War of the Darim Succession / The Great North Wars

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== Rock Paper Scissors ==
The struggle in the Yuren River Valley and much of eastern Gildegra was almost a game of rock-paper-scissors, where (in simple terms) the Luskens beat the Darim, the Darim beat the Rakkimarrans, and the Rakkimarrans beat the Luskens.
 
Additionally, there were secondary players. In this fight, having more allies proved to be the winning strategy. The Darim protected the Brackian settlers who supplied them. The Rakkimarrans brought along the tactical genius and ingenuity of the Xantic mercenaries, they sold to Beyir traders in return for funds, and allied with the Kusk, Volov and Owakara natives. The Luskens simply brought themselves. In such a way, the Rakkimarrans took the best approach, with the most foreign aid of all kinds.
 
The Luskens crushed the Darim defenders and Brackian settlers. The Luskens had impressive firepower and confidence, with which they easily took coastal Darim forts using their powerful fleets, using their ship mortars. With fire and countless troops, they destroyed Brackian towns. 
 
The Darim defenders were very well fortified and knew the lay of their own lands, and were able to defend the Brackian settlers from smaller attacks by the Rakkimarrans and their Xantic-led sieges. The Rakkimarrans and Xantics did not have the overwhelming force of the Luskens or their extensive amounts of gunpower, cannons and bombs, so the Darim had more of a home field advantage in their stone forts. 
 
The Rakimarrans came from a bitterly cold and unforgiving land, and the type of terrain was familiar to them, even though they were not as familiar as the Darim with these specific lands. They were able to wreck Lusken ships with fire and raid Brackian camps with ease, appearing in the night. Lusken vessels were simply too big and clunky for river valleys, and so Rakki longships (of ancient design) were easily maneuverable and could run rings around the Lusken frigates, brigs and men o'war, striking from tiny rivers. 
== Enemy of My Enemy - The Natives ==
The Rakki guerilla forces' main priority was to ally with the Volov and Kusk native groups, who had countless generations worth of knowledge about the land, caves, routes, beasts, weather, and places of strategic and spiritual importance. This gave them a huge upper hand, as the Kusk and Volov people were scary enough alone, but with muskets, horses, and other supplies, they were terrifying to the Luskens and the Darim. 
The Rakkimarrans also forged a tenuous alliance with the Owakara people. This alliance was more of a shared goal, and they worked less closely with the Owakara, but they still aided one another - this did help the Rakkimarrans and the Owakara in equal measure. They were united by their hatred of the Brackian and Lusken settlers. 
The Hawk people never allied, and continued to assert their dominance, brutality and masterful control over the northwest of the valley region. 
* 1474 - Jarl Þundenvár Knotbeard, ruler of Kol Darim, dies heirless, and many of his important advisors are killed in a mountain ambush alongside him. This sparks the War of the Darim Succession and the The Great North Wars.
* 1479 - The Lusken Empire sends an expeditionary force to scout the Yuren River Valley. 
* 1480 - Rakkimar hands off the isle of Solþr Reikur to The Xantic Imperium, and rename it Ksantyr.
* 1481 - The dwarves of Kol Darim and the Tribunal of Spiders wage war in the First Darim-Drow War. to 1501
* 1485 - The Order of the Gauntlet splinters. Pelor's Razor remains in Datria.
* 1486-7 - Vreigardts attack Carmogan, in the First Vreigardt War
* 1487 - Morrigan the dragon attacks Mount Set on Setfjall, displacing Clan MacEoin.