Rata Traryoi: Hunt for Peat Burners

The Conflict

Prelude

Karekya was a Keyrit trading facility and was intended to supply Welkwu and Keyrit cities, almost exclusively. However, on the side, Karekya had started to trade with Gyukur, who had recently started to dabble in maritime trade. During one of the backhanded deals with Gyukur, a peat harvester accidentally set her crop ablaze. A merchantman from Welkwu saw the ships outside Karekya's dock and saw the little town in flames, then immediately returned to tell Welkwu the news.
The captain testified to the Welkwu leaders that the foreign ship "bore colors of an unknown origin, likely from the north." Welkwu took this to be a personal attack; this was the fuel that ran the city, after all. Immediately, Welkwu spread the news of the event and began signing volunteers up for an army.

Deployment

Because the finest of what Welkwu produced en masse could be found in a kitchen, the 3,000 registered volunteers were given large pot lids for shields, long blades for swords, bowls for helmets, and trays for chestplates. As much as the army looked unprofessional, this meant that the new recruits equipped almost immediately. Welkwu did have a garrison of 10,000 but only sent 2,000 on the expedition. If this was the attack they expected, the 8,000 would be needed to protect the mother city.
The army of 5,000 set off for Karekya, to see if the invaders were still there. What was a little accidental peat fire had managed to burn down half the city, and the rest of the inhabitants had simply moved southward to a different colony. To the avengers, though, this was a city burnt to the ground. The citizens who survived must have been taken for slaves!
The army of Welkwu set off for Gyukur, disembarking at the biggest port they could find. A number of tribes had gathered around the city, and the 3,000 troops with them immediately came to the port's defense. A skirmish might have happened at the drop of a hat, but the leaders of both sides stayed their ground. The Gyukur tribal chieftains offered the soldiers sustenance for a week, which the Welkyi accepted, but the Welkyi were after those who burned down their town. The party who witnessed the event had long since docked and left for inner Gyukur, so the chieftains could give no answer. All they could say was that no Gyukur tribe had ill will towards the blossoming town of Karekya; the raiders must have been from Retrougo.

Battlefield

The Welkyi docked at Retrougo and began moving from tribe to tribe, demanding answers that the local chieftains couldn't give. Several days into Retrougo, however, a scouting party returned with news of a massive army in the general area, moving towards their position as they spoke. Welkwu set up an ambush on two forested sides of a long clearing of trees.

Conditions

The soil was dry, but the weather was cold. Blustering winds moved across the clearing, caught by the trees.

The Engagement

Looking to expand its nation's presence in southern Retrougo, the Ugo-yt army marched southward to surprise a coastal tribe. The main army was coming across the sea from Yatkaugo, but the commander presumed that the tribe in question was to weak to handle the Retrougo garrison of 14,000. Besides, the natives were expecting an attack from the sea, so most of their defenses were going to be useless. In the meantime, the army wouldn't see combat for days. A forced march was appropriate.
Suddenly, a group of thousands descended on the invaders from both flanks, wearing... was that kitchenware? Regardless, the army wasn't in formation. The equipment used in the ambush was surprisingly sturdy, albeit cheap, and there were some who were just as effectively trained as the professional army. The commander, bringing up the rear, fled the scene with as many as he could organize as his underlings began to rout. Despite having a much smaller force, the ambush encircled the invaders and received an unconditional surrender from the few semblances of authority that were left.

Outcome

Welkwu was almost as surprised that they'd encountered an Ugo-yt army as Ugo-yt was that they'd encountered a Welkwu army. The Ugo-yt troops were returned to their commander, while the Welkyi commander realized just how far he'd gotten stuck in this mess. He ordered an immediate retreat back to Welkwu.

Aftermath

Word spread much faster than the armies themselves. The Ugo-yt invasion was immediately halted. Not only did the tribes of Retrougo learn of the surprise invasion, but they also found equal parts mirth and hope after watching what seemed like a hegemon get absolutely crushed.
Ugo-yt, and the T'kakou people, suffered the worst humiliation they faced for all time. They, an aspiring empire, were beaten by a small city-state from another continent with pots and pans. They almost entirely lost their grip on Retrougo, and they swore eternal vengeance against Welkwu.
Welkwu was ecstatic. Ugo-yt at the time was at least in the top three most powerful armies at the time, arguably the most powerful. While Karekya would never truly be avenged, the expedition received a hero's welcome. Welkwu had no imperial ambition, and so never fully capitalized on the victory, but the tales of the hunt would ensure that Welkwu had dozens of intercontinental trade relations, and tons of city pride, for the rest of its history.

Historical Significance

Legacy

That said, the wiser in the Ugo-yt Empire chose to learn from the engagement. The cheap products that came from industrialism could equip a mighty host. Factories and cash flow could bludgeon an enemy to death long before the first swords clashed. Perhaps it was time that the Ugo-yt had a Welkwu of its own...
While it would take a couple generations (and several more substantial reasons) to found Gykrete, Welkwu's Little Sister, this was the first time that the T'kakou thought about relying on their economic prowess more than on their military prowess.

In Literature

Welkwu has an entire section of its city library exclusively for firsthand testimonies of the hunt. It's right beside the hundreds of books, fiction and nonfiction, that build secondhand mythos around the campaign.

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

218

Ending Date

222

Conflict Result

Massive Welkwu Victory, Humiliation for Ugo-yt

Location

Retrougo: Lively East

Belligerents

Welkwu

Led by

Strength

5,000 (3,000 volunteers, 2,000 professional garrison)

Casualties

300 (236 killed, 64 wounded)

Objectives

Protect the influx of peat fuel from Unterritory; avenge the burning of Karekya

Gyukur

Led by

Strength

30,000 warriors, distributed across 100 tribes (3,000 involved in conflict)

Casualties

None

Objectives

Prevent foreign feet on native soil

T'kakou Empire of Ugo-yt

Led by

Strength

70,000 soldiers (14,000 involved in conflict)

Casualties

10,000 (500 killed, 1,500 wounded, 8,000 captured)

Objectives

Conquer southern Retrougo