Oakland Fortification

Oakland Fortification was a conflict between the Aurian Empire and the Elves and wood-holders of the southern Oakland Forest from 328-333PE.

### Background and Origin

The origin of this conflict is many fold.

1. The Unification Wars fought by Jomark when the Oakreach Conglomerate was taken leaving Auria with assets in the forest and near it which gave Garath something to claim he was protecting.
2. The huge resources of the massive woodland especially in timber and wild game.
3. Garath wanted to expand the Empire very badly and saw it as his legacy. He also worried that elven neighbours would be resistant to trade and political alliances (in which assumption he was right).
4. The Yewdon Conquest which immediately preceded the conflict gave Auria control of the entire lower edge of the Oakland Forest. This allowed easy resupply for the Aurian war machine and cut off the elves from potential allies in the hated Torans.

### Key Individuals

* Garath The Warrior
* Lorn Hunter

### Major Events

328PE: Emperor Garath begins what is named by the Aurian Legions commander the Oakland Fortification. Supposedly concerned about the danger to any Aurian settlement in the Oakland Forest posed by the Quinkol elves (as well as the human and half-elven rogues still at large in the uncontrolled woodland) large military forces are given leave to fortify the Aurian holdings in and around the forest. This 'fortification' however is a war of invasion and settlement, nothing less.

328-329PE: Elves and wood-holder free folk are caught utterly by surprise by the sudden and merciless Aurian strikes. Settlements are razed or occupied all along the border. Several elves and wood-holders are arrested in Aurian territory simply going about their normal business. No war is declared as the elves have no recognised country or central leader in Garath's eyes. However having said that many historians point out that Ridian'wel or Home Glade (Later Oakhome) was clearly considered to be a city-state by the Aurians, though it is certain the elves did not see it as one).

329PE: During Breesal the elves having reorganised form their first concerted effort as a counter-strike. Having not faced a true elven military force in several generations the Aurians suffer immense casualties during this season of the war. Several of Garath's Blademarks are so appalled by the numbers they refuse to believe them and pass on inaccurate information to the Emperor and those in overall command. The elves are fighting mainly with ranger units, but they have incorporated wizards and especially druids into their ranks flawlessly. Some are 'Shrouded'.

329PE Icesal: The Aurian's withdraw inside fortified areas to wait out the cold season.

330PE: Early in the year the Aurians re-emerge and bring up their reinforcements which are unsurprisingly overwhelming. A battle is lost early in the year at Tarburn where the elves reclaim the settlement but it is the only land they gain. The year is very costly for the Aurians with a lot of their untried soldiers taking heavy and continuous losses, but they make headway. No land is ever openly reclaimed by elves after this year.

331-332PE: The legions gain experience and are consistently reinforced as they force the elves back again and again. Finally in the middle of 332PE the Aurian forces successfully take the fortified area of Home Glade though this is with inside help from wood-holders who are bribed to support them from within. These bribes take many forms. Some were simply given money but many made the choice because they were offered clemency for fighting on the wrong side and/or offered lucrative and powerful positions in the new regime once the elves were dealt with. Many of the Oakhome 'nobility' will be from this wood-holder stock who turned on their erstwhile allies.

333PE: Oakhome founded on the site of Ridian'wel or the Home Glade after it is taken by the Aurian Legions. There is an official end of the conflict declared there as Home Glade 'representatives' formally sign over their sovereignty to Auria and the land is claimed as Aurian soil. The city itself is renamed Oakhome. The elves never stop raiding against the invaders, but there are no major battles for the next century or so.

Oakhome is the human capital of the Oakland forest. It is also the location of the Green Protectoran central academy and High Command. It was founded on the site of Ridian'wel or the Home Glade after the place was taken by the Aurian Empire in the Oakland Fortification.

### Legacy

These conflicts were bloody and produced extremely hardened veteran legions, who were renamed the Oakland Legions to differentiate them from the others. These legions considered all the other legions to be 'non-blooded' legions and saw them in many ways as rookies. This split is an early precursor of the Green Protectoran.

Along with the original incursions in the Unification Wars, these conflicts are the root of the ongoing guerrilla warfare fought on and off in the Oakland/Quintox forest for the next two millennia.