The Slaughter of Sodaye

The Slaughter of Sodaye was the horrific invasion of the settlement of Sodaye, home to the rebel Veyardan tribe known as the Musanites. This event marked one of the bloodiest battles in the Marquisean Empire's campaign to secure the realm of Ombs, and simultaneously signaled the defection of Mwatuangi's general Justicius, who became known as the Black Dragon of Sodaye in a surprise move to secure the escape of the remaining Musanites once the battle had been won. Despite his otherwise heroic effort, the Slaughter of Sodaye proved so horrific that a mere fraction of the population of Musanites survived.

**Background**

Sodaye was a settlement on the island of Musa, a previously-uninhabited region the Musanites took shelter in after their tribes were banished from the land of Veyard in Mwatuangi's successful conquest of their indigenous lands. Considered the capital of Musa, Sodaye was a major cultural and trading hub, guarded on all sides by intimidating walls and several isolated forts. Also befitting the Musanite rebels, it was also a nexus of illegal slavery and black market smuggling. Musanites were notorious raiders and made Sodaye the epicenter of their illegal trades, buttressed by a continuous military presence.

**Onset**

Mwatuangi's campaign for political dominance in Ombs eventually refocused on the Musanites that he'd banished in previous skirmishes. He viewed their constant raids, invasions of local territories, and other deplorable acts as a threat he wouldn't ignore. Mwatuangi thus set about preparing for an onslaught that he hoped would signal an example for all of those in smaller rebel movements that continued to challenge his legitimacy as a ruler and military leader.

**Factions**

Musanites - The Musanites were an collective of ethnic tribes originally indigenous to most of Veyard, with a minority of them being native to the island itself. As a renowned and somewhat nomadic culture shaped by militarism and brutal expansionism, the Musanites' growing presence in the realm and their interference with the conflict of Veyard and Marquesus proved to be a serious threat. They were uniformly banished eventually, resettling on the island.

Levonian Army - The storied Levonian army has its influence and notoriety tracing back generations to the first generations of Marquesus' rulers, who eventually claimed control over most of the continent and even gained sizable territory in the Alexi Leo desert. The advantages the Levonian army possessed in sheer number and tactical advancement with superior weaponry posed a critical threat to the Musanites when it became clear that conflict on a wider-scale was inevitable.

**Strategem**

The approach to the attack on Sodaye, one of the key rebel settlements of the Musanites, began first with Mwatuangi's dreadnoughts encircling the entirety of the island and bombarding it with cannon fire at key points the Musanites' chief forces were known to dwell in preparation for an ambush. Those forces were either decimated or pushed into chokepoints where the soldiers that Justicius would later lead would advance upon and overwhelm. The approach however, was a slow one, as Mwatuangi's forces then used mortars to clear paths of any residual forces that were still brave enough to remain. With the exception of children, they took no prisoners.

**The Invasion of Sodaye**

The final settlement and bastion of the Musanites' hope, Sodaye, was all that remained once Mwatuangi's overwhelming forces wreaked havoc across the island from all directions. In like fashion, the army's infantry cleared paths for the forces with mortar fire, while archers and other regiments took on ranged forces that attempted to decimate his army by setting the forest bed and trees on fire in a surprise trap. This was moderately successful but ultimately fruitless; Justicius, having joined the army formally after securing a position for the remainder of their naval forces, used the Musanites' last resort against them. Soldiers caught by the flashfire ambush immediately began to bombard the wooden walls of Sodaye, inevitably weakening it so that they could easily be destroyed by mortars. This tactic was repeated at all of the city's key points, and with the main gate fallen, Mwatuangi's forces entered and began their slaughter.

**The Rise of the Black Dragon**

The brutality of the final assault in Sodaye reportedly stirred Justicius into sympathy for the Musanites, causing him to rebel against Mwatuangi's invading forces with a minor company of soldiers loyal to him. Using his skill in combat, Justicius and his small company successfully evacuated many civilians and freed them, helping them to escape the island to find refuge elsewhere. Analysts believe his sudden shift in allegiance genuinely surprised the army and served as the catalyst that led to much of his success; many of the civilians he rescued successfully were relatively isolated in the settlement, allowing Justicius' insurrection to avoid mass detection until many of the survivors of Sodaye were already evacuated. Nonetheless, his skill in battle and tactical training earned him renown.

**Aftermath**

**Legacy**