War:Riga War

Riga War Part of The Anarchy The Siege of Kraken's Watch, 1562 Date: 1559-1564 Location: Courland, Carnatia, Oren Result: Carnatian-Imperial Victory Krajian Rebellion Percival II installed as Duke of Courland Total diminishment of Courlander influence in the Empire Belligerents The Carnatian League: Duchy of Carnatia Barony of Kraken's Watch Krajian Hetmanate (until 1562) Duchy of Courland and Allies: Duchy of Courland White Cross mercenaries (Until 1562) Commanders and leaders The Carnatian League: John, Duke of Carnatia Lord Paramount Fiske Vanir Ser Petyr Barbanov Britannus, Baron of Kraken's Watch Ser Rickard Barrow Ser Lerald Vyronov Hetman Sveneld of Krajia (until 1562) Duchy of Courland and Allies: Alexander, Duke of Courland Ser Demetrius Palaiologos Ser Aymar Fournier Ser Ulric von Aesterwald (Until 1562) Imperial Representatives: Ser Maric Vimmark (for the Duchy of Courland) Prince Henry Joseph of Furnestock (for the Carnatian League)

The Riga War, 1559 to 1564, was an internal Imperial conflict between the Carnatian League, made of coalition allies including the Duchy of Carnatia and the Krajian Hetmanate, and the Duchy of Courland. The war stems from Duke Alexander of Courland's decision to revoke the Barony of Kraken's Watch from Lord Britannus Vanir, in an attempt to solidify his claim to the duchy. Duke Alexander hoped to remove the claimants from his land in hopes of force-arming the House of Vanir back into banishment.

Prelude

Following the end of the Dukes' War, the Duchy of Courland (Then typically called Vanaheim to the Raevo-Hansetian natives of the land) had been laid as vacant under the rule of King Guy of Oren, and later reinstated and granted to Percival Staunton (as Percival I) by John I. At the conclusion of the Eighteen Years' War, Percival's grandson Duke Andrew ruled, though not without rejection. Duke Andrew was the second son of the late Duke Richard (Who abdicated due to illness), and majorly disliked by his petty nobility and burghers. He was stained with a lacking charisma and blundering diplomacy, as well as his poor handling of his estates. Despite such flaws, Duke Andrew was known for a intense Orenian nationalism and fervent support in the Empire, added with a general desire for reform in the despotic-ruled duchy. These thoughts, and general sibling rivalry, led to his enduring bickering with his younger brother Alexander. Alexander, unlike Andrew, was known for his charisma towards the peasantry, gentry and petty nobility of the Courlander estates and his utter distain towards the Emperor John II.

By the 1550s, the rivalry between the brothers Andrew and Alexander (Called Anden and Aleksandr in the native Raevo-Hansetian tongue respectively) had become undeniable. Alexander had raised a host against his brother in hopes of taking the ducal coronet by force, marching against Riga. Duke Andrew, disliked by his petty nobility for his mishaps in diplomacy, stood without a proper army, as majority of his veterans left to join with his charismatic kinsman. He was pressed for forces, and pleaded with many of his neighbors for assistance including the Duchy of Carnatia, where he met and conversed with the then unlanded lordling Britannus Vanir. In return for manpower, Duke Andrew agreed to give the ancestral seat of Kraken's Watch back to the House of Vanir and Lord Britannus.

In a sudden twist of events, Duke Andrew's father in his ill-state supported Alexander's claim to the Duchy. Ashamed and disappointed, Duke Andrew committed suicide, leaving an unborn son in his wife and formally passing the ducal title to his brother. Lord Britannus, however, had already taken garrison of Kraken's Watch with he and his own soldiers, and Duke Alexander planned to meet him upon the field of battle. Before any true fighting could begin, however, the Imperial State called a peace meeting in the Second Diet of Saltstone, which declared that Lord Britannus' rule of Kraken's Watch is deemed legal, Alexander is declared the Duke of Courland over Andrew's unborn son, and Britannus would swear fealty to Duke Alexander as his liege lord.

Several years passed with peace in the Duchy, and both Alexander and Britannus were careful not to escalate tensions between the two houses. Unexpectedly, however, Alexander would send a small detachment of his soldiers during the celebrations of Saint Edmond's Day to Kraken's Watch, opening the gates and quickly capturing the castle from the drunken guards. With the bravery of the Vanir household knight Ser Asher Highwind, the Vanir family along with Lord Britannus and a sizeable portion of their men are able to escape the onslaught, retreating into the court of Duke John of Carnatia.

Major Confrontations

• 1558 - Storming of Kraken's Watch - Courlander Victory
• 1561 - Battle of the Curon Forest - Coalition Victory
• 1562 - Siege of Kraken's Watch - Coalition Victory
• 1563 - Battle of Westmark - Courlander Victory
• 1564 - Sacking of Riga - Coalition Victory

Timeline

• 1556:
  • The Treaty of Saltstone (1556) is signed, awarding Kraken's Watch to Britannus Vanir under tenure to the Duchy of Courland.
• 1558:
  • During the celebrations of Saint Edmond's Day, Duke Alexander marches his army towards Kraken's Watch. With majority of the guard within a drunken stupor, he sacks and captures the castle in a quick siege. Lord Britannus flees in exile to the court of Duke John of Carnatia.
• 1559:
  • The Second Diet of Saltstone is held by John II, Holy Orenian Emperor. The feud between Lord Britannus and Duke Alexander is deemed legal by the Emperor and the two sides sign the Pacta Conventa of 1559, allowing for a controlled conflict between the two feudal lords.
  • Duke John of Carnatia and Hetman Sveneld of Krajia form the Carnatian League, supporting Lord Britannus' claim.
  • Ser Fiske Vanir, son of Lord Britannus and one of the Heroes of Kal'Valen, is elected amongst the higher and lower nobility alike in the Carnatian League as their Lord Paramount.
• 1559 - 1560:
  • Minor skirmishes occur upon the border of Courland and Carnatia, however the opposing main armies never face directly upon the field.
• 1561:
  • The Courlander Army, spearheaded by the command of Duke Alexander and Ser Aymar Fournier, marches his main army into Carnatia.
  • Despite being outnumbered, the Carnatian League's army, led by Ser Rickard Barrow, meets the opposing forces at the Battle of the Curon Forest. A decisive victory for Ser Rickard, Duke Alexander is forced to retreat back to Kraken's Watch.
• 1562:
  • The Siege of Kraken's Watch occurs under the leadership of Ser Rickard, where the castle is captured in the successful assault. Duke Alexander retreats again to his capital of Riga, where he broods over his losses. Without proper leader the Courlander forces enter into an array of chaos.
  • The Lord Marshal of Courland, Ser Aymar Fournier, is assassinated at the hands of his son Hughes with the help of Duke John of Carnatia and Petyr Barbanov.
  • Tensions rise between Baron Britannus Vanir and Hetman Sveneld of Krajia after the apparent affair of Hetman Sveneld's son-in-law, Ser Jaromir, and Britannus Vanir's daughter Emma is revealed.
  • The Hetman abandon the Carnatian League, now siding instead with the Courlandic forces.
  • Dreadland forces now join in the war following the Hetman's flip, now fighting alongside the forces of Courland.
• 1563:
  • On the western banks of the River Vydra, Sven Staunton leads the Courlander forces to victory against the Coalition forces at the Battle of Westmark. Ser Petyr Barbanov is captured on the retreat by Sven's outriders.
• 1564:
  • Following a successful coup of Duke Alexander of Courland, the Treaty of Ambrosa is signed, putting an end to all hostilities between Courland and the Carnatian League. Lord Brittanus is placed as ward-father of Duke Percival II and firmly swears against all future conflicts. In return, Lord Britannus is officially reinstated as the Baron of Kraken's Watch with Imperial Letter. Ser Petyr Barbanov is released, unharmed and returns to Carnatia.
  • Following the Treaty of Ambrosa, Percival II flees to Felsen and gives the Carnatian League the keys to the city. Following this, the Sacking of Riga occurs, effectively destroying any opposition from Courland, and forcing the survivors to flee to the Dreadlands.
  • During the celebrations of the victory, soldiers under Duke John of Carnatia attack Ser Jaromir, who is aided by some members of the League, including Ser Camryn Lucimore. While he manages to flee, the boiling divide between the Hetman and the fellow lords reaches a climax as he declares war against the Duke of Carnatia. He is firmly denounced as a traitor by John II, which leads to him formly declaring independence in the Krajian Rebellion.