Jelbe

[Reddy]

Tensions Boil in Jeztridomura
October 1, 4043

Violence has broken out in Jeztridomura, southern Jelbania following the federal Government's move to arrest the perpetrators of the murder of six government officials. The officials had been sent in to enforce federal laws on compulsory education, income tax collection and other measures. Rumours that the federal government planned to withdraw from the Popov Accords and outlaw slavery had inflamed the local populace which is highly dependent on cross border trade with Deltaria, particular in slave recapture and narcotics trafficking.

The six officials had attempted to execute a warrant of arrest on Bek Genzi Azisrmko Jeztri, the patriarch of the Jeztri clan for refusal to declare his income and paying any taxes, ordering the whipping and blinding of Federal Revenue officials and other such offences. Upon their arrival at the Bek's court, he ordered them seized, tried them and sentenced them to death by stomping, which was carried with much glee by the Jeztri clansmen. The deaths infuriated the federal Government who have now sent in a small number of troops to the area. The Bek and several of his clan militiamen have reportedly disappeared into the steppe, somewhere in the border regions with Deltaria.


Bek Genzi of the Jeztri clan

The Jeztri force is thought to be composed of anything between 500 and 5,000 men, no one knows for sure as the clans tend to be secretive about their forces. Thus the federal government expects that it will be no more than a nuisance on the border. The federal Government' position has grown quite strong over the past few years and has begun rebuilding a professional army, with a target for 50,000 men by 4048. Its support is solid in the cities and large towns but the clans are at best grump and at worst, outright willful like the Jeztri. However a number of factors ought to make the federal government a little uneasy - the young Bek's extensive familial and commercial ties to many powerful Deltarian noble families and the slow train of growing reaction against its many reforms slowing rolling all along the steppe .

[Reddy]

Jeztri Makes His Move
March 26, 4045

After a few years of building his forces and gathering supplies from benefactors, domestic and foreign, Bek Jeztri the leader of the clan revolt against the modernizing federal government has launched a massive attack on a wide front, swiftly overwhelming the federal positions throughout southern Perimor. Many of the occupations were quite peaceful, with most federal forces surrendering to the clan army with little confrontation. The offensive comes after Vanukean occupying troops left the country as the aspirant Prince Juhn IV returned home to claim his throne. The furious success of the attack of Jeztri’s forces, nicknamed the Blue Horde for the Jeztri colours, and is estimated at between 15 and 20,000 men and now have some considerable equipment means that the Bek’s now within 50 km of the capital Baofluz.


Bez Jetri the head of the 'Blue Horde'

Fortune appears to be on his side as many clansmen from other clans are joining the Blue Horde daily. The federal government meanwhile, finds itself tied by its own knots of inertia, inexperience, a lack of the iron ruthlessness required to steer a country like Jelbania and a government system no one can make sense of. It has cobbled together an army of just over 30,000 men so far and apparently did not expect any kind of disturbance of this kind.


Baofluz the great prize

The rapid success of the Blue Horde is credited to a certain extent, to the ‘hand of the southern Czardom’. Deltaria has already been accused by the Jelbek federal government of supporting the clans in the dispute with weapons, military advisors and cash. Some of the money has bought a few thousand mercenaries, primarily from the Danaoi Corporation. The advisors are said to have whipped up the Jeztri forces into a more efficient military machine, free of the usual honor and blood feud based inefficiencies that traditionally plague the Jelbek clan militias. The federal government is in some disarray now, with some considering abandoning the capital and relocating north to Klunedomura which lies just 10km south of the Jelbanian-Vanukean border.

Given the federal government’s collegial system of rule, decision making on difficult issues is often near impossible and the Protector is reported to be hugely frustrated with the Ruling Council and Kurultai’s failure to take charge of the situation. The only bright spots for the republicans are continued loyalty from the more urbanised north and east and the strong support of the great Vrn clan of the south-west which has dynastic ties to the Protector’s Temrkai-Medes – a most ironic development for a Republic. The Vrns and a handful of other loyalist clans form a vital part of federal forces.

[Reddy]

Feds Retreat North
June 20, 4045

The Jelbek federal government has retreated north to Turadrad, moving its personnel to the border city of Klunedomura, which lies just 10km from the Jelbanian-Vanukean border. Tens of thousands of private citizens followed them, fearing the fast approaching Blue Horde. The move comes after the Blue Horde began besieging the southern parts of the capital Baofluz earlier last week and federal authorities realised that Baofluz could not be effectively defended and that it was time to cut its losses. The Protector is said to have opposed the move and has bitterly expressed frustration with the Government's weakness and inability to make decision easily.


Soon to be victims of the 'Blue Terror'

Bek Jeztri entered the city unchallenged and has begun a 'mass punishment' exercise where the known partisans of the federal government and its loyalist clan allies are being summarily executed in their hundreds in ditches dug outside the city for this very purpose - the so called 'Blue Terror'. Thousands have already been dispatched of this way in the other cities and towns taken by the Blue Horde so far. He now has all of the southern half of the country under his country except for in the south west half of Nemawar where the chief loyalist clan the mighty Vrns and others remain steadfast in their support for the Republic. The north remains in the hands of the federal government although the Blue Horde is expected to begin attempting an advance soon.

[Reddy]

A Tale of Two Khanates
March 24, 4046

Jelbania has been transformed from a federal republic to two Khanates led by strongmen. In the south, Bek Jeztri has proclaimed himself Genzi II Khan following the occupation of the capital Baofluz, claiming the crown of the steppes by right of conquest. His Blue Horde now controls nearly all of the southern half of the southern half of the country except for the loyalist held south-western territories which remain aligned with the federal authorities. The Blue Horde is expanding rapidly, absorbing remaining units of the Great Jelbek Horde - the national army, in the south. The new H'an vowed to conquer the rest of the country within two years and show no mercy to what he now considers to be rebels.


Genzi II H'an (centre)

As for the 'feds', many were in for a surprise upon arriving north to Klunedomura. In what appeared to be a pre-arranged move, the members of the Ruling Council and Kurultai were arrested in a coup engineered by the Protector Temrkai Kostaqsrmko Termkai-Mede and his allies. He proclaimed himself H'an (Khan) of Jelbania and proclaimed a state of emergency over the country - one which effectively only covers the northern half of the country and the loyalist south western territories. Many suspect that the 'hand of Wiel' (Vanuku) particularly the notorious Vanukean intelligence agency the SSA as having orchestrated this coup, although of course the Protector's frustration with his government's ineffectiveness was long registered.


The other H'an - Temrkai III

Many in the north despite some dismay at the destruction of the republic, support the new 'Temrkai III H'an's move as they view it as likely to help garner Vanukean support one that country sorts out its own internal issues. Many increasingly fear that this might just turn into a proxy war between the two main supporters of the two factions, Deltaria for the Blue Horde and Vanuku for its Temrkai-Mede cousins.


Jelbania in 4046. Green - Temrkai Medes/loyalist clans, Blue - Jeztri/Blue Horde

[Reddy]

Jeztri Secures the South West
November 13, 4046

In a master stroke of ‘Jeztri diplomacy’. H’an Genzi II has won control much of the loyalist clan territories in the south west. Typically as befits ‘Jeztri diplomacy’, it was nine parts violence and treachery and one part diplomacy. It was reported four ago that Azi Wrntukaisrmko Vrn, the Bek of the Vrn clan, the largest and most dominant member of the loyalist clan alliance which supported Genzi II’s rival Temrkai III, had been massacred along with many members of his immediate family in a bloody intra-clan coup.


Jelbania following the acquisition of the south west by the Blue Horde

The perpetrator of the massacre was his first cousin Shlajkai Grzkaisrmko Vrn who declared himself Bek of the Vrn Clan and more or less immediately, swore allegiance to Genzi II and his Blue Horde, inviting the southern H’an to send his forces into the south west. The H’an sent in some 20,000 men west and secured the territory, subduing the few remaining loyalist clans there. Suspicion rose that the H'an must have been well aware of the plot and perhaps even its creator, he was able to achieve that move swiftly. The royal decision to name the new Vrn Bek, Wrntusrljikai (Premier) confirmed the suspicions that the H'an had sponsored or possibly even orchestrated the events in Nemawar.

The fall of the loyalist south west to the southern H’an and his Blue Horde is an immense blow to the northern Temrkai-Mede H’an. The south west forms part of the Great Perimor Steppe and is one of the largest agricultural producing areas in the country. The northern lands produce little food and were heavily dependent on the south west’s bounty. H’an Genzi II ordered an immediate cessation of food at the very least make things tougher for the northern Khanate as it will have to spend increasingly limited forex and resources, generally on importing food.

[Reddy]

Winter Offensive Begins
June 26, 4047

H’an Genzi II Jeztri and his Blue Horde have launched a massive winter offensive, entering the northern Khanate’s eastern coastal areas in the northern half of the taghe of Rilmos. Sporting shiny new Deltarian made tanks, planes and artillery, the deployed portion of the Horde is rumoured to number as high as 75,000 men and the H’an himself has taken the field once again. The H’an declared his intentions publicly, saying, “they may have nourishment only once they kneel to their legal purple wolf who was elected and anointed on the right bank of the river, as tradition demands.” Translation: the cutting off of the northern Temrkai-Mede Khanate’s access to the sea and thus tightening the ‘food screw’ as he has called it, on the northerners till submission.


Jelbania following the beginning of the Jeztri Winter Iffensive. Dark blue denotes recent Jeztri gains.


The Blue Horde easily took many small coastal towns and is now besieging the city of Rklemjistad, the most important city in the east. Should it fall, the Blue Horde will have virtually total control of the coastline and able to stop the in flow of any food or aid by sea. This, many international observers might lead to the development of a full blown humanitarian crisis in the city and northern half of the country. Signs are already present with high numbers of malnutrition cases increasingly being reported by health officials all over the northern half of the country. To add to concerns, H'an Genzi II has vowed to 'burn down' the city upon taking it if it does not surrender within the next month.

[Reddy]

Rklemjistad Falls
April 13, 4048

Terror, panic and chaos have gripped north eastern Jelbania following the collapse of the last northern Khanate stronghold in the region to the Blue Horde. The fall follows the end of a ten month long siege which saw thousands starved to death despite the delivery of humanitarian aid from a number of foreign benefactors. Following the fall of the city, the southern H’an Genzi II ‘allowed’ his troops to ‘reward themselves with whatever you find.’ Thus mass looting and capture of captives for the long trek south to the great slave markets of Deltaria and Kalopia, became the order of the day. The H’an has vowed to burn what remains of the city after emptying it of its few remaining starved citizens. The city once a thriving seaside resort has seen its once 250,000 odd populace reduce to naught but stray dogs and ashes.


Jelbania following the fall of Rklemjistad


Following the success, the southern H’an promised to do the same every single northern city if they failed to surrender within a week. After the horrors seen at Rklemjistad, many in the north are terrified to the point of cowardice by the harshness and violence the southern H’an has proven himself to be capable of. There is also alarm at the political strength that occupying the entire coastal region gives him. It does not look nearly as good for the north. Despite considerable aid from Vanuku and other nations, starvation remains a problem and the northern army is increasingly demoralized by the southerners’ recent successes. The northern H’an Temrkai III despite his best efforts, has failed to revitalize the north in any manner more substantial than that his federal predecessors did.


A Horde mercenary with two of his 'spoils'

Nevertheless the northern Khanate should survive for at last a little while longer as the H'an and his Blue Horde have exhausted considerable resources in the so called 'winter offensive'. The winter offensive gains, while considerable, are disproportionately small when one considers the effort and treasure invested in the enterprise. Even the granting of the title of 'Destroyer of Cities' by the Kurultai to H'an Genzi II, a most relished title, does not make up for the discrepancy between investment and gains.

[Reddy]

Royal Wedding in Baofluz
December 30, 4048


H'an Genzi II and Hatun Caterina

The southern H’an Genzi II Jeztri has scored a major diplomatic victory by securing the hand of the Deltarian Czar Lubomir IV’s daughter – Caterina Volkova and wedding her in Baofluz. The marriage solidifies the Jeztri-Deltarian alliance which has seen Lubomir IV as the greatest backer of the H’an in the ongoing civil war against the northern H’an. After Rklemjistad, Deltaria apparently felt confident enough to openly state its support of Genzi II and his Blue Horde by accepting Genzi II’smarriage proposal. The Blue Horde is now in a clearly commanding position in Jelbania and the northern Khanate is in most eyes, doomed. The new Hatun joins a family consisting of the H'an, his 36 lesser wives, one from each clan loyal to him, 18 sons and 26 daughters.

[Reddy]

The Great Northern Betrayal
January 2, 4050

A large majority of northern clans have 'suddenly' switched their allegiance to Genzi II H'an the southern H'an and his Blue Horde. Of the 11 clans classified as northern, 7 of them led by the large and powerful Kez'i clan each sent tribute in the form of white horses and each clan sent a bride to the H'an court in Baofluz - both traditional symbols of submission and allegiance. The clans issued a press release declaring rebellion from the Temrkai-Mede northern Khanate, calling it 'foreign, weak and illegitimate.'


Jelbania following the 'Great Northen Betrayal'. In dark blue are the seven rebellious northern clans

The maneuver is considered by Jelbek analysts to be yet another of the many intrigues the southern H'an has cooked up in his war against the north. This one is thought to have consisted of use of a large portion of the immense dowry earned through his marriage to the Deltarian Princess Caterina Volkova. Several clan Beks and nobles in the rebellious northern clan areas are believed to have received large payments from the south and also, more dangerously, have received several arms and 'military advisors' smuggled across the border in order to defend themselves should the northern government attempt to subdue them. The armed clans might just add as much as 5,000 men to the south's already greater strength.


Northern clan militamen

The move complicates the security situation in the northern Khanate immensely. The northerners now suddenly find several hostile areas sworn to the enemy in their midst. To send in troops to subdue them would mean abandoning the long border between the two Khanates and risk a Blue Horde invasion.

[Reddy]

Genzi II: War 'At An End'
November 19, 4050

Genzi II the southern H'an has proclaimed the war to be 'at an end', following his massive victory at the so called Battle at the Line (the Line being the north-south border between the rival Khanates. The southern H'an and his northern clan allies surrounded the large northern Khanate 'Border Force' and thoroughly defeated it over the course of some two weeks. The southern H'an's Blue Horde has proceeded to occupy much of the northern Khanate while the northern Khan Temrkai III has withdrawn his force to deploy them in his capital Klunedomura and surrounding area.


Jelbania following the 'Battle at the Line'

The Battle at the Line was the largest so far, with some 53,000 men in the Blue Horde-northern clan alliance and an estimated 45,000 men for the northern Khanate which had deployed about 80% of its total strength at the border. It was a true bloodbath, with an estimated 20,000 northerners slain while the southern-clan alliance lost around 8,000 men. The Blue Horde is now set for Klunedomura where it hopes to take the city and destroy the last remnants of the northern Khanate. The southern H'an's apparent rush is attributed by some to a desire to finish the war and rde south and attempt to persuade the Deltarian boyars by force or diplomacy, to bestow the vacant southern throne on his infant son by Hatun Caterina Volkova, Khansrmko (Prince) Lazr.