Iksandi Invasion of Riwen
The Iksandi Invasion of Riwen was a short takeover and a long series of struggles after the initial invasion. The conflict lasted for 82 years, and was filled with bloodshed and suffering.
The Beginning
The Iksandi Invasion of Riwen began in 1028 C.A. (Crown Age), when the Iksandi empire expanded into the Riweni River Basin. What followed was two years of defense from the Riweni people before the Iksandi empire overpowered them and took over, instilling a reign with an iron fist. The land was given to the control of Lord Amos Tylen, who is still the subject and inspiration of many Riweni freedom songs.The Rebellions
The Iksandi Invasion was met with many rebellions and uprisings in the following 80 years, including the bloodiest battles fought on Riweni soil. There were four major rebellions, each followed by many smaller ones. In 1036 C.A, following a series of minor uprisings, Iksandi soldiers began taking children away from their families and forcing them into Iksandi homes to be raised away from their culture. Some Iksandi people were kind and helped the children flee, but others were harsher. The Riweni people started spreading the news of revolts in secret, using reed boats to travel from village to village. In one of these villages, the Reed Revolt, the first of many revolts, happened in 1042 C.A. The people of Little Creek village in the Igikiwe tribe's land sent their children away, hearing news of the kidnappings downriver, and waited for the soldiers to come. The soldiers arrived, and upon seeing no children, sought to take their posessions. The people fought back, and by the evening, the strongest warriors in the village of Little Creek were dead. The next rebellion began in 1058 C.A, with a series of messages sent by potters at the bottom of false-bottomed clay pots. The making of traditional Riweni pots involves a gathering of people, so these gatherings were a perfect time to spread information. At midnight in 1059 C.A, the people of the Red Earth, Mountain Shadow, and Wolf Lake villages stole into the homes of the occupying soldiers and took their weapons to a hidden location, and buried them in the round. The Zewaneazi, or Shaman, of each village performed rituals over the weapons that are passed down as cleansing rituals, ridding the space of wicked influence. The third rebellion began in 1082 C.A, when the Iksandi soldiers began targeting the Zewaneazis in an attempt to rid the Riweni people of their cultural leaders. When news of this reached villages, they began hiding the Zewaneazis and ferrying them to safety disguised as fishers. Thus, this water-bound railroad was called the Fisher's Rebellion. Nearly all Zewaneazis made it to safety in other villages that weren't affected by the targeted attacks. The fourth and final rebellion followed a series of uprisings starting in 1098 C.A, culminating in the Blood Earth Night in 1109 C.A. It began with a group of 16 Riweni people from the ages of 17-28 gathering in the streets weeks before, spreading news through hidden messages and writing scrawled on houses. As they gained a following, the soldiers began to take notice, but they couldn't squash the rebellion. One blistering summer night, the Riweni rebels built a barricade of the trees cleared by the Iksandi soldiers. The soldiers responded by fighting back, and the battle that followed went down in history as the bloodiest of the rebellions. The battle lasted all night, and many people came to the rebels' aid, but by morning, all but two of the original 16 rebels were dead. The battle was not in vain, however, as the many rebellions and uprisings that followed toppled the Iksandi Empire's control over Riwen. By 1110 C.A, the Iksandi Empire released control of the Riweni territories, and soon after, Siana and Jehis both broke from the empire, regaining their independence. Civiel officially broke from the Iksandi empire in 1153 C.A, leaving the Iksandi empire broken and collapsed.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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