It was in middle of July when the Emperor Nargo XXV decided to take a wife. There had been troubles in the provinces, assassination attempts on his very person, and a general state of unease in the capital. Some of his counselors thought a wedding and the attendant celebrations would take the populace's mind off of the issues. A few thought a wife might serve to attract assassins away from the Emperor himself. A few thought the idea was nonsense. More than a few wondered, "Why a wedding?"

It was in the middle of July when the Emperor Nargo XXV laid eyes on Kaede Takeda. The issue became settled.

The streets of Nargoth City were strewn with cherry blossoms to welcome this delicate daughter of the Jade Empire. With her came ten strong men and ten lovely girls, her bodyguard and attendants. The lady herself rode through the streets in a palanquin, shading her delicate complexion from the midday sun. If any thought her exotic beauty was any less than stunning, none dared to say so. Crowds thronged the streets, and a general holiday was declared. By the largess of the emperor, bread and wine were distributed freely to the people, so that they might share in his wedding feast.

By sunset, the daughter of a cast-out yakuza was addressed as "Empress." She charmed the advisors and delegates with her demure manner and cast-down eyes. A few sighs of relief were breathed. A few more were not. Certain spies were gathering information on this Jade flower who some believed was not the foreign dignitary she claimed to be.

The celebrations lasted long into the night, and much strong wine was drunk. Finally, as even the moon herself sought her bed, the revelers retired.

It was the middle of July when Nargoth City saw its bloodiest coup since Everus tore the scepter from his twin brother.

Ten strong men and ten pretty girls silently stole from their quarters, scattering throughout the imperial complex. Advisors who had counseled against the wedding died. Advisors who had sent out certain spies died. Blood relatives of the Emperor died. Especially dead was Agrippina, who had sent assassins to Brodeln mere months before. Any man or woman who was deemed too loyal to Nargo XXV was killed, quickly and silently, in their chambers. Nargo XXV himself had only seconds to stare in bewilderment at the sinuous tattoos which bedecked his new bride before she thrust a steel hairpin through his eye.

The next dawning, a great wailing arose. The new Empress tottered behind one of the surviving advisors, weeping openly, as he solemnly declared that the drow assassins which had been plaguing the imperial family had returned in great force last night, drawn out by the great celebrations. The holiday would continue, he said, but it would be a funerary celebration now.

Word spread. Rumors spread. The Empress expressed a desire to travel to SilverStar within weeks – she didn't feel safe in the city, she said. She and her retinue, and a goodly fraction of the Imperial administrative machine, trekked back to the west. The arm of the Nargoth Legion which was heading for Ched Nasad was halted and commanded to defend the new, temporary capital instead.

Within a month, two other claimants to the Imperial throne arose. One, a distant relation to Nargo XXV, claimed the power should descend along the imperial bloodline, not over to a foreign woman. The other, a general in the army, thought he could simply take the Empire by force.

The Imperial Legions shattered. Of its five arms, Kaede commanded the loyalty of two. One was with her in SilverStar, the other stationed by the old capital. Teritus, Nargo XXV's distant cousin, got the backing of the large arm then positioned by the Legasha Forest. General Severus commanded one of the arms around Nargoth City. The general of the fifth arm was hesitating, not sure whom to back. The Urala problem was quite forgotten.

In Brodeln, Patricia apprised the newly mobile Sara Red of the situation. The Empire, she said, was torn. There would be no war, and Urala could go its separate way unnoticed. Unless, of course, Kaede fell quickly. Then things would return to the status quo and the army would soon come knocking. Wasn't it perhaps in everyone's best interest to assist the Empress in her new endeavor?

The Resistance forces mulled this over. In the midst of their debates arrived a short traveler. The large-nosed, tiny woman claimed to have come from far to the north, at the request of one Stan of Lli'ira. Did someone need an illusionist? Oh, and she had brought her apprentices…

Taking inspiration from the antics of Fantasies Fulfilled, Sara scripted what came to be known as "The Armies of Elfland." With some trepidation, the Brodeln army marched north and east, to the Legasha Forest, to meet the forces allied with Teritus.

Teritus was not expecting an attack from that quarter. Indeed, no one had been expecting the breakaway province to do anything offensive at all. Nights before the main army arrived, sentries spotted what they reported to be weird elven rites on the perimeter. Shots were fired, but none of the arrows seemed to fell any foes as they cavorted about bonfires and chanted in tongues. When the dawn came, if they investigated the spot, they found their own arrows but little else except some faint marks in the grass. Rumor spread of some fell elven enchantment being called down, and of ghostly elves immune to weapons.

The Urala army marched through the night to make a sudden appearance at dawn. While they marched, the illusionists went on ahead. It was a night of terror in the Imperial camps, with ogres fading out of the gloom and wreaking some havoc before disappearing back into it. Strange whispers came from the shadows, and tittering laughter echoed at the edges of the firelight. Two patrols were insubordinate, refusing to march the perimeter. The arm's war wizards suspected enchantments and tried to deconstruct them. They had some successes, but the sinister voices and lights and shadows kept on. Somehow, a rumor got started that, while some of the noises were really glamouries, there were some that the mages couldn't undo, that they were real.

Just before the dawn, the sounds and shapes pulled back. Creatures of the night, the soldiers thought with some relief. They'd have some respite during the day. The Brodeln illusionists pulled back, hastily recalling the new forms they'd need to cast for the dawn assault.

A strange, luminous mist covered the fields at the dawning. Sentries stared at the horizon, pleased to see no bugaboos in the clear light of day. That was when, as silently as a whisper of wind, Sara's Army stepped over the hill.

The Lord and Lady were at the forefront, modeled on the elves' thoughts of Oberon and Titania. Twenty feet tall, the Lord was terribly beautiful. Great stag's antlers grew from his temples, and his huge bow was pointed right into the thick of the Legion's ranks. The Lady was no less terrifying, her tresses stirred by an unfelt breeze, with glowing death cupped in her hands.

Flanking them were their treant guards, great oak trees that shambled alongside. A man could be crushed beneath their mobile roots before they could be felled. The centaurs were there as well, wielding bows and spears. And more elves than Imperial intelligence said lived in both the Legasha and the Kangrel combined were gathered about the rear.

The soldiers, still frightened of the events of the night before, believed. Their war wizards viewed the scene with skepticism and told them to hold their ground while they undid the glamoury. Three of them gathered together, seeking the magic constructs holding the illusions together.

Up on the hill, the little gnomish woman's forehead beaded with sweat as she poured energy into her Lord and Lady. Spotting the wizards seeking to dispel them, she nodded at Sara, standing beside her. Then she had the Lady hurl the energy she held.

The wizards held fast, unbelieving. They had the satisfaction of seeing the glowing ball turn translucent as it neared them. Then one felt something small and hard strike his chest an instant before the world turned to flames around them.

The Legions of Faerie charged, the Lord's bow twanging. Its huge arrow plowed through the earth of the enemy camp. That was all the evidence the soldiers needed. They fled in a panic, away from the creatures of childhood's nightmares.

The Urala Irregulars were waiting for them. Teritus's forces were decimated as they ran pell-mell into the shield wall. The armies were fairly evenly matched for manpower, and Urala was still operating as an organized unit. Teritus was later found dead in his tent, with a large venomous snake for company.

By the end of August/beginning of September:

Kaede has consolidated her power in the provinces of Brindon and Lendelwood (i.e., most of the West Coast, north to south). She has pulled back the other arm of the Legion loyal to her to help defend it, leaving Nargoth City to General Severus. He has opted to use its symbolic power and isn't sure how badly he wants to claim more territory. With Teritus dead and his forces between Kaede and the East, he can effectively claim Legasha province and Urala province. Right now, he is not interested in subduing the Urala Resistance, assuming they will celebrate their victory over Teritus and leave well enough alone.

The Yakuza will be asking Urala to not trade foodstuffs with Severus. Since Urala province is a large breadbasket, particularly for Legasha province, Severus may have to take action if they agree to withhold grain after the harvest.

The elves of the Kangrel are watching events unfold with interest… indeed, it is even as their cousins foretold. The humans can be made to fight each other. Their arrows may show up in battles near their lands, assisting whichever side seems to be losing at the moment. They want to prolong this conflict by helping to evenly match the sides. Since much of the fighting is likely to be in or near the Middle Forest, they can wreak quite a bit of havoc there.

The Red Serpents are quite dismayed at this turn of events: their deadliest enemy now has claimed Imperial power. Imperial troops smashed their presence in Korem, much to Kaede's satisfaction. She now also claims Avodor. Serpents there are negotiating with Severus's forces to act against Kaede's interest. Such activity is mirrored in Nargoth City, where the Sapphire Assassin is in private negotiations with the Emperor-General.

The Sharrans are quite annoyed. War kills people who might languish and worship Shar otherwise. However, the general turbulence is an opportunity. Their cells spread out to the front, offering Shar's dark comfort to those affected by the fighting to come.

The drow agents of Shadowholme in Nargoth City have "sold" the Black Star Trading Coster to one of their charmed human assistants. No longer trading in slaves, they've entered the intoxicant trade as a way to render large numbers of humans docile and ineffective. Drugged and/or charmed human servants hold more than a little appeal to them. The drow in Shadowholme are still cleaning up the remnants of the drow army vanquished largely by the avatar of Vhaeraun.

Both Kaede and Severus, despite their advisors, wish to test the strength of the other before negotiating a peace. Severus, now well aware of who and what Kaede is, has taken extraordinary security precautions with his person. (Sapphire has helped in advising him on defenses against assassinations). He is already gaining a reputation as a paranoid – but, given the spates of assassinations in recent days, it's generally seen as justified. The citizens of Nargoth City are generally confused, but Severus has made sure to enforce his imperial authority and placate them with more gifts and holidays. They're just as happy now as they were with Nargo XXV. The other towns under his sway generally prefer him to Kaede. The towns under her sway were mostly Yakuza to begin with. Dalen is a general den of thieves and pirates, which has never been really successfully ruled in decades by anyone. Korem is mostly happy to see its old protector return. Avodor's population isn't sure what to think yet, although the Serpents there are, as mentioned, unhappy.

Given the support of the Red Serpents there, Severus is most likely to first engage Takeda's forces at Avodor. Any Sharrans there are most likely to ally with the Serpents, since their bullying tactics produce more discontent than the lawful Yakuza.

The Harpers are still taking stock of the situation. Some agents are likely to make it into Urala to help the province keep its newfound freedom. Things have heated up for Solomon since the PCs visit, and he'll be heading south as well.

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