We just gave Isaac a bit of IC news to dole out with some basic Val Chevin updates, available on the timeline here, which is the basics they'd know in advance before leaving Kirkwall. Once they get to where the allied forces are camped north of the city and link up with the allied command, they'll find there's a large force assembled, and they're still in good order and overall look to be in fairly good spirits, the 'victory' of retaking Ghislain and the relief of spring's arrival not having totally worn off yet. Inside the command tents, things are much more tense and unsettled, easy to get the sense that there is an on-going disagreement among the gathered leaders. They'll be able to meet with the commanders briefly and get a high-level overview of the situation and the enemy's disposition to the best of their current knowledge, but will not be welcome to remain long and join in strategizing, instead politely shuffled out on a tour of the camp and the force's preparations. It is believed that the enemy force holding Val Chevin is at most 1/4th the size of the assembled allied forces, but the city is well fortified by encircling walls and was captured intact, making it a very difficult target despite the huge numerical advantage.
Capitaine Claude-François Remetter, aide-de-camp to Général Debuchy, will be assigned to escort and assist them (read: babysit) on their tour of the camp. A minor aristocrat in his mid-20s but already a hardened veteran of two wars, Remetter is clearly frustrated with the current delays and will not be shy about informing Flint and Holden as soon as they're out of earshot that the generals are deadlocked over how best to approach retaking the city. They are variously terrified of failure and of any result that involves significant loss of Orlesian lives—either among the remainder of the Imperial Army or the tens of thousands of Orlesian civilians still inside the occupied city, and inability to come up with a plan that accounts for all of these risks has paralyzed them. Remetter fears that if the uncertainty drags on much longer, men with no personal stake in the city will grow frustrated and eventually desert en masse to return home. Some specifics:
Général Debuchy has been pushing for a siege and blockade, but is one of the most junior of the commanders involved and also the lowest in standing at court, so his opinion isn't going to carry the day.
Général Grimonpon, another of the newer generals, is eager to have the war over once and for all, and so favors attacking the city over another prolonged siege, even if that attack would surely result in massive loss of life. (That an attack would provide the greatest opportunities for glory and reward surely plays no part in his preference. Why it had never even occurred to him before, who would ever—)
Général Cuissard is one of the two top-ranking generals and one of the biggest obstacles to moving forward at present. He insists—probably truthfully—that he has been charged by the Empress to protect the Orlesian citizens within Val Chevin as much as possible. But he has interpreted this to mean that any real risk to those civilians is unacceptable, a bar that makes any action at all against the city all but impossible and has led him to firmly reject all plans proposed to date. Sieges will starve the Orlesians before the enemy, attacks will lead the enemy to murder civilians, who knows how the city might be rigged as Ghislain was, naval assault will have too much collateral damage, etc. He tried to avoid saying it outright at first, but is now openly pushing to try to negotiate with the Tevinter force to allow a peaceful retreat. Remetter seems to believe that Cuissard is genuine in his concerns for the people but also that this is out of character for the general, and is clearly troubled by it.
Général Jonquet is the other top-ranking general. According to Remetter, though Jonquet still manages to keep up appearances and is far too experienced and respected to ever be removed or bypassed, in truth his confidence was shattered by the Battle of Ghislain two years ago and he has never been the same man since. It was mostly Jonquet's troops that were killed in the booby-trapped explosions while retaking Ghislain a few months ago, which has him rattled all over again. He seems to prefer a siege, but is liable to keep dithering until the other leaders reach a consensus he can ratify rather than trusting his own judgment.
Admiral Leblond and Admiral Hausseur are eager for the navy to play a part in recapturing the city, but disagree on how. Leblond favors a siege because he is anxious not to damage certain waterfront areas home to major naval ship-building and outfitting operations, recent improvements to which were a particular project of his and which he believes vital for the long-term strength of the navy (a significant number of naval personnel working under Leblond in these operations were also captured when the city was taken). But Hausseur has concerns that an extended blockade tight enough to be effective would be difficult to maintain without either lessening protections on Val Royeaux or decreasing naval presence elsewhere in the Waking Sea to dangerous levels. The navy's prefered approach thus seems to shift day-to-day, and the two are growing more prone to bickering and sniping at each other in public.
Knight-Commander Dereuddre and Assistant Chancellor Louis-Richard are the representatives of the Exalted March present, occasionally accompanied by Right Hand of the Divine Sister Esmeral. They have conveyed that the March is extremely concerned for the well-being of the citizens of Val Chevin, both physically and in the danger of living under repressive heathen rule, but understands that no battle is without its sacrifices. There is a sense among the Orlesian officers that the Divine views Val Chevin as more of a domestic clean-up job than business for the Exalted March, and while they'll assist, they're more interested in preserving the faithful's attention and energy for another push northward once this is over.
Not really. The map suggests some higher terrain along the coast, particularly between Val Chevin and Cumberland, and a lower area just east/southeast that might be more tidal swamp-ish?, but we're open to ideas if particular terrain would suit a plot.
no subject