Dwilight University/History/The Conquest of Northnastrond!/How the War Began

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How the War Began

The war for Thulsoma has been waging for nearly three years now. During which, the Saxons have defended their citadel time and time again against assaults from sieging armies. They can boast their strength and fortitude with victorious battle reports. A war that was supposed to be for the glory of the Libero Empire has become the quagmire of High Toprak. It is a great wonder for we Dwilighté how this realm, and this war, has persisted for so long; and when wonder rises, curiosity seeks out answers. Let this article answer part of the many questions we have. The place to begin is how the war began. Many facts were collected through interviews with Mistress Haruka Vanimedle, Grandmaster Bustoarsenzio Peristaltico, and Queen Alanya Costella. Additionally, the realm histories proved useful sources for this piece. To those major contributors I give thanks and praise.

"The Libero Empire's Intentions"

Early in the Winter of 10 YD, under the monarchy of Sejieda Vita, the Libero Empire flexed its muscles over the weaker fledgling realms of Northnastrond. After some squabbling and a short battle in Torrents Breath, a writ of expulsion was written formally declaring the intentions of the Libero Empire. While the Liberonians justified this war as the means to recover and save Thulsoma from its earlier trauma (witchcraft), from the Saxon perspective it was viewed as an order of subjugation. If you have ever met a Saxon, you would know that they are so fiercely stubborn in their identity that they could never accept foreign rule. Thus the war began for the expansion of the Libero Empire and the preservation of the Saxon heritage. As wave after wave of Liberonians entered Thulsoma, the Saxons pilled the corpses higher. When Queen Alanya returned to lead the realm, the war persisted, and the Libero Empire continued to find defeat. Thulsoma elevated its status from forgotten backwater to a realm propped with mighty defenders, and the Libero Empire's army became the ridicule of military circles across Dwilight.

"Whose Heresy Is It?"

Founded in the Winter of 6 YD by nobles from Virovene, Thulsoma was originally an Astromancer theocracy. A long unremarkable time later, in the Autumn of 10 YD, a major reformation occurred. The rise of Queen Haruka reformed the realm into a tyranny and revived the lost Saxon culture and religion. It was this change in direction that brought the ire of Astromancy. At first, the Saxons sought to find harmony with their realm's religious past and their new future, but pressure from the Church and subsequent aggressive conversions of the peasantry turned the climate toxic. The creation of Hrēdmōnath as Thulsoma's official state religion offended the Astromancers and caused them to denounce the realm. There were a few attempts to pacify this increasing enmity but, characteristically, the Astromancers refused to settle the events. The resignation of Thulsoma from the Astromancy Hegemony bloomed the seeds of the imminent holy war. I am unsure the date of these events, but it is reported that a pair of Astromancer priestesses entered Thulsoma and caused riots by inciting the zealot Astromancers against the Saxons. The figures are estimated at around twenty-six hundred peasants killed during these riots, and the two priestesses were arrested. One was tortured several times, the other was released in exchange for an oath of peace, though a death sentence was put on her head in case she was captured again. Following this, in the Spring of 11 YD, Regent Brance Indirik publicly declared a holy crusade against Hrēdmōnath.

"Over Gilles' Dead Body"

While the Libero Empire succumbed to the walls of Storms Keep, crusaders from the Morek Empire made their way to Thulsoma on behalf of their faith. I believe Allison Kabrinski led an army to Northnastrond to raid and pillage Torrents Breath and Storms End. The Saxons assumed the Libero Empire convinced their ally to help join the war, but there was no formal declaration of war. During these expeditions, and I suppose in assistance to the Liberonian army, a Morekian infiltrator was captured scouting in Thulsoma in the Summer of 12 YD. This infiltrator was the now posthumously famous Sir Gilles Barak. Following Saxon tradition, and brutality, the infiltrator was executed in early Fall of 12 YD. Despite the Saxon justification of their decision, that the infiltrator was breaching his honour by invading Thulsoma and thus deserved death, Grandmaster Bustoarsenzio declared war against Thulsoma. Immediately after, the theocracy of Aquilegia followed suit and joined the war against Thulsoma. The next day, both Astrum and Corsanctum declared war on the Saxons. Storms Keep has held these armies off for now, even acquiring a major victory against the Grandmaster and a joint Morek-Libero force, but the weight of luck can only hang in the thin sack of destiny for so long before tearing through and dropping into the abyss.

Commentary

Appendix


Bowie Ironsides,

Winter of 12 YD (or the 28th of October, 2010)