Talerium/The Darkan Betrayal

The war now known as the Darkan Betrayal was precipitated by misunderstandings and greed, as well as a few power-hungry individuals, as most wars are.

The Relationship Strained

The ground work for the conflict was laid during a joint Darkan-Talerium campaign against Falasan. At the time, Talerium and Darka were allied, and had enjoyed a strong relationship for some time. However, communication breakdown between the military leaders of the two nations caused set backs on the battle field. Some among the leadership of Talerium expressed concern that their allies were making costly errors, resulting in the unnecessary death of Darkans and Taleriumites both.

While these comments were meant for the ears of the Talerium council alone, an agent, disloyal to the government of Talerium, passed the comments on to the Darkan command. The motivation for this spy revealing privileged communication is lost in the sands of time. Certainly though, a personal agenda on the part of the involved must be suspected.

Regardless of the intent behind the act, the effects were easy to predict. The negative comments (taken out of context and no doubt embellished), angered powerful people within Darkan society. While not enough to precipitate war between the two powers, it was the first crack in the foundation that had held them together in friendship.

Another Break in the Wall

Ironically, the next step towards conflict had nothing to do with Talerium, but rather Minas Ithil and Darka.

Some time after the events described previously, Darka and Minas Ithil found themselves at odds, on either side of a conflict that continues even today (and probably will still be raging long after the writer of this account is long dead and buried); the war of Eston against Norland and her barbarian ally, the Barony of Makar. While the particulars of that war are beyond the scope of this work, Darka’s and Minas Ithil’s involvement ended with the signing of a treaty. That treaty not only outlined the terms of peace, but also called for both nations to use the threat of force against any other realm that would seek to involve themselves in the Northern War.

However, Talerium has always been staunch in her support of allies and it has been said by those that knew him well that the Prime Minister of Talerium at the time, Captain Tezokian, wouldn’t “be governed by a treaty that he had no part in forging.” So, when Eston asked for assistance, the request was granted, although there was the risk of retaliation from Darka and Minas Ithil.

And the Answer is Gold, but What is the Question?

While the events described to this point paved the way for the bloodshed to come, a final incentive was needed. What was that enticement? As they say, friends and enemies come and go, but gold is forever. Individuals in Darka, fueled by an irrational hatred for Talerium, used the prior events to make their case in support of war. This was encouraged by Minas Ithil, who gathered support from other nations and contracted the services of the Darkans to attack Talerium. Although it is difficult to be certain of the realms involved, it seems that Abington, Minas Ithil, Norland, Ash Sea Islands, Falasan, and Drachenwald all likely contributed to the contracting of the mercenary warriors. Some estimates place the amount of gold tendered in payment to be in the excess of tens of thousands. Surely there were eastern realms that desperately desired payback against Talerium for her staunch support of allies and many victories accomplished while lending that support. Even so, that sum is probably exaggerated. More conservative estimates put the Darkan’s price in the range of 3000 – 5000 gold. Regardless, the sum was considerable, and a measure of the respect that the desert realm had earned though the various military campaigns she had conducted.

War Declared

At the time the declaration of war was made, the warriors of Talerium were engaged in battle in Fiddleford against the forces of Norland and Barony of Makar. Perhaps in deference to the previously good relationship between the two realms, or in an attempt to maintain their honour in the face of treachery, the Darkans announced that they would give the soldiers of Talerium four days to return home, before commencing their attack.

A March for the Ages

Word of the impending conflict reached the front line soon after the fighting had died down in Fiddleford. Wasting no time the leader of the army, Strat Fender, ordered his forces back to their homeland. Time was the enemy and the tired and bloodied force began a march over field, though wood, river and dale, which would rival the heroic epics of mythology. The bravery and fortitude of those who marched cannot be overstated. It was a mark of the strength and perseverance that the harsh lands of the western deserts breed into the heart of every woman, man and child who is born of them.

The Stand at Quetli

After the miraculous march the forces of Talerium arrived in the border region of Quetli. Digging in, the spent force readied itself for battle against the coming storm. The arrival of the army in less then the four alloted days was a spectacular feat and if there was any justice, they would have turned back the Darkan assault. Unfortunately, the long march had caught up the soldiers. Their weapons and armour were in poor shape, they were exhausted, and upon seeing the lines of well ordered Darkans cresting the dunes in front of them, it is hard to imagine their state of mind. The Taleriumites fought bravely, and gave a good accounting of themselves, but in the end they were overwhelmed and scattered. Even today the sands of Quelti are stained crimson at the site of this battle, which was one of the bloodiest of the war.

Cry Havoc and let Slip the Darkans of War

The battles that followed are certainly interesting, but given that this is mostly a focus on the political aspects of the conflict, not much attention will be paid to them on the whole. Still, it is worthwhile to consider the general flow of the war, as well as some noteworthy moments.

Initially, the fighting was centralized in the region of Mattlu. As the tide began to turn in the Darkan’s favour, they began pressing into the southern regions of Talerium. Several large battles were fought in the area of Mattlu, Chohua, Matlec and Xotaxa. Several times the Talerium army did outmaneuver the Darkans and cause extreme damage to their marauding armies as the regions traded hands back and forth. However, even when the invaders were beaten back, it was never long before fresh legions poured out of Azzal to press the attack. Through all this, a moment of heroism stands out, as does a moment which reinforces the notion that war is hell.

A Hero’s Pyre

There came a moment in the war when Talerium was on her heels. Mattlu had fallen, and Xotaxa was under siege. The army was in shambles and in no condition to take back Mattlu nor even to stop the siege. It is moments like these that some among us live (and sadly die) for. So it was that the Lord of Quetli, Khorne Shifter, one of the greatest heroes Talerium has ever known, led his small band into battle against the forces arrayed in Xotaxa. Badly outnumbered, there was no escaping the inevitable. Yet, before he succumbed to the wounds inflicted on him, he killed scores of enemy soldiers and sent scores more fleeing from the terror that he brought.

It is said that when his body was recovered, it was so badly marred with wounds he was barely recognizable. Yet, witnesses say that he fought until the very end, which came when an arrow pierced his heart. While Talerium lost a great hero that day, his death inspired those left behind. With renewed determination, the people of the sand began fighting back.

The Death of a Village

Khorne wasn’t the only warrior to win great honour in the conflict and it would have been fortunate if it had remained confined to a test of arms and courage. It was not to be, however. Although the tide certainly hadn’t turned, the fierce determination of the desert warriors had stalled the Darkan advance. While initially time was the enemy of Talerium, now it had turned against the Darkans. Their contract was nearly expired and while they had made gains, they were not as great as expected. This, combined with the hatred that is borne from continual conflict, resulted in actions that will live forever in infamy.

With news that a liberating army of superior strength was underway, the occupying force present in Mattlu received orders to withdraw. It is not known who gave the command to savage the province, but the orders were followed with abandon. Fortunately, most of the population of Mattlu was well dispersed. Furthermore, the majority of what urban centres that did exist were well out of range of the Darkan position, unless they wished to risk becoming embroiled in a full-scale battle (which they did not). However, there was one village that did not escape the torch – Eugui. Those that were able attempted to fight the Darkans with whatever meager instruments they could lay hands on, but in the end they had no chance against the professional army that assaulted them. The men were killed, the women raped and killed or taken as trophies and the children were likewise seized. What became of the children of Eugui is still not known today, but their bodies were never found. Perhaps they were sold as slaves or adopted by Darkan families. Whatever their fate, it can only be hoped that it was a humane one.

The Contract Expired

The savaging of Eugui came close to the conclusion of the war. While several small battles were fought afterwards, very little was exceptional. At the expiration date of the contract, Darka turned around and as quickly as they had come they were gone. While several territories were still under Darkan occupation, diplomatic pressure from the Cagilan Empire along with a change in the political structure of Darka to one that was friendlier towards their southern neighbor, resulted in the return of all conquered lands.

And so the war ended, with no change to the map of Atamara. That is not to say there was no lasting effect however. The people of the desert had certainly changed and it is unlikely that anyone who lived through those days was not altered in some manner.

They Came from the Mountain

The bulk of the account of this event is complete. However, there are a few miscellaneous points that need to be made; while the government of Talerium did approach their allies for assistance in the war against Darka, none of them was in a position to help militarily. Talerium’s closest ally the, Cagilan Empire, was embroiled in a war in the east against the forces of Falasan. It should be noted that though they were not able to send soldiers, they did send gold to assist their western neighbor. Without this aid, it is difficult to know what would have become of Talerium.

Desperate for help, Talerium turned to another of their neighbors, Drachenwald. Together they agreed that in exchange for the territory Eagle's Glen, the people of the mountain would send an army to assist against the Darkans.

The army sent was not of significant size and was poorly organized. In the end, they were of very little help. It is impossible to tell if this was by accident or design, but as mentioned previously, Drachanwald probably contributed funds to the hiring of the mercenaries. Thus, it is likely they were not particularly motivated to assist.

As a final aftermath, Drachanwald was destroyed soon after the events of the Darkan Betrayal ended, and their conduct in this war was likely a factor in their demise.