The Sorrow of Waking
Six hundred and eight years prior to the Sorrow of Waking, the Sun was spotted for the first time in a thousand years. The Coming of the Dawn began a new age, the end of The Long Night that descended on the world during the Cataclysm. The light of the Summer Solstice was able to break through and be witnessed across the northlands. This momentous occasion is celebrated all throughout the Eddas, but the most famous is the Sun's Dawn Festival of Pragous. The Sun's Dawn Festival is a weeklong holiday that culminates on the 21st of Junius, the day of the Summer Solstice. It is a day of merriment, lost inhibitions and heavy intoxication. Therefore, it was calculated that the city would be at its most vulnerable in the witching hours of the next day.
The Conflict
Prelude
Archduke Manfreht Grigorov of Aurelia had been making moves to expand his territorial power without formally seeking the title of High King. Prior acquisitions were done subtly, actions such as taking over trade routes and installing puppet rulers on neighboring island-states. The island of Pragous has been the Principality of Aurelia's primary rival since before the Auslind Confederacy was formed and the Archduke believed that he could take advantage of the rival state's weak central authority to exert more direct control. Every 10 years the Portmaster of Pragous' position can be legally contested. The reigning Portmaster knows they are going to lose their position when their term ends and in order to retain their power they enter into negotiations with the Archduke, coming to a deal to hand over Pragon Sovereignty in exchange for the Aurelian Court protecting the Portmaster's position.
Deployment
In the month leading up to the Sun's Dawn Festival the Port-o-Pragous receives a substantial influx of travelers and trade, combined with the cooperation of the Portmaster's loyalists the Aurelian Court was able to smuggle in hundreds of their Royal Guard into the city, housing them in collaborator safehouses throughout the city. Past midnight on the 21st these hidden forces donned the uniform of the Port Authority and took to the streets, masquerading as local guards on patrol.
Battlefield
The Port-o-Pragous is split up into numerous island districts split by canals. Although the entire city was locked down to facilitate the Portmaster's Coup, fighting was sporadic throughout most of the city with the locals caught off guard. The southern districts of the city were home to the Clan Houses, who quickly rallied to defend their holdings. The majority of all fighting took place in the southern districts, but sporadic bloodshed took place throughout the city.
The Engagement
The battle began at 3:00 AM on the 22nd of Junius. Most of the city's festival goers had gone to sleep with the majority of the rest heavily intoxicated. The first move of the battle was a false flag operation where Aurelian troops disguised themselves as horsemen of Clan Felsenshatter and rode into Clan Meerslachten holdings. The disguised troops pelted the buildings with firebombs, agitating a response from the Meerslachten warriors who awoke from their intoxicated slumber to find themselves under attack. The disguised troops rode out of the city, detonating charges on the southern bridge exiting the city as they went, killing several dozen pursuers in the process. The enraged Meerslachten turned their ire on Clan Felsenshatter and by sunrise the two clans were engaged in combat throughout the southern districts. At this time the Portmaster declared a state of emergency and mobilized all his troops, which included a battalion of Aurelian Royal Guards. This force violently suppressed the fighting, opening fire on both Clans without warning. As the City Guard battled with the Clan Warriors, the Aurelian Vanguard and their local collaborators targeted high profile figures such as merchant lords and noble houses for arrest. Some resisted these unwarranted detainments, but these were impromptu defenses that weren't able to withstand the well prepared assault forces combing through the city. Over the course of the 22nd the southern districts were pacified and those projected to resist the upcoming coup were arrested. By nightfall of the 22nd local resistance had been broken and opposition survivors were forced to flee or go into hiding. By the 23rd the Port-o-Pragous was in control of Royalist Forces and a propaganda campaign began pinning all the bloodshed of the 22nd on Clan Meerslachten.
Outcome
Immediate Outcome: The Royalist Alliance takes control of Port-o-Pragous, giving the alliance control of the port city and domination over the logistical infrastructure of Southern Pragous. Hostages are taken from rival factions in an attempt to prevent local resistance. The city itself is pacified and the Portmaster's position is secured by his Royalist Allies.
Immediate Consequence: Clan Meerslachten prepares for conflict with the Royalists and refuse to submit to the new regime. The Royalists move to attack their capital of Butcher Bay and sack the fortress-port in an all-out assault, scattering their forces. As they pursue these remnants other Pragon factions begin joining in the hostilities against the Royalists.
Aftermath
Targeting the Sun's Dawn Festival is seen as an attack not only on Pragon Sovereignty, but an assault on the very soul of Pragous. Local resistance only grows, forcing the once heavily divided factions of Pragous to coordinate and unite. In response the Royalists reach out to the Solarians, who's puritan faith and recent historical grievances against warrior clans of Pragous cause them to be highly motivated, but heavy handed. This further escalates the conflict from an attempt to expand Aurelian territory to a far of faiths. After two years of bloody conflict the Royalists are forced to abandon their conquest and the Principality of Pragous arises reformed as a united entity from the ashes. Tensions rise throughout the Auslind Confederation as Pragon leaders call for retaliation against the invaders and a Grand Moot is called to elect a High King in order to seek a resolution.
Historical Significance
After the Crimson Crusade, the Sorrow of Waking was held in infamy throughout the Auslind Confederation. The Archduke was seen to have violated the Articles of Confederation by brazenly attempting to subvert the political institutions of a neighboring Principality and soon came into conflict with High King Ulfberto, who's election was largely fostered by his role in the defense of Pragous. Due to the High King's opposition to the Archduke, the Royal Court of Aurelia refused to recognize the High King's legitimacy, leading to a civil war on Auerelia between Royalist and Traditionalist forces, ultimately leading to the Archduke being deposed by the Traditionalist faction. Ultimately this would lead to a reformation of the Auslind Confederation from a loosely aligned collection of nation-states, to a Federal system.Legacy
During the Crusade the Sun's Dawn Festival was suspended by the occupation forces who saw it as a volatile situation that would inevitably lead to a riot, and so for the first time in almost 700 years there was officially no Sun's Dawn Festival in the Port-o-Pragous. In the year after the Crusade the 21st of Junius was regarded with dread, sorrow, and pain, many of the citizenry advocated an end to the festival altogether. The recently elected High King Ulfberto Vaelor would hear none of this, believing it would only compound the tragedy to let such once beloved tradition die. Instead, he extended the Sun's Festival by three days.
The 22nd of Junius was declared the Day of Sorrow, a time to remember the dead and reflect inward to acknowledge all you have done wrong. On this day the city is overwhelmed by silence, as most people stay home with family, or attend temple services. There tends to be low foot traffic on the streets, with a minority going about their business in quiet reflection.
The 23rd of Junius was declared the Day of Reckoning. On this day contests, usually of a martial or physical nature, are hosted throughout the city so that all have the opportunity to "settle the score" in a controlled environment.
The 24th of Junius was declared the Day of Redemption, a time where citizens are encouraged to seek out those they have wronged or have wronged in order to seek reconciliation. Charitable acts are sponsored by the city.
Included under Conflict
Conflict Type
Battle
Battlefield Type
Urban
Start Date
22 Junius 696 Sun's Dawn
Ending Date
23 Junius 696 Sun's Dawn
Conflict Result
Royalist Control of Port-o-Pragous, Beginning of the Crimson Crusade
Location
Belligerents
Royalist Alliance
Led by
Pragon Coalition
Strength
The Royalist Alliance are the forces commanded by the Archduke of Aurelia
At the time of the Sorrow of Waking the Royalist Forces consisted of the City Guard of Port-o-Pragous, supplemented by a battalion of Royal Guards and allied frontiersmen from the Holy Solarian Republic.
At the time of the Sorrow of Waking there was no Pragon Coalition, but Clans Felsenshatter and Meerslachten would later become central players in the Crimson Crusade. Both Clans being targeted forced the longtime rivals to find common cause, but at the beginning of the Sorrow both sides were as likely to attack each other as they were to fight members of the Royalist faction. By the end of the day both sides realized that they had a mutual foe.
Casualties
Royalists took minimal casualties during the battle.
Local leadership of Clans Felsenshatter and Meerslachten eliminated. Territorial holdings in Port-o-Pragous lost, and the majority of clan warriors killed or captured.
Objectives
The Royalist Alliance's goal was to take control of the city of Port-o-Pragous and use it as a beachhead for taking control of the island of Pragous. Their primary objective in the battle was to eliminate local capacity for resistance before formally taking over the city, targeting the Clan Houses for elimination and arresting high profile figures to take as hostages.
The Pragon Coalition was not a formal faction and did not have any objectives at the time of the battle beyond survival.
Maps
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Port-o-Pragous
The commercial heart and largest city of the Principality of Pragous. The Port-o-Pragous occupies an artificial archipelago of 18 island districts. Every House, Clan or Organization of note has holdings in the Port-o-Pragous due both to its value as a trade hub and the presence of the Court of Champions, representing both the Lower House of the Pragon Parliament and its significance to electing a High King of the Auslind Confederation.
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