Wight War
by hughpierre
The Conflict
Prelude
For decades, the Empire has has been a major influencer of the goings on in the settlements along the valley's salt rivers.
Through trade and diplomacy, did Sang officials first come to know of salt spells, but at the time they were seen as inconsequential or too weak to hold against obsidian weapons, cotton and feather amour or traditional skins.Before, trade with Salt Side was very profitable with a low barrier to entry. The state had for years established depots and barracks at strategic locations to help facilitate Pochtecas in their work and as a means of justifying their taxing of them.
Deployment
Many years of the growing status quo, made everyone lax. It was a time where focus was shifting from salt river trade to subjugating Dragonsgrave on the other side of the great lake. Closer to home and much more active in their profession.
Experienced troops were moved from their garrisons in that side of the valley to fight in the east. Leaving mere token forces scattered throughout. Another drawback of the eastern campaigns was that Sangsalgu itself was left defended by retirees, lamed chicks and school boys.
By the time the scale of the invasion became known to all, the fighting in Dragonsgrave ceased, in recognistion of the greater threat, and those belligerents rallied to fend off the wights from using Sangsalgu as a foothold to attack the remaining valley.
Conditions
The first report of any incursion into Salt Side, came in during the official beginning of the dry season. The war, devastating as it was, occupied only that single season.
The Engagement
Ordinarily, a war of this magnitude would have several battles named across many rivers and fields. But in this one, there were but (officially) two: the Battle for Sangsalgu (sometimes called the Green Battle) and the retaking of Tenula.
Sweep of Salt Side
For all the Sang soft power invested in Salt Side; when it came to it, it was empty of Sang. Those token troops could offer no meaning resistance and were swiftly captured. Though there was no way for them to hold ground, they at least hoped to scatter and send runners to warn the empire, but it was not to be. It seemed that the enemy was informed on the garrisons' sorry state by collaborators and traitorous remnants of long destroyed armies. As a result, Sang historians do not count the scuffles there as 'real' battles.The Green Battle
The Battle for Sangsalgu took place on two fronts that have since been identified by the colour of the water in which the fighting had taken place: Green and Blue. The Blue Battle refers to the pristine fresh waters that surrounded the Coyoacan Peninsula. The 'green' refers to a section of the lagoon where piles of wights sank and dyed the sand and muck green. The Green Battle came to be what people thought when they think of the battle, because the most dramatic events of the conflict happened on this front.Denying the Shadows
Between the Northern Range and the two upper lakes, is a stretch of flat earth that connects the two sides of the valley under the shadow of the Range. Though this path, covens and their accompanying wights aimed to widely flank Coyoacan and move into Dragonsgrave from the northern-most pass. Completely undefended and the nearest garrison deemed insufficient; College agents were somehow able to communicate the danger to their mountain. In response, the College of Birds instigated a bombardment of red lightning onto the narrow pass. Once the detachment was destroyed, some lightning was redirected over the closest great lake to hamper the covens and wights flanking in the Shallows during the Blue Battle. The event caused people to rechristen the lake to Lake Lightning.Retaking Tenula
Tenula was the first district of Sansalgu to fall and became the opening by which the majority of wights and covens entered into the city. It was a matter of pride that it be retaken unassisted by their Step allies; and because it was thought that their wands would destroy so much of the infrastructure, that it would make reconstruction too costly. This phase also marked the last direct engagement with the Tinge. When Tenula was retaken, Sangsalgu had to push back against a more familiar enemy. Tinge covens had long retreated back to their newly acquired kingdoms but had left their former allies to defend themselves. For awhile, Sang forces had pushed past Tenula's boundaries into Mist but eventually the borders resettled backed to how they were before.Outcome
- Establishment of several short lived witcher kingdoms in Salt Side which would eventually transform into the current Salt States.
- Sang preeminence was maintained
- A lull in the willingness of the Sang to fight their neighbours
- Most Tinge captives were kept alive and interrogated
Aftermath
- A significant loss (nearly all) of the hard won land in the Salt Side of the valley.
- Captured Tinge prisoners were not sacrificed as was custom. Instead, they were married into the nobility to gain their knowledge of the tinge salt spells.
- Facilitated the conditions that eventually led the current three members of the Triple Alignment; the Sang, the Step and the College to unite.
- Facilitated the conditions that would eventually led the raise of the more competent Salt States on the Salt Side.
- The side effects of the repeated lightning strikes on Meadow Mere killed a great deal of marine life there, which inturn negatively impacted the ecology of the connected Mixed Lake.
Historical Significance
Legacy
In addition to humbling the Sang, the witches of the brine founded several witcher kingdoms where Tinge matriarchs formed a new state hierarchy very separate of the wandering lifestyle afforded by driving covens.
Such covens became short-lived family dynasties determined to maintain, and later expand their territorial holdings. It is unclear where and when this shift in philosophy came from but it meant that the further the hordes expanded the less bodies there were to fight. And when their sisters lost at Sangsalgu, made no effort to rescue them.
Roughly three generations after the war, the brine had greatly improved the living standards and military capacity of those they ruled over. However, wavering demographics, changing expectations and yearly rains gradually reduced witcher influence to the point that they where either driven out, surrendered political powers, or faded into civilian life. Thus, bringing about the Salt States.
Technological Advancement
During this war several of the Sangs' river rivals unveiled new weapons of war to use against the invaders that were initially developed against the Sang. Once the war ended, and seeing that they had no meaningful response to such innovations, the Sang invited their new allies into the Alignment.
Lightning Strikes
Again, the College of Birds had shown its capacity for power and secrecy. Mindful of the unfavourable history between the Sang and the College's denizens; questions have since been aroused as to how the College can manage such a feat and for how long they have had this capacity.Wands
This weapon was first delivered to the front between the Sang and an allied town of the Step, but word of the sweeping Tinge conquest persuaded the sides to join forces before it could be used against them. Instead the Step's wands were brought to bare from the safe distance of the eastern shores into the wallows, Oxxo and parts of the Grass Dike.Melee Weapons
Obsidian blades, wooden clubs and shadow skins constitute the trifecta of melee warriors that have historically dominated Sang military doctrine since they emigrated from the shadow plains.
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Land
Conflict Result
Inconclusive
Location
Comments