Killios

Next to Braschech, Killios is the closest island nation to the Empire, and so was naturally of interest to Leopold as the Conflict for the Isles began. Unlike their neighbour, however, Killios had little in the way of natural resources that the Empire truly needed - a few silver mines, stone quarries, and other resources that the Continent already produced. That said, Killios had one thing that made it of significant interest: A spiral tower. If the Iridescents could get one of their channelers in there to calculate the leylines, then the Empire knew that once both islands were under its control, cutting out the need to transport the goods by sea would significantly increase the value of both islands. After reports were brought back reporting on both Killios and Braschech, there were many who wished to start the new conquest with the killione due simply to the existence of a spiral tower on their island, yet General Qi’Vaha, who was to be put in charge of the operation, opted to forgo that plan, seeking other opportunities than a violent, bloody push to the spire.
The opportunity that the General saw was the current conflict between the killione and the braschini. Up until fairly recently, the eastern island had been in control of its western counterpart - a chokehold that was broken by the siblings Fienne and Finbarr. Having planned their rebellion for a long time together with like-minded individuals in the depths of mines and forests, with the help of braschini guardsmen sympathetic to their cause, they struck suddenly and hard at the occupiers, pushing them back into the sea. Not only had the hard work made the killione strong, but in Fienne and Finbarr they were led by a ruthless cunning that far outwitted the complacent braschini leaders, who had thought their neighbours cowed. It did not take long before the killione were again in control of their own island, and soon after that they began to launch raids against Braschech itself. The sibling warlords made no secret of the fact that the end goal was to subjugate their nemesis once their forces had been weakened enough, to subjugate the braschini people just as they had subjugated the killione. During this conflict, the people of Killios thought little of the merchants that came to trade with them from the Continent, as they brought mainly spices and jewelry to trade with, neither of which would help the killione war effort. The siblings did not think much of the reports that similar merchants had gone to Braschech as well, and had supposedly spoken directly with its Triumvirate, other than to sneer at the fact that the braschini would trouble themselves with sparkly things during a time of war. Only when foreign ships, filled with foreign soldiers, arrived at Braschech and began to push the killione out did Fienne and Finbarr realise their mistakes.
What had been a one sided conflict completely in favour of Killios was turned onto its head. The siblings could not keep hold of the outposts that they had managed to establish on Braschech, having to retreat back to their own island - which soon came under assault as well. Used to fighting on their own land, the killione made for a good showing, employing guerilla tactics to slow down the invaders, yet for every foreign soldier killed, there seemed as if two more took its place. With Braschech as their landing ground, the reserve of these ‘Imperials’, as the invaders called themselves, seemed endless, not to mention that the tactical acumen of their leader, General Qi’Vaha, far outstretched that of the siblings. Used to fighting an opponent that underestimated them, Fienne and Finbarr kept making mistake after mistake, such as leaving their supply trains exposed and allowing themselves to be scattered. Though ambushes and sudden raids had proved highly efficient against the braschini, it was a toothless tactic against the Imperials, who travelled in well-defended cohorts and built fortifications that the siblings had never seen before in a highly defensive position. With losses after losses, it did not take the people of Killios long to lose morale.
The war reached its foregone conclusion one gloomy autumn morning. Seeing how the ocean churned, as they say, one of the siblings’ closest advisors, Dagthar approached one of the Imperial forts under a sign of truce, and delivered to them the location of Finbarr. Later that very day, the kionne leader was captured and hanged from the gate of the fort as an example. Though his sister, Fienne, tried to rally her forces against the cruelty of these Imperial invaders, the last remnants of resistance died with Finbarr, and the killione began to come forward to lay down their arms. Seeing the futility of her efforts, Fienne took the last remnants of those still loyal to her and fled to see, abandoning her homeland, presumed dead until the second phase of the Conflict for the Isles.
As to Killios, it fell under Imperial rule, and soon discovered that their neighbour had found itself in a similar predicament, with the Triumvirate gone and under the firm leadership of Governess Qi’Vaha. As the Iridescents were given control of the spiral tower and the surrounding land, the rest of Killios was given to Dagthar, with the understanding that he only ruled at the grace of Qi’Vaha and the Emperor and that he was to take the necessary steps to implement Imperial Law on the isle. Pragmatically, he did so, following the example set to him by the Governess of the neighbouring island. Today, Dagthar’s descendents still bear the title of ‘Keeper of Killios’, though they have little authority but what power is granted to them by the sitting Governor of Braschech.
Interestingly, it seems like the Iridescents stationed at Killios’ spiral tower are some of the few of their order still loyal to the Empire, as they have not thrown their lot in with their Matriarch as she joined New Leopold’s Truists. This has put them in a rather unique decision, as the Empire is reliant on them to transport gemstones from Braschech in a speedy manner, yet are also suspicious of them, knowing that they may be playing some sort of long game. Nonetheless, it seems as if these twin islands are still declared for the Emperor.

Type

Geopolitical, Country