The Fracturing of the Shards
After Low Magic Crystals were discovered in Shadowed Canyons in 728 the feelings surrounding low magic changed rapidly amongst Greater Yorkett as described in the article about High Magic & Low Magic.
Leading up to the central conflict many individuals who now reside in current country of Yorkett generally opposed low magic crystals. However many in what would become The United Shard did not. After many political battles were held regarding the status of Low Magic Crystals, Greater Yorkett had at first severely limited what could be produced and then formally outlawed the substance. The Shadowed Canyons opposed these sanctions as mining the Low Magic Crystals became their new source of income for the shard and raised the way of life for their citizens greatly since its discovery. For Bollothglade, as a rich trade port, it had attracted the greatest minds of the ages as people experimented on the substance, as well as boosted trade for them in almost every economic sector. In a direct response to this the powers in charge of Bollothglade and The Shadowed Canyons decided to formally succeed from Greater Yorkett on July 16th, 760. In response, Yorkett declared that succession was illegal and formally declared war on the newly formed country in an event to be known as The Fracturing of the Shard.
In the initial onset of the Fracturing of the Shards the country formally known as Greater Yorkett no longer existed and in its place were the two countries of Yorkett and The United Shard. Immediately after succession Bollothglade and The Shadowed Canyons gave up lands bordering each other in order to setup a capital shard where they would place the new capital of Rochbalt in order to have a more centralized government to the new country.
Mining of low magic crystals in The Shadowed Canyons and production of war materials in Bollothglade immediately became a top priority for the country. Stipends were paid to any able-bodied person willing to work in the mines, and in Rougeford top minds gathered to create new forms of warfare using Low Magic Crystals and began to produce in mass.
Politically, the leaders of The United Shard worked to gain allies and tried to have every shard west of The Divid Mountains to join the new country. They would quickly find success as a month later on August 1st 760 Great Hawk would join. They had come to enjoy easier ways of life as the low magic crystals were able to provide to the hard laboring farmers of the shard, and did not like that people on the other side of the continent who they felt didn't understand were taking it away. This was arguably one of the most important developments of the war as it gave The United Shard a steady food supply while removing the same from Yorkett. The United Shard also found that any Yorkett claims to Southern Territory would be unenforceable by Yorkett and annexed the area south of Great Hawk. This would give The United Shard another major mine of Low Magic Crystals to use during the war.
The early military campaigns were slow, as they had to create and mobilize an entirely new military force that had not existed previously. However, Yorkett was not in shape to do the same. The entire continent had been in peace for countless years so they did not have a standing army. In addition, they did not expect The United Shard to succeed and were taken off guard. The United Shard did have one major benefit to their side, and that was with their use of low magic crystals. In previous ages, wars were fought with the strongest warriors, mages, and healers on the battlefield. With the use of Low Magic Crystals, however, The United Shard could strap a weapon to any average creature and have them actively contribute to the war effort in ways they simply could not before. They quickly took this to their advantage as Rougeford started to pump out these new creations.
Being a port town Rougeford was able to quickly create a substantial Navy that was able to protect all of the coastlines. What remained of the military forces quickly forged an Army that The United Shard used to focus on taking and keeping the passes between The Divid Mountains to make their way into their country. Finally to keep the peace internally a department of the interior was made that went under the name The Frontiersmen. With these three factions, the coastlines were maintained and great work was made to take the passes of the mountains.
In May of 761 Willachi had also decided to join The United Shard. The people there were notoriously known to enjoy freedoms and were fundamentally opposed to having any power telling them what to do. The following year on January 2nd, 762 Aprimilla joined. However this was not as straightforward as the other shards had been. Aprimilla is made up of many incredibly diverse small druid tribes that inhabit the land. Before The Fracturing of the Shards they had very little to do with each other and lived their own separate lives. However, once the onset of civil war had started they each sent tribesmen to the largest tribe in Emberrun to council and decide their path in this war. Ultimately it was decided due to their location and pressures from both sides they were going to have to join The United Shard reluctantly. Not every tribe agreed and some vowed to fight to keep their land free from the larger government. After sending representatives to Rochbalt to come to terms with joining they came up with a resolution. The United Shard would leave all tribes that signed the agreement alone and not move through lands not listed in the agreement. In exchange, The United Shard was allowed to set up a rain network lining near The Divid Mountains so that they could move troops to defend the natural passageways that lead to Yorkett. They would also be allowed to construct ports at the mouth of the rivers leading from Emberrun for protection. However, any tribes that did not formally sign this agreement and opposed the war efforts would be dealt with as The United Shard chose. The agreement was ratified and Aprimilla became the last of the shards to join The United Shard. The United Shard has continued to honor every part of the agreement and has not set foot outside of the agreed-upon locations. However, the tribes that fought against the agreement and tried to stop the war efforts were put down, in often very bloody and violent battles.
With all of the shards west of The Divid Mountains finally united the war effort was moving swiftly and succeeding. It was looking as though the war would be won sooner than later. The Navy had begun blockading areas east of the divide mountains around the small ports in neighboring shards. The Army had completely taken most passes and set up forward camps to launch forces into the heart of Yorkett. However, this would all change when The Exiled Outlaws would commit the Third Massacres of the Mines. This would shut off the mining of low magic crystals in The Shadowed Canyons indefinitely until they could rebuild their efforts. Running low on materials the army and navy were forced to retreat in many areas to wait for new supplies of war materials.
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