Second Pillager War

The **Second Pillager War** was a continuation of the previous First Pillager War in Goruid and Aphthonis. This is also the third major military engagement of the Thornian Army (and the first fought under the command of the Order of the Golden Trident). It is the first major military conflict since The Great Plague (the Thornian recapture of Xandu is considered a humanitarian operation).

The conflict initially saw Thornian forces succeed well in regional or rural areas (i.e. open field battle), whilst struggling in urban warfare. This was almost the opposite situation seen in the first war when Thornian forces were often caught in close-quarter combat in cities like Palus Urbem and Elysia. However, a change in battlefield tactics from pitched battles to persistent guerrilla warfare and the spread of the plague led to the demise of Great Thornia. Uprisings across Thornia led to the war being declared over as the remnants of the army were redeployed to put them down.

## Chronology

The conflict was declared by the Golden Trident in the aftermath of the Massacre of Elysia, which saw 80% of the city's villager population exterminated by what is claimed to be the largest pillager force seen since the Battle of Shanjing during the First Pillager War. The significant loss of life has critically damaged the city's claim to fame as the financial centre of the world. The Battle on the Elysia River on the following day was the third largest battle fought in Elysia.

Throughout late August and September, Thornian forces rapidly made their way across the peninsula to fight numerous battles against pillager forces. The Thornian military won all battles it fought, albeit they did not successfully wipe out the pillager bands across the country. Pillager bands started to reduce the size of the skirmishes whilst increasing their frequency. This exhausted the Thornian Army and led to a near-collapse of its organisation and unity.

The Great Plague continued west of the Umic Sea, but as the Thornians began shipping-in mercenaries from the remnants of Xandu and the Dark Realm the plague spread across the numerous battlefields that these forces fought in. Population centres were decimated as the plague spread deeper into Goruid, whilst the Thornian Army and its mercenaries were killed off en masse. The Thornian government declared the war over in August 2021 as severely depopulated and starving cities and towns rose up against the state.

## Armed engagements

* **Massacre of Elysia** (29 August 2020)
	+ Phyrric victory for the Thornian Army.
	+ Most of the Thornian Iron Guard in Goruid has been destroyed.
	+ 80% loss of civilian life and significant economic damage.
* **First Battle of Elysia** (30 August 2020)
	+ Decisive Thornian victory.
	+ Most of the Iron Guard of Elysia survive.
	+ Minimal civilian loss of life.
	+ Generous loot retrieved from the invading pillager forces.
* **Battle of Adanon** (31 August 2020 - 1 September 2020)
	+ Thornian victory against two waves of attacks.
	+ Some iron golems lost to pillager forces.
	+ Pillager stronghold near Adanon captured successfully.
	+ Generous loot retrieved from the invading pillager forces.
* **First** **Battle of Mesapedia** (4 September 2020)
	+ Thornian victory against a small pillager attack on the new Mesapedia railway station.
	+ Led to a pillager counterattack on Elysia (Second Battle of Elysia).
* **Second Battle of Elysia** (4 September 2020)
	+ Thornian victory against several waves of attack from the South Elysia River and East Elysia River.
	+ Some iron golems lost to pillager forces.
	+ Player forces driven out of the city on multiple occassions before successfully counterattacking.
* **Second Battle of Mesapedia** (5 September 2020)
	+ Decisive Thornian victory in sniper battle against several pillager patrol units.
* **Battle of the South Raiga Stronghold** (5 September 2020)
	+ Decisive Thornian victory in amphibious invasion via the Elysian Rivers.
	+ South Raiga Stronghold captured.
* **Third Battle of Mesapedia** (5 September 2020 - 6 September 2020)
	+ Thornian victory declared; one pillager trapped in the cave system below the village (which later died or disappeared).
	+ Mesapedian authorities multiply the village's wealth by nearly 4 to 5 times the original funding provided by Elysia as mining activities amplified during the search for the pillagers.
* **Second Battle of Adanon** (12 September 2020)
	+ Decisive Thornian victory.
* **Battle of New Ume** (22 September 2020)
	+ Decisive Thornian victory.

## Impact

### Survey missions

Like in the First Pillager War, the Thornian Army has conducted extensive survey missions of largely ignored regions of the country for the purpose of defence and supply-line planning. While the first war saw much of Aphthonis surveyed, the second war has seen Goruid's rural regions being revisited. Much of the central, in-land regions of the Province of Elysia and the east coast of North Goruid in the Province of Volovna have been mapped and their resources examined. The realisation of just how extensive the river systems of the Province of Elysia are has prompted a frenzy of economic planning for the expansion of all settlements across the province.

### Military strategy

The Second Pillager War had reversed Thornia's fortunes in urban warfare as the increasingly dense settlements of the nation have become increasingly difficult to avoid friendly-fire. This has caused iron golems to lash-out against players in the midst of battles. However, the Thornian Army has succeeded surprisingly well in open-field combat and has accordingly developed a prowess with orchestrating battle plans across vast terrains. Amphibious landings are also becoming increasingly important.

### Military technology

Unlike the First Pillager War, there was no 'economic golden age' or economic boom prior to this conflict. In the build-up to the previous conflict Great Thornia had much more resources to advance its weaponary. This included the transition to artillery weapons and the extensive use of iron golems.

In the build-up to the second conflict, Great Thornia had already spent up much of its resources in attempting to quell rebellions in Tyavyli and Umia against their respective governments, as well as retaking Xandu. The battles fought in urban centres across Thornia also destroyed much of the iron golems built by the Thornian Army. As such, attacks on urban centres had been much more devastating in the second conflict. Thus, the army has taken to unconventional methods of defence such as heavy reforestation around urban centres to slow the advance of incoming pillager invaders.

Artillery weapons cease to be used by the Thornian Army. In this conflict, it has relied heavily on crossbows, swords, and axes. The army realised that the captured strongholds (guarded by a large retinue of iron golems) could effectively function as crossbow factories as the loot left behind by pillagers occassionally include crossbows.

### Economy

The Thornian economy was expected to take a severe hit in the aftermath of the Massacre of Elysia. However, the rapid deployment of forces to aid with a survey operation of the northern Goruid peninsula and to help develop rural/regional settlements led to an economic boom thanks to the expansion of provincial trade networks and drastically improved agricultural output. New settlements were established (e.g. Mesapedia) and the discovery of significant mineral ores below these settlements allowed for a rapid economic recovery.