The Quasi War

The Quasi War is a collection of battles and engagements following the Triumverate War between D'arcan and the Purshand Empire, without any formal declaration of war or hostilities declared between the two nations. The Emperor sought to move into surrendered land and claim it for himself, and a series of conflicts occurred between the two powers. The whole event was seen as a blunder, as Purshand actually lost territory as a consequence.

The Conflict

Prelude

D'arcan and the Purshand Empire had been mutual enemies of the Stoneheart in the Triumverate War, though it would be remiss to consider them allies. The two had been rivals for centuries, vying to be the larger and more influential nation of the continent since the dawn of the Second Age. Occassional intelligence reports were given, and at time operational commanders moved their positions to help protect the flank of the other, or indirectly support their advance.

As the Queen of Stoneheart surrendered, opportunities laid bare. Although the land that was to be given was understood, which portion was being given to whom was not clearly understood, or so the Empire claimed after the fact. Either way, D'arcan was ceded more land than Purshand had been, and their forces were not immediately mobile to claim and govern it. This granted a chance to correct this problem, if the Empire moved in a shrewd and opportunistic fashion, assuming that D'arcan would not be willing to fight another war immediately after finishing the first.

Outcome

In the immediate term, Purshand lost about 150,000 square miles of land, between the land they initially claimed and their own land that was taken over by the D'arcanian Army, led by the Mage Lords. In the process, they lost a great deal of lives, including a small number of units comprised of veteran soldiers who had been victorious in the Triumverate War. By their border moving further north, they lost control of the fork of the Fizzakehm River.

Aftermath

By the losing a war that Purshand never actually declared, they lost a much greater piece of their credibility and image as a formidable force. Although Stoneheart still licked it's wounds and honorably recognized defeat, Nomniza and some of the other bordering nations found themselves much more confident in standing up against the Emperor's demands and bullying tactics.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The largest legacy is that the Emperor of Purshand at that time, Emperor Kai Zin, is now widely regarded as being an arrogant and dim fool for daring to make such a move. This is somewhat unfair, given the overall successful campaign he had lead in the Triumverate War.

Greater focus was given in Imperial Officers to have the experience and courage to speak out against bad ideas, even when given by the Emperor himself.
It has been said that it's an inevitable fact that in preparing to fight the next war, soldiers and recruits are actually trained how to fight the last war. This has been the case with Purshand particularly, whose strategic focus has shifted specifically to being able to counter a major magical offensive by the Mage Lords, even though there's been no outward sign of aggression from any of the 13 rulers of D'arcan.

Battlefield Type

Land