Azularie War

The Azularie War was a five-year-long conflict between the Princedom of Valpo and the Republic of Sventoji, fought between 1354 and 1359. The conflict resulted in the end of Valpo as a maritime empire on the Gulf of Argent, with Sventoji assuming a dominant role in the region. In the aftermath of the war, Antargentina used the opportunity to expand their territory at Valpo's expense.

### Combatants

#### Sventioji

* Republic of Sventoji
* Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint Mykolas of Solymitana, of Liotain, and of Breizh
* Breizhoned Orthodox rebels (Erwan Kerhouan)
* Baron of Kernev (1357-1359)

#### Valpo

* Prince-Bishopric of Valpo
* Duchy of Breizh (1354-1357)
* Baron of Kernev (1354-1357)
* Nevarenai (1354-1357)
* Eletrinai and Menai (1354-1356)

### Causes

The two maritime states had numerous minor brushes through the preceding century. Several marriage-alliances had taken place between the Dukes of Sventoji, who ruled the Republic, and the Prince-Bishops of Valpo. These served only to complicate the existing economic issues between the two.

#### Dynastic Difficulties

In 1340, Vytauté, the half-sister of Duke Rimantas of Sventoji, married Prince Giorgio of Valpo. Giorgio, however, kept several misstrs on the side, however - the most noteable of which was his lover Lorenza Feltria, who gave him two sons. Vytauté, meanwhile, had a daughter and a son.

From the marriage contract between Giorgio and Vytauté, the Valpoan coronet would go to their oldest son (presumed to be Grimaldo). However, in June 1352, Giorgio declared that both of Vytauté's children (Grimaldo, b.1342, and Romilda, b.1343) were illegitimate, and immediately thereafter adopted his son Gianmarco, by Lorenza Feltria, as his official heir.

Further insults to Vytauté followed; she was removed from her residence in the palace and displaced in favor of Lorenza Feltria, who became Giorgio's spouse in all but name; Vytauté was placed under house arrest. Vytauté feared her children would be murdered in order to prevent any competition for Gianmarco's acceptance, and fled Paderna in September with Erwan Kerhouan, a Breizhoned strongman and pirate employed by Valpo as a mercenary. Kerhouan was probably hired by agents working for Sventoji, but took Vytauté to his hometown of Plougrescant in Breizh, rather than returning her to Sventoji.

The flight of Vytauté unbalanced the treaty between Duke Rimantas of Sventoji and Prince Giorgio of Valpo. Rimantas was himself married to Giorgio's sister Beatrice, as part of the same peace treaty. Although their marriage was far more successful than Giorgio and Vytauté, Beatrice refused to accept Orthodoxy, which made her unpopular with Sventoji's firebrand patriarch, Adomas [Baldus].

In May 1353, citing abandonment and infidelity, Prince Giorgio officially divorced Vytauté and married Lorenza the following day.

#### Breizhoned Piracy

Since 1320, the Barons of Kernev, largely autonomous but under the protection of the Prince-Bishop of Valpo, had developed a well-organized group of pirates which preyed on coastal shipping. Beginning in 1339, Prince Giorgio paid Kernev a small subsidy to attack merchant vessels belonging to Sventoji, while ignoring Valpo's own merchant traffic. This practice was marginally successful, and Kernev successfully blamed the increase in piracy on the nearby Baron of Kernave.

However, in 1340, a group of knights from Neris and Sventoji - upset at the increase in piracy which threatened pilgrimmages to Solymitana - attacked and seized Kernave, proclaiming their own independent military state based in the town. As Kernave was also under the protection of Valpo, this nearly resulted in the breakdown of the freshly-inked peace between Sventoji and Valpo. Careful diplomacy by Rimantas defused the crisis.

From 1340 onward, however, the Knights of Saint Mykolas began operating extensively against Breizhoned pirates from their own base in Kernave, led by Steponas Valeska. In 1344, Valpo sent twenty-five galleys to prevent the Knights from attacking the Barony of Kernev. The Knights withdrew and began plotting a rematch.

When Vytauté arrived in Karnag with Erwan Kerhouan, the Knights offered them shelter. Kerhouan immediately supported the Knights' cause, raising a small army of Breizhoned locals to challenge the Baron of Kernev on his own territory. The rebellion grew through 1353, with Kerhouan controlling much of the interior of Breizh by the end of the year. This rebellion posed a considerable threat to the Duchy of Breizh, held as part of the Princedom of Valpo's domains.

#### Religious Difficulties

During the early 1300s, religious differences between the two main branches of the Theophanite Church came to a head after the Council of Galecia, held at the Monastery of Galecia in Valpo. A large group of representatives, chiefly from Liotain and Syrellia, went home early, as they understood that several controversial subjects would not be discussed before the Council ended later that week. Instead, the remaining members opened a brief debate on several topics, and voted to declare them heretical.

This resulted in the beginning of the Pankasmic-Orthodox Split, which largely followed national lines. Liotain and Syrellia followed Orthodox theology, while Valpo, Antargentina, and Firocco adopted Pankasmic (All-Church) doctrine.

The two sides never fully broke off relations with each other, but Orthodox followers in Liotain and Syrellia felt they had been betrayed by the Council. Pankasmic believers, meanwhile, felt that the Orthodox leadership had abused their veto privileges to prevent discussion of divisive issues.

Valpo, ruled by a Prince-Bishop, adopted a strong Pankasmic stance, while the Republic of Sventoji adhered to Orthodox doctrine. The Prince-Bishop's role in the betrayal at the Council of Galecia significantly soured Liotainian attitudes toward Valpo.

In Valpo's external territory of Breizh, ruled by the Prince-Bishop through proxies, Orthodoxy was widely accepted but not universal. The Prince-Bishop's attempt to enforce Pankasmic doctrine on the Breizhoned resulted in riots and disaffection by large portions of the local population.

#### Economic Competition

As Sventoji expanded, their economic power grew substantially, and they gained significant sway over the coastal cities by virtue of their ability to sell and buy rare cargoes. By 1310, Sventoji displaced Valpo as the largest naval power on the Gulf of Argent, but Valpo remained a solid competitor through the 1350s. Sventoji was not above hiring pirates for their own purposes, but more often preferred to mask their intrusions as retaliations for pirate raids.

During the late 1200s and early 1300s, the inhabitants of the Liotainian city-states developed a strong affinity for azularie, glazed ceramic tiles used to line the floors, walls, and ceilings of houses. Sventoji produced the highest-quality azularie in Liotain and came to dominate the trade, producing over eighty percent of the tiles sold in Liotain. By dominating this luxury trade, Sventoji acquired both allies among the city-states, and full coffers from taxes.

The final trigger for the war came in February 1354, when Valpoan emissaries hired a mob in the city of Eletrenai - an informal Valpoan ally - to attack and destroy an azularie factory owned by the Duke of Sventoji. The factory's destruction sparked panicked buying all through northwestern Liotain. The citizens of Sventoji, responding to the discovery that Valpoan agents arranged for the factory's destruction, demanded war to punish Valpo.

### Strengths and Weaknesses

Valpo kept a larger fleet active during peacetime, usually averaging sixty to seventy galleys in multiple fleets stationed in locations around their maritime empire, or in tributary city-states. Sventoji, by contrast, usually maintained only thirty galleys during peacetime, but had the capability to launch up to sixty more from the Arsenal, which stored preassembled equipment for rapid construction. Sventoji also possessed an advantage in skilled manpower, preferring to man its galleys with paid volunteers, rather than convicts as Valpo and other city-states did.

Overall, Valpo possessed considerably greater manpower, and theoretically had a large number of tributaries and allies. Valpo also had a well-trained body of heavy infantry.

### Overview

Sventoji declared war on Valpo in March 1354, but much of their fleet was found to be in poor condition. Some time was spent readying the fleet for action, with prominant citizens arguing about how best to prosecute the war with Valpo. As a result of the debates, Sventoji did not act on their declaration of war until September, by which point Valpo had plenty of time to prepare for the conflict.

Although historians interpret much of Valpo's actions prior to 1354 as an attempt to provoke Sventoji into a response, the declaration of war seems to have caught Prince Giorgio off-guard. Whereas Duke Rimantas had to contend with internal politicians, Giorgio could respond in more authoritarian fashion, ordering troops and galleys into the fray without needing to consult others.

Giorgio sent emissaries to Eletrinai (Sventoji's largest neighbor) offering to fund an overland attack. Eletrinai, jealous of Sventoji's successes and dreaming of supplanting them as the preeminant Liotainian city-state outside of Neris, promptly accepted, mobilizing their citizenry and their smaller galley fleet, and using the offered silver to hire some mercenaries of their own.

#### Rebellion on Breizh

Prince Giorgio also enlisted the aid of Nevarenai, a Liotainian city-state ruled by a former Knight of Saint Mykolas, who'd been cast out of the Order in disgrace. Nevarenai sent a number of galleys and soldiers to help beseige the Knights in Kernave. In total, the force eventually grew to 400 Valpoan spearmen and 50 cavalry, 350 Nevarenai infantry, and 900 Kernev corsairs. Opposed to them were forty Knights of Saint Mykolas and three hundred men-at-arms, backed by an unknown number of rebels led by Erwan Kerhouan.

The seige of Kernave was completely mismanaged, and the defending Knights comfortably maintained their grip on their fortifications. Early in the siege, the Kernev corsairs attempted to scale the walls in a poorly-planned attack, but were beaten back by the well-trained Knights. After this initial defeat, the attackers expressed an unwillingness to engage the Knights on conditions of anything other than absolute numerical superiority. On one occasion in December 1354, three knights and thirty armsmen left the fortress to protect fifty women picking berries near the walls. The besiegers, despite bringing nearly one hundred men to face them, declined to press the attack until more troops arrived.

Kernave remained under siege for two years. The focus on the Knights, however, allowed Kerhouan's rebels free rein in the interior of Breizh, where popular opinion shifted against Valpo.

#### Eletrinai Attacks Sventoji

Provoked by Valpo, the city-state of Eletrinai marshalled four thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry for an assault on Sventoji. With much of Sventoji's manpower committed to the galley fleet, the defenders mobilized in a panic, manning the city walls with any volunteers who could fight. Duke Rimantas nearly ordered the fleet - hastily restored for action - abandoned in favor of manning the walls.

However, just before this was done, Sventoji's commanders learned Eletrinai's galley fleet, composed of twenty-three ships, was headed north to rendezvous with the Valpoan fleet of thirty-nine galleys, under Prince Giorgio's brother Allessandro. Duke Rimantas sent his younger half-brother Eimantas to prevent the two allies from meeting up. Eimantas, sailing with forty-nine galleys, found the two fleets only a few miles outside Sventoji's harbour, and immediately attacked Eletrinai's smaller force of galleys.

The Eletrinai commander mistook the onrushing Sventojian galleys for Valpoan ships, and the more distant Valpoan fleet, barely visible on the horizon, for Sventoji's navy. When they realized they faced the overwhelming force of Sventoji galleys, the Eletrinai captains chose to run their ships aground in the shallows, where they hoped to defend themselves from attack.

With Eletrinai's ships beached, Eimantas turned suddenly to face Allessandro's Valpoan fleet. Allessandro thought the Sventoji galleys had taken heavier casualties, and attacked precipitously, belatedly discovering his mistake. Eimantas skillfully deployed his galleys and launched a ferocious attack upon the onrushing Valpoini, who retreated in confusion when faced with overwhelming forces.

While Eimantas dueled with the Valpoan fleet, Eletrinai's captains attempted to get their ships off the beach in order to aid their outnumbered ally. They successfully achieved this just in time for the Valpoans to flee. The Eletrinai ships thus ran themselves aground again, and Eimantas used a fireship to burn them on the beach.

The Battle of Sventoji resulted in the complete elimination of Eletrinai as a naval combatant. While Valpo and Sventoji each lost a number of galleys during the battle, Sventoji almost immediately made up their losses with new vessels from the Arsenal, and would never again be outnumbered. Valpo was unable to replace their losses as quickly.

Despite the defeat of their fleet, however, Eletrinai's army continued to besiege the city, maintaining a very tight blockade on the landward approaches. The Siege of Sventoji continued until December 1355. The defenders, due to their earlier naval victory, imported food by sea, and used their financial resources to hire mercenaries from around Liotain.

#### Turning Point

In April 1356, twenty galleys of Sventoji's fleet, again under the command of Eimantas, defeated twelve ships of the Valpoan Navy at the Battle of Rimsiskes. This defeat ended Valpo's attempts to make forays further into the Gulf of Argent, and freed Eimantas to take a force of galleys to Breizh.

With the arrival of Sventoji's fleet, the Siege of Kernave ended in August. The citizens of Eletrenai maintained their siege of Sventoji itself until October, at which point, with no victory in sight and Sventoji still holding out better than ever before, Eletrinai negotiated a separate peace.

#### Battles on Breizh

Sventoji sent six hundred infantry and three hundred mercenaries to Breizh in March of 1357. Kerhouan's rebels slowly formed up into a regular army of their own, led by the Knights of Saint Mykolas. All told, the combined forces numbered 2,200 men. This small force nevertheless was sufficient to dominate the demoralized and limited forces remaining loyal to the Duchy of Breizh.

The combined force, under the overall command of Grandmaster Steponas Valeska, began besieging Valpoan garrisons on the island, while Eimantas skirmished with Valpoan and pirate fleets in the surrounding waters. In July, Prince Giorgio's official viceroy fled Breizh shortly before the combined armies captured the Valpoan garrison at Bénodet.

With the viceroy's departure, Erwan Kerhouan was named the new Duke of Breizh, swearing allegiance to Sventoji, marrying Vytauté, and adopting her two children as his own.

The Baron of Kernev, being still loyal to Prince Giorgio, fled to the town of Karnag, on the mainland, where he was finally besieged in October 1357. The Baron offered to defect after a month under siege. With his surrender, he abdicated his title to Eimantas, who married his daughter. Now as the official Baron of Kernev, Eimantas also joined (largely as an expediency) the Knights of Saint Mykolas, thus tying together the various allied factions.

#### Invasion of 1358

Alarmed at the loss of his periphery possessions, Prince Giorgio put together a new fleet and a force of nearly 2,400 Valpoan heavy infantry and Antar mercenaries, which he sent in February 1358 to re-take Breizh. Giorgio sent his brother Allessandro, and his sixteen-year old son Gianmarco, to command the expedition.

Sventoji's fleet failed to intercept the Valpoini at sea, and the Valpoan army landed near Plougrescant and swiftly took the city. Encouraged, they marched down the coast and took Bénodet before advancing on Kernave. As much of Sventoji's infantry and mercenaries had gone home, the relative strength of the two forces was no longer equal. In spite of this, Grandmaster Valeska led a combined force of Knights and Breizhoned militia into the field, meeting the Valpoans at Plozévet on the 11th of April.

This battle was the only pitched battle of the Azularie War, pitting some 1,900 Valpoan infantry and Antar mercenaries against 600 Knights and armsmen of Saint Mykolas, supported by roughly a thousand Breizhoned infantry. The Knights fought in the light horse archer role, harassing the well-armoured Valpoan infantry until, enraged at the constant rain of arrows, they charged the light horsemen, who fled into the fields surrounding Plozévet. The heavy infantry, tiring rapidly from their pursuit of the light horsemen, found themselves drawn into a trap, with the Breizhoned infantry emerging from all around them.

In spite of their surprise, Allessandro and a large body of his men broke out through the more lightly-equipped Breizhoned infantry and retreated to Bénodet, harrassed the entire way by the light cavalry, where they were besieged. Sixteen-year old Gianmarco was wounded and captured during the battle.

#### Final Events

Even before they learned the result of the Battle of Plozévet, Sventoji sent both their own infantry and some mercenaries back to Breizh in order to assist with retaking Bénodet. Allessandro skillfully negotiated a hasty exit for his troops and his fleet, who were allowed to return to Valpo with their weapons in July 1358. Gianmarco was ransomed back in September, but Prince Giorgio refused to accept Sventoji's terms to end the war.

In November, Sventoji's galley fleet raided Porto San Leo. In January of 1359, thirty galleys landed troops to raid San Lucanio; the city unexpectedly capitulated without a fight. A follow-on raid on Valpo's main port of Rovereto led to a ferocious galley battle just offshore in March, where Gianmarco was again captured (in violation of the parole he'd given earlier).

With the war turning increasingly against them, Valpo's civic leaders finally pressed Prince Giorgio to conclude terms, hinting broadly that failure to make peace might result in a forced abdication, not in favor of his designated heir Gianmarco, but Vytauté's son Grimaldo, who Giorgio had disowned years earlier. Faced with this threat, Giorgio reluctantly accepted defeat, paying a heavy indemnity to Sventoji.

### Results

The Azularie War represented the end of Valpo's maritime empire, with control of Breizh being lost permanently to Sventoji and the Knights of Saint Mykolas. Sventoji's territory would eventually be folded into the re-united Kingdom of Liotain in later years, although Breizh would retain its unique culture even into the modern period.

The Princedom of Valpo's losses during the conflict resulted in Antargentina taking an increased interest in bringing the independent kingdom under their control. The Cheese Riot War of 1369 began a period of Antargentine territorial expansion into Valpoan-held lands. By the mid 1400s, Valpo's borders shrank to their current limits, with two coastal territories and two exclaves located inside Antargentina, which also received authority over the selection of Valpo's Prince.