Neo-Carnian Revolution

The Neo-Carnian Revolution was an attempt by a group of Viesten-backed Carnian nationalists to rebel against the Empire of Yimmu-Audal, destroy the Kingdom of Galadonn, and restore the Caeronate of Carn. Most of the war was fought in Galadonn, consisting of the 1st and 2nd Battles of Galadonnia-however the latter included fighting in the city of Ilivian.

The conflict is widely regarded as the last major "Post-Astyllean" war of the continent; several of the commanders and political leaders involved had been involved in or witness to the collapse of the Empire of Astyllea, and the Carnian Revolution was ultimately rooted in longstanding grievances stemming from the partition and dissolving of Carn in the collapse of Astyllea's aftermath and anti-Galadonnian sentiments from Carnian allies.

While the outcome of the Revolution was a decisive victory for Yimmu-Audal, the Carnian cultural revival which started prior to the conflict continued through the Margraviate of Carn, which lived on as a County of Galadonn.

Context
The roots of the conflict lie in the collapse of the Empire of Astyllea; when the election of Kerplis Elernel had been challenged by a military Junta, the Empire was driven into civil war and, soon after, collapse. As the continent splintered in numerous independent states, a stronghold of the rebellious plotters-the Caeronate of Carn-was thrown into its own bout of turmoil. Torn apart internally by divisive leadership and political instability, the Caeronate collapsed entirely; it was partitioned between several existing states both native and foreign to the region. For most, Carn as a political entity had ceased to exist.

Long after the dust had settled, the region of Aldovir had undergone immense change. The Kingdom of Galadonn, once regarded as an insignificant state in central Aldovir, had rapidly expanded to become one of the major regional powers of the subcontinent, conquering and colonising much of central Aldovir. The Lunar City State of Lirgal had likewise expanded to control much of central and western Aldovir, whilst Sironia had come to be united with Viesten in a Personal Union, a Knightly Order turned theocratic Sakrelist state. Both Lirgal and Galadonn had since become states of the Empire of Yimmu-Audal, leaving only Sironia in the hands of a non-Alteniquian power, in direct opposition to the revived "Mistic Doctrine".

In the lands which were once known as Carn, there were sporadic attempts at a political revival of the Caeronate; whether through the briefly lived 'Nord-Carn' or the union of Sironia-Carn, it was clear that there was want for some political continuity of the long defunct state. During of a blossoming period of cultural revival and historical research in Aldovir, Carnians once more began to seek a means of resurrecting the memory of the Caeronate-only to be surprised with a lucrative opportunity.

The Rebellion
Shortly after the ascension of Cassius to the throne of Yimmu-Audal, a small group of Carnian nationalists - many of whom had taken part in the abortive coup d'état in Astyllea - issued a declaration that they were reforming the Caeronate of Carn as the Neo-Carnian Caeronate. Their claims were lofty in ambition; the reconquest of all former Carnian territories, the total defeat of the Kingdom of Galadonn, and a demand for unconditional surrender of the Empire of Yimmu-Audal. Almost immediately, several states and nations came out in either opposition or support of the Carnian rebellion; Viesten joined them in their demand of an unconditional surrender of Yimmu-Audal, whilst the various states of Yimmu-Audal and their allies rushed to the defence of the Empire. Yestanbul was the first nation to oppose Yimmu Audal. The SNLF, a Sironian militia declared its intentions to retake Ytharash. Numerous towns declared that they had seceded from Galadonn and Yimmu-Audal, followed by threats from the Carnian rebels of the complete destruction of both the cities and culture of Galadonn should they be opposed. The nations which declared support for the Carnian rebels were not so much a full multi-nation coalition, but rather a collection of powerful individuals and nobles sympathetic to the cause of the Carnians. Yimmu-Audal was stunned at first as Hollowshire and Vanakunir seceded. Eldal-Adadi soon followed after being convinced by Viestenese diplomats. Carnian rebels gained control of Lestria, New Kasrin, Licritia, Lantstein; and Iverthirak and Liraxak's Citadel were occupied by their armies. Viesten also agreed to give Praestenia to the Carnians, however they soon annexed Ilivian and Inutai as well, straining relations.

Emperor Cassius issued a response of his own, citing his regret at the conflict but his resolve in facing down the rebellion. Refusing the demand to surrender unconditionally, he formally declared war on the Neo-Carnian Caeronate and the Coalition which had formed to support them. In Sironia Keshra Nigxl of Rodheros betrayed Viesten by seceding, taking Rodheros and occupying Kalasirol. Kalasirol soon returned to Sironia as it was obtained by unlawful means and Nigxl was punished.

Sironia was however unable to get back Rodheros for some time. As the battle inched closer, Yimmu-Audal managed to gain the support of more and more nations such as Carvay, and the Aragothan Mercenaries were brought in to aid in the defense.

First Battle of Galadonnia
The focal point of the Coalition campaign was Galadonnia, the Capital City of the Kingdom of Galadonn. As so much of their grievances lay with Galadonn, or more specifically with Emperor Cassius (who was King of Galadonn), it is likely that the aim was to knock Galadonn out of the war early-allowing for a swift end to the conflict and a Viesten/Carnian victory. Galadonnia-which was undergoing a large redevelopment project at the time, rediverted all of its resources into building immense trenches around the city. It was their intention to try and prevent the attackers from ever reaching the actual city walls-keeping the fighting either at the bottom of these trenches, or outside the defences. This was a violation of international rules of war, but arbiters turned a blind eye.

The Coalition armies arrived first in the Lunar City of Lirgal, Galadonnia's closest neighbour to the south. The Lunar Council of Lirgal-on seeing the arrival of the armies-locked their gates and closed off the city, to prevent Lirgal being used as a staging post for the attack. As a result, the initial wave of attacks on Galadonnia was staggered; reinforcements were split between those still trying to approach via Lirgal, and those who had been re-routed to Licritia. This allowed the Audalad troops to easily repel the first attempts to scale the defences, with few Coalition troops making it across the trenches. The attackers then regrouped to the east, attacking from the direction of Lantstein. It was here that the attackers had their best chance; attacking in unison, they attempted to scale the eastern side of Galadonnia. Battle ended in favor of Audalad defenders. It was proclaimed a tie even though Audalad used illegal tactics to repel Viesten and Carnian troops from entering a town of Galadonnia.

Battle of Ilivian
By the time the Coalition Armies had regrouped to prepare for another march on Galadonnia, the perception of the war had developed significantly. Few were confident in the ability of the coalition to secure a military victory, and some had begun to suggest seeking a political solution instead. In the wake of the First Battle, several notable Coalition leaders and military generals had withdrawn from the conflict entirely-fleeing the continent and going into hiding. Regardless, the Coalition troops were determined to take another swipe at the Galadonnian capital. Once more, the attacking troops approached Galadonnia. Knowing that Lirgal had locked their gates, they instead approached from the North this time-hailing from the City of Ilivian, the staging post for their attack. The first attack was largely inconclusive; there were low casualties on either side, and the defenders withdrew to regroup. It was when they attacked from the East that the tide of battle turned. The Audalad Defenders-lead by the Galadonni troops-sallied forth to meet the attackers in the field. An enormous battle took place along the Galadonni defences, with both armies meeting head to head. Eventually, the Coalition attackers would then stop attacking and so would the Galadonnian Defenders, This would then conclude to the Battle of Ilivian.

The Battle of Ilivian would happen when coalition and Audalad forces retreat from the initial attacks at Galadonnia, Audalad Forces would then go around Viesten and start to attack the city of Ilivian.

Peace Negotiations and the End of the War
The Neo-Carnian Caeronate

The decision to begin negotiations was undertaken by Emperor Cassius, however the de-facto leader of the negotiations on the Audalad side was Gael Uí Néill, the newly appointed Chief Diplomat. As a Lirgalyn citizen, Gael was native to the Aldoviri subcontinent and had long advocated for cooperation rather than coercion in the eventual peace talks with the rebellion. Tensions were high throughout the negotiations; many on the Audalad side felt that harsh reprisals were due, and others hoped to make gains of new land or territories. However, some called for a deal that would stabilise the region of Aldovir for the future; it was clear that there were need to be some repercussions, but many felt that simply replicating the partition of Carn and the complete dissolving of the polity would only lead to future issues.

As a result, and after intense negotiations for several days, a peace Treaty was reached: The Cornflower Accords. Under the Cornflower Accords, Carn would retain many of its cultural and internal political machinations, but would become a County of the Kingdom of Galadonn. The announcement of the Cornflower Accords was met with much acclaim, with celebrations across the Empire. With the Carnian rebellion all but snuffed out, focus turned to the last remaining combatant in the war; the Holy States of Viesten.

The Holy States of Viesten and the Kingdom of Sironia

With Carn now integrated into the Empire, Both Viesten and Yimmu-Audal showed attrition due to the fighting. After years of constant tensions between the Sironian mainland of Viesten and Audalad Aldovir, being the last free state on the continent, Sironia was anxious that future wars would be fought on their own territory, and the failure of the Revolution left them much more vulnerable. Initially after the second battle Sironian leadership hoped the Carnians would continue to fight but they gave up on these hopes after Carn surrendered. The Holy Synod / Keshbethorak was called by Archon Ythar II to vote, deciding that Sironia would leave Viesten voluntarily and attempt to open talks with Yimmu-Audal.

Thus, secret negotiations were initiated with Sironian leaders by Gael and Bob. Furthermore, Sironia had a vastly different history, culture, and religion compared to rest of Aldovir. Therefore, the chosen target for their integration was Theiónikos, a State outside of Aldovir with whom they had a shared cultural and religious heritage. The tow of Rodheros was also promised to be returned to Sironia which pleased much of the government. Hopefully, Sironia would accept being taken in by Theiónikos, not as a conquered foe but as a welcomed friend- a prospect that seemed a great improvement over another war, or integration into Galadonn. The negotiations were even more difficult than the prior talks with Carn; unlike the Carnians, the Sironians had not rebelled. They were instead an allied force, who did not need to be "re-integrated" but rather convinced of integration as a whole. Sironian leadership discussed their opinions in secret and in time it became clear that Audalad forces will not stop with attacks. The only way Kingdom of Sironia could survive peacefully was to accept Audalad offer to join the State of Theiónikos through the Treaty of Azethvir.

With this Treaty, Viesten as an entity had all but ceased to exist. A few scattered declarations were made before their lands in Haven and elsewhere were annexed by foreign nations. The signing of the Cornflower Accords and the Treaty of Azethvir had essentially ended the war.