Zamotz-Skjoldrbrodir War

Overview
The Zamotz-Skjoldrbrodir War, also referred to as the War Of A Thousand Steps (because this was the first war fought in Eldham after the removal of the /la spawn command, forcing players to adapt.), was a war that took place between world powers of Eldham over the ethnic conflict between the Limurian people and the nation of Skjoldrbrodir following the Skjoldrbrodir-Limurian Wars (Detailed in Limuria and Skjolbrodir's wiki pages). It is sometimes also known as the Bull's Eye War in some nations such as the USSE or the War Of Broken Shield in other nations

The main two powers involved were the Zamotz Union and the nation of Skjoldrbrodir because of their conflicting beliefs over who rightfully owned the territory of the ancient country of Limuria and its capital city, Havoana'roa-renaj, (Renamed to Ruddersdam by the new Skjoldish inhabitants) in Central Eldham. This meant that for soldiers to fight, they had to manually walk all the way to the battle site. Additionally, in some places it is sometimes known as the Bull's Eye War as a "bull's eye" refers to the center of a target and the war took place in the center of Eldham.

= The Assault of Hefnaheim =

The Second Skjoldrbrodir-Limurian War
During the Second Skjoldrbrodir-Limurian War (Explained in more detail in the Limuria and the Skjoldrbrodir wiki pages) the large Lemurfolk city of Havoana'roa-renaj fell under Skjoldrbrodir control. The Skjoldrbrodir's mercenaries decimated the Limurian attack force on the Skjoldrbrodir's Eldhamite Capitol city, Steinborg and quickly returned the message and transferred their troops to Havoana'roa-renaj on the offensive.

The Limurians fled South to the isle of Zamotz to escape the collapse of the Limurian Government. Later the refugees founded the Zamotz Union, a government with a much more significant political power in comparison to the previous Limuria.

The newly founded Zamotz Union swore to Eldham that they would retake what they believed was their homeland and fight off the Skjoldrbrodir colonists that took it from them.

The Declaration
As the Zamotz Union's political grasp on Eldham increased, so to its military. As its armed forces grew so did the probability of Skjoldrbrodir becoming involved in another war with the Lemurfolk.

Tensions grew in Onthukhan as nations and empires prepared for war. Propaganda was made by each the Zamotz Union and Skjoldrbrodir in an attempt to gain allies with other nations and increase the size of their militaries. Public opinion was mixed; many felt that this land belonged to the Lemurfolk as it always had been theirs however there was a large amount of people who believed that Skjoldrbrodir owned the land rightfully and that the Zamotz Union was just looking for more political power and territory.

This arms race continued until finally the day came where the Zamotz Union would officially declare war on the Skjoldrbrodir controlled city of Hefnaheim in an attempt to retake their homeland; Havoana'roa-renaj. The official declaration was made by a Lemurfolk Zamotz Union representative by the name of Radioblade on the 8th of October 2021 17:22 GMT."'May my people return to the homeland we once knew! We were forced to make a decision. Fight, and risk the extinction of Lemurfolk as we know it, or flee from the Vikings to fight another day. Well that day is here! Here’s to the soldiers once lost, and the battle ahead! Ave Limuria!' - Radioblade"Not long after this the different Nations of Eldham would declare their allegiance to of which faction (if any) they would fight for in the upcoming battle: ''"The Empire of Aristios Join the War! Our brothers have called, and we shall follow. The Zamotz Union, brothers of Aristios have entered a war against Skjoldrbrodir. We will follow them to battle, to victory and to death. Zamotz has always been there to defend and protect us, Aristios let you down (to some extent) in the war of the Black Flag, this will not happen again. Ave Aristios! Ave Zamotz! Ave Eldham!" - SirLad''

''"The Zamotz Union has officially declared war at Skjolbrodir We shall free Onthukan! Free it of this hypocritic state! We have had enough of constantly having to deal with Skjolbrodir’s sphere of influence. We shall stand with Limuria! May we defeat this foe together!" - Draphonaris''

"THE KINGDOM OF NIDAROS WILL HELP HER ALLIES! The Kingdom of Nidaros, with a current alliance with Aristios, will help the Empire and the Entente in their military effort to defend Central Eldham. Ave Aristos! Ave Eldham" - Delta Aulian

"The nation of Rasteria will answer the call! As per our treaty Rasteria will be joining on the Aristios side against Skjoldrbrodir!" -Choco

"Atlechia will support the zamotz union in the war against skjoldbrodir! Lets drain the earth with blood, let the rivers of haskifold Flow!!!!!!" -King Swen Of Atlechia

"Official statement of the Kingdom of Councils: ''We Will support or allies in Eldham. Our Kwec colonial corps, as well as parts of the navy, which are able to sail the long distance in time, shall strike down on the enemies of the triple entente! Hail Koc! Ave Kwec! Ave Triple Entente!" - Zeandro''

"An Announcement on behalf of the Emperor of The Kurds'': The People of Skjoldrbrodir have repeatedly wronged us, they have begun settling on our lands repeatedly without my express permission. With this announcement i call upon the Members of the Triple Entente and all others willing to push out the Skjoldrbrodiran Squatters from our rightful territory. And to those not actively involving themselves in this conflict: I pray you offer your support in any way possible, diplomatic or otherwise. Those of the Skjoldrbrodiran squatter claim of Holm-Guard will be renounced and our land shall be reclaimed once more from thier oppression! Our swords shall meet on the fields of battle!" -Lithrus, The Kurd Emperor''

"Vaemorian "plea" for peace and silence in the west: Disclaimer: This is a announcement from Vaemore, and isn't adorned or signed by NL or Gear). ''Dear citizens of the west, and this grand world. As this world and its cities have ripened, many hurdles have sprung up in front of each and every nation and community. History has shown which peoples have passed these hurdles the smoothest as of this moment in time. Yet, having remained upright up until now is no guarantee for the future. Many more will stumble and fall. As even now, the outside world is once again igniting itself in turmoil and fires of conflict. Trying to expand their borders and influence. Trying to grow bigger and bolder. Do as you please, curb the progress of your nations, fight each other over petty pieces of land and tear your reputations apart Here in the west, I follow a policy of expanding on what I have. Sitting in what I view as one of the grandest works that Eldham has to offer. Enjoying life, making allies and friends. Doing my best to improve our environment. In contrary to most nations and peoples on this server? I give away my land to peoples I wouldn't mind having as my neighbors. The amount of land you control does not equal your power or strength, like many of you so foolishly believe. '''Even if you leave out Gear and NL? There is more land on offer for you to fight over then any one empire will ever be able to hold.''' Furthermore, this is a call on the leaders of Eldham to look inward. Most nations will crumble. If not in name? Then in form of governing. (who is in charge) It is not all about land. It is about stability. Vaemore has stood since the beginning of recorded history. And it will remain here, till the end. Messing with us, will only speed up your demise. Leave me be in my castle, leave me to stroll in my gardens to attend the shrubbery. And then I will not trouble you." -Kearon (Snow) - Leader of Vaemore''

"The Northern Lights Alliance and the Greater Eldham Alliance Reach have signed a Defensive Pact. ''From the darkest reaches of a waring Eldham, emerges a symbol of unity, peace and hope. The Greater Eldham Alliance Reach and the Northern Lights Alliance, have agreed to form a defensive alliance with each other. From the walls of Marag to the shores of Kinno. From the golden dome of Bagrat to the ports of Qadakh, peace and safety have been secured for all who live within. With the signing of this declaration, the N.L. and G.E.A.R. have forged a pact that will secure the ability for peaceful roleplay, lore writing and building. This defensive pact furthers the vision of these two great alliances to have a peaceful Eldham where all citizens can enjoy a stress free community, that encourages and forges friendships together. AVE NORTHERN LIGHTS! AVE GREATER ELDHAM ALLIANCE REACH!" -Echo''

"The AWE will support The Zamotz Union. In front of the AWE’s path lies a forked road. As a peaceful nation, we have always sought to use the pen rather than the sword. But not today. In our effort to preserve peace, we have made commitments to other nations. Agreements we intend to keep, we have supported The Zamotz Union in times of peace, and we shall support them in times of war. We do not take these decisions lightly, war is a costly endeavor, but we will do it with nations who have always placed their faith in us. Let our nation’s victory be swift and decisive so that peace may return swiftly. All of our enemies can expect honorable treatment and respect from us, even in conflict. Ad Pacem Sempiternam" -Aelius Draekar

"Supporting my birthplace. ''Although before Zamotz and Aristios announced their war against skjold I already denounced skjold previously for that whole claiming the ocean thing I have decided the goons will support Aristios in their war efforts if they need us." -Inverseatom''

"'Transmission: Official Statement from President Chelovek Serebra: The United Socialist States of Eldham will officially support the Zamotz Union. Over these past few weeks, the USSE has kept a close eye on the heating situation in Central Eldham. We have long been close brothers with the people of Garxijos and we have long held positive relations with the people of Zamotz after their heroic sacrifice and aid during the Kunir War. For this reason, and others, the government has officially announced it will send military aid to support the war effort in support of the Zamotz Union. We find the cultural extinction of the Lemurfolk to be reprehensible and the action of Skjoldrbrodir on this regard and others to be absolutely despicable. Much like the people of Limuria, we have also felt the pains of being forced from our homelands. Since then, we have been blessed to have regained our lost homes, however, the Lemurfolk have yet to reclaim theirs. While those we support may not inherently support the socialist cause; we find this matter to be one of moral and humanitarian concern and for that reason the government stands by its decision to aid our friends in the Zamotz Union and Triple Entente in their war against the nation of Skjoldrbrodir.' -Xeroise Ronango'O""'-=OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE IMPERILA ANDLIRIA=- Our neighbors have gone to war and we lie in the middle. Andliria refuses to support Zamotz as their side has many who Andliria views as imperialistic. However, joining the side of Skjoldbrodir is not only a lost cause but would not and could not benefit us in any way. So this is our official declaration of neutrality AND A WARNING TO BOTH SIDES. Andliria will not have our neutrality ignored. If we see any soldiers on our land, the will be KOSed. Not only this, but we will join the side which did not disrespect our neutrality. We see this war as pointless and we are disappointed and disgusted with all those who participate.' -エリック""'I herby announce that me one of the 2 leaders of the U.S.C.E. (Union of the Sovreign Cities of Eldham) am claiming the territory of the Nyr Kolbeck and we are going to fight alongside the Anti-Skjoldrbrodir coalition. A dear and sincere thanks to a friend who suggested we snag the land to found an empire leagues better than the old and crumbling Skjold. Death to Skjoldrbrodir!' -TheLight92""'Vulpinia Supports Skjoldrbrodir: The **Valardom of Vulpinia** are vul’s of their word. We will support our alliance and see the war through. May we fight with honor. Long live Vulpinia and Skjoldrbrodir!' -Westeros" "'Official Announcement from the Simulami Empire: The Empire will stand by their allies and rally the Imperial Army, the Nova Order and calls their own and friendly allies to war. Time to stand up for the sovereignty of our brother and sisters, time to shed blood and end those that stand in our way. Skjoldrbrodir shall remain untouched by these barbarians. We denounce every single nation or organisation with the exception of Aristios, who would aid this madness.Not a single block will be taken from our allies, Not a single city shall have some foreign flag over it. The lands of Skjoldrbrodir belong to Norse and Rus, the colours of blue and yellow shall show on every town and castle. I ask Aristios to stand down and take steps back. This is not a war that you have to fight, the blood-lust and rage of the southern, clouds their mind in front of reasonableness and mindfulness. Simulami will ride the land, Skjoldrbrodir shall stood high on their own. We will honour our alliance and join fellow brothers and sisters. To Arms the people of Simulami, I call to arms for battle-capable man and woman of Krobuny, Floramii, Aquize, Stormgovan, Draaken and Simulamii. I call to arms our vassals of Takavia and Seeberg, Nova-Draakhagen and my brothers of Plagatea. I ask the help of our allies, and I ask the aid of Solaris. May he forgive your sins, and may Hicarys forgive your wicked souls while carrying over your cold bodies through the land of dead. Simulami rides to war and aid Skjoldrbrodir. Glory to the Empire. May the North Stand Strong. ' -Maestro ZenoHUN""'I relish in this moment. Zeno has once again proven to be a phenomenal ruler, someone Otto should strive to be like. Skjold will not fall by the will of the Valarchs! Takavia will answer this call and stand by our brothers and comrades in The Simulami Empire!' -Khan""'NIDAROS WILL NOT RIDE TO WAR. We previusly gave public support to our allies in the Entente. And we will mantain our alliance with Aristios. And Vircon will mantain its NaP with the nations from the entente. But, sadly, due to a planned wedding taking place in both Amarillo and Nidaros, the NRDF, royal army of the Kingdom, will stay as garrison in Nidarosean cities. Nidaros military withraws of the conflict due to its inability to participate. Nidaros is staying neutral so any attack or troope moving in our Kingdom will be seen as an attack to Nidarosean independence.' -Delta Aulian" "'===Soolianic Announcement==  We shall be supporting our friends and allies in the nation of Skjoldrbrodir as per our defensive pact! We shall beat back the invaders that call themselves the Zamotz Union! Let this be a warning to any and all nations that join Zamotz's side, you WILL lose this war!' -Nickleback Enjoyer"

The War Preparations
Skjoldrbrodir was expecting a war with Limuria so they were ready for the declaration of war (Unlike in the Second Skjol-Limurian War where Skjoldrbrodir has to resort to hiring large amounts of mercenaries to aid the defence of Steinborg). The defensive fortifications of Hefnaheim had improved since the last time they had had Limurians knocking on their door at Steinborg.

The Zamotz Union had mostly relied on allies for this war, with Aristos and the AWE fighting by their side the Zamotz Union was certain that the outcome would be a Skjoldrbrodir loss and a Zamotz Union victory. The Zamotz Union while preparing their military also spent time creating strong relations with surrounding nations to their geographical position in Eldham.

The stage was set and both sides were ready as ever to face off once again at The City Of Mountains; Hefnaheim. The Zamotz Union was dedicated to taking back what they believed what was rightfully theirs or die trying.

The Closing Of The Antebellum
On the ninth of October 2021 Zamotz Union Military rallied with their allies in the great city of Shirokaneza where they prepared and orginized their forces for the upcoming assault on the Skjolbrodir occupied city of Hefnaheim as the antebellum came to a close. Skjolbrodir and her allies prepared their defences making sure that Hefnaheim was air-tight as possible. The Skjolbrodir military positioned themselves on the walls with archers covering the plains and forests below them. Hefnaheim would not fall under their protection they thought as they waited for the attackers to lay siege on their great city. As war crept closer and closer the Zamotz Union moved their forces, led by Zamotz Cheif Commander ElKool, through the nether to their war base positioned not far from the looming walls of Hefnaheim called Drigofort. Players such as Radioblade even recalled being able to see the archers positioned atop of Hefnaheim's great stone walls with their bows drawn and ready. With the attack force now organised and ready to fight the soldiers keenly awaited for the countdown to end and the chaos to begin. The Zamotz Union had organized its four battalions, the Aristos Battalion (Officially referred to as the 1st battalion), the AWE Battalion (Officially refferred to as the Second Battalion), the Zamotz Battalion (Officially referred to as the Third Battalion) and the Special Forces Battalion (Officially referred to as the Fourth Battalion) and was lined up and ready for war. Before the war Skjolbrodir forces outnumbered Zamotz forces by around 40 soldiers so Skjolbrodir was confident that they would win.

Climbing the Wall
As the war horn sounded and the Zamotz Union forces charged the steep mountain side of Hefnaheim arrows flew down and with only the cover of a few thin trees many Union soldiers were hit and some killed. As the mountainside was hard to traverse many Union fighters found themselves pinned down by oncoming arrow fire. At first the Zamotz Union were extremely worried that a loss was in sight as many couldn't get a chance to even set foot near the mountain due to the efficiency of the Skjolbrodir archers atop Hefnaheim's walls. The Zamotz Union felt that they were fighting an impossible battle because they could not pierce the great walls of Hefnaheim and worried for the worst. Meanwhile the Skjolbrodir archers and foot soldiers above were beginning to feel overwhelmed due to the sheer amount of soldiers coming from what seemed every angle. The archers worked like a rhythmically firing their arrows like a well-oiled machine. As the Union fighters found them selves getting higher and higher up the hillside getting closer to piercing the walls every second the outcome of war was still uncertain.

Breaking The Wall
The Zamotz Union military forces grew closer to finally finishing the climb so Skjolbrodir sent soldiers down to attack the climbing forces to hinder their progress. Zamotz Union fighters managed to overpower the Skjolbrodir soldiers who abandoned their high ground and Skjolbrodir's attempts to stop the climbing was futile. Though during this counter attack some Skjolbrodir soldiers managed to get to the Zamotz Union war camp of Drigofort and slay a couple of soldiers restocking in its safety. However the soldiers who got that far were quickly chased down and outnumbered by the sheer amount of troops the Zamotz Union had on the ground. The climb felt like it lasted for hours but finally a Zamotz Union mad lad by the name of "Committing" was the first player to finally break the ongoing loop of chaos and climbed the mountain up to the top and broke through the walled fortifications. The Skjolbrodir archers fell back into the inner city as Union fighters flooded through the walls into the halls of Hefnaheim.

Deck The Halls
The keep was quickly filled with Zamotz fighters and Skjolbrodir's forces managed to close in the Zamotz fighters in a specific section of the keep and quickly set up defensive positions inside the fort. The Zamotz Union fighters redirected their attack from the well defended halls to the less defended basement below where they planned to come back up to the halls from a less fortified angle. Skjolbrodir managed to counter this by sending some troops to hold off the attackers in the basement though this gave the Zamotz soldiers a chance to push even harder and take most of the halls above. This left Skjolbrodir spread out and mostly unable to fight the mostly unified group of invaders. After almost no casualties the Zamotz Union soldiers managed to take the keep and kill all the military forces within though this was not the end of the bloodshed. Many Zamotz Union fighters committed war crimes by executing unarmed citizens of the keep and littering the halls with their bodies. Even though this was a very small percentage of Union fighters committing these acts it was still enough to spark outrage within Eldham.

The Fall Of Hefnaheim
The keep was flooded with Zamotz Union soldiers and they looted and ransacked the place of its storage rooms and armour halls. The Zamotz Union was now one step closer to taking back what they believed was rightfully theirs: Limuria. By the end of the conflict after the bodies were counted and identified it was announced that the Zamotz Union had only had four casualties and Skjolbrodir had suffered an extreme two hundred and fifteen thanks to kill inflation from Zamotz troops killing unarmed men. This war set the scene for the future of Eldham onward from the 9th of September 2021.

ACON Begins The Negotiations
The Skjolbrodir soldiers watched on as the Zamotz Union fighters paraded the streets and raised their banner over the once looming and powerful keep of Hefnaheim. After the Skjolbrodir defeat their reputation as a primary political power in Eldham had phenomenally decreased. For the sake of their identity another loss would not be acceptable. The leader of Skjolbrodir at the time, High Jarl ACON, devised a plan to stop the Zamotz Union's aggression. Another war would not be the way to go forward in his eyes, Skjolbrodir would not fall to the ancient race of Lemurfolk which once ruled the lands they build their keeps and castles upon. The nation of Skjolbrodir decided that war would not be the way forward for central Eldham, ACON began negotiations with Zamotz Union diplomats to devise a treaty which would end the Zamotz Union's aggression towards Skjolbrodir's towns, cities, keeps and castles. After days of negotiations and arguments with Skjolbrodir officials the ministers of the Zamotz Union high council finally voted upon the agreed rules of the treaty they had discussed which finalised the surrender of the Skjolbrodir. The treaty had caused much controversy and arguments within the Zamotz Union higher council over the days of votes, vetoing and negotiations and it was apparent that not every minister would be happy with the outcome of the vote. Skjolbrodir's High Jarl ACON awaited nervously for a reply because the outcome of these negations could be a key factor to the survival of his nation. If the treaty was denied and the Zamotz Union decided that they wanted to continue their attack on Skjolbrodir's cities, the chances of Skjolbrodir's survival as a nation would be lower than ever, therefore it delighted Skjolbrodir's current High Jarl when he heard the news that the Zamotz Union High Council's Ministers had finally decided that the Zamotz Union would agree to negotiating a treaty with Skjolbrodir's Jarls.

Reparations
When ACON came to the Zamotz Union to negotiate for the future of Eldham as a whole, he suggested that the best way for Eldam to recover and become once again a land of peace and harmony would be for the Zamotz Union to forge a treaty in which would establish a non aggression pact with the nation of Skjolbrodir. The Zamotz Union High Council innitailly considered the non aggression pact as an option to resolve this conflict but when it came to the ministers casting in their votes they decided against a NAP with ACON due to the unpredictability and dubios nature of the nation of Skjolbrodir and her allies. After much debate between the Zamotz High Council members, a minister known as Balake cast the prompt forward towards the Zamotz High Council Ministers to finally cast their votes and decide what the future of Eldham would be. He cast forward the prompt that Skjolbrodir would pay the Zamotz Union 650,000 coins in reparations and that Skjolbrodir's High Jarl ACON would publish a formal apology for what he and his people did to the Lemurfolk race and their homeland, Limuria. When the council votes came in the results were published to the Zamotz Union public. Six Ministers of the High Council of the Zamotz Union voted against this prompt that Balake put forward, two Ministers voted to abstain the vote and finally six-teen of the Ministers voted in favour of it. This was a controversial outcome because while the majority of the council believed that this was enough for Skjolbrodir's genocidal campiagn on the race that founded the Zamotz Union others believed that this was hypoctritical and near opposing what many soldiers fought for in the Battle of Hafenheim. Opposers to the treaty were angry that the Zamotz Union did not reclaim the Lemurfolk homeland of Limuria while they had the chance. The Zamotz Union was built up by the Lemurfolk and they were outraged that Non-Lemurfolk ministers decided what would happen to their homeland. In the declaration made by Radioblade he stated that the Zamotz Union was fighting to liberate Limuria and retake it for the Lemurfolk and the Zamotz Union High Council was criticized for not following through with it. However the supporters of the treaty argued that Limuria only held sentimental value and didn't help the Zamotz Union politically in many ways. They also argued that Skjolbrodir had already desacrated and industrialised the once sacred lands beyond repair and restoring Limuria would be a further waste of the Zamotz Union's resources and money which in the end wouldn't be worth the effort.

Conclusion
High Jarl ACON accepted these terms and the nation of Skjolbrodir paid the Zamotz Union 650,000 coins in reparations which the Zamotz Union distributed all throughout the Zamotz Union government and also used to fund the Union's allly's militaries so that if Skjolbrodir or any other opposing force threatened the peace of Eldham they would be ready to stand their ground and fight against them. Now that the conflict was diplomatically concluded a new political landscape formed in the eastern continent of Eldham with many countries rising and falling as consuquence. For what seemed like the first time since Skjolbrodir set foot on Eldhama small amount of peace had been settled between the humans of Skjolbrodir and the lemurfolk of Limuria. The Zamotz-Skjolbrodir War had many effects on the politics of Eldham and vastly influenced many nations and empires. It set out the political landscape of Eldham and set a foundation for what was to come after its end.