>>6294657>>6294660>>6294124>>6294243Agreed, I will detail it tomorrow.
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You decided to ask for a map, you knew that it was not very useful, and you were not well versed in map reading. To be sincere the maps always were too big and imprecise in France, or during your campaigns. No army could use an exact map of a region, all was made by local guides. You generally caught a local peasant and against some food he would tell you where to go. Here it was different, you saw several interesting maps, even if imprecises and the Indians seemed to be very proud of their mapmaking. Since you were in an institution dedicated to this you thought that you could ask.
-Perhaos a map, if you have one, of the Empire and those barbarian lands would be useful to better understand the situation.
The professor nodded and she took an old perchment in one of her cupboards. It was an impressive work and you quickly looked at it. Well Bohémond did look but was puzzled since he didn't know how to read. Your first remark was.
-These barbarian lands are huge.
-Yes indeed, but they are not very densely populated. They aren't the best lands. I think that you will have to travel for three months to get there. If the weather is good.
You continued by asking.
-And the current relations between the realm of Bifuria, or even the Empire, and these barbarians. What are they ?
She answered kindly but with her categorical tone.
-They are poor, very poor, but we are not at war. Since the Empire helps funding a rebellion amongst orcs, the pig headed ones, against most of the rest of the eastern orcs and humans they are focusing on it and not raiding us too much. At the same time the Empire is trying to conquer the archipelagos and lands of Smaug, you see here, a brutal war against lizardmen, and so most of the Empire's military is focused on it. We do not have the means to attack the barbarians.
Bohémond asked, hoping for glory perhaps.
-Have there been some attacks in the past ? Or huge wars ?
The young looking woman answered him with enthusiasm.
-Yes, of course, there have been. Generally the barbarians raid with the help of hordes of cavalry, or river raiders. Many rivers connect them to our lands from the eastern mountains and their fleets burn all the cities on the rivers. But they could be no match for the imperial armies and our battlemages, dragons and other magical support so they were crushed or pushed back before they could take important lands. They managed sometimes to even take the capitals of Bomburia and Dorin but it was a long time ago. Of course we sent armies too, deep in their lands, to expand the Empire but the barbarians tended to avoid open battle and in the winter, especially in their haunted forests even elf scouts have trouble locating them. Famine, attrition and other problems made it too costly to advance. They even burn their own cities to avoid us sheltering in them and consider it patriotic. They are barbarians, I tell you.
