War of Cathopica

Battle of Krinning Coast

The **War of Cathopica**, or, as it was known in Austeria, the **Belgravian Aggression**, was a conflict that occurred from 634—639 between the Kingdom of Austeria and the Empire of Belgrave. The war was primarily naval, waged over the continental archipelago of Cathopica, and was an unprecedented expansion led by Emperor Menelaos VI into the vulnerable, underfunded and underfed Austerian colonies in south-western Cathopica.

> "Forward — ever forward!" (Emperor Menelaos VI)
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## History

During the reign of King Sigismund III, the southern shores of Cathopica were settled to fortify the adventures of Lothar Sightseer. This discovery came prior to the Belgravian Empire's golden age of expansion, which saw the Empire rapidly produce colonial territories and pouring money into minor military excursions of coasts and island chains. By the sixth century, Belgrave had stabilized these colonies and produced self-sufficient societies, whereas Austeria had allowed them to swelter and starve, only occasionally aiding when competence outweighed the inconvenience. This meant that when the Scourge occurred, the Austerian colonies were entirely cut off from their aid — and, as such, had to rely on trade with the northern Belgravian cities to survive. When the plague receded, the colonies continued the use of resources purchased from Belgrave, and King Reginald II opted to leave it be in the good nature of permitting the colony some degree of self-sufficiency.

In 632, the Austerian colonies had been sundered by blight and poison by Belgravian sabotage. In the years that followed, rapid unadulterated raids prevented both recovery and courier to the Austerian capital — it wasn't until 634 that the Kingdom actually *learned* of these horrific attacks, and by then the bulk of their settlements had already been devastated. For this reason, the Second Versau Parliament was bogged down with debate on the method of retaliation, but the Traditionalist Party won out with a strict and united military reply.

### Outbreak of War

Late in 634, realm-levy navies of Silum, Doravea and Auvergnon were dispatched to Cathopica, but intercepted in the Battle of Uron's Eye, which was a devastating loss for the Austerian fleets. In months, High Admiral Guisto de Abagio's second attempt made it past the Belgravian blockade and reached the colonial front, quickly establishing fortified stronghold. For several months, minor naval skirmishes scattered imperial forces across the Titanic Sea — in the Siege of Kampos, Austerian forces had steadily pushed their way through the foreign jungles into Belgravian territory. Alexandre Devereux's reconnaissance fleet discovered the presence of a massive imperial armada, but was promptly ignored by the High Admiral at the insistence of Dragoslav Lazarescu that no such presence would pass his blockade. In the Battle of Krinning Coast, an imperial ambush devastated the collective Austerian navy and cut off supply lines to the landed Cathopican army. In months, the army had been starved out, reduced to miniscularity and forced to forage and harvest in the local jungles, often dying to food poisoning or inedible substances.

Several attempts to breach the imperial armada's renewed blockade of Cathopica failed. At this point in the war, infighting in the Second Versau Parliament and distracted royal interests enforced the perfect storm needed to permit the starving of the landed Cathopican contingent, which ultimately surrendered to Belgravian forces in 638. Facing feudal, civil and economic unrest, Reginald II resolved the war by agreeing to Menelaos VI's demands and relinquishing his claim on Cathopica.

### Aftermath

Emperor Menelaos VI had secured the entire continental chain of Cathopica for Belgravian dominion — whereas Reginald II and the Austerian Kingdom as a whole experienced, as a consequence of the war, mass demoralization and worldwide loss of prestige. The Kingdom's performance in the war was so poor that a majority of the admirals who participated were discharged, and a number of the nation's trade partners blatantly subverted their priorities to Belgrave, who had presented themselves as the new regional leader.