Battle of Urahyarama

This is a battle that has acquired a legendary status in Seris history. The Battle of Urahyarama marks the beginning of Seria as a unified state, the beginning of the Seris Empire, one of the greatest states and civilizations to ever existed in Yeia.  

Prelude

Urahyarama is just the climatic point of a 3 years long campaign of the Kingdom of Ytarym against the Kingdom of Bamsar, the two Seris kingdoms that remained after centuries of war between the Seris states for supremacy. This war began with an invasion of the kingdom of Ytarym by the kingdom of Bamsar, led by its own King, Gasupar. The forces from Bamsar managed to capture Fastan and Katabul in 663 BP because the forces of Ytarym were not ready to counter-attack them. The strategy of king Arsakes of Ytarym at first was to wage a war of attrition, making the Seris from Bamsar attack and siege cities, losing more men in the process while he was gathering his army. The strategy paid back a year later, when a depleted Bamsar force was defeated at the battle of Asagi where Bamsar forces were defeated and the occupied cities liberated.   Most of 661 BP was spent by both sides on gathering more soldiers to their side and in little skirmishes and battles across the frontier. In early 660 after winter was over, King Arsakes invaded Bamsar with a force of around 50.000 men. King Gasupar of Bamsar prepared his army and marched towards him. The stage was set for the ultimate battle that would decide the destiny of Seria forever.  

The Battle

In summer 660 BP the forces of the Kingdom of Ytarym advance guard stumbled into Gasupar's army; . Both sides panicked upon watching each other and withdrew, but each was now aware of their adversary's presence and location. Gasupar established his camp near the foot of mount Urah (thus the name of the upcoming battle as Urahyarama means "Mount Urah" in Seris) protected by a river to prevent any type of surprise attack by Ytarym's forces. Arsakes, on the other hand, established his camp South of Gasupar position, also near the foot of the aforementioned mountain.   The next morning both armies formed up on the plain neither of them wanting to take the initiative in determining who would attack first. Gasupar had a slight advantage in soldiers but knew of Arsakes' cunning and the bravery of Ytarym's soldiers. Around 10 AM Arsakes took the initiative and began the attack, spearheaded by one of his most trusted commanders, Ao Nagai. His attack was followed by another of Arsakes's comanders, Yumine Iyaru, who attacked Gasupar's left flank formed by veteran troops from his previous campaigns.   Seeing this , Gasupar ordered his War Chariots to attack Arsakes' left flank and once this one had been routed, the war chariots should turn and attack the Ytarym forces from the rear. But Arsakes had several tricks up his sleeve, and one of them was his horse archers, who began infiltrating and surrounding the enemy chariots, attacking them with a hail of arrows, killing many of their occupants and driving the few remaining survivors into disarray.     After this, Arsakes' left flank advanced toward the enemy forces in front of them, who, despite having more experienced recruits, managed to hold off the initial charge of Ytarym's forces. At the same time the veterans of Gasupar's army began to push back Arsakes soldiers and it seemed like that flank was about to collapse, but at that very moment, Arsakes played his last card, on the eve of the battle he had sent a portion of his heavy cavalry around mount Urah and they have placed themselves behind enemy lines undectected, and at a given signal (a magical orb or a flaming arrow, the sources differ) they attack the veterans of the Kingdom of Bamsar who were winning in the left flank. The charge was so fierce and so devastating that even the Ytarym lines became disorganized by it and they had to regroup before launching a charge on the centre of the enemy army.   Watching the incomming attack from the left flank, the center of Gasupar's army began to demoralize and lose ground until it became a general rout, the same happened in the right flank of his army whose soldiers were cut to pieces fleeing the field of battle. It is said that Gasupar barely managed to escape, some sources even tell he had to take cover on a nearby field and dress like a peasant in order to not be recognized by Arsakes' soldiers . The battle was a decisive Ytarym victory, although a costly one. From a force of 50.000, 15.000 perished that day, though Bamsarian casualties were even worse, numbering between 50 to 60.000. It was the largest and bloodiest battle until that point in Seris history. A new era was about to begin...  

The aftermath: The creation of an Empire

After this dissaster King Gasupar fled to his capital, where, after one month siege, died while trying to escape from the city. After this Arsakes was the sole ruler of all Seria, a new era was about to start. After being recognized as the sole ruler over all Seria, Arsakes was crown as its first Emperor, effectively achieving what many people had tried over the course of many centuries, a unified Seris state. He instituted a centralized state based on the government of the Kingdom of Ytarym. He created the imperial autocracy with thousands of state officials helping the central government in each of the newly created provinces, or satrapies. He also ordered the construction of the first road system that connected the state capital with each one the capitals of the provinces. The Arshakid dynasty that he had inaugurated would last more than 600 years during which the system he had created was consolidated and improved. And, despite constant civil wars and a brief period of division, Seria would remain a unified country until nowadays and also one of Yeia's great powers.