The Conoilithian-Virgandian War

OVERVIEW
Although it was wealthy and had conquered much territory, and had asserted dominance over Mittelrijk, in 2338, the Conoilithian Empire was not yet the greatest Empire on Eithlith; that title belonged to the Virgandian Empire on the southern end of the continent. Although the Virgandian and Conoilithian Empires were similar in size, Virgandia was far more powerful and wealthy; possessing an enormous merchant fleet, they profited greatly off trade with the Eastern Isles, and their influence was much greater than that of Conoilith, which was still relatively new compared to the centuries of Virgandian dominance. Additionally, the Virgandian Empire was known to make use of alchemy in order to further their wealth, and also deployed it in battle to defeat enemies. However, Virgandia had been stagnating for decades by now, and their defeat in 2124 at the hands of the Mittelrijkians, along with numerous other incidents, had proven that although formidable, the Virgandians were not invincible.

In 2345, Conoilithian spies who infiltrated the Virgandian Imperial Court discovered that Virgandia intended to hold a second invasion of Mittelrijk, this time in full strength, hoping to push their borders all the way to Conoilith. As Mittelrijk was the Conoilithian Empire's tributary and ally, Emperor Conrad II could not allow this to occur. At first, they sent envoys to Virgandia, hoping to change their minds and agree on a pact of non-aggression. However, the Conoilithian ambassadors were beheaded by the Virgandian Emperor's guards for violating customs and disrespecting Emperor Syrnias IV before they could deliver their message. When news of this, along with the severed heads of the envoys, arrived back to Conoilith, Emperor Conrad II was enraged, and declared war against the Virgandian Empire.

Using Mittelrijk's status as a tributary, Conrad II made the Mittelrijkians grant the Conoilithian troops right of way through their territory, along with forming an alliance against the Virgandian Empire. A force of both Imperial Conoilithian army troops and warships, and provincial militias and levies raised by the Mittelrijkian nobles was mustered for the war in 2347, and prepared to march south into Virgandia. By then however, they had already lost the initiative; by sending their declaration of war before they mobilised, the largely infantry-based Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian army was still mustering their regiments by the time Virgandian cavalry units had been massed and were advancing across the border. Virgandian troops raided and pillaged the south of Mittelrijk, rapidly occupying settlements and constructing outposts north of the frontier. At sea as well, Conoilithian fleets were being destroyed by Virgandian warships, whose crews were equipped with alchemical weapons which acted as a primitive form of incendiary hand grenade. For a short time, it seemed as though the Virgandians would soon succeed in conquering Mittelrijk with their rapid advance, while the Conoilithians and Mittelrijkians rushed to amass their forces.

By the time Conrad II had mustered all his men, the Virgandians were laying siege to Sudham. The city had been under siege for a full week by the time Conrad's men arrived; when the Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian troops reached Sudham, they caught the Virgandians right in the middle of an assault, with most of their troops attacking the city walls, away from their camp. In a repeat of the Siege of Ankorien ān Riarond, the Conrad II's army quickly overran the Virgandian camp, and attacked the Virgandians attacking the city wall from the rear. An attempt to break through the Conoilithian forces and kill their Emperor by Virgandian cavalry was ruined by the marshy terrain, which slowed down the horses and the heavily armoured cataphracts, who were quickly annihilated by Conrad's army of massed pikemen.

After the victory at Sudham, the combined Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian troops then moved to face the Virgandians in the field, during the decisive battle of Viédof. Virgandian and Conoilithian-Mittelrijkian forces met outside the town; after opening skirmishes and exchanges of arrow-fire, the armies rushed to engage each other in melée. There, Emperor Conrad II personally duelled with the Legate in charge of the Virgandian campaign, Legate Kurmaseon, in the ensuing fight. Kurmaseon was killed, and the Virgandian army, already hard-pressed by the Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian troops, was utterly routed. Around this time, Conoilithian alchemists from Azeranen had also discovered the properties of strange metals which would explode and burst into flames when they made contact with water; these were promptly weaponised and used by the Conoilithian navy, and launched from ballistae aboard warships to damage Virgandian galleys from a distance (though this came with disastrous consequences when Conoilithian ships were sunk or flooded). The use of these weapons allowed the Conoilithian navy to regain control of the sea from the Virgandians.