Battle at the Palace

The Battle at the Palace was a crucial engagement in the Crisis of 24982 AYM. Occurring in 22 Ulta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM, it took place in the Ëzó-Rhažóval, or the Head Palace, of the Khólteð Family, and saw the pursuing Úŋïans, led by Lŋórak, finally catch up to and overwhelm the scattered Talian forces, led by Žúž-Akëð, amidst the structural collapse of the Ëzó-Rhažóval. Substantial portions of the Talian army would still escape through weaknesses in the deteriorating building, but the violent clashes in the small spaces would result in massive casualties to both the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï, including the death of Žúž-Akëð and the severe incapacitation of Lŋórak. More broadly, however, the proximity of the battle to the Ëzó-Rhegarhifiŋ (the Ïlýrhonid tribal Palace) rendered the Crisis finally visible to the rest of the tribe, and the Battle at the Palace directly led to the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý, enforced by Zümiža.

In the Crisis's overall timeline, the Battle at the Palace occurred right in the midpoint. In fact, due to its influence on the trajectory of the conflict, many historians use it as the dividing line between a 'First Phase' and a 'Second Phase', which roughly correspond with the 'phases' of the Arðor-Kýï. It thus represents a highly pivotal moment in the Crisis, and by extension, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe as a whole, albeit due not to the violence itself but mainly to the actions taken by Zümiža in response to it.

Background

This section will go into detail on the motivations that spurred the Crisis in the first place, as well as the various events that constitute the 'First Phase' of the Crisis (that is, the events before the Battle at the Palace).

Antebellum

The Crisis as a whole represents a series of events that are concentrated within the year of 24982 AYM, but the events that led up to the Crisis stretch back as far as 25100 AYM, when the first recorded instance of Öhr-Fëkahr's misdeeds took place. Öhr-Fëkahr's great sin consisted of Ýyorhïsïb with members of non-Khólteð families, which broke a strict rule in tribal culture. Upon this discovery in 25080 AYM, the descendants of the then-deceased Öhr-Fëkahr were quickly labeled as the Fýr-Hŋýtor, or Corrupted, and because tribal law also prohibited the purposeful killing of an individual, even as punishment for a crime, the Fýr-Hŋýtor were instead banished to a remote part of the Khólteð Family's land, namely the southern Krëšŋ-Ðórr and northern Khëlër-Ðórr, and isolated from all aspects of tribal and familial society. These two portions of land constituted 5% of the total land, and were packed into the extreme west of the Family territory, with all other familial land to the east.

From 25080 to 25021 AYM, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe as a whole struggled underseveral periods of hardship.

First, the period of 25080-25045 AYM saw the Second Phase of the Žötó-Žimiara, a group of individuals from all 12 families that brought forth dramatic changes in the cultural and artistic spheres of tribal life. Crucially, these changes caused each family to drift away from the others in these aspects, and instead created growing rifts between families that pushed tribal power and influence away from the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid (the central government) and instead towards the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb (familial leaders). This was bolstered by the last Žötó-Žimiara Rzüýŋ, whose untimely death in 25045 AYM arose suspicions over the central government.

Second, a prolonged period of natural disasters struck the tribe from 25045 to 25021 AYM. These were extremely devastating, and the central government's inability to help the people (especially in comparison to the familial leaders' partial successes), regardless of family, was the final nail in the coffin for the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid's power and influence. From then onwards, this government held very little effective power, and most of the actual power rested in the hands of the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb. (This is the defining attitude of the Heta-Ýmor-Vëtam, the period in Ïlýrhonid history that ran from 25032 to 24981 AYM; it saw the ramifications of power being in the hands of the family, and the rise of the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid Zümiža in consolidating this power back to the central government.)

The stresses of all these years permeated the tribe down to the individual, and as a result, birth rates in all 12 families dropped substantially. However, within the Fýr-Hŋýtor, their isolation from society and their geographic location kept them protected from the cultural upheaval and heavy natural disasters, and as such, their population grew at a normal pace. It is estimated that by 25010 AYM, the Hŋýtians made up 10% of the total Familial population. That year, they would rally under Žúž-Akëð to form a much more militant identity (thus renaming themselves the Arðor-Tal) that predicted the violence of the Crisis. Although successive conflicts between the Hŋýtians and other members of the Khólteð Family served to slow this growth, it would still reach 25% of the entire Familial population by the time of the Crisis.

The First Phase

The Crisis arose in 12 Anta-Eimarae when Týyšat, the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb, died and was to be succeeded by his second-born, Šïk-hórom (as per the customs of the tribe). Mere hours before he was to be sworn in, the Talians kidnapped him and held him inside the Ëzó-Akëð, a large building within their own territory of Krëšŋ-Ðórr. In response, Rëžýnð, Šïk-hórom's brother, rallied an army (thus known as the Arðor-Úŋï) to rescue him, thus leaving effective control of the family over to a small committee led by Ïlðúš. After several failed attempts, in which Rëžýnð would die, his successor Lŋórak would mount a large-scale attack that bore through the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, rescued Šïk-hórom, split the remaining territory of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr in twain, and forced the Talians to retreat to the north. The following days of 25-26 Anta-Eimarae saw the complete razing of these remaining territories, an act that is deemed the Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, and the cruelty with which it was carried out caused the emergence of the First Phase Kýïan Tribes, who became disillusioned with the conflict and each aspired to bring unity back to the Family through different means. This would be the start of the secondary conflict within the Crisis known as the Kýïan Wars, in which the Kýïan Tribes fought extensively amongst themselves for control.

Following the Massacre, Žúž-Akëð would lead the Talian army away from their own territory and into that of the Khólteð Family proper, in ultimately-successful attempts to force Lŋórak to spare the civilians of the Khëlër-Ðórr. This culminated in the Battle of Arhžvóo on 15 Ulta-Eimarae, during which the smaller Talian army was badly beaten and forced to flee eastwards, at last coming to the Palace in 21 Ulta-Eimarae. The next day, the Úŋïans would arrive.

All throughout the First Phase, the extreme distance from the Krëšŋ-Ðórr meant that neither the other families nor the tribal government at large had any awareness of the Crisis, even despite the extreme violence.

Belligerents

Talians

The Talians were heavily bombarded by casualties due to a combination of effects, including the poor nutrition of their own territory, the relative young age of the army's existence, and the sheer magnitude of the fighting that took place. Typical estimates assert that anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000 troops made up the Talian army, and by the time of the Battle at the Palace, this would be whittled down to around 2,000-3,000. Within the army itself, there was little structure, being a giant ordered mass led by Žúž-Akëð; however, their main strength lay in their devotion, as they were all united through the suffering they had witnessed and undergone, and were all fighting to see that suffering alleviated.

However, at and just before the Battle of the Palace, morale within the army was at an all-time low, having had to move away from protecting their own homeland, part of which they could not save from total destruction. It is likely that, at this time, one had very little clue as to whether the Khëlër-Ðórr was not razed as well. Contemporary accounts do describe the Battle at the Palace to have been viewed as a last stand, having been left with nowhere left to go and (presumably) nobody left to fight for.

Úŋïans

The Úŋïans, led by Lŋórak, were the dominant force for all of the previous battles, and would thus come to be similarly dominant at the Palace. Initially made of an army slightly less than that of their counterparts (estimated at 4,500-5,500), their relative experience, as they were raised up initially during the First Ýlëntukian War of 25020-03 AYM, allowed them to achieve numerous victories. As such, by the time of the Palace, they had only lost 1,200-2,000 of their men as casualties, and had yet around 3,500 able-bodied men for combat.

Conflict

The Ëzó-Rhažóval, that is, the main residence of the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb and thus the position's ceremonial seat of power, was a standard building that was made of rock and mortar from the surrounding area. It was unusual for having two floors, and had to be rebuilt numerous times during the many natural disasters that occurred in the Second Wave from 25045 to 25021 AYM. It held direct passage to the larger Ëzó-Rhegarhifiŋ, that is, the location of the tribal government, but this passage was not utilized by either side during the battle. Aside from the tunnel, there is only one entrance to the Ëzó-Rhažóval, that is through a small doorway that would become the focus of the ensuing battle. The recounting of the battle is mainly from surviving members of the Ïlðúš committee, also known as the Ïlðúš-Ýïr, in accounts written during the Khólteðian Wars.

The committee led by Ïlðúš had been using the Palace for administrative purposes duringthe First Phase, and were subsequently trapped in the second floor when the Talians arrived. The Talians spread out across both floors, keeping watch on the single opening. When the Úŋïans arrived the next day, Lŋórak anticipated that this doorway would be heavily guarded, and so commanded his forces to poke holes into the building walls itself, through which they would thrust their weapons. With the Talians not forced back to the opposite wall, the bulk of the Úŋïan army began rushing in through the doorway, and the speed at which this occurred caused immense damage to the doorway itself and the structural integrity of the wall at large. What ensued was a flurry of close-quarters combat, in which the substantial portions of the Talian army were slaughtered. Žúž-Akëð, attempting to rally his disorganized troops, was among the frst to be killed. Still more Talians fled to the second floor, and Úŋïans pursued them. The increase in mass on the second floor subsequently caused the total collapse of this second floor onto the inhabitants of the first floor, which were mostly Úŋïan. Lŋórak himself had been shoved into the building interior by the commotion, and the collapse of the second floor gravely injured him and required 3 of his legs to be amputated after the fight.

The collapse of the second floor also created immense strain on all the walls of the building, and taking advantage of the confusion, many surviving Talians used the resultant holes in the walls to climb out and escape. It is the noise from the collapse, as well as the witness of the escaped Talians, that alerted Zümiža, the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid and thus the resident of the Ëzó-Rhegarhifiŋ, to the Crisis at large. Within hours, he would send for the army of his own family, the Ïlamatril Family, and send them to quell the fighting. The arrival of this army, which put down any successive conflicts between the escaped Talians and the pursuing Úŋïans, formally ended the Battle at the Palace and set the stage for the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý.

Aftermath

Immediate Military Consequences and Leadership Successions

In terms of total casualties, the Battle of the Palace ranks as the 2nd costliest battle in the entire Crisis behind the later Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad. Reports that followed the battle, mainly by Zümiža himself, found that the Talian casualty count reached upwards of 1,500, and the Úŋïan casualty count similarly reached 1,000. The roof collapse itself claimed around 1,200 deaths total.

Crucially, both sides were left without their leaders. Žúž-Akëð himself was mortally wounded in the opening moments, and Lŋórak's injuries sustained in the roof collapse, which included a skull fracture and several amputated legs, rendered him unfit for further command. Both groups chose among their ranks for their next leaders. The Úŋïans' choice was fairly straightforward, as Ëðhýas was already a well-established leader and second-in-command alongside Lŋórak. However, for the now-scattered Talians, this became a major problem. It was Ëšrum-Ðofek who represented the entirety of the Talian force despite still not having consolidated back into a single group, and he would be the person responsible for gathering the disparate Talians. He and Ólðavë-Üknard became the unofficial leaders of the Talians upon their consolidation.

The Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý

Main Article: Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý

The Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý served as the abrupt end to the Battle of the Palace. Its first part involved the use of the Ïlamatril Family's army, led by Zïlëŋý (son of Zümiža) to put down any and all violence irrespective of the exact circumstances and the sides of the conflict. This immediate response was mainly to curb the spread of violence past the Palace, preventing it from substantially affecting the other families, but the more logistical reason lay in buying time for the situation to be properly analyzed and for a fair compromise to the drafted. This compromise was a governmental decree that served as the second part of the Ceasefire, that attempted to settle differences between the two sides in order to form a more lasting peace.

The Ceasefire is noteworthy for a number of reasons, the most prevalent being that it broke an unspoken tradition held by prior leaders. This tradition, which aimed to preserve mutual equality between all 12 families, prevented the specific targeting of families and individuals with laws and decrees, and forced any and all decrees to be directed towards all families irrespective of reason. Here, the Ceasefire was explicitly directed towards the Khólteðtians, and although some individuals within the tribe perceived and raised alarms about this broken precedence, it was largely overshadowed by abject shock over the violence that was the Crisis.

The Terms of the Ceasefire allocated equal representation for the Talians and the Úŋïans, with both being given the power of half of a regular family. It split the Khólteð Family land down the middle into two equal-sized wedges that the Talians and Úŋïans resided in. The Ïlamatril Family army would still reside in the land, creating and enforcing the border between them. Contemporary scholars generally agree that the two sides accepted the terms under considerable duress, and Ëðhýas, Ëšrum-Ðofek, and Ólðavë-Üknard thus became the three signatories of the Ceasefire on 23 Ulta-Eimarae.

However, the Ceasefire did not recognize the existence of the Kýïan Tribes (due invariably to their lack of participation in the Battle at the Palace as well as the sheer number of individual Kýïan Tribes). This lack of participation would ultimately become the reason behind the breakdown of the Ceasefire, as the First-Phase Kýïan Tribes increased their violent deeds and disgruntled civilian groups who were aligned with neither side began forming the Second-Phase Kýïan Tribes.

Response from other Families

The reaction to the Crisis (which had been previously unknown prior to the Battle at the Palace) was undeniably that of shock. The Khólteð Family had long been perceived as one of the most stable of the 12 families, and to see such an otherwise-blameless (in their eyes) group fall to abject violence caused waves of introspection to sweep across the tribal landscape. This was also compared to the class differences in the Ýlëntuk Family, which in 25020 AYM had brought forth the tribe of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš, a sworn enemy of the Ïlýrhonidians. These events thus triggered several attempts to reconcile differences of all kinds within each family, and these attempts were partially successful; many historians attribute the general lack of conflict in the Heta-Ýmor-Mošindë (which immediately succeeded the Crisis) to these movements towards equality and equal treatment.

Although little actual change was brought when it came to governmental structure and function, the social consciousness that the Battle at the Palace caused would set the stage for the later 24982 AYM Ultimatum, which brought forth radical changes to the legal and social spheres, and whose widespread acceptance was in large part due to fear caused by the Battle.

Legacy

The Battle at the Palace is one of the bloodiest and most impactful engagements to take place within the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, and its repercussions in the broader social sphere have been the focus of its memory in subsequent ages. It, as well, as the Crisis at large, represent one of the very few conflicts involving the Ïlýrhonid Tribe to take place within its walls, and are noted for even being caused by flaws within the tribe's social and legal systems instead of conflicts with external forces. Because of the relative simplicity in military tactics (merely involving a disorganized and chaotic struggle), historians almost always gravitate towards broader societal consequences that arose from the Battle at the Palace.

The Battle of the Palace has often been interpreted in terms of the overarching Žömëp-Fýtaŋ tradition, in which an individual component is seen as not just representative of the whole, but becomes the whole in a metaphysical sense. This is a staple of the Heta-Alšewharžar Tribes, and has been most prominently seen where members and leaders alike of tribes like the Maðúšýï see themselves and their compatriots as the 'essence' of the tribe. This also applied to buildings and other inanimate objects, in which their structural integrity was seen as a bellwether for the stability of the organization that they represented. The complete collapse of the Palace in the Battle was often seen as the total and irreversible collapse of the Khólteð Family institution as a functional administrative group.

Of course, a large part of the Battle's Legacy is inextricably tied to the actions of Zümiža in putting a premature end to it. Historians generally agree that, had Zümiža not stepped in, the Talians would have been whittled down to merely a few hundred members, or perhaps even wiped out altogether. Given the Úŋïans' position as being squarely aligned with preexisting tribal structure (that is, the reinstating of Šïk-hórom as the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb), Zümiža's decision becomes even more impactful in that he is essentially counteracting the side that would be most aligned with his own position and siding more with a desire for moral righteousness. Others, however, argue that the events leading up to the Battle had already eroded any such alignment, as the severity and excesses of Úŋïan violence, especially in figures like Lŋórak, had rendered them, in Zümiža’s eyes, no longer representative of the order they claimed to defend.