History: The Laendric Wars

## The Bloody Laendric Wars

### The King for an Hour- 3394c.e

At the news that Lucerik was dead, the city of Mace, former capital of the Macian Empire and capital of the kingdom of Laendren burnt. There was no barbarian attack, but instead the citizens of the city were in uproar and driven to violence by fear. Riots broke out, state officials were murdered by one-another and buildings were looted and set on fire. Songs of praise for the Bright King could be heard from miles away and Queen Theodorena, wife and murderer, of Lucerik feared for her life and for the life of her children.

In the face of this tragedy, there was a clear solution; Lucerik's son, Lucelio aged 15, should have been crowned, yet the mobs were unaware that Lucerik had sired children and the closest advisors feared that the murderess Theodorena's children would not be suitable or even legitimate. Evermud, one of Lucerik's chief generals and advisors decided at a council that he would carry out justice upon Theodorena and take the children to safety after which they could be brought back into the city and hailed as children of Lucerik without any association to his murderer.

Before Evermud could force his way through the door of Theodorena's chambers the Queen ended the lives of all her children before setting herself aflame in ritual sacrifice for her dishonour. It is said that after putting out the flames that had spread, Evenmud wept for five days without leaving the room; one day for each of lives that had been lost (Lucerik, Theodorena, and their three children).

### Laezenii conquest of Vescaeii and Laetunaita- 3394c.e- 3396c.e

Upon recieving the news that Lucerik had been killed, Val Marinus, a general and governor of Larzenii for the Empire of Maciae, gathered an army and quickly captured the nearby settlements and declared himself Patriarch of Larzenii.

In the following months Marinus captured a scattering of minor settlements throughout Vescaeii and made his way north. Piis, the capital of mainland Vescaeii, was besieged for three weeks before the Maciaen troops forced their way in and sacked the city. Marinus continued north to Devora, Capital of the Laetunaita province, which in view of the fate of Piis, put up no resistance; Marinus entered unopposed, and conquered the rest of his third province before the end of the second year. The rapidity of the Maciaen advance under Marinus took the Laendrens by surprise, some even speculating that Theodorena must have alerted them to her plans.

### First Siege of Laendric Macini- 3394c.e- 3395c.e

Only two months after Val Marinus began his campaign from Larzenii, another threat emerged for the crumbling Laendrian Kingdom. Still without a king, their capital, the city of Macini was put to siege by Proclus Cassius Falx with an army of 5,000 Maciaen loyalist soldiers. Proclus Cassius Falx had been a top advisor of the Maciaen Empire, governing many small settlements around the capital and was also a decorated and renown general. It is thought that his high ranking position and notoriety swayed Lucerik and his advisors to pardon him in hopes that he would aid their cause as they were now the rightful leaders. Proclus had remained in Macini and had served hesitantly, when it became obvious that he was unwilling to see the Laendrens rule his homeland his was imprisoned, yet was broken out during the riots and subsequently fled to Heralii, a nearby settlement.

Proclus rallied a massive army and immediately marched back to Macini to reclaim the crown for the Maciaen Empire. This was the first time that the city had been under siege since Lucerik, himself, had defeated the empire and would be the first of three during the Laendric Wars. The siege lasted an entire year, reducing the Laendren's armies ability to defend their land against other threats. There were sallies, minor engagements and several large actions but after 1,600 Laendric tribesfolk arrived Proclus was forced to take the offensive but eventually was sent retreating and instead conquered other nearby settlements.

### The Saviour of Mediopium

After firmly remaining under the control of the Laendrens due to a significant presence, the town of Mediopium sent letters requesting aid to both Proclus and Val Marinus hoping that the predominantly Maciaen population could can liberty in this new time. Due to their actions many assumed that the two armies must have be working together, yet Proclus and Marinus had not had any correspondence up until this point. When Val Marinus received the letter he sent word to Proclus requesting that the two armies join forces to eliminate the false rulers, yet he insisted that as the younger man he was more suitable to take the mantel as the new empire. Marinus attached several pages that had been torn from census books detailing his lineage and "proving" he was related to an old emperor, albeit it very distantly.

It is said that Proclus was not only offended but outraged, he openly mocked Marinus as a pretender through his camp and the two armies arrived at Mediopium, waiting at either side of the settlement, neither wishing to move and be attacked by their supposed ally.

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