The Last Rebellion
The final attempt of an uprising against Vhark. The damage still remains.
The empire of Vhark is no stranger to uprisings, civil wars and other attempts for regions to free themselves from the tyranny of Maekrix Shandazaar. In 783AA, a populist leader in the Wetlands region of Vhark began machinations to declare independence. Ignoring stark warnings from The Seat, this led to a brief and bloody coup during which local administrators and military leaders still sympathetic to Shandazaar were assassinated or exiled. A border was drawn and the country of Azure founded. What followed was a swift, overwhelming military and magical response that left the region decimated and destroyed, still recovering to this day.
The action was one-sided enough that no other insurrection has occured since, the short history of Azure acting as a threat to those who may decide to rise up against The Seat.
The Conflict
Prelude
With Azure founded, a final, diplomatic warning was issued: Relinquish the land and turn over those who orchestrated the rebellion. There was no direct threat included, The Seat simply marshalled the forces of Vhark, a process that took several months. Meanwhile, Azure prepared their secret weapon: two wizards each controlling a sphere of annihilation for use on the front line.
Deployment
The largest conflict occured on the border of Azure, roughly facing the direction of The Seat. Both sides dug in, the Azure forces creating defensive lines and the Vhark military preparing to use overwhelming force to smash the opposing line in one decisive action. Heavy cavalry and siege weaponry were unsuitable due to the soft ground, but Azure had fit a few such weapons onto flat-bottomed boats suitable for navigating the many rivers of the wetlands.
Battlefield
The wetland region Azure was founded in is a mix of soft heath, marshland, wooded bogs and snaking rivers. The battlefield for the primary conflict was no exception: almost entirely flat and unpleasant for combat. The Azure forces had brought many wooden planks and sharpened logs to solidify their defensive line, hoping that slowing down the larger, opposing force would tip the balance in their favour.
Conditions
Combat was joined after a tense standoff of several days. The Vhark military refused to enter direct conflict until at least a day of clear sun had passed; the reason remained unclear until it was too late to react to.
The Engagement
Once the two forces engaged, combat was brutal and bloody. The Vhark military threw itself upon the defenders and their fortified line. Arrows whistled through the sky in both directions while destructive spells decimated whole squads of men in an instant. Once melee fighting began, the Azure command ordered the release of the two spheres of annihilation to carve swathes through the frontline. This, combined with the heavy weapon support from the river, forced the battle into a surprising stalemate. However, it was the action back within Azure - occurring unbeknownst to the defenders - that would truly decide the war.
After the Azure military had committed their reserve forces, the true plan of Maekrix Shandazaar came into action. A flight of red dragons descended from the mountains and scourged the relatively undefended towns, villages and homesteads of Azure; fire devastated the buildings while claws and teeth savaged the population. By the end of the day, as news filtered to the frontline, Azure was decimated - there was little left to fight for.
Summer Camp 2021
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This was an article originally written as part of the 2021 Summer Camp challenge. I have edited the article since then, so what appears on this page no longer reflects the original competition entry. - Theoclymenus
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