The Ruby War

Ruby War - A small scale conflict between the cities of Vexilaro, Mishcarxi, and Zarolijës. Believed to have been started by a border skirmish between the former two, the third then seized control of them once they had wasted their resources against each other...

You stop reading, looking up at your teacher. The kind elf gives you a keen look.
“But why were they fighting? What were they fighting over?” Your curiosity has always been satisfied by your parents’ hired Rector.
Oddly, he chuckles. “It is actually a funny story. A colleague of mine’s grandparents lived in Zarolijës during the conflict. They claimed-” he chuckles again. “They called it the Ruby War because the spies of Zarolijës put a large ruby directly on the boundary between the two cities. The two cities were so busy fighting over it, they didn’t see the armies coming until it was too late.”
You cock your head a little. “They never suspected? That someone put them up to it?”
Your teacher smirks. “That’s the beauty of it. The xertilar were so paranoid, they automatically assumed everyone was out to get them. So when someone was, in fact, out to get them, they still didn’t see it as any different from the background noise of the other cities.” He taps his pen on your book. “That’s why I teach it. If you assume everyone is your enemy, you will never find your friends.”

Events of the War

On an otherwise normal day, two groups of elite guards - from which the Webbed Scimitars took inspiration - were doing routine patrols. On the large cave forming the border between the two nations, the guards of Vexilaro, then the guards of Mishcarxi discovered a large ruby, It was fist-sized and directly in the middle of the cavern. Therefore, half of the ruby was in the territory of Vexilaro, the other half in the territory of Mishcarxi.
Within moments, the two sides began to argue. Each group blamed the other for the exact placement of the gem, believing the other had moved the stone from their half of the cavern to the middle in order to claim it. It went back and forth until one of the guards hit the other. Within moments, the entire cavern was slick with elf blood, and two survivors fled back to their respective cities to bring news of war.
The two cities then traded sieges, battles, ambushes and slaughters for the better part of a week, using their best soldiers and attacking their weakest points. Eventually, the two sides began to tire and began to sue for peace.
Then Zarolijës attacked both of the cities simultaneously, using their mastery of teleportation magic to appear inside their defences. Then the truth was revealed: a well-hidden scout of Zarolijës had planted the ruby in the first place, using it to cause the long-time rivals to fight amongst each other. Now that the two had exhausted their resources, all the armies of Zarolijës had to do was clean up whatever was left.
Which they did easily; the two cities did not stand a chance. Within a couple of days, the armies of Zarolijës had looted what they wanted, and then they collapsed the tunnels leading to the surface and the cavern where it all began, sealing them away for all time.

Legacy

As a result of the wealth looted from Vexilaro and Mishcarxi, Zarolijës became one of the wealthiest of the cities of what would become the Sunsoul Dominion. Both of the other cities were reduced to caved-in tunnels, which are still used by smugglers and monsters to this day. And the story of the Ruby War is often used as an instructional tale for young nobles, as well as a reminder of the importance of military strategy.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

2E 48

Ending Date

2E 48

Location

The Darkened Peaks

Background

In the wake of the destruction of the Godful Dominion of Eselargani, the various cities of the The years preceding this conflict were filled with small skirmishes and general jostling for position among the many cities of the Darkened Peaks. This created a great distrust among the xertilar race which allowed many otherwise unimportant disputes to grow out of control.

Art Credit: emperorcharlesii (me!)