238 - Raspberry War

The 9 month long Raspberry War used to be known as the Alpaca War, until people kept kept confusing it for a war fought against alpacas, which it certainly was not. (It is also sometimes referred to the Coalition vs Keplar War)

King Caelus and the expansion of Keplar

Caelus Keplar was a very angry man. Always had been, even as a child. His father, the king before him, always worried about his temperament and whether or not he was suited for the throne. Caelus did not like being told no and would not accept being defied. To him it wasn't as much a matter of reaching goals or obtaining something, but a desire to remind people who is in charge, to make sure people knew they were under his thumb.

When Caelus came to power in 230, the Keplar Empire's foreign policy became erratic, almost like he was intentionally trying to start a fight. Caelus started annexing territory that once belonged to Caldera, or Udnot, or the villages in the north.

Northwinds Pass

Northwinds Pass has close trade and diplomatic connections with the 5 city-states of the west, as well as being the primary trading route through the mountains. When the Keplar army came to annex this territory in 234, the western city states grew very concerned.

The Coalition

Leaders from the 5 city-states met and decided to form an official deffensive alliance called Coalition of Likeminded States. The combined armies of the Coalition began making preperations and building fortifications for an expected upcoming battle.

The small town of Alpaca

Alpaca is an independent farming region outside of Tri-City. The alpaca wool they produce is certainly valued, but what the Coalition valued most was the raspberry farms. Raspberries were a major cash crop, and the best available fruit to make wine. Keplar's main exports are wine and grapes, which are rarely available in the west without importing them. If Keplar were able to control all the grapes and raspberries the world would be even more reliant on trade with them.

When the Keplar army marched into Alpaca in the year 238, there were Coalition forces waiting, resulting in the first battle of the Raspberry War.

Year: 238
Start: 9th of Bluemoon
End: 22nd of Greenmoon
Agressor: Keplar Empire
Goal: Territory Grab
Defender:

The Coalition was able to hold off the Keplan army for several small battles around Alpaca. However, as the Keplans retreated back into the Northwinds Pass, there were reinforcements coming from the Southwinds Pass. As the main Coalition army was tied up in battle in the Northwinds Pass the second army was easily able to move toward Bricktown.

The smaller units of the Coalition army retreated back to Bricktown and began to fortify the city. The Keplans laid siege to the city and began to bombard it with catapults. The Keplan army had set up a very strong supply line and cut off Bricktown's supplies from the other city-states. It seemed inevitable that Bricktown would soon fall.

An Unexpected Hand

When the Keplan soldiers surrounding Bricktown tried to stop a riverboat from The Delta making its standard trade stop, they pushed the once neutral Delta into joining the war on the side of the Coalition. While the Coalition army was barely holding on the Bricktown, a Delta military ship sailed up the river to join the fight. With their new allies joining the fight, the Coalition was finally able to break the siege of Bricktown, though the city was rather devastated from the battles.

The King Reacts Poorly

King Caelus was always a rather angry man and would fly off the rails for even the slightest of things. When he heard that the siege of Bricktown was a failure, however, he reached a whole new level of angry tantrums. He turned beet red and started throwing things at his guards and servants. As he ranted and yelled he suffered a brain aneurysm and died right there on the floor.

Peace Treaty

The King's son Paxson Keplar became the next King of Keplar. Unlike his father he was a very peaceful man and wanted no part in this expansionist war. He immediately ended aggression and scheduled an official signing of a peace treaty.

Results of the War

After seeing the devastation of Bricktown, the 3 leaders from the Coalition, Keplar, and Delta decided that they needed to help repair the city. This lead to a more permanent presence in Bricktown for all 3, and eventually lead to what is now Tri-City.

The conflict with Keplar drew the city-states of the Coalition closer together and 10 years later they formed a more permanent Federation of Like Minded States, though Tri-City didn't join.

Under the new King Paxson, Keplar entered an age of peace, and there have been no wars in Olo in 60 years.