Day of Amonost
A minor fall to rise to new heights.The Day of Amonost is the colloquial title for the trade battle that would raise the Amonost family of the Aletheian Empire to the position of royalty with claim to lands in the south-east of Valathe, and would thus depose the previous rulers of the land: the Zinneder, for whom the nation was once named. Despite ostensibly being a battle, no blood was actually shed in the conflict, and its impact on the political landscape was relatively minimal.
Traders Travelling by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
While generally considered to have happened in only a day, the preparation for the 'conflict' stretched on for months, unbeknownst to both sides. Both the Amonost and the Zinneder wished for better trade links with the rest of the continent.
Amonost largely had stayed towards the east and held connections throughout the Aletheian Empire, her neighbours, and, via their home's many ports, across the seas to Laminaeles and beyond.
Zinneder, meanwhile, were pushing their populace to the point of exhaustion to ensure better trade deals with the Medimian Empire and through the east to beyond the Talmian Range, where they regularly traded goods with Tsukirai.
Conflict Type
Showdown
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
7/4/5498
Ending Date
7/4/5498
Location
Belligerents
Amonost
Zinneder
Strength
Trade pacts across the Empire, allies within the Arriusi, additional allies throughout the Vostene Republic and beyond
Trade pacts with the Medimian Empire and Tsukirai, links to various Xin-Jiyan organisations and the Zaidali Familija
Casualties
None
Their pride
Objectives
It's often referred to as the Day of Amonost, but it benefited Zinneder just as much in the end. We didn't want to rule!
Prelude
I've always wanted to travel more frequently to the East. Perhaps we could..?The Amonost and Zinneder families, both intent on expansion, had not had a good time in the years prior to 5498. Widespread flooding and conflict had interfered with existing trade routes, and while summer had been scorching, winter had descended onto Valathe earlier than it should. It devastated many communities that were already struggling, and came on the heels of a string of natural disasters and famines. While the commonfolk struggled during this time, mercantile guilds and families were cautiously optimistic. After time cut off from any luxuries, those who did have coin to spare would be eager to spend it, especially as the forecasts for the year were kind and the political situations indicated that the major nations of Valathe would intervene in further crises. With the new century soon to arrive and plans for celebration already looming, this was a perfect time to act. Zinneder, at this time, held rulership over a disparate set of forests and fiefdoms in the southeast of Valathe. Though their nation, such as it was, was small, their family had held it for a few centuries and thus had inspired significant loyalty among their commonfolk. Their lands, too, produced a great deal of lumber and grain, allowing them to prosper even on years where their trade empire suffered. However, the unusually bad weather and the family's lack of support for their people had eroded the loyalty that once propped up the nation, and the family were too focused on their trade aspirations - and for the most part, were too far away from their home - to notice the problems arising.
Barren Winter by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Engagement & Outcome
This wasn't exactly meant to happen this way.
Diplomacy Check by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Bizarrely, neither side intended to interact - nor for things to blow up quite the way they did. As the bitter winter finally melted, the Zinneder family set off on their trade expeditions with their caravans laden with goods harvested from their desperate home and from distant lands afar. At the same time, the Amonost family spread themselves to the winds, intent on exploring further east than they usually would.
Assisted by Arriusi travellers, the Amonost family wound up in Zinneder's lands as Zinneder's people met with a series of bureaucratic holdups in Ordan relating to their existing trade contracts with the Medimian Empire. This meant that Hans Amonost, heir to the family, found himself quite suddenly faced with the beginnings of a riot brewing in the abandoned holdings of Zinneder - all while he held enough supplies to ensure the commonfolk prospered.
Fortunately for Hans, he had a wizard - a grouchy wizard reluctantly accompanying him, but a specialist in long-distance travel and messaging. Thinking on his feet, he quickly pacified the riot with offerings from his trade caravan from all across the western world, and took down their demands on paper until his hands were raw with the writing.
When the sun began to sink low, he convinced his wizardly companion to contact Zinneder's current head: a headstrong old woman by the name of Kleophea. The two families had never much spoken, and now the talks quickly spun into something much larger, with more and more members of each family being pulled into the discussion.
Matriarch of Zinneder by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
A great angle for this prompt Han, trade, or even larger and broader, 'soft power' conflicts oft get forgotten or perceived as less impressive or important on the scale and impact upon history and yet the truth is actually often the exact opposite. War in most cases that it ever occurs, is merely politics with pointy sticks more or less. Its just politicking through force of violence. It is actually, due to the cost in people, materials and resources, less efficient. Hence why generally speaking most (not all but most) organizations, nations or otherwise would rather not need to go to such extremes. It has a high cost of entry and high cost of seeing it to completion. The truth is most 'conflicts' are in fact of the soft power variety and are equally if not even more relevant and impactful upon history of societies and worlds than the military ones. The military ones just come with the....tragedy of all that pain and suffering and loss of life. I loved this story, the situations that led to the 'day' and its progression. The moments of diplomatic decision making, showing sensible and savvy minds, making well reasoned diplomatically and economically sound compromises. Well written :) Another for my collection at this point I need to build Istralar its own 'room' such as it is!