Oda-Kiri War
Thirty years after the end of the Kiri-Kawa-Oda War, the Northern Territories once again found itself embroiled in a war between the region's human and elven kingdoms. Oda Clan, now under the leadership of the bard-general Bucephalus the Rambunctious, sought to conquer even more territory from the Kiri Clan and have Oda's territory stretch from the Arrayas Ocean all the way east towards the Karaga Sea. Bucephalus destroyed his opponent and left the Kiri Clan in shambles, but this chaotic arrangement made governing the Kiri Clan's remains all but impossible. While the Kiri cities of Younashi and Shisu were annexed by Oda Clan, much of the Kiri Clan territory bordering the Gulf of Lotan became a land of lawlessness and warlords as Bucephalus failed to stabilize the region east of the Maguro River.
The Conflict
Prelude
Oda Clan had more than tripled in size after annexing new cities and territories following the Kiri-Kawa-Oda War, its capital of Olenjii swelling in size to become one of the largest cities in Pescaliat. Many of Oda Clan's leaders believed that a new era was dawning in the Northern Territories, one defined and shaped by Oda Clan. The elven Kiri Clan, still limping along after its humiliating defeat thirty years prior, proved to be the most tempting target for Oda forces. Kiri's aging generals and councilors were forced to spend most of their time quelling revolts in the kingdom's east instigated by orcish and kuo-toa separatists. Little time was given to prepare for another invasion from Oda Clan: so long as the human armies could be stopped at the Maguro River, the Kiri Clan believed they'd be safe to rule another day.
Deployment
Oda Clan had been preparing for this war for the past thirty years, and armies from all over the kingdom were deployed east towards Kiri Clan in a matter of days. The mobilization was among the largest seen in the Northern Territories, tens of thousands of soldiers marching across the continent at an incredible pace. A small detachment of troops remained near Olenjii to discourage revolts in neighboring cities like Suika and Dolian.
Sardivelia, in an under-the-table agreement with Oda Clan, had already initiated the process of blockading the Kiri Clan port of Nekutalin and cutting off supplies into the elven kingdom. No matter how this war ended, Sardivelia's leader Paoli Piedmonte would end up wealthier than ever.
The Engagement
- The Second Battle of Younash Plains (Spring 907): The Kiri Clan was only able to move a third of its forces west of the Maguro River, bracing for an imminent battle with Oda Clan's armies. Veterans from the Kiri-Kawa-Oda War stood ready on both sides of the battle, but the elven soldiers of the Kiri Clan were outnumbered by a four-to-one margin. The Battle ended with a Kiri Clan rout in a matter of hours, elven armies desperately scrambling back across the river to escape the encroaching armies. Now all Kiri Clan could do was hope that the capital could withstand a war of attrition.
- The Malison Plan (Summer - Fall 907): First proposed by the Oda Clan general Balasar, the Malison Plan sought to cut off the Kiri Clan from the outside world through a series of well-placed blockades and supply chain disruptions. Named after the yuan-ti malisons and their propensity for twisting around their prey to the point of suffocation, the Plan would force Kiri Clan to the negotiating table once its residents ran out of food and supplies. Oda Clan forces cut off supply chains traveling west into the Kiri Clan, while Sardivelia sealed off the Northern and Eastern coastlines. To the south of the elven kingdom was the Lotan Conservation, a permanently neutral dragonborn kingdom that had already been generously bribed by the Sardivelian government to seal off its border into Kiri Clan.
- Siege of Younashi (Fall 907 - Spring 908): With the ports blockaded and the riverways seized, Oda Clan forces began a months-long siege of Kiri Clan's ancient capital of Younashi to break the nation's fighting spirit. Thousands of soldiers camped around the city, firing artillery against the city walls for weeks on end. The elves stuck inside the city were forced to fight over every scrap of food as starvation creeped in, but despite months of suffering Emperor Kenko refused to surrender. Some analysts theorized that Kenko used this time granted by the siege to smuggle out rare magic items, a calculated decision prioritizing Kiri Clan's heritage over the needs of its people. Because of this delay Oda Clan pressed forward with its campaign against the city, leading to Bucephalus the Rambunctious' arrival on the battlefield in the spring of 908. Summoning forth origami monsters not seen since the last war three decades ago, these paper beasts tore through the city's remaining defenses and razed the great palaces of Younashi. Kenko escaped with his royal entourage, attempting to flee south towards the Elflands before surrendering to Bucephalus' forces. For all intents and purposes, the ancient Kiri Clan empire had fallen.
- The End of an Era (Summer 908): Seeking to avoid the same fate of death as his mother Chomei, Kenko granted extravagant concessions to Oda Clan on the condition that he could live out the rest of his years on a generous stipend in the aristocratic city of Havre in Despero. The Kiri Clan capital of Younashi would be annexed by Oda Clan along with the lakeside town of Shisu, and Oda Clan would be given de jure claims to the lands east of the Maguro River if they could prove capable of keeping them under its influence. Sardivelia was granted the timber town of Mokazai in recognition of its contributions to the war efforts and for promising to help stabilize the region after Kiri Clan's collapse. The nation that had defined the Northern Territories for nearly four millennia was relegated to the history books.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
Month 13 (Lastember), Year 906, 4th Cycle
Ending Date
Month 7 (Midtember), Year 908, 4th Cycle
Conflict Result
Oda Clan Victory
Location
Belligerents
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
To fend off Oda Clan's relentless invasion
To permanently reshape the political balance of the Northern Territories.
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