War of the Rising Tides

The Amarillano-Pasifan War, commonly known as The War of the Rising Tides, 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 the Amarillian victory over Pasifa and the restoration of the sea level during, and 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, without taking into account the presence of new inhabitants, the Amarillians. While the situation was quickly resolved after Andliria and Amarillo signed the Treaty of Foreign powers, sharing the land, a resentment quickly manifested itself among the Amarillian population, which felt like its land had been stolen from it, especially after Andliria, without notifying the Amarillian government, modified the treaty, making the land fully Andliria and giving to Amarillo only rights to gather resources.

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 and its allies. Eventually, Andliria became one of those allies and joined the League of Vircon. There, the rivalry seemed to be over, but when Andliria collapsed, the new Imperilan (Andlirian monarch), Antares, told the Amarillians about several Andlirian plans to conquer Puerto Amarillo under his predecessor, Jalhike Rokalim, even after the treaties with Vircon were signed. Hearing this, and with the blessing of the new Imperilan, Amarillo, and an other one of its allies, Katolis, conquered back the northern Andlirian land, that had stayed faithful to Jalhike. Jalhike Rokalim then took control of an island in the Drakaen sea and founded Sena Pasifa.

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 betrayal of the Treaty of Fallen Powers in divvying up Akora with Katolis.

During the Cold War between Amarillo and the VCC, Pasifa, recently established on an island near Amarillo, would be threatened of an invasion and protected by their rival. At one point, fearing a Drakaen restauration by the VCC, Pasifa left its protection, becoming hostile to them too, so much so that the VCC considered invading Pasifa.

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

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. Something that, technically wouldn't be solved until many years later. However, Sena Pasifa, main islander Kingdom in the sea, refused to collaborate with Amarillo.

Tensions arise
With Pasifa blocking Operation Salema, Amarillo, then, in, began the procedures to void the Pact of the Akora Peninsula, a Non-Agression Pact between Amarillo and Pasifa and gave Pasifa some to reconsider their position if they wanted to keep the NAP. 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 their way of life was not to be altered. A change in the sea level would leave their islands above the sea level. Amarillo offered help for the inconvenience but Pasifa told the Amarillian diplomats they would prefer money to finance the operations instead, arguing that they wouldn't let Amarillians, who had threatened them with war, touch their land. Wanting to avoid war, a Pasifan citizen offered to pay the sum his nation asked for himself. However, the Amarillian diplomats felt like accepting would be folding to Pasifa and would encourage the island Kingdom to continue to, according to the Amarillians, be annoying to all of its neighbours since in the end it always got their way. This is of course to be understood in the broader situation of historical distrust between Amarillo and Pasifa we discussed before. Anyway, out of principles, the Amarillian diplomats, King Soronaca at their head, refused Pasifa's terms and declared war to the island Kingdom.

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 very one-sided. The nations that already had supported Amarillo during the diplomatic conflict, 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".

Other nations supported Amarillo. Alegria, led by a former Amarillian politician, Zogaris, declared support for Amarillo sending supplies and volunteers. At the same time, Valreach denounced Jalhike, King of Pasifa, and gave diplomatic support for Amarillo. However, practically, no Valrean citizen fought for Amarillo, but for the Sisterhood.

Overall, the public opinion of neutral countries also seemed overwhelmingly favorable to Amarillo's side, some foreigners even trying to encourage Amarillo to sink Pasifa. 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.

No 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 key for 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 coallition 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 could not hold 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 complex into the city 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 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 completely take the enemy capital.

Raids on Puerto Amarillo
Bob, a Theros assassin and a commander of the Pasifan forces, 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 fleed once forces caught on with the damage caused.

Bob himself, eventually, would become an Amarillian citizen and he would be pardoned for his wrongdoings during the war.

Second Battle of Suzukafun, and the sacking of Puerto Amarillo
Some years 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 the Amarillian-hired mercenaries, and many were left dead on the streets. The Amarillian troops retired back to the continent.

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 abandon the city and return to the defensive positions in Suzukafun to avoid an Amarillian counteroffensive.

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 some 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.

It was during the speech when 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. 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.