The War of the Two Basilieus

The War of the Two Basileus, otherwise known officially as the Athuran Invasion of Pelaria, was a war between the Athuran Empire and the Kingdom of Pelaria over the Duchy of Fameta between 901 to 923 T.A.

The war was devastating for both sides, and its consequences continue to reverberate to this day. Tens of thousands were killed, while thousands more are left homeless and penniless. The Athurans spent most of the war on the offensive, winning battle after battle. But under the leadership of Queen Irene, the Pelarians were able to recuperate their losses.

Ultimately, the war ended indecisively as both nations faced internal strife over the hardships caused by the war. In the aftermath, Queen Irene handed over one of her sons to Emperor Hagrid.

Succession Crisis in Fameta
The Athuran Empire had long depended on the use of political marriages to secure new territories. In 898 T.A, one of the Emperor's nephew was married off to Duchess Alexandria. They bore one child together. As Alexandria was married to Isaac via a regular marriage, the child was counted into Isaac's dynasty. With the succession firmly within Athura's grasp, Isaac told his wife that the next child would go into her dynasty.

Tragedy struck in 900 T.A. when Alexandria died on her bed after giving birth to a daughter. The birth of Maria complicated matters of succession as court does not know who to acknowledge: The eldest-born son from another dynasty or a female who was too young to rule. Fearing that their plans might unravel by this complication, Isaac -- who was designated as a regent for the two children -- sent a letter to the Emperor on their behalf, asking for the Athurans to claim the duchy as their own. Hagrid accepted his plea and sent two divisions of men to the region, but they were not fast enough to save Isaac from an assassination by his rivals at court. The assassins declared that Maria was the true heir of Fameta and ordered a pogrom of all the Athurian courtiers in the city.

Enraged, the Emperor ordered his men to cross the Pelarian border, which caught the attention of Queen Irene, who had been monitoring the situation carefully. She interpreted the crossing army as an invasion force and promptly declared war against the Athuran empire.

State of the War
The war was a bloody one. Earlier in the conflict, the Athurans enjoyed a string of victories against the Pelarians. Emperor Hagrid famously slew a Pelarian titan in close-quarters combat -- something that was considered suicidal by any who have faced a titan before. In the second year of the war, the Emperor won a battle at Euzejo, encircling a third of the Pelarian army. He forced the army to surrender to him, and once they were imprisoned, he ordered the defeated Pelarians into groups of one hundred. Then, he had his executioners blinded ninety-nine of the men in the group, leaving the remaining man who was not blinded to lead his group back to a Pelarian stronghold.

He thought the war would be an easy affair. That is, until Queen Irene took command of the Pelarian Royal Army herself. Under her command, the armies of Pelaria waged a devastating guerrilla campaign against the Athurans, plucking away their numbers and disturbing their supply chains. Every attempt in finding her failed as she moved across the vast plains of Pelaria like a phantom. She came to be feared by every man in the Athuran army. The Lady of Death, they called her.

She attacked at random intervals, never letting the enemy to have a moment of reprieve. Moreover, she was just as ruthless as Hagrid. After winning the Battle of the Bloody Forest, she cut off the hands of every prisoner she had in her encampment and threw them away into forest, leaving them defenseless against the elements.

Twenty years of conflict ultimately culminated in the Battle of the Barto River. A quarter of the war's casualties were caused in the battle. The fog was thicker than steel, and the air stench of rotting corpses. For hours, the two armies clashed in a cataclysmic battle for the fate of both kingdoms. Ultimately, the battle ended indecisively, and Queen Irene and Emperor Hagrid were forced to retreat.

Peace of Kedon
A year passed since the Battle of the Barto River, and the fighting persisted along the Western Front. The lack of results from the war was beginning to exert its pressure on the Emperor's conscious. Civil unrest filled the streets with ash as citizens, battered and exhausted, ran amok in the streets, calling for the war's end. In Pelaria, the Queen's council begged her to send a peace delegation while they have the chance, yet the Lady of Death would not hear of it. But she was persuaded not through the actions of her council, but by her son, who spoke to her with such eloquence that she felt compelled to send a diplomat to the Emperor's encampment.

The two agreed to meet in Kedon, a neutral country who has agreed to Queen Irene's request for a peace summit at their city. No one could deny the tension that filled the air; it was intoxicating. The royal guards of the Emperor and the Queen stared at each other with contempt; the nobles, who had traveled far from the comforts of their holdings, whispered into their ears, spreading the poison of gossip throughout the summit. Despite earlier concerns on their meeting, the Queen and the Emperor got along relatively quickly, conversing in matters of state, military, and music. They were rivals, sure, but they respected each other.

Finally, on July 21st, 922 T.A., the two monarchs agreed to sign the peace treaty. The Treaty of Kedon came into effect the following day, which stipulates the following:
 * The succession law of the Duchy of Fameta shall be changed to that of an elective monarchy, where the Duke/Duchess shall be appointed based on the most amount of votes in the House of Mirrors at Fameta.
 * Pre-war borders shall be re-established
 * A non-aggression pact between the Athuran Empire and Kingdom of Pelaria shall be signed and will remain in effect until the death of either monarchs.
 * Prince Arthur of Komnenos shall be sent to the Athuran Empire as a ward. Additionally, he is to be betrothed to Anais var Ibelid.

Aftermath
The war had taken its toll on the land. Pelaria, once renowned for its lush farmlands, was ravaged by plague and starvation. Its inhabitants roam around the ruins of their homes, clutching their fallen loved ones in their arms. Due to the plague, many of the populace had fled to the countryside in order to escape the plague-infested cities. Later in her reign, Queen Irene would succumb to Caradinia, leaving the throne to her son, Eskel Komnenos.

In the Athuran Empire, the Emperor quickly restored order in Artorias. While he was campaigning against the Pelarians, a conspiracy was formed that sought to assassinate the Emperor and elevate her daughter to the imperial throne so that they could use her as a puppet. However, Hagrid caught wind of his vassals's betrayal and waged a ruthless campaign against his conspirators. He had them hung publicly in Artorias as a show of strength.

The Caradinian pandemic also struck the empire harshly, depriving its major population centres of its inhabitants. Thousands fled to the countryside, leaving behind a city on the verge of collapse. But Hagrid, ever vigilant, rose to the task and rebuilt Artorias with any asset he could find, constructing a city that could rival the Auerarin itself.