War for Torko's Cock

The War For Torko's Cock was a brief rebellion by the Asmapularji yøgä against the ruling Sarkatärji dynasty, fought concurrently with the Great Grouse War between 323 and 324 ABV. While the rebellion was shortlived and the Asmapularji failed to secure the support of other yøgäi, it had significant consequences for the fledgling Kingdom of Rothrän, and resulted in the near annihilation of the Asmapularji yøgä.
==Prelude==
There had been a growing enmity between the Asmapularji and the Sarkatärji ever since the death of Raagi Asmapularji's son at the hands of Majzari Sarkatärji during the Jamai War. There was, however, not much support for the Asmapularji as Juhenhari had led a mutiny against Majzari as a result of the latter's harsh discipline of unruly elements within the army, and, as Juhenhari did not wish to be accused of murdering the Jøgae's younger brother and heir, had demanded the duel in which he was ultimately slain. Nevertheless, rumours circulated for years that Raagi Asmapularji had secretly sworn a blood oath against the Sarkatärji.
Called to a war council during the onset of the Great Grouse War, Raagi Asmapularji insulted the Jøgae, Rejzamaziri, and openly declared his intent to support any other claimant to the Tusken Throne, upon which Majzari stood up and called him a dog. Once again, Raagi did not find much support among the gathered Yægäi, and thus stated that he would not participate in a northern expedition against the Grouses for fear of Sarkatärjid treachery. It was then that Kai Murrjadi stood, declaring that rather then the Sarkatärji, Raagi was terrified of Jarkatajärva's fingernails, causing Raagi to storm out of the chamber.
Utterly humiliated, Raagi plotted to assassinate the Jøgae. However, other members of the Asmapularji, most notably his brother Arjäri whom had bled beside Rejzamaziri in the Galáspatran War, were not so keen on betraying the Jøgae while under invasion. Thus, Arjäri notified Majzari, whom set out to deal with the conspiracy.
Unbeknownst to Arjäri, Raagi had implicated his son, Balti Asmapularji, in the conspiracy. Thus, Balti, his friend Osgi, and Raagi Asmapularji were felled by arrows as they attempted to carry out their plot.
On the mainland, the Asmapularji believed that Torko Asmapularji, the other son of Arjäri, had betrayed the Asmapularjan plot to the Jøgae, thus kidnapping, torturing, and interrogating their cousin, asking him if he had forgotten his oaths. He was left castrated and tied to a tree, where he was saved by a local herder.
When Arjäri heard of his sons torture, he immediately suspected that Majzari was behind it. Upon the next war council, he accused Majzari of conspiring to murder his son Balti, and torture Torko. 
However, rather then take an aggressive stance, as Raagi had, Arjäri instead pleaded with the Jøgae to allow him to duel Majzari for vengeance, stating thus: "I am a good man, who told of the plot of my late brother to Majzari not due to greed but for love of our Jøgae Rejzamaziri."
==Rejzamaziri's Decision==
Rejzamaziri, in turn, was horrified at the suffering that Arjäri's blood had sustained as a result of Raagi's plots. However, he declared that, as he had been involved in the plot to assassinate Rejzamaziri, Balti was a traitor and that surely, not even Arjäri could demand blood to be shed for Balti. Rather, Rejzamaziri stated, Arjäri was instead owed compensation for the innocent suffering of Torko, whom was not directly implicated in the plot. Thus, Rejzamaziri disallowed a duel between Majzari and Arjäri, instead stating that the crown would pay Arjäri silver menya and dried fish, and that Majzari would thus be banished from the Island of Karkuterja for seven years.
Majzari was momentarily stunned at Rejzamaziri's judgement, but eventually rose and addressed the council "I was but to return to the war, brother, to defend your kingdom. A brother who thought less of his brother would have called this unfair and protested. I for my part is content to state that I gladly would have fought either of these in a duel, and that I have loyally served my brother."
Majzari was thus banished from Karkuterja, however with Rejzamaziri also preparing to sail to the mainland to fight against the Great Grouses, the banishment of his heir meant that the Rothrän needed to elect a regent to rule Karkuterja whilst the Jøgae was away. Thus, Kai Murrjadi was elected regent as a compromise candidate, as the Murrjadi had only recently acceded to Rothrän and the council did not believe that Kai would have the support necessary to dominate the island. Nevertheless, Kai's election as regent both significantly improved his political clout within the kingdom, would help to ingratiate him further with the Sarkatärjids - both of which would serve Kai's long term ambitions.
==Torko's Sacrifice And Opening Hostilities==
Initially, Arjäri was satisfied with the Jøgae's judgement, but Torko did not share his fathers feelings, and was completely devastated by the loss of his manhood. Unable to bear the thought of living a eunuch, Torko drowned himself in a river, instructing the Asmapularjan priest Gavri to cut out his heart and tell Arjäri that he had been slain by Majzari.
Thus the Asmapularji assembled and planned their rebellion, which they would conduct by sneaking 100 loyalists into Tuomvärji to attack the barracks whilst a they moved a diversionary force towards the edge of the fledgling city. But once again the Asmapularji were not united, and Dyrjati, who called the plot monstrous and suggested that the rebellion would be stillborn, before himself departing for Tuomvärji.
Unbeknownst to the Asmapularji, nor the war council, Majzari had in fact not left Karkuterja as he feared a rebellion, and together with the prophet Ussajamølussipakasatri set up a network of informants on Karkuterja, thus learning of the Asmapularjan plot. The rebels in Tuomvärji quickly found themselves beset by the city guard, and over half of the 100 involved in the plot were arrested or slain, with the rest fleeing into the wilderness. 
Realizing their attack had been foiled, the Asmapularji rebels initially intended as a diversionary force retreated to Ashigargi, fortifying the westernmost settlement on Karkuterja and calling on the yøgäi on the mainland to rise up against the Sarkatärji. Engaged as they were with the war against The Great Grouses, none of the other yøgäi responded to the Asmapularjan pleas, and instead Kai Murrjadi took the opportunity to arrest Raagi's granddaughter, Nika Asmapularji, to use as a political hostage.
==Kai Murrjadi's Triumph==
The Asmapularji spent the winter of 323-324 fortifying Ashigargi, while Majzari and Rejzamaziri were both forced to depart for the mainland to defend the kingdom from Jarkatajärva's incursions. Thus, the Jøgae, suspicious of other yøgäi taking advantage of his absence to join the rebellion, declared that as Kai Murrjadi was recently elected regent, he would lead the loyalist forces against the Asmapularji on Karkuterja. The Jøgae correctly reasoned that Kai Murrjadi and his yøgä were still seen as outsiders, and thus Kai would be unable to muster much support should he too seek to betray the Jøgae. Nevertheless, it is clear that Kai was benefitting from the enmity between the Asmapularji and Sarkatärji, and was beginning to build his own political clout. For Kai, a victory against the Asmapularji here would be a significant achievement and step towards his future ambitions, especially now that the Asmapularji had burned three virgins of Ashigargi alive as a sacrifice to the gods, and forced the elders of the settlement to swear blood oaths to fight to the death.
But above all else, Kai was a cautious commander, and did not wish to needlessly spill the blood of his men, and instead prepared to lay siege to Ashigargi rather then storm the settlement. However, as Kai prepared the siege, he was approached by a Rangarji, whom had been pressed into service as a sentry for the Asmapularji. A loyal supporter of Rejzamaziri, Rangarji stated that he would do his duty to his kingdom, and that he and his companions would light the granary of Ashigarji ablaze, thus shortening the siege.
As pillars of smoke filled the air of Ashigargi, the Asmapularji believed that Kai Murrjadi had ordered an assault on the settlement, and ordered a breakthrough. They were instead mercilessly slaughtered by the waiting loyalists, with two thirds of the Asmapularji dying in this engagement. Of the remaining third, a half of the men were captured, while the rest retreated to the barracks of Ashigargi, throwing themselves upon the pyre rather then suffer imprisonment at Kai's hands.
Though his actions no doubt saved hundreds of lives, the young Rangarji ultimately succumbed to wounds sustained in the fire, survived by his widow and son of the same name. Nevertheless, Kai Murrjadi had broken the Asmapularji rebellion, an act which earned him significant prestige among the yøgäi.
==Aftermath==
The War for Torko's Cock represented the first time that one of the great yøgäi rebelled against the Jøgae, and though the strength of the Asmapularji was broken, the rebellion had lasting consequences for the political landscape on Karkuterja. Though still viewed with a hefty amount of suspicion as an outsider, Kai Murrjadi had seized upon the events to attain significant political influence and clout, while further endeared himself to the Sarkatärji, most notably the Jøgae, Rejzamaziri, who would later die under mysterious circumstances nearly a decade later at a small banquet hosted by Kai Murrjadi in 334 ABV. Thus, while the rebellion was unsuccessful, the events of the War for Torko's Cock laid the foundation for the political turmoil that would engulf Karkuterja in the coming decades.
Category:Wars
Category:Soroniphea