The Rotian Rebellion

Shortly after the coronation of Emperor Borial II in 294DW, his brother, Hostus, enraged by his brother reneging on his promise to grant him a position of power within the Imperial establishment, persuaded the small island town of Rotian in Pelenar Province to rebel against the rule of the Empire of Turelion.
What was meant to be a short conflict, which Hostus hoped would result in his displeasure being noted by his brother, a pardon being granted and a cushy position within the Imperial Court being granted, turned into a gruelling siege that resulted in the total destruction of Rotian and Hostus' execution.

The Conflict

Prelude

Following the coronation of Borial II in 294DW, the new Emperor began to appoint all of the key positions within the Imperial infrastructure, as was usual at the commencement of a new reign.
However, despite knowing that he had promised a key position within the Imperial Court to his younger brother Hostus, Borial knew that Hostus was too rash and careless to be granted any position of power, and so he snubbed him. Hostus, rather than disappearing into the shadows as Borial had hoped, instead left the Grand Imperial Palace apoplectic with rage, swearing revenge on his brother.
Hostus, though he has widely been consigned to history as a fool was actually a skilled political operator, and he guessed that Borial would rather not have his own brother undermining his rule and that if he showed his discontentment through a substantial show of personal force, he would be welcomed back with open arms and be given a position fitting his station.
Spurred on by this logic, Hostus set sail for the island and town of Rotian, located on the eastern most island of Pelenar Province, only a few days sail from the Imperial Capital, Meltaro in a fair wind. Rotian had long been known as a town that was staunchly opposed to Imperial rule, and Hostus hoped to find supporters there.
And find them he did. Fired on by Hostus' bile against the new Emperor and by the lies and mistruths that he fed to them about vast swathes of Imperial territory being on the verge of rebellion themselves, if only Rotian would show them the way, the people of the town threw their weight behind Hostus, slaughtering the garrison of Provincial Troops and the unfortunate crew of the Imperial Navy vessel that happened to be in port at the time.

The Siege of Rotian

It did not take long for word of Hostus' rebellion to reach Borial's ears and he chose to react with emphatic force. Within days, a fleet had been mustered and a sizeable force of Turelion Province's troops, with a small command group of Imperial Drakes were despatched to Rotian.
On arrival, however, it became clear that Hostus and the Rotians had dug in deep, and that rather than the swift and decisive victory that Borial wanted, it was instead going to be a gruelling siege.
For two years, Borial's forces laid siege to the town, with thousands of troops and untold numbers of civilians perishing on either side. As the Empire wide rebellion that Hostus had promised Rotian was completely fictional, the people of the town found themselves cut off from the rest of the world, fed only by their dwindling supplies and the increasingly hollow words of the man they had chosen to throw their lot in with.

Outcome

Well into the second year of the siege, and knowing that the defences of Rotian could not hold for much longer, Hostus sued for peace. Throughout the whole episode, he had expected his brother Borial to offer him an olive branch, a chance to rejoin the Imperial Family and be given an honourable, comfy and well paid position to keep him quiet, but no such offer had been forthcoming. Nevertheless, Hostus was confident that Borial would not kill him and willingly surrendered the town to the Commander of the Imperial forces, a member of the Emperor's personal bodyguard, the Imperial Drakes who had been trusted to execute the campaign.
It is widely recorded in the Imperial records that Hostus had no concerns about what would become of the people of Rotian who had been taken in by his false hope of freedom from the yoke of the Empire and who had fought so valiantly beside him, though there is some debate as to whether or not this was actually true.
Regardless, Hostus did not expect to be greeted upon his surrender by an executioner, with the Imperial Commander swiftly reading the sentence of death that Borial had personally signed and having the deed carried out. Hostus' head was preserved and sent back to the Imperial Capital, where Borial allegedly kept it in a glass container in his private study, and which is still said to exist within the Imperial Annals and Archives.
Before Hostus head even hit the ground, the systematic destruction of Rotian and the slaughter of its people had begun.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The greatest sorrow of the whole of the Rotian rebellion, was the complete destruction of the town of Rotian, and the slaughter of everyone within its walls; men, women and children. No attempt has ever been made to rebuild the town, or even recolonise the island in Pelenar Province on which it stood. Shortly after securing victory there, Borial II issued an Imperial Edict forbidding anyone from resettling the area and stating that the ruins of Rotian would forever stand as a warning to those that would defy the Emperor and the Empire.
Borial's actions during this campaign, and the subsequent paranoia of rebellion and insurrection that the episode triggered in him, led to one of the bloodiest reigns in the history of the Empire of Turelion and led to him being dubbed Borial II 'the Wary'. Borial's paranoia that another member of his family would betray him grew and grew until he had executed on spurious charges almost all living members of his family, including his wife and children. This led to him having to adopt a son on his deathbed, who would take on his name and be crowned Borial III, in order to ensure the line of succession.

Conflict Type

Siege

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

295DW

Ending Date

297DW

Conflict Result

Victory for the Empire of Turelion and the total destruction of Rotian.

Location

Rotian