Map of the Wenzi War by Isaac Thompson
Negotiations
While the discussion between Siiliamka and Duchess Naria remain confidential, the outcome was clear - Skarhu would petition for the Wenz Archipelago and its ports to remain a neutral trading zone. To that end, many rounds of talks were had on the islands, at various times involving Skarhu's president Tahla Mohil, and the Vosti ambassador Oweon Iladan.
Though these initially seemed to be going well, due to the value of Skarhu's trade to the Vosti war effort, the talks fell apart in mid Piolt. Many reasons are given for way, ranging from Oweon feeling personally slighted by President Tahla not attending a meeting, to a concurrent revelation to the northern rebels in the civil war had been reaching out to Skarhu in search of an alliance. However the fracture came about, the Vosti Empire would emerge from talks declaring the entire matter a covert attempt to conquer the Wenz archipelago, banishing ambassador Siiliamka and their staff from the islands.
The War
Far from taking the diplomatic slight well, Skarhu responded in force, sending a contingent of its powerful navy to the islands. In swift order this group, with the flagship
TPS Olhahna, seized control of the ports on the Wenz islands and forced the meagre Vosti navy back towards the mainland. Inspired by how quickly the Skarhan navy had taken control, many of the citizens of the islands rose up to take the two Vosti military outposts at Anzer and Holendon. The former fell within hours, while the latter held out for several weeks before it became clear no Vosti counter-offensive would come soon enough to save them.
With the Wenz Islands secured, Skarhu initially remained there, continuing to allow trade vessels from Waal Zaimyatl to dock safely while barring Vosti vessels. Invitations were made to Oweon Iladan to reopen communications, but these were utterly refused.
Vosti Counter-Offensive
Far from sitting idly as the military outpost had assumed, the Vosti Navy was being reformed and refitted under the orders of General Brimeon Elistan in preparation for a decisive reconquest. The hope was to pierce the Skarhan blockade so that ships could transport the formidable Vosti Army onto the islands, allowing them to retake the outposts and fire back at the ships from the safety of land.
While bold, the plan fell at the first hurdle, as the flexible Skarhan line was able to plug any gaps made with ease, and the powerful TPS Olhahna made short work of a number of troop transports long before they reached the line. Losing some dozen ships and hundreds of soldiers and sailors, the fleet turned back to the port at
Shonyul in disgrace. However, unlike when their ships had left Wenz months prior, the Skarhan navy followed.
Blockade and Surrender
Rightly believing the islands would be safe provided no influx of Vosti troops could make landfall, the Skarhan navy moved to stopping ships from so much as accessing the southern seas, preventing landfall before they could even cast off. This cut off supply to many of the smaller ports along the southern coast which had been relying on sea shipments for weapons and troops from the capital, which was blockaded with the most ferocity.
Though the blockades did not prevent civilian fishers from doing their work, many were understandably terrified of the lightning fast sloops and thunderous galleons, resulting in food shortages in quite a large radius from the coasts.
All the while, invitations continued to be made of Oweon Iladan, now being made of the humiliated Vosti general and of the emperor and empress. These would finally, painfully, be accepted in late Ralaos on the condition of an immediate raising of the blockade, which Skarhu accepted by simply moving their fleet back several leagues.
Treaty
Talks continued over the following two weeks, being resolved on the 15th of Lianid 331 AC with the complete cessation of hostilities. The key terms were as follows:
The Republic of Skarhu would agree to remain neutral in the ongoing Vosti Civil War, with the allowance that it could trade with any of the parties of the war, but could not provide troops or military equipment to any of them
All non-mainland territories of the Vosti Empire would henceforth be administered under the Republic of Skarhu as independent protectorates
These independent protectorates would be permitted to either remain neutral, cede to Skarhu or return to Vosti governance only upon the conclusion of the Vosti Civil War, or else five years from the signing of the document
The Vosti Empire would make no effort to sway the outcome of the decisions in any protectorate
Outcome
This agreement was deemed acceptable to Duchess Naria, though she publicly expressed that she had no intention of seceding from the Empire when she'd made her initial request of Skarhu. However, the treaty ensured that the islands could remain neutral, and when Waal Zaimyatl entered the civil war not long afterwards, that neutrality enabled them to continue benefiting from their trade. When the war had not been resolved within the 5 year limit, the vote held saw the population overwhelmingly decide to join Skarhu instead, resulting in Naria forfeiting her duchy's political power.
While these terms all obviously applied to the soon-to-be
Wenz Islands, the overly broad wording of the second clause - intended to 'reward' Skarhu in exchange for the peace - would end up encompassing
all of the Empire's island holdings, including the
Yulemta Archipelago in the far north. This came as something of a surprise to the inhabitants of that island chain, who had been fighting alongside the northern rebels in the civil war and were at best only vaguely aware that the Wenzi War was ongoing.
Luckily for the now
Yulemta Islands, the other clauses allowed them to continue as though little had changed, though it caused some conflict with the northern rebels about whether the islands should have even been involved due to a lack of Vosti control, or whether the treaty could allow the islands to join the rebels in future due to not being signatories. The informal agreement was deemed that the Yulemta Islands would remain independent until the end of the civil war, at which point Skarhu would be more than happy to negotiate with whatever relevant parties existed about their future.
These negotiations and discussions would end up taking several decades, only resolving in 365 AC when the Yulemta Islands formally became a Skarhan county.
Outstanding conflict article, Isaac! I would have liked some more precise numbers and dates, but that's my only critique. You have given me a clear outlay of the conflict, its reasons, its consequences, how it affected daily life and surrounding nations, and above all, you have given me very clear context and a detailed understanding of complex, colonial politics. You even gave me a map. Very well done!