go south to reach north from all storms. They'd have to start a war to the east or make alliances in order to take the battle to that part of the sea. (I haven't read so much about that area yet. All I know is Lucrecio is neutral, but another mighty force was east if them).
In addition, I have probably missed a ton of other details such as van Horsman's forces and whatnot in Arlan and north, etc.

Lastly, since there was no info about the New Continent in Beyond the Fantasy book, I haven't accounted for that area, neither am I sure who controls it, etc.

Has anyone played out a war in the game? How would you reason the tactics would work?

And take note: I am not really a true strategist IRL. I just like to try imagine all these stuff for fun. But please, do point out all the errors. =D

I haven't done a war in my game yet, though I am considering it. In the setting book, it actually talks about why Azur hasn't attacked Abel yet, which is how I believe it would start, since the current empress doesn't seem to favor open war, and since Kisidian is there to enforce her will, i'm pretty sure she'll get her way for a while.

The part that struck me is where it talks about Matthew Gaul, the head of Togarini and essentially the de-facto leader of the Azure Alliance. The only thing truly keeping him from attacking Abel is The Shadow (they enigmatic lord of war) and the raw power he and his zealots possibly possess. Matthew is incredibly cold and calculating, but I see him making the first strike. The tipping balance is going to be how much of the secretive supernatural might either side wishes to use, which would probably be the Azure Alliance flexing it's muscle first, then the Inquisition would respond with high inquisitors.

Finally, there's Lucanor Giovanni to throw in too. Would he come to the aid of his sister? Or would he take the opportunity to deal a blow to both forces once they've weakened eachother, and claim his throne.

There are a lot of factors to consider, and while it seems the Azure Alliance is in a corner, and would lose, they also have access to a more regimented military, a more cohesive alliance of nations, and advanced technology. Abel has numbers, and while possessing technology, they don't tend to use it in most militarr situations. Ultimately, it's going to depend on which side the Powers in Shadow (Imperium that is) decides should win. They've manipulated the flow of history somewhat this long, and they've been denied a couple of times recently, I don't think they'll stay out of this conflict.

Hmm... That's very insightful... You take up good points.

The Imperium would be a problem for sure. I do wonder what Eljared's "final gift" was that would lead to whatever Rah's final goal was. I tend to figure it had to be the war, and somehow make sure the "higher ups" doesn't, or cannot, interfere.
But it's hard to figure out what exactly Eljared's ultimate plan is.

The Lucanor theory seem very valid. The prince is smart: he would probably want the others weakened before he made a move. The only problem would be if some of the factions tried to force Giovanni to take side or be crushed. But maybe he has a contengiency plan for this, too. Or maybe he wants the war but aiming for something higher than that (since he seem aware of the Powers in the Shadows). Maybe Eljared managed to convince him into something...

Man, it's difficult to speculate what could occur. It seem to thick and nothing is revelead in the books - totally up to the GM, which gives one a huge responsibility. xD

Gaul is no fool, so I suppose he'd want to find and neutralize whatever forces the Shadow has before starting any major conflicts, or at least be sure they won't interfere. Hmm...

Ah! Finally a very nice discussion!

First, I'd like to point out a few things to Drake Masters: Lucanor ISN'T Elisabetta's brother. They have very very loose blood ties. It seems (from the BG) that the Barbados Family (Elisabetta's) is somewhat blood-tied to the Giovanni Family (Lucanor's), BUT at least since the time of Zhorne Giovanni, each Giovanni emperor had a single male offspring, meaning that the Barbados bloodline must have separated from the Giovanni one BEFORE Rah...which is pretty long ago. Actually, as a mean of regaining his throne, Lucanor might even consider marriage with Elisabetta (ok, there's wide age difference and she's even a bit too young, but just like all Giovanni, Lucanor ages very slowly and between aristocracy such thing wouldn't be unheard of...), although I don't believe Lucanor is even interested in regaining his throne.

Also Matthew Gaul hasn't been attacking the Empire till now because of 2 reasons: one is the Shadow (or Fourth Lord of War, or Lord of War of the North), the other is Lucanor himself. Actually, Ghoul has offered Lucrecio to join the Alliance, but Lucanor has always refused. Now, Ghoul is intelligent enough not to underestimate a Giovanni (Zhorne completely changed the course of a war...), especially when moving his troops on the north, his flank would be completely open from any attack from Lucrecio. Right now, Gaul has initiated a war against Kashmir and Baho. Both territories have plenty of resources (well Baho might also have something more powerful, like Devah remains) AND they offer an optimal test-ground for any Lodge Technology the Alliance has recovered so far. The Empire is avoiding direct conflict, although it's secretly supporting the defense of Kashmir, but it won't last long unless something completely unexpected happens. As soon as control of Kashmir is seized along with Baho, the Alliance will probably feel strong enough to attack the Empire.

As for the Imperium, I don't believe they'll take any action about it. Whoever survives the war will be the "fittest" for command, which is what they want. Right now they have to handle much bigger issues such as the aftermaths of Eljared's actions. Also a lot of "big" forces are awakening or menacing humanity as a whole (see Nerelas' plans, or the awakening of one of the Machine's Mothers and there's more). I doubt Imperium will as much as move a single digit in the war, unless the use of Solomon technologies escalates to levels that resemble old Solomon, in which case they might take some action, especially if they determine that Gaul is Andromalius' last descendant. Personally, I wouldn't throw Imperium into the mix and reserve their role to other "problems" and subplots.

As a matter of fact the Azur Alliance can count on a superior (although not in numbers) army and amazing generals (its Arbiters and Gaul himself). As for Lost Lodges, it's true that the Alliance right now is more "advanced" in their research, but Elisabetta is investing in their research too and since most of them are in Imperial territories, I think the Empire should be able to catch-up with the Alliance on that side. Considering Azur "ways" I'd believe that they launch a few well placed assassination attempts along with the full scale war. Eliminating figureheads like Thadeus Van Horsman, Yuri Olson and Elisabetta herself will be their top priority. Also, Yuri Olson is a frontliner general, but unless he's given time for his full potential to unlock, he's doomed if faced on the battlefield by Arbiters such as Arkeid or Alastor (not to mention Aizen or Kariagne). Only Sixth/Seventh Heaven Knight can possibly face such threats, so the Empire should relocate them to protect their generals. Fortunately, Thadeus is a military genie and should have already predicted a few maneuvers by the Alliance.

Anyway, if you start your campaign 6 months after Elisabetta's crowning (standard for Anima campaigns setting), I believe the war should erupt within 1-2 years of the beginning of the campaign (game time, of course).

Now, if we want to make any prediction on the war outcome we can't just consider the Empire and the Alliance. The outcome will mostly be decided by the intervention of other nations. The key is probably (as most often) the Giovanni. Lucanor is the most intelligent man on Gaia, probably in Gaia's history (I'd place his Intelligence value somewhere like 15). What's in his best interest?

I don't think taking the Empire's throne is any priority for Lucanor. His aim is pretty clearly defeating the Imperium (which was also Rah's objective, by the way), but he'll be very careful and patient about it, since he knows pretty well how things ended for Rah and is too smart to commit the same errors. First and most important he must make sure Imperium never discovers what he's up to. Should they discover it, he's done for. Actually, I believe Lascar himself was aware of Imperium and that he was no more than a puppet in their hands. That's why he tried to avoid Lucanor's birth and always acted as a mean badass: to defy the Imperium's plan of having nice Giovanni emperors ruling all lands in absolute order for them. Lascar was pretty much successful in his part of the plan and Lucanor won't waste his father's legacy.

Let's get back to the war. He could ally himself with either side and he's probably made plans to make either side win the war. My guess is Lucanor will probably end-up siding Elisabetta, although he wouldn't do it officially. Simply put Elisabetta is easier to deal with. She won't even try to reunite all principalities into a single Empire. It's pretty obvious at this point that reuniting the whole Empire would be impossible and detrimental to the Empire itself. I believe that once things with the Alliance are settled, Elisabetta will be more than willing to allow everyone have his independance. She's open minded, she's like that. This means, Lucanor would be allowed to keep doing his stuff in tranquillity. Actually, Elisabetta (and her heaven order) might even become useful pawns in the onsetting of a war against Imperium. On the other hand, Gaul isn't the kind of guy who could share power with anyone. Having the Alliance crush the Empire would later mean having to face a showdown with Gaul and once the Alliance has eliminated the Empire there's no way Lucrecio can oppose it, Wissenshaft technology or not. Elisabetta is no danger, while Gaul is dangerous. Who would you side with? Lucanor might "innocently" offer Elisabetta his help in exchange for any Lost Lodge knowledge found in the Empire territories. And it's not like the Empire an refuse such offer right at the moment. Anyway, being Lucrecio fully berdering the Alliance territories, declaring alliance to the Empire would be too much dangerous, meaning Lucanor will only offer under-cover help.

Oh, by the way, there's no doubt that the Empire will wait for Azur's move and it will mainly play a defensive war against Gaul's forces. Elisabetta, doesn't want to bring war and desperation again to the already battered territories of the Alliance and it's unlikely that her faithful generals will defy her orders.

What follows is in the assumption Lucanor has somehow secretly contacted Elisabetta and arranged for an alliance. If you think he should aid Gaul or just stay out of the way, you can stop reading here.

Lucanor will probably have Crows intercepting Les Jaeger assassins and could provide the much needed support in Kashmir and Baho, as well as acting as a diplomacy intermediate.

Although Lucrecio hasn't great military force by itself, I believe one of Lucanor's first steps will be acquiring the services of The Travelers (a very strong mercenary army led by an ex-Lord of War, Zebulos). Zebulos was against Elias becoming emperor, that's the reason which he decided to abandon the empire along with his army. Still, it's not like he "hates" the Barbados or anything. Besides, his action mean he somehow believes in the "rights" of the original imperial lineage, the Giovanni. I don't think an amazing man such as Lucanor (being the last Giovanni heir) would have much trouble convincing Zebulos to join his cause. At this point, best maneuver would be having Zebulos' men strengthen Kanon's border (officially under Empire paycheck, of course). This would have two very big benefits for the Empire:

1st: With such a strong army and such an amazing general, Kanon's border should keep it against the Azur forces.

2nd: The Travelers won't be anymore on Gabriel's paycheck...more on that later.

Now, let's talk about what will really change the course of war: diplomacy. I'll talk about it following a North->South route in the old continent, then get to the new one.

Much is happening in the north. In regard to the Empire all that matters is:

1st: Synodai's rebellion and subsequent fracturing of the forces of the fourth Lord of War.

2nd: Increasing incursions of Skuling Clan from Goldar in imperial territories, meaning troops must be somehow allocated there.

If there was a single nation in the north, it would be much easier to deal with both problems, simply by making treaties with the ruling figure. Lucky enough for Elisabetta, right now a big guy named Erick Sterki is trying to do so. Not only Erick is a very powerful fighter (Warrior 9) and a really charismatic leader (it seems almost everybody loves him in Hendell), he's also a pretty smart and open minded guy (in a way, he's pretty similar to the Russian Tzar Peter the Great), as shown by his acceptance of Jayan Nephilims and the fact he put a woman, Liv Frifdottr, in charge of a bastion. He and Elisabetta are pretty much like-minded, so an alliance between the two would be very likely as far as she allows him to keep the throne of the Hauffmarssen (Hauffman, Hendel, Goldar and eventually Dwanholf). Considering Elisabetta is pretty smart and Lucanor is much smarter, they'll probably come up with the following treaty: forces of the Fourth Lord of War will support Sterki's conquest of the North, but in return, Sterki will take care of both Skuling and Synodai. Of course, Erick is intelligent enough to ask that once the territory is solidly under his control, the Fourth Lord of War retreats most of his troops from the territory (nobody wants a strong foreign military presence on his lands, not even a supposedly allied one). A few might remain there, both as a guarantee that Sterki doesn't attempt any strange aggression toward the Empire (which I don't believe he should be interested in, anyway) and as a "helpful hand" in enforcing Erick's law, since the newly aknowledged king of the north will doubtless have to face more than a rebellion, at least during the first times of his reign. Since the Empire's focus in in the south, it's in the Empire's very own interests to remove troops from the north. Of course things won't go completely smoothly. Defeating Gunnar Skulinbert which is Bloodbane's Avatar will be quite a problem and the same goes with defeating Synodai's forces. Also invading Hauffman won't be easy task, due to the mountains, but within a couple years everything should be ok, especially because men in the north strongly believe in martial value and Sterki will easily obtain favor and submission from most guys there. Taking complete control of Dwanholf will definitely require more time, but after elimination of Synodai, there should be no more hurry over there. Anyway the Empire shouldn't be able get help from the Zealots for the first year of war against the Alliance, at the very least. Still not having to deal with the problems on the north and strengthening the border over there should be worth it, since the Empire cannot manage a two sided war.

Needless to say, Moth shall not take part in the conflict. Malekith will just be busy strengthening his influence on the "real world" part of the land. He's ethernal, he has time...won't hurry, doesn't need it...and probably a few adventuring parties will even go there a thwart his plans...but for all that matters, Moth is simply not to be considered in the outcome of war.

The same goes with Lennet and Shivat. Now that the imperial law has abbandoned the lands, the two nations will probably begin more than one internal war. There will probably be an internal war in Lennet between the Emperor and the Shogun and, should Shivat's Emperor die, there will be war between the two heirs. Even once any of these two wars has ended (or been avoided) the two principalities will begin to war against each other, due to ancient scorns and grudges. Besides, as soon as they have settled their differencies (which isn't anytime soon, by the way), their primary objectives will be Phaion, Kashmir and Baho, but I don't believe this will happen anytime before the end of Empire/Alliance war. Anyway, should you decide any of them is able to attack the mainland before the end of the main war, I don't believe they'll ally with any side. They'll just try to get what they can in the confusion, influencing very indirectly the war. For example, if they attack Baho or Kashmir while they're still under control of Azur, this will be a troublesome for the Alliance. On the other hand, if any of these two countries had already been freed by the Empire/Lucrecio efforts, they were now probably giving resources to the Empire as a form of payback, meaning the Empire will be missing some resources after the Oriental Assault. Third, should these lands still be contested, it's very likely that it will be easier for Oriental Assault to success in siezing the lands and both Empire and Azur will have their hands full on their borders to bother sending troops to reinforce their position there...simply put, Baho and Kashmir will get out of the war and become a province of Lennet/Shivat (depending on who won the Eastern Lands war). As for the invasion of Phaion, It will have probably indirect benefit for Azur Alliance for Phaion will be more "on the Empire sides" for reasons I'm explaining later.

Gabriel will support the Azur Alliance. It's not like Joshua Fardelys is an idiot and can't see the threat represented by Gaul, but he probably believes he can fight his own war on a completely different battlefield: economy. Despite everything, destroying imperial economy is in Gabriel's greatest interest and since the war is going to have a strong toll on the Alliance too, it's in the Azur's own interests to mantain positive relationships with a strong economical power which can help in the ensuing reconstruction. Simply put: Gaul can wait to get ahold of Gabriel and meanwhile, Fardelys will be planning something to avoid being swallowed by the Azur giant...actually Alystaire is making her own preparations, both to bring the Empire's downfall and to deal with Gaul afterwards. Nevertheless, Gabriel will thwart the Empire for the whole war in the Inner Sea and probably support economically the Azur Alliance. It's unlikely, anyway, that Gabriel will let Azur forces to use its territories to launch an assault on the Empire, since they're to smart to invite such army on their territory.

With Gabriel working for the Alliance it's only a matter of time for Phaion to take action in favor of the Empire. First, Phaion is home to some of the fortresses of the Fourth Lord of War, meaning they DON'T want to upset the Empire too much, also Elisabetta will gladly grant them independence in return for some help. Besides it's in their best interest that the war of the north goes smoothly and Sterki siezes Dwanholf as soon as possible, since this would spell doom for their ancestral enemies, the pirate kings. Of course, Phaion wants more than independence (which it already has) to give a hand, since it's a Merchants' Nation. It will probably demand small settlements on some islands and coastal zones in order to control the waters of Inner See, Oriental See and See of Guren (much like British policy about wars during 16th-19th century). After the war's over they will also ask for immediate removal of all residual forces of the Fourth Lord of War (after all they don't have internal problems, like in the north) and will sign a treatry that will grant them help from the Empire in case of attacks from the Eastern Lands. The Empire is in no position to deny anything and will probably have to accept all conditions in order to have someone deal with Gabrielese fleet and relieve some stress from the east.

The inner sea is a mess...some islands will be occupied or forced to collaborate with either side, some will choose to collaborate in order to gain some compensation, but after all, I don't believe any of them will really change the outcome of war. Despite Tol Rauko's Marshal being faithful to the Empress, the Templars won't take part in the war, it's not their role, and even Gaul wouldn't dare their fortress, at least not for now. Probably Gaul's forces might consider releasing the prisoners of the Nameless Island. Killrayne won't serve under Gaul, but his aim is killing Elisabetta nevertheless, so freeing him is in Azur's interests, he can be dealt with afterwards.

Now the south...

It's not hard to guess that The Episcopal States will support the Alliance. Elisabetta has made a law that legalizes cults different from christian one...which is something church won't accept, at least not the part of church that rules. Gaul can easily promise return to a strict religious control and even support, once he's done against the Empire in any ensuing war against the Lands of Al-Enneth (which is of course in his interest). Of course, it means most mages and "supernaturally gifted" guys in the Alliance, first of all Gaul will be proclaimed Saints and Faith's Defenders, hence having full permission to bring avoc on battlefields, without any trouble. This would already be a big help, especially for all that matters propaganda, which is a very important part of a war. On the other hand Elisabetta WON'T ever retreat on her position of opening to other religions and cultures, hence she is a perfect enemy for The Episcopal States.

Unfortunately for Gaul, my guess is The Episcopal States won't be too much help for three main reasons:

1st: The war against Kushistan+Stigia+Salazar will doubtless begin far before the end of the war between Alliance and Empire, probably it will break-out even BEFORE the Azur-Empire war BEGINS! This means most Argos (and Dominion, for all that matters) troops will be busy fighting in the desert lands.

2nd: Remember Lucrecio was secretly supporting the Empire? Well, being officially neutral, it's only natural that it won't allow troops to traverse it's territory. This will mean troops (from Dominion and Argos) will have to be transported by ships from the Dominion to Bellafonte. Not only it takes longer and is logistically more troublesome...but it also means that some pirates (undercover Lucrecio ships) might attack the ships carrying the troops creating even more difficulties...

3rd: Within the years of war several crisis are bound to erupt in The Episcopal States. Ophiel, Agatha and a generic Yehudah are all names that will most likely bring BIG trouble. Of course Inquisition will take care of most stuff...but should Inquisition even fail to block one of the threats, The Episcopal States will find themselves in so much trouble that they'll probably have to face too much all at the same time.

As for the Inquisition, it's got too much "work" to do all around the world, so I don't believe it will be able to provide more than a minor support to Les Jaeger.

Lands of Al-Enneth won't help anyone, being involved in an all-out war against Argos...nor would they anyway. Empire is their traditional enemy and now it's ruled by a woman it's even more despicable on their opinion. On the other hand, Azur Alliance is clearly on the side of the Episcopal States, their absolute enemies. Besides, I don't believe any of those states should be confortable with the Alliance invading nearby territories (Kashmir and Baho). As a matter of fact, due to their technological inferiority to The Episcopal States, the war won't even be easy for them. Their only resources will be giving in to supernatural forces, meaning Kushistan will most probably fall under the control of Ikram Ab Iblis, The Dark Sultan, being his powers their best bet in the war. Of course, Stygian Pharaoh won't like it, meaning the alliance won't be as strong as it seems (Stygia and Kushistan already have their issues, by the way), but they'll somehow keep fighting. The Dark Sultan will be a big bad problem to deal with once the war with Argos is settled, by the way and not just for them. Anyway, somehow, their fighting with The Episcopal States will go to the Empire's advantage (although not willingly), which is until the Dark Sultan decides that Lucrecio is on his way. Once this happens, Lucanor will be forced to use his forces to protect HIS border, hence providing less help to the Empire. At this point, it's also likely that Lucanor will try to negotiate with the Pharaoh to take down the Dark Sultan. It won't prove an easy feat of course and will require a big expense of resources, but if achieved, the Pharaoh will at this point be the only leader of the Al-Enneth coalition and since Stygian are a bit less fanatical than Kushistanian, it will be possible to make some non-aggression treaty between the Empire/Lucrecio faction and them. It's convenient to both sides and since the "power-mad" sultan is gone, the Pharaoh will concentrate on its REAL enemy.

Nanwe is definitely not going to participate in the war. Why should it, anyway?!

I believe most of the New Continent will keep itself form intervening. Most of those nations is simply asking to be left to its own problems. If Elisabetta shows she's trustworthy it's possible that Arabal's ruling powers will reconsider their position toward her or they might be allured to support the Azur Alliance. On the other hand, Lord of War Mihjail Mashen'ka will probably convince his brother to give full support to the Empire, although it's possible that Misha will in return ask Elisabetta to accept Manterra's independance, something she will probably have no issues with, as long as the alliance between it and the Empire is confirmed. This could be a big turn in the war, since the power of a Lord of War may really turn the tides of war.

That's how I see the war. What do you think?

Wow, very informative, i misread a lot of information about Lucanor and Elisabetta in the book.

However, I do believe Imperium would intervene, at least somewhat. Probably using lesser agents to shift favor of nobles in one direction or another. They gave Kisidian orders to let Elisabetta die, and he didn't. There has to be a reason for their interest in her and her line, though I'm not sure if any of their motives in the current time frame are steeped in anything more than morbid curiosity.

I didn't think about the church siding with the alliance, since Elisabetta allowed other religions into Archangel. However, that does make sense. Also, I didn't mean so much that Abel "didn't" have access to more advanced technology, it just seems that they wouldn't have many military applications for it, and I didn't even me the Lost Logias, more just the fact that they're at a tech level 5 and such. Firearms begin becoming more abundant and such, but that's just how i see it.

That is a great analysis of the current forces on Gaia. My concern would be all the hidden parts that are bursting out between the seams of all that conventional structure. From what I understand, despite all their infighting, Samael has been aching to reveal itself to the world, and would take a large scale war as an opportunity for change. The forces that normally keep them discreet would have their hands full, and to take advantage of the weakened social order and appear in the open would be almost irresistable. Especially if Samael offered help to one side that would make the difference between success and failure in their campaign.

You mention Sterki's collection of Jayan - this seems more like an amassed force more than diplomatic asylum to me. His lands are open to nephilim and even pure blood non-humans. He's rejected the Church entirely, why would he want anything to do with Elisabetta? If I was Sterki, I'd stay netural and watch the Empire and Azure Alliance continue to implode.

I think the situation with Malekith is far, far more important than you may be considering. He's mentioned throughout all the books for a reason. If I was Lucanor, and I knew as much as he did, I would make Malekith my friend and visit him often. The reason for this is, that many of the survivors of the War of God are currently hiding in Graven - some of them are lesser gods! They would be a massive wealth of information for me, assuming my plan was to oppose the Powers in the Shadow.

There is also the issue of very high Gnosis beings who have been kept out of Gaia for a long time, and have been exerting increasing pressure on reality - testing the thresholds, secretly investting in powerful pawns of their own, and influencing organizations. The 22 Messengers is evidence of this.

IMO, if any full scale war breaks out, such as an Imperial/Azure war, it would not stop with conventional agendas, elite bloodlines, or marking territory on maps. It would be leveraged by these other interests I have mentioned, and put a spin on things that the people of Gaia are unprepared for. I think its quite possible that Eljared destabilized the Imperium for this exact reason - for the invisible forces to gain a serious foothold, and provide a chance for more than just a few powers to start geting educated. Sure, that would put Lucanor's plans on a much shorter time frame, but hey - humans are at their best when situations are at their worst.

To Drake: the reasons why Imperium intervened during the Rapture of the Skyes was because Eljared hacked THEIR systems! She was able to destroy cneturies of their work, creating a much more complicated situation for them to handle. The reason why they decided to kill Elisabetta, was (substantially) because she would be a somewhat bothersome witness to what was happening inside Archangel's palace. It's not like they were strictly interested in her dying, as is dimonstrated by the fact that once she survived due to Kisidan's insubordination, they decided to let it go. If her life/death was a priority, be sure they would have sent a Jurgand squad explicitly to hunt her down, especially considering she's spent a lot of time away from the Heaven Order's protection (I don't believe they should have much problem tracking her down even when she goes around as Anna Never...). Again, I say Gaul would be more of a target to them. Not only Andromalius was the first human to ever pose a threat to them (or at least defy them), it was one of Andromalius descendants that killed Christ and turned into Omega, taking away with him a weapon which is incredibly valued by the Imperium and substantially ruining a few of their plans. The reason why Imperium hasn't taken action against Gaul is both that probably they DON'T KNOW he's Andromalius' only descendant and hunting down a man without reasons is anyway a problem, because of their treaty with other Powers. As far as the war doesn't scale to a level which could threat the entire human race, it's unlikely that Imperium acts. ANYWAY, it's true that Imperium hasn't certainly given up on controlling humanity's history. Once the dust of war is settled and the Imperium will have had time to fix all that was hacked by Eljared (we're talking about a mayor system attack, remember), they will probably start again trying to manipulate human beings...although it's very possible that more problems have arisen by then. Oh, well...that's just my opinion, not holy words! As for the church siding with the Alliance, it's not like ALL CHURCH would do so. There is also a tolerant fringe in the christian church that is surely eager to give its support to Elisabetta, but those who hold the TRUE POWER in The Dominion and Argos are the conservatory ones, so that's why they will probably support the Alliance.

To hellgeist: thanks hellgeist for highlighting an important part of the story. Powers unknown.

But first, I have to explain better the situation at the north. Despite Erick being a very enlightened king (or perhaps BECAUSE of it), he wouldn't even think about offering his help to the Empire! In my scenario it's THE EMPIRE that offers him with help to conquer all north. That's simply because Elisabetta should be more concerned with having a stable border, than extend her influence. She's the kind of Empress that won't even try to conquer again territories that don't want her rulership. Now, in consideration of that, it's in her best interest having someone like Sterki (who is a reasonable man and not a mad avatar of some devourer-god) control the territories north of her lands. Also, it's in her best interest REMOVE her troops from the north, in order to send them to the south, but she cannot do so, as far as barbarians are ravaging Helenia and Dalaborn and a renegade Arbiter is competing for the leadership of HER troops. On the other hand, Erick will have much easier time subdue the northern territories if his army is helped by the zealots. It's a treaty which is convenient to both sides, that's the reason why they would probably do it, although it would have to be the Empire to do the first step, declaring rightful Sterki's claim to the throne. Even if Elisabetta wouldn't think about such a plan, Lucanor definitely would, since his mind should be able to conceive much more complex political plans than those I conceive (I assume my Intelligence shouldn't go over 6-7 and is probably just 5 using Anima's scale, Lucanor's should be around 15, bordering divine). Besides, Sterki is sufficiently intelligent to understand that having his troops fight alongside the zealots could be a good opportunity to scout nice war technology and learn a trick or two on the battlefield. Hendell is more advanced than other northern nations BECAUSE it had strong relations to the Empire, Erick Sterki being the king should know enough of history to understand that keeping those relations may be very important for the north. Besides, now that Elisabetta has made clear she has respect for other people's traditions and beliefs, such relations should be even more "easy" to mantain. Elisabetta will collaborate in giving Sterki the crown of the north, and Sterki simply will make sure no more troubles comes to her from that side (trouble that would be trouble for HIM too, by the way...).

Now let's get back to the "big powers". There are quite a few in the world actually. My opinion is that Lucanor will MOST DEFINITELY try to get in touch with as many of them as possible, getting advantage of the confusion caused by the war. He's already acquired the alliance of an Hecatondies Sigma, but he definitely WON'T stop just like that. He's probably interested in recruiting surviving members of Eljared's Conclave. It's unlikely that Lilith (I'm referring to Eljared's Conclave member, not Heaven Order's one), or Dorian Dee will collaborate with anyone, but Youko Kyubi might decide to help if convinced Lucanor is somewhat heir to Eljared's ideals. As for Exodo, he's just following Youko and will probably keep doing so. As for Orgus Zangros, his host (Zhoul Orgus) probably suffered sufficient damage to be unable to stop any longer his transformation. After the Dragon has taken over the body of the mage it must have fled the battlefield. Possibly Imperium let it go because their enemy was the wizard helping Eljared, but the wyrm itself was of no interest to them as long as it didn't interfere with what they were doing and very likely the wyrm wasn't interested in Eljared's schemes as of himself. I suppose things went this way because Orgus Zangros is named among the "alive" Gaira's Dragons in "Those who walked among us". In my campaign he's momentarily hiding in a very safe place, but with due time he'll plan something against the Imperium both because he's one of the mayor Gaira's agents on Gaia and because he's Noah's Dragon, so his fighting spirit should bring him to battle, although he has to recover and this may take some time (after all when a DRAGON plans to do something soon, he may as well mean within a couple hundred years...). As for Malekith, there's no doubt Lucanor will try to find a "safe" way of contacting him and any other high level being hidden in Graven (or anywhere else in the Wake), but I don't believe Lucanor would ever "risk" any such powerful ally in the war. Having them enter the frey wouldn't only put their existences in danger, but most importantly it would EXPOSE them to public knowledge, and recall Imperium's attention, which is the very least thing Lucanor desires. He doesn't know that Imperium cannot touch him, supposedly and besides even if he knew, he wouldn't bet his life on a treaty between Imperium and other powers...As for the Messengers, yes, again Lucanor might be interested in getting in touch with some of them and acquiring somehow their services. Some of them might be reasonable as allies, other wouldnt...Lucanor won't bother getting in his organization anything he cannot "control" to some degree. He's not that stupid. Secrecy will be his best weapon to the very end if he's planning to go against Imperium. Beings like The Awakened or Ra-Me-Tek, or Tiamat would surely fit in power-wise, but they would never have the subtlery he requires to bring forth his plans, nor the will to serve under anyone's banner. On the other hand Ambrosia, although definitely NOT WILLING TO SERVE, might be interested in a collaboration if the Prince of Lucrecio can offer her something she might be interested in. Supposedly the Imperium should be her enemy too, since Imperium is aiming to destroy both Shajads and Berils (and she's Barakiel's Avatar...). Also, consider this IS a JRPG setting. Sometimes reasons behind actions of very powerful individuals might just be whims of some kind.

Another power which should be taken into account is the awakening of Demeter Stratos. Once he awakens he'll find himself in a world where his master has disappeared and his war has long been lost...still I can't imagine such a powerful and serious individual just go rampage to be found out and destroyed by (at least) a couple Jurgand teams. He's more likely to hide (as much as a guy as powerful as him can) and try to understand the solution and see if he can somehow manage to get Remiel back to Gaia. If I were Lucanor, I'd rather try to acquire such an amazing couple aid. If he managed to help them reunite, they'd be honor-bound to help him however they could. Besides, Imperium is definitely their ancient enemy, so I doubt they'd have any issue with going along with Lucanor's agenda.

Another guy Lucanor would probably be interested in getting back is Loctus Khan Schwartzwald. He's probably the only master-figure Lucanor would ever admit and if he could be brought back to his senses he would both prove an extremely powerful weapon and (which is most important) an incredible asset for Wissenshaft's research group. Lucanor must definitely be looking for him and it's only a matter of time before he manages to locate the Doctor...I believe Lucanor wouldn't ask others to capture him, though, since he'd probably go and speak to him personally.

As smart as he is, Lucanor could also offer a position in Requiem/Wissenshaft to Alexias, which is soon to have problems remaining within the Inquisition. Again the greatest advantage wouldn't be acquiring an amazing individual (Level 11 Shadow Ancient Blood is simply amazing), but gaining insight into the Inquisition, which is bound sooner or later to be an opposing organization (there's no way Wissenshaft and Inquisition may meld/coexist). Alexias is cornered, so he should be eager to find a way to run to safety with his pup...and I can't even start to think of the potential of such an individual once he's processed AND is given access to technology he can use just by instinct...

We could discuss forever on who and who wouldn't be of interest or join Lucanor's forces, but for the most part it's bejond the scope of this tread, because Lucanor WON'T use his most powerful allies except for very important undercover missions. He's keeping them for later, for when he's ready to give battle to the Imperium and he knows far too well that he's far from it.

Personally I don't have clear ideas about how Maleith should act. Manifesting too much power outside Moth's borders would be very dangerous even for him (again, it means reavealing yourself to the Powers in the Shadows).

Some of the "out of politics" events may have strong influence on it. Let's say something triggers awakening of Pistis Sophia. Even if it gets shut-down later (otherwise the world is as much as doomed) it will meanwhile have caused a total devastation of Dwanholf territories with all this ensues and earthquakes will have shocked the entire world. This may easily change everithing. What if something big happens in Eldiah or if Alystaire succeeds in some of her big-bad rituals?

Also the situation in the north might have unpredictable turns if whatever Jean Pierre Delacroix has been doing in Alessa finally bears its fruits. What if it brings forth an Undead war between Black Sun's Constructs and old-style undeads led by Hangrim the Immortal? Sterki's strength would be caught in the middle, probably, with very umpredictable effects on the situation. What does Lucanor want to do with Black Sun? It would be in his best interests to absorb the organization in his own, since it would grant access to tons of useful artifacts. Still it's unlikely that the Delacroix at this point will be interested in sharing their power. A better bet would be offering help to the Steiner family to get rid of the hideous stuff brought forth by the Black Sun (only to relegate the Steiner to the level of "business partners", later on), something which ISN'T going to be easy anyway, even with all Wissenshaft power. Delacroix are a power not to be taken lightly.

Nerelas is another power to be taken into account. Will Sylvia manage to stop him? Will anyone manage to do so? If not, it's pretty clear he's going to cause some ruckus. He might devastate entire areas (causing great losses to whatever faction is controlling the affected areas in that precise moment). Even if stopped, it's likely that a pretty big "party" will have to deal with him, meaning a few strong guys will die in the attempt probably, guys which could make difference on a battlefield. Of course he might be stopped by a group of wandering adventurers which weren't going to fight on a battlefield anyway, but still...also, Nerelas actions will most definitely summon the Imperium's attention. Kagami seems like smartass enough to vanish as soon as Imperium fixes his eye on Nerelas (carrying with himself whatever he's interested in). Probably Nerelas has foreseen it and will take measures, but I believe the situation should get chaotic enough to let Kagami slip away. He would definitely fit well in Wissenshaft if he's interested in biting back at Imperium.

Same goes with Ophiel's faction in Samael. They won't just make themselves "public". They'll probably act in a really devastating way and might influence in a way or another the outcome of war (I'd say that most of their collateral damage should interest The Episcopal States territories, but since Samael is distributed worldwide Ophiel might also be planning something nasty to strike the Empire or somewhere else). Dinah's faction might also take her chance to find some "peace" with the world. Elisabetta would definitely be their best bet. She's shown great open-mindedness and it's very unlikely she wouldn't try her best to find a solution. Since Azur is probably allying with conservatory church, there's no way Samael can deal with them. Also, Samael has already some "treaty" with Lucrecio, and Lucanor himself would "advice" them to search for the Empress protection if they are to become public. Last but not least, the Empress has power over Tol Rauko (while no-one has power over Inquisition, except for the church and not its most tolerant fringe, for sure), meaning her protection would dissuade the Templars for hunting non-dangerous unhumans (Tol-Rauko would probably act in a way similar to the Requiem, toward non-humans. I don't think the Marshal would discuss Elisabetta's orders, both because he's already pledged loyalty and because acting against the Empress orders would be completely against the "spirit" of the organization itself.

Probably the BEST way for Dinah to act would be directly thwarting a few Ophiel plans. This wouldn't make Samael a DIRECT enemy of Azur (after all, you may never know who's going to win the war) and would show how non-humans are ready to defend humanity even against other unhumans. Simply put, it would be the best way of showing that "not all unhuman are the same". Same goes if they thwarted Nerelas plans or something like this. If inhumans want to find a place among humanity they must show they're not just some weapon to be used in the tides of war, but a dependable ally against worst crisis. In a later time, they might decide to join the war, of course. Also, similar "plans" could be carried out in the north. It's very possible that Erick Sterki will accept inhumans as far as they prove to be something else than just monsters. As for the rest of the world, The Episcopal States are out of questions and the same goes with the Azur Alliance as far as they remain allied. Frankly I don't recall how inhumans are regarded in the Eastern Lands, but the "history" of those nations is going to diverge for a while from that of the mainland (just like for most nations of the new continent). On the other hand, helping Kashmir and Baho drive away the Azur invader would be perfect way of starting a new good relationship with the local populations. As for lands of Al'Enneth...well it depends mostly on how the Dark Sultan stuff is dealth. Inhumans are already working hard to drive the Dark Sultan away, so if with due time, they succeed they might get a good favor, but again perhaps their best bet is showing their interest in driving away Argos/Dominion forces. Once things get under the Pharaoh's control and "more enlightened" aptitude (he is leader of the less fanatical current in Jihamath religion), this might be a very good opportunity for Samael over there. Needless to say, anyway, it will take a very long time for inhumans to become accepted worldwide, no matter how much "good" impression they make during the war and there will always be places where they get more accepted than others. Of course actions of Samael will also influence non-affiliated inhumans, making things even more complex.

Oh, by the way, when all's said and done I haven't EVEN taken into account the possibility that Eljared's still alive...If she somehow appeared again it would make things much more complicated. Despite Eljared's objectives were pretty noble, in fact, most of the world (including the Empress herself) sees her as a mayor villain (as is for Rah, after all). Lucanor would surely be eager to collaborate with her, but this would contrast with everything else. As far as I'm concerned I assume that IF SHE SURVIVED (a matter I haven't still decided on, for my setting) she will be hiding for a very long while and maneuver things from FAR AWAY where she can be fully sure the Imperium cannot catch-up to her. She knows full-well Imperium's potential having been a member of it and she's powerful enough to hide her for eternity. She would never do anything dangerous to her, right now and will probably keep watching preparing her entrance for when her showdown is really needed.

Another problematic guy is Donoban Van Horstman. He's another powerful ally the Wissenshaft would be interested in...BUT he's also one that cannot be put in the same place as Exodo...I believe that Lucanor could have a few headaches trying to find a way to gain the service of both...but he's a genie, so he could possibly think of something. Perhaps some intervention by Thadeus might somehow come in handy to calm down Exodo...but such sub-plots are entirely personal. You should manage them as you see fit.

There are a few more "big players" that can turn completely battlefields (Nemesis, Lazarus, Millenium...) but really such characters are so enigmatic you could just decide to have them do anything or nothing in your campaign. Certainly they can change the outcome of war...but it's impossible to make any guess on how and why they should act in favor of a side or another, so there's no point in discussing them here.

That's another piece of my analisis of what should ensue in the world of Gaia...hope it wasn't too boring!

There are a few ways you can mold the existing milieu into a really epic campaign - I prefer the route of the supernaturals myself, as it doesn't seem to me that tech vs. tech could ever win, especially when all that can be pulled together on Gaia is second-rate used stuff left over from Solomon. Even if some power acquires the 30 Pieces, they are just following in Rah's footsteps, and should they win, they become subject to the same corruption that the Imperium exhibits. Tech is just a type of necromancy, it is against everything other than itself, and is detrimental to humanity and the soul flow in general.

IMO, Eljared is Rah's creation (the Anima), and Nemesis is Rah's reincarnation, albeit without much of a soul. The two of them together are the reverse situation of Rah and his creation before the cataclysm. Instead of fighting the Imperium on a battlefield like a man while the woman sleeps, 'she' fights the Imperium like a super-spy while the man sleeps. In that view, the War of God isn't over. Eljared caused enough confusion and compromised the Imperium enough to let a GM's campaign play the role of the next great muster to war.

The main weakness of a control freak is ignorance - if you don't know about it, you can't control it. Auspice going down was the poisoned dagger, so its only a matter of time now. With Auspice ruined, they no longer have a strangle hold on what people are thinking, and can't suppress curiosity or learning. This is the best window of opportunity for the powers we just talked about - probably the only opportunity the Supernatural is going to get to strike back at the Powers in the Shadow. If the Imperium's systems are fully repaired and vulnerabilities patched, Gaia will go the way of the Borg, forever. That will be your epic player character's campaign failure.

There are elements of LoTR at this stage of Gaia's politics - a small group of influential people working for Lucanor, (or representing their own interests if the GM has helped a player become a Child of Destiny), could sow these threads and help the right events to transpire that would motivate these powers and provide humanity with a chance of winning. Their strength, like the hobbits, would be that they are basically unknown to the world theater.

I have a plan that is a bit of a twist on all this, and some things established in my campaign for a few of these big powers - but to your point, its most likely that only some of these Major Forces will actually get involved for the buildup, and even after everything starts rolling, they may choose to stay neutral because they are afraid of a wrathful victor (Imperium), especially if the players in this struggle become known to them, which is a reasonable assumption.

If you want to leave the PCs in a minor role, then you have to decide which biggie is going to step up, but (again just IMO) I think Lucanor is too obvious of a prime candidate. He's like a Red Herring that could become a carp an any minute, so nobody is going to take their eyes off him. But at the 11th hour, if Something Else occurred (whether Lucanor knows/planned it or not) it could catch Imperium off guard, and make it safe enough for all these hiding things to come out into the open.

It's not like everything shall keep hiding from Imperium forever, but most "clever" things will do so UNTIL a serious plan to attack Imperium is ready. As for PC, I don't think their world should be "without Imperium" (they should ignore its existence) at least until they are Lev14 or so. Only very few mortals in Gaia know of Imperium and things tend to remain as that. Interaction with such powers would crush practically any party (Eljared and friends were shattered after all, and we're talking about a level 18+ party over there...).

Eljared is pretty clearly Rah's creation. The Unapnistim, Rah's Machine, was a "tube" for birthing a protodeus. She's much like a Jurgand, but instead of being designed and trained especially for war, she was let learn her own way. It's not a case that she was recruited very soon by the Imperium and that she owns such a strong hatred toward it. She could possibly hear Rah while she was inside the Machine and as such inherited his mission. As for Nemesis, personally I doubt he's somehow Rah's body without a soul...it's made pretty clear that Rah's existence was obliterated body and soul by the activation of the machine.

Eljared awoke Nemesis during one of her travels. He's probably some experimental protodeus that Solomon was giving birth to. Actually the reason why Imperium destroyed Solomon is because the latter had found a way to produce protodues, becoming too much of a problem for the Imperium itself. The thirty black pieces are no scrap technology. They are an "evolving" technology, allowing to reach highest technological levels (orbital bombing satellites, cannot be taken easily, even by Imperium). Besides technology is magic-entwined in Gaia's world (its only natural that in a world where magic exists and works, it gets entwined with technology), so it can achieve both more than magic alone and technology alone! Right now on Gaia, most people can do is trying to recover pieces of scrap and make use of it, but should technology start to evolve again, it can topple the balance. For example Delacroix family has now been mixing technology and necromancy for a while and some of its creations would be a match for Imperium agents (the Crossraikers, but also Ragnarok, whatever it is or Jean Pierre "The Ghost Angel"). Wissenshaft is using information from the pieces to develop its own technology, although Solomon mecha seem to be still more powerful than Wissenshaft ones (Legacy of Solomon is more powerful, at least in the miniature game, than all other Wissenshaft Gears). Perhaps Wissenshaft newest invention, the Theurgia, might be something interesting. As for genetics, Wissenshaft is still far from reaching Imperium's levels, BUT I believe Solomon had almost reached it and that's why it was doomed. Actually Imperium acted just in time BEFORE they could pose a threat, meaning that given due time, they could. That's the reason why one of Imperium's top priorities is getting back the 30 pieces. Unadvertedly they have released in the world the true mean for their destruction.

Of course pure mystical powers are also to be considered. I'm not referring to either magic or psichics (who seem to be very few in the setting, however...just give a look at Gaia and you'll notice how few mentalists are among people that count), but to sheer divine power. Acutally Shajads and Berils are unaware of Imperium's plan to destroy them. Should they become aware, it's likely they too will prepare something for defence. Rallying their 100%Elan warriors would make alone an incredible force (although I don't know if THERE ARE right now on Gaia a 100% Elan guy for everyone...). They could actually rally all their 80+Elan guys assembling a small army of hyper-talented mortals...with powers that Imperium cannot access, which is most important. The reason why Barnabas wants Shajads/Berils destruction, is they hold a power he cannot possess or imitate in any way. Elan powers are something that is beyond magic and psychics (beyond fantasy, if you like...). Of course there will always be quarrels between Shajads and Berils and some of them will always remain beyond any possibility of collaboration (Zemial and Edamiel come quickly to my mind), but otherwise their "champions" have collaborated now and then...and if they feel threatened, they will try to put aside their differencies even for a small while.

Actually, if Berils and Shajads begin to understand how much they're in danger, they might go as far as start "giving" wishingly their blessings to individuals. Right now, having syncrony with them is a mere coincidence. Most people don't venerate these gods and they simply gain gifts because their souls somehow become "akin" to the Gods' ones. Still, Berils/Shajads should be able to willingly offer powers to mortals in a way similar to that of deities in other worlds. The reason they're not doing so is that they decided not to intervene in the world long ago (Elan is still a side effect, one they use to their advantage, but a side effect). If they felt threatened they could start to give powers (and hence breed cults upon themselves), bringing to the births of "Clerics" in the setting (I've actually made house rules for clerics in Gaia, I suppose I shall post them somewhere else). This would have the effect of increasing the cult of Berils/Shajads and this would eventually end-up giving them more powers.

Elric of Melniboné said:

This is a big part of my campaign, I've done something similar - basically, a few of the Wyrms of the Shajads and Beryls have been helping various individuals who are synchronized to their masters. Since they are closely bonded with their dragons, and deities tend toward omniscience, any secret dealings will eventually become known. At this point the deities are vaguely 'dreaming' to the agents of the Wyrms, inheriting an unconscious involvement with these people. The moment they become fully aware of such connections, clerics will come into existence - for better or worse.

On the earthly side, contactees have begun restoring ancient sites or building new temples to their Shajad/Beryl - in many cases the cult is devoted to a concept they believe in, but is really just an aspect of the Shajad/Beryl based on their limited understanding (this situation already exists between the Church and Mikael). Once cults start inducting members and teaching a doctrine, if initiates embrace the deity, they can't help but synchronize.

The thing that I have not worked out yet is, how to expand the Elan modifier tables to include deliberate acts like Geas quests and devotional works.

I'm so sorry I never returned to this topic until 9 years later. My game came into, almost literally, a decade-long hiatus. But this has been a very interesting read and gave me a lot of inspiration for my hopefully continuation of my saga.