Locations are claimed by legions on behalf of their city or guild. The claimed location then becomes part of that city's sphere of influence (see HELP SPHERE). Location claims are marked by flags and these are raised by players - initially - using command FLAGRAISE as documented in HELP FLAGGING. This also tells you how to lower your homeland flags to retract territorial claims.
Territory flagged (sphere of influence or conquered) creates the tribute a city receives each season and is the main source of income for cities. Spheres of influence are jealously guarded. Territory conquered is defended to the point of outright war. See HELP SPHERE and HELP OCCUPATION for details and HELP TRIBUTES for info on the economics of territorial occupation.
Location claims come in four types: breaking occupation/conquest, liberating to make independent, flagging for sphere of influence and occupation to conquer. The process for claiming is the same as far as legions are concerned, no matter which type of claim. The difference comes in how many legions and what spread of locations you need to have claimed; and the DECLARE ambition of the flag-bearing power.
Syntax: COM <legion> CLAIM or just CLAIM from command-post.
This command tells a legion (must be 100 or more in size "regiment" or above) to start claiming superiority unchallenged in its current location. Claim success requires the legion to remain unmoved and undefeated in combat for a period of 1-3 Avalon months. Criteria is listed below. Claims are necessary for sphere of influence, occupation of territory and conquest of villages and towns. The claim is the mainstay of strategic warfare and territorial battles are the most common engagement between the mighty city states. You can send out CLAIM command via dispatch.
STAGE 1: BREAKING CONQUEST / OCCUPATION FLAG REMOVAL (after 1 full month, 30 hours, 2 month dawns witnessed)
STAGE 2: REMOVAL OF SPHERE FLAG AND LIBERATION PERIOD OF INDEPENDENCE (after 2 full months, 60 hours, 3 month dawns witnessed)
STAGE 3: FIRST FLAGGING FROM NEW CLAIM "FLAGRAISE" LOCATION INTO SPHERE OF INFLUENCE (after 3 full months, 90 hours, 4 month dawns witnessed)
Each of the above requires a legion to be claiming for a "full month" to bring to completion. A legion must witness the new month dawn twice in succession to be considered as having claimed for a "full Avalon month". For example: legion begins CLAIM on 30th Midwinter, a short while later the 1st of Eleuthral dawns and the "clock" begins to tick. Thirty days (approximately 30 real hours) later, the 1st of Mournsend dawns and it is at this point that a legion's "full month" is deemed to have passed.
STAGE 4: DECLARATION OF OCCUPATION (One Avalon month, date to date from point of DECLARE OCCUPATION with sphere of influence flag already in place)
STAGE 5: CONQUEST BY VICTORIOUS CLAIMING CITY (One Avalon month, date to date from point of DECLARE CONQUEST with OCCUPATION already in place)
NOTE: these stages do NOT require the 1st of the month to dawn specifically and the "clock" ticks from the date of the initial declaration until approximately thirty / sixty hours later.
Claim legions must have at least 100 minimum (regiment size).
Challenge of a claim can only be done by foreign legions of 20 or more.
Claims are disrupted by any movement from the claim localepoint by the claiming legion.
Claim legion being attacked automatically breaks claim if legion is struck by attacker of 100 or more.
Presence of foreign legion IN LOCATION of above 20 minimum when new month is assessed disrupts claim and restarts.
Fortified legions of above 20 soldiers minimum block claim when new month is assessed and causes a restart.
New claims can only be concluded during the battle season months Cloudbust thru Ilmarael.
The OCCUPATION command in the village/area under claim shows overview of claims underway.
Use TERRITORY command to show latest territorial sphere, occupation/conquest and claims underway.
See CLAIMS command to review all guilds in Avalon and the city to which they have sworn loyalty or under which they lie thrall by occupation.
Overview of all Avalon and tribute status - occupation, conquest, sphere of influence and current claims underway, type AFFAIRS.
New months are assessed on the first day of the month, for all legions, across the morning and early afternoon.
Claims for new locations of influence can only be made if the location of your claim is adjacent to one that already flies your flag. The exception to this are guild locations which require targeting the centre of the guildhouse and radiating outward claims from that basis. Guilds can only be claimed when all guild legions are slain or absent from the area under occupation.
ADVICE: large scale liberation of villages or foreign territory is a major undertaking as is the flag-expansion of your homeland (from sphere flagging to full occupation/conquest). These campaigns are best worked using organised round-the-clock collaborating commanders so there are no blind spots for the enemy to exploit. Remember, if a claim legion is broken then the claim restart begins from scratch so potentially 30 to 90 hours could be lost.
Almost all non-transient locations in Avalon may be claimed and may become part of your homeland sphere if part of the mainland sphere. Towns and villages are the primary targets and most often fought over by the great cities. These are the locations providing tribute. Type TRIBUTES to gain access to overview and detailed ledgers of tribute taxation and collection.
Related content in HELP SPHERE, HELP FLAGGING, HELP OCCUPATION, HELP TRIBUTES and HELP ENLISTING for sphere of influence and town and village territory; then HELP INVASION, HELP CONQUEST, HELP SURRENDER and HELP VICEROY and HELP DESTRUCTION covering the city-invasion possibilites.
