Ignean Ocean War

### Background

One of the most significant events in the history of the Mer was their conflict with the Faun. By and large, the two enjoyed relatively cordial relations for most of their histories; they didn't often interact, and when they did mutually beneficial trade could occur. In spire of this, wars between specific Mer Principalities and specific Faun Poleis happened periodically, usually a natural consequence of their proximity around the most habitable strip of the Sastaya.

What marked this war as different, however, was the involvement of nearly all Mer, and nearly all Faun, forever changing the two civilisations.

Whilst Mer held sway over the seas, many coastal Faun cities made use of sailing ships to transport cargo and people up and down the shorelines. Usually, agreements were struck between the Mer (whose principalities these trade routes ran through) and the Faun parties wishing to make use of them, often exacted in the form of tariffs. These tariffs bred much resentment from the Faun, but the speed and efficiency of marine transportation was vital enough that they acquiesced to Mer terms. Occasionally, Faun ships might stray further out into open waters seeking to avoid the Mer Principalities and circumvent the tariffs, but their ships were not built for ocean voyaging and many would meet deadly fates, some disappearing entirely, lost without a trace.

### Causes

It was only when an Uiaran Sealship was discovered crashed, washed ashore, by a group of Faun sailors that they began to make significant advances in naval technology. Uirians, if they were to find out the Faun had this ship in their possession, would undoubtedly demand it's return under the threat of violent actions, so it was secretly taken and studied to ultimately be replicated (more or less) and adapted for abovesurface sailing. This was the beginning of Faun naval expeditions outwards into open ocean, beyond the safety of the coast, and for the first time discovering the array of small volcanic coral island chains, which they promptly began laying claim to.

The issue was that these islands were already claimed - in a capacity - by Inian Mer, who tended and aquafarmed the coral reefs around these islands. This created tensions between coastal Faun and Inians, who began attacking these intruding ships. Not deterred, more and more Faun ventured out into the ocean, eventually discovering Tol (via the Makednosian island chain). Spurned further by the promises of a new land, Faun ships were increasingly heavily armed, and eventually crossed the ocean in flotillas that afforded them better protection against Inian raids.

### Escalation

At this point, the two most affected Principalities - Uiria & Oannes - overwhelmed by the Faun in the attempted defence of their coral aquafarms, escalated the issue calling to council the rest of their Inian brethren - the Yacura and the Picoy. They made the case that soon they would lose control of the ocean surface to the ever bolder Faun, which would surely see them cast off the tariff agreements and claim the coastal homes of the Yacuta and Picoy too. An agreement to openly war these Faun was established, colloquially known as the Atollian League, after the precious atoll reefs they sought to protect.

Concurrently, a number of Faun Poleis had signed up to the Amphictyony Charter, a loose alliance of Poleis with a vested interest in the lucrative trade with, and colonisation of, Tol. It was the Amphictyony that organised the flotillas, a tactic that had all but eliminated Mer threats to their crossings.

### War

Both sides were now collaborating and organising on a much larger scale than before, culminating in the first true pitched battle of the war.

A particularly large and heavily armed flotilla on a return journey from Tol had been marked by the newly formed Atollian League as a prime target. The Faun had been by and large winning up until this point, able to repel Mer raids. But as they were returning, they were much slower, laden with goods. Gathering a large force of Sealships, amongst the rest of their forces, they set about laying a trap.

They would use the Sealships, with their beacon-like golden sails, to herd the flotilla into the shallower waters around some atolls, where the bulk of their forces would lie in wait. They would attack from below, in front, and behind, with no escape for the flotilla.

As predicted the flotilla, wary of losing any of their precious cargo, attempted to veer away from the oncoming Sealships, inadvertantly following their foes plan. By the time they realised their predicament, it was too late, unable to easily navigate in the shallows. The Atollian forces sprung their trap. Emerging from hidden positions beneath the waves, the Mer forces swarmed the stranded ship. Sea-Wyverns exploded from the ocean carrying javelin casting Inians, whilst yet others used barbed harpoons to drag Faun sailors into the water where they were easy prey.The Faun were not helpless, however, as they gave every bit as much as they took. Their ships, mounted with ballistas, fired at the diving draconic Sea-Wyverns, whilst returning fire against the javelins and harpoons.

By the days end, the sea was dyed red with blood, beckoning hunters and scavengers from hundreds of kilometers around.

This was the first of many such battles, almost always as grim and bloody, each an escalation on the last. The entire Eporic coastline was blockaded by the Atollian Leagues combined forces, whilst catapults were utilised to devastating effect on the cave systems home to some Inian settlements.

### New Order

As battles continued, Amphictyony Faun began attacking the Atollian cities more directly, who in turn bombarded Faun Poleis with equally as devastating tidal waves. The escalation continued, dragging more and more Faun cities, and more and more Mer, into the war.

Seven years into the conflict, fully two thirds of all Faun Poleis were signatories to the Amphictyony Charter, which had begun to take on a more hegemonic role as it pushed a patriotic and religious narrative; the manifest destiny of the Faun to explore and colonise this new land. This ultimately saw the Charter signatories form the Pan-Faun Commonwealth, effectively ruling Epor, far beyond the initial naval scope of the Amphictyony Charter.

Equally, the Atollian League soon included the Orician Kataw, and the Phocan Brackwater Selkin. The Oricians in particular became a significant contributer to the combined Mer war effort, turning the tide of many battles such was their fearless ferocity and perfectly choreographed strategies. But the continued losses and ever growing Faun threat was enough to, over the seven years, convince all but the Trachean Principalities of Finool and Pangol to join the war effort. The enlarged League was soon officially reformed as the Mer Combine, much like their Faun foes propagandising the patriotic duty to defend the seas. The Tracheans - whose sister Principality of Inuang had been wiped out in a genocide by the Faun generations ago - were unwilling to participate in the war in any official capacity, though numerous individual Tracheans disobeyed their Princes to fight with Combine forces.