1875-04-27: The Blockade of Eosphora
The Blockade of Eosphora
Summary: (His Grace) Augustin sets the blockade of Eosphora into motion.
Date: 1875-04-27
Related: Anything related to the Aequorian Civil War.
NPCs: None.
Players:
Augustin  

And so it was, that Aequor's blockade took shape, sealing the rivers that lead into the traitorous lands of Eosphora. Nothing in, nothing out.

East of d'Beau, the river was blocked with a barrier of chained logs that stretched the breadth of the river itself, each end held fast by a small but sturdy wooden tower, that was if anything continuing to be reinforced, given its hasty raising. Likewise two earthern forts had been dug either side of the river, each fort dug out by local peasants and overseen by the marines and sailors so posted to ensure the security of that river. With the few merchant vessels commandeered into service repurposed with caroballista and a berth for more archers if needed or sent, archers were also stationed within the earthworks and their braziers burned day and night, ensuring that fire arrows were quite the possibility if so ordered, ready to set sails ablaze and render vessels attempting to break the blockade victims of the river's flow, and the booms strung across them.

Beacons ensured some light was cast along the waters and surrounding lands come the night. With a small detachment of marines armed with muskets, not to mention lines of communication with the other blockades, it was shaping up to be quite a boring detail, but a necessary one. Though the earthworks seemed lacking in powder artillery, it was known to the Aequorian command staff of the Eosphora Blockade that cannon, notoriously slow to move, were a few weeks out.

East of d'Guardine, nestled amidst the fork of two rivers that split into the Aequorian heartlands, a singular earthwork was dug into the ground, and given over to the archers and marines who stood watch, the earthwork was well defended, and with the river to the north slung with a chained river boom, slung either side to the increasingly reinforced boom towers, and the stockpile of timber that not only shored up their defenses, but slowly took shape in the form of other pieces of heavy artilley, trebuchet and ballistae. With the merchant vessels anchored, their own carobalistae or ballistae aimed along the Eosphoran approach, the men worked and watched, intent on sealing off the river to any who would seek to break the blockade. As usual the conscripted merchant vessels stood watch, carobalistae poised towards any threat.

While south of d'Guardine, the same tactics were put into place at two further locations, earthworks on one side of the river, and boom towers either side, with a heavy chain and log river boom spanning the breadth of the river. Archers, braziers, fire arrows all ready to set sails ablaze, and a few marines to bolster and support those peasant bowmen who had been conscripted. Supported by the merchant vessels commandeered by the Aequorian Royal Navy, it was certainly a blockade taking shape. Though when it came to the peasants, those not fortunate enough to be chosen to aim at sails, were busy chopping down trees and making machines of war.

Northeast of d'Wareux, three earthworks had begun at a juncture that commanded a distinctly vital spot in preventing river traffic. With a few more merchant vessels than the other locations, and the ship of the line, the Duke al'Mordran's own HMS Redoubt flying its colours, and armed with the latest cannon after a refit gifted from the King of Aequor himself. Great river booms slung thick and bouyant across the rivers, anchored by those boom towers the Aequorians had erected and sought to fortify, while as before trees were felled and prepared for more instruments of war. And throughout the night, as with the others, beacons were lit, and braziers kept burning to ensure that when those arrows flew, they sailed true and arced like fiery comets in the sky, ready to strip any ship of sails in a fire-fuelled instant.

At each blockade, there was little rest for the peasants and craftsmen ordered into service by their betters, for other work had begun on building further ballista and trebuchet, trees were felled, and the sound of hammering, and chopping, and sawing echoed throughout the day, and the cannon promised made their slow winding way to further entrench the Aequorians.

blockades.jpg

Each red dot indicates an eathernwork fort, river booms, boom towers, merchant vessels, RN vessels (if so noted), archers, marines, and further work on more artillery in the form of ballistae and trebuchet.

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