Wythe-Lagona War
The Wythe-Lagona War (Central Lagonan: Vaithiyan Akramanada Yuddham), also known simply as the Great War, was a transcontinental conflict fought between the empires of Wythe and Lagona for control of the Lagonan province of Guarda Lagona. The war lasted for over twenty years from 95 to 116 AU, eventually ending in a victory for Wythe and resulting in the Wythian annexation of Guarda Lagona.
Historical Background
In the 1st century, Guarda Lagona was an affluent, semi-autonomous province under the control of Lagonan Jagirdar Mauro al-Dakhil, a foreign-born former mercenary who rose to power after leading the Lagonan armies to victory in the Khwarrakhi border wars some three decades earlier. Under al-Dakhil's leadership, Guarda Lagona was a centre of learning and mercantile activity, and the port city of Atalan had grown to become one of the leading cultural and economic hubs throughout eastern Wythe. Due to the presence of the Uttara Sagar (Imperial Wythian: Northern Sea)... In 87 AU, Teoti Itza formally entered into the Wythian Empire following the conclusion of its civil war a year prior, bringing the last independent polity in Wythe under Imperial control. With this goal achieved, Emperor Friedrich Wythe began to turn his attention towards...Course of war
Prelude
Early Conflicts
Occupation of the Rose Ingress
One of the first initiatives undertaken by the Wythian Empire was to secure the Rose Ingress, the northernmost mountain pass linking Tel-Raiq to Guarda Lagona. The Wythian strategy in the North would be to secure the Bay of Palourdes so they could easily supply their armies by ship for further campaigns into Lagona. To accomplish this, they sent a small force of Wythian's led by Tellot das Langlebige, the current Deputy Knight of the Order of the Red Maple, through the Rose Ingress in an attempt to capture the river flowing through the pass which was the gateway into Guarda Lagona. Despite their haste, the Lagonans were able to erect defenses and outposts along the river to slow down the Wythians. After a couple days of small skirmishes, it was discovered that the Lagonans had established a boom defense made of a net of ropes across the river to stop any ships attempting to impregnate the Bay of Palourdes. Tellot, in an attempt to save lives and quicken their advance, instructed a small group of men to sneak around the enemy lines using the mountain passes afforded to them. While in the end only two of the eight man team remained, they had sabotaged the boom defense which allowed Wythian reinforcements to sail up the river and surround any remaining Lagoan soldiers in the pass. While Tellot attempted to keep this information a secret, it was revealed that one of the men, an Order Knight, had been found a traitor, conspiring with the Lagonans and feeding them vital information about the Wythian forces. This act alone caused the seeds of mistrust to be sown internally within the broader Wythian military, one of many acts that would lead to the Order's downfall in the centuries to come.Battle of Aeredale Monastry
The Battle of Aeredale Monastery was fought in 98AU between the Azarian raiders Jangól Chawl and the inhabitants of the Aeredale Monastry. Given a vision of the battle days prior, Prince-Abbott Iwein had prepared the defences of the monastry, and sent word to King Alarin of Ulnost of the invaders arrival. The battle ended when King Alarin and his forces arrived on the fifth day of fighting, and broke the invaders spirit. While the battle did not produce a great physical victory in the war, it did boost the morale of the Wythian armies, strengthening their hearts with the knowledge that their gods were with them.Sack of Aureppel
Battle of the Southern Main
Aftermath
The decisive Wythian victory in the Battle of the Southern Main significantly hindered the Lagonan ability to project force abroad. Following an additional string of Wythian victories over the next five years, the war was finally brought to an end with the Peace of Shamalud, signed on the 2nd of August 116. Under its terms, the Lagonans ceded Guarda Lagona to Wythe and agreed to renounce their claims to the province during the lifetime of Friedrich I. The three eldest sons of the Lagonan Maharaja were executed as retribution for the death of the Emperor's son in Aureppel, while the Maharaja's eldest daughter was married off to the ruling Lord of Bergeaux. Lagona was forbidden from raising armies from amongst the elven Zanzeeri or the noble houses of Khwarrakh, and was forced to tear down its many citadels and fortifications to the south of its former province. Additionally, the Lagonans were saddled with a hefty war indemnity: nearly 75 long tons of gold, silver, and precious gems, to be paid over the next 25 years. For its pivotal role as the backbone of the Lagonan naval force during the war, the Empire of Barazar was subject to a slew of highly-punitive measures in order to further cripple the Lagonan navy as well as de-incentivize allegiance to the Lagonans in any future conflicts. The Azárians were forced to hand over their many overseas territories, which were subsequently granted varying degrees of self-governance in exchange for favorable trade agreements with Wythe and the establishment of Aparnovosi Dalghennas in all major ports. Barazar was forbidden from possessing by any means the war-galleons first deployed by the Aparnovosi some years earlier, and its once-famed fleet was restricted to a paltry 15 ships. Furthermore, Barazár was ordered to pay annual tribute to Aparnovos for the lifetime of APARNOVOSI PRINCE NAME, as well as fund the establishment of a grand Dalghenna in the Azarian capital of Niloofar. Finally, Thálshah Frádrik was forced to renounce his title as Emperor of the Western Seas and swear that Barazár would never again wage war against Aparnovos or the Wythian Empire. These measures, in addition to substantial war reparations paid directly to Wythe, fueled widespread resentment in Barazár, and it would be some three decades of uprisings and peasant revolts before the kingdom was fully subdued.
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
War
Start Date
95 AU
Ending Date
116 AU
Conflict Result
Wythian Victory
Belligerents
Lagonan Empire
Strength
Order of the Red Maple (95 AU)
~ 1250 Knights
~ 5000 Men-at-arms
~ 300 Rote Kavaller
Barazar
Azarian Navy
Casualties
Order of the Red Maple
~ 500 Knights
~ 2000 Men-at-arms
~ 250 Rote Kavaller
Objectives
Annexation of Guarda Lagona
Defense of Guarda Lagona