Kovithian & Maywood Conflict

Throughout the history of Evarencia, the Empire of Kovith and Albion, more specifically, Maywood, have been in a series of on and off again wars as the theocratical Gothic empire attempts to conquer the Maywood Protectorate, which stands as the bastion between Kovith and the remaining free regions of Greater Albion. The series of wars dating as far back as the middle 2S 1260s has become known as the **Kovithian & Maywood Conflict**. Some historians suggest the series of wars have their roots in the old wars between the Gothic Kingdoms and a remnent Old Alfenheim state that became known as Maystar. The territory known as the Maywood Protectorate has managed to remain free of Kovithian rule despite regions of Albion such as Greenspear and Everspring falling to the mighty Imperial war machine. Most recently, in the year 2S 1872, war has erupted between the two states after a feud between nobles in both nation's territories led to the crumbling diplomacy of two states after a banefire dragon baiting incident ignited the building powder keg.

During the events of the *WovenRealm*, the Emerald Caravan's adventures begin in the border regions of the Higardi Commonwealth and the Maywood Protectorate and witness first-hand in the first three seasons the building tension between the Maywood and Kovith as well as other surrounding nations as rumors and gossip of war become commonplace throughout taverns and become a common topic in newspapers. During the events of Season 3 "Flight of the Damselfly," while searching for the means to resurrect Fenris, the Emerald Caravan became directly involved with the building tensions and the banefire dragon attack on the Golden Fields of Brisa when they came to Ionia Kavandell seeking his true name. At the premiere of Season 4, it was clear there was no reconciling diplomatically from either side and the Caravan became aware of the war breaking out while staying at the Iris.

## Foundational History

### 1st Sun

Academics and scholars make claims that the Kovithian and Maywood Conflict has its roots going as far back as the days of the Alfenheim Empire, when the elven empire had made many attempts to conquer the Gothic people who had resisted the arcanely superior elves for the entirety of their existence. During this era, the Maywood region was considered a part of the Alfenheim Heartland with many members of their Godhand having hailed originally from the region. The Skyheart family claims their family has their ancestral roots to this era, and their ancestors were often responsible for many of the expeditions into trying to subjugate the Gothic people, but interestingly in the years to come after the fall of the Alfenheim Empire to their former Higardi subjects did a strange symbiotic relationship develop between former enemies that would last until the arrival of the Sunless Era.

Many of the former territories of the Alfenheim Heartland were quickly absorbed into the rapidly growing Higardi based Yormoth Dynasty and their Empire of Stars. In a strange historical irony, the Gothic Kingdoms quickly fell to conquest under the newly formed Empire of Stars, but the mighty warriors of the Gothic people became unstoppable when they took up the roles of mercenaries and for the first time utilized the Higardi invention that forever changed warfare in the realm; plate armor. The Empire of Stars owes their ability to swiftly claim the continent of Maywood to the legions of Gothic Knights at their disposal. So widespread was their use that the Gothic people spread to eastern Maywikt and formed what is now known as the Old Goths. During the Golden Age, both the region known as Maystar (modern day Maywood) and the Gothic territories prospered through their cooperation.

This prosperity came to a sudden end with the arrival of the dreadlords and their demons. The mighty Empire of Stars quickly collapsed under the iron heel of the demons and their monsters. The two peoples that had once came to set aside their differences would forever remain divided after.

### The Sunless Era

Although the Sunless Era was a cataclysmic event for the world of Evarencia, legends, myths, and history tell of many various kingdoms and remnants of the old civilization that held out against the demons. The Gothic Kingdoms are remembered as being the first to actually raise the sword against their demonic overlords. The kingdom of Maystar remained free and as a bastion in the dark, which began the Maywood regions development into a place and culture of its own. Despite being surrounded by demonic horrors, these kingdoms quarreled until the Gothic Kingdoms were united under St. Orianna. Only during the final days of the Sunless Era did the Gothic people and those who inhabit the Maywood region cooperate to free the realm from the abyssal fiends. As Maystar shifted from a Selusian culture to an Albion based culture, the people of the region saw themselves as the guardians of the Albionfolk, which they take pride in to the present day.

### 2nd Sun

Imperial Kovith would not war with Maywood and Albion for many years, instead, turning their conquests north and southward toward regions formerly overrun with demons to expand their borders, but diplomatically, their relationship would remain tumultuous. Even the Council of the Nimmod has found difficulty in wrangling the two states with the Militant Peacekeepers having often had to step in throughout their histories. Albion would manage to maintain their territories early, but as Kovith embraced firearms technology, the favor of the wars would swing. It was shortly after the time of the *Darkeater Heresy* did the first war of the Kovith & Maywood Conflict begin with the Briar Wars in 2S 1259

## History

### 2S 1265 - 1472: The Briar Wars

The first two centuries of conflict between Albion and Imperial Kovith were largely between the Kovithians and the Briar Elf people who had drastically differing religious philosophies. The rapidly expanding Kovithian Empire quickly bordered against the Briarwood. This series of wars is story of the destruction of the Briar Elves under the Kovithian heel and the conquest of the Briarwood by the empire. Maywood became embroiled in these conflicts with House Skyheart having lended their aid in the early wars and the later wars seeing the legions at Maywoods walls.

#### 2S 1265: The 1st Briar War

During the mid to late 2S 1250s, the Kovithian Inquisition was founded to suppress an individual the Church of Kovith deemed dangerous to their faith known as Caliban the False Prophet. In their zeal to destroy their Kovithian kin in the Darkeaters and those who pledged faith in Caliban, the Imperial Church was accused of razing communities in the regions of Briarwoods and Grendwillow. Regardless of who was truly at fault, the brutal war carried on for years with the Briar elves of Albion making the first attack by attacking the severely weakened Caliban's Folly in Woden Valley. The truth of the matter is uncertain to the unbiased historian due to the belligerents' histories claiming the other side was the aggressor. Kovith claimed that the Briar Elves attacked them out of opportunity found in the fallout of the Darkeater Heresy while the people of Albion accuse the newly formed Inquisition as the instigators for using the Heresy as an excuse to attack the people of Albion.
The war began in the favor of Maywood and Albion, but the mighty legions of Kovith managed to push the magically superior Briar elves back into their forests. Having successfully defended their growing empire, the Kovithians attempted to use the war as an opportunity to acquire more land, but forces under a Skyheart banner stopped them at Briarhelle. Maywood sued for peace, and both sides agreed to call it even and just return home, but the peace they would achieve was only fleeting.

#### 2S 1283-1297: The 2nd Briar War

For 18 years, peace was maintained tenuously by the Kovithian Empire and the people of Albion. Both sides turned inward to recover from other conflicts; the Kovithians recovering from the Darkeater Heresy and quelling various uprisings in previously conquered lands. Meanwhile, Albion tried to use the time to prepare for the next attempt at Kovithian conquest, which may have only fanned the flames of war further. In 2S 1283, war erupted again over Briar elf pilgrims being branded heretics in Caliban's Folly. Although Albion would not yet lose the territory of the Briarwoods at this time, the conflict between the Briar Elves and Kovithians proved to be a fierce rematch as both sides fought with a dangerous religious fervor. The significant outcome of the 2nd Briar War was that the Kovithian Inquisition had felled the holy Bramblemother Tree that the Briar Elves used to commune with their god, which many historians point to the beginning of the decline of their culture.

#### 2S 1319-1333: The 3rd Briar War

The Briar elves spent the years following the 2nd Briar Lore rebuilding and attempting to restore their Briartree. As it occurs throughout history, the destruction of sacred pagan treees leads to wars of vengeance, which was the case in 2S 1301 when the 3rd Briar War began. The young Orianda Egenne Morgenstern II, heir to the Duchy of Kyir was captured and executed along with a high ranking inquisitor by Briar Elves in an act of Vengeance against the Kovithians for destroying their conduit to their god; The Oriandatree in the Briarwoods is said to be the punishment for the Morgenstern, to forever be twisted into a gnarled tree. The Duchy of Kyir wasted no time on political discourse and their legions descended into the Briarwood for yet another conflict between the Kovithians and the people of Albion began. Most of the fighting remained primarily between Duke Morgenstern's forces and the Briar elves, but slowly, both sides joined the growing conflict. The conflict truly descended into warfare between the Empire and Albion in 2S 1328 Queen Alarra Skyheart led a force into the area to challenge the mighty legions led by House Morgenstern. By earning allies in the neighboring Selusians, the Queendom of Maywood proved vital for turning the tide of the conflict, earning Albion a victory and staving off conquest yet again. A century of peace was achieved when the Kovithians sued for peace and returned lands captured by the Morgensterns in Grendwillow to the Briar Elves.

#### 2S 1433-1472: The Last Briar War

The longest and perhaps bloodiest of the Briar Wars, the Last Briar War (also known as the 4th Briar War) began a century after the end of the 3rd Briar War after the event that became known as the Dance of Effigies. The briar elves constructed massive wooden effigies of Caliban the False Prophet and lit them with an unidentified type of flame. The Briar Elves saw themselves as conducting a sacred religious ritual while the neighboring Kovithians took great offense to the act. The Inquisition broke treaties to cross the borders into the Grendwillow to capture the briarpriests responsible for the ritual and had them executed. The Inquisitors in turn were slaughtered which led to yet another devolution of diplomatic solutions before war erupted. 39 years of conflict ensued with the Kovithian Legions pushing through the thick forests of western Albion and for the first time in history, placing Maywood under siege. Under the pressure of the numerically superior forces, the people of Albion had no choice but to concede defeat and offer the Grendwillow in the peace terms. The most significant outcome of the war was the final elimination of the Briar elves. As seen in Season 2, briar elves are considered a *relict culture*.

Although they achieved victory, the Empire of Kovith suffered great losses including the death of their emperor at the hands of Queen Alarra Skyheart. Peace would only remain a dream as Kovith would continue in the following centuries to continue to grab land that was part of the Great Briar, Grendwillow, and the Greenspring.

#### Legacy

The Briar Wars marked the beginnings of 600 years of conflict between Imperial Kovith and the people of Albion. The most impactful event from the Briar Wars is the destruction of the Briar Elf culture at the hands of the Kovithian Legions after the destruction of the Bramblemother Tree, which many scholars theorize was a nevertree. The surrender of the Grendwillow territory to the Kovithians marked the first occupation of Kovith in lands traditionally seen as a home to folk in the region known as Greater Albion.

### 2S 1500-1573: The Weeping Crusade

#### 2S 1500-1559: Queen Alara's Vengeance

Outliving her rivals in Kovith, Queen Alarra Skyheart sought to retake lands she rightfully saw as belonging to the elves of Albion and gathered a mighty force comprised of the Maywood Queendom's forces and descended herself upon the Grendwillow. The vengeful destruction of the Maywood forces quickly curried favor with the rest of the kingdoms and duchies of Greater Albion and within the first five years of the conflict, the full might of both states were embroiled in the conflict. The bloody war saw great losses on both sides, and by 2S 1525, the Duchy of Archenium, a Selusian faction, had joined the conflict on Albion's side with their own disputes to settle with the nearby Archangelisk and the noble house named for their homeland. The Grendwillow was more than retaken by 2S 1535, but the ensuing years leading to the Battle of Weidenhafen saw the Albion Crusaders carve a path through the Kovithian Empire on a warpath that seemingly would only stop at the Holy Palace in Oriannasburg.

#### 2S 1560-1573: The Tide Turns for Kovith

Throughout the march to Oriannasburg, the crusade eventually became boiled down as Skyheart's warpath descended deeper into the Gothic Heartland and the sieges became longer as the fortresses grew far mightier. During the Battle of Weidenhafen in 2S 1560, St. Eichenweiss of slew Queen Alarra which ultimately turned the tide of the Crusade. Without the mighty Queen Skyheart to rally behind, the crusade's forces quickly crumbled under the Kovithian forces as they moved to retake their homes and to repel the invaders from their land. In a matter of thirteen years, Kovith's forces has managed to beat back the Albion invaders, and it was in 2S 1573 that Albion sued for peace to prevent Kovith's Gothic knights from carving a path of destruction like Alarra Skyheart did to their land. Grendwillow was returned to Kovith's possession, and the lands of the Briarwood were also surrendered to their rule as a concession for Skyheart's overzealousness.

#### Legacy

Kovith's victory against the 73 year long Weeping Crusade proved integral to the its survival as an empire. The brutal conflict along with the deaths of important figures on both sides solidified Albion and Kovith as enemies. In the coming years, Maywood would be preoccupied with a Bailen/Urgovel/Cumbria alliance while Kovith would spend a good portion of the 2S 1600s retaking Arkangelisk, Kraggenholdt, and Curze from the Selusian Kingdom of Archenium. Although neither side saw peace, it would be more than a century before Albion and Kovith would be plunged into an official war with only minor border disputes taking place in the meantime.

### Spring 2S 1871: The Marrow War

The Marrow War was the culmination of many building events and tensions on both sides. What originally began as an old feud between nobles created the perfect ground for war when Queen Ionia Moonshadow of Kovithian Cumbria moved against Brisa, using the banefire dragon to lay waste to the area. Queen Cor Skyheart proved relentless, utilizing a horde of strange creatures called marrow that she had been cultivating for some time, as a biological weapon against her foes. The involvement of the Watchers, the Emerald Caravan, and other unseen forces helped the war last no longer than a season. Despite the short conflict, the ramifications of the war still echo across the realm with the Kovithian Emperor dead without an heir, and Cor Skyheart at long last dead.