The Bloody Marches
The bloody marches, also known as the Five Darnian-Kinvalian wars, was a series of 5 major wars, fought between the Kingdoms of Darnia and Kinvalia over the span of about 2 centuries, which ultimately lead to the demise of both kingdoms in time and the explosive birth of the Esnian Empire, who would come to rule the entire continent a few centuries later.
The Conflict
Prelude
After the fall of the Valcoren Empire, in the year 1152 Bc, Darnia, which had been swiftly conquered by the cunning King Kalosan the great, regained its independance amidst the chaos of the empire collaspe and switly proceeded to launch military campaigns to regain lands in had lost previously, such as Nhara to the south-west, and the independant kingdom of Syrkania, which had been carved out of Darnia after the later's defeat to the Valcorians. However, Syrkania had been a vassal state, ruled at first by the cousin of King Kalosan, who married a Kinvalian princess. That princess had a child, who was now the current Syrkanian king, meaning that Syrkania was now a vassal to the kingdom of Kinvalia. So when Darnia invaded in 1123bc, Kinvalia became involved as it sought to protect it. The kingdom of Kinvalia had been growing in power for the past centuries, dominating northern Enaskia, and after the fall of the Valcoren empire, it became the most powerful country on the continent. It was determined to protect its interest in such a rich region as Syrkania was. Neither kingdoms wanted the other to have it and so, war began.
The Engagement
The First War
The Second War
The Third War
The Fourth War
Darnian Civil War
The Fifth War
The first war was short but brutal. It lasted 4 years, from 1122, to 1119, where neither side managed to win a decissive battle. Unlike all other wars in this series, neither side really used mages in combat, as they still relied heavely on their standard human army for mow. In Syrkania, the Darnians managed to conquer the cities of Ekka, Neyaken, and had reach the city of Beikur. After 5 month of siege, they were forced into battle and defeated by a combined Kinvalian-Syrkanian army. The Darnians were defeated again near the city of Sak'hn as they were retreating back to Darnia, and soon sued for peace, which Kinvalia granted. Syrkania remained a Kinvalian vassal.
The Second war was long, lasting 14 years, between 1031 to 1022 bc. Unlike the first war, mages were used extensively in battles here, especialy after 1025, as both side's regular army was exausted. Once again, Darnia tried taking Syrkania, but were beaten back in 1030bc, and again in 1029bc.
Then the kingdom of kinvalia invaded the darnian marches later that same year, defeating a Darnian army posted there. However, as they marched for the city of Xanor next, the Darnians striked back, defeating them near the city, with the help of a dozen or so mages.
After this, a lul set in for about 4 years, where both sides would skirmish in the Marches, but not much else. In 1025, Darnia decided to try its hand again and sent a massive army to Syrkania, which had already started to demobilise by then. The Darnians took the city of Ekka in just 3 days of seige with the help of sappers, shocking the other cities of the vassal kingdom. Neyaken surrendered without a fight, and Beikur surrendered after 1 month of seige. Darnian forces moved north, towards Aksa, defeating a kinvalian-Syrkanian army on the way. Aksa was put to siege for 6 months. Meanwhile, Kinvalia tried to invade the Darnian marches again but failed. It marched to take Sohar and besiege Xanor, but they were forced to retreat when fresh Darnian troupes from the south arrived. In the spring of 1024, Aksa surrendered and Syrkania became a Darnian vassal Despite this, Kinvalia fought on, launching a new offense with mages. The battle of Drekys occurs in late 1024, and was a victory for Kinvalia. The Darnians, suspecting treason from the Dragonkin population of the city, began sacking it and rounding up its population. However, the dragonkins fought back, and killed most of the soldiers. This event convinces the survivors to leave Enaskia entirely, and it marks the end of Dragonkin presence on the continent. In 1023, Kinvalian launches a final assault on the Darnian marches but are defeated once more, in large part because of the Darnian Firemages, who came from Fes'Nhai. From there, the war somewhat fizzled out and a peace treaty is signed in 1022, officialy making Syrkania a vassal of Darnia.
Then the kingdom of kinvalia invaded the darnian marches later that same year, defeating a Darnian army posted there. However, as they marched for the city of Xanor next, the Darnians striked back, defeating them near the city, with the help of a dozen or so mages.
After this, a lul set in for about 4 years, where both sides would skirmish in the Marches, but not much else. In 1025, Darnia decided to try its hand again and sent a massive army to Syrkania, which had already started to demobilise by then. The Darnians took the city of Ekka in just 3 days of seige with the help of sappers, shocking the other cities of the vassal kingdom. Neyaken surrendered without a fight, and Beikur surrendered after 1 month of seige. Darnian forces moved north, towards Aksa, defeating a kinvalian-Syrkanian army on the way. Aksa was put to siege for 6 months. Meanwhile, Kinvalia tried to invade the Darnian marches again but failed. It marched to take Sohar and besiege Xanor, but they were forced to retreat when fresh Darnian troupes from the south arrived. In the spring of 1024, Aksa surrendered and Syrkania became a Darnian vassal Despite this, Kinvalia fought on, launching a new offense with mages. The battle of Drekys occurs in late 1024, and was a victory for Kinvalia. The Darnians, suspecting treason from the Dragonkin population of the city, began sacking it and rounding up its population. However, the dragonkins fought back, and killed most of the soldiers. This event convinces the survivors to leave Enaskia entirely, and it marks the end of Dragonkin presence on the continent. In 1023, Kinvalian launches a final assault on the Darnian marches but are defeated once more, in large part because of the Darnian Firemages, who came from Fes'Nhai. From there, the war somewhat fizzled out and a peace treaty is signed in 1022, officialy making Syrkania a vassal of Darnia.
The third war between the two began in 981 bc and concluded in 979 bc, lasting 4 years. It started when Kinvalia invaded Darnian Syrkania in the summer of 981 with the pretext of oppression of Chorani residents there. They quickly captured Sak'hn, and beseiged Ekka, which surrendered 3 months later, after a darnian army was wiped out trying to releive it. Kinvalia had sucessfuly cut off Syrkania from the rest of Darnia.
In 980, they tried taking both Sohar and Neyaken as well, but were defeated on both fronts. The Darnian army then moved north, and beseiged the Kinvalian city of Colys. The city resisted long enough to be relieved by another Kinvalian army that had left Syrkania. With all their gains being wiped out again, and casulties rapidaly mounting, the kinvalians accepted a Darnian peace offer, which upholded the status quo.
Starting in 951 bc, the fourth Darnian Kinvalian war began much like the previous one. Kinvalia invaded Syrkania from the south, taking both Ekka and Neyaken in a matter of weeks. Most of the Darnian army was busy putting down a revolt in Hoxania, and it took them months to arrive on the northern front to reenforce the meager troups left there. This allowed Kinvalia to consolidate its gains.
From 950 to 948 bc, Darnia tried taking the syrkanian cities back, but was unable too. In the fall of 948, the city of Beikur fell, and the rest of the syrkanian cities, including Aksa, submited to Kinvalia by winter 947. With Syrkania back in their hands, Kinvalia moved to secure the Darnian marches, and specificaly the cities of Sak'hn and Sohar. 6 battles were fought here in 2 years, killing in total up to 150k soldiers in total.
The most brutal of them was the Battle of Sah'hn, in august 946. 30k death on both sides, both of their mage legions were destroyed, as was most of the infantry, but ultimatly, the superior Kinvalian cavalry allowed them victory. Prince Jirah, heir to the Darnian throne, was leading the Darnian army, and was killed in combat.
Appetite for war in Darnia had completly vanished by this point, and the king decided to sue for peace. In the following treaty, Syrkalia became a Kinvalian vassal once again, while the later annexed most of the Darnian marches, including Sak'hn and Sohar.
The Darnian civil war lasted 6 year and was fought between two camps opposing the other's cadidate for kingship. It started in 946, when the king's son, prince Jirah, died in the battle of Sak'hn. The king died without an heir in 937, plunging the country into civil war. Kinvalia backed prince Xasel, half-brother and illegitimate son of the king, but it was the other candidate, the king's uncle, Horac, who ultimatly took control of the capital from Prince Xasel. Seeing their favorite candidate, loose control of his capital, they declared war on the other side, starting the fifth Darnian-Kinvalian war.
The fifth and final war between the two would be the longest and most bloody by far. It lasted 15 years and would nearly completly deplete the forces of both country. It started during the Darnian Civil war, and continued until the year 919.
Despite having taking the city of Xanor from the Royalist forces, it wasn't enough for the rebel forces to recover as prince Xasel was killed by an assassin in 931. Two Kinvalian armies marched further south along the Nyos and Amon rivers, capturing the cities of Abys and Otharys repectively before joining together to beseige the city of Lyras, which fell in 930.
With the fall of Lyras, all of northern Darnia was now in Kinvalian hands. Unsure what the Darnian forces had planned, the kinvalians stopped at Lyras for a year, before resuming their invasion in 929, taking the city of Amarys after a bloody seige and sack in early 928. They continued south, towards the city of Goranthar, and defeated a hastely assembled Darnian army on the way in the late spring of the same year.
The summer heat in the Darnian desert became a big problem for the Kinvalian Army, especialy during the seige of the city of Goranthar, which resisted for 3 long years. Meanwhile the supply lines along the Nyos and Aman rivers were being sabotaged and harrased by small bands of soldiers, turned guerilla fighters, endangering Kinvalia's entire campaign and making it even more costly both in terms of money and lives.
Finaly in fall 925, the city fell and it was sacked. Parts of its population was deported to Syrkania. The Kinvalia army continued south and arrived at the gates of Hurys. The battle of Hurys, in november 925, was a pyrrhic Darnian Victory, and forced the Kinvalian army to retreat back to Goranthar for the winter. But then, in spring 924, the city if Amarys was besieged by another Darnian army, and it fell in 5 days, as the local garrison was killed by the citizenry and the gates were opened.
Just like that, Kinvalia's main force was stuck deep in Darnian territory, with supplies running out fast. They had to retreat. On the way, between Goranthar and Amarys, the 30k strong Kinvalian army was wiped out. The summer of 924 saw the complete collapse of Kinvalian forces south of of the city of Lyras, as town after town along the Nyos was liberated by the advancing Darnian army.
The second battle of Lyras occured in September 924bc. The Kinvalian-occupied city was beseiged by the darnian army, and fell in a month. The garrison, 5-10k strong, was killed as the Darnian soldiers moved to liberate Otharys, which they did a month later. Kinvalia launched raiding parties towards both Otharys and Solthar, the later of which particulary enraged the Darnians, as it is a holy city. They liberated Sak'hn and took Ekka in 923bc while Kinvalia began to feel unrest back at home. The cost of the war was getting too high, and they were losing.
The nobility got part of the army to arrest the Kinvalian king amd threw him in a dungeon, where he died a week later. The new king, his 15 years old son, tried to sue for peace, but Darnia wasn't done. Abys, Xanor and Sohar were liberated in quick succession in between 923 and 922bc and they raided central Syrkania.
After a pair of costly victories in Syrkania against two new Kinvalian armies, they accepted a new peace offer in fall 921bc. Negociations dragged on for two years, during which a few more skirmishes and small scale battles would occur, mainly in the Darnian Marches. Finaly, in 919bc, peace was achieved. All Kinvalian gains in the Darnian Marches were reversed, and the border was drawn further north, in Darnia's favour. Syrkania would remain a Kinvalian Vassal, but its king had to be approved by Darnia before ascending. Kinvalia would also have to pay a yearly tribute of gold to be able to keep Syrkania as their vassal.
Despite having taking the city of Xanor from the Royalist forces, it wasn't enough for the rebel forces to recover as prince Xasel was killed by an assassin in 931. Two Kinvalian armies marched further south along the Nyos and Amon rivers, capturing the cities of Abys and Otharys repectively before joining together to beseige the city of Lyras, which fell in 930.
With the fall of Lyras, all of northern Darnia was now in Kinvalian hands. Unsure what the Darnian forces had planned, the kinvalians stopped at Lyras for a year, before resuming their invasion in 929, taking the city of Amarys after a bloody seige and sack in early 928. They continued south, towards the city of Goranthar, and defeated a hastely assembled Darnian army on the way in the late spring of the same year.
The summer heat in the Darnian desert became a big problem for the Kinvalian Army, especialy during the seige of the city of Goranthar, which resisted for 3 long years. Meanwhile the supply lines along the Nyos and Aman rivers were being sabotaged and harrased by small bands of soldiers, turned guerilla fighters, endangering Kinvalia's entire campaign and making it even more costly both in terms of money and lives.
Finaly in fall 925, the city fell and it was sacked. Parts of its population was deported to Syrkania. The Kinvalia army continued south and arrived at the gates of Hurys. The battle of Hurys, in november 925, was a pyrrhic Darnian Victory, and forced the Kinvalian army to retreat back to Goranthar for the winter. But then, in spring 924, the city if Amarys was besieged by another Darnian army, and it fell in 5 days, as the local garrison was killed by the citizenry and the gates were opened.
Just like that, Kinvalia's main force was stuck deep in Darnian territory, with supplies running out fast. They had to retreat. On the way, between Goranthar and Amarys, the 30k strong Kinvalian army was wiped out. The summer of 924 saw the complete collapse of Kinvalian forces south of of the city of Lyras, as town after town along the Nyos was liberated by the advancing Darnian army.
The second battle of Lyras occured in September 924bc. The Kinvalian-occupied city was beseiged by the darnian army, and fell in a month. The garrison, 5-10k strong, was killed as the Darnian soldiers moved to liberate Otharys, which they did a month later. Kinvalia launched raiding parties towards both Otharys and Solthar, the later of which particulary enraged the Darnians, as it is a holy city. They liberated Sak'hn and took Ekka in 923bc while Kinvalia began to feel unrest back at home. The cost of the war was getting too high, and they were losing.
The nobility got part of the army to arrest the Kinvalian king amd threw him in a dungeon, where he died a week later. The new king, his 15 years old son, tried to sue for peace, but Darnia wasn't done. Abys, Xanor and Sohar were liberated in quick succession in between 923 and 922bc and they raided central Syrkania.
After a pair of costly victories in Syrkania against two new Kinvalian armies, they accepted a new peace offer in fall 921bc. Negociations dragged on for two years, during which a few more skirmishes and small scale battles would occur, mainly in the Darnian Marches. Finaly, in 919bc, peace was achieved. All Kinvalian gains in the Darnian Marches were reversed, and the border was drawn further north, in Darnia's favour. Syrkania would remain a Kinvalian Vassal, but its king had to be approved by Darnia before ascending. Kinvalia would also have to pay a yearly tribute of gold to be able to keep Syrkania as their vassal.
Outcome
This series of war, and especialy the 4th and 5th one, as well as the civil war in Darnia, severely weakened both countries, draining their ressources and money, destroyed infractructure and killed thousands of experienced soldiers and most importantly, mages, who where even harder to replace. And while Darnia would ultimatly come out victorious, they hadn't gained nearly enough to justify the level of death and destruction they, or Kinvalia suffered through. Their territories were devastated, and their population weak and starving. The bloody marches had left both countries, and Syrkania ripe for the taking by another country.
Aftermath
The kingdom of Essania, who's territory at the time was located just to the north of the Kingdom of Kinvalia, took advantage of the situation and launched a war against them in 915bc, conquering most of the their territory in a single year. They did so with a mix of bribes to disgrunted local lords, especialy in modern Thenian territory, as well as by steamrolling the exausted and undermaned kinvalians. After sacking the City of Kynrivel, the kinvalian capital, in summer 914bc, the kingdom of Essania declared itself an empire, and would come to rule all of Enaskia, and a third of Arros just a few centuries after that and for most of the Second Age's last millenium.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
1122 Bc
Ending Date
919 Bc
Conflict Result
The series of wars ultimately resulted in a Pyrrhic victory for Darnia.
Location
Comments