The First War for Bardia

**The First War for Bardia** (**T1W** or **TFW**), also known as the **Bardian War**, the **Brute War**, or the **Fockfest at Bardia**, was a war originating in Bardia that lasted from 24 July 1027 to 11 November 1032. More than 7 million **Bardians**, including 6 million **Ketheltikians**, and 8 million **Agnars** were mobilised in one of the largest wars in Stormbrings history. Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war (including the victims of a number of genocides), a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling all out warfare. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of Stormbring and precipitated major political change, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. Unresolved rivalries at the end of the conflict contributed to the start of the Second War for Bardia twenty-one years later.

The war drew in all the world's economic great powers, assembled in three opposing alliances: the **Kingdom of Agnarheim** (based on The Kingdom of Rum, the Council of Dirt, and the barracks at Agnarheim Coast) versus the **Ketheltikian Powers** and **The Rahistinian Auxiliary Corps** (Ketheltikian tradesman Ki Kal offered Quintus Barborcanus exotic rare Ketheltikian goods, containing Tetsu scales which are incredibly good for armour and weapons in return for 56500 Rahistinian Auxiliaries). Although Bardia was a member of the triple Alliance alongside Agnarheim, Rum and Dirt, it did not join them, Bardia was ready for independence. The first King of Bardia, Ivoz, First of His name, led the Bardian soon to be Kingdom during the war.

The trigger for the war was the genocide of the Ketheltikian settlement in Agnarheim. This set off a diplomatic crisis when Ketheltiki delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Agnarheim. Within weeks the two countries were at war, and the conflict soon came to Bardia, where the biggest battles during the war where fought. The King of Agnarheim, Bolkfalk, was outraged when Bardia didn't join their side and tried to become a kingdom of their own, so he decided to challenge Ketheltiki, who could take over Bardia first? (Bardia was a very big place for resources, so it would be logical to fight over it). The Ketheltikians, already not being a resourcefull country on their own, accepted the challenge.

Agnarheim was the first to order a partial mobilization of its armies on 24–25 July, and when on 28 July Ketheltiki declared war on Bardia, Agnarheim declared general mobilization on 30 July. Ketheltiki presented an ultimatum to Agnarheim to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Agnarheim on 1 August.

The Ketheltikian Kingdom collapsed in March 1030, After a stunning Agnarheim offensive along the coast in the spring of 1028, the Agnars rallied and drove back the Ketheltikians in a series of successful offensives. On 4 November 1031, the Ketheltikians agreed to an armistice, and the Rahistinian Auxiliary Corps which had its own trouble with losses, agreed to an armistice on 11 November 1032, ending the war in victory for Agnarheim. Although Bardia had suffered great losses, Agnarheim let them stay independent after The Battle at Firesmith, which had all three opposing alliances fight eachother, and Bardia came out on top.

The Bardians considered themselves as the winners of the war, and so did Ivoz, which then became the first king of Bardia. After 1040 Bardia was on it's way up to becoming an economic country with trade which would make them profit a lot because of the amount of creatures one could hunt there.

The Ketheltikians suffered great losses and felt great shame. Agnarheim had suffered casualties of their own, and they had Bardia in the way, so they let Ketheltiki be. Not until 1050 did Ketheltiki consider itself a proper country again.

Agnarheim started expanding their mines for more ore after the war, and became insanely rich.