On 9 April 320 AE, three weeks after the Battle of Corlesca Fields, leaders from the provinces across the
Allesend Empire met in the island nation north of Allethra to negotiate the Empire's surrender to the Unified Front.
Background
With the death of
God-Emperor Alles-Taluus in 153 AE,
Allesar's hold on the continent began to wane. Many disagreed with the
Holy Council or their claims that they spoke for the spirit of Alles-Taluus from beyond the grave.
In 299 AE, a magical plague swept through the nation of
Edrana. The Council declared a full two-year quarantine on the southern nation, isolating it from the rest of the continent. As the largest grower of crops in the Empire, Edrana's quarantine led to food shortages across Allethra.
Starting around 285 AE, a
heretical sect of the imperial religion began to form in
Faloriand. It quickly gained traction, proselytizing the Empire's complacency as a sin, with the Holy Council the rot at its center. Compounded with food shortages in
Erminster, the sect grew fervently until 302 AE.
On 30 October 302 AE, during the Falorian Harvest Festival in Erminster, Imperial Centurions arrested and executed several leading members of the early Church. Over the next two weeks, citizens in Erminster and across the rest of Faloriand rose up in protest. On 15 November 302 AE, the Bannerlords and Bannerladies of Faloriand met in Erminster and, for the first time in three centuries, elected the Archbishop of the Church as their Monarch. On the same day, the Archbishop officially seceded the nation from Imperial Rule.
In 308 AE, Edrana joined with Faloriand in resisting Imperial rule, forming the so-called "Unified Front." Though their numbers had been severely depleted by the magical plague, the Edranites quickly drove the meager Imperial presence from their lands. Faloriand had to fight harder to regain their ancestral lands, but by 316 AE, Imperial presence in Faloriand was minimal.
It wasn't until 318 AE when
Barisea joined the Unified Front. By this time, the Empire's supplies had grown weak and was doing all it could to protect itself from three sides.
In March 320 AE, two armies from Faloriand and Edrana met at Corlesca Fields in southern
Allesend and engaged Imperial Legion IV. The battle lasted for three whole days, but the turning point came when a small Ithonian army arrived and flanked the Imperial Legion, causing widespread panic which quickly turned the battle into a rout. At the end, the Unified Front emerged victorious and had captured over 20,000 soldiers and 1,000 Imperial officers.
The Treaty
At first, the meeting on Celestina was supposed to be about negotiating the release of the captured Imperial forces. Using the island nation as a neutral meeting place, nobles from the Unified Front met with high-ranking officials of the Empire. It quickly became apparent that, with the Empire's remaining forces, it would only be a matter of time before the Unified Front could march on Allesar. The talks quickly transitioned to conditions of surrender.
At first, the Empire refused to give up Barisea, due to its non-involvement in the battle. This complicated things, as Ithon was technically still a part of Barisea, though it had considered itself independent since before the Empire had ever risen. It quickly became apparent that, whatever the outcome, Ithon would finally be recognized as a sovereign nation.
Edrana broke the stalemate on 9 April by offering up all conquered land north of the E-W highways, territory that had been captured earlier in the war. This would give Allesend complete control over land trade in Allethra, so long as tariffs and taxes remained at a reasonable rate. Imperial negotiators finally relented, and the treaty was drafted and signed.
By 16 April 320 AE, every nation had ratified the document, and the Empire was officially dissolved into five sovereign nations: Allesend, Barisea, Edrana, Faloriand, and Ithon.
