Crisis of 24982 AYM

The Crisis of 24982 AYM was a period of chaos within the Kaultedt Family that lasted from 12 Anta-Eimarae to 15 Geta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM in the Family's territory in the Elironid tribe. It emerged from the actions of Taisat, the head of the family, and his predecessor Rithas.
During the Crisis, the general population of the Family split into 3 groups; the Arðor-Tal, who were made up mostly of those discriminated against by the head of the family and therefore called for the complete removal of the government, the Arðor-Úŋï, who supported the head position, and the Arðor-Kýï, who did not fit in with either group and instead focused on surviving during the chaos. There was approximately 130 reported deaths during the Crisis, and the entire family's forced expulsion from the Elironid tribe in 15 Geta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM, ended the Crisis and gave way to the Kaultedtian Wars.
 

Background

Starting as early as 25100 AYM, Öhr-Fëkahr, a member of the Kaultedtian Family, engaged in Ýyorhïsïb with several members of other families. This act, when discovered in 25080 AYM, led to the public shaming of Öhr-Fëkahr and his resulting children by Rithas, the head of the Family. These children became known as the Fýr-Hŋýtor, meaning the Feral/Monstrous, and were thereafter shunned and looked down upon. Among the punishments dealt to them, they were confined to two specially designated areas known as the Khëlër-Ðórr and Krëšŋ-Ðórr, meaning the Cursed and Fallen, respectively. They were two large chunks of the southern half of the Family's territory, taking up around 5% of the entire surface area.
In the years that followed, however, the rate of Ýyorhišib within the Fýr-Hŋýtor increased drastically, to the point where, by 25050 AYM, they made up 1/10 of the Family's total population. In 25001-00 AYM, as the Farïnýð Family became embroiled in the deadly Syöwú-Iyöphl, waves of fear, chaos, and disorder swept through the other 11 families. Among the many effects was that the Khólteð Family's rate of Ýyorhišib dropped significantly, but that of the Fýr-Hŋýtor, largely enclosed away from tribal politics, stayed relatively stagnant. By the time of the Crisis, the Fýr-Hŋýtor made up a staggering 1/4 of the total population. During this time, all the way from 25080 to 24982 AYM, both Rithas and his successor Týyšat were quick to label the Fýr-Hŋýtor as inferior to the general populace because of Öhr-Fëkahr's actions.
For much of their persecution, the disparate groups of the Fýr-Hŋýtor were mainly concerned with restoring their reputation in the eyes of the Family. However, as time passed, they became less and less persistent in this matter, losing hope in the prospect altogether by 25000 AYM. They would thus regroup under the leadership of Žúž-Akëð.

Conflict

Kidnapping of Šïk-hórom and Storming of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

When Týyšat died in 10 Anta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM, the Fýr-Hŋýtor, who had by this time renamed themselves to the Arðor-Tal, meaning the Risen, were quick to spring up in revolt. In 12 Anta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM, a mob of them gathered and stormed the Family's Ëzó-Rhažóval, that is, the Kaultedtian Palace (where the Head lived). There, they kidnapped Týyšat's to-be successor Šïk-hórom 2 hours before he was set to be instated as the new Head, taking him hostage inside Krëšŋ-Ðórr, the easternmost of the two areas. The supporters of Šïk-hórom, led by his brother Rëžýnð, chased after them, and the two engaged in a vicious brawl in the outskirts of the territory. In fact, this act would mobilize large portions of the Family, together known as the Arðor-Úŋï, against them. To maintain order within the rest of the Family's population, Rëžýnð would appoint Ïlðúš to act in a role similar to that of the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb; as the violence spread across the land in the latter half of the Crisis, this interim government would become the tribe of Ïlðúš-Ýïr. Faced with the realization that their image was never going to heal, the Arðor-Tal instead opted to kill Šïk-hórom and use their raw strength to dominate the rest of the population. However, knowing that they faced active resistance, they were cautious in their actions.
The large numbers of Arðor-Úŋï that would thus gather at the border of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr eventually caused the struggle there to go in favor of Rëžýnð's men, and the Arðor-Úŋï thus began to go further into the territory of the Arðor-Tal. By 18 Anta-Eimarae, they were dangerously close to the far outskirts of the territory, where the Arðor-Tal had held Šïk-hórom. However, stiff resistance from Žúž-Akëð and other leaders slowed their progress enough such that the situation remained stagnant for the next few days.

Massacre of Rëžýnð

Bolstered in numbers, Rëžýnð would launch a massive assault in 21 Anta-Eimarae. This charge initially achieved success, piercing through the large crowds of the Arðor-Tal that opposed them, but within a few hours, the stream of individuals who had gone in behind Rëžýnð trickled few enough that the Arðor-Tal quickly closed the gap in their lines. Now trapped fully within enemy forces, Rëžýnð's heroic few, which numbered around 600-750 individuals, fought their way through the crowds towards Šïk-hórom. Although successive assaults by Rëžýnð's allies on the outside would be made, and the Arðor-Tal's lines breached numerous more times, the time delays between them and the initial breach would prove fatal. By the end of the day, Rëžýnð's forces, left without continuous support, would be entirely massacred. Nonetheless, it proved a massive scare to the Arðor-Tal, and an act of legendary heroism for the Arðor-Úŋï.

Assault of Lŋórak

Following the death of Rëžýnð, Lŋórak would take over the Arðor-Úŋï in 22 Anta-Eimarae. Witnessing how far his predecessor had gotten, and wishing to take advantage of the Arðor-Tal's disorganized state, he planned several separate assaults that simultaneously erupted in midday of 25 Anta-Eimarae. These all pushed into the Krëšŋ-Ðórr from all sides, dealing severe damage to any and all structures in the area as well as killing any civilians encountered. Despite this, the Arðor-Úŋï were not without casualties of their own. Forced to constantly fight for hours on end, they were whittled down to around 80% their original capacity by the time the dust settled. Lŋórak would urge them on for the entire duration, and as such, while the numbers decreased, they would continuously and slowly trudge along the front to reach within 400 meters of where Šïk-hórom was being held. Fearing for their situation, the Arðor-Tal would hastenly move Šïk-hórom away to the Khëlër-Ðórr, the other of the two territories of the Fýr-Hŋýtor, a mere hour before the Arðor-Tal force finally crumbled under the weight. Typical estimates place the death toll of both sides at around 1500-2000, with 750-1000 each for the Arðor-Úŋï and the Arðor-Tal.

Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr

Main Article: Massacre of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr
Having captured a wedge-like territory in the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, Lŋórak had thus split it in two fragments. One of these was now isolated from the rest of the tribal land, and filled with army stragglers that had missed the chance to flee to the Khëlër-Ðórr. Lŋórak and his massive army would spend the remaining few hours of 25 Anta-Eimarae and the entirety of the following day razing this isolated section, both as a means of brutal intimidation and as an act of revenge for the death of Rëžýnð. More importantly for the rest of the family and the Ïlýrhonid Tribe as a whole, this represented the first act of a deliberate razing and mass murder, especially on such a scale. As such, discussions arose over the brutality of the conflict, with tribal accounts asserting a death count of around 2,500 in just the massacre alone. It is known that the horrors of the massacre were in large part to blame for the tribe's successively negative view of the Family and the eventual end consequence of mass eviction as stated in the 24982 AYM Ultimatum. The Massacre also gave rise to the first Arðor-Kýï groups. Put off by the violent actions of Lŋórak, but still affected by the long-standing ostracization of the Arðor-Tal, they saw no solutions in either side, and thus contemplated the idea of governing the Family themselves. It is estimated that around 4-5 groups began vying with themselves for governmental authority, although the exact identities of these are not known. This would be the start of the Kýïan Wars, which lasted through the Crisis and occurred in parallel to the struggles of the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï.

First Phase of the Kýïan Wars

This section will give a brief overview of the first phase of the Kýïan Wars, which lasted from around the end of the Massacre in 27 Anta-Eimarae to the Battle of Arhžvóo in 15 Ulta-Eimarae. It involved the first few of what would become the Arðor-Kýï, that is, the subgroups not aligned to either side, but aiming to use the power vacuum for their own purposes. These subgroups numbered only 4-6 separate groups, namely Vmóð-Ýïr, Irðar-Ýïr, Ðïš-Ýïr, and Úrfëš-Ýïr. These all would form in the few days after the Massacre, with Këhóš-Ýïr and Ömak-Ýïr emerging in the latter half of this first phase. Due to the relatively small number of groups that emerged, the first phase is by far the most readily understood and regularly documented of the three phases. These groups were concentrated in the northeastern corner of the Family territory. This region, being close to the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb in both social hierarchy and physical proximity, held the most politically-influential figures in the Family. Instead of targeting the Hyvamto's residence itself, these groups designated for themselves specific territories over which they held power. They would then fight in the streets in and around where these territories met.

Deterrence of Khëlër-Ðórr

Skirmishes at the Border

Following the brutal massacre, the Arðor-Úŋi would march past the remaining areas of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr, intending to raze the Khëlër-Ðórr instead. Fearing a similar fate as those in the massacre, and knowing that the Khëlër-Ðórr were mostly composed of a largely-peaceful civilian population, Žúž-Akëð would concentrate all his efforts on diverting the aggression of the Arðor-Úŋï away from these civilians. From there, the army would use this aggression to steer them into the territory of the Arðor-Úŋï itself. Starting from 27 Anta-Eimarae and ending in 7 Ulta-Eimarae, Žúž-Akëð would constantly position his army between the civilians and Lŋórak's army. Meanwhile, fueled by the successes they had had, Lŋórak and his army would charge into the Khëlër-Ðórr and come into vicious contact with the Arðor-Tal close to the border between the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr. Seeing the destruction at hand, Žúž-Akëð would command his battered army to retreat further into the Khëlër-Ðórr, and the Arðor-Úŋï followed. In a span of numerous hours, they were slowed down through the Arðor-Tal's numerous skirmishes and retreating movements, which were carried out with help from the crowded structures and foreign landscape. Frustrated, Lŋórak would raze and pillage these lands extensively as they went, which included the murder of the local population. Nonetheless, these movements stretched a substantial part of the Khëlër-Ðórr, and by the time the Arðor-Úŋï came to a definitive stop, around 25% of the Khëlër-Ðórr, and 15% of its population, was entirely destroyed. The reason they stopped here was due to two factors. First, the efforts of the Arðor-Tal had slowed their momentum to the point of fatigue. Second, Žúž-Akëð did not see the continued violence as being a worthy-enough price to pay for the continued hostage of Šïk-hórom, and in the panic of the retreats, he chose simply to leave him behind. The Arðor-Úŋï would thus slow down and stop upon seeing him, due simply to his importance in the family. Žúž-Akëð would, upon seeing the slow speed of their enemy, divert the retreating path not further into the Khëlër-Ðórr, but northeastward, which would lead them out of the territory and into that of the Arðor-Úŋï. This was a massive gamble; with the army essentially removing itself from the Khëlër-Ðórr, the civilians there would now be totally defenseless. However, Žúž-Akëð hypothesized that the threat now posed to the people of the Arðor-Úŋï would force the hand of Lŋórak to follow them. Still, to prevent a catastrophe, he would assign around 6% of his army (around 300 men) to populate the Khëlër-Ðórr at various points, both to stave off any small-scale attacks and to ready the civilian population for a possible engagement.

Battles of Khëlër-Ðórr

Lŋórak would respond in precisely the way that Žúž-Akëð predicted; he would split his army in two. The majority, around 75% (6,500), would pursue the Arðor-Tal to prevent excessive damage, while the rest would work to invade the Khëlër-Ðórr, essentially tasked with continuing the violent campaign that was taking place. The Battles of Khëlër-Ðórr were the various engagments between the disparate 300 men of the Arðor-Tal and this latter 15%, or 1800 men, of Lŋórak's army. This would last an incredibly long time, around 1.5 months, from 9 Ulta-Eimarae to 17 Suta-Eimarae. This was because, although the Arðor-Úŋï were much larger in number, they had little to no knowledge of the layout in the territory. This would be exaserbated by the strategy of the Arðor-Tal, who relied mainly on small-scale and skirmish-like in quality, using the streets and alleys as escape routes and diversionary tactics. The violence in these battles although much more mild than those of the previous engagements, is known especially for its pervasiveness. The entire population in the Khëlër-Ðórr suffered heavily throughout this time, and estimates place the death count at around 450-500, which is around 8-10% of the total civilian population.

Battle of Arhžvóo

The Battle of Arhžvóo, named for the main resident of the building around which the fighting took place, was the major engagement between the main forces of both sides. Remember that around 85% (4,700) of the Arðor-Úŋï and 94% (6,500) of the Arðor-Tal was present in this battle, the rest being presently engaged with the Battles of the Khëlër-Ðórr. This Battle took place around 10 kilometers from the edge of the Krëšŋ-Ðórr and Khëlër-Ðórr and on the date of 15 Ulta-Eimarae. Here, in foreign territory and greatly outnumbered, the Arðor-Tal had very little advantage, and in within a few hours, they were driven back in full retreat. In addition to being a decisive victory for Lŋórak, it served as a final confirmation for those not involved in either side that none of the two would effectively govern the Family. As such, the time following this battle featured the rise of most of the separate Arðor-Kýï groups, who all wanted to seize power for themselves. With the grand increase in these competing powers, the conflict known as the Kýïan Wars would begin. This is one of the least-recorded and thus least-understood conflicts in the entirety of the early Ibrófeneð species.

Second Phase of the Kýïan Wars

The Second Phase of the Kýïan Wars lasted from the Battle of Arhžvóo in 15 Ulta-Eimarae to just after the Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý in 27 Ulta-Eimarae. This 12-day period saw the greatest emergence of the subgroups of the Arðor-Kýï, growing from 6 to 12 in a matter of hours. These new subgroups were influenced most immediately by the Battle of Arhžvóo itself, which is why they were situated in the central region, that is, the stretch of familial land between the Krëšŋ-Ðórr/Khëlër-Ðórr in the extreme southwest and the already-existing Arðor-Kýï subgroups in the northeast. Instead of attempting to seize power, these central groups, motivated by the violence in both the Massacre and the Battles, aimed to reform the Khólteð Family's cultural identity in futile attempts to make peace. The problem was that different sections had different ideas of what constituted the cultural canon and what didn't. The conflicts that arose over these ideological differences mostly made up street warfare and guerilla-style tactics, but still resulted in an estimated 450-600 over the course of the 12 days in the second phase.

Battle at the Palace

Main Article: Battle at the Palace
Fleeing through the Family territory, they would come to the Head Palace, or Ëzó-Rhažóval, which had been the residence of Šïk-hórom and his ancestors during their reign as Head of the Family. Due to the wedge-like shape of the Family territory, the Palace's position at the very tip of this wedge meant that, upon reaching the Palace itself, the Arðor-Tal would be effectively cornered. There, they barricaded the front entrance and stayed there for 3 days, until the Arðor-Úŋï broke through it on 22 Ulta-Eimarae. Upon breaking through, the Arðor-Úŋï and Arðor-Tal engaged in vicious fighting inside the cramped spaces of the palace, dealing severe damage to the building. After an hour and a half of fighting, the walls became too damaged, and the roof fully collapsed, crushing and killing around 140 Ibrovinids (historical accounts say around 50 were Arðor-Tal and 70 were Arðor-Úŋï). Lŋórak's leg was caught under the roof, and in the ensuing chaos, he was severely wounded. Žúž-Akëð himself was killed as well, causing the complete breakdown of leadership within the Arðor-Tal. Following further damage to the walls, most of the stragglers, who by now numbered just around 1,400, were able to escape through holes in the walls and other weakened areas.

Ceasefire of Zïlëŋý

The proximity of the Palace to the central government (that is, the Ëzó-Rhegarhifiŋ), finally alerted the rest of the tribe to the chaos of the Crisis. In response, Zümiža, the Hyvamto-Re-Elironid, sent his son and commander of the Ïlamatril Family's Army, Zïlëŋý, in an attempt to arrange a ceasefire between the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï. This was sponsored by Šïk-hórom, who was in distress after Rëžýnð's death and Lŋórak's injury. In 25 Ulta-Eimarae, Šïk-hórom and Lŋórak met with a small group of Arðor-Tal representatives led by Ólðavë-Üknard and Ëšrum-Ðofek, and, under the guidance of Zilerny, wrote and signed a ceasefire. Among the terms was that the Khólteð territory was split in half, right down the middle, and one half was exclusively for the Arðor-Úŋï, and the other for Arðor-Tal. Each side was treated the same as the other families, although their votes who be worth one-half that of a regular family. With Šïk-hórom still recovering, Ëðhýas became the head of the Arðor-Úŋï, while Sðó-šöŋ became the head of the Arðor-Tal.  

The Rise of the Arðor-Kýï/Third Phase of the Kýïan Wars

The main problem with the Ceasefire was that it gave no recognition of the many different Arðor-Kýï, who each saw themselves as the rightful governors of the entire family. They were in essence more than 14 different pretenders to the Head of the Family, and upon realizing their exclusion from the Ceasefire, each of them would mount individual offenses against both the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï. These offenses, categorized as part of the second part of the Kýïan Wars, would then cause the reignition of tensions between the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï, and thus the deterioration of the Ceasefire. These tensions would cause the formal end of the Ceasefire around 5 Suta-Eimarae. Upon seeing this, Zïlëŋý would ready his army for another offense into the Khólteð Family's land, but his father, knowing the complexity of the situation, would restrain him and ultimately remove him from command of the army. With the Arðor-Tal already diminished, and the Arðor-Úŋï beset by weak leadership and dwindling public support, this period resulted in widespread chaos. Both groups would splinter repeatedly, and each splinter would become its own clan-like body united around a major army figure. Each clan thus found itself warring against other splinter factions both from what had been their ideological allies and what had been their ideological enemies, while also having to fend off repeated attacks from the 14 other competitors for authority within the Family. This would last all the way from 5 Suta-Eimarae to 13 Geta-Eimarae, or just under 35 days, and saw the deaths of more than two thousand individuals from all walks of life.

Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad

The Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad was the culmination of these small skirmishes, and lasted for mutiple hours throughout 13-16 Geta-Eimarae. It took place at the spot where the multiple territories met; this would be the boundary between the Arðor-Tal, Arðor-Úŋï, and a select few of the Arðor-Kýï, namely the Ömak-Ýïr and Irðar-Ýïr. Although this contentious area was the site of numerous acts of violence upon the disintegration of the ceasefire, the Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad would far eclipse any of these small-scale skirmishes. It would begin as one of these small skirmishes between the Arðor-Tal (led by Ólðavë-Üknard) and the Arðor-Úŋï, led by Úðhvarŋ. Strangely, the chaos of this particular skirmish, which lasted for multiple days, would draw in surrounding individuals from not just these two sides, but the two Kýïan subgroups as well. At its peak, the fighting involved more than 2,000 people. At some point later on, the Kýïan tribes, which only had a limited number of individuals, would prove too weak to withstand assaults from the continually-increasing Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï. They would be pushed back into their own territory, with the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï naturally flooding in after them. Due to the sheer chaos, it is very likely that neither of them would have realized the presence of these Kýïan tribes, as after the Kýïan retreat, the Arðor-Tal and Arðor-Úŋï would concentrate their efforts on fighting each other exclusively. This would cause the chaos to spread beyond the two factions, to Kýïan subgroups beyond the initial area of conflict aiming to take advantage of the chaos. This would continue all through the 14th, 15th, and 16th of Geta-Eimarae, and demonstrated to Zümiža that the Khólteð Family could no longer coexist within the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. The ultimatum issued in its aftermath thus became inevitable, not as a punishment alone but as an act of preservation for the wider tribal structure.

24982 AYM Ultimatum

Main Article: 24982 AYM Ultimatum
The 24982 AYM Ultimatum was a document written and issued on 15 Geta-Eimarae, 24982 AYM. It forced an end to the Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad by evicting the entire family from the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. This would be instated through military force; all throughout the 15th and 16th of Geta-Eimarae, the army of the Ïlamatril Family, which had been used to enact the ceasefire, would not conduct a thorough search within the Khólteð Family, both to deliver the news and to quell any residual conflicts. As per the ultimatum, the Family was given until midday of 5 Heta-Eimarae, 24981 AYM, to gather all belongings. This entire process was heavily guarded by the Ïlamatril Family's army, which was given total authority to quell any resistance and infighting within the Khólteðian populace. The populace would actually finish this process by 2 Heta-Eimarae, 24981 AYM, and on that day, more than 150 separate boats were loaded and sailed downstream into the Ëriðorn Ocean, carrying all of the Family members, almost always separated based on the group they were in. Despite being out of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe's jurisdiction the moment they crossed the outer walls of the Tribe, Zümiža had enacted a temporary compromise; to preserve the Family, Šïk-hórom was to be reinstated as the Head of the Family, but with severe limits to his power, especially concerning laws relating to the governance of the Kýïans and Talians. In response, the Kýïans and Talians would respect each other, the Úŋïans, and Šïk-hórom himself. This compromise, written into the Ultimatum, was largely followed during and immediately after the voyage, most likely due to the widespread horror and disillusionment that followed the Battle of Köš-Ëmvrad.

Outcome and Impact

On the Ïlýrhonid Tribe and Zümiža

The Crisis of 24982 AYM remains one of the worst conflicts in the history of the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. More than a simple infighting, it represented the most violent death of the family as an institution, punctuating the Heta-Ýmor-Vëtam, a period itself known for the strength of the Family being at its peak. Perhaps due to the sheer contrast between the chaos of 24982 AYM and the silence of 24981 AYM, the Ïlýrhonid Tribe would enter a period of relative flourishing known as the Heta-Ýmor-Mošindë, which would last more than 350 years. Similarly, it represented one of the greatest achievements of Zümiža in that it demonstrated most effectively the necessity of the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid in restoring peace to the tribe. Crucially, it came in such a time when this leadership role was coming off a period of intense backlash and scrutiny, due mainly to his predecessors in the Arfarotï period. In addition, he would redefine the role by combining his duties as the Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid with the powers of the Hyvamto-Žö-Ýšïb (Head of the Family), mainly using the army of the Ïlamatril Family to restore order twice at separate times during the Crisis. Nonetheless, Zümiža's health would be drained extensively. He was already burdened by earlier catastrophes like the First Ýlëntukian War and the the Syöwú-Iyöphl, and the chaos of the Crisis far outweighted these other disasters. He would spend the rest of his reign not nearly as active as he had been prior to 24982 AYM, entering a near-catatonic state by 24960 AYM. Though his reign declined into frailty after 24982 AYM, later chroniclers often described Zümiža as the last Hyvamto-Rhïlýrhonid who could act decisively across family lines, setting a standard that successors struggled to meet.

On the Khólteð Family

In exile, the Khólteð Family, who had sailed to the Tayzem Region, clung ever more fiercely to their fractured identities, with each segment claiming to represent the true legacy of the family. This obsession with legitimacy resulted in an irreversible fragmentation into separate, ideologically-conflicting segments, all of whom would continue fighting against each other in the Kaultedtian Wars. These wars would be instigated by the decisions of Šïk-hórom, who, likely suffering from delusion due to his witnessing the chaos of the Crisis, drew out the territories for the Kýïans, Talians, and Úŋïans, with a particular emphasis on intermingling all three. This intermingling would cause a rapid escalation, leading to a massive conflict unprecedented in scale and stretching across the entirety of the Tayzem Desert.