War:Aevos Coalition War

Aevos Coalition War

Date: 155 S.A. - Present Place: The Heartlands of Aevos Result: Ongoing Belligerents The Grand Covenant: Kingdom of Haense Kingdom of Balian Viceroyalty of Hyspia Grand Kingdom of Urguan Commonwealth of the Petra Kingdom of Norland United Kingdom of Aaun Exhilic Kingdom of Númendil Veletz & Allies: League of Veletz The Iron Horde Principality of Stassion Principality of Celia'nor (until 158 S.A.) Commanders and Leaders Aleksander II of Haense Adrian I, King of Balian† Sybille, Queen of Balian Cesar II, Viceroy of Hyspia Garedyn Mossborn, Grand King of Urguan Catherine I, Queen of Petra Ellenore Eiriksson, High Keeper of Norland John I, King of Aaun Tar-Caraneth, Queen of Numendil Gaspard II, Captain-General of Veletz Gustaf van Aert † Grommash, Rex of the Iron Horde Richard I, Prince of Stassion Illyria Ibarellan, Princess of Celia'nor (until 158 S.A.)

The Aevos Coalition War is an ongoing large-scale conflict that spanned across the Aevosi Heartland, Eastern Aevos, and the territories of the Kingdom of Haense. It began in 155 S.A and was fought between two major coalitions, the Covenant of Five (later the Grand Covenant) and the League of Veletz and their allies, consisting of the Horde and the Principality of Celia'nor. The conflict between the two factions had remained cold for decades prior to the start of the fighting, though the immediate spark for the war was the kidnapping of Princess Sibyl of Balian by the Ferrymen (an act for which they and the leadership of Veletz were excommunicated by High Pontiff Sixtus VI), and the murder of King Edmund II of Aaun by Frederick Aurelian and his Veletzian allies.

Following the Battle at Whitespire, the Kingdom of Haense, Kingdom of Balian, Grand Kingdom of Urguan, Commonwealth of the Petra, and the Viceroyalty of Hyspia joined together to form the Covenant of Five [1], an international coalition with the intent of destroying the League of Veletz for the many grievances they had caused in previous years. As the war progressed, the Covenant of Five was reformed into the Grand Covenant as the Kingdom of Norland, United Kingdom of Aaun, and Exhilic Kingdom of Númendil joined the fray.

Major Skirmishes, Battles, and Sieges

• 14th of the Deep Cold, 155 S.A. - Battle of Valdev - League Victory
• 8th of the Sun's Smile, 156 S.A. - Battle of Whitespire - Covenant Victory
• 12th of Malin's Welcome, 157 S.A. - Battle of Winburgh - League Victory
• 5th-11th of the Sun's Smile, 157 S.A. - Siege of Breakwater - Covenant Victory
• 11th of The Grand Harvest, 158 S.A. - Siege of Brasca Keep - Covenant Victory
• 10th of The Grand Harvest, 159 S.A - Battle of the Westmark - League Victory
• 10th of Malin's Welcome, 159 S.A - Sacking of Valdev - League Victory
• 12th of The Grand Harvest, 161 S.A - The Red Coronation - League Victory
• 6th of The Grand Harvest, 162 S.A - Battle of Crimson Banks - Covenant Victory

Timeline

155th Year of the Second Age

• Following the kidnapping of the Crown-Princess of Balian, the League along with Orcish allies raid the Haeseni capital of Valdev. With many of their commanders absent, the Covenant forces are overwhelmed and defeated. Despite technically occurring before the declaration of war, the Battle of Valdev is seen as the spark.

156th Year of the Second Age

• With the support of the Aaunic vassal of the Margraviate of Stassion, Veletzian forces enter the City of Whitespire in an attempt to usurp the Crown. Although Edmund II, King of Aaun is killed in the fighting, the Covenant forces arrive before the coup can fully succeed and restore order. Though taking place before the declaration of war, the Battle of Whitespire had occurred when both sides had already began open fighting following the Battle of Valdev
• Following the Battle of Whitespire, the Covenant of Five officially forms and issues a declaration of war upon the League of Veletz, marking the official start of hostilities despite previous fighting.
• The Canonist Church excommunicates several members of the Veletzian leadership, including Gaspard II.
• The League of Veletz and the Iron Horde officially sign a military alliance, bringing the Horde into the war in an official capacity.

157th Year of the Second Age

• The nations of Haense and Hyspia march to raid the Veletzian capital, and are met in battle in the city walls by the Veletzians, sparking the Battle of Winburgh. The Veletzians defeat the Hyspian-Haeseni forces and protect their city from the raid.
• The nations of Norland, Aaun, and Númendil declare their alignment with the Covenant of Five, and join the war on their side. The Covenant of Five becomes the Grand Covenant.
• The combined Covenant army marches into Veletz territory and lays siege to the Ferrymen keep of Breakwater, initiating the Siege of Breakwater. The battle is a victory for Covenant forces, and also sparks the beginning of a major Covenant offensive into the Midlands.

158th Year of the Second Age

• The Principality of Celia'nor declared their departure from the war, choosing resolute neutrality over continued participation in the conflict. [2]
• The Covenant continues their march, besieging the newly built Brasca castle in the Siege of Brasca Keep. After a lengthy Siege, the Covenant forces took the Keep and continued their offensive into Veletz's Midlands. Gustaf van Aert, a Veletzian commander, is killed in the fighting at Brasca Keep.
• A joint Veletz-Krug raiding force assaults the Hand of Horen, the palace of Whitespire, and capture the High Pontiff, the King of Aaun, and a small court [3]. After tense negotiations, the High Pontiff and the King are released, however, the Count-Emeritus of Talentine, an Aaunic vassal and a member of the captured court, is killed in a duel with an orc [4].

159th Year of the Second Age

• Riding high on their two consecutive victories, the Coalition marches into the Westmark to attempt to continue their occupation of Veletzian territory. The League of Veletz, the Principality of Stassion, and The Iron Horde meet them in the open fields, sparking the Battle of the Westmark. Even when they were outnumbered by double, it was a stunning Veletzian victory, and the Covenant armies were crushed.
• Following the Battle of the Westmark, the League and the Horde begin a raiding campaign against the states of the Covenant. They capture many high-profile targets such as the Viceroy of Hyspia [5], and the King-Consort of Númendil [6]. Despite offering multitudes of chances for the Covenant to rescue their captured leaders, the Covenant refuses to sally out.

160th Year of the Second Age

• To celebrate the Tuvmas season, Queen Amaya of Haense hosts a winter ball in Valdev, inviting the entirety of the Covenant. The alliance sends a raiding party of primarily Ferrymen, Veletzians, and Orcs to disrupt the festivities. During their raid on the festival, later dubbed the Sacking of Valdev, they capture Queen Amaya and withdraw to Winburgh with her in tow [7]. Noting that they remained unfollowed with no rescue raid party on the horizon, Veletzian leadership sends a series of summons to King Aleksandr, requesting him to travel to Winburgh and take the place of his Queen [8]. No official replies were ever made in response by the Haeseni government. Plea deals are sent out to King Aleksandr with no avail as the King never sends a reply [9]. Veletz threatens to execute the Queen, thus Timofei Petrovich, a lowborn Haeseni fisherman to sally out to challenge the Marshal of Veletz to a duel for the fate of the captive Queen. Petrovich bests the Marshal and thus, the Queen is liberated. Upon his return to Haense, Petrovich became a local legend and the duel went on to inspire folk songs and poems across the lands of both the Alliance and the Covenant [10][11].

161th Year of the Second Age

• During the Coronation of Sybille in the Kingdom of Balian a joint force of Veletz and Krug rallied and raided the event. It became widely known and celebrated as the The Red Coronation, named such for quickly becoming a massacre after a breakdown in Coalition communication and an order given to defend the would-be Queen and the Clergy at all costs [12]. Following the slaughter, the invaders desecrated the iconic Balianite throne that was made from the skull of Cloudbreaker [13]. Images of the aftermath became focal points for ensuing propaganda pieces, that dubbed Queen Syiblle as 'the Queen Who Ran' [14].

162nd Year of the Second Age

• The Veletzian army begins their march towards Balian with a host of 11,500 men. They are met in the field by a combined Covenant force of 16,500 men, with the Veletzian host being routed at the Battle of Crimson Banks.