War of the Rising Tides

The Amarillano-Pasifan War, commonly known as The War of the Rising Tides, or in Amarillo as The Pasifa war, was a conflict that took place in the Drakesland between the and the  and made a coalition led by Amarillo fight against Sena Pasifa.

This war finds itself in the context of the Amarillian Operation Salema or III War against Kelp, a joint military effort with other Drakaen nations to lower the sea level in the Drakaen Sea.

It involved half the nations in the Drakesland in some way or form, and ended up with an Amarillian victory over Pasifa due to Amarillo joining the Christmas Grace Period, and the restoration of the sea level after the event known as the Longest Night, conducted in Yoake.

Historical rivalry between Pasifa and Amarillo
While the war's immediate causes are linked to the kelp war, it has deeper causes, linked to the relations between Pasifa and its predecessor, Andliria, and the various Drakaen countries, mainly Amarillo.

This rivalry started centuries before the kelp war, when the Regnum Drakaes conquered Andliria, forcing its inhabitants to emigrate out of the Akora Peninsula (now Amarillo's mainland). When Drakaes' successor, the Concordat, was dissolved (30th of July 2021), Andliria claimed back its ancestral land, but the now Drakaen settlers, named Amarillians, remain on the south east of the Peninsula. While the situation was quickly resolved after Andliria and Amarillo signed the Treaty of Fallen Powers, sharing the land, a resentment quickly manifested itself among the Amarillian population, which felt like its land had been stolen from it. A miscommunication occured in the Treaty of Fallen Powers, but after said issue was fixed, all disputed land was fully seceded to Andliria Amarillo having rights to gathering resources across Akora.

For the next month, Amarillo and Andliria almost went to war several times over petty matters. However, at the end of Soronaca' s presidency, a non aggression pact was signed between Andliria and Amarillo with its allies. Eventually, Andliria became one of those allies by joining the League of Vircon. There, the rivalry seemed to be over, but when the Andlirian government was couped and Jalhike Rokalim replaced, the new Imperilan (Andlirian monarch), Antares, told the Amarillians about several Andlirian hypothetical plans to conquer Puerto Amarillo under his predecessor, Jalhike Rokalim, even after the treaties with Vircon were signed. Jalhike founded the Zantenate as his last act as Imperilan before folding to the couper's demands. Hearing this, Amarillo, and another one of its allies, Katolis, decided to conquer the northern Andlirian land that had stayed faithful to Jalhike, with the authorization of the new Andlirian government. Jalhike Rokalim then took control of an island in the Drakaen sea and founded Sena Pasifa years later.

Due to this history, Amarillian-Pasifan relations were often strained due to both sides viewing the other as untrustworthy. Amarillians felt that Pasifans were opportunistic and held a grudge, willing to work against Amarillo despite being under treaties or mutual amnesty, while Pasifans felt that Amarillians were untrustworthy due to their perceived betrayal of the Treaty of Fallen Powers in divvying up formerly andlirian Akora with Katolis, along with the discrimination and lack of care to Kutari people inside Amarillian land. This last point, brought up several times during the war, was never understood by the Amarillians who had given to their Vlonsi citizens the same rights than to all the others.

During the Cold War between Amarillo and the VCC, Pasifa, recently established on an island near Amarillo, would be threatened of an invasion, then protected by the VCC as a protectorate. At one point, when the VCC announced itself as the Drakaes Kontrybund, Pasifa left its protection in fear of being oppressed by them, as they took the name of the state which took their lands before, and which persecuted the Vlonsi people during the Andlirian war of subjugation. This made the Drakaens become hostile to them, so much so that the DC considered invading Pasifa.

These events led Pasifa to hold a deep distrust towards the Drakaen nations, and the other way around. This distrust is essential to understand Amarillo and Pasifa's attitudes towards each other leading up to the war, especially Amarillo's, and also their attitudes during said war, especially Pasifa's.

Kelp War
Main article: Kelp War

This conflict, without question, is involved with the broad context that was the War against Kelp, a coordinated effort from Drakaen nations and allies against kelp, for causing the increase of the sea level artificially.

Operation Salema
To keep fighting the kelp and finish to lower the sea level, Amarillo launched Operation Salema, in, which consisted in a bunch of phases that would end up with the restoration to the original sea level in the Drakaen Sea.

This operation would affect the coastlines and islands in the sea. The first phase was conducted without incidents, removing all the kelp from the Drakaen Sea. It wouldn't be until years later that the second phase began and troubles appeared. The total collaboration of all the nations with a coastline in the sea was necessary to begin lowering the sea level. However, Sena Pasifa, main island Kingdom within the sea, refused the way the operation was being handled.

Tensions arise
With Pasifa blocking Operation Salema, Amarillo, in, began the procedures to void the Pact of the Akora Peninsula, a Non-Agression Pact between Amarillo and Pasifa, but gave Pasifa some time to reconsider their position if they wanted to keep the NAP, which Pasifa called completely out of order from Amarillo, threatening to void a NAP over water. Regnum Yoake, under King Alfric, and Limuria, soon declared diplomatic support for Amarillo and total collaboration in the efforts in the Drakaen Sea of Operation Salema. Soon after, Amarillo would send an ultimatum to Pasifa, threatening with war if they didn't collaborate in Salema. "Once again, we ask Pasifa to change its mind. Accept, and you will receive the help you might need. Accept, and you will prove all the efforts we did to integrate you in the Drakeslands weren't done for nothing. Accept, and be the final piece of the Drakaen victory against kelp and rising seas. (...) If you refuse, the Kingdom of Amarillo will declare war to Sena Pasifa."

- Soronaca Aulian de Porphyropolis, King of Amarillo, 178TE. Pasifa publicly answered that all Islander ways of life would be affected. A change in the sea level would leave all Islands above the sea level and cause issues for the Islanders, while the Mainlanders stay issue free. Amarillo offered help for the inconvenience, but Pasifa told the Amarillian diplomats they would prefer resoures to finance the operations instead, arguing that they wouldn't let Amarillians, who had threatened them with war, be allowed touch their land. Wanting to avoid war, a Pasifan citizen offered to pay the sum his Kingdom asked from Amarillo to obtain the resources to fix the Islands, Pasifa agreed to the citizen paying for Amarillo if it made tensions lower. However, the Amarillian diplomats felt like accepting would be folding to Pasifa and would encourage the island Kingdom to continue, according to the Amarillians, to be annoying to all of its neighbours, as it never had, according to them, proper consequences. Out of principles and pride, the Amarillian head diplomat, King Soronaca, refused Pasifa's terms and declared war to the island Kingdom moments before the time was up, leaving Pasifa no time to compromise any further.

Sisterhood of Sylene
The Sisterhood of Sylene was a militant mercenary holy order led by Victoria Maestro. They had settled a fortified monastery in northern Amarillo, around the time of the ultimatum to Pasifa. The cult had been in a cold conflict with Amarillo ever since. This aligned them politically for the war with Pasifa, though they would officially be hired for a sum of money to fight.

In addition, the Sisterhood was formed, mainly, by members of Simulami and Valreach, who at that time were in a heavy diplomatic conflict with Regnum Yoake. The support of the Yoakens to the Amarillians made the Soleviel group support Pasifa without much trouble. The war that would follow became, as well, a proxy conflict between Valreach volunteers and Yoake.

Regarding the conflict with Yoake, Victoria Maestro herself had begun a total war against the members of the royal house of Canalopin, blaming Yoake for the Nidarosean conflict during the Valrean civil war, as well as other minor conflicts of Yoaken citizens in Simulami lands. Specifically, as proven by later events, Victoria began a campaign against the former Soleviel Patriarch, Delta Drake, who would be resurrected during the latest stages of the war.

War Declaration
During the winter of 179 TE, and having finished the time that Amarillo had given to Pasifa for the reconsideration of their position regarding Operation Salema, King Soronaca declared war against Sena Pasifa. The negotiations were over, the diplomatic ties broken and the conflict began in the waters of the Drakaen Sea. "We keep our promises. Pasifa, as we didn't expect, made a move towards peace. However, while they were the ones folding, they tried to push their own terms, that weren't considered satisfactory by Amarillo. We tried to get a compromise, but they persisted. They continued their path of isolating themselves from the rest of the Drakeslands. And so we will do, saddened but motivated by duty, what we promised. (...) The Kingdom of Amarillo declares war to Sena Pasifa."

- Soronaca Aulian de Porphyropolis, King of Amarillo. War declaration against Pasifa, 179TE.

International Response and Support
The international response to the war was mostly one-sided. The nations that had supported Amarillo during the diplomatic conflict were of Drakaen heritage or Drakaen influenced, Regnum Yoake and Limuria ensured their support for Amarillo and declared war against Pasifa. The three would be known during the war as "The Amarillian Coalition".

Another nations that supported Amarillo, was Alegria, a tiny island outside of the Drakaen Sea, led by a former Amarillian politician, Zogaris, who declared support for Amarillo sending supplies and volunteers. At the same time, Valreach initially denounced Jalhike, King of Pasifa, However, Valreach was told and made by their higher ups to back down, in which they did. No Valrean citizens fought for Amarillo, but some did for the Sisterhood.

However, the public opinion of neutral countries was mostly favorable to Amarillo's side. Both radical members of the Amarillian side and uninvolved foreigners tried to encourage Amarillo to sink Suzukafun, meeting refusals from Soronaca. This support would however not play any major role in the war, as it was mostly just people following the events on the sidelines and hoping Amarillo would win and, for the odd radical some, sink Pasifa.

The Thousand Shields, an alliance full of Island nations which Pasifa was part of, along with one other nation, publicly supported Pasifa. However, due to the causes mentioned in the Prelude, the Sisterhood of Sylene sided with them early in the conflict and would become main soldiers in the Pasifan resistance.

First battle of Suzukafun
The first of the battles in the war took place during the . After a long period of preparation, the Amarillian coalition led the first attack.

Fighting in and around Suzukafun
The forces of Amarillo and its allies gathered in Puerto Amarillo, their capital, and took their navy to Suzukafun. The defenders' position was one they couldnt hold for long and were forced out quickly. However, it was not the immediate victory the coalition hoped for. Pasifan forces skirted around the government building Amarillo had captured, and the sparse forces of Amarillo that adventured themselves out of the castle complex but into the city streets were assaulted and killed.

A reverse siege of sorts ensued, where the coalition held the Pasifan Government complex, repelling the Pasifan counteroffensive. In the end, the Amarillans just barely held and the Pasifans fell back to the outer districts. Despite their victory, due to a lack of an effective supply line between Puerto and the island of Suzukafun, the Amarillans ended up falling back to their capital, as they were unable to fully take the enemy capital.

During the battle, Amarillian civilians had the bad idea to wander around the battlefield as spectators. They were killed by the Pasifan forces, and nicknamed 007 by the Amarillians : 0 participation in battle, 0 kill, 7 points for Pasifa.

Raids on Puerto Amarillo
Bob, a Theros assassin and a commander of the Pasifan forces, as planned before the battle, instead of fighting in the main battle had gone to Puerto Amarillo and began blowing up their supplies, this would hurt the Amarillian war effort greatly during that battle, but he soon fled once forces caught on with the damage caused.

Second Battle of Suzukafun, and the sacking of Puerto Amarillo
Some months after the Pasifan defeat, the Amarillian and ally forces regrouped within the still wounded Puerto Amarillo, now geared once more to attempt a second offensive. This time, Amarillo had hired an Anglunian mercenary group known as Vatiraia. However, the Amarillian troops weren't prepared by the day of the attack during the , so the main force of the coalition troops would be formed by Yoaken soldiers.

The navy, filled with mercenary troops, took off once more to land upon Pasifan shores. What they found was a heavily fortified city in Suzukafun. The Islander forces, now grouped in new defensive positions and proceeding to use new guerilla war tactics, surprised the attackers. Severe casualties were inflicted on both Amarillian Coalition members and Amarillian-hired mercenaries, many were left dead on the streets. The Amarillian troops retreated back to Puerto Amarillo just as quickly as they arrived.

The Pasifan forces, now seeing an advantage within their grasp, followed the remaining forces of the attackers back to Puerto Amarillo, marking the beginning of the Sacking of Puerto Amarillo. The Pasifan forces had now brought the fight back to the Amarillians, making a complete turn of tables upon the attackers. Amarillian supplies were now being blown up, including factories, the infrastructure of important buildings and supply camps.

Amarillo, with scattered and disordered troops, fled from their own city, the roads and streets of Puerto Amarillo were filled with smoke and debris, with buildings now left destroyed or unstable over their infrastructure. This event would hurt the Amarillian war effort greatly, their capital had been shortly sieged, and their forces almost wiped out.

After the sacking, reinforcements from Ragdon were arriving at the city and the Pasifan troops, alongside the Sisters of Sylene decided to return back to the defensive positions in Suzukafun, believing they would have a better advantage with defense more than offense.

Third Battle of Suzukafun
Three years later, by  the forces of Pasifa and the Amarillian coalition would face each other. This time, the coalition had spent more resources than ever to ensure the complete defeat of Pasifa. To do so Amarillo took a loan from the newly formed Nachtenreich. The money was used to hire the mercenaries known as Thaerax, that added to the Mercenaries of Vatiraia, doubled the Pasifan forces and their allies.

The Amarillian side left a garrison composed of Amarillian and Nachtengurin soldiers, as well as the Vatiraia group in Puerto Amarillo while their elite troops and mercenaries, led by Code from Thaerax, assaulted the island of Suzukafun.

Pasifa had initially sought to have Paragon to fight the battle, but the Mercenary group had a war in Rathnir to attend to. The castle and governmental complex had been repaired for the upcoming battle and the forces Pasifa had laid waiting for the landing of the Amarillian troops. Volunteer forces from the A.W.E had arrived to the island, to the surprise of unexpected soldiers within the castle when they heard they were teammates.

This time, the Amarillian tactic was to split the troops into two groups, one in charge of the siege to Suzukafun and the rest would garrison Puerto Amarillo to avoid another sacking. However, both groups would be divided into squads that could move between the groups and work as reinforcements. This strategy, with the amount of troops Amarillo had ensured, would outnumber the enemy forces in both Suzukafun and Puerto Amarillo.

Thaerax, with some elite Vatiraia mercenaries, would lead the attack group, while Soronaca would lead the troops in charge of the defence, formed by Amarillian, Nachtengurin and most Vatiraia mercenaries. Delta was left in charge of the logistics and communication between both groups. After the battle, it would be considered that the effective communication between groups ensured no losses in Puerto Amarillo during the battle.

The battle resulted in a victory of the Amarillian and coalition troops and the fall of Suzukafun. The Pasifan troops abandoned the city and fled to other islands to prepare defences against possible attacks.

Occupation of Suzukafun
As soon as the Pasifan troops fled Suzukafun and King Soronaca claimed victory, the Amarillian and Night Realm's banners were raised. The idea of the Amarillian leadership was a single occupation by their soldiers. However, due to the high involvement and the funding the Nachtenreich had provided, it was decided for both nations to participate in the occupation.

Galene Aulian Fairfax, Queen of Yoake would legally become Mayor of the city of Suzukafun. She would begin to be known as Suzukafun's Bane by the Nachtengurin nobility. At the same time, the island would be partitioned in two administration zones. The North, where most of the dual Pasifan-Amarillian citizens lived, would be under Amarillian control, with the Crisapidas being in charge of the security of the districts. The South would become a dependency of the Nachtenreich.

Terrorist Activities
During the, the King of Amarillo, Soronaca Aulian de Porphyropolis and his wife and Nachtenreikina of Yoake, Delta Drake-Canalopin visited the occupied Suzukafun. There, the King gave a speech for the coalition troops that were left as a garrison and the citizens in Suzukafun.

It was during the speech that a Pasifan citizen known as Lexip would raise a dagger and try to stab the King. The fast intervention of the Crisapidas avoided any harm to the Monarch. The crowd in Pasifa would cheer on this attempt, as Soronaca described his occupation of Suzukafun as "liberating the Vlonsi people", in a propagandistic attempt to make the pasifans run out of patience so they would try to reach peace to get their city back sooner. Lexip would be imprisoned in a cell awaiting for a trial.

Treaty of Romantello
After a long period of negotiations and seven years of occupation, The Treaty of Romantello was signed, on the. A definitive end to the war between Amarillo and Pasifa. The mentioned treaty states the following:


 * 1) Pasifa agrees to lower the Drakaen Sea back to its original level.
 * 2) Tekora faith will start the process of being recognised as an official religion in Amarillo.
 * 3) Pasifa must pay $1.000.000 to Amarillo and $1.000.000 to the Nachtenreich as war reparations.
 * 4) Pasifa becomes a tributary state of Amarillo until the war reparations are paid. At least $100.000 a week must be provided.
 * 5) The ownership of Suzukafun is transferred back to Pasifa.

Signed by the King of Amarillo and Prime Minister, Soronaca Aulian de Porphyropolis and Laetizia C. Poliorcetes, respectively and by Jalhike Rokalim as King of Sena Pasifa.

The treaty would be considered the end of the historical hostilities between Amarillo and Pasifa and would allow the Amarillian Operation Salema to conclude without more obstacles on the way.

In Amarillo
In Amarillo, the War of the Rising Tides, mostly called the Pasifa war, is mainly seen in two different ways.

The first widespread way of seeing the Pasifa war is that while Amarillo was wrong to start the war, especially when it refused the offer of the Pasifan who wanted to pay his country for Amarillo, the way it conducted the operations once the war started was, morally speaking, irreproachable. While most of the people thinking this don't think Amarillo should have sunk Pasifa, some still think it was too nice to the island kingdom.

The other widespread perception of the Pasifa war in Amarillo is to think that Amarillo declaring war was entirely justified not because of the immediate kelp war situation, but because of the overall long term relations between the two countries. Usually, the people thinking that also think Amarillo was way too nice with Pasifa during the war, often going as far as to say it should have annexed or sunk Suzukafun.

In Pasifa
In Pasifa, the War of the Rising Tides is seen as an unneeded aggression and attack by a rival, seeking to extend its domination towards its neighbours.

While their critics focus on Amarillo's attitude leading to the war, they also criticize the way Amarillo conducted the war.

Amarillo is often seen, despite the efforts from its leaders to prevent abuses from their subordinates, as having wanted to annex or sink Suzukafun. These critics back their statements on Soronaca not agreeing to sign a deal protecting monuments of both sides during the battles. Soronaca indeed refused such a deal, but more because of the specific way it was written making it impossible to enforce and, according to him, very one sided than because he didn't want to protect historical monuments, always having condemned, from both sides, any destruction without an immediate tactical interest.