Vacana (Vac-an-a)
History
Relationship with the Captirian Colanies
Vacana was originally inhabited by a group of tribal peoples known as the Cana which were spread across most of north west Ecoth. These tribes remained fairly isolated from most of Ecoth by the desert and Aratachu Mountains to their south alongside the sea to their west. Whilst it is likely that they had encountered non tribal people before the first record of their existance is documented by Captirian colanists who landed just north of Aratachu in around -5480. These settlers established cities and ports to the south of Vacana encountering many of the Canan tribes and pushing them north. Whilst they never settled Vacana itself the Cana tribes living there were heavily aware of their presence and reguarly encountered them at sea.
The Captirians were initially friendly towards the Cana in the area, sharing with them many mordern inventions and techniques however some hostilaties broke out around -5373 in the Nok War which saw many Cana fleeing north to Vacana. This conflict is what perswaded the Cana to modernise their tribal existance, becoming more unified in an effort to be more prepared if the Captirian colanies were to attack again. As the Captirian Empire took more land in south Cana the Cana tribes began attacking more merchants and small towns but were often fought off by the superior Captirian Army. A massacre event in -5325 once again saw many of the Cana flee north to Vacana and North Cana.
In, -4759 the Captirian Empire collapsed and in the chaos the Captirian colanies in South Cana gained independence from their distant motherland and formed city states. Realising that they no longer had the backing of an enormas empire many of these states signed peace deals with the Cana still living in the area, ending the hostilaties between these two peoples.
Member of the Traiphotian Alliance and Kjhgo Kirge
Around -4680s and 70s the Traiphotian Empire arrived in the area. They were looking to expand their teritory and harvest the resource rich land the Cana occupied. They managed to establish a deal with the leaders of the Canan tribes but required that the Cana divide their teritory into kingdoms for easier governence and elect a king for each kingdom. This is how the kingdom of Vacana, and many other north west kingdoms came to be. Vacana had become increcingly isolated from other groups of Cana since the Captirian's encroachment from the south so the Traiphotian's drawing boarders was only making their seperation official.
However the Cana of Vacana had a much harder time electing a king to rule them. The Traiphotian's had allowed them to choose their own leader to give them some feeling of independence however their were many tribal chieftens who thought that they should be the king. This led to a bloody period of history, not uncommon in kingdoms unified by the Traiphotians, where many powerful Vacanans all tried to claim the throne. This period from around -4680 to -4653 became known as Kjhgo Kirge and was a series of brutal conflicts between various tribes and people for control of the Vacanan throne.
By -4656 King Harden Jonkas had taken the throne but was then overthrown by Waldone Lafdofe in -4653 who established a more permanent reign. Lafdofe then spent the next few years settling opposition to his rule before he could properly set up sustainible trade with other kingdoms. The Kjhgo Kirge cost Vacana greatly as by the end a dozen individual tribes had been completly destroyed with many more on the verge of extinction.
The Lafdofe Lineage and Vacanan Independence
The Lafdofe Lineage went on to successfully rule Vacana for many generations with Waldone beggining construction on Vacana's first great city, Vacana D'sac (Vacana City) Vacana saw much succsess under the Traiphotian Empire, becoming relativly wealthy through exports of raw materials and metals. Vacana also developed an unrivaled fishing industry under the Lafdofe lineage giving it plenty of food which it was able to use to assist Garlacose in its famine in -4617. Vacana was also far enough away from the Traiphotian boarder with Suhuva to not get effected by the Border Wars even though it did send troops to assist. Many historians associate the Lafdofe Lineage with Vacana's development from a primitive collection of tribes to a unified and mighty kingdom and some go as far as to call this Vacana's peak. However the good times were not to last.
In the early -4500s the Traiphotian Empire was hit by a large plague which killed a large portion of its population. Exaggerating matters many of its working men were off fighting in the Fourth Border War leaving a massive labour shortage in the kingdom. But worst of all for the kingdom, the last king of the Lafdofe lineage died only a year later, leaving his throne to his cousin Corjoth Hundra.
Corjoth had not been expecting this and thus was unprepared to take the crown. He was not corinated for several months which led Vacana to a much worse state as the lords raised taxes and resources were not harvested for trade. The Traiphotian Empire offered no assistance as it was suffering from problems of its own and taxing the kingdom of Vacana heavily for this. Corjoth could not afford to pay these taxes and Vacana experianced a severe economic decline.
In the year -4571 the kingdom of Garlacose, just north of Vacana, anounced that it was succseeding from the Traiphotian Empire. Traiphotian Emperor Vuvort II ordered that Vacana and other surrounding kingdoms invade Garlacose to push it back into submission. However King Corjoth refused alongside many other western kingdoms, also seperating Vacana from the Traiphotians. In the year -4569 Emperor Vuvort II deployed General Rorchack to take back Vacana Garlacose and the other treasonus kingdoms but Garlacose discovered this before the army got there and formed a union of succeeded kingdoms which would later become known as the Garlacocian Empire. Vacana featured the heaviest of the fighting in this conflict with Rorchack and his forces slowly pushing in to the kingdom over the coarse of a month before being repeled by the combined forces of Vacana, Garlacose and Dhara.
The conflict saw Vacana formally join the Garlacocian Empire but also make King Corjorth awere of how lacking Vacana's military was. He decided to create the Vacanan Guard, an elite section of the Vacanan army made up of wealthy nobels who would devote their lives to Vacana. With its new found independence of Traiphotia, Vacana made efforts to become more self sufficient despite its continued alliance with Garlacose.
Role in the First Ecothnic War
The First Ecothnic War was the conflict ending in the year -30 which saw the destruction of The Old Dynasty and the establishment of The Dundell. Vacana played a major role in assisting the Dundell's efforts especially in the later half of the conflict. The then Prince of Vacana, Harald Hundra, was sympathetic to the rebellious organisation even though his father, King Vachen Hundra was not. This did not deter the Prince however and Vacana's teritories were used on multiple occasions to smuggle members of the Dundell and supplies away from the eyes of the Dynasty.
However as the conflict grew the Dynasty began to crack down on the Dundell and in the year -47 visited Vacana and established that King Vachen had been assisting the Dundell. The result was his public execution in Vacana City which made Harald more cautious in his efforts to assist the Dundell. However the execution of their beloved king swayed many people of Vacana to turn against the Dynasty which only grew the Dundellian presence in the kingdom.
By the year -30 when the Dynasty was officially overthrown King Harald Hundra was a key leader of the Dundell movement and Vacana one of its most important allies. Vacana's distant location to the far west protected it from much of the Dynasty's retaliation and so it emerged from the First Ecothnic War with very little damage. King Harald Hundra personally oversaw the exile of the final Dynasy leaders into the northern mountains with Rezide and Visko Malow amoung them.
After the war Vacana became a key kingdom in the newly established Dundell government with King Harald Hundra firmly supporting it. He later sent his son, Joedofe Hundra to represent Vacana in the Dundell who served in it for 9 years before its destruction in the year 0.
First Invasion of Vacana and Ocupation by The Second Dynasty
In the year 0, the Dynasty returned, this time as The Second Dynasty. Joedofe Hundra, King Harald Hundra's son, had been heavily involved in their efforts and as he knew so much Emperor Rezide of the Second Dynasty had ordered his death. Joedofe fled to Vacana for safety, once again dragging it into conflict with the Dynasty. His actions prompted General Visko Malow of the Dynasty to invade the kingdom and lay siege to Vacana City.
According to some sources, at this point Joedofe wanted to make peace with the Second Dynasty, but after the assassination of his father, he swore vengence.
The Second Dynasty attacked Vacana City in a three day siege, almost taking the outer walls in the first few hours of the conflict. Both the Dynasty and Vacanan's had limited numbers of troops. The Dynasty is estimated to have had around 500 soldiers whereas Vacana's numbers are unknown. What is known however is that Vacana did not have enough soldiers to man the entire outer wall and by the end of the first day had fallen back to the inner wall around the pallice as the Dynasty flooded into the city.
The second day was much quieter than the first as the Dynasty spent most of it building the trebuchets they had brought with them. Three of these trebuchets were Ceresians, massive trebuchets capable of hurling objects up to 500 kg. The Dynasty also constructed a number of smaller trebuchets which they used to constantly hammer against the walls of the inner keep.
By day three the defenders were getting desperate, with very few supplies inside the inner walls and no hope of escape. Towards the end of the third day the first of the Dynasty's Ceresians finished construction, and manned by Cytonknic workers began to oblitirate the inner walls and the palace behind them. The defenders gave up at the sight of the monstourus creation and surendered, opening their gates to Malow and the Dynasty. However Joedofe Hundra managed to slip away into hiding to live in exile.
For the next year the kingdom of Vacana was under the occupation of The Second Dynasty. Malow put one of the king's old advisors, Conin as a puppet leader of the kingdom. Conin was accepted by the people, but appeared fearful enough of the Dynasty not to resist it. His primary focus during his rule was to tear down the old ruins of the now destroyed royal pallice and create in its place a mighty tower. However Conin was not as loyal to the Dynasty as Malow had at first believed as he had retained contact with the wanted king, Joedofe Hundra. Over his year in charge of Vacana, Conin began setting down the pieces that Joedofe would use to build the Vacanan Empire. One of these was the construction of the tower in the centre of Vacana City but another was to turn all of the Vacanan Guard into Cytonknic and later also anyone able to fight. Conin established an alliance with the members of The Order of Cyconkight on Sourcerer's Isle which he used to force them to undergo this process in secret.
Vacana Under Joedofe Hundra
One year after leaving Vacana, Joedofe returned. His arrival was met with blood. Hundra used his secret Cytonknic army constructed by Conin to decimate the Dynasty forces guarding Vacana City, forcing them to retreat from the kingdom.
Once he had control over Vacana, Joedofe declared Vacana the head of a new independent empire which he vowed would destroy The Second Dynasty. Hundra first began making alliances with other independent kingdoms on the western peninsula such as Dhara and Knightera. He used his massive Cytonknic force to build a defensive wall across the kingdom's boarder with the Dynasty. For this Hundra strip mined Vacana for stone, destroying much of its landscape and nataral beauty in the process. He also made sure that the remainder of Vacana's population was made into Cytonknic to complete his labour force.
By the year -3, after Hundra's forceful invasion of the kingdoms of Garlacose and Phaloh the Second Dynasty decided to take action. Phaloh had been a Dynasty aligned kingdom and so once again Visko Malow raised an army to invade Vacana however this time both sides had much larger numbers. The Dynasty pulled over 100,000 men from across its teritories whereas Hundra had the entire population of Vacana enlisted in his army, alongside the armies of Garlacose, Dhara, Knightera and the other kingdoms he controled. Once again Hundra's numbers are unknown but estemats for his entire force spred across the teritories he occupied could be millions.
The Dynasty's invasion was quick and costly for both sides. During the attack a mighty storm blew over Vacana making battlefield conditions terrible and limiting the usage of siege machinery. The Dynasty started by attacking Hundra's Wall at the Battle of Hells Gate. They won the battle but sustained hevy casualties due to Hundra's use of women and children Cytonknic as soldiers. This use of what was normally non combatons lowered the morale of the Dynasty along with the constant Vacanan rain.
When the Dynasty's army reached Vacana City Hundra retook the wall using his Garlacocian forces to the north, trapping the Dynasty inside Vacana. They were forced to fight their way into the city against much stronger walls than before. Hundra had learned from his mistakes in the first invasion of Vacana and had dug a ditch around the wall to prevent ladders and siege towers from being used whilst also making extensive use of trebuchets to pick off tight enemy formations.
The full details of the battle are mostly lost but eventually the Dynasty got atop the city's walls and Hundra surendered not long after. However rather than be captured by the Dynasty he opted to throw himself alongside his entire loyal Cytonknic army off a cliff into the raging sea.
Read About the Role of the Vacanan GuardVacanan Guard
The Vacanan Guard were an ancient organisation formed centeries ago to protect the Royal Family of Vacana and people of wealth and significance. They were Vacana's only independent military force but were extremely well trained and armed. By the time of the Dundell however, they were more of a tradition than an active military force.
Battle of Vacana:
This changed when the Dundell fell and they were used to defend Vacana from the Second Dynasty. This was the first time they had been involved in full scale action in a generation but due to their elite status they were able to hold Vacana long enough for Joedofe Hundra and his allies to escape.
Dynasty Occupation:
Under the rule of the Second Dynasty a man called Conine was given control of Vacana. He began to relocate the Vacanan Guard as he feared if the Second Dynasty knew of the Vacanan Guard's numbers they would disband the organisation. Also at this time the Vacanan Guard were mostly turned into Cytonknic for Joedofe Hundra's eventual return.
Joedofe's Empire:
The Vacanan Guard were a key part of Hundra's plan for dominance. They were to form the backbone of his army, (supported by Garlacocians and cytonknics). The fact the Vacanan Gaurd were now all cytonknic gave them a hive minde connection which amplified their abilaties on the battlefield. When the Second Dynast invaded Vacana again they struggled to tackle the enhansed Vacanan Guard but eventually broke through due to a numbers advantage.
End of the Vacanan Guard:
Ultimatly the Vacanan Guard met their end the same way everyone in Vacana fell. With Joedofe's surrender all brainwashed members commited ritual suicide with their overlord Joedofe Hundra, there ending the legend of the Vacanan Guard...
Manpower
UNKNOWN Suspected anywhere between 500 and 1000 in their final year.Equipment
- Basic armour painted gold to match the colours of the Vacanan flag.
- Spear and shield for protection.
- Sometimes crosbow for ranged targets.
- Small sabre in belt for emergency close combat situations.
Structure
All members of the Vacanan Guard swore an oath to protect the king and his subjects. They responded to unitary captains who all responded to the Grand General of Vacana.
Tactics
Usually to form a shield wall and pick off enemies with their long spears. When Joedofe took command of the force they were also involved in a lot of wall defence involving ranged weapons such as crosbows.
Recruitment
The members of the Vacanan Guard are often members of wealthy Vacanan households and liniages. Members of the lower classes were not given an opportunity to join no matter what level of skill they demonstrated.
Aftermarth of the Vacanan Empire
After Joedofe Hundra's defeat Vacana lay empty. He had made the entire population into obediant Cytonknic and so when he had them all commit suicide by throwing themselves from Vacana's cliffs the kingdom lay empty. The Wall prevented many from migrating there and over time it became known as a cursed land. The only human life to remain in the kingdom was a small sect of The Order of Cyconkight on sourceror's isle who slowly expanded onto the mainland but the kingdom never really recovered and still lies in ruins to this day.
"That kingdom is a cursed place. Never have I seen a man dare enter or even peek behind the ruins of that wall. Some say dark magic hangs there in the air like a kind of malevolent must, others simply point its fate to lust and greed. Whatever its lost destiny, it is no place for us now." -Janar Tlov in his Writings on the West.
King/Queens
- Harden Jonkas - Considered the first true King of Vacana, ruled -4656-53.
- Waldone Lafdofe - First king in the Lafdofe Lineage starting in -4653.
- Corjoth Hundra - First of the Hundra Lineage who took the throne after his cousin, the last of the Lafdofe Lineage died of the plague.
- Vachen Hundra - King during the First Ecothnic War and executed by The Old Dynasty for suspected treason in the year -47.
- Harald Hundra - Reigned from the year -47-0 and assisted in the establishment of The Dundell.
- Joedofe Hundra - Denounced the title of King in the place of Emperor, leading the Vacanan Empire from the year 1-3 before being defeated by The Second Dynasty and commiting suicide. Joedofe was the last known ruler of Vacana.
Maps made with Incarnate
Maps
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Vacana City (before Joedofe's rule)
The city of Vacana under the rule of King Harald Hundra... -
Vacana
A kingdom in Ecoth, and home of Joedofe Hundra
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