Black Iron War

One of the shortest - and most devastating - wars that even occured on Karadian soil. It was what paved way for the creation of Confederation of 40 Tribes, and Imperium of Karadia that replaced it, finally becoming the dominant civilization.
It is also a conflict shrouded in mystery due to the devastations it brought and complete collapse of Xylian Dominion that followed it, meaning almost complete lack of sources that describe it in details.

The Conflict

Prelude

It is unknown what exactly caused the start of Black Iron War. It is even unknown who exactly started it - few signs on the Clockwork Isles suggest that they were attacked by Xylian Dominion, however it is unknown if they were insane to attack an enemy that was so much stronger than them.
n fact it is very possible that they were simply fabricated. Elven sources indicate a sudden all out assault of Mechanics without any sign, however the fact that Xylian fleet operating from Elevhian Isles managed to intercept them before landing on the continent might suggest that its command knew what's coming quite early.

Deployment

Majority of Xylian navy was based on Elevhian Isles near continent of Lana, while their ground forces was partially placed there, and the rest was scattered throughout their empire on Karadia. This was proven to be disastrous in results, since their thinly spread forces when mostly overwhelmed before they even knew what was happening.
Their opponent knew exactly where they were - due to much more advanced reconaissance methods that included even sattelites. Command AI was able to send exactly as many forces that were needed to win effortlessly - pretty much all the time, meaning that Xylian Dominion was practically without a slightest chance right from the start.

The Engagement

First battle of the war was the so called Battle of Western Ocean, which occured between almost entire Xylian navy and almost entire invasion forces. Majority of Mechanic warmachines were marching on the seabed, which made the Dominion admiral commanding the fleet attempt a desperate attack on Mechanic surface vessels that escorted them to use depth charges - really powerful ones - to destroy as many of them as he could.
Entire Xylian fleet was massacred within an hour, with exactly every vessel sank by much more advanced Mechanics ships. Some of the combatants survived - mostly elves, since all the escape boats carrying Xyls were sank - and according to their surviving relations many depth charges were succesfully launched, causing unknown loses in the invasion forces. At least three to four Mechanic ships were also sank, mostly by desperate Xyls literally ramming their ships with their own and detonating main reactors.
Despite this attempt, invasion forces made succesful landfall, and proceeded to annihilate entire Xylian Dominion, part by part. Their surprising speed and observatory sattelites made this a genocide rather than war - all attempts of defense were detected early and countered with powerful detachment of warmachines. All escapees were detected and wiped out (by either advancing warmachines of sea-to-ground missiles that could easily reach targets on the other side of the continent.
The only part of the war that actually could be considered a battle was the assault on Xylian capital, the so called Battle for Xyleum. Rather than using conventional means, the priests and magicians that were there decided to use a truly desperate tactic and attempt a summoning Xylian chief god into Light.
A single land dreadnought - an almost kilometre high humanoid warmachine - ended up being overwhelmed, its magic drained and crew (if there was any, it could be as well fully automatic) killed or shut down. Right after this titanic battle ended, all of xylian magicians were completely drained of their power and died... right before two new land dreadnoughts, redirected from another purge attempt, arrived and burned the city to the ground.

Outcome

Xylian Dominion destroyed, almost entire Xylian specie purged. Only three splinter civilizations survived - Taretian State which founders fled into the Labirynth, Kraad Technocracy that was spared for reasons unknown and Syhon Mir, created by few Xyls that managed to flee east, from the an area of operation set by Command AI.

Aftermath

The collapse of Xylian Dominion equalled the end of Ancient Era and the beginning of true Preimperial Era, marked by long conflict between elven Confederation of 40 Tribes and Kraad Technocracy. Which finally ended with the victory of human invaders from the east.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

3 July 1221 PIE

Ending Date

21 July 1221 PIE

Conflict Result

Complete victory of Mechanics.

Location

Karadia

Belligerents

Xylian Dominion

• Xylian Dominion

Mechanics

Led by

• Command AI

Strength

• Slave armies of elves and ogres probably numbered in millions.

• Legions of war automata.

• Navy (at least four hundred ships of various size, all of them with complete metal hulls).

• Unknown, estimated to several thousands warmachines, at least a hundred ships and three land dreadnoughts.

Casualties

• Slave armies mostly killed, dispersed or deserted.

• War automata mostly destroyed.

• Navy sank to a last ship.

• One land dreadnought and three ships confirmed, others unknown.

Objectives

Survival.

Destruction of Xylian Dominion and purge of its dominant specie.