The 2nd Usurper War

The current state of war in the west...

In Spring of the year 1442, what seemingly began as a simple trade dispute suddenly exploded into a full blown uprising from crown settlements along the eastern coast of Hariel Majour. Spurred on by the Baron Navac the 3rd of The Barony of Rocha, the insurgency was far more than a simple disagreement between vassals and the crown of Wyeth. It was quickly revealed that the "uprising" had nothing to do with trade agreements and everything to do with the rise of Essendra Halbion, the "Usurper Queen" in the south of Hariel Minuta. Halbion had been covertly gathering support in the south, under the guise of a priestess of Faldrighel, an "outer entity" with a growing cult amongst the dispossessed of Varuum. With Essendra newly minted as the god-like being's "high priestess," she quickly gained the support of a sizable fraction of the magical nations underclass. These two powers, Rocha and Halbion, working in concert, though formidable, would still not be enough to fully challenge the crown. However, it was soon uncovered that they had a foreign benefactor. Their combined forces were receiving both financial and magical aid from Lentokk and it's associated god kings. As the rebellious forces began to sweep across the eastern seaboard, it found its first major victory in the major crown city of Jomor, which it took after a protracted siege that lasted nearly four months. In that time, the crown responded by dispatching a full company of its feared Knights of the Spear. However, these soldiers were consistently waylaid along the road to Jomor, buying the attacking forces enough time to take the city and entrench themselves prior to the company's arrival. The sacking of the spiritual hub of Wyeth was made easier by a sudden betrayal at the hands of the Arch Pontiff Berlane Emerol. There had been much strife between the Arch Pontiff and Clarent Wyeth, leading to the ousting of the church from Markhan (after which it was relocated to Jomor), however none could have predicted the religious leader "throwing in" with the forces of the usurper. That was the final nail in the coffin for the crown defenders of Jomor. Having lost the spiritual center of the kingdom to "enemy forces," the crown finally acknowledged that this "skirmish" was in fact, full blown war. And with this declaration, all banners were called upon to fight for Wyeth. It was at this moment that the full extent of the sedition was revealed. Only 70% of the crown's vassal states responded, with many others declaring for Rocha and Halbion. These rebels were still sour from the outcome of the 1st Usurper War, nearly 200 years past. Of the states that neither declared for other side nor mobilized, the most powerful was Lyssia, the Free City of. The city-state quickly became the prize most desired by both sides, and as of this date, both forces have begun to converge upon the free city in hopes of securing a vital ally. It also seems that the displaced Isagorn tribes of the north have used the ongoing struggle to assert themselves and carry out multiple skirmishes against farming settlements in The Thaw. Settlements with which they have a historical enmity... virtually all of which have declared for Clarent Wyeth. Thus far, they have not been joined by the Isagorn of Narfell, but neither has the command of that outpost-city spoken out against these attacks. Seeing as they desperately desire admittance into both The Freemantle and the nation of Wyeth, perhaps they're hedging their bets to see which side proves victorious. Perhaps a Halbion-led throne would be more agreeable to Isagorn vassals? The only thing that is certain is that with each additional town that falls to this powerful new aggressor, it becomes more and more likely that the largest and longest lasting nation in the history of the modern era may soon come to a bitter end... Every nation trades with Wyeth, save for the Lentokki. All sources of portable wealth in the western world originates from the crown nation. What effect will this conflict have on the shape of the world at large? Only time will tell...