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The Chrysant War was one of the bigger [[Regalia|Regalian]] conflicts that occurred in the last few decades, but notably more impactful to the [[Naga]] populations of Aloria, reducing their numbers to about half their population and ending only 11 years ago. While a declaration of war was never made, what spurred the first conflicts which would lead to five years of battle was when [[Empress Mikuni]] first learned the art of summoning sea serpents, and this knowledge spread to the Regalian Archipelago. Regalia’s [[Imperial Fleet]] gathered at [[Girobalda]] days before the first cannons were fired, and set sail toward [[Hadar]] to seek out Empress Mikuni and ensure the Naga could no longer threaten or negatively influence the Holy Empire.
{{Info Wars
|name = Chrysant War
|test = Conflict in Hadarian Archipelago
|image = Chrissywar.png
|years =
286 AC - 291 AC
|participants =
* Regalian Empire
* Essa Empire
|status =
* Collapse of the Essa Empire
* Regalian Occupation of the Chrysant Kingdoms
* End of the Regalian Pessimism
|}}
The Chrysant War, or the Regalian-Essa War, was a conflict between 286 AC and 291 AC between the Regalian Empire and the Essa Empire. At the start of the war, the Essa Empire, comprised of Slizzar and Allar, was one of the three major powers in the central geo-political power game along with the Regalian Empire and the Songaskian Masaya, as the Neo-Allorn Empire was not yet reformed. After years of Regalian provocation, and mounting political unrest among its military factions, the Emperor was forced to agree to invade the Essa Empire, which occurred with full force. The war was not fought bitterly but easily, with many of Hadar's military forces folding to Regalia's military superiority. With steel and cannons, Allar alchemy and more conventional projectile weapons were no match, and the war turned less into a formal war and more into a rampage where Regalian fleets burned city after city to get to the capital. The Essa Empire completely cracked under military pressure and was destroyed in the process, with Regalian establishing many de-militarized subject kingdoms. Regalia's victory over the Essa Empire was used as propaganda to end the Regalian Pessimism and re-establish Regalia's pre-eminence, though in the modern day, this conflict is largely remembered for just being genocidal mania among the rabid jingoist and pro-war factions of Regalian society, and many soldiers who fought in the war look back on it in shame. Tens of thousands of Allar died from starvation and destruction, and Hadar was seriously damaged and unable to resist an invasion from the south many years later, while many Slizzar also took revenge for their destruction by assassinating many Regalian nobles and retreating to their impregnable city.


==Beginning of the War==
==Prelude==
When the Regalian ships first arrived near Hadar, a small Nagan force was sent their way to determine why they were there. Taking this as a sign of threat and aggression, the Regalian ships were quick to gun them down, and while no declaration of war was made, this event was arguably what set the path of war in motion. After this, the Regalian Fleet began to split up into groups of about 12-30 ships each, combing the seas around Hadar and using this as a way to overwhelm and overcome any Nagan opposers. The Regalian ships were sent after Nagan naval ships and military bases, destroying small cities and towns along the way to ascertain their influence and ensure the Naga could not convene in hostile manners. As a result, the Naga began to seek out desperate measures. Noting that the Regalians were holding nothing back, they reciprocated, sending the full force of their military after the enemies and attempting to assail Regalian ships to oblivion.
In the decade following the Red Uprising, the Regalian Senate went from an institution designed to check the powers of the Dukes and Emperor into a corrupt organization of warring political factions that failed to pass any meaningful legislation. The result was a stagnant Regalian Empire that could not guide itself out of the downturn that was the Regalian Pessimism. While an economic depression was ultimately avoided, a lack of growth and innovations led to a general flatlining of the Empire’s potential. The military conquered no new states new project works were started or completed, and at the top of it all, the Senate was bogged down in endless debates and factionalization. Eventually, three notable political blocs materialized in the Regalian Senate: the Red Faction which desired a weaker constitutional monarchy, the Dragon Faction which promoted intellectual advancement, and the Iron Bulwark which desired a return to military campaigning. While it would only take two of the three factions to end gridlock in the Senate, ideological differences kept a coalition from forming.


==Progression of War==
This political deadlock ended in 286 AC when the Iron Bulwark proposed to invade the Essa Empire over disputed border claims following the end of the Dunden War. The vote was expected to fail, as similar proposals had died in debate. However, the Dragon Faction surprised everyone by voting in favor alongside the Iron Bulwark, creating the necessary majority needed to pass the proposal. While some of the Reds initially protested the results of the vote, their political whips forced them to concede to the will of the Senate, as their entire platform was derived from the legitimacy of the intuition. With the proposal passed, Emperor Justinian II gave the call to arms, and soon hundreds of warships began to sail south to Hadar.
Morale in Regalia was high as the war moved into its second and third year. At this point, numerous noble families drafted their first-born sons into the war, and the families that worked for them eagerly followed, giving Regalia a solid military to attack the Nagan forces. While the forces were unpaid, they awarded themselves by ransacking Nagan villages, pillaging any loot they wanted or needed and attacking any who stepped in the way. With more resources being put toward the war efforts, the prices of iron, wood, beef, and fish on the open market began to increase dramatically. Soon, rationing came into effect. At the end of the fourth year, the [[Battle of Shu-Ling]] occurred, setting the stage for the final [[Battle of Feng Huang]].


===Battle of Shu-Ling===
==Experience==
Throughout the war, the Imperial Fleet plowed through Hadar, bombarding island towns and coastal settlements to rubble with their ships. However, this practice was not possible when Regalia first arrived at Shu Ling, an archipelago consisting of three mountainous islands northeast of the capital. Most of the towns in Shu Ling sat high on the mountains, and were therefore impervious to cannon fire. In addition, a shallow reef flanked either side of the island, preventing the Regalian ships from sailing around it. The only way into the kingdom by ship was through the lagoon that sat nestled between the islands -- however, this was heavily guard. After destroying and setting up camp in the port town of Yufukusu, which sat at the base of the largest island, the Regalian Fleet marched up each of the steep mountainsides. On the first and largest island, the humans struggled to get up the mountain as forces led by [[General Zhi-Ding]] assailed them. However, the Regalians pushed them back up to the city of Sen-Yin, which sat in the snowy peaks. Thousands were slaughtered, General Zhi-Ding among them. At that point, the Regalian forces moved on to the other two islands, marching up the mountains and destroying all settlements they found. The Naga warriors were in disarray with the loss of their general. Shu-Ling was ravaged and burned, and the king met his end. With one of the largest states in the [[Chrysant Kingdoms]] destroyed, there was only one major Nagan stronghold remaining in Hadar: Feng Huang, the capital city and the seat of Empress Mikuni.
====Among Soldiers====
In the army, the typical soldier was either a feudal levy called to service by their overlord or a mercenary taking on a contract put up by the State. As Hadar was a vast tropical archipelago, soldiers would often jump from island to island as they pushed further south towards the Essa capital. This often saw an initial bombardment by naval warships, followed by an amphibious landing by mercenaries, with the regular army landing after a beachhead was established. Following the landing, soldiers marched towards the nearest settlement, where they were often ambushed by Allar fighters. Despite the element of surprise and territorial knowledge favoring the Essa defenders, Regalian armaments far outclassed those of the Allar, leading to few casualties within the army. Most casualties usually came from alchemical burns or tropical disease, with the injured being carried back to the beach before being placed on hospital ships destined back to Corontium.


===Battle of Feng Huang===
In the navy, the typical sailor had far fewer hardships than their army equivalents, as their function during the war was to provide logistical and artillery support to the army’s movements on each island. Ships often rotated between providing reconnaissance and delivering messages between commanders, with very few naval battles taking place due to the Essa Navy being virtually nonexistent. The greatest threat posed by the Allar were aquatic saboteurs that would plant alchemical explosives to the bottom of ships, causing them to take on water after detonation. However, such attacks were rare in practice, as the military often retaliated by completely wiping out the closest village to their positions, forcing the Allar to try other strategies.
The Imperial Fleet sailed towards the capital of the Chrysant Kingdoms, in the center of Hadar. Meanwhile, the Dragon Fleet, the pride of the Nagan navy, awaited them. About a thousand ships sat outside the Feng Huang harbor, awaiting their attackers. When the Regalians did arrive, they tore the Dragon Fleet ships apart with their cannons, which the Naga lacked. The Nagan fleet volleyed arrows at the humans and their ships, but this did little. Many crews, however, boarded Regalian vessels, hijacked the ships, and used them to ram other warships. Even with these tactics, the Dragon Fleet was losing. Sensing that defeat was imminent, Empress Mikuni went to the prow of her flagship, and used magic to summon a grand [[sea serpent]] as a desperate attempt to try to sway the battle in their favor.


The sea serpent roared with bestial vigor, and Naga everywhere stopped what they were doing and bowed down. Within minutes, the serpent had already decimated six Regalian ships when it swam up to the Regalian flagship. Just as it was about to send itself at it, a great thundering sound erupted. A Human battleship had fired a full broadside volley into the beast, killing it instantly. The Nagan forces looked on in disbelief, while the Regalians rejoiced. With their greatest weapon gone, the Naga were once again outmatched, and the remainder of the Dragon Fleet was sunk and destroyed.  
====Among Officers====
Within the army and navy, the experiences of the officers were roughly the same. While directing their units in battle was an obvious duty, managing logistics was by far the greatest challenge faced by these individuals. At the start of the campaign, the nature of island hopping meant that supplies were often delivered late, or to an island that had already been vacated, leaving officers to make do with the limited supplies they had or take drastic actions to speed up their campaigns. Many believe that the sheer amount of damage inflicted in Essa villages was due to a lack of supplies available to conduct extended operations, forcing officers to burn everything to the ground so they could conserve as many resources as they had delivered. While logistical challenges subsided as the war progressed, many officers continued to torch settlements due to it being the fastest way of completing their objectives, despite the carnage it left in the military’s wake. Knights also participated in the Chrysant War, though their numbers were fewer than in previous conflicts, as the nature of island hopping and marching through dense jungles limited the capabilities of these individuals.


The victory at Feng Huang spurred the Emperor to move on to their capital city. To finally crush the Naga and demoralize them enough to prevent any future revolts, the Regalian Fleet heavily bombarded the capital city, reducing most of the structures to rubble and killing thousands upon thousands. To further demoralize the Nagan opposers, Empress Mikuni was captured and beheaded on the spot for her followers to see -- a last blow against a crippled nation. With the capital gone, and the great Dragon Fleet destroyed, the Imperial Fleet dispersed all over Hadar, destroying the remainder of Nagan settlements that had not already been attacked.
====Among Command====
Like their officers, commanders also had to handle challenges with logistics, though the rapid progress made by the Regalians against the Essa Empire saw many initial plans thrown away and rewritten to account for these developments. The Chrysant War was also the first conflict that saw island hopping as the primary strategy, leading to many new tactics developed by commanders at the moment that differed from the conventional battles they were more accustomed to. Similarly, the conflict saw the army and navy working together closer than they ever had before, with both admirals and generals meeting in the same command tents and ship quarters to provide their recent experiences regarding the war. Never before had both branches of the Regalian Military worked so closely together, which created a greater appreciation of the work each side did to aid the other.


==End of the War==
==End & Aftermath==
When all had been said and done, Regalia packed up and went home to a joyful celebration across the Regalian Archipelago. With the end of the war, the Naga were reduced to half their numbers -- mostly comprised of the Slither subrace. However, battles and small wars continued with the [[Maiar]]. This, mixed with their inability to pick themselves up after the Chrysant War’s widespread devastation, left their numbers a mere 5% of what they had been five years before. The political landscape was vastly changed by this event -- all Naga were from then on seen as tricksters, and to this day are rarely trusted by the other races. Any surviving Naga have spread out to other lands, and often remember the war as a terrible thing. Most try to forget and move on. All in all, the war lasted five years, spanning from 286 AC-291 AC, claiming thousands and thousands of lives, and changing the way the Naga have lived since.
The Chrysant War culminated in the Siege of Fessa Huallo, the capital of the Essa Empire. Despite being the decisive battle of the conflict, the actual siege was much the same as previous battles, with very little resistance made by the Allar and the Slizzar against the Regalians. After several coastal bombardments, the army made their landing, sacking the city and taking control of the capital. No treaty was signed with the Essa Empire, as their Empress could not be found, believed to have fled with other Slizzar back to Sarakand. As a result of this, the Regalian Military declared the Essa Empire to be dissolved, and placed several Admirals in charge of various successor kingdoms, creating a demilitarized zone in Hadaria.
 
When news of the victory reached the Regalian Capital, patriotic fervor reached a new height that had not been seen since the reign of Emperor Allestrain I. Using the emotions of the Empire to their advantage, the Dragon Faction proposed a return of the Emperor’s absolute authority, which was immediately supported by the Iron Bulwark, which was caught up in the celebrations to consider the ramifications of this vote once it passed. With his absolute authority restored, Emperor Justinian II declared the dissolution of the Regalian Senate and restored the office of the Chancellor to its proper position. After roughly 30 years of corruption and stagnancy, the Regalian Pessimism ended with the fall of the institution that propagated it.
 
Despite the victory and end of the Pessimism, not every outcome of the Chrysant War was a cheerful one. In an act of revenge for the destruction of their empire, numerous Slizzar infiltrated the courts of Regalia’s military and political houses who were instrumental in carrying out the conflict. Simultaneously across the Regalian Empire, these Slizzar assailants descended on these families when they were celebrating the victory, assassinating many nobles in the process. Overnight, many prominent noble houses lost someone important, leaving them the final casualties of the Chrysant War.
 
==Review==
Presently, the Chrysant War is looked on with mixed feelings, due to both the immediate and long-term effects of the conflict. While the war did lead to the ending of the Regalian Pessimism and the dissolution of the Senate, it saw the assassinations of several great military and political minds as revenge for the carnage inflicted on the Essa Empire. Many veterans feel a sense of guilt for what they did to the Allar especially, since the latter has grown from being the most oppressed to one of the most revered peoples in the Regalian Empire within the span of a few decades. Finally, the war demonstrated the consequences of blindly seeking conflict with no care for the damage caused, as the long-term effects of the military destruction of Hadaria have led to numerous invasions from Sendras in recent history, which the descendants of Chrysant War veterans now have to deal with.
 
{{History}}
{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty, FireFan96
|Processors = MantaRey
}}
[[category:Regalian Wars]]

Latest revision as of 21:21, 20 October 2024


Chrysant War
Conflict in Hadarian Archipelago
Years286 AC - 291 AC
Participants
  • Regalian Empire
  • Essa Empire
Status
  • Collapse of the Essa Empire
  • Regalian Occupation of the Chrysant Kingdoms
  • End of the Regalian Pessimism

The Chrysant War, or the Regalian-Essa War, was a conflict between 286 AC and 291 AC between the Regalian Empire and the Essa Empire. At the start of the war, the Essa Empire, comprised of Slizzar and Allar, was one of the three major powers in the central geo-political power game along with the Regalian Empire and the Songaskian Masaya, as the Neo-Allorn Empire was not yet reformed. After years of Regalian provocation, and mounting political unrest among its military factions, the Emperor was forced to agree to invade the Essa Empire, which occurred with full force. The war was not fought bitterly but easily, with many of Hadar's military forces folding to Regalia's military superiority. With steel and cannons, Allar alchemy and more conventional projectile weapons were no match, and the war turned less into a formal war and more into a rampage where Regalian fleets burned city after city to get to the capital. The Essa Empire completely cracked under military pressure and was destroyed in the process, with Regalian establishing many de-militarized subject kingdoms. Regalia's victory over the Essa Empire was used as propaganda to end the Regalian Pessimism and re-establish Regalia's pre-eminence, though in the modern day, this conflict is largely remembered for just being genocidal mania among the rabid jingoist and pro-war factions of Regalian society, and many soldiers who fought in the war look back on it in shame. Tens of thousands of Allar died from starvation and destruction, and Hadar was seriously damaged and unable to resist an invasion from the south many years later, while many Slizzar also took revenge for their destruction by assassinating many Regalian nobles and retreating to their impregnable city.

Prelude

In the decade following the Red Uprising, the Regalian Senate went from an institution designed to check the powers of the Dukes and Emperor into a corrupt organization of warring political factions that failed to pass any meaningful legislation. The result was a stagnant Regalian Empire that could not guide itself out of the downturn that was the Regalian Pessimism. While an economic depression was ultimately avoided, a lack of growth and innovations led to a general flatlining of the Empire’s potential. The military conquered no new states new project works were started or completed, and at the top of it all, the Senate was bogged down in endless debates and factionalization. Eventually, three notable political blocs materialized in the Regalian Senate: the Red Faction which desired a weaker constitutional monarchy, the Dragon Faction which promoted intellectual advancement, and the Iron Bulwark which desired a return to military campaigning. While it would only take two of the three factions to end gridlock in the Senate, ideological differences kept a coalition from forming.

This political deadlock ended in 286 AC when the Iron Bulwark proposed to invade the Essa Empire over disputed border claims following the end of the Dunden War. The vote was expected to fail, as similar proposals had died in debate. However, the Dragon Faction surprised everyone by voting in favor alongside the Iron Bulwark, creating the necessary majority needed to pass the proposal. While some of the Reds initially protested the results of the vote, their political whips forced them to concede to the will of the Senate, as their entire platform was derived from the legitimacy of the intuition. With the proposal passed, Emperor Justinian II gave the call to arms, and soon hundreds of warships began to sail south to Hadar.

Experience

Among Soldiers

In the army, the typical soldier was either a feudal levy called to service by their overlord or a mercenary taking on a contract put up by the State. As Hadar was a vast tropical archipelago, soldiers would often jump from island to island as they pushed further south towards the Essa capital. This often saw an initial bombardment by naval warships, followed by an amphibious landing by mercenaries, with the regular army landing after a beachhead was established. Following the landing, soldiers marched towards the nearest settlement, where they were often ambushed by Allar fighters. Despite the element of surprise and territorial knowledge favoring the Essa defenders, Regalian armaments far outclassed those of the Allar, leading to few casualties within the army. Most casualties usually came from alchemical burns or tropical disease, with the injured being carried back to the beach before being placed on hospital ships destined back to Corontium.

In the navy, the typical sailor had far fewer hardships than their army equivalents, as their function during the war was to provide logistical and artillery support to the army’s movements on each island. Ships often rotated between providing reconnaissance and delivering messages between commanders, with very few naval battles taking place due to the Essa Navy being virtually nonexistent. The greatest threat posed by the Allar were aquatic saboteurs that would plant alchemical explosives to the bottom of ships, causing them to take on water after detonation. However, such attacks were rare in practice, as the military often retaliated by completely wiping out the closest village to their positions, forcing the Allar to try other strategies.

Among Officers

Within the army and navy, the experiences of the officers were roughly the same. While directing their units in battle was an obvious duty, managing logistics was by far the greatest challenge faced by these individuals. At the start of the campaign, the nature of island hopping meant that supplies were often delivered late, or to an island that had already been vacated, leaving officers to make do with the limited supplies they had or take drastic actions to speed up their campaigns. Many believe that the sheer amount of damage inflicted in Essa villages was due to a lack of supplies available to conduct extended operations, forcing officers to burn everything to the ground so they could conserve as many resources as they had delivered. While logistical challenges subsided as the war progressed, many officers continued to torch settlements due to it being the fastest way of completing their objectives, despite the carnage it left in the military’s wake. Knights also participated in the Chrysant War, though their numbers were fewer than in previous conflicts, as the nature of island hopping and marching through dense jungles limited the capabilities of these individuals.

Among Command

Like their officers, commanders also had to handle challenges with logistics, though the rapid progress made by the Regalians against the Essa Empire saw many initial plans thrown away and rewritten to account for these developments. The Chrysant War was also the first conflict that saw island hopping as the primary strategy, leading to many new tactics developed by commanders at the moment that differed from the conventional battles they were more accustomed to. Similarly, the conflict saw the army and navy working together closer than they ever had before, with both admirals and generals meeting in the same command tents and ship quarters to provide their recent experiences regarding the war. Never before had both branches of the Regalian Military worked so closely together, which created a greater appreciation of the work each side did to aid the other.

End & Aftermath

The Chrysant War culminated in the Siege of Fessa Huallo, the capital of the Essa Empire. Despite being the decisive battle of the conflict, the actual siege was much the same as previous battles, with very little resistance made by the Allar and the Slizzar against the Regalians. After several coastal bombardments, the army made their landing, sacking the city and taking control of the capital. No treaty was signed with the Essa Empire, as their Empress could not be found, believed to have fled with other Slizzar back to Sarakand. As a result of this, the Regalian Military declared the Essa Empire to be dissolved, and placed several Admirals in charge of various successor kingdoms, creating a demilitarized zone in Hadaria.

When news of the victory reached the Regalian Capital, patriotic fervor reached a new height that had not been seen since the reign of Emperor Allestrain I. Using the emotions of the Empire to their advantage, the Dragon Faction proposed a return of the Emperor’s absolute authority, which was immediately supported by the Iron Bulwark, which was caught up in the celebrations to consider the ramifications of this vote once it passed. With his absolute authority restored, Emperor Justinian II declared the dissolution of the Regalian Senate and restored the office of the Chancellor to its proper position. After roughly 30 years of corruption and stagnancy, the Regalian Pessimism ended with the fall of the institution that propagated it.

Despite the victory and end of the Pessimism, not every outcome of the Chrysant War was a cheerful one. In an act of revenge for the destruction of their empire, numerous Slizzar infiltrated the courts of Regalia’s military and political houses who were instrumental in carrying out the conflict. Simultaneously across the Regalian Empire, these Slizzar assailants descended on these families when they were celebrating the victory, assassinating many nobles in the process. Overnight, many prominent noble houses lost someone important, leaving them the final casualties of the Chrysant War.

Review

Presently, the Chrysant War is looked on with mixed feelings, due to both the immediate and long-term effects of the conflict. While the war did lead to the ending of the Regalian Pessimism and the dissolution of the Senate, it saw the assassinations of several great military and political minds as revenge for the carnage inflicted on the Essa Empire. Many veterans feel a sense of guilt for what they did to the Allar especially, since the latter has grown from being the most oppressed to one of the most revered peoples in the Regalian Empire within the span of a few decades. Finally, the war demonstrated the consequences of blindly seeking conflict with no care for the damage caused, as the long-term effects of the military destruction of Hadaria have led to numerous invasions from Sendras in recent history, which the descendants of Chrysant War veterans now have to deal with.


Accreditation
WritersMonMarty, FireFan96
ArtistsMonMarty
ProcessorsMantaRey
Last EditorFirefan96 on 10/20/2024.

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