Alliance War
From FiranMUX
Contents |
Causes of the Alliance War
The root causes of the Alliance War can be traced back to a long chain of conflicts between the Bear Clan and the Gold Dragon Clan whose districts are side-by-side in the capitol city of Anarinuell.
Yasha Picks Sabinus as a Marriage Prize
The earliest of these conflicts leading to the Alliance War was when Lady Yasha Iberik used the Marriage Prize to choose Lord Sabinus Rissik as a husband. This would not normally have been a scandal, but for the fact that he was betrothed, at the time, to Lady Petrina Ista Aldrik of the Bear Clan.
Bear Clan Riots
The betrothal of Lord Sabinus to Lady Petrina was the forging of an alliance between the Bear Clan and the Chimera Clan. With the betrothal broken, the friendship between the Chimera and Bear Clans seemed imperiled. But because of the traditional respect afforded to winners of the marriage prize at the Spring Festival, the people were irked but not on the edge of riot. At least, that is, until evidence came to light that made it seem as if the Chimera Clan had back-stabbed the Bears, and engineered the broken betrothal.
It was at this point that the Bear Clan began to riot, angrily, over what they saw to be a betrayal.
Gold Dragon Trespass
During the riot, Lord Proxy Argus Firgalik of the Gold Dragon Clan decided upon a course of amusement which would have lasting consequences. The Bear Clan and the Gold Dragon Clan are traditional rivals. Playing upon this sense of rivalry, Lord Argus led a group of Gold Dragons and other instigators, including Lord Zafir Junik, Lady Throgana Keniwik, Lord Atriedes Keniwik and Lord Kemet Manosik into the Bear District. There, the Gold Dragons provoked the mob into further violence.
The Arrest of Gold Dragon Nobles
Hearing that the Bear Clan Riots had raged out of control, and that Gold Dragon citizens were in her district causing mayhem, Lady Fidelia Ista Aldrik sent out the guards, and shut her gates. Many of the Gold Dragons were able to escape, but she arrested several instigators including Lord Zafir, Lord Kemet, and Lady Throgana. She also arrested Lord Yaffros Iberik, whose presence at the riots gave credence to the theory that he had used his daughter in an effort to subvert the Bear-Chimeran alliance.
Worse still, very few months had passed since the Gold Dragons had claimed the right to judge and execute Nawar Verber, a Bear citizen, for having committed the crime of raising a weapon on Gold Dragon lands without permission. The Bears now claimed the same right with their prisoners, and while the Eagles negotiated for Yaffros' release, the Bears still held the Gold Dragons to await their trials.
The Bear Clan Compromises
With the capture and presumed trial of Gold Dragon nobles, tensions between the two clans were at an all time high. Ranivor Vahlgellan Elianik helped broker a compromise between Lady Proxy Fidelia and Clan Leader Jalil Firgalik of the Gold Dragons.
As a part of this compromise, nobles Zafir and Throgana were both released. Lord Kemet, however, was held to appease Bear Clan rage, because he had been caught actually brandishing a weapon within the Bear Clan district, and may have been responsible for several deaths that occurred during the riots.
In exchange, the Gold Dragon Clan was to send an enormous shipment of cheese to help stock empty Bear Clan warehouses and help ease the Cheese Riots that the Bear Clan had endured.
The Bear Clan was immensely dissatisfied with this compromise, but were set to take their rage out on their remaining prisoner, Lord Kemet.
The Kemet Massacre
Lord Kemet's frantic and grieving wife, Lady Maya, pled with the Gold Dragon leadership for her husband's life. The Gold Dragon citizens, too, were outraged at the idea of the Bears getting to execute their citizens. Soon it became clear that the leaders of the clans were backed into a corner; if Kemet was executed, the Gold Dragons would inevitably go to war with the Bears. But if Kemet was released, it was almost certain that the Bears, denied any outlet for their anger, would turn on the Ista Aldriks and start a civil war.
In the end, Lady Fidelia decided to release Kemet rather than anger the much larger Gold Dragon clan, while hoping that her own clan could be placated. However, a mob formed and refused to let Kemet go; as they boiled up towards riot-level, Lord Tergus Teranzik -- who was escorting the prisoner out -- decided to take matters into his own hands. In an act later judged to be treason, he simply executed Kemet on the spot, in front of the mob. Which then degenerated into chaos; in what would come to be known as the Kemet Massacre, several Republic soldiers were serious injured or killed as they tried to restore order.
Unsurprisingly, the Gold Dragons were not happy. The Republic stood at the very brink, but careful manuevering and speech-making by the various leaders managed to stave off outright war. Fidelia, who had been acting in her sister Junia's absence, resigned her position and appointed Lord Aldrikos as Bear clan proxy until Lady Junia could return.
Kemet Aftermath and Air Raids
The Gold Dragons, meanwhile, had problems at home; Lord Argus Firgalik was gaining power, and appeared to be more popular than his own Clan Leader. Between the restless, dissatisfied Bears and the increasingly agitated Gold Dragons, it looked as though two clans could dissolve into civil wars.
As if all of this were not bad enough, Shamibelian raiders, seemingly aware of the disordered and weakened state of the Republic, began attacking Anarinuell. Entire districts were firebombed, and countless Firans died in the fires and rubble. Even nobles themselves were out firefighting, and for a brief while the entire Republic seemed like they might pull together in the face of a common foe.
When the air raids were finally repelled, and the clan council had abruptly judged Lord Argus a traitor and executed him -- right in the middle of the palace war room during a strategy discussion, according to rumor -- things began to quiet down. Lady Junia returned and took up the reins of the Bear clan as proxy, and negotiated a set of peace marriages in hopes of finally settling the tensions down. Lord Aldrikos was to marry Lord Argus' widow, Lady Olena and become a Firgalik and a Gold Dragon. Meanwhile, Lady Fidelia was to marry Lord Halakeye Firgalik, who would become an Ista Aldrik.
For the moment, all seemed well.
Postponed Peace Marriages
The festival peace is one of the most sacred of all Firan beliefs; during that time, all violence and conflict is to be put aside. However, in the wake of all the chaos, this belief was not respected. Lord Argus' pregnant widow, Olena, had heard that the man she was pledged to marry was responsible for her husband's death. As such, she refused to marry him, even though it was part of a peace treaty. Her refusal forced the Clan Council to re-negotiate the treaty and betroth Lady Leyla Firgalik to Lord Aldrikos instead.
Angered by the entire episode, Clan Leader Jalil promptly had Olena executed, but he did it during the festival peace. And Lady Junia likewise executed her estranged husband, Lord Philander.
Not only was the populace outraged by this desecration of one of the most sacred beliefs of all Firans, but it seemed the gods themselves were angered. The Firan realms were pounded by freezing rain, no chickens seemed to lay eggs, alcohol seemed bitter and lacking the pleasant buzz it would normally give, and countless other rumors. It was even said that the goddess Eesha herself had turned away from the Firans, and that her temples no longer felt consecrated.
The Religious Council panicked and met to discuss what could be done. The council remained in discussion for two days; the actual debates have never been made public, but at the end, they recommended that the peace marriages -- indeed, every marriage in the Firan realms -- be postponed until Clan Leader Jalil and Lady Junia could somehow make amends with the gods. This might not have caused as much trouble as it did, save that the Religious Council chose the High Priest of Firanos to be their spokesperson and to announce the verdict.
This would be none other than Lord Sabinus, whose wedding to Lady Yasha had started this all, and who rumored to be himself in love with Lady Fidelia.
The Gold Dragons were livid, convinced that the Bear Clan was being feckless and engineering a situation in which they could go back on their word. They decided they'd take matters into their own hands.
Gold Dragons Invade the Bear Clan District
After a few volleys of stray ballista shots that broke a hole through the walls separating the Bear Clan District from the Gold Dragon District in Anarinuell, Gold Dragon soldiers quickly invaded and captured all citizens within the walls. Some say that Clan Leader Jalil never gave the order for this invasion, but he subsequently ratified it by declaring war.
Sir Anikos Aurik was the Gold Dragon in command of the hostages. Amongst them, he held some of the Bear Clan's most prominent leaders, including the Ista Aldriks and the Teranziks.
This invasion was widely held by legal scholars to be unconstitutional, and a quick and decisive response from the Republic under Ranivor Vahlgellan was expected. But not even a speech would come until weeks later, when it was far too late.
The Alliance
The Alliance was comprised of four Firan Clans:
- The Gold Dragon Clan
- The Cockatrice Clan
- The Eagle Clan
- The Ticanee Clan
The first was the Gold Dragon Clan led by Clan Leader Jalil Firgalik. Some say that he was reluctant to declare war against the Bear Clan, and was given little choice by an army that attacked, within the city walls, without his say so. Others claim that this was just the prevailing excuse in case the war was lost.
It was largely thought that no other clan would side with the Dragons, because their actions were thought to be unconstitutional. However, the Cockatrice Clan led by Lady Proxy Ibania Istabannos quickly came to the Gold Dragon Clan's side and ratified their actions against the Bear Clan.
Because the Eagle Clan had a treaty with the Cockatrice Clan, Clan Leader Zeysani committed her forces on the side of the Gold Dragons as well.
With the three largest clans in the Republic allying against the Bear Clan, currently under siege, the Ticanee Clan threw itself into the fray when Clan Leader Taria Oshta announced her support of the Gold Dragon Clan. This was a surprise to many, since her Bear Clan husband, Lord Taleo Teranzik had been taken prisoner in the Gold Dragon attack. However, Taria made it clear that she would side in war with Jalil Firgalik, the father of her sons (Lords Ojitar and Judanus).
The War Itself
The Bears Fight Alone
With Bear Clan troops moving towards Anarinuell from their own territories to free their leaders and hostages, it was expected that the Chimera Clan would come to their aid. At the very least, it was thought that the Griffon Clan, traditional enemies of the Gold Dragons, would side with the Bears. After all, at the time, the Griffon Clan was being led by Lady Petrina Corinala who had married an ailing Clan Leader Judanarius. Given her Ista Aldrik Family ties, her assistance seemed inevitable. But taking cues from Ranivor Vahlgellan's silence, the other clans sat back and declared neutrality, further legitimizing the Gold Dragon invasion.
Vahlgellan Loses His Throne
When Ranivor Vahlgellan finally decided to weigh in on the dispute, the Bear Clan district was already completely subdued, Bear Clan Leaders were completely at the mercy of the Gold Dragon Clan, and Bear Clan soldiers were having trouble getting through the Hydra Clan to come to the aide of their leaders. The war was effectively over, but he did not seem to realize it.
He pledged Republic soldiers to fight the Alliance and restore order.
Unfortunately, before he could, the Palace District was taken by Alliance Forces. Ticanee soldiers took the east gate, Eagle forces took the west gate, Cockatrice forces took the north gate, and Gold Dragons took the south.
The Ranivor was deposed, and the Constitution declared void.
The Political Aftermath
Dictatorship
Though the Alliance would eventually surrender power and return to a constitutional form of Republican government, for a short period following the war, they were in complete control of the Firan Realms and exercised power over all the clans accordingly. Ironically, they attempted to institute reforms with the express intention of preventing anyone from doing what they had done again--including themselves.
Executions & Casualties
Argus Firgalik
Though he was technically judged guilty of treason and executed by Ranivor Vahlgellan in the middle of a Clan Council Meeting at the Palace before the actual Alliance War began, he is often thought of as one of its casualties.
Olena Firgalik
Although she was technically executed before the beginning of hostilities in the Alliance War, for her refusal to marry Lord Aldrikos as part of the peace marriage agreement, she is generally thought of as a casualty of the Alliance War.
Kemet Manosik
His death, during the Kemet Massacre is widely thought of as the act which sparked the Alliance War.
Gustan Didoron
Lord Centurion Gustan Didoron was one of the first Republic guards to arrive on the scene at the Kemet Massacre. The small knit of soldiers that came along with Lord Gustan were all grievously injured, or in Gustan's case, torn apart and killed by the rioting citizens.
Tergus Teranzik
Lord Tergus Teranzik was arrested, and eventually executed for his role in the Kemet Massacre.
Sabinus Rissik
Lord Sabinus Rissik turned himself in and was executed for his part in starting the Alliance War.
Akinita Rissik
Clan Leader Akinita Rissik was called to account before the Alliance to explain her possible collusion in the events that led to the Alliance War, including having her son Sabinus postpone the peace marriages. When she appeared, she decided that now that the war was over, it was time to revoke her neutrality. The Clan Council conquered her (and her clan) on the spot, by arresting her for treasonous conspiracy which imperiled the Republic. It was later learned that she had, in defiance of the Alliance, hidden the Chimera medallion. When the Alliance recovered the medallion, they gave it to Princess Inaya Elianik. Akinita was subsequently tried before what remained of the Council, and after intensely heated debate, she was executed. Some argue that it was one of the singular worst decisions the Clan Council has ever made, and even some members of the Alliance have since expressed reservations about the act.
Changes in Leadership
A Viceroy Appointed
Curiously, Vahlgellan was not exiled or banished after losing his throne. The Alliance seemed to think that in time, a new constitution would be drawn up, and he might be reinstalled upon the throne. In the meantime, the position of Viceroy was created. The Viceroy was to hold the position of Ranivor in trust until such time the Clan Council felt ready to commit to a new Ranivor under a new constitution. The first Viceroy to be named was Nydiam of the Eagle Clan, whose political career was suddenly, and unexpectedly revived after having been deposed during an Eagle civil war.
Junia Removed
The Bear Clan was forced to surrender as a result of the Alliance War. One of the terms of surrender was that Lady Junia would no longer serve as Proxy for the Bear Clan.
Another term of surrender was that Lady Junia Ista Aldrik relinquish the Staff of the High Priest/Priestess.
Taleo Appointed Bear Clan Proxy
In Junia's place, Lord Taleo Teranzik was named proxy for Clan Leader Sabine. It was the Gold Dragon Clan's contention that a man, and someone not of Ista Aldrik blood, would be less likely to seek vengeance and cause upheaval down the road.
To legitimize this move with the Bear Clan, Taleo was divorced from his wife, Clan Leader Taria Oshta. This was not a surprise, considering that relations between the two seemed strained since she sided with the army that took him hostage. He was subsequently married to the newly divorced Lady Petrina Ista Aldrik. However, Taleo openly stated his hostility towards the Alliance, protested his captivity under Sir Anikos, and asserted that it was his intention to return the medallion to the Ista Aldriks as soon as practicable. (He would later do just that.)
Inaya Made Clan Leader
Princess Inaya Elianik became the Clan Leader of the Chimera Clan. She was also given the staff, and made Honorary Clan Council Leader and High Priestess of the Firan Realms.
