Chapter 20 - The Bear of the West
With the 3rd Great Expedition for Socal underway, Emperor Nicholas I uses the fear of the Mormons overrunning California to take direct control over the empire, finally defanging the Imperial Council. The worried council is only too happy to vote for the emperor’s Imperial Emergency Powers Act. As always, the resulting bureaucratic pruning leaves the realm’s bureaucracy somewhat lacking.
The first Mormon army is encountered at Mesquite, where they are soundly defeated by the Imperial Army. If this is the best the Mormons can offer, then they might as well have stayed in their Great Salt City.
The Mormons are pursued to Havasu Falls, where they are once again beaten with minimal casualties.
News reaches the Imperial Army that while they were busy chasing the main Mormon army around the Mojave, a group known as the “Nauvoo Legion” have managed to penetrate deep into Socal with a massive force. The Imperial Army quickly breaks camp at Las Vegas and hurries to meet the Legion. The two forces engage at Campo, where the Imperials win once again.
The Mormons retreat back into Deseret, though the Nauvoo Legion continues to send small raiding forces into the city of Imperial, hoping to catch the Californians by surprise. They do not.
The situation remains static, until 2738 when a large Mormon army manages to beat the small force left in Las Vegas as a guard. At the same time, another Mormon force under the Nauvoo Legion attacks Imperial, hoping to tie up the main Californian army so that they cannot link up with the Las Vegan garrison. The plan works, though at the cost of many Legionary lives.
Still, the plan ultimately means nothing; the Mormon war effort cannot support such tactics for long and in August of 2738 peace is made between the Mormon faithful and California. Once again, the Mormon president must admit defeat at the hands of the emperor.
Emperor Nicholas I decides to spend some of the Imperial treasury on improving Sacramento and the old royal capital of Tuolumne. He also improves San Joaquin’s roads, allowing for greater trade between the city and the rest of California.
Perhaps because many see him as only an Atomicist barbarian who has no right being the Imperial heir, prince Thao makes it his goal to outshine his adoptive father, no matter what.
Emperor Nicholas I continues to distribute grain to the citizens of the Imperial capital, giving a portion of the empire’s wealth back to its people.
The emperor also publishes his newest teaching; titled Wealth of Empires it claims that the real wealth of any nation is its citizenry and that rulers must strive to enrich the people and build a just and equitable society. It is a hit with the common man, less so with the aristocracy.
He puts words to action and begins the first of many reforms aimed at opening up the bureaucracy to everyone, as long as they can prove their competence through a series of exams. They are a success, as previously overlooked candidates are able to finally join the Imperial bureaucracy.
The Imperial Palace is overflowing with philosophers and scholars and Emperor Nicholas I makes it his life’s goal to make House Armour known for its patronage of great thinkers.
In 2740, Emperor Nicholas I revokes the crown of Jefferson from King Blake and instead transfers it to himself. Both the Prefect of North Jefferson and the once King of Jefferson agree to become the emperor’s vassals instead of fighting a war against the empire.
The Bear of California, long in hibernation, roars once again; the empire is united and at its helm Emperor Nicholas the Great. His authority is unquestioned, his power unmatched.
Meanwhile, the Catholics target Booneland for their next Crusade, hoping to break the Rust Cult once and for all.
At the start of 2741, the emperor takes ill; his condition rapidly deteriorates.
Initial treatment of the sickness is promising, as the emperor’s condition improves somewhat. It seems likely he will recover in due time.
He does not. On April 9th, the emperor dies, succumbing to his illness.
Emperor Nicholas I, better known as “the Great,” “the Hammer of the Mormons,” “the Golden Emperor,” “the Uniter,” and “the Awoken Bear,” leaves behind a radically different California; a depowered Imperial Council, a newly united California, and a strong bureaucracy are his legacy. It is hoped that the newly crowned Emperor Thao II will be able to live up to his father.