The Anarchy (The Early Fourth Century Civil War in the Kingdom of the Gates)

The Anarchy is the common name for a dynastic civil war engulfing much of the Kingdom of the Gates. It began almost immediately after the Ceasefire Treaty of Erýas, which ended the Second Vidstossi-Za'ahene War of 299 - 307 ABV, with the Assassination of Khazi in 308 ABV. The causes of the war are however mostly domestic, and dependent on which faction you support, it can be traced back to 301 ABV (with Khazi's accession of the throne over the younger and more inexperienced Pelir Rodmutho), 278 ABV (with the eviction of Gerozir Varedi from Zora) or all the way back to 193 ABV (with the fall of the Áskhids).
The War is primarily rather a cluster of civil wars and complicated conflicts between noble houses, than a straightforward war between two claimants. The Doriyans have also exploited the war to invade the northern parts of the Kingdom of the Gates.
== Background ==
The war was caused, like most Vidstossi civil wars, by rival claims of noble families. The very foundation of the war can be traced to a division of House Varedi into three factions, stemming back from the rise of Pelir I in 252 ABV. Pelir, who was the bastard son of Rodmuth III, was challenged by a part of the council which supported Rodmuth's younger brother Akkal, a renowned military commander. Rodmuth and Pelir defeated Akkal's forces in the Varedi Civil War 251-252 ABV, and Akkal was slain. 
Akkal's son Gerozir recognised Pelir as the rightful ruler, but was nevertheless evicted from Zora in 278 ABV, following the Battle of Peasants, instituted by Pelir I. This turned Gerozir's entire branch of House Varedi destitute, and forced to flee to the west coast, where Gerozir's son Gezir swore to return to Zora eventually.
In 299, war was declared between the Kingdom of the Gates and Za'ah on details on how to interpret the mandate of the Za'ahene invasion armies. Sturozi, Pelir's oldest son, had assumed command of the Gate Army marching south to stop the Za'ahenes. He was defeated at Ragnokina river and later on abducted by Za'fah Yah'ja'wah Devayani after she personally captured him in Veigholmoa in early 300 ABV, creating a vacuum. The Vidstossi grand council by-passed Sturozi's son Pelir Rodmutho and affirmed Khazi, the oldest half-brother of Sturozi, as Wérgóm, backed by the powerful Haddadi family of the Gate Mountains.
Khazi was forced to challenge Gezir Varedi in a duel after the second had insulted his mother and challenged his paternality. The duel ended with Khazi severing Gezir's both arms, thus incapacitating Gezir, who now not only was homeless and impoverished, but also a cripple. 
House Varedi had been divided into three factions, the Sturozids (backed by House Brezil of Eryana, where Pelir Rodmutho was being raised as a ward), the Khaziids (backing Khazi) and the Gezirids (backing Gezir's claim on Zora). This would provide the fuels of the Anarchy. 
== The Battle of Erýas and the Murder of Khazi ==
Despite that Khazi's army was a different Vidstossi army than the one Sturozi had challenged them at the Ragnokina with, he was encircled by Za'fah's force from the rear, when victory was near, and forced to cede practical control of the south-western Kingdom of the Gates to Za'ah, which installed The Occupied Territories, from the Silver Gate controlling the entire south-western coast. This peace treaty already served to destabilise the Gates, but Khazi was still respected, albeit feared. 
The Gezirid sons took their opportunity to arrange an assassination of Khazi, using Helleg's position as a royal companion cavalier to track the crossing of the Rodmukina river. The Gezirids had won powerful allies in the House Abeli and had also courted the hill tribes hostile to House Haddadi. Using mercenary companies combined with local levies and robber bands, the Gezirids managed to successfully stage an assassination which cost around 280 people their lives. Thus, Khazi had been murdered while Helmuth was entering Grosshalle territory, and thus unable to effectively raise his claims to the two thrones.
While the murder was abhorred in the east, the north-western lords had disliked Khazi's policies of centralisation, and also understood the grievances of Gezir's branch of House Varedi. Helmuth, however, was clearly not as understanding, as he had stood close to his father and also saw it as his duty - both for personal and political reasons - to exterminate the Gezirid branch of House Varedi. It did however take eight weeks for Helmuth to learn about the murder of his father, and he was unwilling to enter the Gate Kingdom before he could gain assurances from House Haddadi that he would have sufficient protection. 
Helmuth was courted by the king of Grosshalle, Roderich II, and agreed to a marriage with Roderich's teenaged granddaughter in return for a continuation of the Eldan-Gates alliance which had penetrated deep into Za'ahene territory and even threatened Veigholmoä during the last war. This alliance gained him twenty thousand Eldan troops, but also contributed to the defection of many of the eastern houses to the cause of the Áskhids.
== The rise of the Gezirids ==
The north-western Houses had always disliked the eviction of Zora, as it had provided the Wérgóm with a new tool to unseat them. Therefore, following the power demonstration that Khazi could be targeted, House Abeli and the other western houses formed an alliance with the Gezirids. Sturmuth's forces, with the aid of House Abeli to which he was allied through dynastic marriage, took control of the gates of Rodmuthana and soon to be the docks as well. Thus, Rodmuthana was under Gezirid control and it stood and weighed for a few months whether or not Gezir would bring up his grandfather's old claim and try to take the thrones for himself, or for his son Sturmuth.
Helleg was however dispatched to Rodmuth IV and managed to establish an Áshkid recognition of the Gezirid claim on Zora in return for Gezir's oath of fealty to Rodmuth. The greatest victory was the bethrotal of Rodmuth IV to Abuela Varedi, Gezir's youngest daughter, which guaranteed the Gezirids a certain amount of influence. However, Helleg was soon re-called to assist his brothers in their war against Zora.
== Eryana and Pelir II Rodmutho ==
Alliandre Brezil rose to become the Lady of the Karldom of Eryana, a petty kingdom which had accessed into the Kingdom of the Gates first during the 270's, and thus retained a distinct culture and religion with strong matriarchal traits inherited from Pre-Vidstossi cultures thousands of years ago. Alliandre, being a visionary and also the head of her religion, moved to engage in a dynastic marriage with her cousin Pelir, and they made a joint declaration on his claim of being a rightful Wérgóm, thus challenging Helmuth's claim to the thrones. Pelir II is drawing support from younger children of nobles, as well as from the lower classes.
== The Coronation of Rodmuth IV Áskh ==
Helmuth's authority had been gradually undermined by his security-minded approach to entering the Kingdom of the Gates. Unsure whether there was a conspiracy against him, he chose to stay in
Grosshalle for half a year to receive assurances. This was utilised by Bellogerdis Áskh né Öffel, who proceeded to utilise her vast network to make her son Argád Áskh be recognised as Wérgóm Rodmuth IV, portraying a glorious Áskhid restoration. However, shortly after the coronation, Rodmuth and his mother had a fallout, and Rodmuth came under the increasing influence of his sister Sturozina, to the point that anti-Áskhid propaganda claims that they are lovers.
However, Rodmuth won the allegiance of Risante, Sturoana and most of the east, and through a non-aggression treaty with the short-lived child king of Rahool, Ezama II, he managed to win the border armies too. Striking an alliance with the Gezirids was unpopular amongst the conservative eastern karls, but managed to secure him the north-western coast. Rodmuth was increasingly appearing as the strongest candidate to the thrones.
== The Battle of Nölraf ==
The first major clash between Helmuth and Rodmuth was fought in the Karldom of Berasante, in the southern portion of the Gate Kingdom. The battle was fought as described:
"The Blue comet was visible the night before the Great Battle. Helmuth's army was encamped one mile south, the camp fires visible in the 
distance. Rodmuth's camp was located on the opposite side of the meadow. It was a battlefield covered with flowers, but would soon be one covered with corpses of men and horses.
The priests were not united on whether or not the comet was a good or a bad sign. It had a blue tail, and a blue-tailed comet had never been seen before. It was a messenger on the sky.
So the battle began with dawn.
Both the armies placed themselves against another, that beautiful cool morning. The banners fluttered in the winds. Helmuth was a cautious strategist, but he had placed his spearmen dangerously far away from his gars, as to slow down the advance. Rodmuth's strategists saw a chance to break through the enemy's spearshield and destroy ther levies, so they sent forth 6000 gars and 11.000 levies, supported by 2000 men of the noble cavalry, and struck against the spearshield, ignoring the arrows from the enemy's archers.
However, from the woods of the east and the moors of the west, several thousand Eldan warriors ran forward, throwing their light spears and drawing their short spears, 
ready for combat. They fell into the flanks of Rodmuth's army and 
started to press them together, while Helmuth's main army started to 
march forward, in the same forward strategy as Khazi had employed at 
Erýas two years before.
The battlefield turned into carnage, as Rodmuth sent forth another wave, though some of the strategists wanted 
to send forth his entire army, fearing a new wave of Eldans. And yes, 
yet another wave of Eldans came, attacking these reinforcements before they fully could support Rodmuth's army. 
Then Rodmuth decided to send his last reserves, and attack himself. He mounted his steed 
Möllner, and sat forth with his companion cavalry, driving his force 
between the meadow and the moors against the rear and flanks of the 
Eldan infantry. Meanwhile, King Roderich, on his black chariot, attacked
 with the heavy Eldan huskarls, organised and modelled after the 
Za'ahene Vez'yah units, attacking the centre of Rodmuth's gar forces.
Rodmuth himself fell off his horse when it fell over the wet ground, crushing 
his foot in the fall. He crawled away under the grass, covered with 
blood.
Then the battle turned. 
Althárk Otzili's gar units, archers and levies suddenly turned against the Eldans, attacking Roderich's forces from the rear. Roderich turned around with ten thousand men against them, and retreated together with 7.000 Vidstossis loyal to Helmuth. The Battlefield quickly turned to the Áskhs.
A week later, Berasante was liberated by the Áskhids and the Otzilids. Althárk Otzili was rejoined with his son and heir, and together they searched for the Fawn, for she was to be married with Rodmuth. But no, they were told by the maidens that Roderich had passed through the city on his retreat, and that he had kidnapped the Maid Meresinda, and taken her south. The 16-year old beauty, renowned for her fair looks, was considered the most beautiful woman in the Gate Kingdom. 
Althárk cried bitterly but kept his head away so not his son nor Rodmuth would see his tears. Also, Helmuth was not amongst the killed or captured at Nöklaf, meaning that the war was not finished yet.
However, Berasante has sworn to Rodmuth, and with it 8.000 men, 3.000 gars and 5.000 levies. Rodmuth is now seen by far as the strongest contender for the Two Thrones.
Also, Sturozina misbehaved. She fought in the Battle of Nöklaf, in the Companion cavalry, without the Wérgóm knowing. She saved the Wérgóm's life however."
Regarding Nöklaf, while Helmuth lost the battle, it was not a decisive defeat, and the Haddadis are still supporting him due to the Haddadi patriarch being his maternal grandfather. Moreover, Grosshalle's army is still intact.
== The Popular Revolution in Rodmuthana, the Massacre of the Syannic minority ==
In late 308 ABV, food prices were increasing in Rodmuthana, both due to the increased refugee population from the south, and because of the war and awaited scarcity. This and the misbehaviour of forces aligned to the Gezirids, and the fact that the Gezirids did not control the entire city, opened up possibilities for riots. The riots began on the fourth day of the tenth month of the year 308 ABV, and spread from the neighbourhoods closest to the docks alongside the main streets and towards the barracks. The city garrison swapped sides and drove out the Gezirid forces, apart from Athalulf and his ten men, who tried to flee by the river, but were intercepted. Athalulf was hit in the back by an arrow and disappeared in the waters of Rodmukina.
Following this revolution, which was complete by the 10th of the 10th, over nine thousand artisans of Rodmuthana assembled with torches and attacked the Syannic neighbourhoods, burning families alive or torturing them to make them tell where their gold has been hidden.Three thousand Syannics are massacred in Rodmuthana. The city council is resigning and replaced by a self-declared transitionary council headed by Athulkar - the mob leader who led the Syannic Pogrom.
Rodmuthana is removing the old rules installed by Rodmuth III fifty years before, which gave Syannics trade monopoly on the national trade networks within the Gates, and is also initiating limited hostilities with ships from Veigholmoä and Marusia. However, Athulkar is also recognising Rodmuth IV as the rightful Wérgóm.
However, the deteriorating food situation led to increasing repression inside Rodmuthana, which culminated with Haldad's arrival in late 310 ABV. In 311 ABV, Athalulfir Varedi, thought to be dead, reappeared in Rodmuthana and ignited the city's reserves of whale oil, burning down 60% of the buildings and killing 15.000 people, in the largest-as-of-yet massacre of the civil war. Following this, in the tenth month of 311 ABV, a Za'ahene-Veigholmoan coalition force led by Az'Shayda of Za'ah took over the city after the Battle of Rodmuthana Harbour. Haldad was killed in the battle and the council was quickly defeated.
The Za'ahene Empire, under the leadership of Za'fah Yah'ja'wah, decided to rebuild Rodmuthana. In 313 ABV, the occupation authorities appointed Helger Tharki to lead a new Rodmuthanan city council. 
== The Battle of the Nine Sisters, Haldad's invasion of Marusia ==
Haldad, who has ignored the ceasefire and continued to wage a private war against Za'ah, is finally cornered when the Za'ahene spies learn of the location of the islands, and Za'ah decides to send in a fleet.
Over 250 warships and 25 transport ships set sail from Khaylar to the 
Nine Sisters, which have been confirmed to exist by scouts, after reports from Rotrenji whalers. The commanding officer, Ni'za Az'Shayda, is diverting 50 ships to the east as a bait while moving her main fleet 
in a daring manuever through a narrow sound, losing seven ships to the 
dangerous reefs before her fleet anchors north of the main island.
3600 Ar'yah are disembarking on the shores and marching through the woods at
 night in silence, descending on Kolomna Ragnok from the west. 
Meanwhile, the Battle of the Blue Fire occurs. It is called so because there is a 
comet seen on the skies, with a blue tail as the battle is fought under 
the starry night. Over 100 Vidstossi warships are engaging the 
outnumbered Za'ahene ships, and they are equipped with whale oil. Over 
38 Za'ahene ships are sunk at the Battle of the Blue Fire. 
However, as it dawns, the main Za'ahene navy has blocked the port of Kolomna 
Ragnok. Haldad sends seventy ships forward to engage the Za'ahenes, and 
the Naval Battle of Kolomna Ragnok is fought. Haldad believes that the 
enemy is stupid to place eighty ships near the port, as the Za'ahenes 
are trapped. However, the main Za'ahene fleet of yet another 120 ships are appearing from the west, rolling up Haldad's battle line. 
Meanwhile, the 3600 Ar'yah are storming the colony, leading to massive bloodshed. 
With them are also 80 Ya'zi, and the town is bombarded with burning 
arrows. Nevertheless, the whalers of Kolomna Ragnok are making a brave 
stand, and are killing 72 Ar'yah, while 408 men die defending the town.
Haldad, accompanied by his priest Vathráuk, and his concubine Yvannjír, were turning around with 40 warships and turning east, helped by a powerful wind from the west.
== The Gezirid war against the Jaktris, the massacre of Zora ==
The Gezirids have transported two units of whale oil from Rodmuthana hidden in sealed jugs of wine, and begin their war by attacking Zora on two fronts, splitting the Jaktriid defence by attacking first from the south-west with five thousand men led by Gezir, and then from the north-west with another five thousand led by Sturmuth. This army, which to a large degree is composed of hill tribes and mercenaries, are burning the gates of Zora and slaying the city garrison.
The Zoran army tries to move back, which gives Gezir the confidence to follow them, and in a battle a few weeks later at a place called Wáth, the Jaktri host is beaten into retreat, but Sturo and his heir Galbak Jaktri are fleeing to their relative, Athálvard Galtzi of Elhara.
During the fall of Zora, Galbak's entire family of seven children and wife were massacred ruthlessly and basically left in pieces for three days. As she was the sister of Athelvárd Galtzi, it has led to a blood feud of the Galtzis and Jaktris against the Gezirids, more complicated by many (somewhat conflicting) rumours that the Gezirid sons themselves raped and murdered Galbak's family. The immediate fallout of this is that the Galtzis and Jaktris swear loyalty to Helmuth.
Gezir had achieved most of his goals, but his triumph was short-lived. Incensed by the cruelty of his brothers, his son Helleg turned dumb and could not speak any more. He later on vanished without a trace. At Sturozina's wedding in Ahara in Late 311 ABV, following the victory at Valza, Galbak Jaktri appeared and accused the Gezirids for atrocities, demanding to know who had slain his family. Gezir's son Sigurth insulted Galbak and the host, and was forced into a duel with Galbak, which Galbak won, killing Sigurth, who before his death in a drunken rage admitted to have raped Galbak's daughters and wife. 
In 313 ABV, Zora fell to the Doryis. Gezir was tortured, humiliated, flayed and had his head cut off. His body and skin was nailed on the gates of Zora's citadel.
== The Doriyan Invasion ==
In late 309 ABV, the two Doriyan kingdoms of Melcheezor and Chazor are invading the northern part of the Kingdom of the Gates with a sizable invasion force, aiming to restore the Doryi empire under the leadership of Gabolak Melcheeza, the King of Doriya. With them is a Rothinji general named Galaspatri. The north was largely divided in the war between the Gezirids and the Jaktri-Galtzi alliance, and was unable to mount an effective initial defence. 
The Galtzis rode out in a campaign against Galaspatri, the commanding general of Melcheezior's army, and were defeated. Having captured his enemy's banner, along with killing Sturo Jaktri, Galaspatri decided to take Elhara by employing his intelligence. He decided to march towards Elhara faster than the news of the destruction of the Galtzi army could reach the city, and took the city by raising the Galtzi banners high, making Elhara open its gates. Having done so, Galaspatri sent forth his scout cavalry and secured the main gate for enough time for his army to march in. Despite that, the Elharan garrison made a stubborn resistance, and it took three weeks before the citadel of the city fell. 
Having Elhara under his belt, Galaspatri was summoned to Old Doriya again where King Gabolak of Melcheezior had sat up his headquarters. Galaspatri is seen as too powerful by the Doryi nobles and is relieved of the command of two thirds of the army, which instead is given to the King's cousin, Amolzak. Amolzak, who is in Melcheezior, is sent to Old Doriya and is marching south towards Zora, the next strategic goal, to take the city, but in the Battle of Valza on the 14th day of the third month in year 311 ABV, Sturmuth Varedi defeats the Doryi army in Valza. Amolzak has decided to set up a siege camp around Zora, and is travelling with nearly a hundred ox carts of supplies. His army is thus slow and vulnerable, and Sturmuth decides to use his companion cavalry, commanded by Ulfon, to attack and seize or burn the wagons. 
This forces Amolzak to return with his chariots to retake the wagons. When that happens, Sturmuth's main army marches against the leaderless Doryi army, which is routed at a village named Valza, 55 kilometres north-east of Zora. The victory saw 5500 Doryi killed. Amolzak was summoned back to Old Doriya, and was flogged before King Gabolak and his court. Galaspatri was called back and given command of the army once again. 
During 311 and 312 ABV, Galaspatri is rebuilding the Doryi forces and is giving Elhara to Chazor. Two attempts are made on Galaspatri's life, and the Rothinji general sees his wage tripled and is secretly promised Zora just so he could stay at the court and keep his command. In 313 ABV, the Vidstossis are beginning an offensive with an army led by Glothark. 
Following Lán-Drej’s elevation,
Sturmuth’s status became politically weakened, and many younger nobles – the
so-called Rodmuthians – began to establish their position within the court.
They were led by a man named Glothark Hvide, a Vihnd from Risante, who had read
somewhere in a chronicle that the men of Rodmuth the Great had used to paint
their faces in chicken blood before entering battle. 
Sturmuth declared in a meeting with
the staff that he [i]before[/i] Rodmuth had sent away Lán with eleven thousand
men had planned a large summer offensive against Elhara. He explained that the
main rule of the type of warfare that had started to become modern was to
control strategic choking points and force the enemy to favour an unfavourable
peace, much like the Za’ahenes had done. Therefore, it was unlikely that even a
devastating single victory against Doriya would end the war as long as the
Doryi controlled Elhara, which allowed the Chazorene to send reinforcements to
help their allies. With control over Elhara, the Chazor and Melcheezior would
be isolated from one another. 
However, Sturmuth suggested an
alternative strategy, and that was to hold on to Zora, one of the two
vulnerable cities which could fall. The other city belonged to Sturmuth’s
father-in-law, Lord Vindhek Abeli, and controlled the mouth of the River
Doriya,  preventing Melcheezior’s river
fleet from uniting with their coast fleet, thus securing the Copper Island and
protecting the coasts from Doryi raiders.
Rodmuth asked why Abela was
undefended, and Sturmuth explained that it had a garrison of 800 men and
substantial walls. However, it would fall to the Doryi if it wasn’t for the
22.000 men that Rodmuth held command over. If the Doryi would move to the west,
they would need to weaken their south. If they weakened their south, Sturmuth
would exploit it and send an army north to cut off the enemy’s supply lines,
forcing them to return or to be trapped in Abela from the south-east, and
forced to battle at an unfavourable ground.
The Wérgóm questioned why 22.000 men
were insufficient for a summer offensive, and Sturmuth explained that the
enemy’s armies were between 25.000 and 35.000 in numbers.  If the enemy divided their troops into two
armies separated from one another, an offensive would be an alternative, but
would be risky. However, he strongly advised against sending the Vidstossi army
against a numerically superior force, which also had chariots.
“But we have the companion cavalry!”
one of the lieutenants, a young man named Argad Stargol, protested.
“In our last battle – a victory I
might add – the companion cavalry performed poorly. One fifth of our riders
fell off the horses.  They cannot command
effectively if they are leading a charge and then falling off their horses, our
Wérgóm himself can attest to that.”
Sturmuth then continued to say that
his father was spearheding a project to build a chariotry factory in Zora, to
be able to compete strategically and militarily with Za’ah, Rahulia and Doriya,
which all had chariots or were in the process of attaining that system of
warfare.
However, the important bit of that
meeting was that Sturmuth had – perhaps unintentionally, perhaps as a revenge
for his perceived demotion – insulted Rodmuth by referring to him falling off
his horse at the Battle of Nölraf in 310 ABV. 
Glothark’s followers used this as an
opportunity to arrange for private meetings amongst themselves and with the
Wérgóm, who seldom anyway shared any information with a general that he
increasingly despised and distrusted, especially following the incident when
Sigurth had died, which once again reiterated the Gezirid transgressions.
Glothark became increasingly daring,
and suggested for the Wérgóm that he could scare Gabolak to return to
Melcheezior if the opportunity came, and that Gezir and Sturmuth exaggerated
the Doriyan threat in order to be able to put pressure on house Abeli and to
have the time to finish their chariot factory. Glothark discouraged chariots as
a foreign and “feminine” way of warfare, and said that the Za’ahenes and
Syannics pioneered chariotry (both nations took credit for their invention)
because females don’t like to ride horses due to their sensitive genitalia.
Rodmuth IV did not discourage the chariotry experiments, but he was partially
swayed by the arguments of his officers, and found their loyalty to him
refreshing. 
Due to the Vidstossi inactivity,
Gabolak ordered Galaspatri to make an offensive against Abela, which he had
heard had an unruly population. Gabolak had built a new town in old Doriya,
where he intended to place his capitol, but he could not in any way keep his
conquests unless he took Abela, otherwise the city of New Doriya would be cut
off from the sea and vulnerable from the west. Galaspatri reportedly cautioned
against that strategy, because he believed that the destruction of the
Vidstossi armies to the south was more important, and was willing to conduct an
offensive south to force Rodmuth to a battle. After all, had not Rodmuth sent a
third of his army south?
Gabolak’s younger brother
Galbak  discouraged this talk. Firstly,
Galaspatri was a foreigner. Secondly, [i]nobody would have been that stupid[/i]
to have crippled an army in the face of an opponent of equal strength. Of
course, Rodmuth just feigned the division of his armies to lure the Doryi into
an ambush. Instead of sending chunks of his northern forces into the rebellious
provinces, he would have sent fresh troops from Risante or the eastern border
provinces there. 
Galaspatri said that if he marched
west while the Vidstossi armies were in the south, they would march north,
potentially disrupting Elhara again, hurting the Chazorene reinforcements,  or even threatening New Doriya. The priests
interjected that Va’al protected Doriya from evil, and that each of the towers
of the new city wall were protected by 888 scrolls, with 888 mentionings of
Va’al’s HOLY NAME each. Va’al would certainly strike down the Vidstossi, for
they violated HIS WORDS.
Galaspatri bowed his head and said
that he would move against Abela, but that he requested the right for his army
to get tactical autonomy, so he could return and wage a war upon the Vidstossi.
So began the Abela offensive, with 12.000 troops marching west, 16.000 being
stationed near New Doriya, and 4.000 being grouped near Elhara in a strongly
defensive position on the Chazorene side of the border.
Sturmuth prepared for the offensive
north, but Glothark had an even more radical idea. He would find the forces
that the Doryi had left in their occupied areas, and destroy them, thus leaving
Galaspatri with 12.000 men isolated in Abela.
Glothark’s line won out. However,
Sturmuth stated that he would not be responsible for such a risky campaign, and
suggested that Glothark – who fervently advocated for it – should be in
command. This voluntary resignation caused confusion in the Gezirid party, but
already the following morning Glothark rode out, having sacrificed a rooster
and smeared his face and beard in its blood.
He took a spear and rode out proudly
with his companion cavalry, and his campaign north saw him scatter the Doriyan
scouts. The campaign was a success and forced Galaspatri to abandon his own
campaign, turning back to Doryi-controlled territory. Glothark decided to press
forth and try to arrange a battle with the 16.000 Doryi troops left under the
command of Galbak, which were moving a few days ahead of the Vidstossi force.
Glothark made the decision to leave his wagons with food behind (they were
operating in a region desolated by warfare), and move forward faster.
Galaspatri had made a similar
decision, and on the morning two days after the Vidstossi baggage had been
abandoned, guarded by five hundred men led by Argad Stargol, it was being
overran by Galaspatri’s chariots. Argad rode forth to assemble his men and form
the wagons into a circle, but Galaspatri defeated him, capturing the Vidstossi
baggage, including the wine and beer (which Galaspatri however spilled without
telling his men).
Argad Stargol fled to Glothark, who punished
Argad by whipping him and depriving him of his horse. Glothark decided to march
east to retreat home, claiming victory by making Galaspatri abandon his
campaign. This allowed Galaspatri’s and Galbak’s armies to unite, and they
pursued the Vidstossis south, Galbak riding forth on his horse but leading 170
chariots before the main army, attacking the Vidstossi rear guard and scouts,
focusing on killing cavalrymen who were also officers, gradually depriving
Glothark of his reconnaissance units. The Vidstossi general did however succeed
to move south of Galaspatri’s army.
Deciding to choose battleground,
Glothark moved to a ridge called Pustaputra,  where it was rumoured that a giant had fallen
asleep, and took a stance on the ridge, forming his army  into a defensive semi-circle, with his
cavalry disengaged so the horses could feet on the grass of the hill.
Galaspatri decided to form his army
into three columns, one placed at the centre, opposing the Vidstossis, the
other two placed at the flanks. Galaspatri initially planned to starve the
Vidstossis, but upon learning that there was a source of water on the ridge, he
decided to employ a different strategy, and used feigned attacks with his
infantry against the hill, making attacks on the flanks, where the ridge was
more sloped. He continuously engaged and disengaged the Vidstossi forces,
hoping they would break their discipline and pursue his forces. Despite pleas
from his officers, Glothark decided to not pursue that strategy.
Galaspatri then decided to do the
unthinkable, and moved the entire central column in an attack against the
centre of the ridge, where the terrain heavily disfavoured the Doryi. Losing
2000 men in that assault, which lasted for less than an hour, Galaspatri entire
army was ordered to retreat. Glothark’s men were cheering for the victory, and
Glothark decided to attack the retreating Doryi army, moving with the companion
cavalry first. 
The companion cavalry was attacked
by fifty of Galaspatri’s chariots, which shot their arrows and then retreated.
Glothark decided to divide his cavalry unit and pursue the chariots, ordering
his men to kill the drivers with their spears and then burn the chariots, to
settle the debate with Sturmuth and hopefully make Rodmuth abandon the chariotry
project.
When that happened, the Doryi army
raised their banners again, turning around in ordered columns and awaited the
Vidstossi advance. As the columns were pretty far away from one another, the
Vidstossi line focused on the centre column, attacking it and attempting to
encircle it. 
Meanwhile, the chariots turned
around, and the stone slingers on the chariots did their work, bombarding the
Vidstossis with stones, making men fall of their horses. Instead of taking a
route around the Vidstossis and shoot at them, the charioteers ran straight
into the bulk of the Vidstossi cavalry, causing general panic. Over two dozens
of Vihnds were trampled down underneath the wheels.
The next thing which happened was
the chariots moving in to attack the Vidstossi army from the rear, while the
Doryi columns of the flanks moved in. Glothark was trapped. Deciding to
retreat, he assembled 6000 men around himself, including most of his loyalists,
and ordered the rest to retreat back on the ridge. Glothark and his 6000 men
(apart from 200 who were taken captive) were slain. The Vidstossi army
retreated further south during the time of the slaughter, and had lost a total
number of 7500 men contra the 3000 Doryi who were slain. As the Vidstossi army
retreated south-east, they were harassed by Galaspatri and his charioteers,
while a Doryi colonel named Mekhtar Amonid led the rest of the army straight
south, towards Zora.
Gezir Varedi prepared for a long
siege, assembling all the food inside the city inside the granary, and
preparing the wells and strengthening the walls and the main gate. He increased
the garrison from 500 men to 2800 by releasing the prisoners from the dungeons
and expanding the militia. Feelings in Zora were still running sour over how the
Gezirid house had treated the Jaktris, and enthusiasm was low in certain
segments of the population, since many people had their licenses to owe the
Jaktris. 
Mekhtar was aware of this, and sent
in messages to the people of Zora by arrows, stating that the cityfolk would be
spared if the Doryi were led in. Amertha was a woman in her twenties who worked
as a prostitute. She had once been one of the chambermaids of Gallbak Jaktri’s
wife, but had been raped by Sigurth Varedi, and thus lost her social status due
to her loss of virginity. Sigurth had taken her for a forced mistress, and
allowed his men to use her.
Amertha thus knew that Sigurth had
ordered a secret passage way drawn underneath the temple of the city, so he
could flee in case the Jaktris returned. The tunnel led 200 metres away until
it ended in a mound of stones, where only three stones would be needed to be
moved to allow escape.
Or entrance.
Deciding to take the Doryi offer,
she entered the temple one night, and crawled through the tunnel, which was
unguarded (she assumed Gezir was unaware of its existence, and she was right),
and crawled through it until she came out on the other side, moving one of the
stones, so she lit a torch and alerted the Doryi forces.
She was brought before Mekhtar, who
was fluent in Vidstossi, and was bathing his feet in apples (he suffered sores
on the feet, which he used to treat with wine, honey and apples in water).  Mekhtar initially suspected a trap, but agreed
to send in a hundred of his men to reconnaissance – and if successful – open
the gates. He would until the next midnight, as his astrologer had forecast
that it was a most beneficial hour for Doriya, and then it would be dark.
So during the following night, the
Doryi decided to send 3000 men to pretend to storm the northern gate, making a
terrible noise and litting hundreds of torches, giving the impression that the
main Doryi army was preparing to storm the gate. The Vidstossis prepared with
barricades, boiling water and with all security measures. 
Meanwhile, Amertha led 100 Doryi,
dressed in Vidstossi clothes, through the tunnel, assembling them in the
temple. The Doryi intended to burn the temple and the graven images, but
Amertha told them no, and said that they would burn them when the city had fallen.
The Doryi marched through the
street, towards the western gate, where they attacked the garrison  and wreaked havoc over it. Holding the
western gate, they opened it, allowing four thousand Doryis in, in a first wave.
Amertha herself led a group of
Doryis into Gezirs bedroom, at one a’clock in the morning. She found the old
armless man lying in the bed with a young prostitute, merely fourteen years of
age. Taking Gezir by the beard, she dragged him out with curses, and instructed
her men to beat him up. He was beaten up so badly that he lost an eye and most
of his remaining teeth.
Later, she  instructed that Gezir would be bound through
the neck by a bull, and be led through the city while the people would beat him
with the stick and abuse him. At the end, Amertha killed him by strangulation. 
Gezir’s head was cut off and sent to
Gabolak, while his skin was flayed and nailed to the gates of the citadel of
Zora. 
While Gabolak was very pleased over
the gift, Galaspatri became enraged, claiming that Mekhtar could have decided
when to fulfill his part of the bargain with Amertha, and that Gezir as a
hostage would have made it impossible for Sturmuth to work efficiently. Gabolak
decided to make Galaspatri the prince of Zora, but gave Mekhtar his daughter
Alyla in betrothal. 
So fell Zora, and so died Gezir
Varedi.
== Summary ==
While previous civil wars in the Kingdom of the Gates have lasted a few years, this war represents for the Varedi family what the Varedi uprising represented for the Áskhids. Category:Vidstos
Category:Wars