First Varhoŋïan War

The First Varhoŋïan War was a conflict fought from 5 Anta-Eimarae to 24 Wota-Eimarae, 24976 AYM, featuring the Maðúšýï and the city of Ožërhýŋ versus the Varonian Trade Coalition, made of the cities of Varhoŋïð, Lómóhüd, Kal-Haðü, and Güðün. This war marked the first major interaction between the Hýyó-Hayïd of the south (comprising the Maðúšýï) and the Hýyo-Wýðúr of the north (represented by the Varonian Trade Coalition).

Although significantly less impactful and widespread as the later Varonian Civil War, the First Varonian War nonetheless precipitated the events that would lead up to it, most impactfully the decline of the Matousai's military strength. In addition, the innovations in military structure, like the creation of the city-specific militia and the division of the army into separate groups, paved the way for further military experiments in Ardunioz and Artal.

Prelude

Maðúšýï

The Maðúšýï, who were a raiding clan, occupied the Hýyó-Hayïd, most prominently Tý-hayïd, Mönamat, and Varand. From their establishment in 25019 AYM they would batter the southern cities of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš, their neighbor tribe to the northeast, with recurring raids that aimed to steal and manipulate the resources of key cities like Óm-Hayïd. Although they were established initially as revenge for the Khalúšians' forced eviction of the citizens of Óm-hayïd, the raiding tribe would come to use these violent events as their main source of influence on the Amoŋot Desert as a whole, as well as a minor source of food, supplies, and other essential materials. This latter use would be crucial due to the sparseness of available food sources in the southern Desert region. They would spread their ambitions to include the Hýyo-Wýðúr in 25010 AYM.

From then until 24976 AYM, under the jurisdiction of Gýbakk and Úvremk, the tribe's raiding methodology and philosophy would evolve and contort to saturate all areas of the tribal life. By the time of the First Varhoŋïan War, the raiding strategy was based on the careful balance between too much violence and too little violence. The former of which would cause the victims to abandon their cities in favor of ones further away, thus forcing the Maðúšýï to travel farther and rendering them much more vulnerable. The latter would leave them well enough to potentially rearm and fight back, or form alliances with others, either of which would make future raids much more difficult.

In addition to a change in philosophy, the Maðúšýï would undergo a grand restructuring in its formative years under Gýbakk. He would designate about 70-80% of the territories, particularly those in the central and west, as being focused towards the harvesting and distribution of rocks from the Arbin Watershed in the territory's western edge. The eastern cities would be hyperfocused towards the prospect of raiding to an astonishing degree, to the point where other aspects like health and culture were neglected. It was this failsafe in the western cities, and the hyper-religious connotation used by Gýbakk that would instill these cities with the drive to raid so heavily.

Hýyó-Wýðúr

Background

The Hýyo-Wýðúr were the collection of cities that populated the northern stretches of the Amoŋot Desert. At the time of the First Varhoŋïan War, these consisted of the 'five main cities' of Güðün, Lómóhüd, Vërðïm, Kal-Haðü, and Óvarhën, as well as a few outskirt cities in the form of Ývó-Ŋúž and Ïram-Kšýïl. In the early stages, the five main, or 'Wëbëlupian', cities resembled a line of densely-populated cities stretching from the northwest (in Óvarhën) to the southeast (in Güðün). They were the most populous of the various settlements in the Blýfónic Valley, but they were also the most disconnected. Unlike the others various organizations of this time period, the Hýyó-Wýðúr were not formed under a single ideology or a collection thereof, but were merely the result of the massive waves of emigrations that occurred after the similarly massive success of the Wýðúric and Khýnýšic Expeditions. These such Expeditions proved the viability of living outside the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, but most directly proved the viability of the northern Amoŋot Desert, and thus drew these droves of emigrants to that region specifically. Compared to the Hýyó-Hayïd's near-constant population of 500-600 from 25032 to 25020 AYM, the Hýyó-Wýðúr would grow from 650 to around 10,000 in half the time, from 25026 to 25020 AYM. Later on, the city of Güðün would be overthrown and its civilians evicted by members of the newly-created Varhoŋïð-Khalúš tribe, thus rendering it a separate sociopolitical entity from the rest of the cities despite being geographically similar.

It is only after a long period of turmoil that the other two cities, Ývó-Ŋúž and Ïram-Kšýïl, would be created. These two are located to the west of the five main cities, and their settlement was motivated not necessarily by region-wide sentiments, but the individual's desire to leave the five main cities for whatever reason. However, upon the establishment of the city of Ožërhýŋ by the Farïnýð Family in 25000 AYM, most of these travelers would relocate to the latter of the two to engage in trade with it.

Púlö-Ïlýrhonid

The Hýyó-Wýðúr would experience a gradual shift across all of its settlements from 25026 to 25020 AYM. This is most concisely explained in the concept of the Púlö-Ïlýrhonid, or Ïlýrhonid Question. This Question dealt with the cultural and societal stance adopted by these emigrants in their new lives outside the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. One could choose to align themselves with the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, thus adopting their cultural and societal values, or one could deny them, thus creating their own and/or adopting those of others. These would correspond with the terms known as Ëvoðo-Reïlýrhonid and Ëvoðro-Ýmïlýrhonid, respectively.

Although nearly all of the members of every single tribe had to grapple with the question, it would have its biggest impact in the Hýyó-Wýðúr, as they were not as tethered to a common emotion or ideology as the other tribes were. The populations of each city were extremely fluid here, as civilians would move from city to city to be with those possessing stances and viewpoints similar to their own. This would grow to be location-specific; those in the southeast, like Güðün, would become the hotspot for those of the Ëvoðo-Reïlýrhonid, while those in the northwest, like Óvarhën, would become the hotspot for those of the Ëvoðro-Ýmïlýrhonid. However, those in the middle, having lost most of the part of their civilian population that was passionate about the Púlö-Ïlýrhonid, was instead filled with those who did not care for that Ïlýrhonidian Question but still clung to some familial, cultural, or religious ideas separate from the Question. These were most likely issues stemming vaguely from the Tribe, but specifically the overemphasis of aspects not part of it. This was almost always related to the Žötó-Žimiara, a group of individuals who had radically redefined the Tribal cultural and social landscape during the Ýmor-Šapariž.

The general course of action for a typical Hýyó-Wýðúrian city in this period from 25026 to 25020 was the following. As the migrations to and from the city occurred as befit the process above, a select few groups would develop whose members would each share common opinions about a particular topic. As mentioned above, the groups of cities near the extreme ends of the Hýyó-Wýðúrian geographical region would be often limited to 1 or 2 and chiefly aligned based on the Púlö-Ïlýrhonid. Those in the middle would have more groups, up to 10 in a single instance, most of whose central opinions were regarding familial, religious, and/or cultural disputes. In all of these cities, competition would arise between different groups over control of the city in question. Generally, those with few feuding groups could reach a definitive end very quickly, often around 25026-25 AYM, while those with many experienced many years of in-fighting and chaos before a lasting state would be reached, typically around 25022-20 AYM.

Öšdúu

The governments that formed when a given city had settled down would be in the Öšdúu form. This form is characterized by an autocratic ruler who has absolute control over the city itself, but whose power quickly diminishes as one leaves the city walls. Thus, the city itself would all be under his jurisdiction, but the desert lands outside, that is, between each city, would become utterly lawless and devoid of communication. As time passed, various bandit and crime groups would spring up, of which there are little to no extant records in the database.

The Öšdúu were very stable, and did not experience much change from their establishment to the time of the First Varhoŋïan War. However, despite their isolation, news would slowly spread between them via gossip and other word-of-mouth methods. This would be the means by which they would sloely begin to move towards the possibility of trade, either with the Palïŋ-Lhrúuŋðarr in the north or with the city of Ožërhýŋ in the southwest. However, the First Varhoŋïan War would greatly diminish the latter option.

Varhoŋïð-Khalúš

Background

Although mainly an observer state during the early stages of the conflict, The tribe of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš would rise to become a major belligerent in the War by the end. A relatively recent organization, it was founded around late 25020 to early 25019 AYM by members of the Ýlëntuk Family and came to occupy a thin north-south strip of land adjacent to the Volain Forest. However, note that the tribe's territory is not shown on the following figure.

Departure of the Ýlëntuk Family

The Ýlëntuk Family was the first family of the 12 to leave the Ïlýrhonid Tribe, which it did in mid-25020 AYM but sailing upstream the Kairn River System. Upon reaching the Ŋópïŋ-Arún-Khërn, or the fork of the River, it would settle down and live off of the resources of the forest. In the half-year it spent in this location, the Family found the way of life there to be very easy, much more so than that of the Tribe. As such, it wanted to free the other families from the Tribe as well, but differed on the way to do it.

Those of the high class, which had maintained good relations with the central Ïlýrhonid government, were much more like to be sympathetic towards it. While still insisting upon the departure of the other families, they preferred to do so via economic methods, mainly the establishment of trading relations between them and the tribe to showcase the exotic materials of the outside. However, those of the low class, who had been mostly neglected by both the central tribal government and the high class, opted to use military action to free the other families, as they did not trust either party to be willing to do so on their own. These two differing sentiments would become the two tribes of Kairn and Varhoŋïð-Khalúš, respectively, both of whom would gradually split apart from each other during their brief stay in the Forest.

Formation of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš and the First Ýlëntukian War

In the 22 Wota-Eimarae, 25020 AYM, the rifts forming between them would come to a head in the Ambush of Ŋópïŋ-Arún-Khërn, where a planned Khalúšian raid on the Ïlýrhonid Tribe was interrupted by Kairnian forces. In the ensuing chaos, the raid members and all of the Khalúšians would be driven westward out of the Forest. Most of these would flee by way of the west fork of the Kairn River, thus settling in the city of Güðün. A smaller portion would flee southwest to the Hayïdic city of Óm-hayïd. As the Khalúšians began pouring into both cities, their influence on them would steadily grow, to the point where they would overthrow the governments of both cities and evict the local population. These two cities would form the basis of the tribal territory and would be connected in the tribe's subsequent attempts to reenter the Forest, with this formation process being complete around mid to late 25019 AYM.

The feud between Kairn and Varhoŋïð-Khalúš forms the basis of the Ýlëntukian Civil War and its first subperiod of the First Ýlëntukian War, which concerns the initial attempts of the Khalúšians to expand their territory to get at the Ïlýrhonid Tribe. From 25019 AYM on, the newly-created raiding tribe of Maðúšýï would inflict heavy casualties and carry off tons of resources from the southern cities. This would greatly weaken the tribe and result in a series of maneuvers from both sides that would cost each other greatly.

To make matters worse, the also-newly-created tribe of Lrhúuŋðarr to the northeast guarded to territory there, and in a fit of desperation, the Khalúšians would attempt to travel around the entire Volain Forest to attack the Ïlýrhonid Tribe from the east. However, they would be stopped by the Lhrúuŋðians at the twin cities of Waðë-Vïn and Dlaýe-Vïn, whereupon the two sides would engage in a repetitive process in which either side would build cities and roads north of those of the other in attempts to circumvent them. This would strain both sides, but while the Lhrúuŋðians would simply draw from their massive population, the Khalúšians, who were already very strained by the raids to the south, were unable to keep up. Thus, in 25003 AYM, the Battle of Ïbhaažrrt-Ýhöýhašúk would result in the total defeat and takeover of all Khalúšian cities and roads constructed during these years. However, the tribe would be saved from total collapse by a crucial victory at Güðün.

In total, the many pressures exerted by both the Maðúšýï and Lhrúuŋðarr would lower the Khalúšians isolated, weakened, and starved. Indeed, they would be at their lowest point in the tribe's entire history, but even so, repeated attempts by the Kairnians to invade from the Volain Forest were almost always thwarted, thus keeping the tribe alive in time for the First Varhoŋïan War.

Ožërhýŋ

Given the city's status as a focal point in this war, attention must be given to city of Ožërhýŋ as it existed prior to the war. It was founded in 25000 AYM by members of the Farïnýð Family. At that time, they had recently left the Ïlýrhonid Tribe due to the Syöwú-Iyöphl having devastated the family's populations. This was a serious pandemic of the disease Úmýïža which had reduced the tribal population to only 10. These ten would be the emigrants that would travel westward from the Tribe, along the highly volatile coast of the Hýyó-Hayïd and northwards along the Arbin Watershed, creating the city of Ožërhýŋ near to the mountains and halfway between the Hýyó-Hayïd and Hýyó-Wýðúr.

The Family would be the sole occupants of the city, forming the Öšdúu-Ožërhýŋ government made of prominent familial leaders at the time. These rulers would be the following: Šamh-Úrýo, Túržýïhr, and Að-Haŋaï. This last ruler would be in power in the events immediate to the First Varhoŋïan War.

State of the Amoŋot Desert at the Time of the War

The key issue that would spark the War was the jealousy of the Maðúšýï on the city of Ožërhýŋ, both of whom were mining rocks in the Arbin Mountains. By the time of the War, the city would become extremely effective at this process, thus causing the formation of such cities like Ïram-Kšýïl in the Hýyó-Wýðúr to allow for trade between them.

The Maðúšýï would be jealous not only because of resource competition, but because of this trade potential. Being a raiding group, they depended on the vulnerability of their targets to continue exploiting them. Being so isolated from each other due to their Öšdúu, the Hýyó-Wýðúr made for the perfect targets. However, the Maðúšýï feared that the creation and development of trade relations in the Hýyó-Wýðúr would break down this isolation, conjoining the cities and making them much more resistant to the Maðúšýïan raids. Thus, for reasons of both competition and self-preservation, the Maðúšýï would approach this dilemma with the methodology they had become irrevocably affixed towards: raiding. Thus, from 25000 to 24976 AYM, they would conduct a large amount of raids on the city in addition to their usual targets. This would force Að-Haŋaï, the king of Ožërhýŋ, to sign the Pact of Ožërhýŋ of 3 Anta-Eimarae, 24976 AYM, in order to maintain the well-being of the city and its civilians. This Pact forced the city to divest its trades southwards instead of northwards, thus restricting it to trading exclusively with the Maðúšýï.

In response, those of the Hýyó-Wýðúr, who were preparing to or at least favored the trading of resources between them and the city of Ožërhýŋ, would demand the revoking of the Pact. When the Maðúšýï did not respond, they armed up, thus starting the first Varhoŋïan War.

Active Belligerents

Given the low populations present in the western Hýyó-Wýðúrian cities like Ïram-Kšýïl, only the major eastern cities like Kal-Haðú, Vërðïm, and Lómóhüd had the large populations needed to generate sufficient armies. These formed the first Varonian Trade Coalition, which would reemerge in later conflicts and with the same approximate goal. This goal was first and foremost the pushback against controlling forces in the Hýyó-Wýðúr, namely the maintenance of the Öšdúu's freedom, stability, and geopolitical well-being.

Although Güðün was originally created as part of the Hýyó-Wýðúr, and is erroneously shown as part of the Varonian Trade Coalition in the image below, it is actually seen as the main city from which the tribe of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš operated, and a separate entity altogether from the cities of the Coalition. Even though its power was greatly diminished by the time of the War, both by the influences of Lhrúuŋðarr and the Maðúšýï, it survived through minimal resources and by resisting further attacks from others, especially Kairn. In geopolitical terms, its territory still technically constituted the thin line stretching from Güðün to Óm-hayïd. However, raids from the Maðúšýï had progressively forced it to retreat northwards, past Óm-hayïd and the additional cities of Šahr-Óðlýn and Öðma-Amakoð. By 24976 AYM, the Ðhýúŋðókk, the leader of the Khalúšians, only really had effective jurisdiction over the sole city of Güðün.

The Maðúšïans, under the leadership of Úvremk, were highly influential throughout the War. Under the jurisdiction of Gýbakk and his successor Úvremk, the latter being the ruler of the tribe at the time of the War, the raiding system had evolved into a formidable force in which the army was segmented into five parts, each with their own commander, the king himself being one of them. The king was only really involved with all five parts in the planning stages of their raids, and past deployment, the other four segments would be left on their own and trusted to serve the king honorably. Given the philosophical and moral frameworks that surrounded and justified the Maðúšýïan raids and the tribe as a whole, the many commanders adhered so strongly to the tribal cause that very few intentionally divulged from their intended purpose.

Conflict

Phase 1: Ožërhýŋ War (5 Anta-Eimarae - 17 Suta-Eimarae, 25020 AYM)

The First Phase of the War, also known as the Ožërhýŋ War, consisted of a series of decisive Maðúšýïan victories that drove the Coalition forces back northward to their cities. This was due to a variety of reasons, mainly to do with the unreadiness of the latter, both in mutual cooperation with each other and in the general act of warfare.

First Battle of Ožërhýŋ

The First Varhoŋïan War began when the Pact of Ožërhýŋ was signed in 3 Anta-Eimarae, 24976 AYM. Immediately, the king of Öšdúu-Vërðïm, named Žülfaðïŋ-Ürkaž or simply Ürkaž, would muster up an army and set off with an army towards Ožërhýŋ with the goal of eradicating the Pact by force. Seeing them from afar, Úvremk would direct his army to surround the city, whereupon the Maðúšýï would act as their protectors.

In 5 Anta-Eimarae, the forces of Ürkaž would finally reach the city, and in the ensuing conflict, the Maðúšýïan forces would each rout the Vërðïans. While two of the five segments of Úvremk's army would take the brunt of their attacks near the outer walls of the city, they were merely meant as a diversion. Drawing from flanking maneuvers in earlier conflicts like the Ambush of Šahr-Óðlýn and Öðma-Amakoð, three of the five segments of Úvremk's army chose to conduct large arching movements that would clash with the Vërðïans at specific moments aong ther prolonged retreat.

According to surviving battle plans, the plan was meant to have one segment travel so far away from the city that they would be able to form a line identical to those initial lines and thus be able to sandwich the Vërðïans in between the two combatting Maðúšýïan lines, dealing massive amounts of casualties. From there, it was predicted that the Vërðïans would quickly panic and become disorganized, fleeing to the left and right of the city, and the last two hidden segments would have also swung around by now to to have blocked their route, further decimating them and forcing them northeastward. The goal was not to destroy the force, but rather to demoralize them enough to consider abandoning this mission. Úvremk himself was heavily concerned about how his raiding philosophy would translate to actual battle, and wanted this demoralization such that the resultant pause would allow him enough time to readjust it. See below for these planned movements.

In reality, however, the third segment of the army (as labeled in the above pictures) underestimated the distance required to pull this movement off, and in the confusion, it accidentally swept the Vërðïans entirely to the northwest. Although dealing severe casualties, it was not nearly as much as that of the planned battle formation. More crucially, however, it caused the Vërðïans to slam right into the fifth segment as they were in the middle of their maneuver, leading to the latter's decimation and the death of their commander. See below for details.

Following their defeat, the Vërðïans would retreat back northeast across the desert, meeting up with other coalition forces, namely those of the cities of Kal-Haðü and Lómóhüd, respectively. These were commanded not by their rulers, but by military commanders assigned by their respective rulers. The Haðïans were under the command of Žïkr-Kha, and the Lómóhüdians were under the command of Að-Pörhüd. However, Ürkaž would maintain overall control due to his status as a reigning king.

Founding of Ýhïm-Óhöš

Ýhïm-Óhöš was a city founded in 9 Anta-Eimarae, 24976 AYM, and marks the site where these three forces first met. Much like the cities of the Hýyo-Wýðúr themselves, the ground was of the right consistency that the ground beneath their feet could be used as construction material. As such, the city's ground plan was like a series of stepped ridges, each descending as one got to the center. On these ridges were many buildings, whose placements created a series of narrow streets and avenues weaving throughout the city. The most important site there was the central plaza, which was rectangularly shaped and pointed in the direction of Ožërhýŋ. In the many military movements carried out from this city, this plaza was the site at which the army would be organized and from which it would march out.

In this such city, divisions and conflicts between the three commanders began to arise. Specifically, the more experienced Žïkr-Kha and Að-Pörhüd opted to wait for signs of the Maðúšýïans' next move, but Ürkaž wanted to use the power of their now-superior numbers to batter them directly. Breaking from the others, Ürkaž would lead his army in a roughly-40-km hike in search of the Maðúšýïan army, instead reaching the city of Ožërhýŋ around 17 Anta-Eimarae.

First Battle of Ýhïm-Óhöš

Intent on further demoralizing his opponent, Úvremk would march three sections of his army to the newly-built city in 12 Anta-Eimarae, 24976 AYM. Through complicated maneuvers needed to recuperate and gather his army, the Maðúšýïans would curiously evade the Vërðïans, and the two remaining Coalition armies, still huddled in the central plaza due to indecision, arranged themselves within the limited space to face them. Taking advantage of the situation, the Maðúšýïan army would surround the city, charging down the plaza entrances en masse and slaughtering their targets.

Many, including the commanders themselves, made for the many ridges, climbing up each one in succession. Fueled by their victory, the Maðúšýïans charged after them, but due to the Coalition's consequential high ground, and their familiarity with the city layout, the Maðúšýïans quickly became bogged down and separated from each other. Thereafter, the tide swiftly turned, as the Coalition army was able to isolate and kill these pockets of troops, and the Maðúšýïans fled back through the plaza and out the entrances to regroup outside the city. Both sides had suffered great blows to their respective armies, but no such side rose any sign of defeat. In the aftermath, Úvremk would lead his three sections back to Ožërhýŋ, reaching there around 19 Anta-Eimarae.

Second Battle of Ožërhýŋ

The Second Battle of Ožërhýŋ occurred a little while after the First Battle of Ýhïm-Óhöš, around 18-19 Anta-Eimarae, and concerned Ürkaž's second attempt to seize control of the city of Ožërhýŋ. At that time, the two sections left by Úvremk were guarding the two main entrances into the city, and Ürkaž opted to conduct a massive charge into the eastern gate. This attack smashed through the army segment stationed there, and the sheer commotion caused the other segment, stationed at the western gate at the other end of the city, to rush through the city to the eastern gate.

Despite the large Maðúšýïan presence there, the sheer amount of troops under Ürkaž's command was so enormous that the Maðúšýïans could not adequately surround it. The chaos and conflict was so great that large swaths of the city were decimated and destroyed one after the other. This would continue throughout the 18th and into the 19th of Anta-Eimarae, which was around when Úvremk would arrive to the city.

At that time, with these additional reinforcements, Ürkaž's army was quickly defeated and scattered, and they would escape through holes and gates in the city walls. The city itself was so thoroughly destroyed that it could not really function as it had, as much of its mining technology was rendered unusable. Ürkaž himself was highly criticized by his allied commanders, leading to his detachment from the Vërðïan army in favor of an appointed commander, that being Ölh-Ïýëk, in 2 Ulta-Eimarae. From then on, the Coalition's goals shifted from the solidification of trade relations with Ožërhýŋ (via anulling the Pact of Ožërhýŋ) to the permanent repulsion of Maðúšýïan ownership from the city, such that it could be rebuilt properly. Úvremk himself was reportedly unfazed and even happy at the destruction of Ožërhýŋ, as it achieved their goal of reducing the trading potential of the city and thus the Hýyo-Wýðúr as a whole, both in terms of the city itself and the internal bickering and division it caused.

Battles of Ïýëk

Named for Öhl-Ïýëk, the Battles of Ïýëk are not a singular battle or a simultaneous collection thereof, but a campaign of many different engagements planned and executed by Öhl-Ïýëk. These marked the first such engagements involving the new Vërðïan commander. It occurred from 8 to 12 Ulta-Eimarae and incorporated all three aspects of the Coaliion forces. Knowing the volatile nature of his predecessor, and the Maðúšýïan assumption that Ürkaž was still in power, Öhl-Ïýëk would march once more to Ožërhýŋ under the pretense of launching another attack, baiting Úvremk into giving chase. He assigned the forces of Žïkr-Kha and Að-Pörhüd to lie in wait in the surrounding area, where the night, or Ðúvý, of the Ulta-Eimarae month, would keep them undercover.

This initial plan was mostly a success; after a brief period of fighting on 8 Ulta-Eimarae, Ïýëk would abruptly pull his troops back, reportedly because he sensed that the Maðúšýïans were going to conduct that same enveloping motion from the First Battle of Ožërhýŋ. Sure enough, Úvremk would give chase with two of his segments, the other three of which were indeed in the middle of flanking movements. Ïýëk himself, very cautious about his opponent, opted to plan around the destruction of Úvremk's two segments by themselves rather than all five.

As the two segments gave chase, Úvremk became increasingly wary of potential flanking attacks, and further divided the two segments on 10 Ulta-Eimarae, giving each one free reign on the movements they conducted. He himself would stay with the second one and continue giving chase. The other four segments would still follow, but were a ways away.

As Úvremk's section passed the hidden locations of the other Coalition forces on 12 Ulta-Eimarae, the Haðïans and Lómóhüdians, aided by Ïýëk, would rise up and surround them. A few individuals in the section escaped and informed the others, causing a grand charge from the two nearest sections (from the southeast and southwest) that tore into the Coalition armies and drove them into the north.

Although a failure, Ïýëk was widely praised for the novelty of his strategies, and gained the loyalty of the other armies and commanders as a result. However, in the days following that final battering, the three armies were barely coordinated and heavily mixed together due to the chaos of that battle.

Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž

Main Article: Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž

The Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž is the climactic moment of this first part of the First Varhoŋïan War. Occurring in 14 Ulta-Eimarae, it was in many ways a continuation of events established in the Battles of Ïýëk. In 12 Ulta-Eimarae, after the repulsion of the Coalition armies, Úvremk and his sections quickly recovered and regrouped around that battle site. Fueled by the winds of victory, Úvremk would give chase to the scattered and disorganized remnants of the armies. They would catch up to them in an area of land just south of the city of Vërðïm (that is, Vërðïm-Ŋüž).

Already mixed up beyond the possibility of restructuring, the Coalition armies united under the single leadership of Ïýëk to form a series of vast stretching lines each measuring around 2-3 km in length. Once again, four of the Maðúšýïan army segments would prioritize the use of the large stretches of terrain surrounding the battlefield, moving in wide arcs to hit the Coalition army from the sides. The fifth segment was tasked with marching head-on into the army after a short delay, as the confusion set in upon the flank attacks was hoped to cause enough chaos to render them easily destroyed.

Here, however, the fluid nature of the lines meant that, upon contact, the flanks and lines would simply deform and recombine into dense, wall-like formations facing the attackers. Those in the middle of these lines would be drawn towards the action, further increasing the resistance and leaving a void-like gap in the middle of the Coalition armies. These segments would mostly be held off save for the fourth segment, whose ferocity drove the Coalition army back at that particular spot and allowed them to begin enveloping the eastern portions of their army. That line quickly crumbled and began retreating northward.

The fifth segment, seeing the success at the east flank, turned to provide support for those in the left flank. The resistance there had become so great that the two segments were beginning to retreat westward, so by the time the fifth segment reached the lines, the Coalition left flank easily turned and began attacking them. With support from the third segment, these left flanks were overpowered, but confusion in the fourth segment led to them not arriving in time to stop their retreat. These retreating troops would flee back towards the Coalition cities of Vërðïm, Lómóhüd, and Kal-Haðu.

As such, the sheer chaos and bloodshed in this battle greatly weakened both armies, the Maðúšýïans suffering noticeably more than the Coalition. For Úvremk, it was also the culmination of his ruminations in the Tžý-Úvremk, his 'war philosophy', which he was developing across the duration of the war. The Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž proved to him that the main strategy behind these Maðúšýïan armies had to revolve around the division and conquering of the enemy, as, even in this battle alone, the combination thereof had instead led to a coalescence that had proved immensely resistant to attack. From then on, his efforts would be near-exclusively focused on instilling division, with whatever means necessary, to further the strategy as he had developed it.

Battle of the Öšdúu

The Battle of the Öšdúu occurred very soon after the Battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž, around 16-17 Ulta-Eimarae. Knowing the disparate nature of the Coalition armies, Úvremk knew he had to strike now, while the armies were scattered and fleeing. He would lead his own army on a grueling, 100-kilometer forced march over two days to attempt to intercept these scattered remnants before they got to the safety of their cities. Being the closest cites, the Maðúšýïans would split up to surround Vërðïm, Lómóhüd, and Kal-Haðu in succession. In the two days over which the Maðúšýï held these positions, the many stragglers of the Coalition army, including the commanders themselves, would need to battle their way through the siege to reach their own cities.

While many of these stragglers still very much preferred returning to their home cities (as the stigmatization and isolation imposed by the Öšdúu system had not faded away), the vast majority of destinations were for Vërðïm, as that was the nearest settlement for the especially tired and hungry army remnants. Kept from entering, these remnants would build up steadily as the two days passed, eventually reaching numbers of around 2-3,000 by the later hours of 17 Ulta-Eimarae, and Ïýëk would reach these remnants by then and assume control of them. Using their strength in numbers, he had the army charge into the Maðúšýïan siege at a singular point, while those at the sides of the Coalition army would hold the Maðúšýïan armies back. This would enlarge the break in their lines and allow the majority of the army to enter the city unimpeded. As the last of the army entered the city, these sacrificial elements would crumble and break, falling back into the city before the Maðúšýïans could pursue any further.

Að-Pörhüd, critically injured during the battle of Vërðïm-Ŋüž, would be ceremonially killed by Maðúšýïan raiders as he neared the city of Lómóhüd. Žïkr-Kha, dazed from the series of battles that had occurred, would unknowingly stumble into Lómóhüd instead of his home city of Ožërhýŋ.

Úvremk, enraged by this defeat, would ensure that breaches like these did not happen again. However, he could not enter the cities themselves to destroy them there, as the relative unfamiliarity of their layout served prime opportunities for ambush against them.

Phase 2: Öšdúic Siege (17 Ulta-Eimarae - 24 Wota-Eimarae, 24976 AYM)

In the coming months, what would occur was the implementation of Úvremk's devised philosophy at an extreme level. With the Coalition army now split between the three cities, Úvremk himself devoted his entire army to the prospect of them never getting back together. To do so, he would station all of his army segments at key places between the cities, intercepting and blocking communication, trade, and travelers alike.

The rationale of this plan was two fold. First, the separation of the armies meant that any attempted breakout only ever used part of their force, and as such the would be easily repulsed by the bolstered Maðúšýïan army. Second, the long-duration blocking of inter-city relations would allow the comradery and trust between Coalition cities, as developed in the First Phase, to fade away in favor of the familiar Öšdúic isolation and skepticism. This second goal was bolstered by the uneven treatment of the cities; while Kal-Haðu and Vërðïm were repeatedly battered by assaults, Lómóhüd was relatively spared, which would naturally lead to scrutiny and distrust. Furthermore, the breakdown of relations would be crucial for Maðúšýïan longevity, as it would delay the coalescence of these cities and thus the formation of actual tribes, allowing the raids to have more of an effect on them.

Due to the ill-documented nature of this phase, only the most significant events, for which we have actual records, will be talked about.

Layout

The situation of the Maðúšýïan army at the start of the Phase 2 was as follows. In addition to being positioned in between each city, the army was also placed between these cities and others outside the Coalition, like those in the western Hýyó-Wýðúr. In these such circumstances, to further intimidate the cities, the army would take the form of thin lines far away from each city, often in the midpoint of the distances between each one. At these distances, the army would be just barely visible, or perhaps not at all, due primarily to the positionings of the cities based on the shape of the land. In practice, this would create a layer of fear, particularly in not knowing where the Maðúšýï would be. From this distance as well, the Maðúšýïan army would also be able to maintain a near-constant watch of the Coalition cities, sighting any and all individuals that attempted to travel outside the city walls. From there, they would quickly dispatch a few people to intercept them, all in the mission to completely erase any and all attempts to relink up with other cities and thus sow isolation and distrust.

Battle of Tartaŋ-Tšik

The Battle of Tartaŋ-Tšik, or the Battle of the Evil Sands, is the name given to a brief struggle between two segments of the Maðúšýï, led by Úvremk, and the Coalition army as stationed in the city of Vërðïm, led by Ïýëk. It took place around 26-27 Ulta-Eimarae, and despite its small scale, represents the culmination of multiple attempts' worth of Ïýëk to restore communication with the nearby city of Lómóhüd. In Maðúšýïan history, this event is not nearly as visible, and is only labeled as the First Battle of Vërðïm.

In this such battle, Ïýëk would march his force of around 3,500 to the Maðúšýïan forces stationed between Vërðïm and Lómóhüd, which comprised the 1st and 2nd segments of the entire army. Seeing them approach, the Maðúšýïan army would uncharacteristically charge forward into them, intending to bring the battle as far away from Lómóhüd as possible to avoid them even witnessing the Vërðïan army. In the clash that followed, the sheer strength in numbers resulted in Ïýëk's forces being quickly repulsed with casualties of around 500-600. However, in the last moments, Ïýëk and his entire army would collectively release a flood of noises (of the Ïfon-Wë, but meaningless gibberish in any language) in a last-ditch attempt to have the Lómóhüdians notice them. The Lómóhüdians would notice, but multiple factors, like the darkness of the Ðúvý, the dust from the commotion and chaos, and the distance created by their initial charge, would leave them uninformed of what had truly occurred. Instead, intimidated by the Maðúšýï's continued presence, they only mounted expeditions in Suta-Eimarae, where the daylight would render the land easier to navigate.

Lómóhüdian Expedition

The Lómóhüdian Expedition was an extended venture by citizens of the city of Lómóhüd to attempt to access the other cities of the Coalition, mainly by searching for oversights in their army placements. It is an entity distinct from the Lómóhüdian army, both in their original condition and in the mixed-up formations that resulted from the sieges. Rather, it was primarily made of the citizens themselves, as most of the soldiers, of which there were not many in Lómóhüd, had sustained injuries from the Phase 1 battles. These were all led by Žïkr-Kha until 22 Suta-Eimarae, when his injuries, both mental and physical, required him to return home early. He was succeeded by Šðýï-Ŋökmahat, who led it until the end of the war.

Lasting from 2 Suta-Eimarae through to the end of the war, the mission turned quickly towards that of sabotage and guerilla warfare, whereby the strength of the Maðúšýïan army would be gradually whittled down by small skirmishes and raid-like targeting of supplies. These would prove instrumental in rendering them susceptible enough for the incoming attacks by the Khalúšians.

Abandoning the prospect of direct, straight-line travel, they opted to first travel northwards and approach from the northeast, testing the strength of the Maðúšýïan defenses between each city. Their initial goals, in addition to sabotage and destabilization, included the signaling to other cities, both as a reaffirmation of the collective struggle and an attempted synchronization of future planned assaults. To counter them, the Maðúšýïans would send out a small group, numbering 100-150 men, that would meet them ahead of time, far away from the city there were attempting to fight near. The segments themselves would often kick up dust and create a cacophony of noises regardless of the presence of an attacker to mask the disparate signals of chaos and commotion and render the possibility of a nearby city detecting a fight much less likely. Much like in the Battle of Tartaŋ-Tšik, it greatly decreased their efficacy in the latter goals. Thus, although records do show some level of success in signaling to other cities, the vast majority of situations ultimately ended with no such coherent form of communication being established. It would be around 10 Geta-Eimarae that the Expedition would restrict itself to sabotage and weakening only.

Despite their relative successes and failures, the Lómóhüdian Expedition would reach a level of fame and heroism comparable to mythic status after the war. In this way, it would become a persistent symbol of Lómóhüdian resistance, identity, and courage. Noteworthy in this symbolism is the idea of fighting fire with fire, in essence using the military strategies of the Maðúšýï against them.

Second Battle of Vërðïm

The Second Battle of Vërðïm was a major Maðúšýïan assault on the city that took place on 3 Suta-Eimarae. Looking to punish them for the Battle of Tartaŋ-Tšik, a large section, about half of Úvremk's segment, was detached and made to assault the city. In particular, they targeted infrastructure, destroying valuable buildings and crumbling the walls. Namely, although they did not entirely destroy the walls, they blockaded the gates and roughened up the top platforms, preventing access and rendering it too perilous to support the weight of guards. Although Ïýëk's army did confront them, they were mostly caught off-guard and quickly subdued.

Most crucially, it deprived the city of Vërðïm of an important means of watch right after the emergence of the Lómóhüdian Expedition. This would ultimately be the cause of the relative silence displayed by Vërðïm and recorded by the Expedition members, who began to perceive some form of disloyalty or betrayal from the inaction.

Battle of Lómóhüd

The Battle of Lómóhüd took place in 16 Suta-Eimarae, after several assaults occurred between the Expedition and the Maðúšýïan army. Wishing to punish the city itself, the Maðúšýïans would engage all of Úvremk's segment in a fierce battle within the walls themselves, slaughtering most of the population and destroying the vast majority of its structures. By far, it was the largest battle of the second phase.

The sheer numbers devoted to this battle also left out a major gap in the Maðúšýïan lines, and noticing this, a small number, around 200-300 individuals, used the chaos and confusion to travel past the attacking forces and into the desert areas. It is unsure whether these were members of the Expedition or merely citizens of Lómóhüd itself. Despite this, they were quickly pursued and all killed by members of the other segments, but before doing so, these Lómóhüdians employed the strategy of making noise and commotions near the walls of Vërðïm, which were finally heard by the army inside. As such, from 16 Suta-Eimarae onwards, the Vërðïans were on edge and ready for a possible avenue of attack.

Battle of Ŋökmahat

The Battle of Ŋökmahat, named for Šðýï-Ŋökmahat, was the culminating effort by the cities of Lómóhüd and Vërðïm to break through the vice of the Maðúšýï. Occurring in 5 Geta-Eimarae, it was the end result of a series of preliminary attacks, raids, and other military actions known together as the Ŋökmahat Campaigns.

The Ŋökmahat Campaigns relied upon the use of raids and attacks by the Expedition members as the method of transporting messages to the Vërðïans. These messages would pertain to the location and timing of a future joint attack of both sides. Due to the Hýyó-Wýðúr's relative familiarity with the area, the Campaigns were effective at chosing and keeping the location hidden from the Maðúšýï, but with no such means to code numerical data, the date of 5 Geta-Eimarae was indeed revealed to them. The need for mutual agreement would result in about 150 members of the Expedition losing their lives in these raids.

The location chosen was indeed that of the 9th Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, one of the poles denoting the progress of the original Wýðúric Expedition of 25026-25 AYM. Given that the vast majority of Maðúšýïans were members of or descended from the Hayïdic Expedition of 25032 AYM, they would not have known the existence of the Wýðúric Expedition. As such, on 5 Geta-Eimarae, the Maðúšýï line was very much on edge and prepared for the engagement.

Ŋökmahat would divide his army of around 2000-2500 members into two groups. One half, called the Northern diversion, would be set to attack not at the 9th Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, but the 10th one, which was situated around 25 kilometers to the northwest. Their assault occurred early in the day, and thus at least two of the five segments were drawn into the commotion there. However, Úvremk himself was wary of Ïýëk's passivity to this initial attack, and kept his and the nearby segments still. Ïýëk himself, seeing Úvremk's presence to the southeast, was busy splitting his army up to counter that.

As the fighting escalated in the northern regions, half of the Vërðïans under Ïýëk and the rest of the Lómóhüdians began their charge. The rest of Ïýëk's army, called the Southern diversion, was commanded to instead rush southeast and hit the other two segments of the Maðúšýï army, that is, those under the control of Úvremk, with the purposes of keeping a flank from occurring. While this occurred, the two sides would slam into the third segment at the 9th Wëbëlup-Wýðúr, destroying it as an effective fighting force. At that point, the southern diversion would begin to buckle, and the joint Coalition army would turn and face south to meet them in the final engagement of the battle.

In the hours of combat that followed, the Coalition armies would surprisingly hold their own against Úvremk's assaults. However, with the defeat of the northern diversion, and the arrival of the northern segments of the Maðúšýïan army to sandwich them inside, the Coalition ordered a hasty retreat back to their cities. The most of these survivors would reach safety before the vice closed.

The result of these many complicated maneuvers and divisions was that both sides experienced a great loss of life, the Coalition more so than the Maðúšýï. The split armies set to attack the northern and southern parts of the Maðúšýï achieved their goals as diversions, but were all but destroyed in the process. The central assault indeed decimated the third segment of the Maðúšýïan army, and inflicted moderate casualties on the others, but nothing beyond that was achieved. Indeed, the main effect lay mostly in symbolism; it revived the cross-city comradery of Phase 1 and rejuvated the Coalition's hopes in victory by demonstrating that they could in fact represent some serious threat to the Maðúšýïans. Similarly, for Úvremk, it was a disaster in that city relations were back to their usual selves, and that he would need to be much stricter if he were to achieve the ideological and social separation needed for Maðúšýïan tribal longevity.

Battle of Vërðïm-Lómóhüd

The Battle of Vërðïm-Lómóhüd, also known as the Second Battle of Ŋökmahat, was another battle that was planned in the same fashion as that of the (First) Battle of Ŋökmahat. Occurring in 20 Geta-Eimarae, it saw both Ŋökmahat and Ïýëk attempt to break through Úvremk's section of the army directly, which was located at the midpoint between the two cities (hence the battle's name).

After the defeat at the Battle of Ŋökmahat, the Maðúšýïan lines were reorganized into just four sections, with each one having to take up more ground as a result. In its weakened state, the segments were more vulnerable to raids and attacks, and Ïýëk and Ŋökmahat began to prepare once again for a joint battle, this time to demolish the sections of the army closest to the cities. Using the same strategies as they had done in the earlier such Ŋökmahat Campaigns, they planned the next battle for 20 Geta-Eimarae. Despite this, the Maðúšýïans quickly caught onto the location due to the mention of the two cities, and thereafter would strengthen those sections closest to them.

In this battle, the Coalition armies planned to charge from both sides into the southernmost portion of the Maðúšýïan lines, crushing them in between. However, Úvremk also planned upon this happening, and as the two charged, he would abruptly move a large swath of his line eastward, towards Ŋökmahat's army. They now took up the brunt of the Maðúšýïan hit, while Ïýëk's army lagged behind. As such, Ŋökmahat and the rest of the Expedition were quickly scattered, and upon seeing this, Úvremk would turn his army around and face Ïýëk's forces, including moving the northern lines in a counterclockwise motion that enveloped them from behind. Thus, Ïýëk's army would suffer the same fate as that of Ŋökmahat, and the two Coalition armies were reduced greatly, to the point where neither could hold up against the sheer numbers of the Maðúšýï.

The most poignant part of this battle's aftermath was psychological. Both Ïýëk and Ŋökmahat each believed the other was at their planned position, even up until the point at which they charged into the Maðúšýïan lines. Thus, each side felt as though the lack of support was a result of some kind of betrayal from the other. In contrast to the adaptability of Úvremk's planning, the Battle of Vërðïm-Lómóhüd more than anything showed the frailty and ungrounded nature of Wýðúrian emotions, which stemmed from the chaos, fear, and turmoil of the events that occurred here. As much as the brief successes in the Battle of Ŋökmahat had elevated the trust between them, the Battle of Vërðïm-Lómóhüd had just as easily torn down that trust.

Battle of Eðta-Žömšu

The Battle of Eðta-Žömšu, literally translated as the Battle of the Last Swing (more generally the Last Attempt), was one of the last engagements of the war before the entrance of the tribe of Varhoŋïð-Khalúš. Disillusioned, depleted and outmanned, the Lómóhüdian Expedition chose to carry out one final battle right around where the earlier Battle of Ŋökmahat happened. Being so few in number, they opted only to inflict as much casualties as possible, with little regard for one's own life. Similar sentiments were also occurring across the cities, but the vast majority of the citizens would simply lose the will to continue fighting against such an overwhelming presence, instead choosing to stay inside their own city walls. It is this sentiment that would fuel the isolation of the period and deplete cross-city relationships and alliances.

In 25 Geta-Eimarae, the Expedition, which numbered around 1500 at this point, would conduct their final charge against the Maðúšýïans. The result was as expected; over 750 were slain, and Ŋökmahat was himself gravely wounded. However, they did punch a significant hole in the numbers of their enemy, with estimates reaching as much as 2,000 Maðúšýïans. Nonetheless, the rest of the cities paid little attention, and the Lómóhüdians themselves became similarly resentful of them in turn. More specifically, seeing the efficacy of such a brazen attack, they lamented the lack of success in earlier fights, such that it seemed a tragically lost opportunity.

Phase 3: Khalúšian Entry

The Khalúšians, personally led by the Ðhýúŋðókk Gršáŋvšaŋžl, would mobilize and enter the war around 27 Geta-Eimarae. Their delay in this regard was primarily the result of the tribe's previous history, notably during the First Ýlëntukian War. They had been so battered by the many raids, attacks, and wars, especially involving the Maðúšýï Tribe, that even with the Maðúšýïans occupied in the beginning parts of the First Varhoŋïan War, the Khalúšians would need at least three whole months just to restart their mining operations and raise up a competent army. In addition, they had to use this army strategically, as they could not rely on tactical knowledge or military experience, ad were running on a very limited supply of resources.

The primary aim of the Khalúšians' entry was not to achieve some type of victory but chiefly to prove their worth as a functioning entity other tribes could trust in. Of course, this inherently meant the assistance of some other tribes in order to generate a favorable outcome (most likely victory) for them in particular. To maximize their chances, they chose the Hýyó-Wýðúr, as not only were they fighting the Maðúšýïans, the Khalúšians' nemesis, but they were also losing, and so the Khalúšians' turnaround into a victory would be all the more influential and noticeable.

Destruction of Žënhðwor and Hayïd-Entëž

As their first move, the Khalúšians ventured southward, reaching the destroyed city of Óm-hayïd in 2 Wota-Eimarae. This city, partially rebuilt for the purposes of restarting the tribe's industry, marked the southernmost point in the tribal lands and the main border between it and the Maðúšýï. Although the main battlefield was within the Hýyó-Wýðúr itself, that is, directly west of the Khalúšian territories, it appears that they simply wanted to exact revenge upon the Maðúšýï to boost morale and/or render the Maðúšýïan army disjointed and weakened for future battles.

The next day, the Khalúšians would cross into the Maðúšýïan eastern territory, that is, the part of the tribal lands dedicated to raiding. There, they found the cities deserted and worn-down, a characteristic of the Nota-Ótaš-Hayïd, the artstyle as it was during the Maðušýïan years . Not only was the entire population in these eastern cities dedicated to the army, but they had fostered a cultural style so hyperfocused on it that they neglected any and all other aspects of tribal life besides it, including architecture, public safety, and sanitation.

Fueled by vengeance, the Khalúšians would tear down and raze these eastern cities, including the Maðúšýïan capital of Žënhðwör and its southern neighbor Hayïd-Entëž. Although they were the largest cities, they and all other destroyed cities meant barely anything to the Maðúšýïans themselves, as all their equipment, weapons, and anything else considered valuable or dangerous was with the army itself.

After the destruction, the Khalúšians ventured into the western cities, that is, the Hýhïd-Tëžem, but were so baffled by the differences in lifestyle between the eastern and western cities that they assumed they were separate tribes. Unwilling to harm a populace they had no such knowledge about, the Khalúšians opted to move northward instead, to begin their siege against the Maðúšýïan army.

Battle of Úvremk

The Battle of Úvremk was an engagement that occurred in 7 Wota-Eimarae between the Khalúšian army and the two segments of the Maðúšýïan army under Úvremk direct control. As the former rolled up northwards, the Maðúšýïans werestrangely slow in readying their force for battle. Several theories have been brought up. One such theory asserts that there was confusion in Úvremk's troops regarding the Khalúšians having approached from the south, that is, from the Maðúšýïan territory, and thus they were perceived as allies at first. Another is that the toils of battle wore down the Maðúšýïan resolve so badly that logistical errors arose, and a third posits that Úvremk knew the threat of the Khalúšians but judged the destruction of his army here to be more useful to the tribal cause than the cowardly act of retreating.

Regardless of the exact motives, Úvremk's army, which had been aligned in the north-south direction for all of Phase 2, suddenly had to be rotated 90 degrees in the span of a few hours, as that was the timeframe at which the Khalúšian army was first spotted. To sustain the impression of Wýðúrian isolation, Úvremk had the army still oriented between Lómóhüd and Vërðïm, but since there were so many people, they formed two dense rows.

Miraculously, the army would pull of this maneuver, but in such a small gap was the timeframe that the soldiers were not at all ready. As such, in the grand charge that the Khalúšians gave forth (which was ironically the same type of assault used in the beginnings of Maðúšýïan raids), the Maðúšýï lines quickly crumpled and did so in a way that folded inwards and trapped everyone in a ball-like enclosure. It was in this conformation that the vast majority of Úvremk's troops, if not all of them, suffered a terrible fate. It is however recorded that Ökkúš, a prominent strategist of Úvremk's, escaped the onslaught and was the main instrument behind the escape of the other two segments.

Retreat of Mrðalŋ-Kalhvöt

The Retreat of Mrðalŋ-Kalhvöt was a maneuver carried out between 8 and 12 Wota-Eimarae by the two remaining army sections, which were led by Ëržlód-Mrðalŋ and Kalhvöt, hence the name. Prior to their retreat, they had been stationed in the area between Vërðïm and Kal-Haðu, albeit stretched a bit to the southeast after the Battle of Ŋöðmahak. Upon receiving word of the advancing Khalúšians, the two sections would flee westward, through the gap between Kal-Haðu and Vërðïm, before trekking back southward immedately west of the cities to reach the Maðúšýïan territory.

Battle of Mrðalŋ

Predicting their movements, Gršaŋvšaŋžl would split his army in two. One of these, comprising 2/3 of his total army, would go southward, around the southern wall of Vërðïm, and attempt to delay the fleeing Maðúšýïans. The other 1/3 would silently go after the Maðúšýïans, that is, through the gap between Haðu and Vërðïm. Together, they would create a sandwich-like formation that would render their targets trapped and likely to suffer the same fate as Úvremk's sections.

Meanwhile, knowing that they were against the clock, Mrðalŋ drilled his army intensely, with forced marches of over 200 kilometers per day. In 12 Wota-Eimarae, these distances had placed them at a location more southward than predicted by the Khalúšians. As such, in 12 Wota-Eimarae, the southern 2/3 of the army contacted the full weight of Mrðalŋ's section before the northern 1/3 could reach it. In the resultant struggle, the Khalúšians were quickly driven back, forced to allow the Maðúšýïans to pass by. The speed at which this occurred meant that the northern portions of the Khaúšians stood no chance of actually coming in contact with them. Mrðalŋ himself was injured in 3 separate legs, ailments that partially led to his early death in 24960 AYM.

Skirmishes at the Maðúšýïan Border

Following the failed Battle of Mrðalŋ, the Khalúšians would go after the retreating Maðúšýïans southward, meeting with them at the destroyed rubble of their cities around 17-18 Wota-Eimarae. In the days that followed, Gršaŋvšaŋžl would mount small offensives against them, which would be quickly repelled with minimal effect. It is likely that, given the circumstances, the Khalúšians were overly cautious of flanking maneuvers of any additional Maðúšýïan forces or allies thereof. Following the failure of these skirmishes, a dejected Gršaŋvšaŋžl would lead his army back northwards.

Return to the Hýyó-Wýðúr and the War's Conclusion

They would reach the Hýyó-Wýðúr in 23 Wota-Eimarae, and would travel between the cities of Verðïm, Lómóhüd, and Kal-Haðu. Expecting to be rewarded and praised for their repulse of the Maðúšýïans, the Khalúšians were surprised to discover that the Wýðúrians were far more absorbed in the apparent betrayal and/or neglect that each city seemed to exhibit. Each city of the three accused the other two of letting the Coalition cause down in some way, usually through their inaction during the Second Phase. The animosity between them ultimately led to their ignorance of Gršaŋvšaŋžl's deeds and thus the empty-handed departure of the Khalúšians around 27 Wota-Eimarae. This is typically perceived as the end of the war.

Outcome

In terms of outcome, the First Varhoŋïan War is one of if not the first conflict to have an ambiguous result. Unlike the clear defeat of the Khalúšians in the First Ýlëntukian War, the First Varhoŋïan War sees all three sides gain and lose something. The Maðúšýï achieve their goals of delaying the formation of powerful tribal states in the Hýyó-Wýðúr at the expense of their own territory's decimation at the hands of the Khalúšians. The Khalúšians themselves exact revenge upon their tormentors the Maðúšýï. and in doing so gain a foothold into the politics and inner dealings of the Hýyó-Wýðúr, but infighting prevents much progress beyond that. The Hýyó-Wýðúr, although failing in their own goals of turning the city of Ožërhýŋ into a trade partner, do get a brief glimpse of cultural and political unity through the mixing of their armies and the popularity of Ïýëk, and similarly the small successes of the Battle of Ŋökmahat, but the isolation and distrust after the War present a long road to reach this dream. Nonetheless, the foundations laid by Ïýëk in this respect would become the basis on which the tribe of Sangus would eventually form around Vërðïm.

Most historians generally agree that, of the three sides, the Maðúšýï gained the most from this War. Despite the decimation they suffered at the hands of the Khalúšians, the philosophies of Tžý-Gýbakk and Tžý-Úvremk had already put into tribal culture the notion of cohesive survival as the ultimate goal of conflict, regardless of the outcome. That is, one fights chiefly to support and preserve the group they are part of, and this goal serves to replace the abstract ideas of 'victory' and 'defeat'. By preventing the Maðúšýï's main threats from materializing, the War did everything they could have wanted.

Legacy

Being one of the first documented large-scale conflicts, the First Varoŋïan War is of valuable importance to historians. More specifically, early conflicts like these provide a basis not only for future events that may thusly be influenced by them, but also for past events, both recorded and non-recorded. It is due to the abundance of strategic maneuvers and decision-making present in these early conflicts that historians now believe Ibrófeneðian society to have existed as far back as 45,000 AYM, and the species itself to have been present in its current form since around 70,000 AYM.

While the earlier First Ýlëntukian War of 25020-03 AYM is often credited with setting the standard in terms of early recorded large-scale Ibrófeneð conflict, the First Varhoŋïan War is special in its own right as being indicative of the evolution and adaptation of these combat styles and strategies. Through callbacks to previous events, both militarily- and philosophically-related, the War primarily illustrates the tendency of early Ibrófeneð societies to incorporate past events in a constant cycle of improvement and refinement.

Occurring at the height of the Ýmor-Maðúšýï, the First Varhoŋïan War is also an embodiment of the Maðúšýï Tribe's means of enforcing and extending tribal survival through the undermining and delaying of the goals of their competitors. Through the War, the tribe would simultaneously frustrate the Hýyó-Wýðúrian desire for trade and cohesion at a regional level and the Khalúšian desire for integration with other powers. As such, both of them would remain fragmentary and relatively powerless for the remainder of the Ýmor-Maðúšýï, contributing to the strength of the Maðúšýï through the continuation of raids.

However, as described earlier, the goals of the Hýyó-Wýðúr and the Khalúšians were merely delayed, not ceased, and both tribes would achieve them in future events. The Ýmor-Yarmurïŋ, the period succeeding the Ýmor-Maðúšýï, would see the gradual coalescence of the cities of Hýyó-Wýðúr via trade, in much the same way as was planned here. Similarly, the Khalúšians would achieve their integration into the cultures of the Amoŋot Desert through conflicts like the Varonian Civil War, even allying with Týmðúr, the Maðúšýï's successor.

Old Stuff :((

First Battle of Ojjeirin

Immediately following the Matousai's rejection, Athporod began to plan for a forced takeover of Ojjeirin, and on 7 Anta-Eimarae set off with his army, believing that the Matousai would leave the city relatively unguarded. However, his force was ambushed by Giarcha, and he retreated back from Ojjeirin. He lost 1,300 men, while Giarcha lost 770. Halfway between Ojjeirin and Vairdim he constructed the military base of Imohaus, which would act as a waystation for the Coalition troops. However, the troops would also funnel through en masse, a vulnerability that Giarcha seeked to exploit.

First Battle of Imohaus

Giarcha hoped to catch Imohaus at a point of max capacity, so that the sheer amount of casualties would crumble Coalition morale. However, the base was only recently completed, and was mostly deserted as Athporod had returned to Vairdim to recuperate and gain reinforcements. By attacking the base Giarcha believed he could coerce Athporod to return, thus setting the stage for a sweeping invasion. Therefore in 10 Anta-Eimarae he launched an assault on the base, pillaging any supplies, damaging the structures and killing some 50 Ibrovinids in the base at that time. However, contrary to his expectations, Athporod instead abandoned the base, a move scorned by many within the coalition, including the Calladian king Aulifune, who led a small force of 1,500 to rebuild the base.

Second Battle of Imohaus