Second Kavasian War

The second Kavasian war, as it is called in Gysia, was a military conflict between the Kingdom of Gysia and the Kavasian Empire. Despite the lasting only 3 years, it was rather costly, both in term of damage to infrastructure and human lives.

The Conflict

Prelude

After the fall of The Essanian Empire., the continent of Arros saw many decades where war was a near constant affair as newly formed country as newly formed countries fought each other for territory and dominance. Eventualy, this period of trouble came to an end, and final borders were agreed upon. During the first Kavasian War, in the year 332 to 337 BC, Torenia, a kingdom between Gysia and Kavasia, was intended by the former, and kavasia, was invaded by the former, and kavasia entered the war on Torenia's side. It was ultimetly a victory for Gysia, who managed to expand their territory beyond the sanat river, much to the anger of Kavasia, who now felt thretened. The Empire's fourth largest city, Larasor, was now exposed. Kavasia wanted to push their border with Gysia back to the sanat river, and they also began eying the city of Moratt, Torennia's old Capital, for its large harbour and port.

Battlefield

The war was largely fought in western Kavasia, mainly along the Edan river and the Torennian marches, as well as in Gysia, along the eastern and western coast of the Toren sea.

The Engagement

The Kavasian Empire, with its vast population, was able to assemble a formidable army, numbering around 200k. Most of the army was composed of infantry, archers and many contigents of calvarly, including their Mezzeran riders. It was divided into 3 smaller army, each with a specific objective.
Kavasia's first army in the south's goal was to capture the southern Casqalian hills and capture the port City of Casqal. The central army's goal was to cross the central casqalian hills and then travel to the City of Moratt and capture it. Moratt is a much bigger city than Casqal, and located in a very strategic position; along the Toren sea and at the mouth of the Sanat river. The third and last army's goal was to march north-westwards to the sanat river, defeat any gysian units on the way and prevent a crossing of further reenforcements.

October to December 361: Rapid territorial Gains

The first Kavasian army captured the lands south and east of the city of Casqal, defeating a small Gysian army in the hills there, before it laid seige on the city from land and sea. However, the imperial navy was too small to fully blockade the city and since the Vrahlian navy remained uncommited to the war, supplies could be smuggled into the city fairly easely, prolonging the seige. However, Moratt was a different situation as the city surrendered to Kavasia's second army after just a 2 weeks of seige. The second army then split into 2. Half would go to the northern army, while the rest would garrison the city. Small Gysian units still resist in the Casqalian hills, harrassing Kavasian foragers.

January to March 362: Ambush, Liberation and Attack

With the capture of Moratt, Casqal became the last major stronghold of Gysian presence east of the Sanat. On the night of the 14 of January, 362, A gysian army secretly crossed the river at a spot further north and ambushed the third Kavasian army's camp there while the soldiers slept, killing a bunch of them and routing or scaterring the survivors.
With their path now wide open, the gysians marched to Moratt and attacked the city on the 22nd of January. Despite both sides anticipating a long seige, a gysian loyalist opened the gates during the seige's 5th night, allowing the Gysian army to enter and take control of the city relatively easely. Most of the Kavasians still in the city were killed, some publicaly, which soured the citizen's perception of their supposed liberators.
Anther Gysian army entered Kavasia in the month of March and marched straight for the City of Larasor, intent on beseiging it. The army that had just liberated Moratt was thorn. Some commanders wanted to join the seige of Larasor, while others wanted to go south and liberate Casqal. Ultimetly, it was decided that keeping a large Kavasian army occupied there while the city could still be provisioned would be better, and so they joined parts of the seige of Larasor, while a big garrison was left in Moratt. On the way to the city, they defeated a reorganised third Kavasian army a 2nd time, and its remnants fled south to join the first army besieging Casqal.

April to August 362: A Brutal Siege and a Devastating Loss

Starting in early April, the seige of Larasor was brutal and lasted 2 month and a half. During that time, numerous sorties by the citie's garrison and 2 battles with the 2nd Kavasian Army failed to dislodge the besieging Gysians. Meanwhile, Siege equipement, like ladders, catapults and trebuchets were brought or constructed to attack the city. Catapults were used to throw boulders or barrels of Milkfire, causing a bunch of damage and fires, yet the city did not surrender. Finaly, in mid june, a large Kavasian army managed to caught the Gysians off guard by sneaking around them and attacking their camp in the rear, causing panic. The gysian hastedly assembled for battle, but suffered a crushing defeat during what is now called the Battle of Larasor. 2/3 of the Gysian army was killed or captured, while the rest fled back to Moratt. The second Kavasian army followed them there and laid seige to the city once again.
In the mean time, Casqal had been under a seige for months, and although the blockade could not stop all the ship, enough were that the city slowly started to starve. The prince of the Hazian city appealed to the Gysian court in june, but was ignored because of the events at Larasor. Eventualy, he negociated a peace with the besiegers and the seige was lifted. The Kavasian army entered Casqal triumphantly in early August 362. After this victory, the prince of Vrahlis finaly convinced the city's council to help their emperor. The Vrahlian fleet sailed out to blockade Moratt. The first army left a token garison in Casqal while the rest moved north to assist the second army in the seige of the Moratt.

September 362 to March 363: A Relative Calm

Moratt, after suffering two sieges in less than a year, did not resist for long. Its water and food reserves were low and no aid could pass the tight blocade and land siege. They finaly surrendered to the Kavasian army after 41 days. The Gysian army in the city attempted to flee back to Gysia by sailing through the Toren sea, but were cuaght by the Vrahlian blockade and a battle eusued, which the Gysian lost.
A period of calm descended soon after, as both countries considered their options. For Gysia, they were on the backfoot. They lost control of all of their territory east of the Sanat, control over two important port cities and thousands of well trained soldiers. Kavasia, on the other hand, was in a much better position. They had captured two important cities, secured the Sanat border and was currently occupying the Casqalian hills.
A few months passed, and soon, winter set in. Both countries appeared wary of continuing the war. By February 363 Ac, negociations were underway. However, an attack by the Gysian navy on Moratt would destroy hopes of peace, as it destroyed parts of the Vrahlian navy and 100s of kavasian soldiers. 1 week later, in early March, 80k kavasian soldiers crossed the Sanat river and entered Gysia.
They marched straight to the City of Tareghasi and laid siege to it by land and sea. However, its imposing walls, built during the height of the Essanian Empire, proved to be too much for them and so, after two months, during which they were constantly harrassed by small Gysian units, partialy lifted the siege and traveled south, to a much easier target: Gandasi. An army was kept south of the city to check any Gysian army from the city. Meanwhile, the Vrahlian navy continued its blocade of the Tares river, distrupting imports and exports to and from the city. A small Kavasian army occupied the island of Ligatt in the Toren sea.

April to July 363: Deep Strike

Unlike Tareghasi, the City of Gandasi was deep into Gysian territory, and protected by the large Egras river, which was relatively large in the region as it enters the toren sea. For these reasons, and because it was a relatively smaller city, compared to others, like Sargassin and Gys, it did not have large and thick walls, but small walls and few guard towers.
A war camp was pitched by a small part of the Kavasian army on the north side of the river, while most of them crossed the Egras further north, where the river was narrower, before marching south. towards the city and besieging it. Catapults were built on both banks of the river and soon began lauching various projectiles into the city. Barrels of Milkfire and the fires they produced in particular did great amounts of damage to the city. Siege towers were also built and nearly managed to capture a section of the wall, but ultimetly failed. At the same time, the city's harbour was blocated by the Imperial fleet, preventing suplies and troops from reaching it by sea.

July to September 363: Overstretched and Exausted

In early July, the Gysian navy encountered the Imperial navy and defeated them. This meant that the Kavasians in Gandasi could not be provisioned by their navy. They suddently became greatly overstretched. Nevertheless, the siege still lasted another month, until mid august. On the 13th of August 363, the battle of Gandasi began, when a freshly raised gysian army, composed of both Gysians soldiers and foreign mercenaries, attacked the Kavasians. The Mage mercenaries Gysia had brought decided the battle, as these were fresh troops while the Kavasian mages were tired, much like the rest of Kavasia's army. The Battle of Gandasi was a decisive Gysian Victory.
The kavasian army south of the Egras river was cut off. They lifted the siege, then were confronted to a sortie of the city's garrison, which they defeated, but realised that they were stuck as the fresh gysian army had already cross the river. Caught in a pincer, the Kavasian army was cut down. The Gysians then moved north, and attempted to cross the river, yet were blocked by another Kavasian Army. The Imperial navy was then set upon by the Gysian fleet from Sargassin. The battle was largely a draw, but the Kavasian navy had to flee back to Moratt. The Vrahlian Fleet blocating the Tares river delta also retreated to Vrahlis.

October 363 to January 364: Last Ditch Effort and Peace

Both sides stopped fighting for a couple months. However, the Gysian navy now had domination over the Toren sea. A foggy morning of December, they landed just outside the city of Casqal and the city was besieged. A relief army was deployed from Vrahlis but could not dislodge the Gysians. Soon the city fell, which was a major blow to Kavasian gains.

The Gysians occupied some of the southern Casqalian hills during december. In early january, they were confronted by the Kavasians, who defeated them. The gysian army retreated to Casqal, preparing yet again for a seige. However, Kavasia hesitated to continue the war, since rumors of the Merchant Republic of Arba joining the war on Gysia's side had started to circulate. This, combined with unrest in Vrahlis, Talaran and Larasor prompted the Kavasian to accept Gysia's rather peaceful peace terms, thus ending the war. The Kavasians retreated from the Island of Ligatt and started peace negociations a few days later.

Outcome

The border between the two countries was moved in favour of the Kavasian Empire. The empire aquired the city of Moratt, the border was moved west to the Sanat river, and parts of the Casqalian hills were annexed by the Kavasians. Gysia, despite the loss, was able to retain the city of Casqal, as well as most of the central and southern Casqalian hills.

Aftermath

Despite 6 years of peace between both countries since the war, both countries are still locked in a civil war. Official transport, like ferries over the Sanat river have become very restricted as the river became the new border between both countries. Soldiers on either side of the river patrol it and block any crossing to mages and heavely restrict passage to humans. A ferry connecting the pilgrim's road, the main east-west overland trade road which passed over the river, had remained, but mages aren't allowed to cross. Alternative routes, such as taking a boat from Gandasi to Moratt, are also restricted. Many pass further north, near the Ghoro Marshlands.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

361

Ending Date

364

Conflict Result

Pyrrhic Kavasian victory

Belligerents

Kingdom of Gysia

• Kingdom of Gysia

Kavasian Empire

• Kavasian Empire

Strength

Around 65 000 soldiers, including 800 mages.

Around 200k Soldiers, including 5k Mages.

Casualties

Around 20 000 soldiers, including 75 mages.

Around 30K Soldiers, including 500 mages.

Objectives

Protect their land gains from the first Kavasian war.

Push the border back to the Sanat river/Capture the city of Moratt and the city of Casqal.