The Continental War

The Continental War was one of the most widespread military conflicts in Galactan history. It lasted from AV 1426 to AV 1432, starting with only its initial participants and quickly spreading to many other continents as other kingdoms became involved in the war. Since this war, many countries have been more reluctant to resort to military conflict as a means to resolve disputes.

The First Blows

On the sixteenth of First Autumn, AV 1426, ships from the tiny kingdom of Streyburg launched an attack in the early morning hours against the island city of Ollanas of Ansrivarr, a forested island in the middle of the Jade Sea. Caught by surprise, the elven folk who inhabited the city were quickly subdued and captured before they had a chance to fight back. No one had expected Streyburg, the tiny new kingdom that only recently came into existence, to launch such a direct attack against anyone. The king of Streyburg, Erhardt of House Mossforge, was eager to prove his kingdom's strength. And indeed, many were shocked at the skill and swiftness with which his soldiers took over Ansrivarr. The island had been chosen because it was rich in resources and appeared to have no significant military presence, unlike Streyburg's neighboring nations North Skolia and Oflij. Unfortunately for Streyburg, Ansrivarr held several treaties and agreements with other countries.

The Spread of Conflict

When news of the capture of Ollanas and Ansrivarr spread to the island's allies, they quickly mobilized in support. The first to move was the South Skolian navy, which immediately dispatched ships to Ollanas as well as to Westport, the capital of Streyburg, in the hope of coercing them into backing down with a show of force. Balihr sent out a call to arms to its citizens, and mobilized shortly afterward to provide extra support. Before the ships left Rosewick, however, they received several shipments of food and supplies from their neighbor Atrea, as the farming kingdom's contribution to the war effort. Oflij, well known for firmly shutting down brewing conflict, had not yet made any announcements in regards to how it wished to handle the building crisis.

Streyburg, whose capital was a hub for trade, had multiple alliances of its own. City-states and kingdoms from several different continents, notably Pelanes of Gleigos and the islands of Kobesh and Napux, sent ships and supplies across the ocean to battle in Judera, Qopith, and Ansrivarr.

The Battle in Red Hart Forest

The war raged on for a few more years, until it reached a turning point during what historians call the most significant battle of the entire war, taking place in Red Hart Forest in North Skolia, just south of the border of Streyburg, on the twelfth of Second Summer, AV 1432. Here, warriors from Streyburg and Pelanes faced off against the combined forces of North and South Skolia, which was very unusual given the history between the two. Erdhardt's own general, Gram Sharpstrike, took part in this battle.

The Streyburg-Pelanes forces had swept into the woods, hoping to capture the territory in the early morning hours while the Skolian forces were sleeping. However, as they neared Starhaven, they moved straight into an ambush that had been set up for them. A Pelanese message had been intercepted with details regarding the planned invasion of the forest, so the Skolian forces were able to prepare a counterattack. The two sides quickly broke into a heated battle, and the scales tipped in favor of one side, then the other, then back again into the afternoon. However, a Skolian magic user had the presence of mind to teleport deep behind enemy lines, appearing right next to Sharpstrike himself. The general was unprepared for such a direct attack and was quickly subdued and captured. At this point, the rest of the Streyburg-Pelanes warriors were forced to surrender, and marched into Starhaven to await the return of a messenger sent by the North Skolian army to Streyburg.

A Slow Deescalation

After the battle in Red Hart Forest, the conflict swiftly fell in favor of the kingdoms defending Ansrivarr. Without General Sharpstrike, the Streyburg army fell to pieces rather quickly. Some of the other kingdoms fighting alongside Streyburg had also grown tired of the fighting, and many decided that trade routes were simply not worth the loss of life and expenses that they had accrued. In quick succession, many withdrew or surrendered to the other side. Through sheer stubbornness, Erhardt managed to keep his army afloat for a few more cycles, drawing them all back to the small kingdom to keep what land they had managed to carve away from North Skolia and releasing Ansrivarr from occupation. But on the fourth of First Winter, AV 1432, Erhardt and the rest of the Streyburg army finally accepted an offer to negotiate peace.

The Resolution

Once Streyburg accepted the offer to negotiate peace, a temporary armistice was put into effect. Oflij, which had surprisingly stayed out of the conflict, offered to allow the participating kingdoms to meet in Kharra for negotiations, moderated by an Oflijian diplomat. Agreeing to this, Pelanes, Streyburg, North and South Skolia, Balihr, and Ansrivarr all sent representatives to Kharra. Here, they spent several weeks negotiating and debating, until finally, and with much grumbling, a treaty was agreed upon.

The treaty first stipulated that none of the participating entities could attack one another again for at least half a century. Streyburg was specifically banned from invading any kingdom anywhere in Galactus. All prisoners of war were returned to their respective owners, and North Skolia reluctantly agreed to give Streyburg a small portion of additional territory because the tiny kingdom had been suffering greatly, unable to sustain itself properly since it had come into being a century ago. It was, of course, land that North Skolia had seen no real value in, so the effect was negligible. In return, however, Streyburg had to agree to pay Ansrivarr in supplies and coin for the damages they had caused, outlined in a very specific timeline that would last for the half century that all the nations were obligated to keep the peace.

Impacts

The Continental War had a very high death toll, and the consequences of this were seen for at least a century. Pelanes, in fact, had experienced so much loss that it eventually came under the protection of a neighboring city, Koselea, and the two formed a small nation on Gleigos called Ietrana, which thrives in the present day. Streyburg, although still a small kingdom, felt it had at least proved itself in the international stage, and after paying off its debts to Ansrivarr did much better. The extra land it was given was used for farming.

Seeing the impacts of the Continental War has made many kingdoms and nations reluctant to pursue military solutions to conflicts. The lines of alliances and trade routes are greatly interwoven, and the two hundred years since the war have been some of the most peaceful in recorded history.