Third Dark War

Overview

The Third Dark War was a military conflict in Ecleinia Ecleinia that lasted from 2022 to 2023. More specifically, it was an effective civil war in Ecleinia between the Ecleinian Resistance (a democratic socialist paramilitary group, which had aid from the Ecleinian government) and the Umbraion, a reactionary, authoritarian military seeking to dominate Ecleinia.
The war's foundations were laid decades before any fighting would take place. The right-wing Legislator Gaspar Panchiss, leader of the Ecleinian Conservative Party, obsessed with the potential of dark magic as a source of power, began seeking the ancient remnants of the Dark One, a powerful malevolent spirit from another dimension. Panchiss eventually found these remnants, and forced the Dark One into an uneasy alliance with him- Panchiss planned continuously to transfer all the magic of the Dark One into himself, while the Dark One plotted to eventually overthrow Panchiss. Panchiss, using secret reserves of wealth, began to build up a massive army in secret, plotting one day to overthrow the Sowager family and replace them with himself.
Panchiss's first move was secretly backing the Corporate Brotherhood, the group of disgruntled corporations who, outraged by the Ecleinian Socialist Party's new tax laws, rebelled with their own militaries. Panchiss secretly supported the group by funneling funds and money to their cause, while publicly calling for peace between the two opposing factions. Instead, war broke out, (the First Corporate War), which the Ecleinian side won, and forced a complete surrender on the Corporate Brotherhood.
After the war, as the Ecleinian Socialist Party declined in popularity and the Ecleinian Liberal Party (that of the newly crowned King Arun Sowager) took its place, Panchiss increasingly found himself at odds with the king. The two men, in addition to their ideological differences, each courted the same young woman, the photographer Eris Hech. Eris favored Arun, and a furious Gaspar assaulted Eris days before Arun planned to propose to her, seriously injuring her in the process. Eris would die from her wounds, and Gaspar was never charged for any crimes (although Arun Sowager privately believed Gaspar had been involved). It was also around this time that Karma Terrius of the Ecleinian Resistance began investigating Panchiss, an endeavour that would last more than 30 years.
Gaspar continued to build up a private military. He had two children, Henry and Bella, with his short-lived wife Jacqueline Panchiss (who died in childbirth), but he continued to focus more on his work, continuously obsessed with overthrowing the Sowagers. He successfully transformed Belinda Malfort (a local healer in Western Ecleinia with one child, Jenny) into the White Witch (an assassin and frequent domestic terrorist who was mind-controlled by Panchiss) who terrorized Ecleinia for more than a decade. From 2016 to 2022, Panchiss was involved in various operations to destabilize the Ecleinian government, including using the White Witch to incite panic in the Ecleinian populace (2006-2018 AU), hiring an assassin simply known as 'the Hunter' to kill June Sowager (2019 AU), attempting to have his son kill Bailey Tracker (2019 AU), convincing a group of disgruntled merchants called the Jobbers' Coalition to turn to piracy (2020 AU), and encouraging, backing, and funding the fanatical Sea King, a Nuron sailor with notions of grandeur to blockade the ports of Caworn (2021 AU). All of these schemes would be thwarted by Bailey Tracker and his friends, most notably June Sowager, Jessica Colwick, Cam Terths, Taylor Candeth, Jenny Malfort, and Panchiss's daughter, Bella Panchiss (whom he disowned after discovering she was gay).
Tracker would continue to be a thorn in Panchiss's side after it was revealed that he could wield the sword Lightbringer, and was predicted to the Utvalde, a legendary hero of the Ecleinian people.

The Conflict

Outcome

-Umbraion destroyed
-Ecleinian Parliament approves measure to allow the Ecleinian Resistance to serve as a national defense force until a regular military can be mustered
-June Sowager coronated as Queen of Ecleinia
-Parliament legislators begin calling for Bailey Tracker to serve as Protector of the Realm and Cam Terths to serve as Head of Ships
-Investigations and arrests made towards Ecleinian Conservative Party (ECP) members
-June Sowager orders a closed commission to examine statements from former Umbraion members to examine root causes of the war

Aftermath

-Ecleinian Conservative Party fractures and later dissolves
-Ecleinian Centrist Party dissolved
-Ecleinian (and global) conservatism irreparably tarnished
-Ecleinian military institutes internal reforms
-June Sowager's High Council picks approved
-Ecleinian Socialist Party (ESP) gains greater power and eventually merges with other left-wing parties
-The Corporate War and the Last War occur
-Corinne Delcol becomes Speaker of Parliament.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

May 16, 2022 AU

Ending Date

May 3, 2023 AU

Conflict Result

Ecleinian victory

Belligerents

Ecleinian Resistance

Led by

• Bailey Tracker

Umbraion

Strength

-1,000 direct members
-500,000 million civilian volunteers

340,000 members

Casualties

-87 direct members dead*
-45,023 civilian volunteers dead*
*All Ecleinian casualties were resurrected after the war

280,000 members dead

Objectives

-Defeat the Umbraion
-Defend Ecleinian people, cities, and government

-Overthrow the Ecleinian government
-Install Gaspar Panchiss as leader of Ecleinia