Fall of Aparnovos
In 408 AU, the city-state of Aparnovos was conquered by Southwythian forces sworn to Elric Wythe, the purported heir to Friedrich Wythe. Large swathes of Aparnovos were burned, looted, and demolished during and after its capture, which marked the destruction of one of the most populous, wealthy, and culturally rich cities in the known world, and a radical shift in the balance of power in the South. The Fall of Aparnovos directly resulted in the Aparnovosi Diaspora and the founding of the rump states of Torelledir and Fosowbria by survivors from the city.
Background
The unexpected death of Emperor Friedrich Wythe in 397 AU marked a significant sea change in Southwythe's politics. While the Imperial Electors in Westwythe oversaw the coronation of [new emperor], the lords of Erithstone publicly produced a 7 year-old boy, Elric, whom they claimed was the late Emperor's only progeny and rightful heir. To attempt to bolster this claim's validity and strengthen their position, the lords of Erithstone had formed an affiliation with the numerous communities of magicians in the mountains of Southwythe, which were known to be involved in Friedrich Wythe's exploration of the arcane. The Imperial Electors and, naturally, the new emperor refused to acknowledge this largely unsubstantiated claim. In response, Erithstone, at the head of a coalition of most other Southwythian city-states, declared their secession and the formation of the new, "legitimate" Imperial Government in late September 397. The crowning of Elric and the widespread acceptance of his legitimacy throughout most of Southwythe was also rooted in centuries-old religious factors. Since the early period of the Empire's incorporation of the Southwythian city-states, a sect of the Wythian faith which proclaimed the Emperor's innate divinity and absolute right to rule had found widespread practice in the upper part of the country. This was, in fact, a vestige of far older Westwythian belief, which shored up the ancient royals' authority in the periods before the development of the robust systems of government which would characterize the Empire. Although out of vogue by the time Friedrich Wythe set his sights on Southwythe, he cannily saw the opportunity in using these cultic beliefs to unify the city-states and solidify Imperial control. Aparnovos was unique in that it was already an international trading hub with well-developed government and commercial systems, and an practiced an entrenched sect of the Wythian faith. The Emperor also saw no need to impose undue control or religious pressure on Aparnovos due to how willingly that city entered into the Imperial compact. The pervasiveness of the Southwythian religion meant that once an individual could be presented as a convincing, legitimate heir to the Imperial Throne, support from all levels of society would be forthcoming. In this effort, the lords of Erithstone had a powerful ally in the magicians to the East. Friedrich Wythe had made numerous visits to the mountains of Southwythe during his reign, and drew many mages from the area into his service. Their presence in the Emperor's closest circles, work on numerous Imperial projects through the years, and convincingly feigning devotion to the Southwythian sect lent credence to their assertion that Elric was, in fact, the Emperor's legitimate heir. Erithstone and these magicians used every means arcane, non-magical, and religious at their disposal to adroitly wage a war of information and press the Boy King's claim at this critical juncture. Aparnovos, more closely tied with Westwythe in matters religious, economic, and military than to its Southwythian neighbours, refused audience to Erithstone's messengers and avowed their continued support for [new emperor]. The city had long enjoyed a very favourable position within the Empire on account of its trade, industries, and navy. Its people, while maintaining a distinct culture and identity, viewed their maritime contributions to the Empire with great pride: to side with an upstart and unravel that very system while breaking an ancient alliance was simply unthinkable. Throughout the imperial crisis of the next decade, Aparnovos would continue to send ships, men, and resources to Westwythe, providing valuable aid as the latter tried to stabilize a rapidly unraveling situation. Many in both nations saw the old alliance as a pillar of stability as one province after another seceded and the borders erupted into violence. While the proclamations and threats of Elric's "Imperial Government" in Southwythe were disregarded, even ridiculed by most other peoples, the lords of Erithstone and their new allies in the mountains bided their time, marshalling forces in secret. Erithstone had long been overshadowed by Aparnovos both as a merchant city and a political force in Southwythe, and while outwardly cooperative during the reign of the Empire, the Imperial Crisis presented an ideal opportunity for old resentment to boil over and for Erithstone to alter the balance of power. Both Westwythe and Aparnovos were far too occupied on distant fronts to divert time, men, and resources to crushing the upstart. Meanwhile, widespread support for Elric was only increasing, particularly due to the fact that, years after his ascension at seven years of age, he had barely aged in his appearance. To the population of the Southwythian city-states, already adhering to the idea of a divine emperor, this was indisputable proof that the blood of Friedrich Wythe, who had lived for four centuries, flowed through this boy's veins. Detractors abroad instead avowed that this phenomenon was not the product of the boy's bloodline, but rather the foul experiments of the magicians. Meanwhile, the [new emperor], not practicing the sorcery which had been the actual reason for his father's longevity, was aging as a normal man, eliminating any pretense of legitimacy in Southwythian minds. As the new century arrived and the years of turmoil continued to wear on, the efforts of Westwythe and Aparnovos became more and more strained while this threat burgeoned nearer to home. The Prince of Aparnovos in 397 AU was Asilion Hendasmir, a shrewd, capable ruler despite his advanced years. However, managing the imperial crisis- which involved leading fleets and armies, or constantly travelling far afield for diplomatic work- had exerted a considerable toll on Asilion, who began suffering from strain and illness. In 405, his son and heir Remendarion was lost at sea in renewed hostilities with Sinopa. Remendarion had been an extraordinarily promising ruler, possessing considerable military skill and ability to run an effective wartime government, and his death weighed heavily on Asilion and the people of Aparnovos as a whole. By 406, the Prince's condition had deteriorated to such an extent that he delegated most of his responsibilities to his remaining, younger son Kanlagion. Few had pictured Kanlagion as a suitable ruler; indeed, his life had thus far been a black mark on the otherwise unimpeachable reign of Asilion. Comfortable in the assumption that his elder brother Remendarion would ascend to the throne, he had lived a life of luxury and ease, gambling, courting, and producing lavish social gatherings and palace scandals in equal measure. The regency for his father and the crown of Erymost (the title of the heir to the Prince of Aparnovos) had found Kanlagion utterly unprepared. According to palace historian Trisdir Perphanor, "...His regency for his father had been pockmarked by scandal, blunders, and, as many courtiers never ceased to remind him, dishonour to his father’s name. He had little understanding of diplomacy, economics, statecraft and war, and what he gleaned from harsh experience was painfully bought. The spectre of his old life menaced him even on those nights he pored over books or the counsel of advisors; he could never be rid of the longing for the taverns, parties, and rides across the country- those rakish galivants- of his youth. On certain nights Kanlagion, feeling as if the walls of his study were closing down on him while he dreaded the next dawn, would slip from the palace to some of his old haunts. He was almost always discovered." The two years of Kanlagion's reign had witnessed the gradual eroding of the confidence of the City's guilds and bureaucracy in the throne's conduct of wars and foreign affairs. Historians have since debated how much of this was directly attributable to Kanlagion, versus the general situation of the Imperial Crisis and the attrition of Aparnovos' resources in sustaining such herculean efforts; many point to a combination of Asilion's condition, the deteriorating situation abroad, and Kanlagion's inexperience.Opening Moves
Erithstone, like many port cities, was home to a "dalghenna," or a mercantile quarter established by merchants and diplomats from Aparnovos. Every ship to and from Aparnovos was processed through their docks, ensuring meticulous record keeping, collection of tariffs, and assurance of promised shipments to and from the local rulership. The largest dalghennas evolved into self-sufficient colonies, as the families of merchants, artisans, sailors, and diplomats settled within their bounds. Since the inhabitants of these quarters provided for their own needs, governed themselves, and developed commercial relations with their surroundings, they were rarely perceived as a threat to local authorities and avoided the scrutiny which more overt forms of power projection, such as conquering and occupying large tracts of land, would induce. The Erithstone Dalghenna, however, was in poorer standing with local authorities than elsewhere, having been utilized by Aparnovos to leverage its position over Erithstone in the past; tensions were also especially fresh in light of the succession dispute. Throughout the Imperial Crisis and the growing tensions between Erithstone and Aparnovos, its inhabitants had been experiencing coldness and outright hostility from the city's population, and many of the dalghenna's officials sent their families home. However, most of the officials, merchants, and workers were encouraged to stay to keep Erithstone open for the resupply and refit of the Prince's ships if the need arose. In early August, 408 AU, the authorities of Erithstone, having received word from the mountains that the magicians' forces were also ready, moved to excise this centre of Aparnovosi meddling from their city for good. In the small hours of the morning, Erithstone's garrison stormed the dalghenna after a brief but spirited resistance from those within. Some Aparnovosi were able to escape the city on horseback, or by ship before the harbour chain was closed, and made haste to deliver the news to Aparnovos and Westwythe. The Aparnovosi who had survived the initial assault were less fortunate. Years of ethnic, religious, and political tension came to a head with the massacre of those who remained within the dalghenna. The only men spared were the crews of the ships in the dalghenna's harbour. They were taken captive and forced to sail their own vessels under Erithstone's banner at the point of the sword. Part of the army which was now massing to march on Aparnovos would thus be transported by sea. The survivors of the dalghenna were able to bring word of the hostilities to Aparnovos and the surrounding countryside, which had not seen an invasion from inland for centuries. Erymost Kanlagian was roused in the small hours of the morning, and after taking counsel with his advisors, gave the orders for the populations the outlying towns and villages to be evacuated to the city. Several factors influenced his decision. While much of lower Southwythe was under Aparnovos' control, the settlements there had long enjoyed peace, and the towns which had walls had long since outgrown them. Additionally, Kanlagion and his commanders only had limited manpower at their disposal; the vast majority of the city's best soldiers were already abroad, fighting throughout the disintegrating Empire. Meeting the enemy in the field was thus not an option, and the city's defenses needed every able body available. Soon, great processions of people were gathering from the countryside, streaming towards the gates while work proceeded day and night to make the city defensible. The garrison of the city had been reduced due to manpower needs abroad, and consisted of the City Watch, and the Tymphiatouri, an elite body of soldiers who guarded the palace, important government buildings, and served as the Prince's bodyguard on campaign. Marines and sailors were also brought ashore from the ships in the harbour undergoing victualling or refit. Bolstering their numbers were civilian volunteers organized into militias or serving as labourers. However, Aparnovos' landward walls were multiple kilometers in length, and the defenders would either be stretched thin across their span or forced to concentrate on key areas such as gatehouses and bastions. Morale was also plummeting as news of the size of the impending force arrived, and many defenders were skeptical at best concerning Kanlagion's ability as a commander. Tensions mounted as more and more evacuees from the countryside poured into the city, requiring food and shelter. Despite his reputation, Kanlagion apprehended the gravity of his situation and his inability to completely manage the defense; as such, he was constantly consulting his aged father and delegating responsibilities to commanders and officials throughout the city.Negotiations
The first sign of the army from Erithstone which observers on the city's walls observed was a retinue of horseman, some 100 men strong, riding towards the gate under a flag of truce. Kanlagion, already aware of the widespread doubts concerning his military backbone, at first declined to meet with them. Pressure from his advisors, especially the heads of the powerful merchant guilds whom entreated him to use every avenue available to ensure the city's safety, eventually forced his acquiescence to the meeting nonetheless. Court historian Trisdir Perphanor accompanied the Erymost and his retainers to the lavish tent prepared by the Southwythians in the fields outside the city walls, and reported that "...there were assembled all of the chief men of Erithstone, who were seated in a row... behind them stood a great many of those mountain magicians about which so much has been said, all hooded and robed. The Boy King did not deign the gravity of the meeting sufficient to warrant the presence of his 'royal personage.'" The terms offered to Kanlagion as he stood before this entourage were thus: that Aparnovos would acknowledge Elric Wythe as the only legitimate emperor, cease all military and material support to Westwythe, and offer a contingent of ships and men for Southwythian use. In return, Aparnovos would retain local rule and be spared the ravages of war. Kanlagion's reply was "...frank and terse; he plainly stated that 'However checkered be my own past, and however uncertain my rule in the eyes of the people, I am assured that to abandon our allies and cast our lot with liars, usurpers, and practitioners of deviant magic would not only spell the end of my line, but also the undoing of the moral fabric of this city. You may tell your 'Emperor' that he will not receive our surrender. Rather, if he were to come here himself, he may receive firsthand an education regarding the limitations of his rule.'" This reply stunned both both Southwythian and Aparnovosi listeners. While the latter knew it was in keeping with native sentiments, they were just as surprised as their adversaries at Kanlagion's sudden conviction. It seemed that the Erymost's doubts and inability did not quite extend to fundamental questions of loyalty and obligations. His certainty eclipsed that of his advisors, who perhaps had a more realistic grasp of the city's unpreparedness than he. The meeting then concluded rapidly, with muttered threats and few formalities. Before Kanlagion left the tent, however, Lord Teuling, the chief among the lords of Erithstone, promised him that he would be the first to tear asunder the palace doors.Initial Attacks
No sooner had the city gates been shut behind the Erymost's retinue than an intense magical assault on Aparnovos began as the ranks of the invading army crested the hilltops around the city. Volleys of fireballs arced towards the panicked onlookers on the walls, only to be extinguished and swept away by a Southern gale as Aparnovos' own magicians responded. Spaced throughout the city were high towers, crowned with lofty, vaulted chambers designed to amplify the sound of the chanting Lostekedes monks within. The chants themselves were a form of ritual magic unique to Aparnovos, wherein "choirs" of participants- usually monks with great experience in rhetoric and spellcraft- worked to sustain a magical aura which could adaptively react to magical assaults on a given place or body of people. Sustaining the rituals over prolonged period required a rotation of monks involved, in which chanters would be periodically relieved to rest and recover their voices. The monastic chants were also closely entwined with the Aparnovosi religion, and served to strengthen the resolve of those who heard them. Throughout the assault on the city, there would remain a constant magical sparring between the monks and the magicians which encircled the walls. The first large-scale attack against the city took place that afternoon, with the Southwythians intending to avoid a lengthy siege and take the defenders off-balance with a rapid advance against the walls. Using mantlets to shield their advance, pre-fabricated wooden platforms to span the moat, and hooked ladders and grappling irons, the attackers were able to initially take the Aparnovosi aback with the speed and vigour of the attack. It was evidently well-planned, and many of the platforms across the moat were swung into position by magic before the advancing troops had even reached them. Surprised onlookers wondered aloud how the city's magical defenses had not thwarted this effort as Southwythian forces streamed across, massing on the bank between the walls and the moat while beginning to raise their ladders. As the men atop the wall braced themselves, the chanting from one of the high towers of the city subtly changed tune as each of the wooden bridges creaked, groaned, then burst into splinters with sharp, percussive notes. Now trapped between the wall and the moat, the attackers were subjected to a withering hail of bolts, stones, and arrows. Many drowned or were shot as they attempted to swim back to safety, and the momentum of the attack collapsed. As the Southwythians withdrew, the engines on the wall continued to harass them until they returned to their camp.The Siege
Throughout the night and the next day, the Southwythians gradually spread their forces around the city walls, with workers tirelessly erecting siege engines which were then moved forward into action against the city. Stones, bolts, and incendiary projectiles flew between the walls and the siege lines ceaselessly, and the houses and buildings nearest to the walls suffered moderate harm, while Aparnovosi troops and workers milled about the walls shoring up any damages. In the Southwythian camps, safely out of range, the skeletons of pre-fabricated siege towers began to emerge. Peering through spyglasses from the battlements, lookouts swore they could see thousands of golems, animated from the soil, toiling unremittingly as the towers took shape throughout the day. Periodically the Lostekedes monks within the city would muster their wills and call down a great strike of lighting which would shatter a tower and reduce great swathes of the golems to lumps of fulgurite, but the work would always resume. Atop the walls, Aparnovosi soldiers could pick out the banners of almost every other Southwythian city-state, drawn either by old grudges and feuds or prying greed for what lay behind the city's walls. Kanlagion still worked at the Palace, trying to organize the defence and contact the far-flung Aparnovosi fleets through whatever means available. None would be able to reach the city in time. The morning brought the sight of a row of siege towers, facing almost the entirety of the walls, slowly rolling forward in unison. The Aparnovosi were forced to spread themselves perilously thin to meet the approach of each. The hours of their slow advance were marked by a heated exchange of shots, the air thick with projectiles of all varieties as the towers allowed for a more even shootout against the walls. Trisdir Perphanor, looking out from the Palace, described the imposing spectacle as "...the towers closed in around the city like fingers of a hand. The sounds of stones impacting the walls or earth, the yells of the combatants, and the whistle of arrows could be heard throughout the city... every now and again, one of their towers would erupt into flame or crumble to the ground as our ballistae struck true." Southwythian sappers were unable to approach to fill the moat due to the hail of projectiles; instead, the magicians which had animated the earthen golems sent their creations forth in great throngs. As they de-animated in droves upon contact with the monks' magical aura around the city (known as a Lisenerth), their bodies collapsed and began to either fill the moat itself, or provide mounds of earth to shelter sappers who could then use the material as filler. Soon, the siege towers were crossing over while still others remained at a distance, their archers showering the walls. As some of them drew near, the Aparnovosi rigged cranes hauled up from the dockyard to push them away, or swing great loads of stone to topple them. When the drawbridges finally crashed down over the battlements and Southwythian troops stormed outwards, the fighting was bitter and fierce, with Aparnovosi commanders constantly shifting their forces across the walls to meet new advances. Several hours into the assault, a stretch of wall encompassing ten towers had fallen, the defenders unable to sustain the fighting along the entire length of the walls. At this point, Cornelos Lymeria, the Captain-General of the Tymphiatouri Guard, committed a regiment of the elite troops and personally led a counterattack which brought the situation under control, allowing the City Watch to regain the defenses. The guardsmen then fanned out to secure other hard-pressed positions, and by nightfall the attackers were again forced to retire. Before the sun set, however, the Southwythian fleet arrived outside the harbour, delayed by efforts of the uncooperative Aparnovosi prisoners which formed the bulk of the captured ships' crews. Though they could not breach the harbour thanks to the fortified breakwater and the chain across the channel entrance, these ships began landing fresh troops further along the shore, widening the potential avenues of assault and forcing the defenders to spread their forces even more thinly. Throughout the night, both sides were relatively quiet, either resting or preparing for the coming day. Many within the walls had resigned themselves to facing the even greater attack which would surely commence in the morning now that the enemy had been reinforced. The quiet was periodically broken by the crackling and crumbling of some of the scaling towers which had previously reached the walls, the structures having been set alight by the garrison. The towers and siege equipment which had been held back the previous day began to move forward before dawn, coinciding with the largest concerted magical attack yet launched against the city. Fenoghel Beruina, a marine from one of the ships at harbour, recounted of his experience that "...between the flashes of lightning and the bolts and gouts of fire, it was almost as bright as mid-day as we took our positions on the wall. The noise was terrible; but still the singing from the monks up in their towers floated over us. Everyone was tired and sore, but we did not have a moment to think about that in all the racket." The men atop the walls put forth a stiff and spirited effort, but hours after dawn, mounting casualties, fatigue, and the already insufficient number of Aparnovosi troops began to sprout cracks in the defense. When several sections of the wall fell into Southwythian hands, attempts to retake them arrived too late to prevent the creation of large breaches in the masonry, perhaps assisted by magical means. The Lostekedes monks, whose magic might have prevented these actions, were already working furiously to counter volleys of spells hurled against the city.Fighting Within the City
The Southwythian forces streaming into the city were soon met with a reorganized defense as Aparnovosi troops held barricades and shield-walls in the streets. Although forced back, parties of Southwythians set fire to buildings in the wake of their retreat, and concerted firefighting efforts could only be organized after the last of the attackers had been driven off. However, civilian manpower and walking wounded were assigned firefighting duty, tearing down buildings to contain the blaze and opening aqueducts in affected areas. In the late afternoon, the attackers would push through the breaches again. This time, many in their ranks were frustrated and fanned out into the city after first breaking Aparnovosi lines, looting houses and setting more fires across a larger area. The garrison was hard pressed to contain them, and the firefighting efforts began to collapse as civilians rushed home to hide and defend their families. Faced with a growing conflagration and mounting numbers of hostile troops now behind them and fearful of becoming trapped and surrounded, commanders on the city wall soon began ordering their troops to retreat. Captain-General Lymeria was able to rally these contingents in the streets, and organize his men to effect a unified effort to push out the attackers. Just as the signal to advance was about to be given, the fresh troops from the Erithstone fleet broke through further sections of the walls and made a more disciplined push towards the city centre. Between this development and the increasing destruction throughout the city, Lymeria resigned himself to retreating to the central plazas to keep the enemy from the docklands and palace districts. The morale of the troops was beginning to show cracks, but Lymeria and the Tymphiatouri Guard were able to hold the lines together through their example. One individual particularly affected by the scale of the destruction now taking place in Aparnovos was the Royal Steward, Rennyastos Lowenion Hebaskritor. Already frustrated and disillusioned after years of managing the crises of Kanlagion's reign, Hebaskritor appeared to have reached a precipice due to seeing the amount of devastation and loss to the city's population, wealth, beauty, and culture. When telepathically contacted by Southwythian magicians, he remains open to dialogue when they offer an arrangement. In exchange for admitting a small number of them through Aparnovosi lines and convincing a beleaguered Kanlagion to surrender, the magicians would use their powers and influence in the Southwythian ranks to quell the flames and restore order. Convinced Lymeria's defense was doomed and having no faith whatsoever in Kanlagion, Hebaskritor discreetly leads a party of trusted men away from the fighting to meet the Southwythians. However, he is unknowingly tailed by a party of Aparnovosi marines, who immediately interrupt the negotiations, attacking both the Southwythians and the Steward's men. In the chaos, Hebaskritor is killed almost immediately, but some of the magicians are able to pool their remaining strength and send a thunderous blast of force at the nearest monastery tower, causing it to collapse and leaving a hole in the city's magical defenses. While monks elsewhere in the city attempt to put together a response and patch of the defenses, the gap is vigourously exploited by the enemy, and soon the flames within the city are magically fanned, growing more terrible and licking even at stone throughout the oncoming night. By the morning of the fifth day of the siege, the Aparnovosi defenders were approaching the breaking point as both Southwythian troops and the fires spread deeper into the city. Kanlagion, cracking under immense guilt, pressure, and panic, resolved to marshal his remaining forces and lead a final charge against the enemy. He had, according to Perphanor, "...lost all sense, and talking of nothing but atoning for his sins, had donned a splendid harness. Despite his proclivity towards the finer things rather than feats of arms, he resolved to both end his suffering and vindicate himself to history and the eyes of his people." Paying no mind to the fretful counsel of his worried advisors, Kanlagion was only stopped at the gates of the throne room by the booming voice of his father, Prince Asilion Hendasmir, accompanied by his mother Princess Arabelle. Although frail in stature, advanced in age, and wracked by sickness, they berated their son for electing to throw his life- and the continuity of government and the line of Princes- away so callously. Asilion, seeing through Kanlagion's brave facade, is reported to have chastised Kanlagion that "...seeking a glorious death to escape your past- while the city yet requires your leadership- is perhaps the most vain idea of your frightfully self-absorbed life." Perphanor, an eyewitness to this exchange, also wrote that Arabelle emphatically stated "...if you seek to be courgeous, son, then you ought to live to lead our people even through defeat and despair. Escaping this most important obligation of our family with such suicidal bravado is not courage: in fact, it is cowardice." With the flourish typical of Aparnovosi court historians, Perphanor also attributes another part of the speech to Arabelle, although the amount of embellishment by the author is unknown: "...she then took a more sympathetic note towards the Erymost by saying 'Any one of the barbarians running through our city is capable of dying well. But we will not benefit from a ruler who dies well. Your vocation is more difficult; you must live for the Aparnovosi to survive this. You will be doubted often, on account of the life you have led. Many will compare you to your departed brother, but that does not matter: you will bear the crown and sceptre, hold the ship of state on course as well as the fortunes of our people. The gods would not have arranged as much if you were not to become fit to this task. Be resolute in upholding this mantle, and others in time will see your rule, and the fall of this city, will not mark the end of us." Prince Asilion then passed the crown, sceptre, and regalia of Aparnovos to Kanlagion. Along with Arabelle, the two of them too frail to be carried from the Palace, he merely requested to be left sitting, facing the door in servant's clothes and with a crossbow each. Aparnovosi tradition places a key event in the fall of the city immediately after this conversation: the captive sailors working aboard the fleet from Erithstone, having waited until the troops their ships were transporting disembarked, were able to wrest control of several of the ships blockading the harbour just in time for Kanlagion to see their banners unfurl. Regardless of the exact timing, at some point during the fifth day of the siege the Aparnovosi managed to reclaim their vessels and drive the remaining Southwythian ships away, providing an avenue of escape for the city's beleaguered population.Evacuation
Despite the boost to morale which accompanied the lifting of the blockade, the situation throughout the city was untenable for the Aparnovosi, who were overwhelmed, exhausted, and surrounded by the devastation of the city. Kanlagion, having undergone an apparent change of heart, could see that his only course of action was to act on his parent's counsel and save as many lives as possible before the city fell. Taking charge of remaining troops alongside Captain-General Lymeria, Kanlagion ordered a final perimeter to be established around the docklands, which were surrounded by their own set of smaller walls. Aparnovos' population, including the scores of refugees from the countryside, had already been flocking to there to escape the flames and sacking by now taking place throughout most of the city. As the Palace was being evacuated and as much of the treasury and valuables within saved, the Lostekedes tower attached to the complex, serving as the urban headquarters of the monastic order, disappeared in blinding flash and a resounding crack of lightning. Astonished Palace staff and guards ran to discover in its place a glassy blast site and an area of low pressure with static which made their hair stand on end. In the harbour, people scrambled aboard the ships and any other craft deemed seaworthy while the remnants of the garrison struggled to maintain order and hold the dockland walls. Kanlagion, while still leaving most tactical decisions to Lymeria and not taking undue risks, made himself visible on the front lines and helping organize the evacuation. Observers recounted how as each ship pulled out of the harbour, the clouds of ash and smoke from the burning city clung to the sails. Later Aparnovosi ships throughout the diaspora would use sails dyed grey in remembrance of this phenomenon and the city's fall. The evacuation proceeded throughout the afternoon, while in the city outside the hard-pressed harbour walls transpired horrors such to cause a shocked Perphanor to remark "No city since the world began was ever sacked so rapaciously. Nothing was left unmarred by either the flame or the avarice of our once-neighbours... no one who was trapped or unable to reach the harbour was safe from the most heinous atrocities regardless of rank and station." The one consolation for the Aparnovosi was the relative success of the evacuation. Both merchant and naval ships and their crews proved their worth by taking off great numbers of people, their possessions, and what pieces of the city's wealth, artwork, and learning could be saved. Nonetheless, the scene as the last ships stood out to sea was of utter desolation, which would leave a deep mark on the Aparnovosi consciousness and cultural memory. Although many ships immediately made for dalghennas around Wythe, other friendly ports, or Southwards to parts unknown, Kanlagion succeeded in keeping a large portion of the fleet together as night fell. Meanwhile, Lord Teuling of Erithstone lived up to his oath to be the first to pass through the Palace doors before the building was ransacked. As he did so, however, he was promptly cut down by two crossbow bolts fired by Asilion and Arabelle who were in turn killed by Teuling's enraged retainers. Teuling's death would have major consequences for the Southwythian occupation of the conquered city as his leadership had plaid a key role in mitigating the factionalism between the various city-states and groups of magicians. The fires within the city burned for three days afterwards before either dying out or being extinguished by the Southwythians.Aftermath & Legacy
The ships which Kanlagion led away from the city held a westward course, following the appearance of the new "star" hanging low on the horizon. The star was in actuality a magical apparition conjured by Lostekedes monks from the coasts west of the Santa Alessan city of Mostovera. Through an exceptional feat of collective magic, or Nomendevis, the organization's tower from the Palace at Aparnovos had actually been removed in its entirety to that rocky coastline in the flash of light and thunder on the fifth day of the siege. Upon arriving there, the Aparnovosi survivors would establish the rump state of Torelledir, followed shortly by other refugees founding another state, Fosowbria, in the Santa Alessan Isles. These areas would continue to draw groups of the Aparnovosi diaspora, alongside the dalghennas which survived in various ports around Wythe, many of which had to adapt and renegotiate their relationship to surrounding lands. Other groups fleeing the devastation in Aparnovos fled to Westwythe, Ulnost, Sevnónicha, and other countries to offer their services as mariners, shipbuilders, navigators, and craftsmen in exchange for settlement. The Aparnovosi Diaspora in itself was a significant demographic event, and more information can be found [here]. The Fall of Aparnovos was a watershed economic and political event for the continent of Wythe and the surrounding areas. The Imperial presence in southern waters which Aparnovos had sustained effectively collapsed, as did control of the trade routes between Arnt Batin, Sijmen Sur, and Santa Alessa. Without Aparnovos as an important trade nexus, the merchants in these countries were forced to reorganize commercial networks and maritime trade entered a multi-year slump until adventurous merchants filled the gaps left by their Aparnovosi predecessors (that Gnomes and Dwarves took to the seas in place of their prestigious ships and merchant companies was a bitter tonic for many surviving Aparnovosi). Trade with southern lands in Lagona and beyond all but ceased as Aparnovos had maintained a monopoly on ships large and seaworthy enough for the long-distance trade in a rapidly deteriorating climate and more frequent storms. Exotic spices, furs, textiles, hardwoods, and dyes became more rare and costly. After the initial frenzy of looting from the destroyed city, Aparnovosi goods such as navigational equipment, charts, manuscripts, and jewelry sharply increased in value. Westwythe's strongest and most reliable ally had fallen, although Aparnovosi troops and ships continued to serve in Westwythe's military for years afterwards. This exacerbated the already severe Imperial Crisis, with Northwythe, Bergeaux, Teoti-Itza, and Ulnost slipping from the fold in following years. The last concrete centre of Imperial influence in Southwythe was also lost, allowing an upstart kingdom to coalesce around Elric the "Boy King." The naval side of Westwythe's counter to Lagonan expansion was severely weakened, as Aparnovos' navy and overbearing mercantile presence had held Lagona's maritime ambitions in check since the Battle of the Southern Main in the First Wythe-Lagona War. The Aparnovosi ships remaining in Westwythian service, especially the great galleons, became valuable and rarely-deployed flagships. The city of Aparnovos itself was made desolate, with very few buildings standing untouched. After the death of Lord Teuling and the sack of the city, the leaders and forces of the various city-states carried off their share of plunder and bickered amongst themselves, while the Southwythian magicians emptied the city of what surviving artifacts and texts concerned them before returning to the mountains. The surrounding countryside was devastated from the sheer size of the Southwythian army. Before and during the siege it had thoroughly ransacked the abandoned fields, pastures and towns for provisions, and with no-one left to restart food production, the population which the area could support was severely limited. It would be several years before Elric Wythe's newly-minted Kingdom of Southwythe was unified enough to restore some semblance of governance to the ruined city. Even afterwards, it was a pale shell of its former self, with large sections still devastated from the siege, and others left to quietly crumble by a shrinking population. Few Aparnovosi remain; those who did not flee or managed to weather the brutality of the sack were eager to board passing ships. The city remains a stop, albeit an occasional one, on the Sijmen Sur-Santa Alessa route, but has lost its commercial importance. Merchant ships now only stop for provisions, and to occasionally hire the city’s poor and desperate. The grand harbour is now more famed for seedy taverns and a raucous nightlife than as the berth of proud ships of war, great merchantmen, and the wealth of the world.
Conflict Type
Siege
Belligerents
Strength
1,500 Tymphiatouri Guards
~5,000 Aparnovosi Marines
~10,000 City Watchmen and garrison troops from outlying towns
~150 Lostekedes Monks
Large (but fluctuating) numbers of armed citizenry, sailors, and labourers
40 warships in various states of readiness and manpower
20,000 troops from Erithstone
~60,000 troops from other Southwythian City-States
15,000 mercenaries from various free companies
350+ Southwythian Magicians
Numerous other magicians, artificers, and sappers
60 captured Aparnovosi ships
75-80 Southwythian ships
Casualties
Heavy
Heavy