AAR: The Seven Year War of Ascencion, AAR from Celebrities from Ermor's POV

[Numahr]

Year 1 of the Ascension Wars

Origins

Ermor is the true heir of the earlier Ermor Empire, but it has been for ever marked by fool experiments in necromancy. The Death Cult, led by Thaumaturges, has taken control over the empire.



Mors Nihil Est, a great being of stellar rock taking the appearance of a wise Sphinx, has promised them to deliver them from the curse of Death: “Under my blessing, your injured bodies, going through Death as a second birth, shall become light and reunite with the Stars”.

At this point he can already demonstrate his Godly powers over sacred Shadow Vestals blessed by Thaumaturges: when stroke with a lethal blow, the stars twist their fates and give them, in practice, a second life. In addition to demonstrating Mors Nihil Est’s divine nature, this power will prove useful to conquer the known world, a condition for the true divine power of the new God to reach their full extent.


Mors Nihil Est, “Death is Nothing”, holds tremendous Astral power (9) as well as impressive Earth power (5).

A being of such supreme power had, obviously, made the previous Pantakrator jealous. For this reason, the Sphinx is now inert, his spirit imprisoned in an astral plane far away from this world. His awakening is close, and he can affect the world indirectly through his bless on Shadow Vestals as well as his Dominion, until he finds he way back to his physical incarnation.

The Dominion of a Pretender God is the spiritual strength he exerts over the world of mortals. The dominion of Mors Nihil Est is exceptionally strong. The very strict daily rituals all his followers must respect create a society ruled by a severe sense of order, but somehow impacts negatively the production of goods. As a being of stellar nature, he can play with the fate within his dominion and he brings Luck to all his followers’ endeavors, as well as a slightly greater sense of the arcane dimension surrounding them.



Later, when he awakens, Mors Nihil Est will be able to affect the world more directly, mostly by spell casting. In particular, his powers will allow him summoning Granite Cyclopes, creating Golems, forging Crystal magical items and casting a wide variety of powerful Astral spells. The most powerful of those would turn him into the Nexus of Arcane Power of the whole world. Such a powerful spell requires a long preparation and must be used with caution, as it can cause all competing Pretenders to ally in a desperate crusade against him. But it may grant him the key to true Godhood.

[Numahr]

Emergence of an Empire

Spring and summer: set backs in early expansion

In early summer, the first army sent by Ermor to conquer the world is made of Velites and Alea Legionnaire holding the centre, and Shadow Vestals on the left flank, ready to turn the enemy.



The Thaumaturge commands over the Vestals and grants them Mors Nihil Est’s bless, Unholy Protection against Banishment and Unholy Power – which makes them move and attack at an unnatural speed. A Centurion commands over the infantry.

This army conquers only one province before being defeated in mid-summer by a charge of knights, in the Glimmering Fields. One third of the troops are killed and the rest runs away.



In late summer, a new army is sent to conquer the world, led by the Thaumaturge Sextus, with more Shadow Vestals and the first contingent of undead cavalry, a new specialty of Ermor’s armies.



The defeat of the first Ermorian army by the knights of the Glimmering Field is worrying Ermorian officials. It causes Ermor loosing the competition with other nations for expansion against independent fiefdoms and tribes.


Number of provinces controlled by the world’s nations; early fall in the year 1 of the Ascension Wars. Ermor (violet) is last, while Abysia (red) and Pangea (green) have twice more provinces.