The Dragonscourge

The Dragonscourge (known to the Drakai at the time as the Great Unification War) is the name given to the massive conflict fought between the nation of Dranya and the people of Vraelia and Imera. Fuelled by their emperors ambition to unite the world under Drakai rule, the armies of Dranya swept out across the world, with the war covering the entirety of Vraelia and most of southern Imera, making the Dragonscourge one of the largest and most devastating wars in history. Even now, nearly 300 years after its conclusion, the effects of the war can still be felt, both throughout the world and even within Dranya itself.

The Conflict

Prelude

The Drakai had long believed that their draconic heritage had marked them for greatness, with a number of previous emperors/empresses reigns being marked by ambitions to either expand Dranyas borders, or to further build up the territories they already had. This belief in their own greatness would eventually come to a head during the reign of Emperor Aldrithan Sothrath, who would launch a massive campaign to bring the world under the rule of the Drakai, through either diplomacy or force of arms. Fuelled by the belief that they were destined to rule the world as the Dragons of old had, and with the entire might of their armies at their command, the Drakai began mobilising for the war to come.

Deployment

Due to the scope of the campaign, every military asset Dranya had at its disposal was mobilised, including soldiers, cavalry, cannons, and ships.

Battlefield

The battlefields of the Dragonscourge were highly varied, covering the deserts, grasslands, plains, and mountains of Vraelia and southern Imera. Additionally, there were a number of sea battles along the eastern coast of both continents.

The Engagement

The first major engagements of the war were against the desert kingdom of Setsymar, homeland of the snakelike Sythssya. Thanks to their swift mobilisation prior to the start of the war, the Dranyan forces were able to swiftly gain ground on the western front, managing to claim around half of the Sythssyan territories before facing resistance. With their western front secured, Dranya began moving its forces towards the north and northwest of Vraelia.

While their progress was slower than it was at the start of the war, the Dranyan forces continued to gain ground throughout Vraelia, managing to conquer the lands of the Minotaurs and Reshari, as well as much of southern Zemar, and reaching the eastern border of the Sun Elf kingdom of Helarion. With much of their home continent secured, Dranya set what forces they had to spare to the task of securing the continent of Imera to the north, though their efforts were slowed by the Helarion and Zemar still holding the land crossing between the two continents, as well as the Minotaurs continued resistance (which included harassing their ships, escaping with what ships and troops they could, and sabotaging as many ships and harbours in their territory as they could to prevent them from falling into Dranyan hands). While these factors only served to slow their inevitable arrival on the continent, many historians agree that these resistance efforts by the free people of Vraelia bought the people of Imera valuable time to prepare for the coming invasion.

When the Dranyan armies arrived in southern Imera, the fighting proved to be just as fierce as it was in Vraelia, covering the southern regions of Myrell and Athenor, the eastern border of the High Elf kingdom of Caelora, and along the eastern coast. Unlike their campaign on Vraelia, the Dranyan invasion of Imera was much less successful thanks to the early warning they had received, with their land invasion grinding to a halt after making slow progress, and the combined fleets of Athenor and Navalonia preventing their fleet from gaining ground on the east coast. Eventually, the forces of the Allied Kingdoms (consisting of soldiers and supplies from the various Human kingdoms, the Dwarves, the Orcs, and the High and Wood Elves) managed to push the Dranyan forces out of Imera, and began sending forces and supplies to aid in the liberation of Vraelia, which itself was overseen by an alliance between Helarion, Zemar, and Setymar (which had managed to hold its ground thanks to aid supplied by the Moon Elf fleets of the uncontested west coast), as well as Minotaur and Reshari resistance groups within occupied territories. Thanks to the efforts of the Allied Forces, as well as the efforts of those Drakai who wished to end the conflict from within, the Dragonscourge was finally brought to an end, with Emperor Sothrath perishing in one of the final battles of the war.

Outcome

The war ended in defeat for Dranya, with nearly all of the territories they've conquered being returned to their original owners. Following the death of Emperor Sothrath, his son Isiroth succeeded him as emperor, with much of his reign dedicated to restoring the damage Dranya suffered during the war, as well as attempting to provide reparations to the outside nations affected by the war.

Aftermath

Relations between Dranya and other nations were severely damaged by the events of the war, and only started improving again after almost a century spent repairing the damages caused by it. Additionally, the events of the war caused a divide among the Drakai, with some groups coming close to breaking off and becoming independent from Dranya, and while many wished to reconcile with the rest of the world, there were still those who held onto the belief of their superiority. Conversely, relations between the other nations affected by the war improved greatly as a result of their cooperation, and their shared victory remains a point of great pride that's still celebrated.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The events of the Dragonscourge have left a lasting mark on Drakai society, with many Drakai having differing opinions about the war and its outcome (Some see it as a shameful part of their past while others believe their motives were still justified, some feel that their defeat was for the best while others consider it to be extremely humiliating, etc.). Additionally, while relations between Dranya and the other nations involved in the Dragonscourge have improved in the time since its conclusion, most are still at least somewhat wary of dealing with Dranya.

In Literature

Over the centuries, a number of historical texts covering the Dragonscourge and its key players have been penned, and the event is frequently referenced in a variety of other subjects that possess some connection with the event.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

1128

Ending Date

1175

Conflict Result

The war ended in a hard-won victory for the Allied Kingdoms