Second Spiral War

### Countries Involved

Kuan Empire, Seprum Rebublic, Makkada Sultanate, Commonwealth of Dhi, Ju Kingdom, and Diao

### Notable Leaders

Jamlyn Saj, Godai RaiEmperor Tacitus, Black Hand Augustus Saenia, Black Hand Flavius Saenia, Grey Hand Bladak Timi, Grey Hand Agrippina Iccacia

The Second Spiral War, also known as the Unification of the Spiral Empire, brought the Makkada Sultanate, all parts of Seprum, and the triple kingdom under the banner of the Spiral Emperor.

## Battles

The Second Spiral War was fought in three theaters: the reunification of Seprum, the reunification of the triple kingdom, and the invasion of Mauzji and formation of the Makkada Sultanate. Most the war was fought by a Kuan-Seprum army, with additional support from conscripted Diao and Ju soldiers during the third and final theater.

### Sack of Teban

Kuan spies and soldiers spurred native Lykans in Teban to rebellion during the First Spiral War. The first joint task of the Kuan-Seprum army was to quell it, as a sign of good faith from Dorje Saj for slaughtering almost sixty thousand Seprum soldiers in the decades prior. Without weapons, spiromancers, and support from the Kuan Empire, Teban rebels found themselves desperately out of depth. The sack of Teban lasted two days and resulted in the execution of over eight hundred dissidents.

### Oracle Riots

The oracle of Vicis, originally killed during the unification of Seprum, returned during the First Spiral War, emboldened by lack of military retaliation. They offered hope to Henesians hoping for independence and predicted a swift repudiation of Seprum forces by Dorje Saj. Their public execution caused riots for almost three months before the grey hand, Agrippina, recommended an appearance by Dorje Saj himself to quell the unrest. When he arrived, flanked by Kuan guards, the reaction was initially exuberant as, for almost two years, the oracle had painted the Kuan army as noble liberators. Jamlyn Saj executed a mob leader in front of a crowd and announced a curfew. All who did not return to their houses immediately were massacred in the streets. The riots ended quickly.

### Burning of White Cliff

Lykan dissidents scaled the white cliffs from below and took the city by surprise during the night, setting much of it ablaze. Academy students were the first to respond, with help from a single cohort that staffed the grey keep. The mob dragged the commandant of the keep, who happened to be a woman, into the center of White Cliff and burned her alive, thinking her the grey hand. They fled into cliffs before Kuan or Seprum could mobilize a response.

Flushing them out, and defending against repeated guerrilla attacks, was the first unified effort of the Kuan-Seprum army. Though it took almost two months to capture and imprison all the dissidents, in that time, the armies merged their infantry and cavalry rather than fighting separately, and took advantage of the similar organization in sets of 10, 100, and 1,000 to make unified leadership easier. At the end of the campaign, Godai Rai invited all the legionnaires to join the hunt next winter.

### Battle of Kazei Pass

To regroup, the Kuan-Seprum army needed to make it back to Aksai, the Kuan capital, but Ju and Dhi fighters guarded all obvious points of entry out of the Forest. Dorje Saj decided to press forward at the Kazei Pass, guessing that the Ju and Dhi soldiers guarding it might not work well together. Unfortunately, Commander Lha also guessed as much and convinced Eun Jijing to station on Dhi soldiers at the pass, even though it was contested territory between the two countries. They prevented Kuan cavalry from getting a foothold on the island, keeping them in the Forest where they were weaker, but Seprum infantry eventually plowed through the center of the line, opening up space for the horse archers, at which point, the Dhi soldiers broke ranks and fled. Most were killed in the subsequent rout.

### Battle of Guk

Even after placing Ryujang on the Ju throne, Guk refused to bow to Kuan rule, instead declaring themselves an independent Fei kingdom. They stockpiled enough food for a long siege and refused to send soldiers outside the walls to harry Kuan cavalry. While these tactics may have served them well against a Kuan army, which had little experience with sieges, they failed when Seprum ballistae—improved by Kuan cymancers—broke down the walls. At Agrippina's suggestion, Chief Ko was sent to Kyong, where Meija Rai ensured Ryujang had them put to death.

### Battle of Masci

Though Queen Dina was offered the opportunity to surrender in 21 SE, she did not spend the next four years preparing for the arrival of the army. When they took Masci, it had only a small posted garrison and most clans had yet to provide the soldiers Queen Dina had requested to muster up a defense. Dorje Saj made sure all prisoners in Masci were treated with respect and care and allowed the small Mauzji army to retreat. Without the resources of the city, they were forced to raid their own farmlands, which turned popular sentiment against them and towards the Kuan-Seprum army, which had food to spare.

### Deadly Crossing

Governor Ussan of Adhan surrendered themself to Dorje Saj when the army arrived in Adh, promising they'd cooperate in exchange for the lives of their citizens. Though Agrippina Iccacia expressed disbelief that a politician would be so selfish and recommended a round of interrogation and application of a truth-seeking rune, the Kuan plan to draw support from regular Mauzji citizens was going so well, both Dorje Saj and Dex Augustus preferred not to waste the time and resources.

Unprompted, Governor Ussan volunteered the knowledge of their merchant family members to help get an army from Bakr to Assa. At Agrippina's recommendation, only a scouting force was sent across initially, but it returned safely. A large portion of the Kuan-Seprum army followed Ussan's lead, though this time, their father led the soldiers ever so slightly astray. Unable to read the Forest the way the Mauzji could, Dex Augustus didn't realize the trap until it was too late. Almost three thousand soldiers were lost, along with three members of Ussan's family.

Agrippina caught Ussan mid-suicide attempt and prolonged their death by almost three years in the Grey Keep, though she wrapped their severed left hand in their gloves and left it in the chambers of the local council of viziers before sending them back to Seprum. Dorje Saj instituted the foreign imperial guard, sending the children of important Makkadi states people back to Kuan, where they served in honor, and could be killed or tortured as necessary if the Makkadi refused to cooperate. The next venture across the pass was successful.

### Desecration of the Mesas

The three mesas, also called the three sisters or the family, are considered a sacred site to Sudhas. When the walls of Dagh proved too strong for Seprum ballistae, Grey Hand Agrippina threatened to use Diao fire powder on the smallest of the mesas, which were visible from the parapets. Though she possessed no fire powder at the time—Diao scholars had burned every book on its creation when the army took the capital—Silver Hand Blandak used a few choice runes, planted long distance to throw off the scent and avoid dodos, and conscripted Lykan climbers to cause lights and the sound of a rockfall in the night. Mayor Afya rode out to surrender that night.

### Dina's Suicide

Queen Dina sent a messenger with news of her surrender in 29 SE and had committed suicide by the time forces made it to the palace. Dorje Saj and Emperor Tacitus pardoned the majority of the bureaucracy in the coming decans and instated the Makkada Sultanate. They stripped away most of the Makkadi army, replacing them with Kuan and Seprum soldiers, and the Spiral Empire was united at last.