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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 history
|image          = noimg.png
|name            = Chrysant War
|eventname      = Chrysant War
|datesandtimes  = March 286 AC - April 291 AC
|location        = [[Hadar]]
|peopleinvolved  = [[Regalian Empire]], [[Essa Empire]]
|}}
The fall of the [[Essa Empire]], more commonly referred to as the Chrysant War, was a five-year conflict between the Essa Empire and the [[Regalian Empire]], at the end of the [[Regalian Pessimism]]. The war is called the Chrysant War in [[Regalia]] as [[Regalian]]s have always associated the [[Hadar Archipelago]] with the [[Chrysant Flower]], a stunning blossom that only grows naturally in the waters of the southern continent. It later became a symbol of victory. The war started with Regalian fleets invading the Essa Empire in the spring of 286 AC with fighting lasting until the autumn of 291 AC. The war is more commonly remembered by [[Alorian]]s for the destruction of the [[Allar’s]] second homeland, the establishment of [[Ailor]] populations in the far south, and a collapse of [[Slizzar]] fortunes following the official end of the war.  


==Beginning of the War==
==Background==
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.
Starting in the late 260s, Regalia began to suffer a prolonged period of economic and moral declines, today referred to as the [[Regalian Pessimism]]. This period of two decades was dominated by a severe decrease in nationalist sentiment among Regalians, as well as the decline of the momentum of the [[Unionist]] faith. A series of weak [[Chancellor]]s and [[Emperor]]s brought the Empire into this steady decline, a far cry from the high days of Chancellor [[Vlaas Kade]]’s tenure. Politics and military decisions were largely overseen by the [[Regalian Senate]], a bloated and corrupt body most came to rapidly dislike. The noble families themselves were severely politically fractured. Even the [[Kade]]s weren’t on steady footing, only standing at a small minority in the Senate due to the rampant rise of the [[Iron Bulwark]], a group lead by the heads of Houses [[Medavinci]] and [[Sangiovese]]. The Iron Bulwark more aggressively voiced their desire to wage holy wars on the lesser [[Races]], believing the fervor for conflict would bring an end to the Regalian Pessimism and herald a new era of hegemony. Despite Regalia’s considerable wealth and power, its actual political power in Aloria was not that much larger than its contemporaries, like the [[Songaskian Masaya]]. Eventually, with enough Senators in support, the plan to wage war with external states was approved.  


==Progression of War==
==History==
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]].
===Choosing a Target===
Some years before, in [[Hadar]], the Essa Empire had been formed by Empress [[Mananya-Manya]], a Slizzar who had united the various Chrysant Kingdoms into one large political entity. This nation was rapidly growing in geopolitical power, as well as in military means, thanks to this unification, particularly focusing on naval vessels carrying Allar troops, as well as combining alchemical knowledge with Slizzar diplomacy. Mananya-Manya was also reportedly beginning to build up this military force for an invasion of their own. The popular rumor at the time was that they planned to invade the [[Sendrassian Empire]] to the south of Hadar in order to help start the restoration of the Allar homeland they had been forced to leave over three centuries ago. It has never been determined whether Mananya had any designs beyond [[Sendras]] to invade other nations. The Regalians, acting on the information of military buildup and on the aggressive urges of the Iron Bulwark, chose to invade the Essa Empire, as the Sendrassian Empire was too far away and the Songaskian Masaya was in a period of thriving power. The many [[Altalar]] nations of [[Daen]] were also out of the question due to longstanding alliances with them and the influence of [[Ithanian]] values on the Regalian Senate. The fleets set sail for Hadaria without Essan forces even knowing, and the invasion began without a declaration of war to maintain the element of surprise and grant initiative.
===Landfall of the Invasion===
The Regalian Empire was geographic in their military planning, choosing targets one at a time in a hopping of the Hadarian islands down from the north, and further on. The northernmost Chrysant Kingdom was struck first, sitting in a cluster of islands of what is now the north of the [[Alvaan Kingdom]]. The majority of the Regalian battle fleets descended on the coastlines of the smaller state, shelling cities and waterworks to complete ruin. The tactic chosen for the war by the Iron Bulwark had been one of annihilation and repopulation, with the idea being to eradicate the local population and resettle the lands with Regalian citizens. Within a week, this goal had been met by the Regalians, save for some citizens escaping into the jungles or by fishing boats; all cities were razed to the ground, and thousands of Allar and Slizzar died in the opening of the war. Empress Mananya-Manya was caught by surprise and attempted to mediate with Regalia in order to save their empire from utter destruction. During this time of peace, the Senate refused to allow official attacks on Chrysant Kingdoms, which resulted in many skirmishes between the two sides as the Allar desperately tried to shore up their defenses and meet the Regalian intentions head on. By the spring of 287 AC, a truce was close to being reached between the Essa Empire and the Regalian Empire, as the [[Dragons Faction]] and the [[Red Faction]] in the Senate were in favor of such a deal. Yet the Iron Bulwark remained adamant that the only acceptable victory would be that of complete surrender. Ultimately, it was Empress Mananya-Manya who retracted the branch of peace first, reportedly enraged by reports of a recent slaughter in a seaside settlement that left none alive, and the island ravaged of its natural flora and fauna. It is also likely that her Slizzar spies in the Regalian Empire were telling them of the atrocities being committed against both the Allar and Slizzar, and how the Iron Bulwark was likely to force a conflict anyway. The terms from the Regalians were also extremely harsh, and so the war continued in a much more dramatic fashion, the Regalian ships sailing south once more.
===The Fall of Kingdoms===
The short period after the collapse of peace negotiations saw the loss of many cities and kingdoms like [[Uesston]] at the hands of the Regalian forces. Similar tactics as had been used in the north took place, but more direct resistance was offered by the more military centers of western Hadar. Regardless, these engagements were often brief, with the Regalians succeeding more often than not. In fact, the success of the Regalian Empire in their blazing campaign can be chalked up more to the failures of the Essa Empire. Their navy was made up of new but mostly rudimentary ships armed with bows and alchemy launchers, which were no match for Regalian cannons and ships that were years ahead in technology, despite much of the [[Regalian Navy]] being almost a decade old or more due to the stagnation of the Regalian Empire. Allar chemicals, while often devastating when deployed, were limited due to the complex methods of their creation. In addition, Regalian cannonballs could easily ignite and destroy vessels carrying these weapons into battle. On land, despite the huge size of the Essan military, Digmaan commanders typically surrendered without a single battle being fought in the hopes it would save the people considering the devastation Regalian bombardments could inflict. The Slizzar leadership were gradually considered dark manipulators as many Slizzar officers and advisors melted away, fleeing to the capital of Sassrakkand or further south, closer to Mananya-Manya. This would ultimately have dire consequences for the Slizzar. Another factor was the sudden emergence of the Maraya. While their existing territory in Hadar did not involve itself in the events of the Chrysant War, beating back a Regalian incursion in the conflict’s opening months only when the Empire violated the Tohn’s territorial claim, the Maraya Homefleet was of a different disposition. They reaved a swath of Hadarian land from the west into the south, devastating supplies and defensive works in a strange, sudden mission that ended as soon as it had started, their accumulated material bounty gone and leaving the Essa Empire reeling.
===The Final Campaign===
Regalia’s victory had been assured early on in the war and much of the outcome of the battles validated that prediction. Back in Regalia, the war had done what the Iron Bulwark had hoped. The Regalian Pessimism was rapidly coming to an end and was replaced by nationalist fervor for the war effort. Mothers gladly sent their sons off to war in the fleet, and the victors returned with crowds cheering. The economy went back into overdrive as mining output increased every year, resulting in more employment and rising earnings among the artisans and craftsmen. Meanwhile, the Essa Empire was close to collapse. Regalia had carved a wide sea of destruction and eradication as the main fleet moved to the east before swinging back to the south of the island chain, to the Essa Empire’s capital of Huallo. The capital was nestled at the core of Hadar in what is now the [[East Hadar Cluster]]. Various Chrysant Kingdoms in the region which had not yet been attacked already started to surrender to the Regalians while others declared neutrality to try and escape the onslaught. This did nothing to deter the Regalians from sending rear fleets their way to subjugate these groups, though it can be argued it saved many Allar lives when compared to the alternative. By that time, in the minds of most Allar, the Slizzar had brought about this apocalypse, which resulted in many attacks on the Slizzar populations in Allar and Regalian-held territories.  


===Battle of Shu-Ling===
The final battle of the Chrysant War was the Battle of Huallo. The stage was set when the Regalians thought Mananya-Manya was gathering a large fleet in their capital to strike back at Regalia. In truth, however, the Empress was gathering a fleet to evacuate the city, loading the people onto as many civilian ships and fishing boats as they could find. When the Regalians arrived, they opened fire on these ships, believing them to be warships. The evacuees returned fire, as many of the ships had soldiers on them, in the hopes of sailing south and establishing a new base of operations beyond the new front line. There were hundreds of these ships in the harbors of Huallo, while a mere forty Regalians warships strafed from outside the harbors, railing fire down on the Essan vessels. Between the screams of terror, the horror of drowning Allar and Slizzar alike as harsh chemicals lashed their bodies, and fire consumed their surroundings, a few Allar war vessels raced forward to try and save their people by acting as a distraction for the civilian ships to get away, but to no avail. The ships were quickly dispatched and the slaughter continued. In a final act of power, Mananya-Manya and the cult they had fostered use of an ancient [[Magic]] to summon [[Deep Sea Serpent]]s to the surface to aid their people. Four emerged and immediately descended on the Regalian war vessels. The first warship to shatter was the [[Calemberger]] Adler, followed by the [[Anglian]] Empress Crown and the [[Girobaldin]] Battaglia Girobalda and Claro Elessa. The sudden panic in the Regalian fleet caused the rear admirals to realign their ships around the Emperor’s flagship Julianus der Grosse and the Kade warship the Laridae II. The wall had no effect, as the largest of the snakes burst out from the sea below the Laridae II, ripping it in two and causing a huge gunpowder explosion that also killed the sea snake itself. The Regalian war vessels started shooting at random around themselves, somehow managing to kill the two smaller snakes before the last one broke straight through the Calemberger Köning Frislau and the [[Vixhallian]] Sacre Vert, but fell short when the Imperial flagship opened a full 120 cannon barrage on the beast.  
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.


===Battle of Feng Huang===
Only after the battle did Regalia fully realize they had destroyed a civilian fleet, a fact that was later well hidden from the Regalian population and quietly sanctified as a holy act of purging. When Regalian troops entered Huallo, Mananya-Manya was nowhere to be seen and the remaining inhabitants of Hualla faced the wrath of the Regalian Empire. The city was sacked, the cult of the Empress was culled, and thousands died. In the aftermath, the remaining Digmaan of the Essa Empire met with the representatives of the Regalian Empire and accepted their crushing peace deal. However, no Slizzar were present. Instead, as the deal was signed, Allar communities most harmed by the conflict turned on former allies, killing many Slizzar in wider Hadar before the Regalian Empire restored order, and cooler heads among the Allar prevailed. The Empire then turned away and the Chrysant War formally came to an end.
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.  
==Effects==
One of the big events that Regalia did not foresee resulting from their conquest was the revenge of some Slizzar on the Empire. Simultaneously and with deadly force, Slizzar killers descended on the noble houses of Regalia when they were celebrating their victory, killing many noble families of the Iron Bulwark and the leadership who participated in the military. Overnight, Regalia lost a sizable chunk of its nobility and it is said to this day that nearly every family lost someone important, including the Kades and the Ivraes. Despite this loss, however, the fire of Regalian nationalism had been rekindled and the state’s aggressive foreign policy was back in full swing. The political implications in Regalia turned against the Iron Bulwark, however, as the events of the war spelled an end to the bad reputation the Kade family possessed. Within a year following the war, the Kade family-backed Dragon Faction would gain ground in the Imperial Senate until it had enough influence to give the Emperor his absolute power back, after which he dissolved the Senate, thus officially bringing an end to the Regalian Pessimism in the eyes of many. In contrast, to the Allar the Chrysant War was both destruction and a wake-up call. Allar alchemists and leaders who were held captive by Regalia for their scholarly knowledge and political power worked hard to show the Empire the value of the Allar as allies. Ultimately, this would succeed, and the Digmaan became unique for regaining control of much of their homeland years after the conquest. That homeland will largely remain scarred for decades as Regalian bombardment had deeply lashed the land while in the water, chemical pollutants from sunken Essan boats killed or corrupted certain wildlife. For the Slizzar, the war marked the lowest point in their history ever and proved to them that openness was a difficult tightrope to walk. The Slizzar have tried to move on from the conflict, as have many Allar and Regalians, and while it is often discussed as an event so long in the past, it is far more recent than most like to remember.


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.
==Trivia==
 
*The Sendrassian Empire briefly considered invading Hadar near the end of the Chrysant War, though when Regalian closed in on Huallo, the [[Void]]-worshiping group opted to avoid a conflict, to conserve their power.
==End of the War==
*Many question how the invasion of the Essa Empire even took place considering how many Slizzar were within the Regalian Empire who likely would have warned their homeland of the attack. The most popular theory is that the hostile and secretive xenophobia of those noble families involved in much of the planning for the opening wave of attack prevented Slizzar operatives from understanding the true scale of the event until it was too late.
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.
*There are many who question why the city of Sassrakkand was never attacked by the Regalian Empire. It is theorized that secret communications from the city’s leadership made their city-state’s position of neutrality clear, or that perhaps the Regalians feared attacking the city would see all Slizzar, across all of Aloria, turn against the Empire, while using every tool at their disposal as punishment.
 
{{History}}
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{{Accreditation
====Accreditation====
|Artists =  
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|Writers = HydraLana
*Written by [[User:The_Shadow_King3|The_Shadow_King3]], [[User:Fellbeast58blue|Fellbeast58blue]], and [[User:Ryciera|Ryciera]]
|Processors = MantaRey, FireFan96
*Processed by [[User:Ryciera|Ryciera]], [[User:Azas|Azas]], and [[User:MonMarty|MonMarty]].
}}
[[category:events]]
[[category:History]] [[category:Recent History]]
 
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Revision as of 19:34, 10 July 2022

Chrysant War
Noimg.png
Historical Event
Event Name Chrysant War
Dates and Times March 286 AC - April 291 AC
Location Hadar
People Involved Regalian Empire, Essa Empire

The fall of the Essa Empire, more commonly referred to as the Chrysant War, was a five-year conflict between the Essa Empire and the Regalian Empire, at the end of the Regalian Pessimism. The war is called the Chrysant War in Regalia as Regalians have always associated the Hadar Archipelago with the Chrysant Flower, a stunning blossom that only grows naturally in the waters of the southern continent. It later became a symbol of victory. The war started with Regalian fleets invading the Essa Empire in the spring of 286 AC with fighting lasting until the autumn of 291 AC. The war is more commonly remembered by Alorians for the destruction of the Allar’s second homeland, the establishment of Ailor populations in the far south, and a collapse of Slizzar fortunes following the official end of the war.

Background

Starting in the late 260s, Regalia began to suffer a prolonged period of economic and moral declines, today referred to as the Regalian Pessimism. This period of two decades was dominated by a severe decrease in nationalist sentiment among Regalians, as well as the decline of the momentum of the Unionist faith. A series of weak Chancellors and Emperors brought the Empire into this steady decline, a far cry from the high days of Chancellor Vlaas Kade’s tenure. Politics and military decisions were largely overseen by the Regalian Senate, a bloated and corrupt body most came to rapidly dislike. The noble families themselves were severely politically fractured. Even the Kades weren’t on steady footing, only standing at a small minority in the Senate due to the rampant rise of the Iron Bulwark, a group lead by the heads of Houses Medavinci and Sangiovese. The Iron Bulwark more aggressively voiced their desire to wage holy wars on the lesser Races, believing the fervor for conflict would bring an end to the Regalian Pessimism and herald a new era of hegemony. Despite Regalia’s considerable wealth and power, its actual political power in Aloria was not that much larger than its contemporaries, like the Songaskian Masaya. Eventually, with enough Senators in support, the plan to wage war with external states was approved.

History

Choosing a Target

Some years before, in Hadar, the Essa Empire had been formed by Empress Mananya-Manya, a Slizzar who had united the various Chrysant Kingdoms into one large political entity. This nation was rapidly growing in geopolitical power, as well as in military means, thanks to this unification, particularly focusing on naval vessels carrying Allar troops, as well as combining alchemical knowledge with Slizzar diplomacy. Mananya-Manya was also reportedly beginning to build up this military force for an invasion of their own. The popular rumor at the time was that they planned to invade the Sendrassian Empire to the south of Hadar in order to help start the restoration of the Allar homeland they had been forced to leave over three centuries ago. It has never been determined whether Mananya had any designs beyond Sendras to invade other nations. The Regalians, acting on the information of military buildup and on the aggressive urges of the Iron Bulwark, chose to invade the Essa Empire, as the Sendrassian Empire was too far away and the Songaskian Masaya was in a period of thriving power. The many Altalar nations of Daen were also out of the question due to longstanding alliances with them and the influence of Ithanian values on the Regalian Senate. The fleets set sail for Hadaria without Essan forces even knowing, and the invasion began without a declaration of war to maintain the element of surprise and grant initiative.

Landfall of the Invasion

The Regalian Empire was geographic in their military planning, choosing targets one at a time in a hopping of the Hadarian islands down from the north, and further on. The northernmost Chrysant Kingdom was struck first, sitting in a cluster of islands of what is now the north of the Alvaan Kingdom. The majority of the Regalian battle fleets descended on the coastlines of the smaller state, shelling cities and waterworks to complete ruin. The tactic chosen for the war by the Iron Bulwark had been one of annihilation and repopulation, with the idea being to eradicate the local population and resettle the lands with Regalian citizens. Within a week, this goal had been met by the Regalians, save for some citizens escaping into the jungles or by fishing boats; all cities were razed to the ground, and thousands of Allar and Slizzar died in the opening of the war. Empress Mananya-Manya was caught by surprise and attempted to mediate with Regalia in order to save their empire from utter destruction. During this time of peace, the Senate refused to allow official attacks on Chrysant Kingdoms, which resulted in many skirmishes between the two sides as the Allar desperately tried to shore up their defenses and meet the Regalian intentions head on. By the spring of 287 AC, a truce was close to being reached between the Essa Empire and the Regalian Empire, as the Dragons Faction and the Red Faction in the Senate were in favor of such a deal. Yet the Iron Bulwark remained adamant that the only acceptable victory would be that of complete surrender. Ultimately, it was Empress Mananya-Manya who retracted the branch of peace first, reportedly enraged by reports of a recent slaughter in a seaside settlement that left none alive, and the island ravaged of its natural flora and fauna. It is also likely that her Slizzar spies in the Regalian Empire were telling them of the atrocities being committed against both the Allar and Slizzar, and how the Iron Bulwark was likely to force a conflict anyway. The terms from the Regalians were also extremely harsh, and so the war continued in a much more dramatic fashion, the Regalian ships sailing south once more.

The Fall of Kingdoms

The short period after the collapse of peace negotiations saw the loss of many cities and kingdoms like Uesston at the hands of the Regalian forces. Similar tactics as had been used in the north took place, but more direct resistance was offered by the more military centers of western Hadar. Regardless, these engagements were often brief, with the Regalians succeeding more often than not. In fact, the success of the Regalian Empire in their blazing campaign can be chalked up more to the failures of the Essa Empire. Their navy was made up of new but mostly rudimentary ships armed with bows and alchemy launchers, which were no match for Regalian cannons and ships that were years ahead in technology, despite much of the Regalian Navy being almost a decade old or more due to the stagnation of the Regalian Empire. Allar chemicals, while often devastating when deployed, were limited due to the complex methods of their creation. In addition, Regalian cannonballs could easily ignite and destroy vessels carrying these weapons into battle. On land, despite the huge size of the Essan military, Digmaan commanders typically surrendered without a single battle being fought in the hopes it would save the people considering the devastation Regalian bombardments could inflict. The Slizzar leadership were gradually considered dark manipulators as many Slizzar officers and advisors melted away, fleeing to the capital of Sassrakkand or further south, closer to Mananya-Manya. This would ultimately have dire consequences for the Slizzar. Another factor was the sudden emergence of the Maraya. While their existing territory in Hadar did not involve itself in the events of the Chrysant War, beating back a Regalian incursion in the conflict’s opening months only when the Empire violated the Tohn’s territorial claim, the Maraya Homefleet was of a different disposition. They reaved a swath of Hadarian land from the west into the south, devastating supplies and defensive works in a strange, sudden mission that ended as soon as it had started, their accumulated material bounty gone and leaving the Essa Empire reeling.

The Final Campaign

Regalia’s victory had been assured early on in the war and much of the outcome of the battles validated that prediction. Back in Regalia, the war had done what the Iron Bulwark had hoped. The Regalian Pessimism was rapidly coming to an end and was replaced by nationalist fervor for the war effort. Mothers gladly sent their sons off to war in the fleet, and the victors returned with crowds cheering. The economy went back into overdrive as mining output increased every year, resulting in more employment and rising earnings among the artisans and craftsmen. Meanwhile, the Essa Empire was close to collapse. Regalia had carved a wide sea of destruction and eradication as the main fleet moved to the east before swinging back to the south of the island chain, to the Essa Empire’s capital of Huallo. The capital was nestled at the core of Hadar in what is now the East Hadar Cluster. Various Chrysant Kingdoms in the region which had not yet been attacked already started to surrender to the Regalians while others declared neutrality to try and escape the onslaught. This did nothing to deter the Regalians from sending rear fleets their way to subjugate these groups, though it can be argued it saved many Allar lives when compared to the alternative. By that time, in the minds of most Allar, the Slizzar had brought about this apocalypse, which resulted in many attacks on the Slizzar populations in Allar and Regalian-held territories.

The final battle of the Chrysant War was the Battle of Huallo. The stage was set when the Regalians thought Mananya-Manya was gathering a large fleet in their capital to strike back at Regalia. In truth, however, the Empress was gathering a fleet to evacuate the city, loading the people onto as many civilian ships and fishing boats as they could find. When the Regalians arrived, they opened fire on these ships, believing them to be warships. The evacuees returned fire, as many of the ships had soldiers on them, in the hopes of sailing south and establishing a new base of operations beyond the new front line. There were hundreds of these ships in the harbors of Huallo, while a mere forty Regalians warships strafed from outside the harbors, railing fire down on the Essan vessels. Between the screams of terror, the horror of drowning Allar and Slizzar alike as harsh chemicals lashed their bodies, and fire consumed their surroundings, a few Allar war vessels raced forward to try and save their people by acting as a distraction for the civilian ships to get away, but to no avail. The ships were quickly dispatched and the slaughter continued. In a final act of power, Mananya-Manya and the cult they had fostered use of an ancient Magic to summon Deep Sea Serpents to the surface to aid their people. Four emerged and immediately descended on the Regalian war vessels. The first warship to shatter was the Calemberger Adler, followed by the Anglian Empress Crown and the Girobaldin Battaglia Girobalda and Claro Elessa. The sudden panic in the Regalian fleet caused the rear admirals to realign their ships around the Emperor’s flagship Julianus der Grosse and the Kade warship the Laridae II. The wall had no effect, as the largest of the snakes burst out from the sea below the Laridae II, ripping it in two and causing a huge gunpowder explosion that also killed the sea snake itself. The Regalian war vessels started shooting at random around themselves, somehow managing to kill the two smaller snakes before the last one broke straight through the Calemberger Köning Frislau and the Vixhallian Sacre Vert, but fell short when the Imperial flagship opened a full 120 cannon barrage on the beast.

Only after the battle did Regalia fully realize they had destroyed a civilian fleet, a fact that was later well hidden from the Regalian population and quietly sanctified as a holy act of purging. When Regalian troops entered Huallo, Mananya-Manya was nowhere to be seen and the remaining inhabitants of Hualla faced the wrath of the Regalian Empire. The city was sacked, the cult of the Empress was culled, and thousands died. In the aftermath, the remaining Digmaan of the Essa Empire met with the representatives of the Regalian Empire and accepted their crushing peace deal. However, no Slizzar were present. Instead, as the deal was signed, Allar communities most harmed by the conflict turned on former allies, killing many Slizzar in wider Hadar before the Regalian Empire restored order, and cooler heads among the Allar prevailed. The Empire then turned away and the Chrysant War formally came to an end.

Effects

One of the big events that Regalia did not foresee resulting from their conquest was the revenge of some Slizzar on the Empire. Simultaneously and with deadly force, Slizzar killers descended on the noble houses of Regalia when they were celebrating their victory, killing many noble families of the Iron Bulwark and the leadership who participated in the military. Overnight, Regalia lost a sizable chunk of its nobility and it is said to this day that nearly every family lost someone important, including the Kades and the Ivraes. Despite this loss, however, the fire of Regalian nationalism had been rekindled and the state’s aggressive foreign policy was back in full swing. The political implications in Regalia turned against the Iron Bulwark, however, as the events of the war spelled an end to the bad reputation the Kade family possessed. Within a year following the war, the Kade family-backed Dragon Faction would gain ground in the Imperial Senate until it had enough influence to give the Emperor his absolute power back, after which he dissolved the Senate, thus officially bringing an end to the Regalian Pessimism in the eyes of many. In contrast, to the Allar the Chrysant War was both destruction and a wake-up call. Allar alchemists and leaders who were held captive by Regalia for their scholarly knowledge and political power worked hard to show the Empire the value of the Allar as allies. Ultimately, this would succeed, and the Digmaan became unique for regaining control of much of their homeland years after the conquest. That homeland will largely remain scarred for decades as Regalian bombardment had deeply lashed the land while in the water, chemical pollutants from sunken Essan boats killed or corrupted certain wildlife. For the Slizzar, the war marked the lowest point in their history ever and proved to them that openness was a difficult tightrope to walk. The Slizzar have tried to move on from the conflict, as have many Allar and Regalians, and while it is often discussed as an event so long in the past, it is far more recent than most like to remember.

Trivia

  • The Sendrassian Empire briefly considered invading Hadar near the end of the Chrysant War, though when Regalian closed in on Huallo, the Void-worshiping group opted to avoid a conflict, to conserve their power.
  • Many question how the invasion of the Essa Empire even took place considering how many Slizzar were within the Regalian Empire who likely would have warned their homeland of the attack. The most popular theory is that the hostile and secretive xenophobia of those noble families involved in much of the planning for the opening wave of attack prevented Slizzar operatives from understanding the true scale of the event until it was too late.
  • There are many who question why the city of Sassrakkand was never attacked by the Regalian Empire. It is theorized that secret communications from the city’s leadership made their city-state’s position of neutrality clear, or that perhaps the Regalians feared attacking the city would see all Slizzar, across all of Aloria, turn against the Empire, while using every tool at their disposal as punishment.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors MantaRey, FireFan96
Last Editor HydraLana on 07/10/2022.

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