Legacy War

Date 	452-456
Location 	Maraldia
Result 	Red Victory
* Beginning of decline in worship of the Dawn Gods
* Beginning of decline of Empire of Thanatos
* Colonization of Anathrad Isle by Brunians
* Resurgence of Kingdom of Ruil and House Valor
* Beginning of Kadrese dominance in Shuddering Sea
* End of Brun-Brelsh Hegemony in the Riverlands
* Creation of the United Federation of the Riverlands, new balance of power
* Fragmentation of Dural
Belligerents 	Belligerents
Gilted Pact (Reds)
* Aureate Citadel
* Kingdom of Ruil
* Kingdom of Brun
* Kingdom of Brell (453-454)
* Woodland Realm (453-454)
* Republic of Kadra (From 453)
* Kingdom of Kydell
* Kingdom of Zythradin (453)
* Qrumfin of Qyllg (From 453)
* Alliance of Conjugate Republics of Augar [ACRA] (453-455)
* Empire of Lesser Chausar (From 453)
* Ezra Warriors
* Order of the Daffodil	Dragon Alliance (Blues)
* Empire of Thanatos
** Colonia of Phobos
* Primogeniture
** Tribes of the Western Wastes
** Tribes of Norradet
** Tribes of the Southern Plains
* Horhalf of Kzelthov (453-455)
* Folk of the Sevlin Hills (453-454)
* Children of Lolth (453)
* Republic of Tryr (453-454)
* United Federation of the Riverlands (453-454)
* Republic of Asdan (453-454)
* Dragon Horde
* Kingdom of Ruil [Goldbugs] (452-453)
Commanders and Leaders	Commanders and Leaders
* Grand Arbiter Soraka - Aureate Citadel
* King Bard Gilead - Kingdom of Brun
* King Patrem Locke - Kingdom of Brell
* Huetlatoani Chipahua-la - Qrumfin of Qyllg
* Queen Iliya - Kingdom of Kydell
* Doge Acacio Tortorello - Republic of Kadra
* King Richard Valor I - Kingdom of Ruil	
* Emperor Claudion Eledyr - Empire of Thanatos
* Silas - Primogeniture
* Horhalf Dalolus - Horhalf of Kzelthov
* Elder Dragon Jeqon - Dragon Horde
* Director Ramsay Chanvil - United Federation of the Riverlands
* N'bqgqwo'ou - The Elder Ones
Strength 	Strength
Initial: 	Initial:
Top Strength:
* ~35,000 Citadel (peak)
* ~65,000 Ruil (peak)
* ~350,000 Qyllg (peak)
* ~20,000 Zythradin (peak)
* ~75,000 Brell (peak)
* ~50,000 Kydell (peak)
* ~60,000 Kadra (peak)
* ~5,000 Woodland Realm (peak)
* ~35,000 Brun (peak)
* ~40,000 ACRA (peak)
* ~55,000 Lesser Chausar (peak)	Top Strength:
* ~600,000 Thanatos (peak)
* ~15,000 Primogeniture (peak)
* ~10,000 Tryr (peak)
* ~45,000 UFR (peak)
* ~6,000 Sevlin Hills (peak)
* ~15,000 Kzelthov (peak)
* ~3,000 Children of Lolth (peak)
* ~50,000 Elder Ones (peak)
* ~20,000 Goldbugs (peak)
* ~20,000 Asdan (peak)
Casualties and Losses 	Casualties and Losses
 	
The Legacy War was a conflict spanning nearly the entirety of the continent of Maraldia. It arose from a more intimate struggle between the forces of Primogeniture and the Order of the Daffodil, who supported the Primordials and the Dawn Gods respectively. This struggle was fought over the discovery of the Legacy Weapon, an artifact that when completely assembled was thought to have the power to destroy the Dawn Gods. Though the Order of the Daffodil looked to be emerging victorious from the conflict, a betrayal by one of their allies led to the death of their leader and the escape of Silas, Primogeniture's leader. Silas convinced the Emperor of Thanatos, Claudion Eledyr, to press hegemonic claims against the faraway Kingdom of Ruil, and their combined forces struck at the heart of the River Kingdoms.
Concurrently, the few remaining dragons in Maraldia 
Alt-Art Selivan.jpg|Selivan Tarquin, perhaps the most trusted diplomat of the era; his death in 452 sparked the beginning of the conflict
Silas Magenta 2.jpg|Silas, leader of the Primogeniture cult, and murderer of Selivan
Narael Blue-0.jpg|Narael Tarquin, the enigmatic manipulator behind the War
Claudion Eledyr.jpg|Claudion Eledyr, Emperor of Thanatos and wielder of the Black Lotus
Katris.jpg|Katris Eledyr, named Imperator and commander of all Thanosian Armies in 452
Big Dragon.jpg|Ragasodon, the most powerful dragon ever to have lived
Cedric Post-Scarring.jpg|Cedric, Canto of the Ezra, and widely considered the greatest warrior in the world
Christine 2.jpg|Christine Tarquin, a former Thanosian that desperately tries to fill Selivan's void
File:Richard 2.jpg|Richard Valor I, uniter of Ruil and the mastermind behind the Gilted Pact alliance
aligned themselves with the Thanosians and Primogeniture, Elder Dragon Jeqon wanting vengeance against the Rulians for the previous genocide against the dragons. Claudion was able to take control of the draconic experiment, Ragasodon, and used him to intimidate any possible enemies and destroy any resistance against him. Poenid, Jeqon's former acolyte, and Fewa-Ir, a recently revived Dracolich, joined Jeqon in the conquest.
The war is perhaps most infamous for its absolutely sprawling nature, with nations nearly every region on the continent involving themselves in some fashion. 
== Background and Lead-up ==
=== Dawn War ===
=== Draconic Purges ===
=== Great Riverlands War ===
=== Empire of Thanatos ===
=== Discord in Ruil ===
=== Legacy Conflict  ===
=== Claudion's Rivalry with Christine Tarquin ===
== Events of the War ==
* Home Defense Force: 10 Legions=50k
** XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLIV, XLV, XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX, L
* Auguarine Expeditionary Force: 8 Legions=40k
** II, XII, XIV, XXI, XXV, XXVII, XXXIV, XXXIX
* Rulian Expedition: 25 Legions=125k
** I, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XIII, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXII, XXIII, XXVI, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII
*** Northern Expedition: 1L
**** XXX
**** Maximus Albicon
*** Free Riverfolk: 3L
**** XIX, XXIII, XXIX
**** Julia Albicon, Mary Cantullus, Lorna Cassiana
*** Tryr: 2L
**** XVII, XX
**** Vesci Strashilova, Faustus Vopiscus
*** Brell: 6L
**** VIII, XXXI, V, VII, XVIII,XXII,
**** Aulus Alsbain, Sierida Loquinaire, Odde Inturrugi, Marcus Albicon, Bruce Collines, Maximus Balbillus
*** Ruil: 13L
**** XXXIII, XXXII, XXXVII, XVI, XXXV, XIII, IV, VI, XXVI, XXXVI, I, X, IX
**** Grantus Eledyr, Brygos Thoma, Tiberius Victor, Potamon Diomedes, Venturia Naevia, Yolan Nenea, Caius Cantullus, Grantus Boltwarm, Adelin Fotura, Leonina Fotura, Tholas Maxima, Reinwyse Delvau, Vicinia Cassiana
* Reserve Force: 7 Legions
** III, XI, XV, XXIV, XXVIII, XXXVIII, XL
== Diveterra [Eastern Theater] ==
=== Naval Campaigns (452-456) ===
(West, South, and East)
==== Kadrese Campaign (453-454) ====
Aqua-Terrestrial Elder Invasion (453-455)
* Skirmish of Roolsted (453)
* Battle of Honlindane (453)
** Minor engagement; Red Victory.
* Battle of Havorem Bay (453)
** Major engagement; Red Victory.
* Skirmish of St. Olon's Cathedral (453)
* Belkin's Crusade (454)
** Major Engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Boan Rock (455)
* Battle of M'Baodfiqwerq (455)
** Major Engagement; Red Victory.
=== Asdan Campaign (454) ===
* Land
* And
* Sea
== Riverlands and Aurland [Central Theater] ==
=== War for the Wolf's Den (452-453) ===
* Battle of Ely (452)
** Minor engagement; Colin of Carlisle is sent to gather support of North Cheselwyn for Richard Valor, supporters of Hugh Jackwidth under Steven Wheelin move into to stop them and seize the castle of XXX, fierce battle follows, under Colin's leadership, Cheselwynders defeat the invaders and declare for Richard. Red Victory.
* Battle of Fellkirk (452)
** Major engagement; Main force of Richard, houses Rosmund, Hammond, and Cruncher, meets main force of Hugh, houses Gravy and Moros, under Doran Moros; Moros knows that additional army under Hernaeus Bork is coming to reinforce him and decides to engage Richard's force, force never arrives and Doran is forced to retreat after heavy fighting. Red Victory.
* Battle of Butter's Pond (452)
** Minor engagement; Small party of outriders under Larry detect reinforcing group under Hernaeus Bork, he chooses to perform a delaying action rather than rejoin Richard's main force, fierceness of defense gives Bork pause and he retreats. Red Victory.
* Battle of Lichpin (453)
** Major engagement; Some of Moros's force picked up by Bork, Moros is removed from command and order given by Jackwidth to concentrate all forces near Buller's Castle for a march to Aurum, Valor strikes out while they are marching but Bork is able to beat back attack and continue march to Buller's Castle in good order. Blue Victory.
* Battle of Hoppin Mine (453)
** Minor engagement; Jackwidth troops cut off from march to Buller's castle and holed up at Hoppin Mine, Valor attacks them but the manage to beat him back, eventually find other exit to mine and join Jackwidth main host at Buller's Castle. Blue Victory.
* Siege of Buller's Castle (453)
** Major engagement; Supporters of Valor from North and South coalesce at Buller's Castle, where Jackwidth's supporters have gathered, forces meet in battle as Jackwidth wishes to avoid siege, Larry performs feigned retreat and Colin performs ferocious counterattack with reserve, Jackwidth forces are broken and Jackwidth himself flees to avoid capture, most of the remaining troops swear fealty to Valor. Red Victory.
* Battle of Crift Abbey (453)
** Minor engagement; Jackwidth betrayed and his location is revealed, Colin goes with force to demand his surrender, Jackwidth refuses, Abbey is stormed and he is captured, Richard Valor is crowned King of Ruil. Red Victory.
=== Invasion of Brun (452) ===
* Burning of Teraholm (452)
** Not a battle;
* Reclaiming of Teraholm (454)
** Not a battle;
=== Dwarvish Enlistment ===
=== Northern Expedition (452-453) ===
* Battle of White (453)
** Minor engagement; Exhausted remnants of Thanosian northern march finally meet up with
=== Durian Schism (453-457) ===
=== Defiling of the Free Riverfolk (453) ===
=== Formation of the UFR (453) ===
Formation of the UFR
Having successfully rebuffed any diplomatic courting from Thanosian and Citadel-aligned camps, Director Ramsay Chanvil of Rangos firmly placed his nation as an altogether neutral party in the conflict. The Council of Rangos and himself set about securing their own borders and securing alliances with the pair of federations, Dar and Yamos, who had closely followed Rangos since they split away from Pentos nearly a century previously. When news began to arrive about Dural's mounting fragmentation, and reports arrived of Brell's intent to join the war against Thanatos, Rangos recognized this as a perfect opportunity to raise its own status and perhaps supplant Brell as the powerhouse of the region. They sent emissaries to the two federations, and the three countries deliberated for about a week, ironing out the details of a possible annexation. They attempted to make offers to the Republic of Tryr as well, but its current administration rebuffed any attempts to get them at the table, as they were busy courting another possible ally: The Empire of Thanatos itself.
Meanwhile, the ancient Pentoshi King, Cameron Orlis, had been receiving some fairly pertinent threats from Thanosian agents, who promised the destruction of his nation if he aligned against them. Duke ____ of Tencho said that they ought to side with Thanatos so that Pentos could possibly win some territory from Brell, while the other two Dukes favored waiting and seeing what would happen. Cameron had no desire to see his nation torn apart by war, and his mind was addled through bouts of rheumatism and glaucoma. So, after listening to the intense arguments of his dukes, he made the drastic decision to disassemble the Kingdom of Pentos altogether. He announced the country no longer existed, saying that the other Dukes could side with whichever force they desired, and he retired to his chambers to "die alone". He gave the official documents to his stunned attendants and retreated, leaving the aghast Dukes to share one last meeting of respect with one another before riding home to their respective Duchies to plan their next move.
This was made public around the time that Rangos was finalizing its new united Federation, as Duke _____ appealed to them for help. ___ decided to take a risk by announcing his intent to Rangos to align himself with Thanatos, and wondered if the powerful Federation would like to join him in doing so. Rather than do that, the council decided to offer his Duchy a spot in their new nation, which the Duke happily accepted. When their intent to create a united Riverlands was finally made public in late February, King Patrem Locke of Brell was furious, claiming that Rangos was merely using the political climate of the time to intimidate the other nations into joining with them. His perspectives were shared amongst many of the socially progressive figures of Brell, though many military leaders, including Lord Protector Nors "Kale" Locke, nervously wondered about Brells' capacity to fight multiple enemies at once. The newly minted United Federation of the Riverlands demanded that they be recognized as a sovereign nation, which Brell ultimately refused to do, Patrem publicly issuing his intent to free the other nations as soon as they were finished contending with the invaders (Thanatos). The UFR had no intent to sit around waiting for this to happen, quickly sending couriers to Imperator Katris and informing her of their desire to declare war on Brell. The UFR marshaled its forces at Montgomery under the command of Lord Protector Hallos Luvlin, 20,000 strong, and rapidly marched them to the Brelsh border, just as Thanatos also came knocking.
=== Brelsh Campaign (453-454) ===
* Lamenting the stubbornness of his uncle, Lord Protector Nors "Kale" Locke of Brell, a veteran of the Great Riverlands War, realized his under-prepared forces would have to contend with the terrifyingly powerful army of Thanatos, which it was not at all prepared to engage with, as well as their usual rival, Rangos. As Thanatos's army was rapidly approaching from the southwest, he inwardly cursed as Tryr, another Brelsh rival, not only allowed them access through their lands, but decided to commit troops to their force as well. Brell's most dependable and powerful ally, Brun, had suffered from a massive attack by the dragon Ragasodon that left their organization shattered. King Bard was presumed dead, and tens of thousands of Dragonborn refugees were now streaming across the borders from Dural, which was now embroiled in a civil uprising. The Riverlands was in complete and utter chaos, and Brell was placed in the utterly untenable of having to face the might of Thanatos alone. 
* Not all was lost, however; there were some hopeful aspects to the situation. Tryr had only just resolved a seven-year long period of instability and civil warfare, and were still quite weak. The troops they could bring against Brell would therefore be very limited in number, equipment, and quality. Rangos and its Federation allies were quite organized, but they would be checked by the complexities of forming a new nation and going to war at the same time. The Woodland Realm, Brell's longtime ally, was as always willing to pledge its troops, and while they were small in number, Nors was cheered at working alongside Lord Protector Alenia Elazorwyn once again. In addition, thanks to the diplomatic endeavors of Christine Tarquin, the Kingdom of Ruil, newly united under King Richard Valor, was offering its support to defend Brell. Ruil was widely considered beyond a shadow of its former self, and was not highly regarded by any nation, especially after its defeat at the hands of the much smaller Kingdom of Zythradin during the Rulian-Zyth War. However, Nors was not going to turn down help freely offered. Christine was putting in additional work assembling a coalition of other nations to fight against Thanatos, but for now, Nors had to play the hand he was dealt. 
* He quickly ordered a full muster of all of Brell's troops, but was only able to gather forces from the west and center of Brell, some 35,000 men. Waiting for additional forces from the eastern provinces and his Elven allies, which he guessed could give him another 20,000 men, Nors wanted to prolong an engagement with Thanatos as long as possible to face them with his full strength. Ruil would take a long while to muster its troops, at the least several months, and bring them to bear against Thanatos, so they could not be counted on for their immediate support. There were many tens of thousands of Brunian refugees, and many were angry and eager to fight, but they were not at all organized and were scattered all across Brell. Nors detailed logistical support to create refugee centers for the dragonborn in hopes of getting them to recover and join the war effort. Even with all of that, Brell was still quite outnumbered: estimates of Thanosian troop numbers ranged from 50-80,000, and those were professional troops commanded by a competent leader, Katris Eledyr. In addition, Tryr, while greatly diminished, could still provide 7-10,000 troops, and Rangos and its allies could easily raise an army of 30,000. The intelligent strategic move would be for Nors to provide minimal resistance, to let his enemies invade, to spread their troops and their supply lines across Brell, and then to strike when and where they were weakest. But when faced with the possibility of letting them rampage through his kingdom unmolested, Nors faltered. He had heard the testimony of Brunian refugees, of the slaughters in the Lands of the Free Riverfolk, of the tales of Thanosian brutality. When faced with the suffering of the Brelsh people, Nors was unable to retain his stoicism. He decided to fight. 
* Nors chose to concentrate his troops and delay the Thanosian army, viewing them as the greater and more pressing threat. He sent a token force of 5,000 men under his chief subordinate, Benjamin Dixon, to defend Miller's Crossing, the river pass into Brell from Rangos, and to buy as much time as possible against Rangos and its allies. With his other 30,000 he went personally to meet the main Thanosian force near the town of Harmon on the southwestern border of Brell. 
* Battle of Miller's Crossing (453) -
** Minor engagement; Luvlin's forces marched orderly. Blue Victory.
* Battle of Harmon (453)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
** Once Nors arrived at Harmon, on March 20th, his greatest fears were realized. The main host of Thanosians had already crossed into Brell and were heading down the main turnpike right towards him. Katris was relentless in her march, skillfully pressing her troops onward at a breakneck speed. She was aided by some 5,000 Tryrians under General Peter Onock, grandson of Gordon Onock who had fought against the Brunians some 80-odd years before. She relied upon the Tryrians for their familiarity with the terrain, utilizing them as scouts and auxiliaries. It was at Harmon that her troops ran into their first real resistance, that being the 30,000 men of Nors Locke. 
** Locke had set his troops up in the heights to the west of Harmon, and was in a decently strong defensive position. Realizing she would not be able to brush away this resistance with just her vanguard, as she had done in the past, Katris began to shake her troops out of marching formation and into battle. With her, she had the entirety of Tiberius Victor's III Corps as well as the majority of Aulus Alsbain's II Corps, together numbering about 45,000 men, and Onock's 5,000 Tryrians. The rest of Alsbain's as well as Grantus Eledyr's I Corps was still on the road and could arrive within two days. However, Katris did not see a need to delay an attack.
** On the 22nd of March, Katris attacked in a wide front at all points of the Brelsh line. Nors was shocked at the ferocity and discipline of the assault, and the Brelsh line wavered. However, they still managed to hold, a pitched battle waged throughout the morning. Eventually, Victor achieved a breakthrough on the Thanosian left, and began to roll up the Brelsh line. Nors quickly managed to pull back the majority of his troops, though many thousands were cut down or captured in the retreat. He lost 10,000 men in the battle, a third of his total force, and his troops were demoralized, though still intact. The Thanosians had in comparison lost 5,000 men total, 1,000 of them Tryrians. Katris simply ordered the troops engaged in the battle to clear the road and rest as they allowed the rest of Alsbain's corps and the I Corps to now take the lead. The Thanosian invasion of Brell continued relatively unchecked, Nors's attempt to slow them down only succeeding in costing him heavy casualties and delaying them by a day at most. 
* Battle of West Loxley (453)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
** Forced to retreat at great speed, Nors headed east along the road to Waleaux with 20,000 men, hoping to unite with his eastern forces. He heard reports that Alexander Dixon had yielded both Miller's Crossing and the city of Langlais to the Rangosians, who were now marching south to unite with the Thanosian forces. Dixon had not attempted to block or harry the Rangosian advance at all, and had instead retreated to the capital Latford. This was possibly the worst possible outcome for Nors, as now the Rangosians and Thanosians were likely to link up. He decided to change tactics, figuring that the Thanosians were too powerful to defeat alone, but that the Rangosians were not. He moved north to the city of Donlack, where he met with the 20,000 men of the eastern provinces under Duke Harold Porter, and then west again, parallel to the Thanosians to the south marching east, to attack the Rangosians.
** Unfortunately for Nors, Katris had anticipated Nors would perform such a move, and had planned around it. She sent Victor's Corps up north to unite with the Rangosians and seize the city of Salisfield, which surrendered at Victor's threat of razing it to the ground. Meanwhile, the rest of her force continued its march eastwards. When Nors arrived to meet the Rangosians, he was alarmed to find that they had already linked up with the Thanosians and were ready to offer battle. Rather than meet them there, he decided to retreat once again to the east towards Donlack. Katris, seeing that the Brelsh would offer up further resistance and possibly hamper her ultimate goal of assaulting Ruil, directed her troops north after seizing Waleaux. As Nors arrived at Donlack once again, he was panicked to find the Thanosians already there, waiting for him. Faced with enemies to the west and to the south, he attempted to retreat east to the more defensive mountains and rivers of central Brell, but was unable to arrive there in time before the enemy caught up with his retreat at West Loxley on April 2nd, forcing him to battle.
** Nors was caught in a disastrous position, and he knew it. He had effectively yielded all of the south of Brell to his enemies, and had allowed them to link up to fight his army in force, AND had gotten himself outmaneuvered in his own territory. He did not want to fight at West Loxley, but if he did not, he risked having his entire army overrun. Hallos Luvlin of Rangos was excited to meet Katris, but he was surprised to find her dismissive, terse, and even a touch fatalistic. She assigned her own generals, Alsbain, Victor, and Grantus Eledyr, to command the three wings of the army, slighting Luvlin. The combined forces of the invaders numbered 65,000, and they still had tens of thousands more in reserve yet to arrive. Nors had 44,000. Once again, Katris did not see the need to wait. 
** Battle commenced once more in the morning, and the Brelsh line held for a time. Having failed to gain a foothold on the Brelsh line and in fact having his troops turned back for the first time during their campaign, Victor was infuriated. He amassed a huge number of troops for a colossal assault on the Brelsh center, completely overrunning their lines. Duke Harold Porter, commanding the Brelsh center, was killed, and the entire Brelsh line collapsed. The Brelsh left and right flanks were cut off from each other and retreated separately. The Brelsh right under Duke Marvin Herod had a straight shot to safety to the north, but the Brelsh left under Nors himself was entirely vulnerable to Thanosian attack. 
** In a critical moment, one of Katris's personal friends, Legate Lucian Diomedes, had the troops on hand to assault the Brelsh and cut off their retreat, swallowing up this portion of their army whole. But Lucian hesitated. Just under a month before, his brother, Decimus, had been executed by Emperor Claudion Eledyr during an exhibition of his power and control over the dragon Ragasodon. Claudion sought to intimidate Katris and ensure her loyalty to him, and so had the fanatically loyal (and willing) Decimus executed for no real reason. Lucian had been plagued by doubts of his own loyalty and willingness to the Empire of Thanatos for years at this point, and the callous murder of his brother had only exacerbated his concerns. When given the opportunity to attack, Lucian decided against it, allowing the Brelsh to escape. Most others had not recognized the move, but Katris did, and she made a note of it for later. Even without this, the battle had been disastrous for the Brelsh, with 15,000 casualties and the division of their remaining forces. 
*Siege of Latford (453-454) -
** Major engagement; With the main Brelsh resistance having been swept away at West Loxley, the road to Ruil was left undefended. Katris immediately put 60,000 of her troops on the march south the following day, leaving behind five legions under the command of Exercitus Aulus Alsbain, along with the rest of the UFR and Tryrian forces, (equaling approx. 40,000) to mop up remaining Brelsh resistance and secure their surrender. News of the disaster at West Loxley arrived in Latford soon after, the nobility perhaps not shocked at the result, but panicked nonetheless. The broken and battered remnants of Nors's army slowly began to arrive, equaling only around 6,000 men, just a seventh of the number of troops he had with him at West Loxley. However, Nors was not one of the arrivals, having been blocked off from a return passage to Latford by the Thanosian movements and forced to take what shattered remnants of the army with him down to Ruil. Without Nors in the field to command the second Brelsh army, command fell to the elderly King Patrem himself, who was not at all prepared to engage in a pitched battle. Castles and towns surrendered willingly to the Thanosian advancement, as Alsbain slowly crept her way towards the Brelsh capitol. Merchants and bankers began to pull out of their investments in Brell, leaving the Kingdom minus its vital financial support.
** However, not all hope was lost. 8,000 levies from the eastern provinces arrived on the 11th of April under the command of Duke Galan ___ of XXX. Duchess Elizabeth Barroton of ___ held a series of dinners, meetings, and backdoor agreements, courting many panicked figures into staying to defend Brell. The territory of ___ under Duchess Jessica Mallistone refused to cooperate with Thanosian demands, many of the castles and towns under her control remaining stoically defiant in the face of impending Thanosian doom. These developments slowed Alsbain's march significantly, forcing her to devote more and more of her resources to besieging these places instead of Latford itself. More and more troops trickled into Latford, Dixon scraping the bottom of the barrel to put as many troops in the line as possible. By the time Alsbain's combined force arrived at Latford on the 24th, there were 21,000 troops facing her 26,000.
** With such a small margin by which she outnumbered the Brelsh forces, Alsbain realized she had far too few men to storm the city. She knew she had a better chance at winning a street-by-street engagement with her highly disciplined Thanosian troops, but the UFR and especially Tryrian forces were of dubious quality. She therefore resolved herself to engage in a protracted siege, digging encircling trenches and erecting engines of war, knowing that the Brelsh most likely did not have the resources to supply both an enlarged garrison and city population. Red Victory.
* Jessica Mallistone's Delaying Campaign (453-454)
** With the Siege of Latford underway, Duchess Jessica Mallistone of ___ continued to be a major thorn in the side of the Blue troops.
*Second Battle of the Burning Fields (453)
**Major engagement;
**After the disastrous Battle of West Loxley, the Brelsh army was split in two. Nors led the survivors of the Brelsh left flank, about 11,000 men, on a harrowing march eastward through the mountain passes towards Capstick, where he hoped to hold the line using the highly defensible series of rivers and mountains of central Brell. To his alarm, he found that the Rangosians and their allies had beat him to it. Light cavalry irregulars under Hallos Luvlin had seized the mountain passes, blocking Nors off from the east. Nors was thereby forced to abandon this plan, and march southeast cross-country across southern Brell. Meanwhile, Katris was hot on his heels, having detailed a portion of her army to travel east through the mountain passes and then south to Ruil, and the other portion south to Waleaux and then east from there. Nors retreat was constantly harried by Blue cavalry, who constantly blocked off roads, denied access to supplies, and raided the rear of his army. Nors' hope to head back north was dashed again at Moborough, where he was cut off once again. The one option left to him was to head south to Ruil. 
**In Ruil, the newly coronated King Richard Valor was hurriedly preparing for the oncoming Thanosian invasion. He was shoring up support amongst the Rulian lords, mustering troops, building supply networks, and sending diplomatic envoys to other nations, attempting to form a coalition that could stand against the invasion. The Rulian lords, notoriously independent and insubordinate, shockingly fell in line under Richard. He was charismatic, strong-willed, determined, and charming, traits the Rulians were not used to in their monarch. Still, the task Richard faced was daunting. While he had won the War for the Wolf's Den, he still had to contend with grumbling rebellious lords, as well as the foreign invaders. As refugees from Brun, Brell, and other nations poured into Ruil, Richard graciously offered them supply, shelter, and protection. This was massively difficult, but Richard and his subordinates were game for the challenge, chiefly among them Sir Colin of Carlisle, who Richard named his Lord Protector, and Laramiah, who he named his chief general, or "Marshal." Aiding Richard in the endeavor was an attache from the Ezra Warriors, Rengar Nagamoto, as well as the Elder Dragon Halcyon, whose support greatly increased Richard's credibility and standing. Christine Tarquin and the Order of the Daffodil aided in securing the support of Zythradin, an incredible feat considering the lasting wounds from the Rulian-Zyth War. Canto Cedric of the Ezra also pledged the Ezra Warriors to support Richard, challenging and gaining the fealty of the faraway northern minotaur tribes of Kodlak. Perhaps the most beneficial ally Richard has however was the Aureate Citadel, who under Grand Arbiter Soraka provided a great deal of financial, logistical, and military support. Forced to respond mainly to the massive uprising of the Elder Ones, she was only able to detail a fraction of the Citadel's power, 5,000 troops under Grand Paragon Caldyn of Halona, a Rulian national, to assist Richard in combat. 
**As spring arrived, and March turned to April, reports of Brell's fall began to arrive. Richard amassed his army, some 30,000 troops, and marched them to the northern plains on the borders of Ruil, North Cheselwyn. There, he fortifying the pass into his country, using it as a staging ground. Brunian refugees led by Lord Protector Snowfire Gilead, the highest ranking Brunian leader remaining, arrived with fighters numbering 6,000 at the camp. 4,000 Zyth soldiers, commanded by ___, and the remnants of Nors' army, numbering just 8,000 now, joined too. As logistical and internal issues were resolved, a steady stream of more Rulian troops bolstered Richard's forces. 500 elvish troops, commanded by Lady Valdía Mésca, arrived from the Woodland Realm. The Ezra Warriors, 400-strong, and 1,500 tribal warriors from Kodlak under the command of Cedric were the final arrivals. All of these troops together, supplemented by 2,000 Mercenaries directly paid for by Christine Tarquin, numbered about 67,000. While the majority of that number, 40,000, were Rulians, this was a broad coalition of sovereign nations the likes of which had not been seen since the Fifth Ruinvasion. Opposing this force was another coalition led by the Thanosians: Imperator Katris Eledyr had 35,000 Thanosian troops, consisting of her best legions and full of elite veteran soldiers; 8,000 tribal warriors belonging to the cult of Primogeniture led by the insane and bloodthirsty Silas; Bo Gralt'Pyggy of Kzelthov, who led a combined force of 2,500 Dwarves from the Horhalf of Kzelthov and the Folk of the Sevlin Hills; a large host of 10,000 mercenaries from various contingents, who all wanted to be on the winning side; and four dragons, consisting of the Elder Dragon Jeqon, Jeqon's protege, the ice dragon Poenid, the dracolich Fewa-Ir, and the great primal dragon Ragasodon. 
**Talenia's Guerilla Campaign (453) In an attempt to slow down the Blue advance, Valciter Talenia of the Ezra, Cedric's 2nd in command, led a Guerilla Campaign against them. Talenia was mostly successful in this role, proving to be a nuisance in hit and run attacks, but strong counterattacks led by Silas gradually warded them off, and the blue advance continued. 
**By the end of April, these two forces were mere miles apart. Hoping to avoid bloodshed, Halcyon organized a meeting under a flag of truce. This meeting was ultimately fruitless, as Emperor Claudion Eledyr was not truly looking to negotiate, offering Ruil complete subservience or utter annihilation, an offer that Richard refused. However, it did allow for some consequential interactions between some of the leaders of the armies. Silas goaded Christine and Cedric with the recent death of their friend, Vicora Mirwen; this led Narael Tarquin to later attack Christine in the Battle at the Horrel Farmstead in an attempt to resolve the Legacy Conflict. Halcyon also spoke with his Elder Dragon brother Jeqon for the first time in many thousands of years. He berated the sea dragon for giving in to vindictiveness and vengeance and allowing himself to ally with these murderous invaders. Halcyon's sentiments were so convincing that it led to Poenid abandoning the Blue cause and joining the Reds. 
**With negotiations proving unfruitful, the two sides settled in for a battle. The Red forces had a multi-tiered defensive line, consisting of a broad line of entrenchments blocking the road south, as well as a fallback position on a nearby hill located behind the Red left. Richard was in overall command of the Red army, as the majority of the troops were Rulian, but he was a mostly untested battle commander that had never participated in an engagement this large. As such, he granted a great deal of autonomy and trust to his subcommanders. The Red left was located directly in front of the fallback hill, and was the strongest portion of the Red lines. As such, it was also its least numerous, consisting of 9,000 troops under the command of Lord Protector Nors Locke of Brell. To the right, the center was commanded by Lord Protector Snowfire Gilead of Brun, and was the heaviest formation at 16,000. Snowfire was the most seasoned commander at Richard's disposal, and as such he was granted leeway to take command of other portions of the line. The Red right, with 11,000 troops, the most exposed and vulnerable portion of the line, was given to Marshal Laramiah, who was young, flexible, and creative. An extensive reserve of 15,500 under Lord Protector Colin was to fill in spots in the line where needed. The final portion of the Red army was 14,000 men under King Richard himself positioned directly on the fallback hill. If the Blue forces breached their lines, Richard's line would serve to make a last stand. 
**Opposing them, Katris divided her army up into three corps. The I Corps, located on the Blue right, was commanded by Grantus Eledyr, a dependable and competent if unspectacular commander. It was the smallest of the three Corps at 15,000 but had the most elite troops. The center was under Katris herself, and was the largest formation at 21,000. The Blue left was held by the III Corps under Tiberius Victor, a fiercely aggressive brute of a general who Katris used as her chief attack dog. The III Corps consisted of 19,000 men. 
**On the morning of May 1st, before the battle, a barbaric act took place. Silas of Primogeniture emerged from the Blue lines dragging a bound prisoner: the long thought dead King Bard Gilead of Brun. Positioning himself in front of the Red center, where the majority of the Brunian troops were located, Silas proceeded to savagely dismember and torture the beloved dragonborn king in much the same way his father had been. His scales were cut off, his tail severed, his tongue and limbs as well, and the remnants of his body were consumed by Silas. Snowfire, Bard's uncle, was forced to watch this act and maintain the cohesion of his forces. Snowfire was aided by Gavros Kentarr, a dragonborn prince-in-exile who had helped to lead many Brunians to safety during their exodus. The dragonborn could do nothing but watch in sheer fury and despair as the man who had led them to so many great victories was butchered, many of them wailing and roaring in frustration. Snowfire was quiet, just tears brimming in his scaly eyes. Silas's attempt to instigate a break in the Red line had failed, and he returned to the Blue lines. 
**The battle started with a broad assault by Katris on the center and the Red right. She knew the Red left was its strongest point, and aimed to mostly avoid that side of the battlefield. 
**
* Minor engagement;
* Battle of Boarran Bridge (453)
** Minor engagement; With their sudden involvement in the conflict, the forces of the Woodland Realm were not nearly ready enough to join with their allies in conflict. By the time that Lord Protector Alenia Elazorwyn's army of only 3,000 set off, Brell had already lost terribly at Harmon and West Loxley and was pushed back to Latford. Seeking to take advantage of the lacking defense, an army of 6,000 Durian separatists stumbled its way down towards Brell. Elazorwyn, irritated that she had been unable to help her ally, heard news of the Durian movement, and planted her army firmly on the Fentan River at Boarran Bridge. Some local militia joined her, along with a few peasants from the nearby town of Boarran. The seperatists under Boyar ____ assumed they could sweep the outnumbered Elves from the field easily, though ____'s army smashed against her's several times throughout the day of ___, suffering heavy losses. What the defenders lacked in numbers they made up for in their discipline and skill with the bow. When ___ fell, the Durians morale shattered and they retreated in disarray, their organization completely disintegrating. After making sure the Durians would not return, Elazorwyn crossed the river again and planned her next move. Red Victory. 
* Raid of the Lumbil Camps (453)
** Minor engagement; Elazorwyn knew she would be far behind the main Thanosian force invading Ruil, and she felt a twinge of guilt for being too late to participate in the major engagements against Thanatos, so she resolved to stay behind and assist against Alsbain instead. Assisted by loyal Brelsh citizens and partisans, Elazorwyn split her bolstered force into several small raiding parties that continued to harry Blue movements across __. Whatever supplies Elazorwyn was able to get her hands on were usually sent across the Fentan, where it was then smuggled back over the river to the hungry denizens of Latford.
** Perhaps the most vital of Elazorwyn's raids was the one against the Lumbil Camps, the main staging area for most of the Blue grain supplies. Over 200 wagons of grains and foodstuffs, 300 cattle, and two legionary standards were seized. The food situation for the besieging Thanosians got so bad that they resorted to dismantling their siege weapons and using the sawdust to make their bread. Due to the distinct lack of light troops or cavalry in any force, Alsbain was unable to pursue the Woodlanders.
** Concurrently, the pivotal Battle of Lon was fought down in Ruil, which led to the deaths of Silas and Emperor Claudion Eledyr and the ascension of Quyella Eledyr, who was less eager to continue her father's war. The attack on Bluegate by Amon also wiped out a large portion of the Thanosian senate, leaving just Katris and Quyella in command of the Empire of Thanatos as a whole. Quyella sent for Katris to return to Bluegate as quickly as possible and ordered an overall suspension of hostilities until they could get a governing body in motion. The main Blue force down in Ruil retreated back to Harmon in Brell, and the lessened hostilities allowed them to reinforce Alsbain's suffering troops. Reinvigorated, Alsbain refused to lift the siege of Latford, justifying to Katris by claiming that she was not actively assaulting Brelsh forces and thusly not violating the truce. Red Victory.
* Battle of Hale (454)
** Major engagement; This situation continued til the beginning of 454, where an impromptu Thanosian senate voted to continue hostilities and not go for a peace treaty. They also chose to keep Katris in her position as Imperator, and she immediately decided to abandon their offensive campaigns and pull back all Thanosian troops to more defensible positions. She sent the armies at Harmon and the forces besieging ___ to retreat west to Tryr, and ordered Alsbain to back off from Latford. However, Alsbain was not about to submit. She had a (correct) assumption that the defenders at Latford were on their last legs, and couldn't hold the city much longer. Indeed, there were regularly food riots, which Benjamin Dixon brutally put down. Distasteful of such violent efforts, King Patrem attempted to go among the people to raise their spirits, but they often attacked him and he soon abandoned this. Alsbain informed Katris of the Brelsh's dire situation, but Katris was intent on following the orders given to her by her Empress and her Senate, and continued to pull her armies back to their camps near Tryr.
** Viewing this as betraying the ideals of Thanatos, Alsbain continued her siege, even as the allied armies of Ruil, Brell, Brun, and the Woodland Realm advanced from the south, finally able to move past the Thanosian roadblocks at Harmon. Elazorwyn was able to lift the siege of ___, and later joined up with the main allied host. Hallos Luvlin quietly and quickly marched his troops out before their army was encircled, and when scouts came in informing Alsbain of enemy movements, she finally decided to abandon the siege on ___ -- far too late to escape the encirclement that had already begun. Reinforced by the bloated garrison of Latford, this Red force under the vengeful Nors, 58,000 strong, slowly closed in around Alsbain. To her credit, she realized her grievous mistake, though she refused to surrender, believing it better to die as a soldier than let her nation down. Her army took its stand at the town of Hale, quickly digging trenches and making makeshift fortifications. However, it was far too late, and their numbers were too few to defend assaults from all side. Alsbain was convinced by an aide that it would be useless for her troops to die for no purpose so far from Thanatos, and she eventually surrendered her entire army. Red Victory.
* Battle of Avexiom (454)
** Major engagement; With the retreat of Katris's army and the annihilation of Alsbain's, all that was left against the Reds was Luvlin's army, which had moved back to Miller's Crossing to prevent Red entry into the UFR. Nors, in overall command of the Red army, decided to deal with the UFR first as punishment for attacking Brell when it was at its most vulnerable. He sent a small Rulian and Brelsh force under Benjamin Dixon to seize Harmon and defend it against any possible Thanosian incursions, though he doubted Katris would attack again with Alsbain's army wiped out. With the rest of his 40,000 strong army, consisting of Brelsh, Brunian, and Woodlander troops, he marched quickly towards the border, his men sharing their leader's eagerness.
** Luvlin was faced with the same issue that the leadership of Rangos was faced nearly a hundred years before: face a ferocious army of vengeful dragonborn and Brelsh united under an extremely competent general. The denizens of the UFR, which had swiftly gone from confidently winning the war to suddenly faced with an invasion, began to secretly panic, though the overall mood . He considered disbanding his army and organizing a massive guerrilla campaign against the invaders, though he did not wish to destroy his newly formed country like that. Instead, he threw all of his dice into a massive gamble. He ordered his lieutenants to study the tactics of the legendary King Bard Gilead of Brun, and together they formulated a daring plan. He marched his entire force from their defensive positions at the Crossing, using the woodlands rather than the roads to mask their movement. After a brutal 18-hour march, the UFR army managed to get into an advantageous position along the Red march, who were completely unaware of the UFR movements. He allowed his men a few hours of rest before their ambush, which would take place that night. The late afternoon of the ___, Nors received a few reports from some of his elvish troops that the local wildlife was greatly agitated, and, suspicious, he ordered a halt to the march and further investigations. Luvlin, realizing that the enemy had stopped a bit too early, realized that the enemy was perhaps aware of their position, and immediately flung his exhausted troops in a massive assault against the Reds, who were completely surprised.
** Nors, suddenly and furiously coming to the realization that he had been tricked, immediately organized a staunch defense. The fatigued UFR troops were sloppy in their attack, and quickly began to lose momentum. A vicious counterattack began by Snowfire Gilead on the Red right flank, and the UFR began to fall back. Luvlin desperately rallied his troops and charged them furiously into the center of the Red line, where both Nors and Alenia Elazorwyn were directing their army close to the front. Nors and Alenia were both captured, and the resurgence of the UFR troops broke the morale of the Brelsh, who retreated in disarray, though Snowfire retreated in good order. Nors was reported to have wept bitterly at the sight of his army defeated, and Luvlin commanded his men to look away while the old commander grieved.
** The battle was not entirely disastrous for the Reds, as there was still Dixon's army at Harmon, and Snowfire, who was rallying the remnants of the army back at ___. The nobility of Brell, however, did not view this situation in such a positive light. Their nerves were already frayed after the long siege of Latford, and when calamitous reports arrived from Avexiom they stormed the King's keep and demanded that he surrender. Patrem assured them that his nephew had the situation under control, but when they informed him that Nors had fallen, the old King's confidence faltered. The nobles forced Patrem to abdicate, and in the interim period before his son took the throne, they entered into negotiations with the UFR.
** The UFR, rapidly understanding the immense luck of their situation, rushed through negotiations as quickly as possible. Some of the bolder Brelsh lords, such as Elizabeth Barroton and Jessica Mallistone, realized they were being fooled by a move of desperation, and urged their fellow lords to continue the fight; however, the rest of their number, many of whom were possibly being paid off by bankers and supporters of the UFR. Brell agreed to recognize the sovereignty of the UFR and cede the provinces of ___ and ___, and the UFR intervened on the behalf of Tryr to negotiate them out of the war as well. The Woodland Realm quickly followed the lead of Brell, surrendering as well. With that, the War in the River Kingdoms was at a close. Blue Victory.
=== Rulian Campaign (453) ===
**
**
== Opkomenk, Sallovaulk, Pavleon, and the Timberlands ==
=== Auguarine Theater (453-456) ===
==== West ====
* Battle of Catapan (453)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Managon (453)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Main (454)
** Minor engagement; Red Victory.
* Battle of Fort Pontaissa (454)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Etalpe (455)
** Major engagement; Red Victory.
* Battle of Tespisas(455)
** Major engagement; Stalemate.
* Battle of Palli (455)
** Major engagement; Red Victory.
* Second Battle of Fort Pontaissa (456)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Izel (456)
** Major engagement; Stalemate. 
==== Lake ====
* Battle of Palstis Harbor (454)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Raspberry Swill (454)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Burning of XXX Harbor (455)
** Major engagement; Blue Victory.
* Delaying Battle (456)
** Minor engagement, Blue Victory.
* Seizing of the Straits of Decantalon (456)
** Major engagement; Red Victory.
====Se'Gaeui Gang Campaign====
* Battle of Saton Trade Outpost (453)
** Minor engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Phideng (454)
** Minor engagement; Blue Victory.
* Battle of Cianda (454)
** Minor engagement; Red Victory.
=== Thanosian Internal Chaos ===
* The Reckoning in Bluegate (453)
=== Sevlin Campaign (454) ===
* Many (454)
**
* Taking of the Clay Sanctum (454)
**
=== Kzelthov Campaign (454-455) ===
* Battle on the Fields of Sky (454)
** Major Engagement; Red Victory.
* Siege of the Hild Nedjandar (455)
=== Invasion of Phobos (455-456) ===
* Just (455)
* Three (456)
* Battles (456)
== Aftermath ==