War of the Lantern

The **War of the Lantern**, also called the **Alliance-Thalendor Conflict**, or simply the **Lantern War** was a major, multi-faction conflict on Kamorra that was fought between the Alliance of the Poppy and the Kingdom of Thalendor in retaliation for the death of religious leader Vicaro Lomenius.

# Prelude

The North-Eastern region of Kamorra had been an area of high tensions since the formations of the various kingdoms that inhabit it. One of the first rivalries was between the burgeoning Kingdom of Thalendor and the bandit group Tal Ferran, who were close neighbours in the Skagden Mountains. While this closeness opened up opportunity for trade, tensions still remained high between the two, as King Thales held a strict policy on bandits and how they should be eliminated to protect the common folk.

Tal Ferran member Salazar, alongside his close friend Vicaro Lomenius of Leontius, formed a new religion based around a religious entity they encountered known as 'The Poppy'. This new religion was known as the Faith of the Poppy and quickly spread in popularity across the continent, bringing both Tal Ferran and the Republic of Leontius into its sphere of influence. To ease tensions, Tal Ferran negotiated a defensive treaty with Thalendor, with the kingdom promising to come to its aid if it was attacked. Spearheaded by Vicaro and Salazar, the two formed the Alliance of the Poppy, a coalition of those who followed the Poppy Faith as their religion. Eventually growing to include five nations and nearly 40 devoted members, this mighty force became a powerful faction, likely the most powerful across the entire north.

# Events

### Rising Tensions

Tensions began rising further between Tal Ferran and Thalendor when King Thales was accused of spying on Tal Ferran during their interrogation of Severn, resulting in the fracturing of their defensive treaty.

### Execution of Vicaro Lomenius

Seeking a mystical "hammer" that he could use to break the Cathedral Guardian's Curse, Vicaro went to Thalenthyr to acquire the materials necessary to assemble it. However, Vicaro ended up stealing the materials and was caught by Thalendorian guards, taken prisoner. Unaware of the situation, Salazar was contacted by the spirit of The Poppy, which informed him of Vicaro's dire situation and the danger Thales posed to the Faith.

An Alliance force of Tal Ferran soldiers and Leontian men-at-arms hastily made their way to Thalenthyr, demanding that the Lantern be handed back to them. An intense standoff took place outside Thalenthyr's gates, as Vicaro was brought forward and spoke with Thales. Suddenly, a Thalendorian Ranger named Breniion fell from the wall and the situation reached a point of no return, as Thales himself struck Vicaro, suffering four slashes to his abdomen and left in a dying state. The standoff immediately erupted into chaos, as word of Vicaro's death spread quickly. A whirlwind of arrows flew through the sky, and the battlefield was filled with the screaming of soldiers and officers trying to organise their troops. The Alliance forces eventually retreated, unable to organise an effective attack. The leaders agreed to meet up at Tal Ferran, splitting up to rendezvous. In the midst of the retreat, Salazar led a small band of devoted followers to try and rescue their beloved leader Vicaro, but they were unable to save him, and he died from his wounds, his last thoughts being in peace.

After a brief reunion at Tal Ferran, the allied forces returned to their respective homelands, gathering weapons and supplies together in preparation for the war that had started.

### Summit at Leontius

Soon after Vicaro's death, the full force of the Alliance rallied together at Leontius. Mostly consisting of Tal Ferran and Leontian troops, there was also a large number of Vulpanian men-at-arms and some contributions from the Jin Dynasty. The officers met within Leontius' keep and discussed the current situation, assessing their military strength and equipment, as well as all of them personally mourning Vicaro's passing.

However, before this meeting, a clandestine operation took place. Tal Ferran, seeking retribution for Vicaro's death, found the Thalendorian steward Yehudah within a local tavern, and intoxicated him with excessive amounts of alcohol. Tricked by his friend Salazar, Yehudah was soon kidnapped by the mercenaries and brought to the Red Parrot Tavern, though the steward himself was completely oblivious to what was happening. Leontian soldiers arrived soon after and took Yehudah prisoner, bringing him to the keep and imprisoning him before the meeting. While unclear, it is thought that this kidnapping was a decision solely made by Tal Ferran and Leontius' leaders, as Yehudah was kept hidden from the other Alliance members and most of Leontius' army.

### Standoff at Leontius

As the war council came to a close, a battle horn sounded in the distance. The allied army quickly took positions on the keep's battlements, spotting a small Thalendorian force approaching the castle. Spearheaded by King Thales and First General Justinon, the company of about seven troops stood in clear view of the dozen or so archers bearing down on them. Thales had apparently caught wind of the kidnapping plot and had come to rescue Yehudah, though he was unaware of the summit and had entered a situation where he was outnumbered and the terrain was against him.