Nighthelm/History

From BattleMaster Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The Crest of Nighthelm

Nighthelm is a realm situated in the southern portion of the Far East Continent. This document records Nighthelm’s proud history, from its humble beginnings to its current glories.



Monarchs of Nighthelm

  1. Himo Musou
  2. Senoske
  3. Thraymn
  4. Keldaar
  5. Thraymn (2nd Reign)
  6. Gul’Dan
  7. Sarig (Regency)
  8. Gul'Dan (2nd Reign)
  9. Thraymn (3rd reign)
  10. Thain

Key Historical Events

Svunnetland

Since time immemorial, the Far East Continent has been dominated by two massive nations. Arcaea’s long line of kings governed the northern half of the Far East from the gleaming city of Remton. Svunnetland’s rulers presided over the southern portion from the bustling capital of Mashakon. The continent danced to the endless waltz of war, peace and revolution, but in the end, nothing ever seemed to change.

But change it did.

Disintegration

Svunnetland’s King Einar decided to move the capital of Svunnetland to the mountain stronghold of Iposez. Stunned by this decision, the people of Svunnetland grew restless. With his capital so far removed from the southernmost regions, King Einar’s control over his kingdom waned dramatically. Bitter infighting among Svunnetland’s Senate exacerbated the problem. Dissolution was inevitable.

The Duke of Masahakon, Himo Musou, and the Duke of Hatdhes, Senoske, looked upon the growing state of affairs with despair. With the capital so far removed, their once prosperous cities were now falling into ruin. Without any support from the central government, efforts to quell the uprising proved futile. They eventually decided to break away from the now disintegrating realm and forge a new future for the two cities.

Within weeks, the great Svunnetland Empire had fallen to pieces. The coastal regions to the west had banded together to form the Antoza Commonwealth. The southern regions renounced all ties they had to the aging Svunnetland monarchy and pronounced themselves member states of the Republic Soliferum. The lands around the city of Zonasa joined together as the Principality of Zonasa. Old pirates, weary of their life on the seas, settled down in the city of Batesaor and proclaimed it independent. Other regions quickly fell under the sway of bandit lords and denounced all civilized rule.

And the cities of Mashakon and Hatdhes? They formed the core of the fledgling realm, Nighthelm.

The Beginning

This is merely one more mark against Soliferum... Glorawarthien and his lot continue to mark Hatdhes as theirs, and so long as they do, we will stand to deny their greed

- High Marshal Thraymn to his captain, made just after his appointment by Himo Musou


The Far East was awash in bloody wars of secession.

Duke Senoske’s Hatdhes, the stronghold of Haul and the mountainous region of Razrpot all threw their lot in with Nighthelm and swore allegiance to their new capital of Mashakon. Now King of Nighthelm, Himo Musou saw his young realm on the brink of starvation. The small but fearsome army of Nighthelm marched east into the Svunnetland province of Idaol. It was hoped that the lush fields would provide enough food to feed the realm.

However, Idaol had once been a part of the duchy of Batesaor and now that Batesaor claimed independence, it laid claim to the rural region. The army of Batesaor was no threat to Nighthelm and after some diplomatic posturing on both sides, Nighthelm eventually gained control over Idaol.

Eventually, King Himo Musou learned that even with Idaol, he was unable to keep his people fed. Shortly after, Nighthelm’s armies marched into Hutael, a region of Batesaor, in an effort to capture yet more farmland.

Realms that bordered Nighthelm condemned what they called Nighthelm’s naked territorial ambitions. They called for a swift withdrawal of Nighthelm’s forces from Hutael. Several were willing to trade food with Nighthelm but King Himo Musou still pressed on with his advance into Hutael.

Under Siege

An ultimatum was issued. War would be declared on Nighthelm if Nighthelm’s armies were still in Hutael. King Himo Musou ignored it and Nighthelm immediately found itself under attack from all directions.

With Nighthelm’s army occupied in Hutael, Antoza Commonwealth marched in from the west and captured Haul. The Principality of Zonasa’s armies struck Razrpot from the north and ransacked the rich region while Soliferum threatened the southern border. High Marshal Valius led a brilliant campaign to defend the northern regions from any meaningful attempt at a takeover but ultimately the strain on the army proved too much and the combined forces of Svunnetland and Batesaor pushed Nighthelm from Hutael.

Demands were made for King Himo Musou to abdicate in order for any type of ceasefire to be considered. He refused and issued orders for his army to prepare for a desperate defense. As the loose alliance against Nighthelm closed in on the capital Mashakon, Himo Musou mysteriously vanished from the royal palace. A massive search was undertaken, but the King was nowhere to be found.

Snap elections were called.

Abortive Peace

Senoske was elected King, and shortly afterwards Hutael was taken by Batesaor. King Senoske began searching for peace. With Himo Musou no longer on the throne, ceasefires were declared with the Principality of Zonasa and Batesaor. Senoske relinquished all claims to Haul in exchange for a guarantee that Antoza Commonwealth would leave the rogue region of Apelen to Nighthelm. The arrangement was agreed and only Soliferum was left at war with Nighthelm.

Due to geographical constraints, Soliferum was unable to mount any meaningful assault. This standoff lasted until Soliferum signed an alliance with Batesaor and gained passage through their lands. The Soliferum army immediately began marching through their new ally’s lands in an attempt to raid Nighthelm’s northern most region of Razrpot.

Battle of Hutael and its Aftermath

King Senoske would not stand by and watch his enemy moving so brazenly against his realm and ordered Nighthelm’s army to intercept Soliferum’s advancing army in Hutael. Considering this strike a violation of their sovereignty, Batesaor declared war on Nighthelm and moved its forces to aid its ally. Nighthelm’s forces, weakened by previous battles, were beaten back. The Principality of Zonasa once again renewed their efforts to seize Razrpot.

With Nighthelm’s army badly outnumbered and supplies wearing dangerously thin, King Senoske had little choice but to cede the territory of Idaol to Batesaor, securing an immediate peace with the Principlaity and Batesaor. However, Soliferum still refused to sign any sort of truce and began preparing for an amphibious assault on the city of Hatdhes.

Battle for Hatdhes and its Aftermath

Nighthelm rushed to fortify the city as Soliferum troops boarded their ships and began sailing northward. Eventually, Soliferum’s army landed on the shored of Hatdhes and quickly began their attempt to break into the city. The battle was long and bloody, but eventually Nighthelm managed to drive the invaders back into the sea. Only during this battle was the reason for Soliferum’s refusal to sign a truce clear. Senoske had demanded that Soliferum give up one of their regions so Nighthelm would be able to feed itself, whereas Soliferum insisted that Nighthelm should look to trade for its needs.

Eventually, Senoske decided to give up on his demands and a period of peace was achieved. Nighthelm was severely weakened and there was still the significant problem of starvation.

Downfall

With traders from all over the continent bringing food to Nighthelm’s markets, the people were finally being fed a respectable amount. However, King Senoske knew that Nighthelm could not be utterly dependent on other realms for such an important resource.

Struggle Against Apelen’s Bandit Lords

After having secured the Commonwealth’s agreement in the previous war, King Senoske now moved Nighthelm’s army into the rogue province of Apelen, determined to wrest control of it away from the numerous bandit gangs that roamed the decimated region. The bandits resisted ferociously. Even after Nighthelm managed to install a local government, skirmishes broke out across the entire region and militia that swore loyalty to Nighthelm was slaughtered.

Growing increasing frustrated with the events, King Senoske’s attempts at suppressing the insurgency grew more and more brutal. Anyone suspected of being in league with the bandits was immediately arrested. Collateral damage caused by this battle for dominance reached intolerable levels.

Ultimately, support for Nighthelm among the common peasants evaporated and King Senoske was forced to withdraw from Apelen, though he swore to return.

Conflict with the Principality of Zonasa

Relations between Nighthelm and its neighbours were poor at best. During the previous conflict, the Principality had failed in its attempt to seize control of Razrpot. Due to the abortive takeover attempt in Apelen and the resultant drain of precious resources, Razrpot’s food supply began to run low. The Principality, noticing this, immediately declared that Nighthelm was unfit to govern the people of Razrpot and massed its army north of the Razrpot border.

As Nighthelm’s army began to launch itself on the long trek across the mountains, King Senoske’s increasingly acerbic replies to Nighthelm’s neighbours spurred the Principality and its ally, Taith Aenil, to invade Razrpot. Razrpot’s militia was immediately crushed by the invader’s overwhelming might.

The Principality of Zonasa fortifying themselves for a takeover and Nighthelm’s army progress inhibited by the Principality’s infiltrators. Seeing this, High Marshal Keldaar ordered a general retreat in order to regroup for a more concerted counteroffensive. King Senoke countermanded that order and ordered the fractured Nighthelm army to continue towards Razrpot and certain death. Keldaar felt his position undermined and immediately resigned his post.

Rebellion

King Senoske grew progressively more erratic and Nighthelm began to teeter on the brink of another devastating war. High Priest Thraymn realized that Senoske had so poisoned Nighthelm’s relations with its neighbours that only a change of leadership could save Nighthelm. With a heavy heart, Thraymn led a rebellion against King Senoske. With astonishing speed, the rebellion gained the support of almost all nobles and overthrew Senoske, granting Thraymn the throne.

The Darkest Days

With King Thraymn on the throne, tensions with most of Nighthelm’s neighbours defused somewhat. However, Razrpot had already fallen into the hands of the Principality of Zonasa and with Nighthelm so weakened; little could be done.

But the worst was yet to come.

Rhitallia

Artemis, Duke of Hatdhes, was an old friend of the deposed king. Shortly after the rebellion, Artemis severed all ties with Nighthelm and led Hatdhes in secession. With Edairn, a region of Antoza Commonwealth, the dictatorship of Rhitallia was born. Senoske fled to the new realm and was quickly installed as the Duke of Hatdhes. Now reduced to the sole region of Mashakon, Nighthelm was on its knees. Many despaired at the turn of events and Nighthelm’s proud defenders steadied themselves for the harsh days that were to come.

King Thraymn knew that Nighthelm’s army, once among the most fearsome on the continent, needed significant help in order to reclaim Hatdhes. An agreement was quickly made with the Antoza Commonwealth a realm that had until just recently been at war with Nighthelm. The details of the agreement were simple – the utter destruction of Rhitallia with the Commonwealth retaking Edairn and Hatdhes flying Nighthelm’s flag once again.

Battle of Hatdhes and its Aftermath

A combined force of troops from the Antoza Commonwealth and Nighthelm descended upon Hatdhes. Rhitallia had little time to prepare its defences and Hatdhes only had a limited number of militia to defend it. Unfortunately, what seemed like certain victory for Nighthelm and its ally turned into a debacle.

Troops from the Commonwealth and Nigthelm, too used to treating each other as enemies, began to fight each other during the battle. Confusion was rife and commanders on all sides quickly lost control of their men until it was too late. Even with this unexpected turn of events, Rhitallia’s forces were decimated in the battle. Nighthelm’s troops broke through the gates of Hatdhes and stormed the city.

With the massive losses sustained during the battle, Nighthelm was unable to begin any semblance of a takeover. In the end, Nighthelm and the Commonwealth were forced to withdraw. Swearing to return, the two realms signed a formal alliance so that the disastrous sequence of events would never be repeated.

Rhitallia Surrender

During the battle, Dictator Artemis appeared to have suffered a mortal wound. His body was never found, but everyone believed him dead. Gurido was quickly installed as the new Dictator of Rhitallia. As Nighthelm and the Commonwealth began rebuilding their forces and Rhitallia’s own resources dwindled, Gurido realized that any further conflict would be pointless. He contacted King Thraymn and surrendered.

In short order, Gurido returned Edairn to the Commonwealth and began preparations to surrender Hatdhes to Nighthelm.

Soliferum Involvement

In the midst of these negotiations, Soliferum’s army suddenly arrived in Hatdhes and rapidly occupied the city. When questioned, Soliferum claimed that its troops were present in the city to keep the peace and protect the people of Hatdhes. Repeated calls for Soliferum to remove its presence were ignored. Soliferum repeatedly stated that Nighthelm would be unable to feed the people of Hatdhes and would therefore be inadequate rulers of the city. Mindful of Soliferum’s previous attempts at capturing the city, Nighthelm was wary of Soliferum’s motives and made such suspicions clear.

Reluctant to bring Nighthelm into yet another conflict, King Thraymn persuaded the Antoza Commonwealth to demand that Soliferum leave the city to Nighthelm and to guarantee the provision of a stable food supply. Eventually, after much diplomatic pressure, Soliferum vacated Hatdhes, but not before leveling the great walls that protected the city.

The true reasons for such an action will never be known but Hatdhes was now a shadow of its former self.

Senoske’s Redemption

Senoske, the current Duke of Hatdhes began a painful rebuilding process. After a limited amount of construction was completed, he surrendered the city to Nighthelm, ending Rhitallia’s short existence.

Once this surrender was complete, King Thraymn revealed Senoske’s secret dealings with his old realm. Wracked by the guilt of knowing that he almost brought the realm that he helped found to its knees, Senoske swore to undo what he had done while he was on the throne of Nighthelm. When Senoske joined Rhitallia, he immediately contacted King Thraymn and both of them began to plan how best to restore Nighthelm.

Senoske worked from within and planned to disrupt Rhitallia’s attempts to defend itself and afterwards worked to end Soliferum’s occupation of the city. In return for this, King Thraymn promised Senoske that he would be allowed to serve Nighthelm again. However, Senoske would never again be allowed to hold a place on the council nor would he be allowed to command any region. In addition, Senoske would have to leave the Far East for a month in a journey of reflection and repentance. Senoske readily agreed.

When Hatdhes returned to Nighthelm, Senoske departed to lands unknown in the knowledge that when he returned he would have restored his honour as best he could.

Restoration

Nighthelm was now on the way to recovery, but none doubted that it would be a long and difficult journey. The imminent spectre of disaster had lifted somewhat, but Nightelm was still weak and therefore vulnerable. King Thraymn understood this and made many critical decisions that would shape Nighthelm for ages to come.

High Marshal Quattro was charged with restoring the ruined city of Hatdhes to its former glory while Banker Goldenowl had his hands full arranging the shipment of precious supplies from Nighthelm’s neighbours. Resources were infinitely scare, but the situation had improved somewhat.

In order for Nighthelm to never again face the disaster of an erratic monarch, King Thraymn installed the Senate – an advisory group of the most respected, knowledgeable and honourable nobles to guide and advise the council. It was hoped that this body would be able to steady the hand of the ruler.

Apelen Revisited

As always, Nighthelm’s pressing need for food was the most pressing problem. Once again, Nighthelm looked at Apelen to bring relief to this problem. King Thraymn was aware of the difficulty that his predecessor faced in attempting to subjugate the bandit lords that roamed in the rogue province. In addition, he was also wary of Soliferum to the south.

He charged the newly formed Senate to formulate a plan to protect the city of Hatdhes from any seabound assaults and take Apelen simultaneously. The Senate decided upon a plan to forgo brutality and win the people’s hearts in Apelen. It would take significantly longer but it was judged to provide the greatest chance of victory against the bandit lords.

A portion of Nighthelm’s nobles were sent to Apelen and ordered to engage in friendly dialogue with the people without making any obvious attempts at a takeover. Another portion was stationed at Hatdhes in order to deter Soliferum from making any northern movement.

After some time, King Thraymn judged the populace to have accepted Nighthelm’s presence. He began a formal takeover but commanded the troops of Nighthelm to help the people of Apelen to rebuild their shattered homes and farms. Eventually, Nighthelm managed to shatter the hold that the bandit lords held over Apelen. High Priest Orin quickly brought the bandits to justice and threw many a number of them into the dungeons.

With Apelen firmly under Nighthelm’s control, Nighthelm’s dependence on foreign trade for food was still significant but not severely so.

Reformation of the Military

Nighthelm began growing once again. Many nobles were drawn to Nighthelm’s determination to survive even during the harshest times. However, the current military structure was beginning to show signs of being unable to support such a large number of nobles.

With input from the previous High Marshal, Keldaar, the military was reformed. Three battalions were created, each under a brilliant military leader.

Sarig was given command of the Lightning Raiders, an elite rapid response battalion designed to strike as rapidly as possible and destroy the enemy before any coherent counterattack could begin. Mirtas was appointed the leader of the Night Owls, the bulk of Nighthelm’s army, which was charged with delivering such crushing blows to the enemy that retreat would be the only option. The King was put in charge on his own personal battalion which was constituted of nobles who would guard the realm from enemy incursions.

Razrpot Liberation

All eyes now turned on Razrpot. The people of Razrpot had suffered immensely under Zonasa's rule. Seeking to rapidly subjugate the province, the Principality of Zonasa began a campaign of brutal repression. Repeated uprisings were mercilessly crushed and savage reprisals visited upon those who were suspected to harbour thoughts of rebellion. Razrpot resisted the Principality of Zonasa's rule of many weeks but Zonasa eventually managed to force its control onto the region.

King Thraymn looked upon these events with rage. However, the Principality had made several agreements with Soliferum and Soliferum's troops massed near Nighthelm's borders. Several abortive attempts at another invasion of Hatdhes were made, but Soliferum claimed these to be military exercises and announced that they did not wish a war with Nighthelm. Nevertheless, Nighthelm's army was forced to guard the borders and unable to prevent the atrocities that the people of Razrpot were faced with.

During these trying times, King Thraymn was busy making contact with Nighthelm's ally, the Antoza Commonwealth. He hoped that the Commonwealth would lend Nighthelm the military support needed to break the deadlock. However, before anything substantive was agreed upon, the King suddenly fell victim to a mysterious ailment and became unable to rule. Elections were called and Keldaar was chosen as the next king. King Keldaar immediately continued with Thraymn's diplomatic work and after intense negotiations a defensive pact was signed. The Commonwealth promised to aid Nighthelm in defending its borders, but not in any offensive military operation.

Shortly after, the Principality and Svunnetland began to engage in a war of words. This eventually escalated into a war and the Principality's army had to leave Razrpot to reinforce their northern regions. King Keldaar seized upon this opportunity and ordered High Marshal Gul'Dan to begin an all-out assault on Razrpot. With the Commonwealth moving their army into Hatdhes, Nighthelm's army overwhelmed the limited militia defending Razrpot. Shortly after the stunning victory, Razrpot was liberated.

Razrpot lost a quarter of its population under the Principality’s rule. The cost of Nighthelm’s failures was immense, but with its massively experienced army as its backbone, Nighthelm was stronger than ever before.

Grand Lodge of Lunaria

Due to significant internal strife, Duchess Annwn of Ortedail led a secession that saw the Republic of Soliferum break into two halves. Soliferum retained sovereignty over the eastern half while the new realm of the Grand Lodge of Lunaria was born from the western half. Soliferum, caught momentarily unawares by the secession, began sending its army westwards in order to crush the secessionists.

Annwn, now Pontifex of the Lunaria, sent forth a plea for aid. In the plea, she described the internal political tensions that led to the secession and how she felt that Soliferum had lost sight of the principles it was founded upon.

King Keldaar considered the matter an internal affair akin to a civil war. Nighthelm had been victim to a similar event before and was reluctant to support it. The Antoza Commonwealth, on the other hand, quickly threw in its lot with Lunaria and rushed troops southwards. Nighthelm allowed their ally to use the city of Hatdhes as a strategic base camp but did not mobilize its army. King Keldaar then sent his troops into the city of Ortedail in a purely defensive capacity.

The Hall of Blood and Battle, the preeminent guild of the south at that time, was, like Soliferum, split into half. However, large portion of its members quickly joined Lunaria’s ranks. Several of Nighthelm’s nobles, who were members of the guild, requested permission to aid their brethren in a more offensive capacity. King Keldaar gave his permission, but only if they were to battle under the flag of the guild and not Nighthelm.

A couple of skirmishes later, two large opposing forces had been gathered and were primed for a major battle.

Battle of Azohib and its Aftermath

Template:Main

A massive assault on Azohib was scheduled by those who supported Lunaria. However, a series of orders handed down by the allied military command ended up misinterpreted and Lunaria and its allies moved towards Azohib too early. With a significant amount of troops away for refitting, Lunaria and its allies were devastated and were forced to withdraw. Soliferum quickly took advantage of this opportunity and moved its troops further inland.

End of the Secession War

As Soliferum tried to press its advantage, it made several diplomatic blunders. Its correspondence with King Keldaar began to grow in hostility. Shortly after, Soliferum requested that Nighthelm sever its ties with the Commonwealth and seize the undefended southern Commonwealth lands. King Keldaar was aghast at the request and felt that Soliferum insulted Nighthelm by even considering that Nighthelm was willing to betray its honour. Immediately after, King Keldaar informed his army that they would be going on the offensive.

With Lunaria weakened and Soliferum unable to make any meaningful gains with Nighthelm continuously reinforcing Lunaria's defenses, some semblance of a peace dialogue was begun. Progress was made and eventually, Lunaria and Soliferum reached a tense ceasefire.


First Nighthelm-Batesaor War

Nighthelm (Red)'s twin strikes on Batesaor (Blue)

As Nighthelm entered a period of welcome peace, Batesaor's ruler declared to all the realms that Batesaor considered itself a military powerhouse and would begin to look to its neighbours for territorial gains. Since Nighthelm shared a border with Batesaor, King Keldaar believed that this announcement amounted to a declaration of war. He swiftly demanded that Batesaor retract its earlier statement, apologize for the any offense it may have caused and declare publicly that Batesaor does not wish to expand its borders. Batesaor refused and King Keldaar ordered High Marshal Gul'Dan to begin preparations for a pre-emptive strike that would shatter Batesaor's ability to threaten Nighthelm.

Twin Strikes

With diplomacy failing, King Keldaar issued an ultimatum. Batesaor must renounce their territorial ambitions or their ability to wage war will be crushed. With Batesaor returning a less than acceptable reply, King Keldaar declared war. Heated discussions were made in the military council, and Senoske, the second in command for the elite Lightning Raiders, suggested an overwhelming dual strike of Idaol and Hutael. High Marshal Gul'Dan and King Keldaar quickly agreed, and preparations were made. Nighthelm's aim for this conflict was to give an impression of such overwhelming military superiority that would serve as a warning to other realms. Nighthelm's army was split into two equal halves. The first gathered in Razrpot and struck at the rural region of Hutael. The second massed in Masahakon and invaded Idaol. Batesaor's defenders were haphazardly organized and crumbled under the crushing weight of Nighthelm's twin strikes.

In a day, Nighthelm's troops occupied half of Batesaor. Batesaor attempted to muster several relief operations but they failed miserably. Hutael and Idaol were taken over within days of each other. Nighthelm looked upon the rest of Batesaor and planned for a siege.

Political Pressure

Such swift and total victory had unfortunate consequences. Other realms, including Nighthelm's ally the Commonwealth, were amazed at the speed and might of Nighthelm's army, especially against a foe they thought was Nighthelm's equal. An assumption was made that Nighthelm was significantly more powerful than Batesaor and that this current conflict was little more than an attempt to bully a weaker realm. King Keldaar pushed aside these complaints for the time being and gave orders for a siege of Alanurs.

However, the walls of Alanurs were thick and Batesaor had massed a significant amount of militia in the city. Taking such a prize required military aid from another realm. King Keldaar looked towards Soliferum who had been in many conflicts with Nighthelm in the past but who also had no love for Batesaor. As King Keldaar announced to his realm and beyond that he was working towards some sort of military alliance with Soliferum, there were significant protests from internal and external sources.

Many nobles who remembered the incredible grief that Soliferum brought upon Nighthelm could not find it within themselves to fight alongside Soliferum. Additionally, the Anotza Commonwealth, who had remained somewhat neutral to this stage, declared that it will support whichever side that finds it outnumbered, even if that side were Batesaor. Faced with mounting pressure, King Keldaar despaired and wondered how he had brought such difficulties upon Nighthelm during its finest hour. It soon became obvious to everyone that the King was no longer his old self. Nevertheless, King Keldaar saw it sufficient reason to step down, not wanting to endanger Nighthelm any longer.

Thraymn, who had recently recovered from his illness, was chosen to be the next King.

War's End

Seeing that storming Batesaor's cities would be tantamount to suicide, King Thraymn looked for a way to quickly end the war and consolidate Nighthelm's gains. However, the Commonwealth and other realms wanted to see one of Batesaor's regions returned. King Thraymn posed this question to Nighthelm's nobility and a heated debate commenced. Many felt that it was an insult upon Nighthelm's sovereignty for such a demand to be made and that returning such territory would be insulting to all those who had sacrificed their lives in battle, others announced that they would accept a considerable amount of money in order for peace to be achieved.

King Thraymn decided to return Hutael to Batesaor in exchange for a significant amount of gold. There were significant protests from within Nighthelm and for a while King Thraymn feared that the protests might boil over into something more substantial, but fortunately, nothing came of it.


Second Nighthelm-Batesaor War

Between these two wars, King Thraymn relapsed and had to leave the throne again. Gul'Dan was sworn in as King shortly after.

King Gul'Dan has successfully managed to utilize diplomacy to head off an Arcaean expeditionary force which was moving south to do battle with Soliferum over an execution of the Soliferum monarch’s kin by Soliferum's judge. This minor difficulty gave Nighthelm little warning for the firestorm that was about to engulf half of the continent.

Prelude to Conflict

Svunntland had a history of thorny relations with its neighbours, none more problematic that with the northern powerhouse Lasanar. With the destruction of Svunnetland's ally, the Highland Empire, Svunnetland's King Einar's correspondence with the other realms of the Far East grew more heated. War was brewing in the north and Nighthelm, as always, wanted no part of it.

Svunnetland's King Einar's correspondence with all the realms was now tinged with his trademark arrogance. In several of his messages, he managed to insult the guild members of the Hall of Blood and Battle. In response the guild declared war upon Svunnetland and called upon all its members to join in a strike northwards. During this trip northwards, one of Nighthelm's nobles, Senoske almost fell prey to one of Batesaor's infiltrators, Aspire. Incensed, King Gul'Dan demanded that Batesaor apologize for this unprovoked attack. Batesaor ignored the request and informed King Gul'Dan it had no wish to control its own nobles and that Nighthelm should seek to protect its nobles better.

Infuriated, Nighthelm issued an ultimatum, that Aspire should be banned and removed from Batesaor. If Batesaor was unable to do so then Nighthelm will consider Batesaor being unable to discipline its own nobles and therefore be a dangerous and unpredictable threat to other realms. However, as Nighthelm's army gathered in Idaol, correspondence from Svunnetland moved from being merely condescending to being utterly insulting. Accused of being in league with demonic forces, King Gul'Dan felt his and Nighthelm's honour slighted and immediately declared war with Svunnetland, leaving the matter of Batesaor to be dealt with another day.

Soliferum requested that it join Nighthelm in the long march north and King Gul'Dan agreed. The Antoza Commonwealth also declared war on Svunnetland in support of its ally, Nighthelm. With many new realms moving against it in such a short time, King Einar of Svunnetland quickly and profusely apologized to all those he had insulted in the buildup to war. Slightly surprised by the turn of events, King Gul'Dan quickly accepted the apology and returned his army to Nighthelm. As he returned, King Gul'Dan noticed that Batesaor had not yet banned Aspire. Soliferum, who had also been victim of Batesaor's uncontrollable nobility, quickly offered to participate in the coming war as an ally.

Sensing the danger, Batesaor swiftly banned Aspire, but it was too little, too late.

Battle of Batesaor and its Aftermath

King Gul'Dan wished to bring the war to a swift conclusion. High Marshal Mirtas agreed and together with Soliferum and Lunaria, planned a massive strike at the heart of Batesaor - the city of Batesaor itself. The massive allied force gathered in Idaol and moved towards Batesaor city. A massive siege was laid and the battle raged for hours. Eventually, the walls of the city proved too thick and well defended. Considering success impossible, the allied force began a strategic retreat, armed with the knowledge of what it would eventually take to bring the city down. The allies returned to reinforce their depleted forces and began to formulate another strategy to defeat Batesaor.

However, during the battle, several of Batesaor's nobles learned of why Nighthelm had gone to war. Seemingly ignorant to the true reasons, a significant number of Batesaor's younger nobility realized that their ruling council had actively withheld the truth. A rebellion quickly broke out but was defeated soundly and the rebels were cast out of Batesaor.

Cutting off Supplies

Soliferum (Yellow) attacked Alanurs while Nighthelm (Red) invaded Hutael. With the Antoza Commonwealth (Green) defending Nighthelm's northern borders, Batesaor (Blue) and its allies (Black) struck at Nighthelm's force in Hutael

Knowing that it faced inevitable defeat, Batesaor asked Svunnetland to intercede on their behalf. A delegation from Svunnetland including King Einar began making its way south in order to view the war from a more personal angle. King Gul'Dan was wary of Svunnetland's intentions, but was confident that Nighthelm and its allies were more than capable of holding off any threat from its northern neighbours.

The allied High Marshals knew that Batesaor was heavily dependent on its other regions for the resources to maintain their ferocious defense of their capital. A plan was drawn up to eliminate that threat. Soliferum would strike at the relatively undefended city of Alanurs in an effort to reduce the amount of men that Batesaor would be able to recruit. Nighthelm would invade Hutael, cutting off Batesaor's food supply in an effort to expedite Batesaor's defeat. King Gul'Dan was wary of Svunnetland's growing vocal support of Batesaor and asked the Anotza Commonwealth to help protect Nighthelm's northern border. The Commonwealth agreed and moved its army into Razrpot.

With Batesaor's border regions lightly defended, Nighthelm and Soliferum quickly moved their troops into defendable positions and began to take over control of their respective regions. In response, Svunnetland and its ally, the Principality of Zonasa, began to mass troops in Paplamari. Concerned about the show of force, King Gul'Dan demanded that they remove themselves as the conflict with Batesaor did not concern them.

First Battle of Hutael and its Aftermath

With scouts reporting Svunnetland and Zonasa troops moving southward into Nighthelm controlled territory, King Gul'Dan once again demanded that they withdraw and make their intentions clear. King Morgan of the Principality of Zonasa replied that his troops were taking a nature hike in Hutael and Nighthelm had no right to deny them the pleasure. King Gul'Dan declared war upon the two invading realms. Batesaor's army in Batesaor city moved westwards to support the liberation of Hutael, leaving the city of Alanurs in the hands of Soliferum. Nighthelm's army fought valiantly against the opposing three realms, but was ultimately pushed back across the border.

High Marshal Mirtas took personal responsibility for the defeat and resigned. Sarig was chosen as his successor.

Defeated, Nighthelm's army had to return to rearm once again. There was a pressing need to cut Batesaor off from its allies so another strike at Hutael was planned. High Marshal Sarig decided to use sheer brute force to rout the opposing armies. With Soliferum having completed the takeover of Alanurs and the Antoza Commonwealth ready to lend their military aid, a significant battle was looming.

Second Battle of Hutael and its Aftermath

Nighthelm and their allies were all freshly rearmed and refitted while the Principality of Zonasa and Svunnetland troops were tired from being in the field for several days. As the troops were on their way to Hutael, Batesaor's army made a stunning decision to attempt to retake Alanurs while leaving their allies, who were impossibly outnumbered, to defend Hutael. With the weight of numbers on their side, Nighthelm easily crushed Svunnetland's and Zonasa's army and forced them to retreat. Soliferum immediately withdrew from Hutael in order to defend Alanurs while the Commonwealth aided Nighthelm in its takeover of Hutael.

With Hutael lost and with no hope of retaking it, Batesaor's allies lost their only way to reinforce the beleaguered realm. They announced that they would refrain for aiding Batesaor and while they still vocally condemned Nighthelm's actions, they left Batesaor to its fate.

End of Batesaor

With Batesaor's outlying regions taken, Nighthelm and its allies planned for another siege, even more massive than the first. Batesaor, confident that its wall would protect them again, began to fortify its position. Learning lessons from its painful defeat earlier, Nighthelm and its allies gathered an amazing number of siege engines and amassed many divisions of infantry in order to storm the walls of Batesaor without much resistance. The resulting siege was one of the largest in the Far East's history. Over ten thousand men from all sides participated in the battle. The siege was long and bloody, but eventually, Nighthelm and its allies managed to crush the defenders and occupy the city.

Batesaor attempted to do battle in the streets, but with so many of its troops lost in the siege and the city so low on morale after the taxing war, Nighthelm and its allies gained the upper hand as Nighthelm began to wrest control of the city away from Batesaor. As the hours wore on, Nighthelm's troops captured a large portion of the Batesaor nobility and sent them to the dungeons of Mashakon. Eventually, Batesaor capitulated and those few troops who remained loyal to Batesaor's King laid waste to the city, burning all buildings of importance and torching the economy of the city.

Eventually Batesaor city was taken over by Nighthelm and Batesaor was no more.

Lingering Tensions

This was a simple concept, if you're having trouble maybe I could draw you a picture or explain it using brightly coloured blocks...

- King Gul'Dan's reply to King Morgan on hearing Zonasa's 'nature hike' excuse yet again

With Batesaor's nobles now having no realm to call home, many of them fled northwards. However, Aspire, the infiltrator that was the bane of Nighthelm and the south for many moons was captured by Soliferum and subsequently tortured to death. Enranged by the death of his kinsman, King Einar of Svunnetland called upon his ally the Principality of Zonasa. Both of them moved their armies south with the intention of visiting war upon Soliferum in vengeance, only to find their way barred by Nighthelm. King Gul'Dan, with the memory of their involvement in the war fresh in his mind, denied them passage through Nighthelm. With King Morgan still denying that Zonasa wished war upon Nighthelm previously, the buildup of forces along Nighthelm's northern border increased.

Suddenly, Zonasa's King Morgan was seriously wounded by an unknown infiltrator. His replacement, Prince Bleys, knew that the Principality would gain very little if it went to war with Nighthelm opted to work towards a ceasefire with Nighthelm. He requested, at Nighthelm's behest, for Svunnetland to withdraw their forces. Once the threat of invasion receded, King Gul'Dan agreed to end hostilities.

Victory Celebration

Template:Main

Victory over Batesaor was celebrated throughout the south. King Gul'Dan arranged for a tournament to be held in Masahakon - Nighthelm's first tournament to celebrate Nighthelm's hard won victory. A week of festivities commenced and over 80 nobles for around the Far East attended the grand tournament.

Reconstruction and Rebuilding

As Nighthelm's soldiers returned home, Nighthelm entered an extended period of relative peace. Goldenowl was given the monumental task of rebuilding the devastated city of Batesaor. Major building projects were comissioned in all regions of Nighthelm as Nighthelm strengthened itself in order to face any future difficulties.

The First Far East War

While the southern lands enjoyed a time of relative peace, the northern portion of the Far East was erupting into turmoil.

Northern War

Gunfire, the Judge of Arcaea almost executed the lover of Osric, the King of Ethiala. Ethiala swiftly demanded an apology from Arcaea. The political storm that resulted from this led to the King of Arcaea, Yarah, stepping down. Shortly after, negotiations between both sides broke down and war was declared between the two northern realms.

Taith Aenil honoured their alliance with Arcaea, while Lasanar and the Antoza Commonwealth supported Ethiala. Sartania took this opportunity to declare war on Arcaea as well. Several major battles were fought between these two groups of realms. Eventually, Ethiala, Lasanar and the Commonwealth's greater numbers took its toll on Arcaea and Taith Aenil. Arcaea and Taith Aenil lost control of several provinces in these early weeks of the war.

Nighthelm Involvement

Moving into someone elses lands whenever it suits them is a common trend for Svunnetland under any Ruler. Call it a "mistake" but killing the militia in a region as a "mistake" deserves a return favour.

In support of her allies, Nighthelm moves to relieve the tension caused by Svunnetland. We'll see you at sunrise. - King Gul'Dan declaring Nighthelm's support for the Commonwealth

Queen Hoshi of Svunnetland denounced Ethiala and their allies. She claimed that they did not band together for honour but rather for their lust for land. She and Prince Bleys of Zonasa quickly declared their support for the beleaguered Arcaea and Taith Aenil. Zonasa rapidly moved forces northward to bolster Taith Aenil's failing defences.

However, Svunnetland forces quickly staged a lightning raid on Zarimel, one of the Commonwealth's regions, slaughtered the militia guarding the region and looted it. King Lu'an of the Commonwealth was furious at this action especially since no state of war existed between Svunnetland and the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth's main army was busy engaging Taith Aenil further north and would be unable to launch a retaliatory strike anytime soon.

King Lu'an contacted King Gul'Dan of Nighthelm and King Gul'Dan agreed to support the Commonwealth, Nighthelm's staunch ally. A dialogue was held with Prince Bleys of Zonasa. Prince Bleys did not wish a conflict with Nighthelm, stating that Zonasa's main priority was to aid Taith Aenil in its defence. King Gul'Dan agreed and promised not to do harm to Zonasa's territory. In return, he managed to secure right of passage through Zonasa's lands in order to strike at Svunnetland, Zonasa's ally.

A massive military force was rapidly built up and marched northward with High Marshal Sarig and King Gul'Dan leading it. Their target was Svunnetland's only city, Palnasos.

Battle of Palnasos and its Aftermath

Not expecting Nighthelm to march through Zonasa, Svunnetland was caught unaware and was unable to reinforce Palnasos in time. Even though Palnasos was protected by a fortress of fortifications, the city was defended by too few men. Nighthelm's massively experienced army outnumbered Svunnetland's defenders by almost 3 to 1. The defenders of Palnasos were crushed and Nighthelm occupied the city.

Decisions

Nighthelm quickly initiated a colony takeover of the city. With Svunnetland’s army broken and their allies unable to muster enough force to come to their aid, Svunnetland was effectively out of the war. Since Palnasos was fairly far away from Nighthelm’s current borders, King Gul’Dan wished to give the city to one of Nighthelm’s allies in exchange for something more beneficial.

However, King Lu’an of the Commonwealth insisted upon allowing the colony to become a new realm. After much consideration, King Gul’Dan decided to put aside his misgivings and grant Nighthelm’s longtime ally’s request. It was quickly announced that this new realm would be borne of a joint effort by four realms – Nighthelm, the Antoza Commonwealth, Soliferum and Lasanar.

With Svunnetland’s inability to field an army and the loss of trust between Svunnetland and the Principality, the war quickly swung in favour of Nighthelm and its allies. The conflict drew to a rapid close. The ruler of Taith Aenil decided to reform his entire realm by destroying it. The ruler led a secession and formed the realm Greater Aenilia. He then proceeded to absorb all the remaining regions of his old realm.

Nighthelm, Lasanar, Soliferium and the Antoza Commonwealth began to focus their attention on the new realm and decided to refrain from further battles. With that, the war, to a large extent, ended.

The Order of the Elder Gods

Former King Thraymn had always been a religious man. During the war, a rare opportunity presented itself and Thraymn, with the blessing of Nighthelm, formerly founded The Order of the Elder Gods, a religion devoted to the worship and understanding of the Pantheon of the Elder Gods. The Order’s main temple was built in Mashakon, arguably the greatest city in the entire Far East.

With the Order being the Far East’s first official religion, Thraymn and Nighthelm hoped that its influence would spread far and wide.

Sanctum of Casshern

With the takeover complete, Nighthelm and its allies’ troops remained in the city as the government of the colony began to take shape. Each of the four realms was asked to nominate one noble to fill one place on the colony’s council.

Nighthelm Colony

Nobles from all over the continent, including several from Nighthelm, joined the colony. In addition, the Order of the Elder Gods quickly made its presence felt in the city. Despite a promising start, the process of forming a stable realm quickly degenerated into a situation that bordered on disaster.

King Gul’Dan considered Victor, the noble that the Antoza Commonwealth decided to be King of the new colony, to be less than impressive. Demands that Victor were placed upon Nighthelm were decided to be less than reasonable. King Gul’Dan pointedly reminded the new colony that while Nighthelm did wish the new realm well, Nighthelm was not beholden to the colony.

Soon, it fell upon colony to determine who would assume its throne. Victor was discovered to be ineligible for the throne. Infighting broke out within the colony. Several nobles supported Victor and would prefer the colony to be led by a temporary regent while Victor endeavoured to prove himself eligible for the throne. Others were less pleased about a King being forced upon them and demanded that they choose who leads them.

King Gul’Dan considered the situation beyond control. With too many competing voices, the colony was proving to be far worse for southern stability than a warmongering Svunnetland. He told King Lu’an about his fears and his desire for ending the colony ‘project’. King Lu’an insisted that the colony would and must come to fruition. Unwilling to commit Nighthelm any further, King Gul’Dan ordered Nighthelm to pull out.

Supporting Svunnetland

Without their main source of income, Svunnetland was no longer a military force. King Gul’Dan considered that Svunnetland had finally learnt the harsh realities of their position and was ready to set their many conflicts aside and work towards some sort of peace. With Queen Hoshi repentant, King Gul’Dan agreed to support Svunnetland’s claim on the city much to the surprise of those within Nighthelm. This new stance brought him into direct opposition with the Commonwealth and of the colony itself.

Lasanar, under the leadership of Prime Minister Milan, was very critical of this new stance. He considered Svunnetland dangerous beyond measure and wanted to wipe Svunnetland off the map. King Gul’Dan disagreed, stating that without the erratic leadership of King Einar, Svunnetland deserved a chance. Milan swore to protect the interests of the colony and called King Gul’Dan a coward for backing down from his earlier stance. King Gul’Dan considered Lasanar’s position to be somewhat disingenuous considering that Nighthelm was the one that sacrificed troops to create the colony not Lasanar.

Eventually, the tensions that the colony gave rise to caused King Lu’an gave up on the colony as well, informing King Gul’Dan to do what he wished with it.

Regency

On his return journey from Palnasos, King Gul'Dan was reported to have been approached by a robed figure, purported to be an avatar of one of the Elder Gods. Urged by the strange figure, the King decided to begin a short journey of reflection and self realization. Even though his journey would be short, Nighthelm could not function without a leader when the political situation was so tense.

High Marshal Sarig volunteered to serve as a Regent, immediately giving up his powers when King Gul'Dan returned. Agreeing with Sarig's decision, the nobles of Nighthelm elected him as the temporary ruler. Eventually, King Gul'Dan returned and the throne was duly returned to him.

The League of Anacan

With his project rapidly dissolving into disaster, King Lu’an’s health rapidly degenerated. Some say that he was driven slightly mad as he questioned his abilities as a King, some say that he was distraught at his failure while others say that his illness was mere coincidence. Nevertheless, the King of the Antoza Commonwealth was no longer what he once was.

Olwe of Torren, the son of the distinguished hero Olwe, looked upon the great Commonwealth and realized that complacency was eating away at the realm. He discussed his wishes for restoring the Commonwealth’s former glory with King Lu’an. With his King’s blessing, Olwe of Torren led a secession and the League of Anacan split away from the Commonwealth.

Credit

This document would not have been possible without the following people

Editors

  • Quattro, current High Priest of Nighthelm

Contributors

  • Senoske, former King of Nighthelm
  • Thraymn, former King of Nighthelm
  • Keldaar, former King of Nighthelm
  • Gul'Dan, current King of Nighthelm