Dune Wars

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## Dune Wars

### Outcome

Maelihs conqueres the entirety of Western Drehmal

### Battles and events

Battle of Sal'Anyr, Battle of Semehol, Infiltration of Sal'Anyr, Mael's Desolation, Siege of Fort Nimahj, Elvett Valley Battle, Siege of Caer Adacia

The Dune Wars was a massive military campaign undertaken by Maelihs, the God of Chaos. His ultimate goal was to conquer the entirety of western Drehmal. He was successful in this task, however, he ended the campaign before invading the Central regions, so as to not provoke the slumbering god Drehmal.

## Prelude

Prior to the full scale war, Maelihs had engaged in multiple border skirmishes with Avsohm. In response to this, Emperor Uffhiel Anyr ordered the construction of the city-stronghold of Sal'Anyr in Av2 1765. In Av2 1820, approximately 75% of Avsohm's government officials and about half of their military disappeared. Maelihs took this sudden disappearance as an opportunity to attack.

## Primary Invasion

Maelihs mustered a massive force, and headed straight for Anyr'Nogur. The army left a massive volcanic scar in the location of their landing. Sal'Anyr did not stand a chance against this onslaught, and fell within a day. At the same time, a second army pushed eastwards, to attack the city of Semehol in South Tharxax. While the army passed through nearby fields, a group of resisting arcanists bombarded them with a rain of small meteors, however, this tactic was only partially effective as the invading army was eventually able to to shield themselves from the rain allowing them to overrun the arcanists. This battle left behind the Fallen Star Fields.

## Continuing Conquest

Once his forces had secured Anyr'Nogur and South Tharxax, Maelihs sent invaders into Lorahn'Kahl, which proved to be incredibly difficult to conquer due to the dense jungle and guerilla warfare practiced by its inhabitants. Its capture, however, was esential to Mael's plans as it would provide a relaible pathway into the heart of the crippled Avsohmic Empire. Mael's northern army encountered the city of Elvett. Elvett offered much more resistance than was expected and it was not captured until the end of the wars. In Northern Tharxax, Maelihs' forces besieged Fort Nimahj. The garrison had been prepared for a skullbeast attack, which had been used elsewhere in Mael's campaigns. Knowing this, Maelihs sent a fleet of airships to bombard and capture the fort. Despite this, the Fort managed to hold on for years, but it eventually fell shortly after Elvett's capture. Around Av3 10, a small group of resistance fighters infiltrated Sal'Anyr and learned of Mael's plan to destroy half the heartwood. Their actions minimized the casualties from Mael's Desolation.

## Conclusion

After nearly two decades of war, most of the west was now under Mael's control. The only remaining was Caer Adacia. For years the city had resisted Mael's attacks, however it finally fell in Av3 21 leaving Maelihs with clear path to the now abandoned region of Casai and the welcoming Merijool. Once these were under his control, Maelihs would be free to invade the heartland of the once mighty Avshomic Empire.

## Aftermath

These wars left much of the west in ruins, and a large amount of soldiers and civilians alike dead. Many westerners evacuated their homelands, with some regions like Casai staging complete evacuations and migrations. These people scattered throughout the realm, with many landing in Akhlo'Rohma and Ancehl. This would lead to a civil war and a change in power in the region. With the west under Mael's control, he was able to stage future attacks against central and even eastern regions. Much of Drehmal would be left in chaos, until the rise of the Order of Insohm in the Third Avihm.

## Sub-Wars

The Dune Wars could be classified as one large war. However, due to the sheer amount of dissimilarities between regional battles, the war can be split into five wars (hence the name, the Dune **Wars**). Each one was fought with completely different techniques, with varying levels of success for the Avsohmic defenders. However, none of the wars ended with an Avsohmic victory.

### Anyr'Nogur Blitz

Maelihs started off the wars with a Blitzkrieg of sorts. Within a few days Sal'Anyr was conquered, the entire region was secured, and many others had been breached. Along with Anyr'Nogur, South Tharxax likely would've been conquered. This is when the bombardment of a burnt army created the Fallen Star Fields near Semehol. The style of this war would be fast advances by burnt troops (including ground and air troops) and quick/disorganized retreats by Avsohmic troops, with occasional bouts of resistance. There would be frequent uses of the Skull Mother and Skullbeasts. This war likely would be over by Av3 5 or so.

### Eastern Campaigns

While many burnt armies pushed north, a portion of the invasion force would've pushed eastwards into Lorahn'Kahl. Fighting there would've mainly consisted of guerrilla tactics, making the entire region tedious to conquer. It would've taken up to the final years of the northern fighting to neutralize the zone.

### Siege of Fort Nimahj

While most of Tharxax fell easily during the initial Blitz, North Tharxax and Fort Nimahj held on. The Fort was an incredibly important location strategically to capture. Warfare would include a lot of air battles, due to the nature of the high plains. The Fort would've held on until the final years of the war, likely Av3 19 or 20.

### Elvett Valley Battle

Elvett was seen by Maelihs as an easy but important capture. Despite this, the city had many tricks up its sleeve. It was able to hold on until the final years of the wars, constantly pushing back Mael's forces. The region would've been very volatile, with powerful weapons (including skull beasts in Mael's army) being used on both sides. Mass destruction was common.

### Siege of Caer Adacia

The Ebony Veldt did not hold on for long once Maelihs began to attack. It capitulated quickly, however its largest city did not follow suit. Caer Adacia, the city-stronghold acting as the resistance's capital, held back a siege for years. Mael would've used various siege engines to try and breach the city walls and would've suffered many casualties. Caer Adacia finally fell in Av3 21, marking the end of the Dune Wars.