Aruna the Conqueror

Early Life
Aruna çe-Lukka was born the fist child and daughter of King Mervo IV of Old Kingdom of Talawa and Queen Yunda I. Due to her parents advanced age, it was assumed that Aruna would inherit her father's throne and Kingdom after his death. As such she received a great education, her parents inviting great minds and thinkers from all over the Kingdom the teach the young heir.

She quickly showed an affinity for language, diplomacy and most especially: War.

Political Life in Lukka
Once she reached her second decade of life in the year 2169 BFE, her father introduced Aruna to the royal court as an observer. It was here she got her first real taste of the political happenings. Not allowed to talk during council or court, she would discuss the matters of the day with her parents. During these debates her commendable affinity for politics would become known to her father and mother.

In the summer of 2167 BFE Aruna was appointed a official advisor within the royal court of Old Talawa. Now able to talk more freely, she would often speak against the old traditions that allowed the Ardatian Caliphate to slowly creep across Ummarnu, conquering many of the Talawan lands. In many heated debates, Aruna made herself the enemy of many of the ministers and advisors her father counted on but her status as heir kept open animosity in check and guaranteed her position as advisor.

A miracle happened in the year 2164 BFE. The royal couple, Aruna's parents, despite their considerable age have been blessed by yet another pregnancy and just half a year later her mother gave birth to their second child and first son Mahaik. Queen Yunda I died during the childbirth but Aruna's brother survived. Due to the primogenitor laws of talawan inheritance Aruna lost her status as heir. Normally daughters would continue their life as normal, keeping their positions and waiting to be married off, but Aruna's many enemies on the royal council pounced on this opportunity. Opposition and disgruntlement about her position on the council became more vocal and soon the nobles pressured King Mervo IV to dismiss his daughter from the council.

Preparations for War
Feeling confirmed in her believe that the old laws and traditions of Talawa are stuck in the past and allowing the decay of Talawa at the hands of their rivals in the Ardatian Caliphate. To prove to her father and the council what she couldn't convince them off in a thousand debates, Aruna turned her attention to the city of Hapatmitas on the Hatanimitas peninsula.

The city has long been the object of envy and embarrassment to the kings of Old Talawa. Many young talawan kings would send their armies to the peninsula to lay siege to the city, being beaten back every single time. With each failure to capture the city, the prestige and glory of finally conquering it only grew and now Aruna is planning to succeed where 23 kings before her failed.

To invade, she needed two things: an army and a navy.

First she worked to assemble an army, for that she turned to the many minor nobles in Lukka. Her position as heir and council member got her in contact many of them. Some of them disgruntled with the current government as she was, others looking for glory and adventures and many of them seeing a potential wife in Aruna. Through many dinners and some smooth talking she managed to convince over a hundred petty nobles to join her, granting her control over a small army.

Next she turned to the creation of a fleet. She moved her noble retinue and her army eastwards, leaving Lukka with no further goodbyes to her family. She arrived at a small costal port city where she, using a combination of threats and and compliments, she wrestled effective control of the city from its mayor. Now she sent word to the merchants in the Ardatian Caliphate. While she was no friend of the Caliphate, none could provide the materials needed at a lower price. Soon the tradeships would arrive and Aruna put her soldiers to work.

In the year 2163 BFE the fleet was finished and the army gathered. So, with a final goodbye to the mayor and the citizens, Aruna's host set sail eastwards towards Hapatmitas.

Invasion of Hapatmitas
Aruna's host arrived late in the day, with the fiery dusk sun in their backs. Aruna turned her ship southwards, emulating the strategy of the talawan kings which would land south of Hapatmitas and attack the city walls in a traditional assault. She kept her sails closed and only rowed her boats slowly. Soon the bells of Hapatmitas rang out, calling the guards to rally. As soon as the guards have mounted the walls of the city in the south, Aruna gave the command to drop the sails and bank hard northwards.

Steering her ships into the Red River, running through the heart of the city. Before the guards could run down the walls and through the city, most of Aruna's fleet has already reached the city centre. Using sulfur-bombs the blockades that usually block easy entrance to the city were destroyed as well as destroying buildings, roads and the river banks. Hiding behind shields mounted on the sides of the ships, Aruna's soldiers would unleash a thick volley of arrows upon the defenders and citizens of Hapatmitas.

Before the sun has fully set, the battle was over. Aruna's soldiers dismounted and tore through the city, slaughtering the stragglers and throwing the corpses into the river. Aruna herself went to the palace of Hapatmitas. The exact events that transpired here are unknown but it is believed that Aruna killed the king and family of Hapatmitas with her blade.