Pavan-Raitin War

Although there have been many wars that changed history, I think none will have such a large impact on how war will be wages as the Pavan-Raitin War. It introduced superior firearms and constructs to the arsenals used in wars. With the new advances made after the war it will be difficult to predict who will be victorious the next time these two nations clash.

— High Sage Syronikir

The Pavan-Raitin war was considered by some to be unavoidable. With the rise of the Raitin it was only a matter of time before the two powerhouses Raitinshin and the Pavan Empire would clash with eachother. Although it ended with a victory for the Pavan Empire the amount of casualties was enormous and the region where it was fought suffered greatly.

Prelude

Even before the war the tensions were already high since the rapid technological progress of the Raitin and rise in power was seen as a threat by the Pavan Empire. In the years leading up to the war the Raitin had already expanded north claiming a larger coastal area than the rather small coast they controlled before. In addition to their conquest they started improving their navy which was still rather small before.
When the Raitin invaded Cathulem, an important trading ally of the empire, it was seen as a declaration of war. Cathulem was a region with an ideal climate for growing many spices and other plants that could not thrive in the colder areas.

Battlefield Cathulem

First Engagements

Due to the Pavan Empire needing quite more time to get their troops ready the miltary of Cathulem was forced to take on the first wave off attacks alone. The battles that took places were all easy victories for the Raitin and they could easily get themselves a foothold in southern Cathulem.

Battle of Eraklis

While the main force of the Pavan Empire was being mobilized they send a smaller portion of their fleet to the Tevalem river region to muster a united defence.
Unknown to the Pavan Empire the Raitin had already the main portion of their fleet to the Tevalem river mouth and decided to hide the majority of the ships behind the nearby isles.

First Engagement by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Battle of Eraklis by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

The unsuspecting Pavans saw the small number of ships in the bay and decided to go on the attack. The Raitin ships quickly retreated further west to feign an attempt to escape. Not wanting to lose the enemy ships the Pavan split their forces in two to attempt a pincer movement around the southern islands.
They quickly realised their errors as they got sight of the hidden enemy ships. By this time it was to late and the ships that sailed further west were all destroyed. Some of the ships in the eastern flank were able to escape, however.

Aftermath

With a large portion of their vanguard gone the Pavans were forced to make landfall a lot more to the north than they originally intended and with far less troops. This gave the Raitin ample time to advance further into Cathulem.

Tevalem Front

The Cathulem forces manged to keep the Raitin forces somewhat at bay but were soon overwhelmed by the better equipped Raitin. With only a limited amount of troops with firearms it was almost impossible for the Cathulem forces to defend their positions. Eventually the bulk of their forces retreated further north to their capital, Cevron.
Meanwhile the majority of the Pavan fleet and troops was still sailing around the north of the continent and could probably not make it in time when the Raitin forces arrived at the Tevalem river. The Pavans decided to hire a large number of ORC mercenaries from the Arkhan to the north.

Siege of Cevron

By the time the Pavans and ORC mercenaries reached Cevron the Raitin had already advanced quite far into the Cathulem heartlands. With only a mere few days march between the Raitin forces and the captial the allied forces prepared in whatever way they could to mount a strong defence.

Raitin Advance North by Kefkejawo with Inkarante

Not much later the Raitin did arrive at the capital but not in full force as a part was already being send across the Tevalem river. They laid siege to Cevron but did not manage to make any gains since the defence was too strong. They decided to surround the city instead and recall their other forces to join them in the siege of Cevron. They managed to also block the city's supply line by occuping the river's mouth with their fleet.
This, however, gave the Pavan fleet enough time to reach Cathulem. After a fierce battle a victory was claimed by the Pavan fleet which once again secured the supply line to the city. The Raitin had no other choice to abandon the siege and return to the side of the river that they controlled. With the main bulk of their army finally in the region the Pavans were at a numerical advantage.

Frontline

With the Pavan navy controlling the eastern bay, the Raitin decided to try crossing the river further west. Although they did succeed in this they were eventually driven back. The Pavans were technologically less advanced but they were more organised and numerous. Both sides suffered heavy casualties nonetheless and eventually the river of Tevalem became the frontline of the war.

Attempts to cross often resulted in a forced retreat and heavy casualties. No real gains could be made for a long time which allowed the Raitin to plunder the areas behind the river. Eventually the Pavan Empire was ready to deploy their newest weapon, the Pavan Soulknights.

Tevalem Front by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Final Battle

The large number of casualties on the side of the Pavans actually allowed them to increase the number of Soulknights. At first they were only used in small skirmishes along the river. But after these initial successes a large scale attack was planned.

Soulknight March

What followed was one of the most brutal battles to date and would later become known as the Soulknight March. This time the Pavan army consisted almost solely out soulknights. Even the many lightning rifles of the Raitin could stop the numerous and sturdy soulknights. Many of the soulknights were equipped with rifles themselves but the real chaos began once they came into melee range.

Pavan Raitin War by Amplitude Studios, Endless Legends

Once they reached the Raitin flanks the soulknights started a true slaughter of the enemy's troops eventually causing nearby soldiers to flee in terror. The battlefield became a nightmarish hellscape filled with firearms and cannons going off left and right, lighting flying in all directions and unfeeling constructs mowing row after row of Raitin down.

Aftermath

When the other Raitin troops heard of the total defeat they forfeited their positions and returned to Raitinshin. A peace treaty was signed in which the Raitin were forced to pay a large amount of gold and cede part of their western territories. This area is now used by the Pavan Empire as a permanent base to protect the border.
On the Raitin side this defeat resulted in them increasing their weapon development, which they did succeed in. After the war they developed their own war golems and airships. Only time will tell what the next war could look like.

Location

Before the war by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

The war mostly took place around the country Cathulem. This area is a major hub for trade due to its close proximity to the Mizarin Jungle, which grants it easy access to more exotic products.
When the Raitin nation started to increase in strength the nation decided to ally itself with the Pavan Empire to protect themselves against possible Raitin aggression. The new agreement turned Cathulem into more of a client state to the Pavan Empire.
However, even the backing of the strong Pavan Empire did not repel the Raitin. Thinking that they could win with their new technological advances, they declared war.

Raitin

Raitin Soldier by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

The Raitin themselves were a still rather unknown until the start of the Progressive Era. They were a reclusive people living in the Crystal Valley to which not many people travelled. According to them the valley was deemed cursed due to the frequent mists and rampant magical surges.
When the Raitin started to leave the valley they did so in full forces by invading much of their neighbours such as the Tenari.
The knowledge they gained from the Tenari allowed them to advance their technological prowess which would make them the most advanced nation. Many of their inventions, such as airships, have now , however, been adopted by other nations as well.

Pavan Empire

After several centuries of internal strife the Humans and Half-Elves of the Pavan Empire are once again looking outwards. For a long time they were behind in progress due to lack of magical resources and magic users. But with the invention of gunpowder and the steam engine they quickly rose in power.
The the industrial revolution orginated from the Pavan Empire and quickly spread to the other Human countries as the Empire became the center of the Human economy.
They are also known for there well trained army in service of their God, the Archonic Order. The group exists mainly out of clerics and paladins devoted to Indovir and the prophet warrior Archon. In previous centuries non divine magic was fiercly rejected by the Order but now it has become at least somewhat accepted in order to not handicap themselves in future wars.

Soulknights

by Endless Legend

Soulknights are still a rather recent creation of the Pavan Empire. They were created shortly before the last Pavan-Oneragan war and were heavily used during this conflict. By using the soul of willing soldiers on the brink of dying a soulknight can be created. Whereas normally the energy of their soul would go to the afterlife, in the case of the soulknights it remains in a special suit of armor while the consciousness goes to the afterlife.

The half elf Kaelanil created the soulknight supposedly after receiving divine inspiration from Indovir. As these creations were still within the limits of divine magic the Archonic faith allowed for the creation of these constructs and saw to it that it could be tested.

Belligerents

Pavan Empire

Raitin

Strength

900 000 soldiers
60 000 soulknights

750 000 soldiers

Casualties

480 000 soldiers
620 000 civilians

578 000 soldiers
70 000 civilians

Objectives

Remove Raitin from Cathulem

Expand influence along northern coast and secure access to trade resources

Further Reading