The Tourney War

A major Civil War within The Confederation of Wallachia over the murder of Sara Sadukanya by Bella Von Bortza during the Tourney of Sarudinka. The war featured three sides, the Reds: a Pro-Bella Faction, the Golds an Anti-Bella faction, and the moderate Blues.

The Conflict

Prelude

The First Boyar Election

Just a year prior the previous First Boyar, an elderman from the house of the Krelovich line was ruled too old to lead. Traditionally the likely choice was established and talented politician Andree Krelovich a natural successor to his father. However, the The Confederation of Wallachia was wracked with a certain anxiety dealing with The Edren Empire's recent rize of the popular Emperor Lysandra the Fourth. As such much of the public eye was looking toward a younger more powerful equivalent. A Wallachian mirror and rival to the Young Emperor.
As such a title usually earned in political maneuvering was replaced with those of fame and Heroic achievements, one where anyone could take the field. Then enters recent Revolt ending and Dragon Slaying Bella Von Bortza and the Tourney of Sarudinka

The Tourney of Sarudinka

A tourney largely to celebrate the completion of academy for the young candidate Sara Sadukanya, was called by her father and Grand Boyar of Sarudinka Petro Sadukanya. This tourney was clearly meant to help Sara with earning fame and renown turning it into a major location for all the big names of the election.
The Tourney itself proved a surprising lively affair attracting foreign competitors, monster hunters, lords and knights. While Bella von Bortza was the expected lead early in the tournament surprising and heavy losses lead to it being a rather embarrassing performance that would end in tragedy.
During the final Melee the impossible happened. Despite the wards protecting all competitors Bella von Bortza killed her rival Sara Sadukanya. Though a genuine question of intent of why it happened spread, that it happened is beyond question. Many witnessed the killing and any defense was damaged by Bella's choice to flee the scene with an Wizard from the Edren Arcanium. Though many things about this story are suspect, Sarudinka and Tuzerki both swore vengeance on the house of Von Bortza.

The War

Year 1

The first year of the war was largely spent in a sort of alarmed peace. Letters were sent arguments had, demands stated and factions formed. Petro Sadukanya Was the first to make things clear demanding national justice and the head of Bella Von Bortza a demand that would grow to include her family in the coming year. Nal An'Tzurk also signed and called on all of his lands to the demand calling up arms and with that the Golds, named after the golden deer personal coat of arms of Sara, were formed out of the Tuzerki and Sarudinka holdings, building up armies and setting demands.
The Reds, named for the Von Bortza family color, formed largely in a reaction. The famous military leader and Grand Boyar of Borz Anati Von Bortza ordered up her knights and was the first to begin levying the common folk to her daughters defense. Initially Roshtsck-Skonye seemed primed to join the Golds however Rahir Rastok's strong defense of Bella from her first hand account swayed her father Grand Boyar Omri into riding with the Red's whose public call was for investigation of the set up and full mercy for Bella.
The Blues formed later that year at the effort of Andree Krelovich to create a neutral block. Largely this was effective in Ozerud. Arguing that a war would simply push one or the other side to break the confederacy. The Blues, named after the Wallchain National blue and grey flag, expressed a virulently neutral and moderate expectation, calling for a fair trial and a drastic reduction of military build up. Despite this Andree had already begun cornering the market on a personal army of Mercenaries.
Bar Room Battle The war was bloodless, having officially come to start in Summer as a build up and conflicting demands proved untenable. However first blood was only spread that November when a group of Gold Supporting Goliath's entered a Red bar. It is unclear who threw the first blow but the Bar Room Battle spread throughout the village burning much of it down and tossing the match into the the fuel pile that was Wallachia at the time. Before winter was over the first large scale operations would begin.

Year 2

Advance on Roshtsck-Skonye The golds were the first to advance with a large scale campaign movement beyond untold boarder skirmishes. Due in large part to geography and Sarudinka's unparalleled control of the rivers meant the Reds were separated in a way impassable without a river crossing. Knowing an attack on Borz would be impossible with Dusk Elves left unchecked, the combined forces sought to siege Roshtsck, and were largely unchecked in this. The Dusk elves pulled back all people and supplies behind their walls, comfortable that total war had not truly begun and rural folk were in no danger from their own countrymen meant the siege was largely bloodless when it started that winter.
The Siege The months that followed proved bloodless but not without death. A winter meant supplies were l limited on both sides. The golds leveraged their own food stores and withheld exports for supplies but the city suffered. Harm would have gone unchecked if it wasn't for clever and well planned rationing from the beginning, but as spring went without fresh planting the Reds continued to realize something had to change for the city to remain a Red stronghold.
Meanwhile in Borz an unusual ally proved key, The Edren Empire through the Imperial Church of Myrrine offered loans to the Red efforts as good will for what they called a misunderstanding and continued friendship. Along with these loans came the Red Sickle Kahnate, a Hobgoblins Mercenary group. This provided Three columns of calvary and the much needed courage for Red forces to begin a march through Blue territory. It seemed at the time that the Blues would keep to their oath of neutrality and in the turning heat of early fall, the army have crossed into the Roshtsck-Skonye Territory.
Battle of Roshtsck Bella von Bortza lead that day, leading a Calvary charge against a largely unprepared Gold host. Caught unaware on a bright sunny Wednesday, the Golds failed to effectively cobble together a solid line to compete against the heavy Calvary of the Reds. By the time Petro was able to organize a functional line and counter assault the Dusk Elves of Roshtsck advanced from behind the city gates, lead by Omri and his eldest son in

Year 3

Year 4

Deployment

Domestic Forces

Wallachian military forces function using the traditional Feudal formula. Unsurprisingly both sides levied commoners, serfs, and even merchants into field units of in bulk pike-men and archers. Along with that all three forces brought up Professional warriors in the form of Knights, The Red's especially had many paladin orders devoted to the sun under their cause, but all sides had divisions of knights, usually mounted or foot halberdiers, axemen, crossbowmen, or in the richer houses musketeers. The Golds also had sworn brothers, a Goliath equivalent of professional soldiers however more tilted towards irregular warfare. The Blues and Golds also invested a heavily in domestic mercenaries, the Blues especially made an effort to bring on adventures of all types.

Foreign Involvement

All three forces had some amount of foreign aid. The Golds leveraged their historic trade connections with The Republic of Dobruja to secure both financial aid, and access to mercenaries common in the republic, as well as pushing many support functions and anti-piracy navy duties usually preformed by the strong Sarudinka river Navy onto Dobruja.
The Blues benefited from leveraging tariff relief on exported wheat to The Union of Dwarven Freeholds in exchange for Dwarven mercenaries, battle tested professional forces to help sure up defensive points in the Ozerud territory.
Most unusual is The Edren Empire's support of the Reds. The Empire provided the Reds many loans to help in the purchasing of mercenaries from The Hobgoblin Kahnates whom the Empire helped facilitate the connection to. This for limited benefit, building a closer relationship between the empire and Borz its neighbor, but clouded by the general theory that if Bella von Bortza was innocent, it had to be a set up by the Edren Empire.

Outcome

The Long term effects are too early to be known, but the wars immediate results can be felt in the battered fields of Wallachia. The rich agricultural powerhouse suffered poor seasons as workers fought battles instead of sowing seeds raising the price of grains internationally.
The war lead to a nominal Blue victory, with Bella von Bortz held in Ozerud's Dungeon forcing a termless cease-fire and active peace talks without losing any national land to other nations.
However, peace was not achieved through diplomacy, but with military action as the blues were ultimately forced to enter the war. as such no real part of Wallachia was spared from the devastation.
The worst damage was centralized in Roshtsck-Skonye where the Rastok family was nearly made extinct and Tuzerki where much of the permanent settlements were heavily damaged and civilians pressed into war.

Historical Significance

Technological Advancement

Wallachia has always been fairly slow to begin modernizing to new forms of warfare, especially since their valley of rivers and low hills are especially good for mounted knights. This war did reintroduce the Goliath style of Guerrilla warfare to the nation as well as see gunpowder weapons used as a tool of war towards the later half of the war.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

Summer - 1061

Ending Date

Winter - 1065 Present ceasefire

Conflict Result

The Blue's Goals Nominally Achieved, Status Que Largely Returned, State wide Devestation.

Belligerents

The Reds

• The Confederation of Wallachia

Led by

• Anati Von Bortza
• Bella Von Bortza
• Rahir Rastok

Strength

• Borz
• Tuzerki
• The Edren Empire (Financial Support)
• The Hobgoblin Kahnates (Mercenaries)

Casualties

Substantial Loss of Funds, marginal destruction of arable land, Heavy Loss of Military lives.

Objectives

• The Full Pardon and Acknowledgement of innocence of Bella Von Bortza
• The Raising of Bella to the Rank of First Boyar

The Golds

• The Confederation of Wallachia

Led by

• Nal An'Tzurk
• Petro Sadukanya

Strength

• Sarudinka
• Tuzerki
• The Republic of Dobruja (Financial Support, Mercenaries, Non-combatant Naval support)

Casualties

Major Loss of Ships and Military lives. Tuzerki Suffered major destruction of country side and loss of civilian property.

Objectives

• The Execution of Bella Von Bortza
• Removal of the Von Bortz family from Boyarship of Borz
• Expulsion of The Edren Empire's agents.

The Blues

• The Confederation of Wallachia

Led by

• Andree Krelovich
• Finn Raytel
• Sanguine

Strength

• Ozerud
• The Union of Dwarven Freeholds (Mercenaries)

Casualties

Minor Losses in Life and Property. Decent loss of Financial means.

Objectives

• Rapid Deescalation of the war.
• A Ceasefire and peace followed immediately by the election of the next First Boyar
• Bella Von Bortza receiving a fair trial and full investigation of the Tourney.
• The structural integrity, Boyar Families, and National boarders maintained.
• Neutrality in the war. (Abandoned.)