War of Yiindab Cape

The attendant ran into the office without knocking, face flush. The president stood up from her desk.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.
The attendant took a deep breath. "The border, they're over the border."
"Who is?"
"Ngimudyi."
"...Fuck."

— Republic of Dyaayilba, 3rd of Solidarity, 31 Contact

The 11 year long War of Yiindab Cape was a conflict in southern Thurásin between the republics of Dyaayilba and Ngimudyi. It is named for the Cape of Yiindab, the southernmost tip of the continent over which the conflict was fought.

Context

The neighbouring countries of Dyaayilba and Ngimudyi have a long and intertwined history. Both were conquered by the Urisoril Empire and governed as the singular province of Ttománg, and were for a time after the empire's collapse a single kingdom under the same name. This union ended in 12 Ascent, when a succession crisis split the country down the middle.
The eastern portion became Ngimudyi, and retained the monarchy in the form of a cousin of the last undisputed monarch. The western portion became Dyaayilba, and reformed itself into a republic. Disputes arose regularly over the exact nature of the border between these nations, with brief flares of conflict during Ngimudyi's own transition to democracy and during the Sambogen Civil War which consumed that nearby country.
As a result, the idea that another battle or war would be fought over their border was not unheard of during the Era of Contact. Some years earlier, a president elected in Dyaayilba made provocative comments referring to their shared history as Ttománg and pushed for its history to be taught more in schools, infuriating citizens in Ngimudyi who saw this as expressing territorial ambitions.
What truly precipitated the conflict was the election of Lidya Ulabaawa, who swept the vote to become the new president of Ngimudyi. This came as a great surprise to many, as she was well known for having strong opinions with relation to the border. Despite this, she met regularly with the President of Dyaayilba Idariyim Wurubaan, and the latter seemed assured she would not act on those opinions.

War

On the morning of the 3rd of Solidarity, 31 Contact, Ulabaawa ordered forces on the border to advance west in Dyaayilba's territory. This order was followed, and the completely unprepared border towns and cities quickly fell to their march. The Dyaayilba military was haphazardly mobilised, with some sections moving out long before the president was informed of the details of the situation.
Before any kind of consistent approach could be formulated, significant portions of Dyaayilba had already fallen. The capital city of Yalanyu was evacuated, and Wurubaan sent word to neighbouring nations to request assistance. Unbeknownst to her, President Ulabaawa had already sent messages to those countries in an effort to pressure them into staying neutral, and even convinced South Abiyadin to support their war. For the time being, Dyaayilba was on its own.
Town after town was captured, though not without fierce resistance from locals. Even in already controlled territories, pockets of resistance were active in stealing supplies and limiting the invaders' access to roads and ports. News finally reached out beyond the south of Thurásin to larger powers, such as Ozäxa-Lavüdh, who ordered Ngimudyi to stop its advance. These requests were ignored, and more countries far afield prepared to send aid.

Stalemate

The Ngimudyi advance experienced its first block at the city of Jilarunaam, whose position atop a large mountain made it able to defend itself despite their lack of preparation. Every effort was made to secure the city and its supply routes, especially when Ngimudyi moved to seize all coastal access. While successful, Jilarunaam stayed strong, and served as the springboard from which the border between the two countries could be fortified.
The neighbouring country of Äshrrowädh officially entered the war 3 months in on the side of Dyaayilba, sending its ships to harass the Ngimudyi coast and attempt to control one of the ports. While they worked at this, they tried to send troops overland, but were blocked by their old rival Chäladom, who subsequently entered the war on Ngimudyi's side.
While the west devolved into its own struggle, Dyaayilba received support from the northern nation of Doifanyäl, who sent troops from its various states to secure the 'temporary border' in the country. Through these collaborations, the eastern border was slowly defended and entrenched, though their west remained vulnerable to a Chäladom attack.
Efforts were made to reach out to Ngimudyi to arrange a peaceful end to the dispute, but President Ulabaawa refused these attempts at every opportunity. The war ground to a halt.

Advance

After a years of failed attempts to resolve the dispute calmly, including intervention from outside powers and blockades on Ngimudyi's ports, President Wurubaan ordered attacks at various points along the border. Success was achieved once again at the city of Jilarunaam, where a counter offensive by Ngimudyi was soundly defeated and pushed back significantly. Not all of Dyaayilba's attacks were as successful, with their coastal efforts being a drastic failure.
A change in fortune came with the entry of Shern Üreogla in the war on the side of Dyaayilba. Despite their late arrival, they sent large quantities of troops and resources, helping to break some of the deadlock along the eastern border. These successes bolstered forces all throughout the country, and a foothold was gained on the coast.
It was only with the losses in their gained territory that Ngimudyi pushed for peace. The war once more ground to halt over negotiations, as debate raged over whether to aim for status quo ante bellum or to create a new normal. As the war approached its 12th year, an agreement was finally reached for part of the conquered territory to be ceded, in exchange for extensive reparations. This agreement itself caused a flare up of tensions among the border territories, but the treaty was signed on the 13th of Balance, 10 Return, bringing an end to the war.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

3rd of Solidarity, 31 Contact

Ending Date

13th of Balance, 10 Return

Conflict Result

Loss of territory for Dyaayilba, and extensive condemnation and sanctions of Ngimudyi and its allies

Belligerents

Defence Coalition

Dyaayilba
Äshrrowädh
Shern Üreogla
Doifanyäl

Leader

President Idariyim Wurubaan

East Alliance

Ngimudyi
Chäladom
South Abiyadin

Leader

President Lidya Ulabaawa

Rivals

Far from a conflict isolated to just the southern tip of Thurásin, the War of Yiindab Cape also reignited the tensions between the neighbouring countries of Äshrrowädh and Chäladom.
Having only ended a centuries-long union just 15 years prior to Yiindab Cape, the abrupt entry of Chäladom into the war surprised no-one. Äshrrowädh, unable to both send troops to Dyaayilba and defend its border from a possible Chäladom advance, was forced to prioritise itself over its ally.
Some suspect this was what Ngimudyi had planned for, and the fact Äshrrowädh was not actually invaded was possibly because Chäladom could not justify the action to the international community or itself.

Fireworks by davidgarry

Similarly, the entry of South Abiyadin into a seemingly unrelated conflict was likely the result of rivalry. Many believe that Ngimudyi had promised them to help with the conquest of North Abiyadin in exchange for help with Yiindab Cape.
However, no war or territorial change has yet occurred between the two Abiyadins, nearly 30 years since Yiindab Cape ended. While the promised military help may still come, it's possible that the failures of the "East Coalition" in the latter half of the war soured their relations so harshly that Ngimudyi has refused to participate. Only time will tell.

North and South Abiyadin by Isaac Thompson

Aftermath

War of Yiindab Cape Map

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The borders in southern Thurásin were notably altered by the war. While there was the obvious loss of territory for Dyaayilba, both to Ngimudyi and Chäladom, Ngimudyi also lost some land to Doifanyäl. The people of these exchanged territories have had varied reactions to occupation and transition, but few in the south are happy with the state of affairs.
The signing of the treaty to end the War of Yiindab Cape also did not end all the conflict. Chäladom retained troops along its borders with Äshrrowädh for many months after, until a separate treaty was signed with Shern Üreogla as a mediator. Many in the south expect war to break out again in the future, though the last 30 years have been thankfully calm.