WDR 2009 Edition

The time has once more come for us to review the strengths and deficiencies of the various Primal Realms around creation, in the hope of fostering a healthy state of paranoia and conflict, to further the Wellesley mission of being an equal opportunity military equipment supplier.

This review has been compiled using extensive intelligence information, coupled with personal interviews and inspections of forces throughout existence, and is backed by the secure pedigree of the Wellesley name.

Amber: The kingdom of Amber continues to occupy the top spot in defence terms. Backed by the might of Prince Benedict, this monarchy continues to enjoy the benefits of restricted technology, and a range of personnel and forces to meet all its defence needs. With all land approaches buffered by the mighty Forest of Arden, and the ranger forces of Prince Julian, and the extensive fleet capabilities of the navy under Prince Gerard, Amber’s defence rating of ‘AAA+’ is well deserved.

Rebma: Continuing to place its hopes on periodic mystical processes and procedures to underpin a lack of depth in significant command personnel, Rebma relies on the military might of its Sister-Princess Deirdre, with occasional visits from her Chanicut daughter to bolster efforts. Nevertheless, these deficiencies are offset by a unique set of environmental circumstances, likely to give significant problems to any potential attacker. Thus the Rebma defence rating remains at ‘AA+’.

Parys: The perpetual endurer, King Corwin continues to defy the pundits and retain a sovereign Primal Realm free of hostile forces, despite being even more deprived of principal personnel than Rebma. Intelligence would indicate that he has managed to locate another of his offspring who is actually aware of which end should point towards the enemy, and this has been sufficient to raise the Parys defence rating to ‘AA+’, as there are no mitigating circumstances of either geography or environment which would give any invading forces significant pause on the road to the capital.

Haven: Pedigree and personal enthusiasm seem to be the driving forces behind the regime of Kelric of Haven, and the lack of personnel is only compounded by the general feeling of animosity felt by many other Realms against Haven. With no significant military leader, the government relies on shifting short-term alliances, and interventions from the actual Power which underpins the Realm to prevent significant attrition from the almost constant raids and invasions which it suffers. With little changed in recent times, there is nothing to indicate that the previous defence rating of ‘A+’ should be altered. Only the family connections of Kelric to his father, Finndo, and his maternal elder brother Robert stand between Haven and an all-out invasion from Amber.

Murray: One of the gateway Realms between Shadow and that other place which Robert and Roland cooked up between themselves, Murray presents difficulties when attempting to assess its defence rating. Standing alone in Shadow, its direct territorial control is low – the Shadows it directly controls are limited, and therefore its resource base is smaller. In addition, the distance from the edge of its influence zone to the heart of the Realm is smaller than usual. However, there is then the unknown factor – specifically the other side of the gateway, where a full Primal Realm with all the similar benefits to Amber is to be found, readily able to supply forces and key personnel over a time scale that appears close to instantaneous. For these reasons the defence rating has to be placed at ‘AAA’ – particularly with the expert and experienced leadership of it’s regent Prince James de Lacy.

Sanguine: The current focus in Shadow of the greatest multidimensional representation of nationalistic doctrines and policies, Sanguine is another of the gateway Realms, and behind its gate is one of the most aggressive examples of military might ever assembled for the purposes of outward conquest. However, recent intelligence would indicate that there are troubles behind the door, which would indicate that Reichsprotektor Oberstgruppenführer Matthias Kapler might not be looking outward with any great ambition at this time. Nevertheless, this world continues to be one where any invader is inevitably going to find he has bitten off more than he can chew, which is why the defence rating for Sanguine remains at ‘AAA’

Casablanca: Formerly with the status of gateway world, the recent announcements of the founding of an External Empire by the regime behind this gateway have prompted a re-evaluation of its condition. Ruled by a Regens of significant capability and with a military track record that is enviable, one then has to look rather carefully to find anybody else of note in the bullpen. In addition, the presence of a mayor of the city with strong ties to Prince Bleys of Amber, in the form of Remus Morwen, adds a cautionary note to the value of the Regens own prowess. How much of his time will he need to spend watching his back? Add to that a government filled with up-scaled civil servants or young untried family members from back in the home Empire on the other side of the gate, and there is cause for concern that even the arrival of a new wife from a remote branch of the Hendrake family cannot fully redress. Not helping this is news that a significant force of the Empire’s own homespun perpetual enemy, the Federation, has been seen recently campaigning on Casablanca’s outer reaches. Thus it is our view that these new developments have in fact caused the rating of Casablanca to deteriorate rather than improve, and is now set at ‘AA+’

St. James: It continues to amaze the Defence Review that a Realm with so little going for it on a domestic level can manage to remain a significant force in the larger scale of things. Resource light in the extreme, it is relying almost totally on the support of Sable and the Empire of Eboracum, which lie on the other side of the twin gateways that exist there. Nevertheless, with only one resident defender of note, whose expertise is more towards the arcane than the military, it is simply not possible to give St. James a defence rating higher than ‘A’.

Liberty: A new kid on the block, this is the first time this Realm will have featured in the Defence Review, and it has not been an easy one to assess. With a surprisingly widespread level of Reality, and a significant unified world philosophy, there does however seem to have been, until recent times, a heavy level of attrition taking place within the Realm due to regular incursions of Abyss, and a general degradation of the structural integrity of the place. A recent geophysical shift in the location of Liberty in Shadow seems to have been accompanied by a change in fortunes regarding the Abyss incursions. Forces seem to now be readily available for outward defence, but a lack of visible depth in the command roster has been a factor in the overall assessment. Worth pointing out, however, is that Liberty has defence treaties in place with both Sable and the Reich, and this has also been a factor in the awarding of a ‘AA’ rating.

Animus: Even newer kid on the block, a Logrus Realm which has sprung up during the compilation of this review, and thus far has shown little evidence to indicate that it even qualifies to be rated. Created by a small-time commercial artist of no thus far determined lineage, and backed by – well – as far as we can tell – nobody of note, the only thing currently defending it seems to be the lack of readiness and momentum on the part of any potential aggressors, coupled with the fact that most people (including this reviewer) are not yet aware of where to actually find it. It will be interesting to see if its independence will survive long enough for its rating to raise from an initial value of ‘C’

Sarrabann: The former beach hut of Swayville the Great continues in its ascendancy, with the news that since the last publication of the Defence Review, those portions of House Helgram which did not join the former Prime Minister of Thelbane in his new venture elsewhere have shifted their allegiances to Sarrabann, thus providing the economic stability and depth that were lacking. Not insignificant is the addition of new blood on the personnel roster, with the arrival of the actual Helgram family members. The only fly in the ointment is the current disposition of House Hendrake – though the recent disasters in their training grounds, coupled with an insurrection from one of their own generals, have minimised their ability to contribute to any Realm’s overall rating. Nevertheless, ruled by a son of Oberon, and backed by the richest House of Chaos, the prospects for Sarrabann look good, and the new rating of ‘AAA’ is well deserved.

Thelbane: Uneasy rests the crown on king Mandor’s head. It has not been Thelbane’s year. The departure of Helgram has been keenly felt, and the agitation caused by Princess Dara, in her pursuit of justice for her son Merlin, have not helped. Similarly, a number of misfortunes suffered by the financial backers in House Chanicut, and the general unease about whether House Hendrake would be able to field a significant force should the need arise, has meant that the once rich and powerful Realm is now in decline, and this has contributed to it’s down rating to ‘AA’

Thus ends the Wellesley Defence Review for another year. We wish you many hours of fruitful conquest, and our sales teams are ready right now to discuss your supply needs for the upcoming campaign season.

2 comments

  1. Hi Charlie,

    Remember me? I guess not – otherwise you’d not have had the balls to refer to me as ‘nobody of note’.

    Guess what – I’m backing Animus. And you’re a nasty little gun runner with an inflated sense of his own importance. Perhaps you should have left your grand daughter Jane to write your defence review – at least she doesn’t spend all her time sucking up to daddy. Amber AAA+ my arse. The ones you don’t list as assets are likely to be leading the invasion.

    Get a clue Charlie.

    You loving ex, Lauren.

    P.S. Merlin was better in the sack. Sorry – had to be said.

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