Arapovoltian Revolt

The province of Arapovoltios

### Belligerents

First Theddite Empire; Kingdom of Arapovoltios, Duchy of Eserias, numerous rebel militias, some Folondite tribes

### Main Battles

Battle of Tefalotsipas, Battle of the West Bend, Battle of Trovas

### Result

Theddite Empire victory, reintegration of Arapovoltios and Eserias

The **Arapovoltian Revolt** (West Theddite: Persinas Arapevoltidas, East Theddite: Persinas Arapovoltiane), also known as the Arapavoltian War of Independence, was an internal conflict within the First Theddite Empire resulting from the attempted secession of Apsacas Volitrias, Governor of Upper Volty (Arapovoltias) who proclaimed himself King of Arapovoltios. The revolt was provoked by the unpopular and oppressive policies of Sandras I and II Lobancas. It began in 15489, and the last pockets of resistance were defeated in 15496.

## Background

### Theddite Conquest

The history of the Theddite province of Upper Volty begins with the conquests of Aderitas I Lobancas, the first Emperor of the Theddites and. the first Theddite to chart the entirety of the Volty and Thedda rivers. Aderitas I founded Bolfurt, the capital of Upper Volty, in 14064 as a frontier outpost and military camp, and then another outpost at Volyter in 14071. After Aderitas departed to continue his exploits, the soldiers that were left to guard the outposts became the founding fathers of a city would become a destination for tens of thousands of Theddite emigrants and explorers. Many of these new arrivals would be rural farmers from the provinces of Lower Volty, and later Nordesthil, in search of work and opportunity. Others were urban residents of the empire’s largest cities seeking a new purpose, away from the often-toxic and always-cramped lifestyle of the great Theddite cities. Still more were Nordish hunter-gatherers and raiders who aspired towards a safer, sedentary way of life.

### Integration into the Empire

In 14090, the Theddite army finally returned to the capital after its great Eastern expedition, which had begun in 14064. With them was the Emperor Aderitas II, who had been crowned in the far eastern city of Tifopolas after the death of his father from a Delian pathogen. Aderitas II had accompanied his father on the entire journey, and was only seven years old when it began. He thus spent most of his life exploring and experiencing the lands which would become his domain, and formed a close connection with the places and the people of the Eastern provinces before he became monarch. This perspective allowed Aderitas II to govern the new lands with nuance and fairness, treating the inhabitants like his own people instead of a conquered resource to be exploited. He set a precedent of equality that kept the Empire’s population unified and loyal, ensuring that the state remained a beacon of stability in the entire wider region. One of the first acts Aderitas II took upon returning to Theddias was the organization of the vast newly acquired territory into administrative divisions. Prior to the expansion, the Empire consisted of the lands directly adjacent to the Lower Thedda and its delta, an area of land a fraction of the size of the vast area now within Imperial borders. Five provinces were created in 14090; those being Lower Volty (Antilovoltias), Upper Volty (Arapovoltias), Osthedia Major (Arapostheda), Osthedia Minor (Antilostheda), and Transtheda.

### Political Upheaval

Aderitas II’s precedent of just administration was abruptly changed in 15459, when Sandras I Lobancas (15408-15474) was crowned Emperor. He quickly alienated himself from his subjects by using his powers to enrich himself and his family to an absurd degree, and by funneling the resources of the outer provinces into exorbitant and expensive personal projects. Sandras I was a zealous proponent of the Theddite Imperial Cult, a religious movement started by the political elite in the capital city of Theddias which supported Theddite ethnic supremacy and proclaimed the Theddite Empire to be a holy institution. Followers of the Imperial Cult advocated increased economic and cultural imperialism by the capital over the provinces, by means of colonialism and forced resource extraction. Some even advocated ethnic cleansing of provinces with Theddite minorities. Sandras I was the first emperor to be a member of the Cult. He enacted edicts that put limits on emigration from the Theddite heartland and on immigration to the heartland from the outer provinces. He also raised taxes on minority populations (which he called “Tithes”), replaced provincial governors and other administrators with Theddian politicians, and demanded that the export of luxury goods from the provinces could only be sold to the metropolitan provinces—at a crushingly discounted price. Furthermore, the fragile balance of power between the capital and the provinces—which perpetuated the existence and stability of the Empire—was shaken to its core.

### Ascension of Sandras II

In 15474, Sandras I was assassinated by members of his own Royal Guard. His son, Sandras II Lobancas, then nineteen years old, was quickly coronated by the Royal Council, all of whom were Imperial Cult members. The motivations behind the plot were never fully understood, because the perpetrators were all promptly publicly executed to prevent further dissent within the Imperial palace. However, it is clear that Sandras’ unpopular policies played a role in the killing. Some members of the guard were ethnic minorities: many guardsmen at the time were Delians and Nords who were Imperial citizens drafted for the role for their exceptional combat skills. This policy of diversity within the Royal Guard, which had been in place since the reign of Aderitas II, was abolished in one of Sandras II’s first acts after taking power.

Sandras II, enraged by the death of his father, believed the latter’s Imperial Cult beliefs to be vindicated and set out to complete the Theddite supremacist plans his predecessor had set in motion. He began a violent campaign of ethnically-motivated repression in all the outer provinces. Minorities living in the capital were also targeted by propaganda, leading to many threats, attacks, and outright pogroms committed against them by Theddites. Sandras personally lead many of the pogroms as well as numerous raids on the homes of prominent minorities. The citizens of Theddite-minority provinces (Transtheda, Nordesthil, Flittias, and Terpiosi) were subject to the harshest measures. Transtheda’s Delian population were harassed by Imperial “Keepers of the Peace” (Theddite: Florathedast) which were units of Cultist Theddite soldiers handpicked by Sandras II and his advisors.

Over the next fifteen years, Sandras II continued his campaign of dominance over the Empire’s provinces, at first targeting only the outermost and most diverse provinces. In the 10th year of his reign, Sandras had Florathedast stationed in every province except the capital region of Theddias. By this time, the unrest which had already been simmering since the reign of Sandras I was beginning to boil over. Countless local political leaders began to organize armed militias, and these militias inevitably clashed with the Florathedast. Life in the provinces in the 15470s and ‘80s was characterized by constant tension and frequent violence in most of the provinces, while residents of Theddias province experienced economic and cultural prosperity at the expense of citizens in other regions. Riots occurred regularly in the foremost provincial cities, especially Tifopolas, Volyter, and Derricas. The former was majority-Delian, and the latter two had substantial Nordish minorities.

### The Situation in Arapovoltias

Apsacas Volitrias (15425-15496) was appointed Governor of Upper Volty in 15460 by Sandras I, as a replacement for Governor Coloboe Garaš, who was part Nordish and therefore seen as too “sympathetic” toward the Nordish population of the province. Volitrias came from a noble Theddite dynasty, the same whose ancestors had founded the city of Volyter. Prior to his appointment, he served as a general in the Theddite Imperial Army, mostly in Nordesthil where his efforts to secure and fortify the border were not only successful, but widely popular among the informed citizens of the Empire. This renown was what propelled Volitrias into the governorship, and during the revolt helped to increase his legitimacy among the Theddite population.

Volitrias was deeply affected by the riots in his home city of Volyter. Having grown up in the city, he bore no resentment of any kind toward the Nordish minority there, but was not a vocal supporter of their interests (otherwise, he would have never been made Governor). He was present in the city during a protest made in 15487 by the Nordish community against increasingly burdensome Tithe taxes and the suppression of their language and culture. The Florathedast responded to the peaceful protest by massacring any protestors they could apprehend, mostly by means of summary decapitation, but others were subject to hangings, torture, mutilation, and other forms of execution. Hundreds more were killed in the resulting stampede as the crowd attempted to flee the enforcers. Volitrias was disturbed by this incident, but did not speak out or attempt to punish any of the Florathedast, fearing Sandras II’s wrath. This event was the catalyst of the Arapovoltian rebellion, as it convinced Volitrias that Sandras was a direct threat to his homeland and its peoples.

## Prelude

Throughout 15487 and ‘88, Volitrias prepared for a total war against the Theddite Empire. He established diplomatic connections with anti-Lobancas militias throughout the Volty and Osthedia regions, as well as Nordish tribes on the Empire’s Northwestern border. Volitrias also secretly began funneling weapons and money into Nordish militias within Arapovoltios. He tried, unsuccessfully, to gain allies in the capital, this proved to be impossible due to Sandras II’s extensive purges of any Imperial officials thought to be potentially disloyal. Volitrias’ failure to gain connections with powerful figures in the Imperial government was one of the main factors that led to the rebellion’s failure.

### Arapovoltian Army

Volitrias gradually expanded his army in ‘87 and ‘88, with the goal of raising a standing army to match the Imperial Army in manpower, firepower, and equipment. He never reached this goal, restrained by the limits of the Arapovoltian population and the watchful eye of the Imperial authorities. Volitrias was forced to assemble much of his army, especially the Nordish elements, in secret. He utilized the mountains which made up the northern border of the province to hide infantry camps and weapon stashes. By the summer of 15489, when the revolt began, Apsacas had under his official command 22,000 Theddite infantrymen and nearly 6,000 cavalrymen. In addition, he held the loyalty of most militia groups within and around the province, which numbered in total over 50,000 armed men and women. However, these militia forces were disorganized and often did not answer to Volitrias directly, only their respective local leaders.

### Theddite Imperial Army

Under Sandras II, the Imperial Army underwent several purges, eliminating high-rank ethnic minorities from service and replacing them with royal-blooded Lobancas loyalists, many of them members of the Imperial Cult. Some of these newly promoted officers lacked substantial military experience, instead coming from positions of economic, bureaucratic, or religious prominence. Minority soldiers were also systematically removed from even low-level army positions, with those who remained in service mostly acting as laborers and medics. Despite these developments, the Imperial Army was by far the strongest standing force in the North of the Continent. In summer 15489, the Army numbered around 74,000 infantrymen and 15,000 cavalrymen. These forces were scattered across the Empire as part of Sandras’ campaign to suppress the country’s non-Theddite population. In addition to the Imperial Army, there were 9,000 Florathedast stationed throughout the provinces which answered directly to the Emperor. The Theddite army, since its inception, was one of the most disciplined and well-organized militaries in the world. Its soldiers had some anti-insurgency experience necessary to take on a rebellious province, thanks to the ever-escalating unrest and provincial dissent of the last two decades.

## Outbreak of War

On June 1st, 15489, Apsacas Volitrias signed a declaration of Arapovoltian independence, and then ordered a contingent of his army to capture the city of Wulburg and its fort, located on the Arapovoltios-Antilovoltias border. Wulburg’s strategic location made it a crucial objective for the early stage of the war. Volitrias sent 8,000 men to capture the city, and sent other small contingents of infantry and cavalry to capture towns near the Arapovoltian border and raid their garrisons. The raids were mostly successful, and many towns surrendered peacefully, offering their support to the secessionist Kingdom. However, Wulburg’s garrison and its general population resisted the Arapovoltian incursion fiercely. The rebel troops were unable to take the fortress, and were forced to retreat when an Imperial column of over ten thousand reinforcements arrived at the city in early July. The rebels lost over 1,000 men in the siege.

Sandras II was furious at Volitrias’ revolt. He immediately took command of the army, mustering a host of 51,000 in Trimen. This army contained tens of thousands of Theddite infantrymen, thousands of cavalry, archer and crossbow battalions, and thousands of logistical support servants. The Imperial host crossed into Arapovoltios in October ‘89 after a stop to reorganize in Wulburg. Upon entering rebel territory, they were immediately targeted by skirmishers and raiders who attacked quickly and disappeared back into the riverside woodlands. Sandras’ initial expedition into Arapovoltios was met by constant resistance from soldiers of the Arapovoltian Kingdom (AK), bands of militiamen, and even regular civilians whose food and supplies were often subject to pillaging by the Theddite Imperial Army (TIA) soldiers.

Most Theddite soldiers native to Arapovoltios across the empire (who had not done so already) mutinied upon hearing about the TIA offensive. Many set out on long journeys toward their home region to join the AK’s army, while those in the outer provinces often joined local rebel groups and began guerrilla campaigns against the Empire.

Tifopolas’ city officials, all appointed by Sandras II or his father, were attacked by a violent mob of Delian citizens in September, and all but a few were publicly executed. The Florathedast in Transtheda were quick to arrive in the city and organize a response. They assembled all ~900 members of their provincial detachment and began a campaign of brutal repression against all Delians in the city. The Florathedast were, after this incident, given full control of the Transtheda province’s administration, essentially making it a military dictatorship that answered only to the Emperor. This prevented a mass uprising of Delians in the far East of the Empire.

#### Prelude

After the siege of Wulburg was thwarted, Apsacas Volitrias began gathering as many of his forces as possible in Bolfurt and prepared to meet the TIA on the battlefield. He planned to ambush Sandras south of Tampalic, the first major city the TIA would reach on the way up the Volty to Bolfurt. The exact location for the ambush was the village of Tefalotsipas, which was directly between a thick forest to the west and the river to the east. If he prevented the TIA from capturing Tampalic, they would have to retreat from the province to resupply, strengthening the AK position and granting time for further mobilization. Volitrias assembled 17,000 well-trained infantry and 4,000 cavalrymen of the AK army, and was accompanied by at least 20,000 militiamen. The militias were diverse, consisting of Theddites, Nords, Delians, Folondites, and even some Carboqi and Fellzi mercenaries from south of the Imperial borders. The AK set up their forces around Tefalotsipas, with some soldiers hiding in the empty village while the rest lay in wait in the nearby forests. On the other side of the river, hundreds of archers were camped in the dense woods and bushes.

#### Day One

TIA scouts first approached Tefalotsipas in January 15490, judging the village to be abandoned and taking note of the plentiful grain stores that had been seemingly left behind. These stores were bait, drawing in TIA units and massing them together at the village. The invading army did as Volitrias and his commanders expected: they were hungry, it was the middle of winter and their food supplies were running desperately low. The TIA column had been marching up and down the Volty for months now, and were demoralized and lacking organization in the lower ranks. In some cases, soldiers broke ranks and began racing toward the village, seeking to claim food for themselves. In the middle of this chaotic occupation, the AK archers across the river were given the order to loose their arrows. The TIA were caught completely off guard, and many began fleeing back the way they had came. While this stampede was happening and confusion was spreading through the Imperial ranks, the AK cavalry charged into the frantic mob. The scouting force and head of the TIA convoy were completely destroyed, resulting in over 1,600 TIA casualties in the first hour of the battle. Volitrias sent word to the Bolfurtidas Militia, which had been covertly following behind the TIA column, that the battle had begun and to attack the Imperial army. This rear assault cut off the rest of the TIA army from its supply lines, and made a decisive Imperial victory a near impossibility.

Volitrias ordered his infantry in the forest to attack quickly after sending word to the Bolfurtidast. 13,000 emerged from the forests and descended upon the exposed Theddite forces while the remaining 4,000 waited in reserve. They failed at completely breaking the TIA lines, however, as the elite Florathedast units interspersed in the column were capable of rallying the Imperial soldiers and form an effective defense. The fighting along the river was intense and lasted well into the night before the Arapovoltians retreated back into the woods to their camps. Sandras II sent scouting parties into the woods to discover the location of the enemy camps, but all of these parties were intercepted and massacred. Not a single scout had returned to the TIA camps by the morning, which further eroded the men’s morale.

#### Day 2

The morning after the initial fighting, the TIA had begun to run out of food and were forced to rely on the Volty River for water, which was contaminated with the waste from cities up the river. Sandras demanded the remaining pack-water all be diverted to his personal quarters, which angered his soldiers and commanders. The TIA generals realized they could not sustain this position for another day, and began planning to turn the column around and march back to Imperial territory. The Florathedast were sent to the rear of the caravan and prepared to fight the Bolfurtidas militiamen who were blocking the river-road back to Theddias. In the early afternoon, Sandras had a boat prepared to take him down river and back to the capital, but AK archers on the east bank of the river shot down its crew. Sandras remained in his quarters until his army made its final departure.

Arapovoltian forces had fully occupied Tefalotsipas during the night, and used it as a base from which they could harass and attack the TIA. Several cavalry detachments were sent to disrupt the Theddite defensive positions in the morning, and just before noon Volitrias ordered another attack. This time, he committed his entire infantry and cavalry force against the Imperials, numbering just under 20,000. Several militia groups joined the assault, amounting to about 8,300 men and women. The TIA forces were more prepared for this second attack, having entrenched themselves next to the river over the course of the night and morning. Despite their numerical superiority and preparation, the Theddite soldiers were still underfed, demoralized, and upset at their military leadership. The TIA slowly retreated south, away from Tefalotsipas, as the AK onslaught continued through the afternoon.

Around 4 pm, the Florathedast launched a coordinated push south to restore the army’s escape route. There were about 800 Bolfurtidast lying in wait in the trees by the river, but they were spotted by Florathedast scouts, targeted by Sandras’ armored cavalry, and slaughtered. With the path now cleared, the TIA began a general retreat.

What had been the forward Imperial vanguard, at the northern end of the column, was cut off by the AK and pinned against the riverbank until the entire group was destroyed. This took until the evening, and by the time fighting stopped many were too exhausted to even raise their weapons. 2,200 TIA soldiers were killed or taken prisoner in this part of the battle, while the AK lost 480 soldiers and 200 militiamen.

#### Aftermath

By midnight, all the remaining Imperial forces had left the area. Emperor Sandras was so shaken by the battle that he did not command his armies personally for the rest of the war, instead remaining in the capital until its end. The TIA lost over 6,000 men in the savage fighting, while the AK lost about 1,900 soldiers and 2,000 militiamen. Veterans from the Arapovoltian side of the battle went on to lead smaller uprisings in other provinces, especially Osthedia Major and Nordesthil. Sandras spent the rest of 15490 in Theddias mustering and training tens of thousands of new Imperial soldiers. Volitrias set out for Osthedia Major to rally more support to his cause.

### Events of 15490

The year after the Battle of Tefalotsipas was a time of upheaval in the Theddite Empire’s provinces. Rebellions began to spring up in Osthedia Major and Minor, Lower Volty, Nordesthil, Flittias, and Terpiosi. A significant civilian revolt supported by local militias was attempted in May in Lagoring, on the northern coast of Transtheda,bbut was suppressed by the large Florathedas garrison.

King Volitrias traveled to Miscomias, a major city in Osthedia Major, in February. The city, like most Imperial cities at the time, was governed by pro-Sandras councilors, including several Imperial Cult members. When Volitrias approached Miscomias with part of his army, the local militias besieged the city palace, seat of the local government. The local Florathedast were mostly positioned on the city’s walls, and the militias launched their surprise attack while the Imperial elements were distracted by the incoming Arapovoltian forces. The palace fell before Volitrias reached the city: the entire council was killed on the spot, except for two who escaped and fled to Theddias. When the AK reached the city, the militias were already partially in control of the city walls and engaged in combat with the Florathedast. Volitrias and his men entered the city’s gates, just taken by the militiamen, with ease. AK soldiers helped the militias eliminate the remaining Imperial resistance, and then paraded Volitrias through the streets. He was hailed as a liberator by most of the population.

When news of Tefalotsipas reached Eserias in April, the city’s leaders decided they too were ready to take on the Theddite Empire. The city, located in the far North of Osthedia Major, was ruled by councilors appointed by Sandras II, but in their time governing Eserias they became disillusioned by his policies and more sympathetic toward their Delian subjects. At the time, the city was almost evenly divided between Theddites and Delians, with a smaller but significant Nordish minority also present. An internal coup was carried out by 15 of the 21 city council members against the pro-Sandras elements of the city’s government. The six Imperial Cult members on the council were arrested and replaced with prominent political figures in the Eserian Delian community. At the same time, the rebellious council joined forces with local anti-Imperial militias to subdue the city’s Florathedas garrison. All the Florathedast were arrested, and those who resisted were killed. Their equipment was seized and distributed to the militias, and those who had committed acts of violence against civilians were put on trial and executed. After securing the city and surrounding villages, the city council convened to elect a leader. They decided on Terane Toprias, leader of the coup in the city council. He was pronounced Duxos (Delian for a traditional city-state leader) of Eserias. Toprias rode out to the surrounding areas, mostly inhabited by Theddite and Delian backwoodsmen, and gathered whatever support from the population that they could offer. By the end of ‘490, Eserias had a standing army of 3,000 men.

In the vast, dense forests of Osthedia Major, the native Folondite peoples were also angry at the Imperial government. Prior to the reign of Sandras I, the Folondites were mostly left alone by the Empire. Under Sandras I and II, however, their rights to carry out traditional hunting rituals were degraded, and some were forced to assimilate into the Empire’s “preferred” lifestyle. Many were forcibly moved to Theddite colonies to serve as slave laborers, and others were moved to farms outside Osthedia Major and coerced into sedentary living. Folondites’ traditional way of life was semi-nomadic: Tribes would move with the seasons, going to the northern forests near the coast in spring and summer, and then down to the warmer southern woodlands of Osthedia for the autumn and winter months. Many traditional tribal grounds were cleared out to make way for Theddite agricultural expansion. So, upon the outbreak of war within the Empire, the Folondites sided against Sandras eagerly. Several tribes began launching raids against Theddite farmsteads and plantations on the edge of the Great Forest in early September. The Florathedast had a presence on the edges of the forest, but these were small and spread out, and thus easily overrun by numerically superior raiding parties. The Folondites never captured any major Imperial cities, but they did raid, loot, and burn numerous small towns and villages in both Osthedian provinces. The TIA was forced to redirect thousands of troops from other conflict zones to defeat these rebels. The last militant Folondite tribe was defeated in 15494