Blood, Wine and the Taste of War

First Northern War   During his reign, Emhyr continued the expansion started by the Usurper, beginning the First Northern War in 1263 by invading Cintra, whose capital was besieged and most of the inhabitants slaughtered. Meanwhile, Emhyr tasked Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, a knight within his secret service, to capture Cirilla, the granddaughter of Queen Calanthe of Cintra and Emhyr's secret daughter (and whom he planned to marry). However, Cahir failed in his task and was imprisoned for two years in the Citadel at Nilfgaard while Emhyr continued to try and push into the North. This came to an abrupt halt though during the devastating Battle of Sodden Hill where the North's mages played a crucial part and ended the First Northern War with Nilfgaard's defeat. Despite this, the Empire held fast to Cintra and in 1267 managed to suppress a rebellion, capturing their leader, Windhalm of Attre, and having him executed as a show of force.   Second Northern War   Still set on taking the North, in the summer of 1267 Emhyr set in motion plans to start the Second Northern War, this time enlisting the help of several powerful mages to stage a Thanedd coup to remove the North's mages and thus their advantage that won the last war. While the plan went awry, it ultimately led to the Brotherhood of Sorcerers downfall and, with King Demavend of Aedirn faking an invasion at his borders to try and make it look like it was the work of Nilfgaard, Emhyr used this to mobilize his army and invade the North once again. With the North in chaos from Vizimir II's assassination, Nilfgaard's invasion, and the distrust towards mages, it looked like Nilfgaard would finally capture the North.   However, to truly calm down the people of Cintra, Emhyr still needed Ciri and had people out looking for her. While he was presented with a girl around her age a few months after the Thanedd coup and officially named her queen of Cintra, he knew she wasn't his daughter and only recognized her as queen to quell the masses while he continued the search for the real one.   Stefan Skellen, one of the men entrusted in finding Ciri, had other plans in mind though, wanting to overthrow Emhyr and the monarchy and make the Empire a democracy instead. Together with Ardal aep Dahy, Broinne, D'Arvy, Joachim de Wett, and Berengar Leuvaarden, they decided to find Ciri but then kill her to prevent the continuation of a monarchy. This conspiracy failed though as Berengar Leuvaarden later revealed the plan to Emhyr for leniency. While he was spared, Emhy had Stefan Skellen captured and ordered his execution after a trial.   In the meantime, Nilfgaardian forces clashed against Temerian ones in the Battle of Brenna, where the Imperial Army lost and Field marshal Menno Coehoorn was killed. Following this huge failure, the Empire sent ambassador Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen to negotiate during the Peace of Cintra: in the end the Empire was forced to surrender once again to the North but was allowed to keep Cintra. Although the Empire was officially defeated, the huge damage caused by the war to the Northern Kingdoms forced the latter to buy great amounts of food from the Empire and from Kovir and Poviss, which greatly enriched them.   After Ciri was found, Emhyr was still set on marrying her until he realized the only thing that mattered to her was to be with her adoptive parents. With this, he let her go and, having fallen for False Ciri, who was still officially declared as Cinta's heir, married her in the spring of 1268, officially making Cintra part of the Empire.   Third Northern War   Third Northern War started around 1271 after the failed summit in Loc Muinne. Once again the army, commanded by the new Field Marshal Havart var Meohoen, invaded the North conquering the kingdoms of Aedirn, Lyria, Rivia, and Temeria, which remained without a leader after the Kingslayers murdered both Demavend III and Foltest by order of Emhyr. When Nilfgaard approached Kaedwen, King Radovid V of Redania invaded his neighbors and assumed control over Kaedwen. Instead of two weak enemies, Nilfgaard, who in the meantime conquered the capital city of Vizima in Temeria and was stationed in Velen, now was forced to face one large, powerful one.   The northern realms are flogged by war as the invading armies from the south plan to march northwards in their crusade to conquer the continent. Emperor Emphyr plans to rule over the lands and unite the realms under the golden sun. Although the northerners do not see it this way.   The Redanian King does not plan to back down and has moved his forces south in order to face the southern forces.   Many forces are at play as the gods wager the fate of the war. The eternal fire, The golden sun, Witches, Sorceresses, Mages and many more factions play their roles within the war.