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Ch.04.05 Northern Storm, part two
News of the Tlingit invasion was slow to reach the larger city states in the south. While the northern cities knew almost immediately that they were being threatened the state of Japanese politics at the time, and the lingering aftermath of the Onin war meant that most of the Diamyo in the region were more than happy to leave their neighbors to their fates. Believing that the foreign invaders would exhaust themselves long before they reached their territories.
There was also the issue in the northern cities that many of the local lords would rather save their resources to defend themselves against the Tlingit than band together to defend their neighbors.
Thus Ainxiou quickly devoured many of the outlying Japanese cities. Making rapid progress due to the limited military forces most settlements possessed. The Tlingit king did not only take cities by force, offering them generous terms of surrender if they chose to do so without a fight. Demanding a hefty price and men to add to his forces, but afterwards promising to take only limited amounts of tribute from cities which did not resist.
Some cities took the king up on his offer. Many smaller settlements judging that Tlingit sovereignty would be preferable to control by one of the larger cities which had previously been expanding their influence and control in the region.
Those cities that failed to surrender were quickly overrun and sacked. Anything of value was carried away and the leaders of the village or city were executed. The Tlingit army, while not especially well organized or equipped for sieges, was quite successful, largely due to the small size of the cities they attacked early in their campaigns.
It was only as summer entered its full swing and the Tlingit army reached the outskirts of the territory controlled by Arai that the larger Diamyo in the south began to take the Tlingit threat seriously. With Arai itself calling for aide in July and mobilizing its own military forces. While the Japanese nobles debated if they would come to the aide of the city the Tlingit began to draw down their army. Sending some troops home and establishing garrisons in the towns they had seized and generally preparing for the coming winter, planning to resume their conquest in the next year. Ainxiou not wanting to get involved in a lengthy siege during the winter months. This would give the Japanese several months to come together and draw a plan.
There was also the issue in the northern cities that many of the local lords would rather save their resources to defend themselves against the Tlingit than band together to defend their neighbors.
Thus Ainxiou quickly devoured many of the outlying Japanese cities. Making rapid progress due to the limited military forces most settlements possessed. The Tlingit king did not only take cities by force, offering them generous terms of surrender if they chose to do so without a fight. Demanding a hefty price and men to add to his forces, but afterwards promising to take only limited amounts of tribute from cities which did not resist.
Some cities took the king up on his offer. Many smaller settlements judging that Tlingit sovereignty would be preferable to control by one of the larger cities which had previously been expanding their influence and control in the region.
Those cities that failed to surrender were quickly overrun and sacked. Anything of value was carried away and the leaders of the village or city were executed. The Tlingit army, while not especially well organized or equipped for sieges, was quite successful, largely due to the small size of the cities they attacked early in their campaigns.
It was only as summer entered its full swing and the Tlingit army reached the outskirts of the territory controlled by Arai that the larger Diamyo in the south began to take the Tlingit threat seriously. With Arai itself calling for aide in July and mobilizing its own military forces. While the Japanese nobles debated if they would come to the aide of the city the Tlingit began to draw down their army. Sending some troops home and establishing garrisons in the towns they had seized and generally preparing for the coming winter, planning to resume their conquest in the next year. Ainxiou not wanting to get involved in a lengthy siege during the winter months. This would give the Japanese several months to come together and draw a plan.
- Count of Crisco
- Word Count: 410