The Empire of Tamriel: Sir Mazog Musters An Army 30th Hearthfire, 4E 203

Throughout the past week Sir Mazog has been invoking his power as a new member of the Elder Council to take command of the Imperial Legion troops stationed in and around the Imperial City to try to raise an army to recapture Leyawin from the Akaviri. Scouts have reported that the Akaviri have settled into Leyawin, which is still badly damaged from the first battle of Leyawin when the Nibenean Empire defended the city from Akavir's first invasion earlier in the year. The enemy has not repaired the damage to the walls of Leyawin. which were left badly damaged when the city was abandoned, though they have fortified this with entrenchments around the massive gap in the wall. Overall the scouts estimate that the Akavir forces number somewhere just a shade under 10,000. About 2,000 of the Akavir forces are divided from the main force which occupies the city. These guard the ships of the Akaviri stationed in the harbor area just outside the city and provide supplies for the occupiers.

From the Imperial Legionnaires, mostly hardy heavy infantry, Sir Mazog has only been able to take command of about 2,000 troops and a few ships. This has prompted Sir Mazog to lobby the other nations and factions of the Empire of Tamriel for aid, asking them to either contribute troops or else send armies of their own if they are near enough. The orc knight, remembering his previous encounter with the Akavir forces notes that when he fought the Akaviri the last time the Tamrielic forces suffered heavy set backs due to the lack of mages to counter the Kamal ice mages of Akavir. Asking the Mage's Guild for aid, whose headquarters are in the Imperial City, the official guild of wizards in Tamriel added about 100 skilled mages to the army, and about 200 novice mages.

However, when asking for aid from the Mage's Guild the Thalmor became aware of this situation. The Thalmor are the elves of the Aldmeri Dominion, which for the past years in Tamriel has withdrawn mostly to their homelands of Valenwood and the Sumerset Isles, being made up of the wood elves and high elves, they have maintained the east of Tamriel quietly fading as the western provinces have undergone much change and decentralization following the collapse of former super states and the decentralized autonomy of states and peoples that has dominated Tamrielic politics for the last two years. The Thalmor whom are still connected to the Empire, mostly with the Mages Guild, sent envoys to Sir Mazog offering to contribute about 5,000 elite troops from nearby Valenwood, mostly skilled Bosmer archers, but also some decent Altmer mages, which are stationed nearby at the border of Cyrodil and Valenwood. The Thalmor can reinforce the army at Leyawin within about a week or so of hard marching.

Sir Mazog whom has relocated near Bravil with his small army, and to raise additional troops from Bravil, has declined this. He notes that Blankenmarsh the faction made up of mostly refugees from the collapse Nibenean Empire which formed in Bravil has a strong distrust of the Aldmeri Dominion, particularly the Altmer. Slightly offended the Aldmeri Dominion demanded that a small attache be allowed to join the army to at least observe the Empire's movements. Allowing this, fifty highly skilled Thalmor mages joined the force, they are led by two high elves, a brother and sister, named Tizona and Colada. Though their main mission is to act as military advisors and observers for the Aldmeri Dominion, they have agreed to provide some degree of their magical expertise to help bolster the army's magical abilities.

Hoping to avoid needing to call upon the Thalmor, as it may lead to unrest within the Imperial forces whom are wary of the Aldmeri Dominion, Sir Mazog sends out some last minute messengers throughout Tamriel asking for aid once again. He notes particularly that Argonia and black marsh are near Leyawin, and as one of the Elder Council members, and one of the few superstates left in the West, that they could reasonably field an army big enough and quickly enough to deal with the Akaviri on their own. Since the other Elder Council members are still in the vicinity and have small armies present to protect their Elder Councillors that were recently appointed by the The Emperor of Tamriel, Sir Mazog also asks Alofstead, Dreughia, and The finnish militariatto send what forces they have in the Imperial City with him. Sir Mazog theorizes that the Dreughs particularly, whom are usually hostile water dwelling octopus-like people, might be able to do significant damage to the Akaviri navy with even a small amount of their elite marine forces whom can live in the water. Mazog strategizes that if the Dreughs assist him that they could secure the large and strategically important mouth of the Niben River. Finally Sir Mazog notes that a large part of the Imperial Legion under the command of Princess Clivia of the knights of Nadd are stationed in Bruma which they had taken up months a go to defend Cyrodil's northern border and passes into lawless Skyrim. Since the borderlands with Skyrim have been relatively peaceful lately Sir Mazog suggests to the knights of Nadd that their cavalry could reach the battlefield fairly quickly, though a larger army of foot soldiers might take a while to move that far south.

With his final requests for reinforcements dispatched, Sir Mazog has raised about 1,000 good troops, and about 3,000 light conscripted militia from around Bravil, bringing his total current forces near 6,500 total troops. He has announced secretly in his messages that he will march upon Leyawin at the weekend to lay siege to it, and depending on the aid he gets, attempt an assault. Any nearby nations can send forces to Bravil, or if they are far away they send their forces directly to Leyawin. Warning the more distant nations to be vigilant in case the Akaviri may have sent invasion forces to their provinces, the orc bandit turned knight turned Elder Councilor continues raising and drilling his army, slowly moving his camp southwards towards the impending battle for Leyawin.