Zazimar War

right|300px The Zazimar War, also called the Trynsern-Zazimar War, is a conflict fought by Zazimar against the Empire of Trynser and Sapoth from Willene 30th, 1736 to Gondovard 3rd, 1740. The war was instigated when it became obvious that the Fist of Anneal incident was not going to be resolved to Zazimar's satisfaction, and in retaliation, the Sapothian capital of Sollus was struck by a meteorite on Willene 29th, 1736. Also contributing to the war was the fact that military patrols both on land and sea regularly infiltrated each other's territory and bloody skirmishes were getting more common. A noteworthy event before formal hostilities were declared was the capture of a Trynsern patrol of seventy cavalrymen in Zazimar territory in the summer of 1736. Their heads were returned to the Viceroy of Suledaria.
==History==
===Early Hostilities===
The King of Sapoth had allowed Trynsern agents to destroy the troublesome Fist of Anneal. This resulted in a degree of friendship and communications between the two countries. Trynser provided assistance in talking down the conflict between Sapoth and Kragomesh which had been aggrieved by the Fist. Upon the destruction of Sollus by the metorite, the king of Sapoth demanded Trynsern intervention. Already to the breaking point with Zazimar, Trynsern Emperor Artemius VII obliged. Imperial Crown Prince Roderick enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to earn his stripes, having missed out on the war of Gormann's Horde.
The earliest hostilities saw little more than a stepping up of the already brisk patrolling between the two nations. Zazimaran raiders and Trynsern privateers ravaged the western Intamerack Sea. In the meantime, both nations were gearing up for what promised to be a long and gruelling conflict. Hawks from Karninia and other realms in the Trynsern Imperial Senate promised to pursue the war until Zazimar was completely eradicated. Trynser appealed to Venteel and other nations for alliance in the conflict, but as of yet it has scored no other ally than Sapoth. However, the gnomes of Igonia have been providing some assistance to Trynser. For it's part, Sapoth is largely tied up along its border in a tense showdown with Kragomesh which they are now trying to defuse. On the other hand, Zazimar's traditional ally Pengaldia declined to get involved with this conflict. This may change should Zazimar's survival become seriously threatened.
===The Aldoredi Feint===
Army level hostilities began with a Trynsern invasion of north coastal Zazimar to the southeast of the port city of Aldoredi. Lord General Alvren Sendomar led 35,000 troops across nearly two hundred miles of relatively fertile coastal lowlands to approach Aldoredi, with the goal of bluffing the Zazimarans into believing this was the main invasion. The first Trynsern triumph was against the dreaded Ft. Dragonguard, swiftly reduced by the Imperial Mordh'Dhagai artillery. The drive pierced the rear of the Zazimaran defensive arrangements in the battle of Mt. Vezerant. Upon reaching Aldoredi, the more elite troops quietly returned to their base in Mesralant in Casterria while they were replaced by greener troops who hunkered down to beseige that city. Lord General Sendomar returned as well, leaving Lord General Brennus Vandovaskar of Kasteban to keep the seige on Aldoredi.
===Assault on Starrreach===
On Chillwind 18th, 1736 numerous fast ships from Zazimar completely evaded a screen of Imperial warships and beached on Starreach Central Island and by Zazimar magic, thousands of troops poured out. The Trynsern Naval Base was destroyed and the magical research and study colleges were heavily damaged, but the assault was repelled. The Trynsern fleet intercepted the surviving raiders.
===Main Thrust and Disaster===
On Chillwind 15th, 1737, Lord General Sendomar, personally accompanied by Imperial Crown Prince Roderick, led another invasion of 40,000 troops spearheaded by veterans of the Aldoredi Feint into a bold drive into the Zazimar heartland. This thrust was further to the south, through hellish desert and mountains. Although it appeared that all border watch posts were in order, on Chillwind 34th, a Zazimaran assault struck the Trynsern supply line and took up a strong position along not only the supply line, but the line of retreat. The next day the Imperial army was ambushed at the Battle of Three Forts, 100,000 Zaimarans against 40,000 Trynsern. The battle raged for two days, when it ended the Trynsern army was smashed. Thousands were known to have died in the fighting, thousands of more surrendered. Some groups escaped into the rocky wastelands, a few have since been rescued. Others are perishing in the hellish Zazimaran desert.
Prince Roderick escaped with his close staff and associates, only to be captured by a crack team of Zazimaran troops and brought back to Zazimar.
===After the Disaster===
Trynser was in a very bad situation. The army of 40,000 had been effectively erased. Zazimarans had crossed the border and closed in on the Trynsern city of Mesralant. General Vandovaskar had been forced to lift the siege on Aldoredi to scramble back with his army to defend the Trynsern city. Trynsern commanding general Sendomar vanished without a trace as soon as the Battle of Three Forts began, and it appears in hindsight that he may have thrown the battle to the Zazimarans and skedaddled. Prince Roderick was held by Zazimar - it was thought if he was lucky. And it appeared that the Imperial plans, intelligence, and even communications were spoiled by their enemies.
===The War's End===
The war ended with an armistice on Gondovard 3, 1740, four years after it began, with much wasted blood and permanently damaged soldiers and lands. The borders remained essentially the same. The Zazimaran faction leading the war lost its position and was replaced by another. The end of the war was sudden. Both sides were gearing up for a huge confrontation when an armistice occurred. It was generally believed the armistice was because of The Summit of Teliot between Zazimar Princess Assandra Vanna and Trynsern Princess Imperial Alexandria Souixen Galderon, and was due to the use of the Globus Cruciger autem Dryas.
The Trynsern Prince Imperial remained missing, the Zazimarans claimed that they lost track of his whereabouts. It was found that General Sendomar deliberately delivered his army to the Zazimarans and was sentenced to death in absentia. Afterwards, thousands of troops were demobilized and sent back home.
Of course, this is a rough outline and we hope to make better sense of it in the future.
Category:Citadel's Shadow Update