Wine Wars

The Wine Wars are a series of conflicts primarily fought between the Grand State of Aranwaën and the Hosaq Empire which lasted between the years 1124 and 1237 of the new age. They are named after the region where they were fought, greater Bloodwine, primarily known for its wine production. It is also known as the Last War of the Hos, although this term is mainly used to refer to the Fifth War. The wars have involved various allies of both states. The wars are known as some of the largest in scope in history, only surpassed by the Wars of the Dukes and the two Orc Wars. 
The wars saw massive Aranwannese territorial expansion, with its territory being nearly quadrupled in a century and its population tripled. Many smaller states of the region, be it fully independent states or largely autonomous Hosaq vassals were integrated into Aranwaën as provinces. These include parts of Asentir, and the entirety of Ardhor, Doriniem, Emirìa, Santel and the western half of Helior. 
During the Wine Wars, the dying Hosaq Empire was permanently disbanded and it was replaced as the dominant great power of the region by Aranwaën. Today Aranwaën is the most powerful nation in the world, whilst the Hosaq Kingdom is little more than a small duchy. The wars are also significant due to the rapid evolution of the methods of war, most notably the development of gunpowder weaponry and large ships. Gunpowder, initially put to use by the Dwarves and the Araners has exported throughout the known world, and has become a major part of all armies.
==Historical background==
By the eleventh century of the new age, the Republic of Aranwaën had emerged as an extremely rich, albeit small, nation. Its location, on the crossroads between the lands of the Orcs, Dwarves, Southern Realms and the great populated East made it the central hub for most trade on Var Venail. It had also grown rich due to its large wine exports, as it was one of the only regions hot enough to grow vines. Aranwaën's reliance on trade had led the merchant classes to outgrow in power and wealth the old noble families, and ultimately overthrow them as the leaders of the state. The merchants, organised in families, guilds and corporations were represented on the Assembly of Merchants, which effectively led Aranwaën. The Assembly's goals were always to increase the potential trade that could flow through Aranwaën and as such by the early twelfth century they aimed to expand the nation, so as to further secure their monopoly on dwarven and orcish trade. The nation which had been long part of the Hosaq Empire was one of the only regions to have broken away as a completely independent nation rather than the sort of autonomous region compromise most other regions had. As most of Aranwaën's neighbours happened to be Hosaq vassals, the two states were set on a course which would lead to inevitable conflict.
The Hosaq Empire was the polar opposite of Aranwaën. Where it had once been the center of all civilisation and was one of the most powerful and prosperous nations to ever exist, it was now a shadow of its former self, little more than a glorified military alliance. Its military was the last aspect where it shined, as the the mounted knights of Hosaq were second to none in terms of training and effectiveness. The economy and cultural state of the nation was however dire, and on a perpetual decline. With many of the old regions of the empire now either independent or largely autonomous, its prestige was also greatly reduced. Nevertheless the threat of Hosaq intervention was still enough to dissuade most from attempting any sort of action against the Hosaq vassals, of which there were many. The Hosaq emperors had also grown weary of the threat that Aranwaën posed. On top of the rivalry and historical animosity between the two nations was the fact that the Duchy of Emirìa which had been the last Hosaq region to completely secede allied itself with Aranwaën in 1099. By the reign of Manar XI (1119-1150), much time was dedicated to attempts at the generation of a casus belli.
== First Wine War ==
For main article, see First Wine War
=== First phase ===
The First Wine War, and by extension the overall conflict, began in 1124 when Aranwaën invaded its eastern neighbour of Doriniem. Doriniem had long been an effectively independent state, but was nominally still a Hosaq vassal. As such the Hosaq emperor Manar XI used this as a casus belli and marched to war. The siege of Pirtras, capital of Doriniem, was dragged out by Araner forces to a whole two years, but the Hosaq emperor was overly cautious and his caution caused him to await all his allies to gather. By 1126 he finally moved through Araner territory to deliver his vassal, but the Battle of Pirtras was inconclusive, and both sides were forced to withdraw. The Araners met up with a large force of Asenti mercenaries Wanel, whilst the imperials moved to siege down Varul, capital of Emirìa, nominally neutral in the war. The imperials were at this stage exhausted, and they were defeated decisively at Varul by the Araner-Emirìan forces in 1127. 
=== Second phase ===
The second phase of the war is considered to have begun with the Barleus uprising, which began at the same time as the Hosaq were defeated at Varul. The emperor moved with his army to deal with the rebellion personally, putting a temporary stop to hostilities with Aranwaën. This was exploited by the Araners who spent the next two years pillaging the Hosaq marches and occupying the remainder of Doriniem, with Pirtras falling in late 1128. The next year the armies of Barleus were defeated and the Hosaq sent another army to besiege Varul again. However Araner naval supremacy on the river Varil made any effective siege impossible, and following a disastrous battle for the Araners the imperials continued their siege to no avail for three years. Ultimately they were forced to withdraw again from Emirìan lands by a new uprising in Barlesia. In 1132 a peace treaty was signed, and in exchange for light reparations Aranwaën annexed Doriniem. The war is considered to have lasted another three years, up until 1135 when the Hosaq Empire recognised the Kingdom of Barleus as an independent state.
=== Interim War ===
For main article, see Interim War
The Interim War is one of the two wars part of the Wine Wars which was not primarily fought between Aranwaën and the Hosaq. Instead it was fought between Aranwaën and the Great Duchy of Asentir. The conflict was extremely one-sided, lasting for less than a year, from late 1149 to early 1150. The Asenti fought the Araners on several battles but were decisively beaten in all of them. The peace required Asentir to cede all lands south of the river Asentil, and that its status be reduced to that of a duchy.
== Second Wine War ==
For main article, see Second Wine War
In 1150 the emperor Manar XI died and was replaced by Manar XII, his nephew. The latter wished to avenge his uncle's humiliating defeat at the hands of Aranwaën and to legitimise his reign by winning a war, and so he chose to invade Emirìa in 1152. The imperial army was well-trained, well-supplied and well-equipped, and the Araners were decisively defeated along their allies trying to deliver the siege of Varul in early 1153. The city had however been reinforced since the First War, and the Araners still had naval dominance, making a quick siege impossible. The emperor had however planned for this, and as such he had strengthened his supply lines for a long siege. The siege dragged out to 1157 with the Araners, even with nearly even odds, unwilling to risk sacrificing a second army. The Araners would however be saved by their Dwarven allies, which had managed to develop the first fire arms in history. An army with 20 canons and around 500 men equipped with firearms marched towards Varul. The Hosaq outnumbered the Araners two to one, but their cavalry was nearly instantaneously routed by the sound of firearms. Seeing the cavalry flee, most of the imperials shattered and retreated. The emperor led them to Maranca, capital of Ardhor, another imperial vassal. The Araners followed them, and their firearms were again just as effective. However this time the imperials did not immediately withdraw, and many more of them died. The emperor and a small retinue were able to flee, and for three years the Araners occupied Ardhor, and ravaged and pillaged on their way to Hosaq city. In late 1160, they arrived at the gates of the city. The Hosaq had no choice but to accept, as they had no way of countering Araner firearms, and developing their own would take too long. The negotiations lasted until early 1161, ending the Second Wwar. The terms were humiliating: the Hosaq were to renounce all their vassals, the emperor was to renounce his title and become a king, and a huge sum was to be paid to Aranwaën over the next five years.
In 1173, the last duchess of Emirìa died without an heir. The council of lords, meant to determine her successor, determined that the duchy was best be put under Araner supervision. This decision was popular among the common folk, but unpopular among nobles, and many suspected the Assembly had bribed the council. Nevertheless, Emirìa was occupied in 1173, and in 1179 was annexed.
== Third Wine War ==
For main article, see Third Wine War
The Third War began with the Araner invasion of the Margravate of Santel in 1179, the only proper state of the cold-steppes. The invasion began with a siege of Bezgar, capital and only major city of Santel. The Hosaq considered this a breach of the treaty concluding the Second War, and they entered the war on the Santeli side. However the year 1179 had an extremely cold winter, and the Hosaq were forced to wait for 1180's summer to be able to march. The Araner had many spies among the Hosaq, and when they learned of this, they left a small contingent at Bezgar, and sent the main force to Firto in Helior, where the Hosaq army was gathering. The Hosaq were utterly unprepared, and their army was all but wiped. From that point on, the Hosaq were on the defensive, as they could not afford to raise a new army. Bezgar fell in late 1181, and by mid 1182 the last forces of the Santeli were defeated. The Araners moved to besiege Hosaq, but the city had been heavily reinforced since the last war. The siege lasted a whole three years, but in 1184 both the Araner army and the city were hit by a blight which would come to be known as the Second Manarian plague. The Araners withdrew in early 1185, and hostilities were stopped until 1188, when the plague slowed down. The Araners annexed Ardhor and Santel, but imposed no reparations.
== Fall of Onanelh ==
For main article, see Fall of Onanelh
In 1189, the Free City of Onanelh, last elven remnant in the world, which had largely been spared by the plague was struck, and its ruling council was wiped out by the disease. The Araners decided to exploit this and sent an army and a fleet to capture the city, but not before negotiation. Believing they could reproduce the Onanelh concession, the new ruling council surrendered to Araner occupation. However the Araners entered the city, slaughtered the council and annexed the city. The following year the Assembly of Merchants proclaimed the Grand State of Aranwaën, replacing the Republic of Aranwaën. They established the administrative system of aranvems (provinces) and autonomous cities which allowed for integration of the newly conquered territories. 
== Fourth Wine War ==
For main article, see Fourth wine war
In 1199 two great Araner armies marched into the Hosaq region of Helior without official war declaration. This was to be the most one-sided of the main Wine Wars. The Hosaq were alone, without any allies, and were now in no position to match Aranwaën on the battlefield. The Hosaq avoided battle and surrendered by mid 1200. The treaty was signed in Heliaine and the western half of Helior was annexed by Aranwaën. This made the Hosaq seek out alliances, and the Araners did so as well in response, setting up the events of the Fifth War.
== Fifth Wine War ==
For main article, see Fifth Wine War
The Fifth War became the longest and most violent of the wars. It was set up by the Hosaq alliance with the Yondarin Kingdom in 1212. In response, the Araners allied the Yonda historical rival of Halion in 1215. In 1224 a combined Yonda-Hosaq forced marched to besiege Heliaine. The port city was however heavily fortified, and following a naval battle in 1225 decisively won by the Araners it became clear that the siege would become a repetition of the sieges at Varul. The Araners were however unwilling to risk fighting a decisive battle against the Hosaq and Yonda, who began using gunpowder of their own and had a larger force. The Araners responded by sending their fleet on several raids against the city of Hosaq. In 1228, the Kingdoms of Barleus and Halion joined the war on the Araner side. The Hosaq were in turn joined by the Principalities of Vasseno and Devesq, two of their old vassals. The armies of Barleus and Halion did not join up, whereas the Hosaq allies did. This led to two separate defeats of Barleus and Halion in 1228 and 1229 respectively. In 1130, the Araners sent a force to deliver their allies, and they wiped out the Vasseno and Devesq armies. However the Araners decided to exploit their position, and rather than to fight they retreated and let their allies do the heavy lifting. Until 1133, the Halion and Barleus armies roamed the Hosaq and Yonda lands. In 1132, the Yonda king decided to retreat, but the Hosaq king instead took him as a hostage, and forced the Yonda army to remain at Heliaine. In 1134 the armies of Halion and Barleus besieged Hosaq, assisted by the Araner fleet. The Hosaq army was forced to withdraw and the Yonda returned to their devastated country. An Araner army defeated the Hosaq force in 1135 near the village of Morbenan near the city of Hosaq. The following year, the Hosaq surrendered. The Yondarin gave up part of their lands, whilst the Hosaq were forced to cede all the lands south and east of the Hil river to the Kingdom of Barleus, including the city of Hosaq proper. A sixth of the city was put under a special regime, partly administered by Aranwaën and dedicated to its merchants. In the process, the Hosaq Kingdom was reduced to litle more than a large duchy.
== Legacy ==
The long-term impacts of the Wine Wars are hard to evaluate, as they ended only four years ago. However their immediate impact has proven obvious, and that is the fabulous rise to prominence of Aranwaën. The complete collapse of the Hosaq Empire over the past hundred years has left many scholars unsurprised, as the state had already been on a steady decline and was only waiting for an external influence to seal its fate. The rise of Aranwaën has come as a surprise to many however, due to its status as a trading state, as most did not expect that a state of such a nature would wish for such rapid expansion. Aranwaën was able to justify such rapid and aggressive conquests due to most its major trading partners being far away, and thus feeling unthreatened by its expansion. However more recent events such as the Sack of Teron have to a degree alienated many nations from Aranwaën, who deem it to be too aggressive.