The Contagion War

The Contagion war began in the early half of 1427AC, when Drosten closed its borders to Shathen and formally declared war. There were a few skirmishes at first, but it soon developed into a sparse conflict and an eventual stalemate over the course of the year.
Shathenian forces made up of Bannerstrider wyvern riders went over the border a number of times for scouting missions to spy on Fist Of The King troop movements, and it was eventually discovered the Drostenian forces were massing an invasion force. The Fist eventually marched on Shathenian land in Summer of 1428AC, and moved directly toward the small village of Westdenn, on the edge of the Vale of Omens. It was here the Bannerstriders laid a trap for the Fist soldiers, alongside the adventuring group The Ragtags, and managed to disrupt a portion of their siege equipment.
The Bannerstriders retreated from Westdenn, and fled into the Vale itself, laying further traps for the Fist soldiers, as they marched through the forest using the already trodden paths towards the large Shathenian port town of Northmoor. The Fist soldiers were thinned out, but their heavier and more advanced weapons and armour were more than a match for the lightweight skirmish tactics of the Bannerstriders, and they arrived in Northmoor not long after, surrounding the outskirts of the large town and cutting off supply routes.
There was some intense negotiation as the Ragtags spoke to the commander of the invasion force; an old friend of theirs, Captain Durozall. They convinced him that this was a bad course of action and the Fist were likely to suffer a shameful defeat. Durozall turned his back on his country and joined the Ragtags in the defense of Northmoor. Through pure grit and determination, the Bannerstrider forces managed to repel the invading force long enough for reinforcements to arrive in the form of the An-Tek tribe of Orcs. They arrived in brutal fashion, decimating the Fist forces in one fell swoop, barely leaving any survivors to retreat.
After this failed attempt at an invasion, the war calmed to a more tepid state, and entered a stalemate while the Drostenian forces recovered. However, during this time, an agent of Isaac Forthwind acted of their own accord and assassinated Franco DeMarco. The agent was later found to be Skarrl, a previous enemy of a member of The Ragtags, and was executed by the group. This act thrust Nico Destinn to the throne as King Regent, and he ordered a massive recruitment drive to bolster the ranks of the Bannerstriders.
In the summer of 1429AC, the Bannerstriders marched directly into Drostenian land, and captured the border town of Mutemount. From there, they continued a swift and direct offensive across the country, avoiding larger Fist of the King encampments, and took several smaller locations along the way, including the site of one of the most brutal and swift conflicts of the whole war, the Battle Of Blakdale Bridge.
From there, the Bannerstrider forces marched towards the Drostenian capital of Isloaham to lay siege and force an end to the war by defeating Emperor Forthwind. During this siege, Forthwind unleashed a weapon he had The Undaunted working on - a massive Sphere of Contagion that, when activated, forced a great number of the Fist soldiers to transform into powerful yet hideous abominations. This was Forthwind's attempt to destroy the bulk of the Bannerstrider force, Nico, and the Ragtags in one fell swoop, but ultimately the Ragtags were successful and managed to defeat him at the top of the Focal, ending the war.
As both forces gathered themselves and the Bannerstriders began to withdraw, Nico ultimately left Drosten to its own fate, and decided not to interfere in the politics of the shattered country. From there, after much turmoil and landgrabbing by various warlords and barons, the Drostenian Republic was formed and its first High Minister was elected, paving the way for some much needed peace in the region.

Start Date

29th of Early Spring, 1427AC

Ending Date

5th of Late Summer, 1429AC

Belligerents

• Drosten

Led by

• Isaac Forthwind

• Shathen

Led by

• Franco DeMarco
• Nico Destinn

Strength

~1 million Fist Of The King

~600,000 Bannerstriders

Casualties

~310,000

~175,000

Objectives

To conquer the continent of Teuter

• defeat Isaac Forthwind
• vengeance for Franco DeMarco
• defend Shathenian borders