War of Unification¶
The War of Unification was a conflict in Western Drehmal between the Casain Empire and the Six Tharhan Kingdoms around Av2 1450, which resulted in the rise of Caer Adacia as the rulers of the Second Tharhan Empire.
| Belligerents: | Casain Empire, Six Tharhan Kingdoms, Caer Adacia |
| Date: | c. Av2 1450-1500 |
| Location: | Ebony Veldt, North Tharxax, Anyr'Nogur |
| Outcome: | Tharhan victory, with Caer Adacia establishing itself as the new regional seat of power and capital of the Second Tharhan Empire |
Background¶
The Casain Empire unified in Av2 1255, bringing the entire Casain Peninsula under one rule for the first time, and immediately looked to expand. They failed to secure any land by fighting their eastern neighbors in Merijool, so they instead looked south to Tharhan. Casains began to form settlements along the western coast of Anyr'Nogur, a mostly uninhabited western desert region, and prepared for an eventual war of territorial expansion with the Tharhan Kingdoms.
Tharhan had long been split into Six kingdoms: Dehar around Mt. Ebonfire, Avakea in Anyr'Nogur, Loraga and Nimahj in North Tharxax and Nimahj Swamp, and Salahnar and Erxsival in South Tharxax. These kingdoms were not friendly with one another, but in times of extreme strife, were able to unite against common enemies.
Sometimes around Av2 1450, A Casain emperor by the name of Sazan Akhir returned from a trip to the Perishing Well, holy site of their worshipped Aspect, Voynahla. He claimed to have heard a prophecy from Voynahla that the Tharhan Kingdoms would die on the end of Casain spears. Interpreting this as a divine call for war, the Casains marched south, beginning the conflict.
Events¶
Emperor Sazan led one large army directly through the Ebony Veldt, seeking to attack the most powerful of the Tharhan kingdoms, Erxsival and Salahnar in the south. Meanwhile, a secondary army led by General Azhar landed in a port town in western Anyr'Nogur, founding what would become the city of Sal'Anyr as a fortification.
The Six Tharhan Kingdoms responded in turn, briefly unifying to send an army to fight the first Casain army, meeting somewhere around the Ebony Veldt or North Tharxax. This army was large, but did not mesh well together. They were able to push the invaders back over the course of about two months despite heavy losses. The tide would turn, however, when the second Casain army made its presence known.
From their clifftop fortifications, Azhar's army rode to the desert floor using Kohlohmah and razed the Tharhan kingdom of Avakea, cutting directly through the heart of the six kingdoms and meeting with the main force. The kingdoms' supply lines were cut, and the invaders appeared poised to claim victory.
Just as it seemed that the Casains were about to conquer the region, however, the hidden army of Caer Adacia emerged to the surface, revealing themselves for the first time. Founded by exiled prisoners over the course of several centuries, Caer Adacia had been growing in strength and numbers, waiting for the perfect moment to emerge from their underground fortress. Their Nightwalkers encircled the Casain forces, swiftly cutting through both the invaders and the Tharhan warlords who would oppose them. The main Casain army, including Emperor Sazan, was mostly killed, and the Nightwalkers swept through the rest of the region in less than a month.
The leader of Caer Adacia, Tiderra I, crowned herself Empress of Tharhan, and annexed the six kingdoms into the Second Tharhan Empire. The newly minted empire signed the Treaty of One Moon with Casai, allowing them to keep their holdings in Anyr'Nogur and become a trade partner to Tharhan, growing alongside them.
Aftermath¶
The War of Unification set in stone the two dominant Drehmari states in western Drehmal for the next ~200 years, up until both were annexed by a rapidly growing Avsohm. The hilltop fortification that the Casains established during this war would eventually grow into a bustling metropolis known as Azen'nath, which would become the key Avsohmic city of Sal'Anyr.