1270's Taldirian War for Independence
The Taldirian War for Independence, called the "Taldirian Uprising" in the Kadian Dominion, was a 55 years long conflict between the SFLK and various rebel groups of the dominion's Eastern Frontier. It is considered as responsible for the founding of the Archduchy of Taldir and the unification of the Taldirian ethnic groups.
The Conflict
Prelude
Tensions between the Kingdom of Navara and the native denizens of its eastern frontier have been high even prior to the funding of Taldirin itself. Many rebel groups, most of them elven decandents of Clan Telestar, operated in the area. The most famous was the Col'bhen Cint'nias, which would later become part of the Taldirian Army.
Deployment
In the early 1200's the King of Navara, Tobias Malion have declared a forced expansion into the Navaran Woods and toward Debye Pass, almost tripling the size of the garrisons in the eastern frontier. This increased tensions to higher levels and the area had to be further secured by forces of the Aderian Royal Army.
By the mid 50's, banditry became commonplace as many fled the currently ongoing 3rd Inquisition. Those refugees, many of whom where sorcerers or former wizards became nothing more than highwaymen roaming the countryside in search for pray, hoping to secure passage to the south or wait things by.
Citizens of the frontier, especially those living in the more susseful Taldirin, Bradford and Milvar where taxed heavily to fund both the witch hunts and the ongoing war with Krath. This was despite receiving very little in terms of protection for the villages and towns themselves, who were mostly left to fend for themselves against the growing banditry.
In the late 50's several prominent figures started preaching for Taldirian independence, with the most famous being Tobby the Taldirian. Tobby formed relations with the elven and gnomish communities in the area, namely the infamous Col'bhen Cint'nias and began executing ransom and robberies operations along the main trade routes of the frontier, targeting mostly SLFK and Inquisition convoys.
While robbing their treasuries and kidnapping dignitaries, Tobby and others encouraged other denizens of the frontier, to whom they referred to as Taldirians, to do the same. Many answered their call, fed up or unable to pay they taxes and took up arms. The Dominion responded by moving even more troops into the area.
By the 1260's conflict in the area has blown into a full scale war, with troops coming in from Osternfel, passing through Debye Pass, causing the Kingdom of Dam Lodir to express concern and reinforce their borders even tighter. In return, the denizens of the area put up even more resistance, making the area extremely hostile to any outsiders.
While the contested area is an extremely important coridor of trade, the war atrracted a lot of scrutiny against Reseah Artzmit, than the Sovereign of Ader, for the immense loss of life, especially as it impacted greatly on the war efforts in theater of the Gold Coast.
Conditions
While the frontier has been documented fairly well in the late 12th century, and even settled, it lacked proper infrastructure and was kept safe mostly through a network of small garrisons that were not easily connected or reachable. Most of the area was also covered by woodlands or rolling hills, making it hard to pass with wagons outside of establish routes and forcing patrol to ride on foot, or in small formations to avoid detection. The natives familiarity with the terrain, especially the Col'bhen Cint'nias, also proved to be extremely problematic for any invading force.
Taldirin, sitting on top of a hill in the center of a valley became not only the resistance operation center, but a strategic choke point, able to completely cut off the traffic to and from Debye Pass single-handedly.
The Engagement
In the first years of the 13th century, most of the fighting was in small scale and relatively spread around major conflict zones such as the Navaran Woods and around the Everrane river. Those skirmishes were usually between elven extrimist groups and the Aderian Royal Army and on a squad-size basis.
The middle of the 13th century saw rise in violence from both sides, with the Inquisition tearing through villages in search for apostates and maleficarum and the high taxes, more and more denizens joined with the elves, even several Humanoid resistance groups rose up. The arrival of Tobby the Taldirian proved challenging to the still new Kadian Dominion who was fighting 3 fronts at the same time and they suffered great losses.
In 1270 and the official start of the war after the failure of Operation Myrmidon the fighting became so intense that the SFLK could not even return the bodies of its fallen soldiers. By the mid 70's soldiers even described being assigned to the area as a 'graveyard tour', duo to the many bodies they would find along the way. Some of the bodies where rigged with traps or snares, making handling them dangerous and maybe equally important, had an adverse effect of the invading forces moral. Those tactics were mainly employed by forces working with Tobby but were quickly adopted by other groups as they proved to be effective.
In 1321 the Inquisition managed to capture and kill Tobby the Taldirian, who up to that point still comanded the war. This led to increase of violence from every rebel or extrimist group in the area. Any traveler, even diplomatic envoys was a potenital target to be attacked and possibly executed. When the gnomes of Gnomengarde heard that one of their citizens, Fibblestib Gladdenstone, who was protected by the Treaty of Four was hanged by the Inquisition along the Red Mage they forgo their neutrality and supllied the Taldirian forces with technology and weapons. No longer armed with pitchforks and sychs the peasantry manged to slaughter entire Ostian companies and executing any Inquisition or Justiciar members they could find.
After the Gnomengrade incident, the Kingdom of Dam Lodir sent an entire devision into the eastern frontier and another in the opposite direction towards Osternfel, blocking them from sending more troops. In the frontier the dwarves marched together with the rebels towards Navara, decimating the forces of the Aderian Royal Army and participating in the Battle of Eastwatch.
After Eastwatch fallen to the rebels the Lodirans withrew from the frontier and sent an official warning to the Andorian Alliance that this was a retaliation to the massacare at Gnomengrade and that any further hostility against a nutral Durinian denizen would be considered a breach of the Treaty of Four and will result in full scale war with the Elder Pact.
Outcome
The warning of Dam Lodir led to heavy pressure of from Andorian Church and the Emperor of Osternfel on Grandeur Andoriani, the Sovereign of Ader to reach some kind of settlement with the Taldirians.
Grandeur already wished for the war to end, but was unable to retreat due to her generals advices. She belived that the frontier, with most of its denizens being followers of the dogma themselves, could become a protectorate of the Kadian Dominion and the The Elder Pact and allow trade to become stable in the area. While optimistic, this view was contradictory to the Taldirians who did no wish to be rulled at all. Furthermore, the Inquisition continued to press that leaving the area would turn it into a haven for apostates and Maleficarum.
After 2 years of negotiations, the Kai of Lodir summoned the rebel groups, the national leaders themselves, the Arch Priest and the Assembly of Bishops. The inquisition was banned from attending and was warned that any agents found would be executed on the spot.
The negotiation took nearly a month, with fighting still ongoing in the frontier.
Aftermath
The most noticeable outcome of the conflict was the independence of the Archduchy of Taldir. Another important term were the expulsion of all members of the inquisition from the newly founded archduchy and forbidding it from further operation within its borders. Finally, the incorporation of the Archduchy of Taldir into the Andorian Alliance.
Conclusion
After a month of lengthy negotiations, the Treaty of Taldirin was signed as a Dwarven Treaty, bringing an end to the conflict after 55 years.
Current Date: 2nd of Latsum, 1572
Included under Conflict
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
War, Theatre
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
15th of Midsum, 1270
Ending Date
2nd of Midspri, 1325
Location
Belligerents
Andorian Alliance
Led by
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Maps
-
Region - Lake Kadia
Comments