Mirror Battles

"Exalted Queen of Ituri, we must finally do something against the rebels. There are already countless dead and injured who should be guarding the gates of Entuti, Mura and Urtis. The portal of Mura is completely destroyed. The other two are still intact, but there seems to be a problem with portal travel. We can't wait any longer. You must act - now!"

Advisor Melem Kish during audience with Queen Tiamat V of Kana, 2,829 BEC -

Short review

After the Homo Elaqitanii had taken the lead on Idaka 3,045 BEC through a coup and many people suffered more and more from the exclusion and oppression of the elementals, the mirror rebellion developed on Idaka, which had only one goal - the destruction of the mirror gates. The Ituri royal house had to use violence against the Mirror Rebels from 2,830 BEC onwards, as the portals were increasingly damaged by attacks.

Although a kind of truce was agreed upon in the Murian Peace of 2,828 BEC and concessions were promised to the magic-less Idakern, the simmering continued among the population. The royal house therefore began to infiltrate the Mirror Rebel groups. This resulted in 2,825 BEC in the capture of Samun Usir, a rebel leader who was sentenced to death by magical strangulation by a tribunal. The execution triggered the Idacian Mirror Battles that took place on the Idacian continent from 2,823 BEC to 2,821 BEC.

Timeline

• 2,830 BEC Attacks on Entuti, Mura, and Urtis portals
• 2,828 BEC Murian Peace and Concessions
• 2,825 BEC Capture and tribunal against Samun Usir
• 2,824 BEC Execution of Samun Usir
• 2,823 BEC Shelling of Kanis
• 2,822 BEC Firestorm at Amdaru
• 2,821 BEC Battles of Nonis and Zirit
• 2,820 BEC Triumphal Procession of Meti

Peace treaty of Mura by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Total troop strength: 100,653
Total casualty: 19,595
Total wounded: 35,689
Total caught: 5,890

Parties

Commander: Tirigan Azida

Mirror Rebels - "On your own to victory!"

The mirror rebels were originally independent partisan groups, of which only the individual leaders knew each other. Her identifying mark was a black gazelle. The first group was formed by Dagon Sin in 2,954 BEC. After the death of Samun Usir 2,824 BEC, the separate groups merged under Tirigan Azida. In the first year of the Mirror Battles, they achieved some successes, which led to a lot of support among the non-magic Idacian populace.

Commander: Usi Watar

Homo Elaqitanii - "Magic Forever!"

All the secular Elaqitanii princes of Idaka formed under the flag of the Ituri royal house of Cana. Initially, they took some casualties at the hands of the Mirror Rebels, who used their remaining engineering machines against the magical Idangi. Gradually, the Homo Elaqitanii used their magical abilities, allowing them to keep pushing back the Mirror Rebels and finally defeating them after three years.

Course

The Shelling of Kanis - 2,823 BEC

Kanis was the first major capital and seat of the royal house of Ituri in the 3rd millennium before the founding of the Council. After the Mirror Rebels banded together under Tirigan Azida, they spied the city for weeks and replaced two city guards with their own. They opened one of the city gates on the last night of the New Year's festival, after many were drunk from the day's festivities. Four rebels were able to penetrate into the center of the city, climbed into the huge catacombs and safely reached the portal of Kanis, which was located below the city at a seaport.

At that time, the portal could only be reached via the seaport or the catacombs. Unprepared for an attack from the city side, the guards were simply taken by surprise. The rebels charged the portal with assault grenades, slipped through and destroyed it. Unlike previous attacks, the magnitude of the blast was devastating, tearing down parts of the city wall and the outer buildings that stood near the ledge. Many people were injured. Some died.

After the queen looked at the extent of the tragedy, Queen Tiamat mounted a fragment of the wall, waved the flag of the royal family and delivered a moving speech to her followers. At the end she shouted: "Magic forever!", which was chanted jubilantly by everyone and would later become the battle cry of Homo Elaqitanii.

Speech of queen Tiamat of Kanis by Blue Fairy 74 - Midjourneycollage

Slaughter in the Kuria Digudri - 2,822 BEC

For the following year, the rebels made repeated minor raids on various settlements along the Kuria-Digudri to the south. Since most cities were remote from one another, help from royal troops often came too late, catching residents unprepared. The rebels mainly used the night, burning down and plundering. Many of the city's leading Homo Elaqitanii were killed quietly in their sleep, unable to use their abilities.

Raids and looting in the Kuria-Diguria by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

The Firestorm at Amdaru - 2,822 BEC

In early 2,822 BEC, Usi Watar began pursuing the rebels. While his army was initially slow due to the mountainous terrain, this changed when they were able to leave the mountains of the Kuria-Digrudi and encounter hills and grasslands. Finally they were able to start the chase.

Through scouts, Usi Watar realized that the rebels were headed for Amdaru, a town in southwestern Idaka. He was able to successfully cut off their path and posted his army along a forest that the rebels had to pass through on their way to Amdaru. While the rebels were unsuspectingly in the forest, they were surprised by a firestorm that Usi Watar had ignited. A swath of devastation rolled through the forest. The rebels who could not flee quickly enough were burned. Now Tirigan Azida also knew that the elementals were no longer so easily duped.

The Battles of Nonis and Zirit - 2,821 BEC

Tirigan Azida, retired after losses at Amdaru and merged with Abdi Udish. They planned another, but this time larger attack on the city of Nonis, east of Amdaru. But this time they were forced into their first great battle, army against army, by the Homo Elaqitanii. The Battle of Nonis lasted two days. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but neither could claim victory. Usi Watar of the Elementals gave chase again, and a second, even larger battle ensued at the ruins of Zirit, only about half a day's walk from Nonis.

Battles of Nonis & Zirit by Blue Fairy 74 - Midjourneycollage

"We had to leave Nonis immediately and follow the rebels. Our unit ran all night. At dawn we saw the remains of Zirit from afar. Just before noon we took up positions on a hill not far from the city. The rebels were entrenched in the ruins and they awaited reinforcements. The next day, they enveloped the ruins in a yellow, stinking fog and withdrew from the city to an open field, knowing there was no way out.

Our leader gave the order to split the company and surround the rebels from both sides. When the attack sounded, the rebels fired at our positions with all their might. We countered with magical spells - shooting up roots from the ground, raising dust in our enemies' eyes, drowning or throwing fireballs at them. So we fought until the evening hours. The enemy ranks fought back with all their might, but soon they had nothing left to oppose. Even a retreat was not possible. We had cut off their escape route and were now tightening our noose tighter and tighter.

In the end, the two leaders faced each other. In a hopeless and unequal battle Tirigan Azida died - Usi Watar became a hero. But we mourned our friends who had to fall."

Eyewitness report from among the Homo Elaqitanii -

Triumphal Procession of Meti

A year after the decisive Battle of Zirit, the captured rebels in Meti were led in triumph through the city. Many onlookers lined the streets and cheered on Queen Tiamat and Usi Watar, who drove ahead in a magnificent chariot. As the queen stood on the steps of the Council Temple of Meti, she sentenced four chosen prisoners to death - one for each battle.

In front of everyone, each of the chosen ones was executed by an element in the Elaqitanii ceremony. The rest of the prisoners were forced to watch this atrocity so that it would be burned into their memories and that a similar rebellion against the Homo Elaqitanii might never happen again. Tiamat then released all captives and banished them to the inhospitable regions of Idaka. Should they ever enter their realm again, they would die. However, those wishing to ascend to elemental would be welcome in their lands.

Triumphal procession in Meti by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney