Siege of Trae Yns: The Snare of Rasheki

The "Raid of Bresteran" resulted in the deaths of more than half of the population of Bresteran. The brutality of raiders is largely attributed to a long withstanding appeasement proctored by Isfa. After this incident, it is noted that the gulf cracked and trembled in an event called the "Sundering". During this, the Champion-King Illiam Castell was rebuked by the Heir of Order, Zakil. As Illiam Castell descended from his promenade, he declared to reestablish order in the gulf and all those seeking unification and direction.
The island of Trae Yns became the center of conflict as the fleets of Aktitas, led by several Pirate Barons, seized or sunk a majority of the Isfan ships. As trade through Isfa became land-locked, further action was required. An emissary from Isfa was sent to Aurdia using Reed Ships, low-lying vessels that managed to escape the blockade. The missive promised free-trade between Aurdia and Isfa that had been predominantly subject to extensive tariffs.
The treaty between Isfa and Aurdia resulted in the purchase of ships. While Aktitas had believed that the Aurdia ports were neutral, the passage of ships on the coast became increasingly common. One of the primary challenges of the Pirate Barons was communication. While the common practice of "thieve's cant" and signaling allowed for rapid communication, limitations in the communication was the inability to determine the executor.
While sailing around the peninsula, Captain Thelon Rasheki signaled a passing baron crested vessel using stolen signs. When the ships converged, Captain Thelon Rasheki boarded the Crestal under a guise of exchange. The vessel Acrari then sailed to the Cunab gulf. Thelon then poisoned the food on board the pirate vessel, causing the crew to shelter outside of the Yash Swamp. As the poison made quick work of the crew, Thelon personally dispatched those that remained. Being the sole survivor, Thelon raised a signal and awaited the return of the Acrari. Once the Acrari returned, a full-complement of sailors boarded the vessel and began to venture into the shipping corridor.
Once the Crestal was captured, this process was repeated. Thelon Rasheki was responsible for capturing seven vessels. As the vessels continued to sail, anchoring in various ports, rumors were sown by the crews that reported that they were under orders to halt the traffic of goods to Trae Yns. This led the Pirate Barons to assume that their alliance was flagging. While the pirate barons struggled to realign their views and ultimately discovering the deception, Thelon Rasheki had already made her move. At once, vessels anchored in any Aurdian port were seized and commerce with Aktitas closed. This resulted in a trial of logistics that the pirate barons had not anticipated. Redirecting vessels to the Dehisce gulf, trade had been severely restricted.
As the traffic along the shipping corridor grew to a close, the remaining blockade in the Cunab gulf weakened. The seized ships were then instructed to take positions among the blockade. Once in position, the Aurdian ships, including the Acrari, arrived in the gulf. The pirates sent signals alerting of the arrival. Once the ships maneuvered, the flags aboard the captured vessels changed, resulting in the destruction of a majority of the blockade. Several ships managed to dispatch their crews to Trae Yns prior to their penultimate destruction. By this time, Trae Yns represented a stronghold. The seige of Trae Yns was set to begin.
The series of events described to this point is known as "The Snare of Rasheki", while the mangrove forest near the tip of the peninsula shares the name. This is where the deception occurred.
Following the Snare of Rasheki, the island of Trae Yns was isolated. Repeated attempts by the Pirate Barons to access the Cunab gulf were defeated, resulted in Trae Yns being completed cutoff from the Aktitas. The position of Trae Yns made it particularly vulnerable. The blockade had allowed the island to erect defenses should the blockade fail. The fortifications stretched around the island, with a fortress erected on the closest shore to Isfa.
Using signals, Isfa made contact with the keepers of the fortress hereafter denoted as the Traen. Repeated attempts to reach a peaceful conclusion resulted in a long delayed decision by Isfa to lay seige to the island. With the population of the island now in the thousands due to the movement of personnel, adventurers, and others that sought to pursue wealth within the Traen network, the seige was further complicated by the lack of cover. Persistent daylight meant that a silent incursion was impossible. Therefore, this would be a direct assault.
It was concluded that Isfa and Aurdia would access the relatively undeveloped interior without ports. Landing vessels accessed the shore and made hasty fortifications. While some of the population did not care for battle, most of the population fought against the invaders. The sentiment of the population was strongly in favor of Aktitas, condemning Isfa as cowards who rely on divinity rather than self. Engagements continued to occur across the island. Hundreds of people were wounded, requiring a significant portion of the clergy of Isfa to attend to the wounded on both sides. While the fortress of Trae Yns would be the last vestige of hope for the island, it soon was forfeited after some time as food supplies dwindled and the increasing presence of arcane entities harassing the defenders came to bear.
The original perpetrators of the "Raid on Bresteran" had died early on in the struggled, Champion-King Illiam Castell could not allow Trae Yns to return to an independent colony. Instead, he took hold of the island as a military asset to assist in the construction of a navy capable of protecting against raids on gulf settlements. The name Trae Yns was revoked and the island renamed "Aer Astri".

Conflict Type

Siege