The Defense of Riga

A decisive battle within the Unification War, the Battle of Riga turned the tide against the brutal and destructive Vilserans.

The Conflict

Prelude

The Army of the city-state of Vilsera had already attacked and laid claim to Veshta, a small city-state that had tried to remain nuetral in the ongoing strained area. Having pillaged the area and gathered the resources, the warriors continued their march, towards the city of Riga. Devoted to the Vrishka, Second of Six Sisters, Goddess of Humans and Magic, the city prepared for a difficult fight, and possible seige. They knew if their city fell, that it would be a ruinous end for the sister city-states. Gathering the magical practitioners together alongside the city defenders, a plan was developed in order to repel the trained army, with it's superior numbers and training.

Battlefield

The battle encompassed the outer walls of the city or Rija. The Vilserans were prepared to lay siege to the walled city. They had equipment to try and break the wall, and razed the land nearby to starve the people out.

Outcome

The Vilserans plan to siege the city broke quickly. They had little awareness of magic as a whole or what Rijans were capable of. Completely underestimating their enemy, the magical counter attack against them broke their plans and their lines. Without a successful strategy, and their leadership quickly falling apart, the attack was faltered long before the siege attempt could be implemented.

The Vilseran forces were decimated by the defenses and magical counter attack. With over a third of their numbers lost, they had to regroup, and retreat back to Vilsera to recover and retrain. The defenders, especially those magical sages who cast devastating spells against their enemies, were quickly, though briefly, vaunted as heroes of the city.

Aftermath

The attack pulled Vilsera’s advance completely, denying their larger campaign into the lands of the Sister States. What’s more, a wave of support with the Aeternans followed the attack. Rija joined their side, and shortly behind them, the other Sister Cities. This would prove a key change in the movement; as the remainder of the region could not stand against a combined forced from Aetern, it’s allies, and the Sister Cities.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The largest legacy of Rija’s Defense is the formation of a distant rival in the continent. No sooner had the success been reached that the Vishy movement started to take root in solidarity against the common enemy. The Rijan political leadership joined in alliance with Aetern, and the following city states dedicated to The Six Sisters not long after. With the alliance came the religious movement of The Divine Balance. The military defenders could not accept the tenants of the faith, and felt that they were being betrayed. It was their dedication to Vrishka, and Vrishka alone, that enabled their victory. Their stubbornness became belligerent, and were banished from any of the Vishan lands.

This small band of exiled wizards and mages would still rather die than be allied with their enemy Vilsera, and so transited northeast, far from the area. Refusing to bow to the faith of another, they transited through several burgeoning nations until they could find their new home. Beginning in Valle Paterra, the locals found great value in their magical expertise and battlefield tactics. Being given positions of leadership and great power, these once disgraced wizard generals would create the foundations of what became D'arcan">D’arcan, the largest nation in the continent and the home of the greatest concentration of magical knowledge in the world, even more than in their original home of Rija.

Included under Conflict

The Unification War

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Urban

Location

Rija