Editing Autia (section)

==='''The Alkorian Intervention in Corinthian'''===

The 12th Battle Squadron based in Belkor but on exercises during its attack, is one of the first Alkorian units to respond. With Commodore Winsley of the Ironclad First-Rate HMES Treadnought deciding that a close range bombardment of the city of Corinthian will be enough to force a cease fire upon the Soukons. While this move is strongly argued against by his captains, they argue that it is better to make port at Belkor to drive the Belkans out and then attack the Soukons, their concerns are overruled and the Treadnought and it's escort of steam frigates, as well as the old wooden Second-Rate HMS Majesty, make sail for Corinthian.

Alkorians:
Commodore Winsley aboard the Ironclad Ship of the Line HMS Treadnought
Captain Edwards of the Ship of the Line HMS Majesty
Ten Steam-powered Paddle Frigates
HMS Brody, Miracle, Alkor's Fire, The Queen's Revenge, Nathan, Spolkhampton, Sotherly, Susan, Drake and Wyvern

Corinthius:
City Lord Hypermades
Seaforts Ephraim and Dougrain
Six Neo-Triremes (Ephisto, Bolos, Atremesian, Skolo, Estophiles and Epiphany)
Soukon Reinforcements
Admiral Telophanes aboard Heavy-Neo-Trireme Apoloeion
12 Neo-Triremes

On the night of the 12th of the month Inthermus Year 3021 the 12th Battle Squadron arrived in Soukon waters. The Commodore of the little "armada" was out for blood, having just received news that their home port of New Ashton on the Southern coast had been taken in a Belkan-Soukos raid so instead of having his ships return to the now occupied port or to Ercaenmedian waters he had made course for the famous city of Corinthius. Opening his spy-glass he thought he could see the city already, thinking he could see lantern light in the night, but what he had actually seen was the Trident Ephisto on it's nightly patrol with the rest of it's flotilla sailing behind it. The Corinthian ships sailed in column formation with full lamps on and why shouldn't they? They had heard from the City-Lord that Soukos had won a great victory again both Alkor and Ercaenmedia and that Alkorian ships were not seen in Belkor, seemingly they had just gone home.

As the lights approached his fleet the Commodore realized that were ships and not a city and he had signal flags raised, all ships should turn themselves perpendicular to the Corinthian fleet, in the hopes that the Soukons would just wander straight into his broadside.

It was watchman Alexis Solotani that first spotted smoke on the horizon, and the first flashes of Alkorian cannons as they fired from little over 1,500 yards away, their rifled guns far outranging the smooth bores of the Soukons.

The Treadnought was able to score the first hit of the engagement, a lucky shell from it's turret mounted 200lb guns plowing through the reinforced hull of the Atremesian, the shell exploding inside and scything down several gun crews. The Treadnought made full speed to engage at close range with the Corinthian warships with its broadside armament of 100 fifty-pound bronze cannons, with the Skolo and Bolos both changing their headings to begin their assault on the Iron beast, with the range between the two vessels going down to 700 yards. As the Treadnought moved to engage the rest of the Alkorian fleet turned to port as well to get amongst the Corinthian vessels, chase guns aboard the Brody and Alkor's Fire demasting the Epiphany and Estophiles as the steam-frigates make speed to come along side the Soukon vessels. As the range goes down to 500 yards with the two sides exchanging broadsides some casualties are sustained among the Alkorian fleet, The Queen's Revenge is forced to trade broadsides with both the Atremesian and Ephisto losing use of it's paddle and suffering heavy casualties among it's gun crews with a great many ballista bolts being embedded in it's hull. But the superior firepower of the Alkorian Fleet takes it's toll on the Corinthians in a devastating way, the Atremesian explodes as the third-rate HMS Majesty rakes it's side with explosive shells, the Ephisto and Estophiles surrender shortly afterwards, choosing to scuttle their ships before they are picked up by the Brody and Miracle. Bolos and Skolos rapidlyclose the range with HMS Treadnought, they ready their crews as they make to board her, until the wind stops forcing the two vessels to call their oarsmen to their stations. But this delay in reaching HMS Treadnought allows it to reload all of it's guns, and when the Soukons are within 100 yards it opens fire, first on Bolos and then Skolo. Bolos is split almost in half by the weight of the broadside, with Shipmaster Landros and his entire command staff being slain as the result of a lucky shell hit, the ship sinking shortly after. Skolo fairs slightly better, it does not sink as many of the Alkorian shells fail to explode, but it loses much of it's crew to shrapnel based injuries or deaths and is unable to return fire, leading to it needing to be boarded by Marines by HMS Treadnought when it finally surrenders. Epiphany duels the Steam-Frigate Wyvern to a standstill , both ships suffer horrendous damage with the Wyvern eventually being abandoned, and the Epiphany is scuttled as the Susan approaches it fresh from it's engagement with Estophiles.

The Alkorian fleet with their prisoners under guard steam into Corinthus Harbor just two hours later, forming up 700 yards from the city and opening up with incidenicary balls and explosive shells an hour later.

This move does not go unchallenged, the mighty Seaforts Ephraim and Dougrain begin opening up with first their 200 and then 100lb cannons at the Alkorian Fleet. The two forts are located on miniature islands in the middle of the Harbor and their long range batteries are more than capable of defending it. The Susan takes a hit from a 200lb ball that damages it's paddle and it falls out of the bombardment line, the Revenge has a hole torn in it's side by the impact of several 100 pounder hits and the Treadnought has one of it's turrets jammed from a lucky cannon ball. But Corinthius burns, the City Lord is forced to call a state of emergency and he calls on the city's mages to send a message to the rest of the fleet at sea to return at once. This plea is heard by Admiral Telophanes of Athiens, who even while having no ties to the city, uses the magic of the winds to answer their cry, turning his flotilla towards the city and sails as fast as he is able. Commodore Winsley wary of any more damage being inflicted on his fleet by the Sea Forts sails out of Corinthius Harbor two hours later, heading home, his ships heading for Ercaenmedian territory to rest and repair as the city burns in their wake. While much of the cityis in ruins, with most merchant ships in port being completely destroyed, after two days of burning the fires are put out and the city starts to function as a city again.