The Great Merchantile Disruption

The Great Mercantile Disruption was a proxy war between the Mountain Pact Dwarves and Veren Empire. The war was primary fought between The Independent Coalition of Traders, the Karden Mining Co., and the Dwarflund merchant nobility. It was the largest scale civil unrest in recent Veren history.

The Conflict

Prelude

Discovery of Cave 544:

After acquiring contracting rights to the 'western deeps' section of the Northmerge Mountains. Stone-Eye prospecting company departed to find potential quarries for their benefactors The League of Dwarflund Miners. A month into the expedition they discovered Cave 544, a large network of rare minerals, and steam vents. The League moved quickly, filing the required legal documents to the Forum of Mineral Wealth, and merging with Northward Shipping to beginning excavation immediately.

Kardin Mining Co. sues the League for rights:

Once the Kardin Furnace Guild caught wind of Cave 544, they sued for Rights on the grounds of stolen claim. Kardin had its origins in Mountain Pact cities, and citied a mountain pact prospecting licenses that was 'valid' under Veren law. The Prospecting claim would have given them full rights to the Western section of the mountains, and anything found there.
A massive legal battle ensured, with the League citing that they had a valid prospecting claim from the Empire itself. The case lasted 9 months, and ended with Kardin gaining rights, on the fact that the League started mining with out a licensee. The League had six months to evacuate the mines.
During the legal battle League miners smuggled much of the cave's mineral wealth into Veren markets, causing clashes between clan leaders. During this time they stored minerals at Legion towns seated in the mountains. These Legion Towns were eventually targeted by Deep Co. (Kardin and Mountain Pact backed Mercenaries.)

Trade war to Proxy War:

Finding the mines to be stripped of most of their natural wealth, Kardin sued for the Forum of Mineral Wealth to seize Coalition assets. That process however, took too long for their liking, and the proceeded to shut down all access for Veren Traders to Mountain Pact regions, unless they paid a ludicrous toll of course. Then they began aggressive mining and marketing campaigns to force out smaller League businesses from vital regions and country sides.
In retaliation, Northward Shipping Merged with Humanholt Shipping. Giving them total access to the strait that connected Dwarflund and Humanholt. Then they promptly denied any Kardin goods from passing through the region, knee capping their Humanholt market.
The war became violent when a Leauge apprentice was attacked by Kardin thugs. The boy was killed, and the Leauge rose up to fight. That afternoon a League guild torched a Kardin Warehouse. Then Kardin retaliated by thrashing 'League street' (a neighborhood of independent business with association to the Leauge). Unfortunately for Kardin, they also hit the only non League smithy on the street, enraging the Merchant Noble who owned that shop. Eventually whole guilds, clans, families, and independent shop owners began rioting in the streets. The fighting lasted four days, left 600 odd people dead and dozens of shops burned. The Local militias were useless in suppressing the rioting. This was due to the militiamen being biased, and abstaining from the fight. Eventually the XXIV State legion, which happened to be training near by crushed the rebellion.
After the Night of Burning Forges, The XXIV instated Martal law in Duolavin, and Kazor House troops under the Forum of Mineral Wealth began patrolling the mountains to protect mines from raids. The Coalition tightens caravan security, and began sending Legion cohorts to protect shops, mines, and ships. Despite the tighten security, Incidents of violence began to pop up all over Dwarflund. Shops were raided, Caravans attacks, Shipping Pirated, merchants killed, and Mines collapsed.
The Mountain Pact announced their support for Kardin, and that reparations needed to be made or action would be taken. Despite Veren pleas, Deep Co. Mercenaries and Mountain Pact Pirates began raiding into Veren.

Outcome

The war crippled both economies of the Veren Empire, and Mountain Pact cities. The economic unrest, and in instability in such a prominent provenience saw Veren teeter in the brink of collapse.

Conflict Type

War

Conflict Result

Ongoing