This is like that one plot twist in Malè Universe where the Paolo Abobakr decides to become a British puppet out of his own free will, AFTER beating a British force.I. Did. Not. See. That. Coming.
Lands of Red and Gold, Act II
- Thread starter Jared
- Start date
Well ya did tell us just a bit ago that the Hunter was fallible and doesnt always win. I, for one, eagerly await the repercussions. Hopefully the various Warego (war ego?!?) are more harmonious that the Diadochi were!?
Considering OTL examples of such empires created by individuals, I'd bet the other Waregos will, if not fight each other, at least divide the spoils. I'm sure not all of them are commited to the idea of spreading Harmony to all lands. Also, rebellions from conquered populations are very probable.
I wonder how Tjibarr and Malligo are shown in the books about the life of the Hunter. Also, I too fear the fate of Pinjarra.
I wonder how Tjibarr and Malligo are shown in the books about the life of the Hunter. Also, I too fear the fate of Pinjarra.
I did consider several ways for the Hunter to eventually fall. I chose this one partly for the dramatic twist, certainly, but I think that it's a plausible event, albeit low-probability.
Malligo as an individual double agent I think is perfectly plausible, given the number of successful double agents in history who have managed to pull off similar deceptions.
In terms of keeping the secret from leaking, Malligo (and his allies) were no fools. They picked a group of people with several qualities:
(1) Gunnagal who had a low opinion of foreign "savages", and thus were disinclined to give them too much help, or want to live among them in the longer run, which also leads to
(2) Firm Tjibarri patriots who want their kingdom to succeed, and who realise that the Hunter would mean the end of their current social system; and
(3) Devout Plirites who did not want to allow the misguided faith (Tjarrlinghi) to spread to their kingdom.
They thus had both cultural chauvinistic, patriotic and religious reasons to keep to the plan and not try to sell out to the Hunter. Indeed, given their view of Tjibarr being the pinnacle of civilisation and the Neeburra as a barbarous backwater, there wasn't that much in the way of reward which the Hunter could offer them (money doesn't mean that much to them, and glory was something they expected more back in success).
Malligo also adopted some other practical ways to keep the secret, some of which were hinted at in chapter #118 in the scene between Jowarra and Malligo, though I didn't want to make the foreshadowing there too obvious, so I didn't describe all of those ways at the time. For instance, Malligo chose a group of people who abstained from alcohol for religious reasons, which was a strong hint as to their devotion to Plirism (and led to questions about why such a devout group would be joining a leader promoting the rival faith) and also explained why they weren't going to drink socially with the other Tjarrlinghi and then get drunk and let something slip by mistake. This section also referred to how all of the Harmony Battalion were Gunnagal who had a low opinion of others who were not Gunnagal (with a lie from Malligo that they did recognise the Hunter's worth), and also how they mostly spoke only Gunnagal and so did not mix with other groups very much - again, useful for keeping the secret and for minimising the risk of split loyalties.
In the same section of #118, Malligo mentioned having people watching for agents who might report, but what he didn't mention was that also involved keeping an eye on people who might be having second thoughts and want to switch to the Dominion's side in truth.
So in short, Malligo and his allies were able to pick the people they wanted to join the Harmony Battalion, which helped to minimise (though not eliminate) the risk of the plan leaking.
Well, there was always the risk that someone might make a mistake or the Hunter might suspect something, so the stress wasn't just about whether Malligo might change his mind - though that was also a consideration.
In the short run, the challenge is persuading the Warego to work together. The viewpoint scene from Goonawa is telling: he expects the succession to fall "to the strongest." That's an allusion to a quote supposedly made by another famous person in OTL. There's a bunch of senior Warego who all believe that they should be the one to rule. That's not a recipe for a unified command going forward. And if each of the Warego are asking themselves whether they can even defeat the Five Rivers (whose armies were larger to start with, and more so now), then there's a strong temptation to go and grab somewhere that they think they can rule instead.
In terms of what happens to Tjibarr, well, time will tell... I can say that the Harmony Battalion will be a Tjibarri military unit in the short term, although that doesn't mean that they will stay that way. (Not another betrayal, but they may become a mercenary unit and end up fighting in different wars that way).
Pinjarra will appear in at least one more scene, but he's not really in a position to be blamed for what happened to the Hunter. Pinjarra was in Cankoona for a couple of months before returning to the Five Rivers. While he certainly made an impression on people - his conversations with the Hunter were recognised as inspiring a lot of the administrative steps which the Hunter took - he wasn't the one who recommended Malligo or anything. Malligo was in Cankoona before Pinjarra arrived, and did not really gain his status until well after Pinjarra left.
The 600 soldiers were certainly vetted carefully. I should also add that Malligo and the Harmony Battalion had four or five different options planned for ways of swinging the battle, depending on where they were deployed and the Hunter's overall plan. (With a different tune to signal each). It happened that events played out in a way which meant that the Hunter died and it was his unit that was (mostly) destroyed, but Malligo would have taken the same action even if was another Dominion unit that was in the vanguard. Or sabotaged one wing of the Dominion army if the Harmony Battalion had been placed there instead.
Malligo himself couldn't stop the rest of the Dominion forces, but the question is whether the Warego will stop themselves. And the military balance is actually in the Five Rivers' favour. They outnumbered the Dominion forces even before the battle - and that's only a small part of Gutjanal's armies - and it's a safe bet that this battle will cost the Dominion more casualties than it will hurt Tjibarr.
I. Did. Not. See. That. Coming.
There were a couple of hints there if read closely (see especially the scene with Gurragang and the other Blue notables in #113), and if the scenes from Malligo's perspectives are read closely, he doesn't actually show any loyalty to the Hunter or the Dominion in his own thoughts.
Yes, I didn't want to give away the twist in advance, but the Hunter was never an invincible figure. It's also an open question about whether the Warego (pronounced Wa-re-go, with the middle syllable having the longest vowel) will prove to be any more united than the Diadochi. On the one hand the Hunter does have surviving children at the time of his death, albeit young, but on the other hand Alexander's successors at least came from a culture which had a tradition of hereditary succession. Succession in the Neeburra has always been much more flexible.
That's certainly the big question. Are the Warego able to hold together or end up squabbling if not openly fighting each other?
The Hunter was certainly more devout than many of his Warego. Rebellions from conquered populations are more ambiguous. The Hunter had done a good job of nation-building in some regions, but there are also some regions which have a strong sense of their own identity.
Tjibarr and Malligo will certainly not be shown favourably in Tjarrlinghi sources. Other works will have varying perspectives, depending on where and when they are written.
Not completely safe, of course, but the Hunter's children are in a much better position than, say, Alexander IV was being born after the death of Alexander the Great. As was shown at the end of chapter #118, the Hunter appointed the retired veteran commander Jowarra to be their guardian and mentor, and he has a strong interest in ensuring their welfare.
As with most complex figures in history, if you ask three historians that question then you'll get five different answers. But in general he will be viewed as a highly competent administrator and a mostly good ruler.
Lands of Red and Gold #123: What Becomes Of Dominion
Lands of Red and Gold #123: What Becomes Of Dominion
“Though little-known in Europe at the time, the Battle of Yangan can well be argued to constitute a critical moment in history. It did not, despite what many Gunnagal and Wadang of the time hoped, mark the end of the Dominion. But it did, for several generations, define the limits of the Dominion’s ability to conquer on its southern border.”
- RE Manford, The Whole of Aururia is Divided into Seven Parts
* * *
From: Jamberoo’s Decisive Battles in World History
Battle of Yangan
... The entrapment of the Blademasters proved the decisive moment in the Battle of Yangan. The nearby Dominion commanders knew that the Hunter was either dead or captured, and either was sufficient grounds to halt the battle. Yongalla, according to his later explanations, declared that he judged it better to preserve the rest of the Dominion’s forces to fight for the Hunter’s legacy, or to stage a battle on better terms in the event that the Hunter still lived.
Yongalla therefore withdrew his cavalry from the immediate part of the engagement. The other nearby cavalry units had no choice but to follow his lead. Following a hasty conference away from enemy fire, Yongalla and Goonawa redirected a cavalry feint toward the flanks of the royal and Gold units, who were engaged with Dominion infantry. This manoeuvre, which the Tjibarri centre did not contest, permitted the remaining Dominion infantry to withdraw from their engagement and be screened by the cavalry on their retreat.
This marked the effective end of the battle, save for skirmishing clashes. The Dominion forces made an orderly withdrawal, their more numerous cavalry screening their rear. Tjibarri forces probed, and killed or captured stragglers and wounded, but did not pursue too far, wary of the reputation of Dominion cavalry against scattered enemy forces...
* * *
1st Day of Feasts [1], 30th Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [15 March 1720]
Whites Factionaries encampment, near Yangan [Balranald, NSW]
Kingdom of Tjibarr
It is done. Tjibarr is saved. Gurragang of the Whites thought that his famed father would be proud of what he had done. Perhaps even his never-met, but even more famous grandfather, Wemba of the Whites, would have approved of this machination in the Endless Dance.
Or would they call it a pointless gamble? Gurragang did not know, but for now, he did not care too much. Victory was for savouring.
He spared a glance for Norang Dadi [2], the great White land controller, one so great that he had successfully pled off being involved in the battle. Someone would need to guard the Whites’ interests if the battle failed. “Has there been any word?”
“The Blues are coming,” Norang Dadi said, but did not elaborate. He had a sparing way with words, most of the time.
No doubt busy meeting with as many notables of as many factions as possible, to tell them all that Malligo had been conducting himself properly from the beginning, not a late change of heart. Very few people had known of the true purpose of Malligo’s defection or the role of the Harmony Battalion. Even the king had not been told properly, though Gurragang suspected that Guwariyan knew anyway. The monarch was, by now, well-schooled in the machinations of the Endless Dance.
As it happened, it was not too long until Malligo entered their tent, accompanied by Kerela Wallira, one of the most prominent Blues. Kerela might even be the most prominent; with Blues, it was usually impossible to tell.
“It is done,” Malligo said simply. He did not say more. He did not need to say more. Celebrations would follow soon enough, but first planning had to be conducted.
“The Hunter’s corpse is in our hands,” Gurragang said. The White factionaries had seized it, recognising the great opportunity it presented, and naturally would not release it again.
“Burn it with honour, and have the ashes sent back to Cankoona,” Malligo said.
“You think that is wise?” Kerela Wallira said. “With their army still on our lands, even if it is withdrawing?”
“He was a man of courage and valour, like none other I have met,” Malligo said. “He deserves it, and he is no longer a threat to us. As for the Dominion’s armies, they are meaningless too. They will not stop this side of the border, and I expect they will quit Yigutji’s old lands even before we need to drive them out.”
“Some of our fellow battle commanders feel otherwise,” Gurragang said.
“They know not the Warego as I do,” Malligo said. “There is no unified command, and no time to resolve one. They can cooperate long enough to keep their forces intact, but not to plan further invasion of Tjibarr. Let our armies shadow them until the border, then allow them to go.”
“Let it be so, then,” Norang Dadi said. “What of you and your path, then?”
“I remain on the Seven-fold Path, as I always have.” Malligo smiled. “As for me, I think it is time I take a new name. Amity, I shall be called. A reminder for all time of the friendship of the Gunnagal.”
Gurragang laughed, as did Kerela. Norang Dadi showed the briefest of smiles.
Gurragang said, “We may yet need friendship. Victory here is important, but only the start of our problems.”
Kerela raised an eyebrow. “The greatest victory in a half-century or more is only the start of matters?”
“What has been done will be celebrated, but let us first keep cast one eye on what is to come,” Gurragang said.
“Fair comment,” Amity said. “Yigutji is gone. One-third of our grand alliance has been removed. Now, Gutjanal will wonder what our alliance is worth.”
Gurragang shrugged. “Divide the territory of Yigutji in half with them. Along the Matjidi [Murrumbidgee], with the right bank to us and the left bank to them. Nothing could be more generous.”
Kerela said, “They may argue that give us the better half, with Garrkimang and Loona [Gundagai], the two largest remaining cities, on the right bank.”
Gurragang said, “We would be leaving them the unravaged half. The Hunter’s forces plundered most of the right bank, but he sent nothing save a few scouts across the Matjidi.”
Kerela said, “They might accept that. Yet it still leaves problems.”
“Always there are problems,” Gurragang said. “Always we must keep one eye on what is to come. Yet if Gutjanal accepts such a bargain, they will cease to be an immediate problem. Integrating their half of Yigutji will keep them busy. Just as our challenges will remain with our new lands.”
Of course, the largest challenge would be the manoeuvring amongst the factions for acquisitions amongst the new lands. Even more difficult than satisfying the former Yigutjians. Come to that, it would be fitting for Amity to be awarded with plentiful new lands for his efforts. Large lands, full of Yigutjians, and near the border with the Dominion. I must see what is available there. Let Amity be rewarded and kept busy at the same time.
“Fortunately, the succession will be contested in the Dominion,” Amity said. “Perhaps they will hold together in the end, perhaps not. Regardless, they will have a bloody war first. That, too, gives us time.”
“If they fall apart, we will still have several new states to the north, in contest with each other, that we must balance,” Gurragang said.
Kerela said, “And if they hold together, then we have a more delicate balance. Dominion to the north, Yadji to the south, and Gutjanal ready to waver.”
Norang Dadi said, “And then we must face the greatest enemy of all. The Raw Men.”
* * *
4th Day of Feasts, 30th Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [18 March 1720]
Boat on the Nyalananga [River Murray], near Tapiwal [Robinvale, Victoria]
“This is too long to hide,” murmured Puckapunyal. King Puckapunyal, still the true ruler of Yigutji, no matter the disaster which the Horse-Men had brought to it.
Nearly three months had passed, hiding on this boat. No matter how luxuriously it was furnished – this was the boat which Gurragang of the Whites used for his personal travel – this was still a cage. He dared not venture onto the deck of the boat except at night, to avoid being seen. During daylight hours, he could only look through latticework windows that offered mere glimpses of the world outside.
Still, for all that the confinement grated, it remained infinitely preferable to the alternative.
The Horse-Men had captured the city, Yigutji-of-the-Eagles. He had thought it impossible that they would ever breach the walls, but he had been tragically proven wrong. Few of the city’s inhabitants were left alive.
Fortunately, Puckapunyal had been one of those few. He had been amongst the first people fleeing the city after the walls were breached, suitably disguised as a common soldier amongst common soldiers. They had rushed to the riverbank, where a few Tjibarri boats were waiting. His bodyguards, likewise disguised but far better fighters than most, had sacrificed themselves so that he could reach a boat; the only refugee in the first wave to do so.
The Tjibarri boat had been crewed by men of the Whites. They had left immediately, without collecting any further refugees, and argued that it was safest if no-one knew that he lived, for now. A point he fully agreed with. As a fallen monarch he would not be immediately popular. Too many in Yigutji would turn on him or even hand him to the Horse-Men for their personal advantage. Too many in Tjibarr would seek to turn his presence to their advantage in their endless machinations, if they knew that he lived.
So the Whites had brought him here, a safe distance past the border. Gurragang son of Lopitja had given him this much more comfortable boat to stay on water rather than on land, saying that it was both easier to keep him from prying eyes and quicker to escape if he was discovered.
All of which Puckapunyal knew, and all of which he had brooded over many times. His imprisonment still grated, for all that it was voluntary and his best option for survival. A concubine had been provided for him, which with typical Gunnagal manoeuvring was one who did not know his name and could not recognise him by sight. Save for that, he had little to do save read – Gurragang had an extensive library on his boat – and plan for how he could rebuild the kingdom. He had considered many ideas for the latter, all of which would require Tjibarri aid. That would make Yigutji little more than a puppet for Tjibarr, but even that would be better than rule by the Horse-Men.
A splash of oars outside interrupted his musings. A smaller boat pulled alongside, ropes were thrown to attach the boats together, and men clambered aboard. Through the nearest latticework window, he recognised Gurragang among the men on the boat.
Important news, then. Gurragang had come to this boat only twice before, the first when welcoming Puckapunyal to it, and the second a courtesy visit a month later to see how he was faring. Other than that, the man had stayed away. To come here again signified something dramatic.
He ordered the concubine to withdraw to the inner chamber on the boat, then readied himself to await the White aristocrat’s arrival.
Soon enough, Gurragang climbed down into the chamber, with two bodyguards following behind. Gurragang looked the same as he always did: tall, deep-set eyes, a broad if rarely used smile, and a short-trimmed beard which left his upper lip bare. The two bodyguards had beards in a similar style; it was the current fashion amongst the Whites.
Gurragang went down on one knee and lowered his head. His bodyguards did the same a moment later.
“Rise,” Puckapunyal said. It was good to see the courtesies being maintained. “What portentous news brings you to visit here?”
“Splendid news, Your Majesty,” Gurragang said as he rose. Behind him, the bodyguards also came to their feet. “The Hunter has fallen in battle.”
“Is this certain, not rumour?”
“Without doubt. I was nearby on the battlefield when it happened. The Dominion forces were defeated, and their great warleader killed.”
“Then celebration is called for,” Puckapunyal said.
“Indeed it is.” Gurragang waved a hand, and both bodyguards produced pistols from beneath their clothes.
Puckapunyal had time to register that and half-rise before the quicker of the two bodyguards cocked the weapon and fired [3]. He felt fire erupt in his belly, and fell back into his chair. An instant later, a second tongue of flame leaped through his thigh.
“Why?” he managed to ask.
Gurragang said, “Keeping you alive was important, since you could help to rally Yigutji against the Hunter in case of our defeat when he invaded Tjibarr. With our armies successful, you are merely an impediment to our control of former Yigutji.”
Despite his breath heaving against the pain, Puckapunyal still found it important to ask, “So this is how Tjibarr honours its alliance?”
Gurragang shrugged. “It is said in your kingdom as much as in mine: never trust a Gunngal.”
* * *
Crimson Day, Cycle of Bunya Nuts, 31st Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [2 April 1720]
Near junction of Gurrnyal [Lachlan] and Matjidi [Murrumbidgee] Rivers
Former Yigtuji-Tjibarr border
Two banners had been planted in the ground, both coloured with the pure blue that the Five Rivers and now the Dominion had adopted to mark the presence of a herald. Pinjarra found that quietly amusing, given the well-deserved reputation of the Blues, who sought harmony but rarely found it.
In truth, of course, that was merely a coincidence. The protocol for heralds had been borrowed from Durigal, where the Yadji rulers had chosen blue for reasons of their own, and insisted on it when dealing with others. The Yadji had no interest in adapting their diplomatic conventions to suit their rivals, and given the number of wars fought with Durigal, the Five Rivers had eventually adopted the same colour.
Each of the banners had been daubed with two white dots, to signify that two people could come; each side’s herald, and one other. As protocol required, a herald accompanied Pinjarra, a pleasant if usually quiet man named Balmaringa. Pinjarra had already discreetly advised this herald to be silent unless called on to speak. He had only accepted this diplomatic duty out of a desire to avoid further bloodshed, and would not tolerate any interference.
Only one man waited beneath the Dominion’s banner. Kullerin was entitled to bring a second representative, but had clearly elected to speak alone. Or perhaps no other representative could be found.
“Good to see you again, my friend,” Pinjarra said sincerely.
“And you also,” Kullerin said. The man sounded sad, even now, but that was understandable. A man of great vision had been lost.
After a brief introduction of Balmaringa, Kullerin said, “And are you here on your own behalf?”
“I volunteered for this duty, because I think it could spare much further loss of life. And because you know – most of the Dominion’s leaders know – that I have no interest in lying to you.”
“You represent yourself, then, but I represent the Dominion,” Kullerin said.
“Given our past friendship, I won’t make your role here any more difficult by asking which particular leader of the Dominion you represent.”
Kullerin shook his head. “Tjibarr made the request for heralds to meet, so you may state the purpose.”
“First, a question. Do the Dominion’s leaders plan on defending Yigutji? My apologies, I should say, what was once Yigutji.”
“They are still in council. I do not know which way they will decide.”
Pinjarra frowned. “Urge them to decide quickly, for the sake of all of those who serve under them.”
“They will decide in their own time, and not before.”
“Their time is limited, alas,” Pinjarra said. “This is the crux of the information I have been asked to convey. The kings of Tjibarr and Gutjanal have jointly called on the Dominion to abandon all of what once was Yigutji.”
“What of the other lands of the Dominion?”
“They say that so long as the Dominion’s armies withdraw from all lands that belonged to Yigutji, they can do what they wish elsewhere. The armies of the Five Rivers will not attack them further or interfere with their rule of other lands.”
“What time do they give for this?”
“They give the Dominion seven days to begin a withdrawal. Any failure to do so will result in invasion of former Yigutji, and battle on whatever terms seems best to them.”
“Are they so sure that they can win another battle?” Kullerin asked.
Pinjarra sighed. “You are a good man, Kullerin, but you need not ask questions which ill-become you. Tjibarr’s army was larger than the Dominion’s even before Yangan, and that battle cost the Dominion rather more soldiers than it did the Tjibarri. To say nothing of all the cannon which have been captured, and it was only those which let the walls of cities be breached.”
“More, Gutjanal still has its own army, which is largely intact, as the Warego will know from when the Gutjanalese withdrew after the invasion of Yigutji. They will be invading, too. This is not a war which the Dominion can win. In their own homelands, perhaps, but not here.”
“Is that the full message?” Kullerin asked, his voice cold.
“All that the Tjibarri have asked me to convey,” Pinjarra said. And even that set aside Pinjarra’s doubts about whether the Warego could work together. They were assuredly now squabbling for who would inherit the Hunter’s mantle. That was not a contest which would be resolved without bloodshed.
“This small message I add on my own behalf: I hope that the Warego listen.”
“I will tell them.”
Pinjarra said, “As for us, my friend, I fear that this will be our last parting. Any reply will have to be conveyed to others. I go now to Gutjanal, a place which I doubt the Dominion shall ever reach.”
“I have long given up trying to predict what the fates have in store,” Kullerin said. “But I wish you a safe journey, all the same.” The herald picked up the banner again, turned, and began walking away.
Once Kullerin was out of earshot, Pinjarra said, “I would wish you a safe journey, too, but I fear that safety will not be found in the Dominion for a long time.”
* * *
From Bareena Uranj, a Tjarrling religious text which is typically though inaccurately rendered into English as the Orange Bible:
Chapter 150
1. Following the treachery at Yangan, the Warego who remained [4] rallied the forces of the faithful at Garrkimang.
2. The Warego met in council for many days, as they considered who should guide the Dominion.
3. Goonawa said, “Tjuwagga was the strongest, and his successor should be the next strongest who is left.”
4. The Warego each claimed to be the strongest, save Kyulibah who remained silent.
5. Munya son of Nyambih, commander of the First Goannas, said, “Tjuwagga was a man of unrivalled vision. My fellows and I followed him because of this. I trust his blood and his heirs more than someone who followed him, not led.”
6. Minjaree said, “Tjuwagga has two sons, but both are too young to lead. They cannot command armies, nor can they guide the Dominion.”
7. Munya said, “They will grow. They are more worthy to claim the title of the strongest than this group of Warego who at one time were each defeated by the Hunter.”
8. Kyulibah said, “Munya, they cannot rule now. Your choice means only that we argue over who should be regent. The decision must still be made.”
9. Munya said, “The decision is already made. Tjuwagga named Jowarra as the guardian for his sons. Argue whom you will, but as for me and my men, we will serve Tjuwagga.”
10. Munya called, and the First and Second Goannas followed him on the road to Cankoona, while the Warego were still in council.
11. The council ended without decision, for each believed himself to be the strongest, save Kyulibah who still held his peace.
12. Each of the Warego returned to his own warband, and each called on the remaining Goannas to join them.
13. The Goannas divided their allegiance as seemed best to them.
14. Nowenrat became the first Warego to depart, taking his warband and such of the Goannas as accompanied him to Murrginhi, where he claimed rulership in the name of succession to Tjuwagga.
15. Each of the other Warego departed in turn with their warbands and allies, until only Kyulibah remained.
16. Kyulibah said, “All who have remained, you are faithful to Tjuwagga. We will honour his memory and his heirs, but we cannot do so here. We must return to Cankoona.”
17. Kyulibah sent heralds to the approaching River-Men armies, and negotiated for uncontested passage back to the Neeburra.
18. And so the Five Rivers were once more deprived of harmony.
* * *
From: The Hunter and His Times
RG Toohey (1996). Oxford: University of Oxford Press.
Epilogue
And so the tale of the Hunter himself is complete, ending as all human stories do, with a death. As with all histories, too, unless the final tale of humanity ever comes to be written, the question arises of what happened next. This tale can only be told in brief, for it is not the main subject of this work, but nevertheless, some details may be added to satisfy the reader’s curiosity.
The Hunter made limited provision for naming a successor during his lifetime. The closest he came was naming Jowarra, the semi-retired veteran Warego, as guardian and educator of his sons. The disputed succession which followed was probably inevitable, given the ambition of the Warego class, but the lack of a clearly designated regent certainly made it worse. Perhaps the Hunter feared that naming a clear regent would be taken as justification for that regent seizing power in their own name.
In any event, the Warego divided after the Battle of Yangan, and most of them sought to establish a powerbase for their loyal troops, in preparation for the expected warfare to follow.
Initially, five Warego vied for rulership of the Dominion. In the Neeburra, Jowarra claimed to rule as regent for the Hunter’s sons, with Cankoona as his capital. In Kerowra [5], Yongalla ruled on no authority but his own. Goonawa claimed openly to be the strongest Warego, ruling the Daluming lowlands from Yuragir [Coffs Harbour], and contesting for the Daluming highlands [New England tablelands]. Around Narranuk [Taree], Minjaree endeavoured to set up an independent state over the Loomal inhabitants. In Murrginhi [Hunter Valley], Nowenrat sought to use the wealth and spices of the Patjimunra as the basis of his authority. The only senior Warego who did not make an initial bid for supremacy was Kyulibah, who went to the Neeburra and supported Jowarra’s regency claim.
The number of Dominionship contenders was quickly reduced. Minjaree’s tenure as a sovereign Warego lasted less than a year before he realised that he lacked a viable position, and he pledged his support to Goonawa. Nowenrat ruled Murrginhi for three years, surviving the initial attacks by Goonawa and Minjaree. In 1723 he was overthrown by an internal Patjimunra revolt. This led to the restoration of Murrginhi as an independent state, now with expanded borders in the south. Murrginhi expressed its open opposition to the Dominion, and also had tacit Tjibarri backing. Nowenrat’s surviving forces largely joined Jowarra.
The remaining three contenders had more stable power bases. With the notable exception of the Patjimunra, none of the conquered peoples in the Dominion showed a strong interest in removing the Yalatji as a ruling class. The debates of the subject peoples focused on which Warego was the best leader, not over whether the Yalatji should rule.
These three leading Warego mounted several campaigns against each other throughout the first half of the 1720s, but none managed to decisively defeat their opponents. Goonawa successfully maintained control of the Daluming highlands, and the spices they produced, but otherwise the campaigns did not produce any significant outcome.
In 1726, while on campaign in Kerowra, Jowarra died of what was probably a heart attack, though poison was widely rumoured. This suspicion of poison focused on Kyulibah, which meant that the loyalist forces refused to accept him as ruler. One of the middling-senior commanders, Weriyu, brokered a deal whereby Yongalla publicly ceded his claims to outright rulership in exchange for acting as the regent for the Hunter’s sons, and unification of his existing dominion with the Neeburra.
In 1728, Yongalla was assassinated by a Kiyungu warrior who took poison before he could be questioned. At the time, suspicion fell variously on Goonawa, Tjibarr, the Nuttana, and the northern Kiyungu, and even the Dutch East India Company. When questioned whether Tjibarr was involved, their herald famously replied, “Why would we kill someone who was more use to us alive?” The modern consensus is that Goonawa was probably either behind the assassination or at least had been informed of the plot and did not oppose it.
Following Yongalla’s death, Kyulibah took control of the regency in the Neeburra, and waged an ongoing campaign against Goonawa. In 1732, Kyulibah’s forces occupied Yuragir and Goonawa conceded defeat. Kyulibah accepted his surrender but then had him executed, blaming him for Yongalla’s death. To his last breath, Goonawa denied any involvement with the assassination.
Kyulibah ruled as uncontested regent of all remaining Dominion territory until 1735. Then, the Hunter’s elder son took the name Justice and declared himself capable of ruling. He had Kyulibah sent on what was effectively an internal exile to watch the border with the northern Kiyungu, and had Minjaree likewise exiled to being a permanent herald with the Portuguese at Rramaji [Karumba, QLD]. Justice also commissioned a history of his ancestry, which has survived as The True History of the Yalatji. With that, the last of the Hunter’s senior Warego had been removed from power, and an end had come to the Hunter and his times.
* * *
Carl Ashkettle pauses, his hand aching from the endless writing. Clements’ description of the Hunter and his era has been engaging, thorough, and would doubtless make a suitable tale in itself, even if everything else the multiple-centenarian talks about was deemed worthless.
After some thought, Ashkettle decides to ask a different kind of question. One which is not about what happened. “So, with the tale all told, what did you think after the Battle of Yangan? Forever condemning Gunnagal treachery?”
Clements chuckles. “You know, for many years, I did. As many Tjarrlings still do to this day, having growing up reading the Orange Bible and its depiction of betrayal.”
“You think that what happened was justifiable?”
“At the time, no. But then, I was not close enough to witness the events, or play any meaningful part in the battle. As a herald, I had no role there. What I knew of Yangan, I learned as it was told by others. And time lets a man reflect on things, and even change his mind.”
Ashkettle asks, “What conclusion has time let you reach?”
“That with the life the Hunter lived, he would have inevitably died in battle, then or elsewhere. He led his troops into battle, and made his warband the vanguard of many attacks. Even at Yangan, a cannonball missed him by less than a foot. Death in warfare was inevitable for him, one way or another. He might not have survived Yangan even if the Gunnagal had fought straightforwardly. Or he might have fallen in the next battle against Tjibarr, or one against Gutjanal. Or even against Durigal, if he made it that far.”
“And that excuses Gunnagal deception?”
Clements shrugs. “Deception is part of warfare. What they did was misdirection in combat, conducted against someone who claimed to be the best in battle there ever was. Change of sides or not, it was still a victory in battle for them. And their people were fighting for their survival. Why should they not use every tool at their disposal?”
“So in short, the Gunnagal did what they had to do, and should not be blamed for it?”
“Not exactly how I would describe it, but it will do. The Hunter died in battle, as he inevitably would, but his legacy endures, as he would have wished. It is fitting, I think.”
* * *
“Here lie the ashes of Tjuwagga
Lord of battle and seeker of truth
He saw further and truer than any man
And in both life and death changed the world.”
- Epitaph found in the Hunter’s mausoleum in Cankoona
* * *
[1] The Gunnagal calendar is divided into 30 cycles of 12 days each, each of which are named, for the first 360 days of the year. The remaining 5 or 6 days, at the end of the year, are intercalary days which are named as days of feasts, and would normally be a time of celebration, except when interrupted by warfare.
[2] “Dadi” functions as a kind of surname, although Gunnagal naming traditions in this era do not include fully inheritable surnames. Most people, including even some of the wealthy, simply go by a first name and a patronymic, such as Lopitja gang Wemba (Lopitja son of Wemba) and/or their place of birth. This is often enough to distinguish people from each other, or failing that, nicknames usually suffice.
However, for those who are senior members of a faction, they are often permitted to call themselves by the name of the faction, such as Wemba Dalwal or Wemba ga Dalwal, which could be variously translated as Wemba the White or Wemba of the Whites. Where there are two senior members of the same faction who have the same name, the more high-status one at the time is awarded an “honour name.” An honour name such as Dadi functions like a surname in some respects, but it can only be inherited within the same faction; if the family changes factions, the honour name would be lost.
[3] Though Puckapunyal is not in a position to make the observation, the pistols being used here are wheel-locks. Flintlocks are used for the more common soldier, since they are cheaper and more efficient for use on a wide scale. Wheel-locks are often carried by the wealthy and their bodyguards, despite the cost, because they can be carried loaded, and fired more quickly than a flintlock once loaded.
[4] In the previous chapter, the Orange Bible states that one of the Warego, the commander of the Long Irons, had died from a cannonball, but never provides his name.
[5] Kerowra is the Yalatji name for the lands of the former Kiyungu League, or in historical terms approximately the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast.
* * *
Thoughts?
“Though little-known in Europe at the time, the Battle of Yangan can well be argued to constitute a critical moment in history. It did not, despite what many Gunnagal and Wadang of the time hoped, mark the end of the Dominion. But it did, for several generations, define the limits of the Dominion’s ability to conquer on its southern border.”
- RE Manford, The Whole of Aururia is Divided into Seven Parts
* * *
From: Jamberoo’s Decisive Battles in World History
Battle of Yangan
... The entrapment of the Blademasters proved the decisive moment in the Battle of Yangan. The nearby Dominion commanders knew that the Hunter was either dead or captured, and either was sufficient grounds to halt the battle. Yongalla, according to his later explanations, declared that he judged it better to preserve the rest of the Dominion’s forces to fight for the Hunter’s legacy, or to stage a battle on better terms in the event that the Hunter still lived.
Yongalla therefore withdrew his cavalry from the immediate part of the engagement. The other nearby cavalry units had no choice but to follow his lead. Following a hasty conference away from enemy fire, Yongalla and Goonawa redirected a cavalry feint toward the flanks of the royal and Gold units, who were engaged with Dominion infantry. This manoeuvre, which the Tjibarri centre did not contest, permitted the remaining Dominion infantry to withdraw from their engagement and be screened by the cavalry on their retreat.
This marked the effective end of the battle, save for skirmishing clashes. The Dominion forces made an orderly withdrawal, their more numerous cavalry screening their rear. Tjibarri forces probed, and killed or captured stragglers and wounded, but did not pursue too far, wary of the reputation of Dominion cavalry against scattered enemy forces...
* * *
1st Day of Feasts [1], 30th Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [15 March 1720]
Whites Factionaries encampment, near Yangan [Balranald, NSW]
Kingdom of Tjibarr
It is done. Tjibarr is saved. Gurragang of the Whites thought that his famed father would be proud of what he had done. Perhaps even his never-met, but even more famous grandfather, Wemba of the Whites, would have approved of this machination in the Endless Dance.
Or would they call it a pointless gamble? Gurragang did not know, but for now, he did not care too much. Victory was for savouring.
He spared a glance for Norang Dadi [2], the great White land controller, one so great that he had successfully pled off being involved in the battle. Someone would need to guard the Whites’ interests if the battle failed. “Has there been any word?”
“The Blues are coming,” Norang Dadi said, but did not elaborate. He had a sparing way with words, most of the time.
No doubt busy meeting with as many notables of as many factions as possible, to tell them all that Malligo had been conducting himself properly from the beginning, not a late change of heart. Very few people had known of the true purpose of Malligo’s defection or the role of the Harmony Battalion. Even the king had not been told properly, though Gurragang suspected that Guwariyan knew anyway. The monarch was, by now, well-schooled in the machinations of the Endless Dance.
As it happened, it was not too long until Malligo entered their tent, accompanied by Kerela Wallira, one of the most prominent Blues. Kerela might even be the most prominent; with Blues, it was usually impossible to tell.
“It is done,” Malligo said simply. He did not say more. He did not need to say more. Celebrations would follow soon enough, but first planning had to be conducted.
“The Hunter’s corpse is in our hands,” Gurragang said. The White factionaries had seized it, recognising the great opportunity it presented, and naturally would not release it again.
“Burn it with honour, and have the ashes sent back to Cankoona,” Malligo said.
“You think that is wise?” Kerela Wallira said. “With their army still on our lands, even if it is withdrawing?”
“He was a man of courage and valour, like none other I have met,” Malligo said. “He deserves it, and he is no longer a threat to us. As for the Dominion’s armies, they are meaningless too. They will not stop this side of the border, and I expect they will quit Yigutji’s old lands even before we need to drive them out.”
“Some of our fellow battle commanders feel otherwise,” Gurragang said.
“They know not the Warego as I do,” Malligo said. “There is no unified command, and no time to resolve one. They can cooperate long enough to keep their forces intact, but not to plan further invasion of Tjibarr. Let our armies shadow them until the border, then allow them to go.”
“Let it be so, then,” Norang Dadi said. “What of you and your path, then?”
“I remain on the Seven-fold Path, as I always have.” Malligo smiled. “As for me, I think it is time I take a new name. Amity, I shall be called. A reminder for all time of the friendship of the Gunnagal.”
Gurragang laughed, as did Kerela. Norang Dadi showed the briefest of smiles.
Gurragang said, “We may yet need friendship. Victory here is important, but only the start of our problems.”
Kerela raised an eyebrow. “The greatest victory in a half-century or more is only the start of matters?”
“What has been done will be celebrated, but let us first keep cast one eye on what is to come,” Gurragang said.
“Fair comment,” Amity said. “Yigutji is gone. One-third of our grand alliance has been removed. Now, Gutjanal will wonder what our alliance is worth.”
Gurragang shrugged. “Divide the territory of Yigutji in half with them. Along the Matjidi [Murrumbidgee], with the right bank to us and the left bank to them. Nothing could be more generous.”
Kerela said, “They may argue that give us the better half, with Garrkimang and Loona [Gundagai], the two largest remaining cities, on the right bank.”
Gurragang said, “We would be leaving them the unravaged half. The Hunter’s forces plundered most of the right bank, but he sent nothing save a few scouts across the Matjidi.”
Kerela said, “They might accept that. Yet it still leaves problems.”
“Always there are problems,” Gurragang said. “Always we must keep one eye on what is to come. Yet if Gutjanal accepts such a bargain, they will cease to be an immediate problem. Integrating their half of Yigutji will keep them busy. Just as our challenges will remain with our new lands.”
Of course, the largest challenge would be the manoeuvring amongst the factions for acquisitions amongst the new lands. Even more difficult than satisfying the former Yigutjians. Come to that, it would be fitting for Amity to be awarded with plentiful new lands for his efforts. Large lands, full of Yigutjians, and near the border with the Dominion. I must see what is available there. Let Amity be rewarded and kept busy at the same time.
“Fortunately, the succession will be contested in the Dominion,” Amity said. “Perhaps they will hold together in the end, perhaps not. Regardless, they will have a bloody war first. That, too, gives us time.”
“If they fall apart, we will still have several new states to the north, in contest with each other, that we must balance,” Gurragang said.
Kerela said, “And if they hold together, then we have a more delicate balance. Dominion to the north, Yadji to the south, and Gutjanal ready to waver.”
Norang Dadi said, “And then we must face the greatest enemy of all. The Raw Men.”
* * *
4th Day of Feasts, 30th Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [18 March 1720]
Boat on the Nyalananga [River Murray], near Tapiwal [Robinvale, Victoria]
“This is too long to hide,” murmured Puckapunyal. King Puckapunyal, still the true ruler of Yigutji, no matter the disaster which the Horse-Men had brought to it.
Nearly three months had passed, hiding on this boat. No matter how luxuriously it was furnished – this was the boat which Gurragang of the Whites used for his personal travel – this was still a cage. He dared not venture onto the deck of the boat except at night, to avoid being seen. During daylight hours, he could only look through latticework windows that offered mere glimpses of the world outside.
Still, for all that the confinement grated, it remained infinitely preferable to the alternative.
The Horse-Men had captured the city, Yigutji-of-the-Eagles. He had thought it impossible that they would ever breach the walls, but he had been tragically proven wrong. Few of the city’s inhabitants were left alive.
Fortunately, Puckapunyal had been one of those few. He had been amongst the first people fleeing the city after the walls were breached, suitably disguised as a common soldier amongst common soldiers. They had rushed to the riverbank, where a few Tjibarri boats were waiting. His bodyguards, likewise disguised but far better fighters than most, had sacrificed themselves so that he could reach a boat; the only refugee in the first wave to do so.
The Tjibarri boat had been crewed by men of the Whites. They had left immediately, without collecting any further refugees, and argued that it was safest if no-one knew that he lived, for now. A point he fully agreed with. As a fallen monarch he would not be immediately popular. Too many in Yigutji would turn on him or even hand him to the Horse-Men for their personal advantage. Too many in Tjibarr would seek to turn his presence to their advantage in their endless machinations, if they knew that he lived.
So the Whites had brought him here, a safe distance past the border. Gurragang son of Lopitja had given him this much more comfortable boat to stay on water rather than on land, saying that it was both easier to keep him from prying eyes and quicker to escape if he was discovered.
All of which Puckapunyal knew, and all of which he had brooded over many times. His imprisonment still grated, for all that it was voluntary and his best option for survival. A concubine had been provided for him, which with typical Gunnagal manoeuvring was one who did not know his name and could not recognise him by sight. Save for that, he had little to do save read – Gurragang had an extensive library on his boat – and plan for how he could rebuild the kingdom. He had considered many ideas for the latter, all of which would require Tjibarri aid. That would make Yigutji little more than a puppet for Tjibarr, but even that would be better than rule by the Horse-Men.
A splash of oars outside interrupted his musings. A smaller boat pulled alongside, ropes were thrown to attach the boats together, and men clambered aboard. Through the nearest latticework window, he recognised Gurragang among the men on the boat.
Important news, then. Gurragang had come to this boat only twice before, the first when welcoming Puckapunyal to it, and the second a courtesy visit a month later to see how he was faring. Other than that, the man had stayed away. To come here again signified something dramatic.
He ordered the concubine to withdraw to the inner chamber on the boat, then readied himself to await the White aristocrat’s arrival.
Soon enough, Gurragang climbed down into the chamber, with two bodyguards following behind. Gurragang looked the same as he always did: tall, deep-set eyes, a broad if rarely used smile, and a short-trimmed beard which left his upper lip bare. The two bodyguards had beards in a similar style; it was the current fashion amongst the Whites.
Gurragang went down on one knee and lowered his head. His bodyguards did the same a moment later.
“Rise,” Puckapunyal said. It was good to see the courtesies being maintained. “What portentous news brings you to visit here?”
“Splendid news, Your Majesty,” Gurragang said as he rose. Behind him, the bodyguards also came to their feet. “The Hunter has fallen in battle.”
“Is this certain, not rumour?”
“Without doubt. I was nearby on the battlefield when it happened. The Dominion forces were defeated, and their great warleader killed.”
“Then celebration is called for,” Puckapunyal said.
“Indeed it is.” Gurragang waved a hand, and both bodyguards produced pistols from beneath their clothes.
Puckapunyal had time to register that and half-rise before the quicker of the two bodyguards cocked the weapon and fired [3]. He felt fire erupt in his belly, and fell back into his chair. An instant later, a second tongue of flame leaped through his thigh.
“Why?” he managed to ask.
Gurragang said, “Keeping you alive was important, since you could help to rally Yigutji against the Hunter in case of our defeat when he invaded Tjibarr. With our armies successful, you are merely an impediment to our control of former Yigutji.”
Despite his breath heaving against the pain, Puckapunyal still found it important to ask, “So this is how Tjibarr honours its alliance?”
Gurragang shrugged. “It is said in your kingdom as much as in mine: never trust a Gunngal.”
* * *
Crimson Day, Cycle of Bunya Nuts, 31st Year of His Majesty Guwariyan the Second [2 April 1720]
Near junction of Gurrnyal [Lachlan] and Matjidi [Murrumbidgee] Rivers
Former Yigtuji-Tjibarr border
Two banners had been planted in the ground, both coloured with the pure blue that the Five Rivers and now the Dominion had adopted to mark the presence of a herald. Pinjarra found that quietly amusing, given the well-deserved reputation of the Blues, who sought harmony but rarely found it.
In truth, of course, that was merely a coincidence. The protocol for heralds had been borrowed from Durigal, where the Yadji rulers had chosen blue for reasons of their own, and insisted on it when dealing with others. The Yadji had no interest in adapting their diplomatic conventions to suit their rivals, and given the number of wars fought with Durigal, the Five Rivers had eventually adopted the same colour.
Each of the banners had been daubed with two white dots, to signify that two people could come; each side’s herald, and one other. As protocol required, a herald accompanied Pinjarra, a pleasant if usually quiet man named Balmaringa. Pinjarra had already discreetly advised this herald to be silent unless called on to speak. He had only accepted this diplomatic duty out of a desire to avoid further bloodshed, and would not tolerate any interference.
Only one man waited beneath the Dominion’s banner. Kullerin was entitled to bring a second representative, but had clearly elected to speak alone. Or perhaps no other representative could be found.
“Good to see you again, my friend,” Pinjarra said sincerely.
“And you also,” Kullerin said. The man sounded sad, even now, but that was understandable. A man of great vision had been lost.
After a brief introduction of Balmaringa, Kullerin said, “And are you here on your own behalf?”
“I volunteered for this duty, because I think it could spare much further loss of life. And because you know – most of the Dominion’s leaders know – that I have no interest in lying to you.”
“You represent yourself, then, but I represent the Dominion,” Kullerin said.
“Given our past friendship, I won’t make your role here any more difficult by asking which particular leader of the Dominion you represent.”
Kullerin shook his head. “Tjibarr made the request for heralds to meet, so you may state the purpose.”
“First, a question. Do the Dominion’s leaders plan on defending Yigutji? My apologies, I should say, what was once Yigutji.”
“They are still in council. I do not know which way they will decide.”
Pinjarra frowned. “Urge them to decide quickly, for the sake of all of those who serve under them.”
“They will decide in their own time, and not before.”
“Their time is limited, alas,” Pinjarra said. “This is the crux of the information I have been asked to convey. The kings of Tjibarr and Gutjanal have jointly called on the Dominion to abandon all of what once was Yigutji.”
“What of the other lands of the Dominion?”
“They say that so long as the Dominion’s armies withdraw from all lands that belonged to Yigutji, they can do what they wish elsewhere. The armies of the Five Rivers will not attack them further or interfere with their rule of other lands.”
“What time do they give for this?”
“They give the Dominion seven days to begin a withdrawal. Any failure to do so will result in invasion of former Yigutji, and battle on whatever terms seems best to them.”
“Are they so sure that they can win another battle?” Kullerin asked.
Pinjarra sighed. “You are a good man, Kullerin, but you need not ask questions which ill-become you. Tjibarr’s army was larger than the Dominion’s even before Yangan, and that battle cost the Dominion rather more soldiers than it did the Tjibarri. To say nothing of all the cannon which have been captured, and it was only those which let the walls of cities be breached.”
“More, Gutjanal still has its own army, which is largely intact, as the Warego will know from when the Gutjanalese withdrew after the invasion of Yigutji. They will be invading, too. This is not a war which the Dominion can win. In their own homelands, perhaps, but not here.”
“Is that the full message?” Kullerin asked, his voice cold.
“All that the Tjibarri have asked me to convey,” Pinjarra said. And even that set aside Pinjarra’s doubts about whether the Warego could work together. They were assuredly now squabbling for who would inherit the Hunter’s mantle. That was not a contest which would be resolved without bloodshed.
“This small message I add on my own behalf: I hope that the Warego listen.”
“I will tell them.”
Pinjarra said, “As for us, my friend, I fear that this will be our last parting. Any reply will have to be conveyed to others. I go now to Gutjanal, a place which I doubt the Dominion shall ever reach.”
“I have long given up trying to predict what the fates have in store,” Kullerin said. “But I wish you a safe journey, all the same.” The herald picked up the banner again, turned, and began walking away.
Once Kullerin was out of earshot, Pinjarra said, “I would wish you a safe journey, too, but I fear that safety will not be found in the Dominion for a long time.”
* * *
From Bareena Uranj, a Tjarrling religious text which is typically though inaccurately rendered into English as the Orange Bible:
Chapter 150
1. Following the treachery at Yangan, the Warego who remained [4] rallied the forces of the faithful at Garrkimang.
2. The Warego met in council for many days, as they considered who should guide the Dominion.
3. Goonawa said, “Tjuwagga was the strongest, and his successor should be the next strongest who is left.”
4. The Warego each claimed to be the strongest, save Kyulibah who remained silent.
5. Munya son of Nyambih, commander of the First Goannas, said, “Tjuwagga was a man of unrivalled vision. My fellows and I followed him because of this. I trust his blood and his heirs more than someone who followed him, not led.”
6. Minjaree said, “Tjuwagga has two sons, but both are too young to lead. They cannot command armies, nor can they guide the Dominion.”
7. Munya said, “They will grow. They are more worthy to claim the title of the strongest than this group of Warego who at one time were each defeated by the Hunter.”
8. Kyulibah said, “Munya, they cannot rule now. Your choice means only that we argue over who should be regent. The decision must still be made.”
9. Munya said, “The decision is already made. Tjuwagga named Jowarra as the guardian for his sons. Argue whom you will, but as for me and my men, we will serve Tjuwagga.”
10. Munya called, and the First and Second Goannas followed him on the road to Cankoona, while the Warego were still in council.
11. The council ended without decision, for each believed himself to be the strongest, save Kyulibah who still held his peace.
12. Each of the Warego returned to his own warband, and each called on the remaining Goannas to join them.
13. The Goannas divided their allegiance as seemed best to them.
14. Nowenrat became the first Warego to depart, taking his warband and such of the Goannas as accompanied him to Murrginhi, where he claimed rulership in the name of succession to Tjuwagga.
15. Each of the other Warego departed in turn with their warbands and allies, until only Kyulibah remained.
16. Kyulibah said, “All who have remained, you are faithful to Tjuwagga. We will honour his memory and his heirs, but we cannot do so here. We must return to Cankoona.”
17. Kyulibah sent heralds to the approaching River-Men armies, and negotiated for uncontested passage back to the Neeburra.
18. And so the Five Rivers were once more deprived of harmony.
* * *
From: The Hunter and His Times
RG Toohey (1996). Oxford: University of Oxford Press.
Epilogue
And so the tale of the Hunter himself is complete, ending as all human stories do, with a death. As with all histories, too, unless the final tale of humanity ever comes to be written, the question arises of what happened next. This tale can only be told in brief, for it is not the main subject of this work, but nevertheless, some details may be added to satisfy the reader’s curiosity.
The Hunter made limited provision for naming a successor during his lifetime. The closest he came was naming Jowarra, the semi-retired veteran Warego, as guardian and educator of his sons. The disputed succession which followed was probably inevitable, given the ambition of the Warego class, but the lack of a clearly designated regent certainly made it worse. Perhaps the Hunter feared that naming a clear regent would be taken as justification for that regent seizing power in their own name.
In any event, the Warego divided after the Battle of Yangan, and most of them sought to establish a powerbase for their loyal troops, in preparation for the expected warfare to follow.
Initially, five Warego vied for rulership of the Dominion. In the Neeburra, Jowarra claimed to rule as regent for the Hunter’s sons, with Cankoona as his capital. In Kerowra [5], Yongalla ruled on no authority but his own. Goonawa claimed openly to be the strongest Warego, ruling the Daluming lowlands from Yuragir [Coffs Harbour], and contesting for the Daluming highlands [New England tablelands]. Around Narranuk [Taree], Minjaree endeavoured to set up an independent state over the Loomal inhabitants. In Murrginhi [Hunter Valley], Nowenrat sought to use the wealth and spices of the Patjimunra as the basis of his authority. The only senior Warego who did not make an initial bid for supremacy was Kyulibah, who went to the Neeburra and supported Jowarra’s regency claim.
The number of Dominionship contenders was quickly reduced. Minjaree’s tenure as a sovereign Warego lasted less than a year before he realised that he lacked a viable position, and he pledged his support to Goonawa. Nowenrat ruled Murrginhi for three years, surviving the initial attacks by Goonawa and Minjaree. In 1723 he was overthrown by an internal Patjimunra revolt. This led to the restoration of Murrginhi as an independent state, now with expanded borders in the south. Murrginhi expressed its open opposition to the Dominion, and also had tacit Tjibarri backing. Nowenrat’s surviving forces largely joined Jowarra.
The remaining three contenders had more stable power bases. With the notable exception of the Patjimunra, none of the conquered peoples in the Dominion showed a strong interest in removing the Yalatji as a ruling class. The debates of the subject peoples focused on which Warego was the best leader, not over whether the Yalatji should rule.
These three leading Warego mounted several campaigns against each other throughout the first half of the 1720s, but none managed to decisively defeat their opponents. Goonawa successfully maintained control of the Daluming highlands, and the spices they produced, but otherwise the campaigns did not produce any significant outcome.
In 1726, while on campaign in Kerowra, Jowarra died of what was probably a heart attack, though poison was widely rumoured. This suspicion of poison focused on Kyulibah, which meant that the loyalist forces refused to accept him as ruler. One of the middling-senior commanders, Weriyu, brokered a deal whereby Yongalla publicly ceded his claims to outright rulership in exchange for acting as the regent for the Hunter’s sons, and unification of his existing dominion with the Neeburra.
In 1728, Yongalla was assassinated by a Kiyungu warrior who took poison before he could be questioned. At the time, suspicion fell variously on Goonawa, Tjibarr, the Nuttana, and the northern Kiyungu, and even the Dutch East India Company. When questioned whether Tjibarr was involved, their herald famously replied, “Why would we kill someone who was more use to us alive?” The modern consensus is that Goonawa was probably either behind the assassination or at least had been informed of the plot and did not oppose it.
Following Yongalla’s death, Kyulibah took control of the regency in the Neeburra, and waged an ongoing campaign against Goonawa. In 1732, Kyulibah’s forces occupied Yuragir and Goonawa conceded defeat. Kyulibah accepted his surrender but then had him executed, blaming him for Yongalla’s death. To his last breath, Goonawa denied any involvement with the assassination.
Kyulibah ruled as uncontested regent of all remaining Dominion territory until 1735. Then, the Hunter’s elder son took the name Justice and declared himself capable of ruling. He had Kyulibah sent on what was effectively an internal exile to watch the border with the northern Kiyungu, and had Minjaree likewise exiled to being a permanent herald with the Portuguese at Rramaji [Karumba, QLD]. Justice also commissioned a history of his ancestry, which has survived as The True History of the Yalatji. With that, the last of the Hunter’s senior Warego had been removed from power, and an end had come to the Hunter and his times.
* * *
Carl Ashkettle pauses, his hand aching from the endless writing. Clements’ description of the Hunter and his era has been engaging, thorough, and would doubtless make a suitable tale in itself, even if everything else the multiple-centenarian talks about was deemed worthless.
After some thought, Ashkettle decides to ask a different kind of question. One which is not about what happened. “So, with the tale all told, what did you think after the Battle of Yangan? Forever condemning Gunnagal treachery?”
Clements chuckles. “You know, for many years, I did. As many Tjarrlings still do to this day, having growing up reading the Orange Bible and its depiction of betrayal.”
“You think that what happened was justifiable?”
“At the time, no. But then, I was not close enough to witness the events, or play any meaningful part in the battle. As a herald, I had no role there. What I knew of Yangan, I learned as it was told by others. And time lets a man reflect on things, and even change his mind.”
Ashkettle asks, “What conclusion has time let you reach?”
“That with the life the Hunter lived, he would have inevitably died in battle, then or elsewhere. He led his troops into battle, and made his warband the vanguard of many attacks. Even at Yangan, a cannonball missed him by less than a foot. Death in warfare was inevitable for him, one way or another. He might not have survived Yangan even if the Gunnagal had fought straightforwardly. Or he might have fallen in the next battle against Tjibarr, or one against Gutjanal. Or even against Durigal, if he made it that far.”
“And that excuses Gunnagal deception?”
Clements shrugs. “Deception is part of warfare. What they did was misdirection in combat, conducted against someone who claimed to be the best in battle there ever was. Change of sides or not, it was still a victory in battle for them. And their people were fighting for their survival. Why should they not use every tool at their disposal?”
“So in short, the Gunnagal did what they had to do, and should not be blamed for it?”
“Not exactly how I would describe it, but it will do. The Hunter died in battle, as he inevitably would, but his legacy endures, as he would have wished. It is fitting, I think.”
* * *
“Here lie the ashes of Tjuwagga
Lord of battle and seeker of truth
He saw further and truer than any man
And in both life and death changed the world.”
- Epitaph found in the Hunter’s mausoleum in Cankoona
* * *
[1] The Gunnagal calendar is divided into 30 cycles of 12 days each, each of which are named, for the first 360 days of the year. The remaining 5 or 6 days, at the end of the year, are intercalary days which are named as days of feasts, and would normally be a time of celebration, except when interrupted by warfare.
[2] “Dadi” functions as a kind of surname, although Gunnagal naming traditions in this era do not include fully inheritable surnames. Most people, including even some of the wealthy, simply go by a first name and a patronymic, such as Lopitja gang Wemba (Lopitja son of Wemba) and/or their place of birth. This is often enough to distinguish people from each other, or failing that, nicknames usually suffice.
However, for those who are senior members of a faction, they are often permitted to call themselves by the name of the faction, such as Wemba Dalwal or Wemba ga Dalwal, which could be variously translated as Wemba the White or Wemba of the Whites. Where there are two senior members of the same faction who have the same name, the more high-status one at the time is awarded an “honour name.” An honour name such as Dadi functions like a surname in some respects, but it can only be inherited within the same faction; if the family changes factions, the honour name would be lost.
[3] Though Puckapunyal is not in a position to make the observation, the pistols being used here are wheel-locks. Flintlocks are used for the more common soldier, since they are cheaper and more efficient for use on a wide scale. Wheel-locks are often carried by the wealthy and their bodyguards, despite the cost, because they can be carried loaded, and fired more quickly than a flintlock once loaded.
[4] In the previous chapter, the Orange Bible states that one of the Warego, the commander of the Long Irons, had died from a cannonball, but never provides his name.
[5] Kerowra is the Yalatji name for the lands of the former Kiyungu League, or in historical terms approximately the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast.
* * *
Thoughts?
Gunnagals are the type of people to stab their mother in the womb to get an early way out.
I want this to be an actual canon saying in the world of LoRaG.
I used an MSPaint map to help me keep track of what was going on this update, thought I'd post here lmao. The big red blob in the North is Kyulibah's and then Justice's Dominion, which despite the warfare is still far and away the largest state in Aururia. The black areas within were formerly Yongalla's and Goonawa's zones of influence. The Kiyungu and Daluming largely staying within the framework and supporting alternate Warego rather than overturning the system entirely reminds me of the Persians supporting the Abbasids as a within-Islam alternative to the Umayyads.
The smaller red blob just south is the former Kuyal Province, now with a Patjimunra king. Is their new king of the same dynasty as the old one? I imagine he'd have to be, in order to meet the society's casteist standards. Likely this new kingdom will be recontacted by the East India Company. Though with this new kingdom seemingly being stronger and the EIC more desperate to seal a deal, the New Murrginhi relationship with the EIC may be on a more equal footing than the relationship with the Old Murrginhi or Port Percy.
The green line through Yigutji is the partition line along the Matjidi, and the green dotted area northeast of it is Tjibarr's projected zone of influence. That area encompasses the Spice Road. The Dominion used it to invade, and now Tjibarr is likely to use it to supply aid to New Murrginhi. You know, it would be pretty cool for the former Yigutji notables to begin assembling some color-factions of their own, and jump into the Dance on their own terms. Though I suspect more than a few will just join the existing factions and be assimilated that way.
Somewhat unrelated, but something makes me think the Yadji aren't going to invade the Tjunini after all. The moment in which they could have done it, in which the Dominion was bearing down on the Five Rivers and taking Dutch and English posts along the way, is past.
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I'm guessing that if Warhammer came out in this timeline, the Skaven would have at least some Gunnagal influence.
Excellent. So it seems the Dominion is going to mostly hold together. And there may yet be a Timur to the Hunter's Genghis, so to speak.
Seven parts when the author is writing, or at the time which is the main subject of the book, which might be at any time in the past after the Hunter's death? You play with us at times, Jared.
Seven parts when the author is writing, or at the time which is the main subject of the book, which might be at any time in the past after the Hunter's death? You play with us at times, Jared.
Very well written, and a satisfying conclusion to this arc. The principal question, of course, is if this is the end to regular LoRaG updates? I really enjoyed the frequency of them, proper serialisation improves the consumption of any form of media, IMO. I definitely would support this becoming the norm, fully-formed arcs released in regular, short intervals.
As to the content, one thing I hoped we would see more of, and still can now that the Dominion is largely secure, is the Dominion forcing Europeans to conduct trade on more equal terms. All the major Aururian states have this interest in common, perhaps we will see some cooperation there. We're roughly in the mid 18th century now, right? Transport times should be reducing now, and with the added impetus will we see something like an early Clipper ship which would allow rapid communication between Europe and Aururia? That'd certainly up the stakes. I'm also expecting that we're about to see a rapid filling-in of the Aururian map, as plague-recovered major states now have the technology to splash their colour into remote areas...
As to the content, one thing I hoped we would see more of, and still can now that the Dominion is largely secure, is the Dominion forcing Europeans to conduct trade on more equal terms. All the major Aururian states have this interest in common, perhaps we will see some cooperation there. We're roughly in the mid 18th century now, right? Transport times should be reducing now, and with the added impetus will we see something like an early Clipper ship which would allow rapid communication between Europe and Aururia? That'd certainly up the stakes. I'm also expecting that we're about to see a rapid filling-in of the Aururian map, as plague-recovered major states now have the technology to splash their colour into remote areas...
My guess the Yadji not invading the Tjuini is probably due to not wanting to cause even more conflict if the Dominion did actually get past all those Kingdoms between them and the Yadji. Now I’m curious to see how Malligo’s harmony batallions manage to intervene themselves in Aotorean politics.
Can we get an estimate of the population of the Maoris just in Aotorea (New Zealand) alone? I’m going to guess after all the diseases subside, it’ll be near one million.
Can we get an estimate of the population of the Maoris just in Aotorea (New Zealand) alone? I’m going to guess after all the diseases subside, it’ll be near one million.
Speaking of the Maori, what is going on to the Nuttana backed Maori kingdoms following the disruption of Nuttana influence on the eastern Aururian coast on the part of the Dominion?
Has there been a massive population boom from Aurarian foods? I can't recall if that's been covered.
The
I remember reading one of the earliest chapters, and I think Aururian traders brought Red Yam and other products to Aotorea during TTL earlier version of the Musket Wars. This led to a rise in population, as infighting slowly ceased between the Iwis(can’t remember the Maori word for tribe).