The Great Invasion

The Great Invasion was the most important military conflict in the history of Leland. Over the span of many years, the groups that called the peninsula home banded together to repel northern invaders.

The Conflict

Prelude

Leading up to the invasion, rumors spread from north of the Ganuiles Mountains that a group merely referred to as The Horde was sweeping across the land, conquering territories and enslaving the peoples they encountered along the way. These were mostly dismissed as tall tales until the Ozuslic fled onto the peninsula from their lands north of the Ganuiles.
The first group on the peninsula to encounter The Horde was the Irocai. A historically aggressive society that was known for fiercely defending its borders, the military leaders were cocky and assumed they would turn the threat away from their lands with little effort. Instead, their forces were overwhelmed and anyone who could fled south.

Deployment

Word spread to all corners of Leland that the Irocai had failed and that The Horde was now marching on the peninsula. Previously warring groups set aside their conflicts, recognizing that this threat was bigger than arguing over borders. Northern forces set up defenses to slow the invaders while southern forces prepared to join the fight, hoping the war would end before the front reached their homes.
The western forces, comprised primarily of the Kilthe and the Porcai, were tasked with preventing The Horde from spreading west of the Coativan River, whether that be through the mountains or by crossing the river itself. 
The central forces, made up primarily of the Domwin, Cesnockwe, Rinduma, and what remained of the Irocai forces, were charged with pushing into Irocai territory, if possible, and preventing The Horde from gaining access to the Eldown River at all costs.
The eastern forces, made up primarily of the Phonro, Vintorse, and Reicaro, fought The Horde as it came over the eastern Ganuiles and attempted to cross the Aici River from Irocai territory.

Major Ethnic Groups at the Time of the Great Invasion

Open full size

The Engagement

The allied Lelandic forces fought fiercely to protect their homes in this multi-front war, but no matter how many times they repelled the enemy forces, there seemed to be more ready to fight right behind them. The fronts moved slightly with the seasons, but there were few large-scale victories or defeats that would signal a significant shift in the war.
Fearing that this war of attrition would eventually lead to The Horde breaking through the eastern defenses, Meik Kaudo Leshind, a Rinduma general, sought the help of the Linguasta. After some negotiations between both the allied forces and the Linguasta council, a new strategy was developed that involved the Linguasta's use of Power of Persuasion, the very thing that kept them isolated from the rest of Leland.
Linguasta warriors, armed with a rough knowledge of the language of The Horde provided by the Lelandic forces, rode into battle on all fronts and Commanded the enemy forces to cease the onslaught and return home. To the shock of many, this tactic worked, and over the course of several months The Horde retreated.

Outcome

Winning the war proved two things to the people of Leland: a unified Leland was a strong force and shunning the Linguasta for centuries had potentially been a mistake. With the Linguasta being the deciding force in the war, many pledged loyalty to the leader of their council, Carina Ahyen.

Aftermath

With the loyalty of many of Leland and the forces at her direction to quash any rebellion against her, Carina Ahyen united Leland for the first time under the Queendom of Leland. Her blood line would rule for more than seven hundred years.
The devastation left in the wake of the retreating Horde made the area north of the Ganuiles uninhabitable, leading the area to be referred to as The Wasteland. The Ozuslic split into two factions, one angry at the destruction of their homeland and one grateful for their lives being spared so they could create something new in central Leland. The angry faction, calling themselves the Rezuslic, ventured into The Wasteland, never to be heard from again.

Historical Significance

The Great Invasion served as the catalyst for a unified Leland that has existed in one form or another for more than a millennium. This unity led to cooperation between ethnic groups that had previously been at war with each other, allowing for advancements in technology, infrastructure, and other areas that would otherwise have been impossible.

Legacy

The true history of the war has been obfuscated by Linguasta propaganda in the centuries following the conflict, starting with the mythic exploits of Carina Ahyen, the Golden Lioness that were spread following the retreat in order to foster loyalty to her. Images of a brunette woman with a golden aura riding or beside a lion are a common motif. Many average people in the modern day are more familiar with the legends than the actual history of the war.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

13 AN

Ending Date

2 AN

Conflict Result

Retreat of The Horde
Formation of the Queendom of Leland
Creation of The Wasteland