The Ossean Campaign

The First Ossean Campaign was a brief, large-scale war fought by Revan, the Kingdom of the Golden Reef, Arun, Redfall Reach, Ossea, Cradsoun, and Gray Watch. Its direct and indirect consequences affected the majority of Sof Sator's population, particularly the entirety of the Ossean species, almost all Termins, and half or more of the continent's Anthrals. It forver altered the line of succession of the Sanguinate Kings and Queens and changed the course of the Thousand Year War. Its fallout includes the birth of the Bloodletters Cult in Redfall, the draining of both the Upper and Lower Satorseas, as well as the Sea of Ossea and the Deathless Sea, and the environmental calamities attached to these: the change of the Seafont Mountains to the Bloodletting Mountains; the opening of the Ossean Chasm and the Calderra of Endless Green; the change of the Wood of Countless Summers to the Wood of Countless Autumns; and the emergence of the Ephemeral Cusp, the Lying Span, the Centzedor Steppe, and the Deadlands.

The Conflict

Prelude

The Osseans were a mysterious and unsettling magical presence spreading outward from the Ossean Sea. Revan perceived this as a threat, and the diarchy of King Hysmal and Imperator Rasiq viewed the Ossean as less-than-sentient vermin, ignoring the counsel of Redfall Reach and Arun, the two nearest nations which had already began peaceful relationships with the Osseans. Revan first carried out forays of suppression to limit the spread of the Osseans, but when this drew reprisal from Redfall Reach and Arun, Revan offered the Prime Sanguinate, King Alor'al'uy of the Golden Reef, an excuse to easily harvest new livestock for his blood-drinking population: a joint military campaign to eliminate the Osseans and assert the dominance of Revan and the Golden Reef in northern Sof Sator.

Deployment

The main battlefield was south of the Wood of Endless Summers, which at that time was divided from both Arun and Redfall Reach by the Ossean Sea. The naval power of the Golden Reef largely kept these two powers from offering assistance to the Osseans while also providing a reliable bridge for the ground forces and sorcerers of Revan. In early 920 CR, King Hysmal lead sweeping ground campaign from Revan to the coast of the Ossean Sea, easily driving the Osseans from the land. On the water, the angelic magic still then employed by the Golden Reef was particularly effective against the Osseans. In mid 920 CR, ships from Cradsoun and Gray Watch entered the Ossean Sea and attempted to make landfall on the coast, anticipating that Revan would be reluctant to take action against them. The Golden Reef was not reluctant, however, and these ships were sunk. Survivors who did make landfall were killed or captured by the sanguinates. In late 920 CR, Arun switched its loyalties to Revan, and the city became the staging ground for an attack on Redfall Reach, which now stood alone against its enemies.

Outcome

With the death of King Alor'al'uy, command of the sanguinates transferred to Admiral Cae'lor Al'muth. He was a ruthless leader, and upon taking Redfall Reach, completely dismantled its military and government, publicly torturing and executing its leaders. A significant amount of Redfall's population was killed to feed the blood-drinking sanguinates in the following weeks, and more were taken back to the Golden Reef as slaves and livestock. Revan, having achieved its goal of exterminating the Ossean infestation on its southern coast, quickly pulled back and did not involve itself further.

Aftermath

Upon returning to the Golden Reef, Cae'lor Al'muth staged a coup and took the throne, beginning a new royal line. His disengagement from continental Sof Sator left Revan to assert its dominance in the north, which was only aided by the unprecedented environmental fallout of the war. Whatever magic the Osseans had been employing while alive, the sudden loss either left unpredictable magics in place or left a gap in the natural function of the world. The Seafont Mountains, which had forever sprung with the fresh water that filled the Sea of Ossea, the Deathless Sea, and the Satorseas, abruptly dried up. Instead, the mountains began to bleed instead, and quickly came to be called the Bloodletting Mountains. The seas once fed by the mountains quickly drained during the following months, completely altering the landscape of central and western Sof Sator. With their mountains now fountaining blood and their population and government gutted, Redfall Reach established a new culture built on hardline militaristic isolation, and a death-worshipping cult began rapid expansion among the population. Arin, having sworn allegiance to Revan, became a close economic and cultural partner of the Termins.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The environmental changes wrought by the draining of the seas changed Sof Sator irrevocably, resulting in the founding of refugee states such as Hycost Oerloka and Idylmir, which became nations unto themselves. With the draining of the Deathless Sea, the ocean nation of Udoth found itself in the newly-formed Calderra of Endless Green. With the emergence of the Ephemeral Cusp, the Mired Lodestar that had resided on the seabed was now on dry land, leaving Revan with another mysterious magic on its doorstep (though this one at least beautiful and seemingly innocuous). A small number of surviving Osseans founded a new Ossea in the dried-out expanse where once the Ossean Sea had flowed toward the Norlost Expanse, joining Cradsoun and Gray Watch in the Nor Sator League and contributing to the Thousand Year War against the Rhyqir Valley Alliance. However, in 1085 CR, the Golden Reef would take it upon itself to exterminate these Osseans as well.
Revan's prominence in the north gave it the power to begin the Greater Sabine Trade Compact. Its first members were Arin and Redfall Reach, but as of 1090 CR most of the nations in Sof Sator have joined, including the Rhyqir Valley Alliance, once again positioning Revan as the enemy of Cradsoun and Gray Watch.
Relevant timelines:
History of the Golden Reef
The Thousand Year War

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Start Date

920 CR

Ending Date

920 CR

Conflict Result

Crushing defeat for the Osseans

Belligerents

Aggressors

Defenders

Strength

Overwhelming naval power from the Golden Reef and ground soldiers from Revan, as well as significant offensive magic. Though initially siding with the Osseans, the sages of Arun switched sides early on and contributed material support as well as the alchemy of war.

Mysterious magics from the Osseans, which was mostly overwhelmed by the unexpected power of Revan. Conventional ground forces from Redfall Reach were unable to reach the Osseans for direct defense. Token forces contributed by Cradsoun and Gray Watch were intercepted by the Golden Reef's navy and did not reach the battlefields.

Casualties

Despite overwhelming victory, King Alor'al'uy of the Golden Reef was killed in battle, and the royal line of Al'uy came to an end.

The vast majority of the Ossean species was exterminated. All forces contributed by Cradsoun and Gray Watch were lost. The military and government of Redfall Reach were dismantled, and its leaders faced tribunal, torture, and execution.

Objectives

Extinction of the Osseans.

Defense of the Osseans.