The Cousins War

The Cousins War, or the Battle of Lucky Frog City, occurred fifty years ago in Lucky Frog City, a bustling metropolis on the northeastern coast of the southern continent. The city-state was lead by the Mun family, and tradition has long allowed the family members who are not heirs apparent to lead a mercenary company based in the city. The Lucky Frogs had a reputation for being well-trained and disciplined, and officers from the royal family were all well educated in matters of war. Two larger kingdoms that bordered the city-state had begun a war, and both courted Lucky Frog City, seeing the aid of such a prosperous port with its well-armed mercenaries as an asset that could tip the scales. The Cousins War occurred because the general of the Lucky Frogs began to negotiate with the Peony Blossom Kingdom, as was his prerogative, while the queen of Lucky Frog City had started negotiating with the Crescent Moon Kingdom for the city's services and port. Though the queen didn't have actual authority over the Lucky Frogs, it was generally understood that the mercenary company would be beholden to the royal family, as the generals were citizens of then city and expected to obey the monarchy's commands. General Mun Ha-Neul arranged for a very profitable contract with the Peony Blossoms and put in an order for supplies to take the field, but Queen Mun Hae had promised the supplies and a quantity of weapons to the Crescent Moons for an equally handsome sum. Discontent had long simmered between the two cousins, which is likely why they'd not communicated much about their plans; however, Mun Ha-Neul refused to let this opportunity pass him by, as the Peony Blossoms would have the power to install him as regent of the city-state if it actually came to that, and he took some of his men to the warehouses to take what they'd requisitioned by force. The queen dispatched her palace guard, a smaller contingent of soldiers by far but extremely well traine as signal horns d and armed, to stop this blatant theft. Mun Ha-Neul knew that he had the utmost loyalty of his troops, and as the palace guard surrounded the warehouse where he and his soldiers had started sorting supplies, he challenged the captain of the guard to a duel. The captain retorted that such a duel was tantamount to treason, and ordered the palace guards to begin firing on the warehouse. Incediary ammunition wasn't used, not only to protect the goods promised to Crescent Moon, but also to prevent fire from raging through the city. Mun Ha-Neul and his soldiers fought desperately as signal horns sounded to summon the rest of the mercenaries. Several Lucky Frogs refused to fight the palace guards and were attacked by their fellows, resulting in a chaotic brawl that left half the palace guard and roughly a third of the Lucky Frogs dead or severely injured, while much of the stockpile in the warehouses was damaged or destroyed. Forced to cancel both contracts, the queen and the general met for a duel to settle the matter and unify the city lest either kingdom try to take them by force. Mun Ha-Neul threw himself on his sword rather than kill the queen or risk leaving the city with no leader.