The Ostro-Maori War

The Ostro-Maori War was a conflict between the infamous Ostrogoths (a raiding faction that experienced success early in the servers history), and a coalition of other factions led by Maori (a faction based in New Zealand).

The Ostrogoths were a tight-knit raider group based in Italy and led by the players USSBoston and Prometheus. After the slow fall of GreaterIberia from power, the Ostrogoths began to rise to the political scene as the predominant military force. Although they avoided large factions, the group became feared through their constant attacks on small settlements and individual players. Through this steady stream of resources, the Ostrogoths amassed vast amounts of spawners, ores, and gear. However, at the peak of their power, they began to experience resistance. Their newest victim, ChocolateDonut\_ of **Nevada**, had initiated a trade alliance with another small nation, Maori, in between defensive battles. The new faction had been attempting to make themselves known since their creation. A campaign against the Ostrogoths would bring them to the forefront of server politics, and so Maori helped their defending allies. The battle which ensued ended in a draw, however, it began a fiery war between Maori and the Ostrogothic forces.

Maori was a relatively new nation based in upper New Zealand. The nation was led by SonicEverHate and his right-hand man, ChasingJolteon. The two had been working furiously on high-tier gear, and as such were able to match the Ostrogoth's item quality despite their relatively small size. The day after their defense of **Nevada**, the Ostrogoths focused their ire onto the small Oceanic nation. SonicEverHate, ChasingJolteon, and ChocolateDonut bounced between their mountain fort and Maori's capital, and after multiple skirmishes lead their attackers into a trap. After an Ostrogoth player's death from this trap, the attacking forces withdrew, and Maori claimed its first gains of the war. The following day, heckling from both sides resulted in a series of duels between members of the Ostrogoths and Maori. The fight between ChasingJolteon and MrStinko resulted in a win for Maori in the first round. Then, as Sonic battled his opponent, a member of the Ostrogoths threw items to refill their friend.  In retaliation, Maori did the same, and soon the ensuing argument turned into a fight. The resulting 3v3 ended with a win for Maori. The small nation had shown its might to the Ostrogoths.

As the Ostrogoths started to devote more of their resources to the war, Maori began to reach out for help. It formed the Island Coalition, a group of island nations that had been affected by the Ostrogoths. Although this allegiance was unable to alleviate Maori's struggle for gear, it allowed for better political maneuvering. JacksGallBladder, a member of a small nation in Siberia that had joined the Ostrogoths to protect his faction, approached the leader of Maori with an idea. He would act as a spy against the Ostrogoths, feeding Maori intel about the inner workings of their enemy's system. This stream of information allowed for better defense against attacks, as well as more complicated maneuvering around Ostrogothic plans. JacksGallBladder later documented this experience in a book.

The following day, The Island Coalition and the Ostrogoths agreed to a fair, 5 on 5 fight at the Germany Warp. While both sides had similar gear, the Ostrogoths suffered a massive defeat, losing 4 of their 5 players. However, as many of the Island Coalition players headed off that night, the Ostrogoths planned a counterattack. They descended upon the nation of Isla Nublar, a member of The Island Coalition. Only a single member of Maori was online to aid the lone defender.  Attackers quickly overtook the island's shore, and the defenders encased themselves in a nearby building. However, just like before, the attackers were led into a trap, wherein their leader was killed. The defenders took this as a victory, slowed down the fighting, and the attacking force began to dissipate.

Maori, hoping that the Ostrogoths would hold off from attacks after their twin defeats, took a day to make preparations for future battles. The Ostrogoths exploited this dropped guard and attacked Maori directly in another siege. Outnumbered 3 to 5, the defending forces once again attempted to use trapping to even the playing field. However, the attackers had learned their tactics, and as such were able to combat the defenders much more effectively. Equal kills on both sides made the battle particularly long, and the Ostrogoths claimed the siege as a win.

Following the defeat, Maori focused on their espionage efforts. They drafted a plan designed to inside the Ostrogoth base. Insiding during this time was a bannable offense, and as such Maori decided to modify the Ostrogoth base to allow for TNT cannon fire, rather than destroying it from the inside. While this was still bannable, the drafters believed they could keep their plan from being detected. The modifications were quickly made. However, the day the scheme was meant to be implemented, the Ostrogoths caught and kicked JacksGallBladdar. The sudden expulsion of the spy sent shockwaves through the Maori leadership, and the infiltration of the Island Coalition discord intensified their fear. ChasingJolteon of Maori then gave a last-ditch effort to save the espionage program. He had built up a friendship with the Ostrogoth leader, USSBoston, throughout the war and used that trust to give a bold-faced lie. He got into a call with USSBoston and convinced him that the man expelled was not the spy. USSBoston then invited the spy back to the faction. It looked like the war would continue.

That night, Maori broke under the strain of the war. They knew that their revived espionage program would be enough leverage against the Ostrogoths to prevent further fighting, and as such brokered a peace deal. The two sides met, talked, and created an agreement. The Ostrogoths decided to settle down, turning into the nation of Atlantis, while Maori became a dominant political power. The war lasted 5 days, wherein 6 battles resulted in 20 player deaths. This conflict would be the final war where predetermined fights had an impact, and began an era where the chronicling of wars was commonplace.