The Great War
Bad Beginnings
Beginning 423 years ago in 350 AD (Age of Death), the Eucradian Empire began to harry the boarders of The Kesnian Kingdom. Their documented original reasoning was for access to more land, as the Eucradian Empire was the smaller country but had the larger citizenry and standing army. The Emperor had been amassing his military for quite some time, though in their training they rid the countryside of dangerous monstrous threats, and their ambassadors to Kesnia assured the King that there was no threat intended. Because of this, the Empire was allowed to gather his forces for years before the real aggression began. What happened next changes depending on who you ask, and which side they and their family sided with. Some say that the Eucradian Empire invaded the Kesnian Kingdom wholesale, and began to take the villages and towns on the outskirts by force. Others say that the Kesnian Kingdom, threatened by the massive military that the Empire had grown, threatened the Empire and what ensued was self defense. Whichever side you take, the war that followed involved everyone on the continent. Technology advanced rapidly with full government research and funding on both side, and magic experienced a new Renaissance. Entire new schools of magic were discovered and put to use in a new technique called War Magic.YYRID
250 years after the war began (600 AD), both sides were becoming desperate. They had already enlisted or conscripted every available individual on either side, and were running out of resources. They turned their attentions skyward, toward the floating country of Yyrid, and its magical defenses. Sending undercover agents past the magical barrier to scope out the fresh territory, they were met with a culture that looked nothing like either of their own. Yyrid had moved on without them, that much was clear. The people there were also more than capable of defending themselves. They quickly discovered the agents and executed all but one of them, and became vigilant for more. This set back was not something either side could afford, and for now they ignored the floating islands once again. Technology and magic continued to rapidly increase in tandem, while public opinion plummeted. Everyone had lost someone in the war at this point, and what was once called The Great War as now referred to with disdain as The War of Attrition by the public. Food was being doled out carefully to the lower class, the high ranking of the nobility and military being the only ones well fed. Water, alcohol, sugar, and other necessary items were also rationed. People on both sides were protesting by 742 AD, and that is when the Emperor, frustrated with his soldiers lack of moral, made a deal.The Demonic Regiment - Warmages From Hell
The Emperor called the healthiest, most loyal, and otherwise skilled female mages and soldiers from his military to be brought to him, and they were offered what he was calling 'the promotion of a lifetime'. They were to have children with devils and demons from the depths of Hell, those children to be used for their innate magical talent to best the Kesnian Kingdom. The children were raised in a certain section of Hell called 'The Daycare' for its keeping of the tieflings and distinct manipulation of time. The children, by Material Plane standards, grew very quickly. They were taught those schools of magic developed for the war, and further pushed beyond their biological limits for more with experimentation. Eventually these children were brought to the Material Plane, volatile adolescents who were experimented on with very little to lose, after what had only been a year (743 AD). They were further trained as warmages, and then dispersed among the normal mage regiments. The impact was immediate and devastating. They killed the enemies in droves, many insane or lacking the necessary emotional depth to realize what they were doing. Scared, the Kesnian Kingdom began work on the largest and most deadly piece of technology ever created.The Bomb
With the help of the Master Chemyst, in 765 AD the Kesnians developed what would only be known as The Bomb. Its blueprints are assumed lost or so deeply secretive that only a select handful know of their location. It was designed to end the war by crippling the Eucradian Empire so badly that they could no longer continue to fight. Completed that year, the King did not approve its use (earning him much ire from the soldiers) until 770 AD, the weight of many lives on his mind. When he finally approved its use, the bomb was flown to the enemies primary military outpost, and dropped. Per its magitech design, not a blade of grass nor building was harmed. However, the populous area was suddenly a ghost-town. Not a soul remained. Enraged, the Emperor instead of backing off, began to attack more viciously than before...
Conflict Type
War
Start Date
350 AD
Belligerents
Strength
With the larger standing military and the creation of the Demonic Regiment, the Empire was the larger power overall from the start.
The Kesnian's had a smaller military, but the public opinion and stealthier options on their side, making them difficult to deal with in shorter skirmishes.
Casualties
Dozens of Hundreds of Thousands by 773 AD.
Dozens of Hundreds of Thousands by 773 AD.