Kalan Civil War

Military: War

The outbreak of war in the merchant nation of Kala, which was ironically waged over disputes of trade and the overuse of military force.

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In prior decades, two of the five council members of Kala had built up their private militaries but had rarely put them to use. While shocked at the display of power, the other three members refused to wage war on their relatives; instead, they would raise their own private militaries, usually moving members of the preexisting army and guard to pad their ranks. Before long, there was no "public" military.   As the decades went on, territories within Kala would raise local militias, leaving the once unified nation in a fragmented state, unified only by the superficial banner of their nation. Central authority fell into oblivion for a short period, leaving most territories wondering why they were paying taxes at all.   To resolve this issue, private military benefits were increased, including rations of alcohol, coffee, and 3 gp a week. Members of local militias were hired into private militaries and relocated to the nation's capital by the coast. With no one to protect local territories, raids by outsiders worsened. For the first time in the nation's newly written history, debt began to accrue. The council largely ignored their territories, hoping only to grow their own power as paranoia rose between each member. Finally, the nation reached its tipping point in the year 1105, as war began in the capital.  

The war was sprung when Nifi received a regional report from an order of tax collectors under his authority. The report was robust, discussing the theorized debt of each council member. Those who did not have an incredible amount of debt had a lacking military force. Territories outside of the capital were refusing to pay their taxes if they were still standing at all, due to raids. Imports from Roja were dropping thanks to the same aforementioned raids as well. It was clear that action had to be taken, or Kala would become a whisper of the past. Without so much as a word to his family members, Nifi struck at the Jan Timar Palace, where council meetings were held between the 5 members.   While Nifi originally intended for a forceful occupation and imprisonment of his family, Azim Afim would strike back with his own force, leading to a blood bath on the palace steps. Afif, who had originally conspired with Nifi to form a private military, would be killed in the chaos. Driven to a rage by the disaster, Nifi would have the other members of his family slaughtered in a 19-day battle. With great portions of every military damaged and destroyed, Nifi would offer the enemy soldiers two options: join his private force and enjoy the salary that came with it or return to their home territories, where they would convince their neighbors to give in to his "new nation."   Nifi would use his new force to regain all the local territories that had refused to pay their taxes in the past. While the majority would submit upon the royal prince's arrival, a few would attempt to fight back. The majority of hostile territories had been taken by raiders already, but they would be dispatched thanks to the first military use of the Renadi Paramont, a hulking beast now reserved for displays of status. Legends of the battle say that catapults and ballistae could be assembled on the beasts' backs, creating a walking war machine. When the war was over, the territories conquered, and the raiders disposed of, Nifi would set his eyes on government reform. Having seen the woes of personal conflicts overlapping with military activity, he decided that no extended members of the royal family would be appointed and that it would be best if the concept of a "royal family" was removed from their culture entirely. Four oligarchs would be hired to deal with the different taxable plots of land, as had been done before. Nifi himself would serve in the role of Pride Leader, but rather than serving as the dictatorial role it had in the nation's history, the position of "pride leader" would be relegated to one of foreign relation and as an authority to keep the oligarchs transparent about their actions.   Nifi, seemingly proud of his unified nation, quickly grew depressed in his later years. Having created his nation through a force that he had sworn off for the majority of his early career, he decided to renounce his position as Pride Leader after only 5 years. However, his war arguably saved the nation from a dark path that would have led to its destruction. In fact, he had carved the modern oligarchy of Kala that, while still having issues, has been the most effective form of government to date in the country.