Great War - Greymarch

"A disturbing thought occurred to me. They say passion is what lets someone push themselves to greater distances and lengths than they normally can. Fighting with the greyskins I've noticed a distinct disconnect with the war. They go out and fight, and enjoy doing a fine job it seems, but they have no real stake in this war no real motivation, and still they fight well. When the mercenaries defected today I saw something terrible stir within them as they marched off. Where to I do not wish to know, and do not wish to be in their way" The Greymarch was an event during the Great Immortal War just before the Ashed entered the war as their own faction, previously sending various companies to fight for the highest bidder on often opposing sides. The Greymarch was a massive retaliation for the sacking of several Ashed cities, usually by mercenaries based in those cities who in one fell swoop lost their homes, families, and everything they had worked for. 
The Ashed mercenary companies from the cities they were based in after hearing the news to a one dropped their contracts and began heading to the Ashed homelands, only stopping to find every Goran and Tallet settlement, military outpost, and civilian caravan to kill every single one they could find. 
This was one of the most costly events in the war to the Ashed peoples in regard to casualties as the mercenaries often attacked without plan for retreat, however created horrendous casualties on the opposing side. 
== Sacking of the City-states ==
"While there was no doubt the Ashed had this coming, I fear that the aggressors may have taken this a step too far. The Ashed when scorned or defeated usually return home, what happens now I wonder when they have no home to return to?" The Ashed cities at the time of the Great War were weakened by having the vast majority if not all of their professional soldiers out fighting on contract for other nations, leaving the cities mostly undefended aside from the militia and city guard. This opened an opportunity for others to
The Tallet invaded the Ashed city states in force towards the middle of the war, partially to seize the industrial manufactorums of the cities, and partially in retribution for the 14ths involvementThe in preventing their victory over the Broken Kingdom at the Black Cathedral siege. The Tallet forces initiated their attack proper on Ashed lands during the Day of Ringing, getting past the initial defenders and breaching the defenses at heavy cost to themselves. Many of the cities had been weakened prior to the siege through biological and chemical warfare as starving the Ashed out of their cities proved futile. This culminated in the sacking of 3 out of the 7 cities destroyed during the war. 
The Goran, having been infuriated with the Ashed mercenary company involvement in fighting them and lack of responsibility taken by the 14th, sent vast armies into Ashed land to remove them once and for all. The attacks on the cities involved heavy uses of Goran siege engines such as chain spires to get over their walls and captured barrels of krak powder from battles with the Technocracy and circle. These attacks claimed 4 out of the 7 cities destroyed during the war. 
== Retribution ==
"My grandfather survived a greymarch, the only one of his village. I remember him telling the story. They marched out of the woods, no warning, no negotiations, no signals. The garrison quickly formed up a defensive line to hold them off, and they just marched forwards at a steady pace, never stopping or altering their course. They hacked through the soldiers, these dark steel clad monsters butchered them to a man, the ones that threw down their weapons fared no better. Some of the villagers came out of their homes to surrender, yet the Ash born never stopped walking forwards, killing anything in their path, never raising their voice in anger, just horrible murderous silence. Breaking down doors, silently walking through the homes clearing them of life. Those that fled the village either took a bolt to the back, or were caught by the ones waiting in the forest for them. My grandfather survived because he was small enough to hide under the floorboards as a child. Even today he panics at the sound of marching boots or clanking metal" 
The Greymarch started with the news of the Goran and Tallet invasions, where the mercenary companies began showing dissent to staying in their contract, many of them threatening to defect or desert their post in order to return home and protect their families. They were assured by their commanders that the fortifications would hold as they had withstood sieges for centuries past, and were ordered by the guild heads to remain at their posts, and that all desertion would result in their firing and loss of pay. 
When the cities fell, the Guild heads were among the many that died within the breached walls, staying long enough to send out the the message. The message was answered by the various companies abroad within those cities to immediately turn around and head home. Those that did not head home set course for the nearest population centers of Goran or Tallet to exterminate every living thing they could find. 
Many smaller Tallet colonies began severing their ties to the Empire, or fleeing their lands, this was a major contributing factor to harming supply lines during the final stages of the war, many Tallet garrisons refused to surrender, the mercenary companies that marched directly into the Imperial heartland found stiff resistance. Goran vassal states, those born of true born of Goran bloodline however refused to move and took the brunt of the greymarch in some areas successfully stopping it. 
The Greymarch ended when the varied mercenary companies from the destroyed cities were absorbed into other mercenary companies that still stood and marched in with the alliance of Kushan and the Broken Kingdom until the Betrayal at Ivory tower. 
== Reaction ==
"About damn time"