Athalean War of Independence

Antiporosian empire prior to the war (colonies highlighted solid red)

**The Athalean War of Independence** was a conflict between the city of Athalea and the Antiporosian colonial empire. It began in 17036, when the Antiporosian army attempted to invade Athalea, which had broken away during the Antiporosian Civil War in 17033. Peace was signed in 17038, after the Battle of Thelsod decisively won the war for Athalea.

## Background

*Main article: Antiporosian Civil War*

In 17033, a Southedian noble, Terrenis Ullertrim, claimed the throne of Antipoross, after the death of Antiporosian king Hectras I. However, the next in line for the throne by national law was his niece, Athetta of Poross. Supporters of the royal law and those who desired a male monarch came into conflict, with Athetta's Loyalists eventually gaining victory in 17035. During the conflict, due to growing dislike of the Antiporosian royal family's high tariffs, Athalea sided with Terrenis, leaving the colony isolated when the Queen's supporters retook the mainland. Athalea decided it would not rejoin the Antiporosian kingdom, and declared itself an independent Empire, seizing control of the other nearby Antiporosian colony of Caddock Harbor. Derricas Subacras, a popular general native to Caddock, was crowned King. Queen Athetta and the rest of the Antiporosian nobility denounced Derricas as illegitimate.

## Antiporosian Invasion

Main article: *Battle of the Red Fields*

After the Loyalist victory in 17035, Queen Athetta's first act was to reconquer the illegitimate state of Athalea. She and most Antiporosians believed the city was rightfully their territory. So, in 17036, an army of 14,000 Antiporosian soldiers sailed to the Kalenian coast to invade Athalea. The Athaleans only had a professional army of 5,500 men, and a militia numbering 6,000 was thrown together in desperation. The Antiporosian commander, Callefan, was extremely confident that the Athalean army would be no match for his more experienced forces. The Athalean King, Derricas, knew this, and decided to use it to his advantage. When the Antiporosian expedition landed south of the city, he dressed all 6,000 of his militiamen as well as 500 career soldiers in professional's armor and marched them in formation to a wide, open field, with the militia's structure made to look as small as possible. His professional soldiers were hidden in the forest west of the field, to the left of the enemy's force. When Callefan saw the intentionally pathetic Athalean "army," he ordered his men to immediately march toward the enemy and surround their heavily outnumbered force. He believed that the Athaleans had put all their best men and equipment on the front line as a last-ditch effort to defend the city. As soon as the Antiporosians met the Athalean militia in battle, Derricas ordered his 5,000 more experienced soldiers to charge out of the nearby woods, hitting the Antiporosians in their southwest flank. This effectively split the Antiporosian army in two, a group of about 8,700 and a group of about 5,300, and Derricas ordered his army to surround the western, smaller part of the enemy. Before long, the 5,300 Antiporosians had all been killed or captured, and the remaining Antiporosians were scattered, weary, outnumbered, and low on morale. Only about 3,500 of the 14,000 Antiporosians escaped, and more than half of the invasion fleet was captured by the Athaleans. The battle even became known as the "Battle of the Red Fields" due to the land being stained with blood. This devastating defeat sent shockwaves through the still-recovering Antiporosian empire, and more and more people were losing their loyalty to the Queen.

## Athalean Offensives

Main article: *Battle of Thelsod*

After their astounding victory, the Athaleans were more than ready to expand their fledgling Empire's borders. The Athalean navy, greatly expanded by the capture of the invasion fleet, sailed to Espiral, an Antiporosian colony in Esthilia. The city fell without bloodshed, as the people were not reluctant to leave the Antiporosian empire. After that, the Athalean armada sailed northeast, towards Antipoross. They ran into the Antiporosian navy off the coast of the Pinarean city of Thelsod. The Athaleans, used to being a seafaring people, were more experienced, and on top of that advantage they outnumbered the Antiporosians heavily. The battle was not long, with the Athaleans simply more powerful and more experienced than their Antiporosian counterparts. The Antiporosian fleet was crushed, with more than half of its ships being destroyed and the rest captured. After this, Queen Athetta was forced to enter a peace conference, officially ceding all Antiporosian colonies in Kalenia and Esthilia, including Caddock Harbor and Espiral, in the Treaty of Thelsod.

## Aftermath

The Antiporosian Empire was left in shambles from the conflict. It had lost much of its navy, many of its best soldiers, and most importantly, the loyalty of its people. Less than a month after the Treaty of Thelsod was signed, the top Antiporosian generals executed a coup against Athetta, deposing her and putting a new king, General Yohanas Capras, on the throne. This embarrassing defeat was part of the motivation for Antipoross to invade New Volyter in the Antiporosian-Volytrian War.