The War of Secession
More commonly referred to as "the Last War", the "War of Secession" between the Merebian Empire and the Alliance of Independent Races lasted from 305 IC to 314 IC at which point the Treaty of the Eight Thrones was signed, bringing an end to the hostilities.
Background
A full history lesson of the Merebian Empire is almost impossible to succinctly state here but suffice it to say that power in the Empire is centralised not only in the region of Dominus but also between Humans and Dwarves. The alliances between Dwarves and Humans is central to the strength (economic and military) of the Empire and when that is threatened the full might of the Empire is brought into play.
Geographically though the bulk of the economic and military force is based in Dominus, and more specifically, in the southern half of Dominus. This means that the northern countries of the Empire (Chundria, Thorast, Erganth and Lyrazante) are used to protect and serve the northern half of Dominus.
Hence any force that desires to weaken or destroy the Empire has to either attack/weaken the southern half of Dominus or the counties to the north. In 308 IC the forces of Yuritan attempted to do the latter by forcing Chundria to secede from the Empire and using that as beachhead to invade Thorast and northern Dominus.
Chundria
Chundria is significant among the nations that make up the Empire as it was the first nation, ruled by Humans, that was not either invited or asked to become part of the Empire. Instead it was 'claimed' as an Imperial Province in 180 IC, after the Empire had sent decades protecting it from raids from Kalevala. Although the Empire paints this as a necessary act to formalise the protection it afforded to Chundria it was also strategically and politically useful to the Empire. The position of Chundria, between Thorast and Minosha was a useful 'buffer' and it also afforded a route up to Kalevala, giving easy access to the northernmost regions of Oberon. In addition the rich soil of Chundria was vital to help feed an ever-increasing Imperial population.
However, the Royal Family of Chundria always viewed their new Imperial masters as just another set of invaders. They tolerated the increased trade, technology, magic and military protection as being a useful by-product of what was, in effect, servitude. Hence it was no great surprise that, at the end of the 3rd century IC, the Chundrian Royal Family began to contemplate a future outside of the Empire. Chundria planned to do the unthinkable - to secede from the Empire.
Yuritan
In 303 IC the warlord Corolang, under the advice of the General was successful in forming an alliance with Nallurok to the north and Mortarch to the south, uniting the nation of Yuritan and effectively halting any eastwards expansion of the Empire.
Minosha
To the south-west of Chundria lays the nation of Minosha, home of the Minotaurs. Minosha, a sea-faring nation, had long had to contend with both Alea'Zhim and the Imperial Navy seizing its vessels, even the ones conducting legitimate trade between Minosha and Ophidium but had (for the most part) had neutral relations with Chundria itself.
Early on in 304 IC Chundria began secret negotiations with Minosha offering up the potential for lucrative sea trade with [[Kalevala] and,(potentially) Academia, making them less reliant with trade solely with Ophidium. It would also, hopefully, provide them with some defence against the slavers of Gryphos. In return Minosha would safeguard Chundrite vessels in forming new trade with Ophidium, reducing the reliance of trade with the Empire.
However it was obvious that such a deal would not be accepted by the Empire and Minosha, with no stomach for either an escalation of naval entanglements or (at the extreme) an invasion by the Legions land war, was unwilling to go further without some additional support. So, in 306 IC, Minosha approached the Alliance, with a request to purchase aid.
Instead the Alliance had a counter-offer; for Minosha to nominally join the alliance so that any attack against them would also be seen as an attack against the Alliance.
Minosha accepted the offer, returned to Chundria and ratified the trade deal.
Legions
Almost as soon as Chundria began making trade runs between Minosha and Ophidium the Imperial Navy started to take an interest. A sudden increase in the number of Minoshan vessels around Chundria was seen as a potential invasion. At the end of 304 IC the Empire decided to increase the presence of the Legions from 4 to 6, sending the 51st and 53rd legions to the region. Chundria immediately declined to allow the ships carrying these legions to dock, blockading their own harbours with both Chundrite and Minoshan triremes. Additionally, 3 dozen warships from Mortarch and Yuritan were sent, sailing around the southern coat of Ophidium, to "help to keep the peace".
The inevitable sea battle ensued and heavy casualties were taken on both sides. Eventually though the Chundrite-led forces were victorious and the Imperial ships returned to Dominus, carrying with them notice of Chundria's intention to secede from the Empire.
The Emperor was furious not only with Chundria but with the Alliance and, after spending a couple of months recalling Legions and the Navy formally declared war on the Alliance. The date was Untrebus 11th 305 IC. The forces of the Empire were dispatched immediately towards Chundria, intent of taking control of that nation back into Imperial control - by force if necessary.
Invasion
Corolang's forces, now almost completely under the command of the General, had of course been expecting this provocation to lead to all-out conflict. Nallurok and Mortarch were (as ever) hungry for war and this shared enemy only strengthened the Alliance. As soon as the Imperial Naval presence around Bal-Morath was reduced sufficiently, the General directed the Mortarch forces to sail to the south of Bal-Morath and attempt to land. Meanwhile, Yuritan forces split into two; one half attacked the north coast of Bal-Morath, the other half sailing north to join with the Nallurok fleet headed for Lyrazante.
The Imperial Navy was already at their rallying point of Untegurd (off the south coast of Thorast) when the news of the first attacks on Bal-Morath and Lyrazante reached them. The Emperor had also ordered a dozen Legions to march to Karameizante (in Dominus). Suddenly the east coast of Dominus looked very vulnerable to attack.
