The Autumn War
| The Autumn War | |||||||||||
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 A dramatized painting of Half-Gods' Assault | |||||||||||
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| Combatants | |||||||||||
| Commanders | |||||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||||
Est. 470,000
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694,000
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| Casualties | |||||||||||
Est. 320,000
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382,000
POW: 310,000 | ||||||||||
The Autumn War was a 7 year war fought mainly between the Lyrian Empire and the forces of Nokana. Late in the war, the northern Dunaan (soon to be the Jún, Nún, Tóbh, and Rín states), sided with Nokana forces to take down the Lyrian capitol of Juruna. The main goal behind the war was to crush the Lyrian Empire's cruel rule under Akko Muraia, as well as end the racial discrimination and slavery against the Taryphos people.
Background & Pre-War Events
Migration
Main article: Ohkorra Exodus
At some point in the late Kudes Era, after the Fall of Eolas and theHarbinger Extinction, the Harbinger ancestors of the Taryphos discovered the remains of a fragmented Hypha Obelisk in the Ohkorra Desert. The tribe shaman insisted on gathering fallen deposits of Arkite, left over from the impact, to reconstruct the obelisk. Once reconstructed, the large obelisk opened a chute-like entrance to a chamber. Once inside, the Karophus Puzzle Box was discovered, along with a fair amount of other trinkets. The Box supposedly gave the discoverers an immense amount of knowledge, that the ten scouts (later known as the Ten Heroes) soon shared among their people. Some believe this shift in knowledge created the race of Taryphos as they are today, altering their mental capacity as well as their physicality.
Around the late Zenith Era, The Taryphos began to experience discord among their people over mixed messages from the Box (At the time, some had thought it was messages from their deity Kutaru, others thought it was messages from Karophus), and several conflicts of opinion between tribe members and eventually other tribes reached dangerous climaxes. The Ten Heroes, after a final conflict between each other, decided it was time to separate from each other. They migrated away from the Ohkorra Desert, in different tribes based on religious beliefs. The tribes that left were known as the Karoph, the majority band of people following their three prophets who claimed rightful possession of the box; the Kerah, the second largest tribe following the three prophets that taught the Box as being an evil relic; and the Ohkohm, the smallest tribe that had strong attachments to their homeland and stayed in the Ohkorra Desert.
After leaving the Desert, the Karoph trekked through the northern highlands untilt they reached the northernmost shores of Atheryin. There, they met the beginnings of the kingdom of Ravenwood, and stayed with the awestruck citizens until they finished building a series of large, seafaring ships. Once constructed, the Karoph sailed off across Beral's Caldera in search of the lands the Box had promised them. Legend has it that the Karoph lost around 3 or 4 ships to strong storms thrown by Runa and Desran, conspiring to thwart the plans Kutaru had for the travelers. Once the surviving ships made it to Kalythos Isle , they landed on the small cape where they began to construct the small village soon to be the city of Arctun.
Lyrian Expansionism
Main article: Lyrian Puppet States
It had become well-known among most minor mainland kingdoms at the time that Lyria had a habit of collecting puppet states, and eventually annexing them into their empire. At around Zenith 164, the Lyrian Empire had reached the largest it would ever expand to. It would hold most of its land from this time until it was destroyed in Autumn 273.
The Lyrian Empire was known to have expanded far into the lands known later as Donos at its height. Its most prominent (and by far most distant) province was Julyr, where the local Kutai kindly took to being ruled by the Lyrian senators. During the rule of Akko Muraia, a small battle had been fought, on the basis of the new expansionist policy, with the less compliant residents of Kados, which had just become its own established sovereignty at the time. Lyria's invasion attempt was pitiful at best: they had to scale large jungle mountains in order to actually reach Kados' capitol, and most of the force was killed off before an attack could even be launched, due to disease and the violent tendencies of the local flora and fauna. The remaining were killed by Kutai arboreal soldiers.
The Dún was also a long-time set of Lyrian puppet and annexed states, though it wasn't until the beginning of Muraia's rule that the states felt they were under a corrupt and despotic system. Expansionism was even tested into regions of Fonna and other southern areas the Dunaan kept as their own. The northern Dunaan states were most of what was effected, and were the least compliant when it came to the brutal policies of the Akko. Unrest increased tensions and led to several rebellions before the Autumn War; most Dunaan uprisings were lost causes.
Racism & Slavery
Akko Muraia was notorious for his radical policies against the Taryphos, though, few within the empire were known to have rejected his decisions. The Lyrian government and Tyrosi Church had always denied the existence of the Taryphos, because religion dictated that they were bastard children of relations between Karophus and Kaias, giving both races the same mother. This is met with the opposite belief with the Taryphos: they view the Lyrians as bastard children, while they are the chosen children of Kaias. Because of these beliefs on the Lyrian side, the discovery of their feline counterparts was met with immediate enslavement an imprisonment of all they were capable of rounding up.
The Karoph were well-informed beforehand, by none other than the Karophus Puzzle Box, that the Lyrians were on their way to destroy civilization on the island. They retreated to the mountains of Kalythos, while the rest of their people were enslaved or killed. The Karoph had begun uniting bandit clans early on to fight the Lyrians, but curiously enough, their first action was to build a Stormhaven, a large stronghold and religious temple in the high reaches of the Kalythos mountains. Numerous forces of bandits and pirates alike were gathered in Stormhaven to begin plotting a revolt against the corrupted Lyrian rule. The Taryphos people left behind in Arctun always held onto the promise their leaders had given them, that they would return in later days to liberate their people.
Course of the War
The Great Liberation – Autum 266
After the formulation of plans for weaponry that could counter the Lyrian force, the Karoph and the newly formed Nokana Clan stormed the Lyrian city of Iunae, overtaking the small mining village within a few hours. The use of Frame Cannons played a key part in the capture of the city, especially since few Lyrian soldiers were trained in any school of magic. The Nokana burned what structures they could, and freed the enslaved Taryphos working in the city mines. The clan held their position in Iunae for a week, then marched south for Arctun. The Lyrians had no word of the approaching force, and all military attention in the Lyrian Empire was focused on crushing the Dunaan rebellion at the time; little protection was offered against the coming onslaught of soldiers.
Upon arrival in Arctun, the armies launched a distraction attack against the northern border of the city, while operatives snuck into the city from the south, and managed to arm the enslaved Taryphos in the city with Frame Cannons and other weaponry. Coupled with the attack from the armies in the north, and the inner force slowly crippling the ill-equipped guard systems, the city fell within a single night, and any non-compliant locals were slaughtered. However, a majority of the city being Taryphos, there were few that attempted to fight against the invading rebels... Most Lyrians inhabiting the city kept quiet about their views, fearing the merciless whim of the force occupying the town.
Battle of Ash-Maple – Autumn 266
By War Moon 32nd, Autumn 266, the Nokana rebel force had seized all Lyrian resources on Kalythos, and were blockading the seas around with the Lyrians' own ships. Finally, they had gathered enough bandit and pirate clans, that they were prepared for a full-scale invasion of the mainland. The rebellion loaded up all their ships, sailing for Andaeia, the precursor city to modern-day Undai. Met with heavy fire from Lyrian mage sentries, it was clearly evident that the naval combat was not Nokana's strong suit. Quickly landing in the ports, the forces stormed the docks, curiously setting anything they could aflame. Still largely undefended, Andaeia's forces were wiped out quickly, but the citizens were not so cooperative. A majority of the invading Nokanian force was decimated by citizen-soldiers. Unfortunately, the citizens were no match for the razing of the city, and the town itself went up in flames.
The battle is named for the maple trees spread throughout Andaeia. When the trees caught fire, they gave a haunting red and orange color, as their flaming leaves spread across the city... A tell-tale sign of the anguish of the ancient city burning to the ground. Once the Nokana had fought off the civilian militia, they established an encampment in the center of the city, setting up choke-points at major trade roads entering the city. Andaeia was soon called Undai by the occupants, and became the rebellion's mainland base camp as they tormented the rest of the peninsula.
Skirmishes & The Lesser Gathering – Autumn 266 through Autumn 270
Nokana led a four year series of skirmishes and raids throughout Lyria, attacking and pillaging villages and hamlets, desperately looking for more bandit clans and drug cartels to unite under their flag. Gunda Kinos and the other Karoph successfully united nearly 59 bandit clans across the peninsula over the few years, and obtained useful influence among the people of the conquered villages. The Karoph eventually led a raid on a mid-sized city near modern-day Helki, in the fort Haruun, where they established a secondary mainland outpost to further combat the weakened armies of Lyria.
Dunaan Rebellion in Faerdun – Autumn 268
After the Schism at Daĭn, The two rebel groups, knowing they were outmatched by the Lyrians, proceeded to blockade all trade routes toward the city, and systematically removed heads of government via assassination by inside informants, until they had the city at its knees. On Planter's Moon 83rd, Autumn 268, northern Dunaan and Fónnan forces attacked the Lyrians at their colonial capital, Faerdun, in the northern Dún colony sharing the same name. They overthrew what little government was left, but lost nearly all their forces in the fight against the Lyrians. Struggling to keep power in the city, they claimed the territory conquered as a new sovereign nation, a state they proceeded to rename Nún. At the time, the newly-formed Dunaan state claimed all the land of Faerdun, it would only be until the Great Struggle that the other Dunaan families took power over their respective territories.
March to Juruna – Autumn 272
Fónnan forces, after resupplying and drafting enough soldiers, gathered with several newly established troops of united Dunaan (even though Nún was already feeling the pressure of other families) marched toward the gate to Lyria, at Arkhorn. After successfully blowing through the relatively undefended gate (winter weather conditions routinely pushed soldiers out of defense of the gate), the soldiers marched through the brutality of the Pearlknife Mountains, stopping first in Ko'alurun, where they were greeted with much hospitality and support for their cause.
The forces continued through to the outskirts of Juruna, where they struck the city from the back. Though the rebellion force was promptly decimated by the Lyrian armies defending the capital, they weakened the city greatly. Using the same tactics as they did in Faerdun, some of the remaining forces staked out in the city, living under the radar. Systematically, the infiltrators attempted to assassinate more members of the Lyrian political power, including Muraia himself. Unfortunately, nearly all attempts were futile.
Half-Gods' Assault – Autumn 273
Meanwhile, after taking nearly every small village among the Lyrian countryside, the Nokanian forces bulked up on all the military they had at Haruun, and awaited the final day, on Winter Moon 64th, when they would invade Juruna. Their only problem was the lack of military power required to counter the Lyrians; weaponry power could only be solved by some intervention of a god... Which was exactly what the Karophus Puzzle Box told them. The Box mentally tortured them, forcing the three of the Karoph to attempt to open the supposedly unopenable mechanism. It wasn't until late in the night of Winter Moon 63rd that Kinos successfully opened the Box, causing an unknown series of events (and some speculate it even caused a temporary rift in time, given how quickly some obtained materials were smelted into weaponry) that eventually led up to the Karoph coming into possession of the Emberstone Staff, a well-known artifact that amplifies fire magic into Dragonfire, the blessed Arkite used to create Novashard, and Silmoren, a bow that fires pure bolts of light. The three prophets were also known to have obtained enchanted suits of armor that the emperors and leaders of the Dagai Council still use today.
The next day, the Karoph were entirely armored and prepared. They mounted their Nitis, organized the military, and set out for the front gates of Juruna. The Nokana were greeted by a defensive force outside the gates, but used advanced hammer & anvil tactics to take down the force. Using the Emberstone Staff, Feruhn Ilagaana took down the front gates of the Lyrian city, rushing inside with the rest of the military. The Nokana found themselves under heavy archer fire, only to be matched by the power of their own frame cannon soldiers and Silmoren. Slowly, the Nokanian force creeped up the main streets toward Muraia's palace, atop Juruna's central hill. Once they reached said palace, the final force of Lyrian Proteans greeted Nokana's remaining forces with a harsh ambush and highly adaptive combat. Kinos used this as a distraction to rush the palace, and he and his main soldiers stormed inside, killing anyone they saw, in order to get to Muraia's balcony looking over the Red Yard. Once reaching the balcony, Kinos engaged in a one-man fight with Muraia atop the balcony, delivering a final stabbing blow into the demigod's heart with Novashard... Because Muraia had no children, the Lyrian line of demigods was known to have been killed off permanently. Gunda Kinos claimed the crown of the last Akko, and proclaimed himself the Tama of the newly formed Nokana Empire. The empire wasn't officially formed until Autumn 288, when land conflicts on the Lyrian Peninsula met a manageable state.
Aftermath of the War
Kinos further used the palace at Juruna as a temporary establishment for his troops, as he and the rest of the soldiers went on to conquer the rest of the Lyrian peninsula, as well as execute, exile, or enslave any remaining Lyrians. The troops that were left after Muraia was killed were exiled out into the Pearlknife Mountains, where they either died from the weather conditions, or made their way out and were killed in the Ebon Glade Tragedy.
The Nokana Empire began to form afterwards, however most of the Nokana troops had been killed off, and the Empire was a weak and frail system until nearly 15 years after the war. The Nokana also made contact with the estranged Aelerus Monks in Ko'alurun. Nokana could only try to kill them off, however the monks' highly developed understanding of magic kept the empire from wasting troops on them. Later, a pact was formed to keep the Pearlknife Mountains a politically neutral zone.
The various Dunaan families eventually fell into the Great Struggle, fighting for individual land claims and eventually settling their differences. Each puppet state in Celadon became its own independent kingdom, and is also factored into the Great Struggle. The states in the northern territories warred for centuries because of their lack of agreement on land claims, though relations still are brittle between the men and elves of the northern barrowfields...