The Desire for Land Reclamation
The 980s saw the rise of a political movement, known as the Reawakening, in the nations of Moorland and Wannonia. In Moorland, such a movement involved a calling to regain land to the West and the Edoran territories once under the Kingdom of Tomlas to the East, territories lost to the Kingdom of Moorland over the years. In Wannonia, political propaganda from the previous two decades was based on the prophecy of St. John, the supposed right hand of Braeus Alconus, who was said to, one day, bring great gifts to the nation. Petraeus I, at one time, claimed that he saw a vision of the Saint, who told him to launch an agenda to reclaim Canticulan territories once under Wannonian control during ancient times. As the Emperor determined during this time, doing so would involve conquering the Edoran Kingdom and its instruments for overseas domination.
In the deal signed between Moorland and Wannonia, known, in this conflict, as the Central Alliance, the Kingdoms of Linbrae and Edora, once conquered, would be held as Moorland and Wannonia destroyed all arriving enemy reinforcements. After the defeat of Linbrae and Edora, Moorland planned to have sovereignty over the Linbraean Kingdom and its territories, including Monassa, while Wannonia would have sovereignty over the Edoran territories, including its overseas claims; or so was the agenda.
Recruitment and the Building of Arms
King Estaen I of Moorland had serfs in reserve to report to military posts in the event of a great war, in the case that was necessary. The possibility of a large payment gave incentive for many other Moorlanders to join the ranks.
A different scenario was the case in Wannonia, however, where the population was divided over the ideals of Petraeus I. Many of his opponents viewed him as too radical. On 14 January 983, a fire was set in Tekon by secret figures employed by the Emperor, as he publicly blamed the Edorans for the matter, inciting nationwide fear. In the ensuing widespread panic, Petraeus I instituted an "emergency draft" measure to recruit more Wannonian soldiers. Many resisted; and Petraeus I responded with a list of known refusers, accusing them of treason. Those on such a list were subject to arrest and public executions. The fear stemming from such oppressive actions led to eventual compliance to the draft.
Between September 984 and May 985, a mass building of arms began in both Moorland and Wannonia, who put together large divisions of infantry, cavalry, and spellcrafters. Navy ships were constructed to attack the Edora and Linbrae from the coastlines as a first strategy of advancement. Each nation constructed or enhanced stone fortresses along the border and hidden ones in enemy territories, while each land division had means to build makeshift wooden encampments. Every soldier was armed with either a blade, bow-and-arrow, or a rifle. And select troops were assigned to work conventional cannons while others drove steam-powered wheeled cannons, invented initially by the Wannonians, who initially used flaxweed oil for an energy source. Furthermore, the Central Alliance built numerous fleets of balloons and compound aerovehicles, each armed with cannons or cannon-shells.
On 1 June 985, Moorland and Wannonia launched a coordinated invasion on the Linbraean and Edoran Kingdoms.
The Four-Nations War: The Invasion of June 985
Moorland launched its divisions of navy ships, disguised as pirate ships, who attacked coastal towns along both Northern and Southern shorelines of the Linbraean Kingdom. In retaliation, the Linbraeans immediately dispatched land and sea forces to confront them. Queen Edrea soon received word that this was part of a Moorlandish agenda to leave land defenses open, but it was too late. From the East came Moorlandish cavalry and infantry, who felled the city of Hotay within three days, and brought large swaths of Linbraean territory West of the fallen city under Moorlandish control. It was then that Queen Edrea's swiftly-assembled forces managed to keep the invaders at bay. Moorlandish forces, meanwhile, launched its naval forces to attack in a similar fashion along Edoran coastlines, while launching land forces Eastward. Within two weeks, the Edoran strongholds of Nalash, Ecnedivelc, and Malbec were captured, sending those duchy figures fleeing to Edora proper. Edoran reinforcements kept the Moorlanders at bay just West of Kram; however, Edoran Naval forces from overseas were blocked by Moorlanders in the Circlarian Ocean.
Back in 977, the Reformed Republic of Karlin had settled a minor territorial dispute with the Edorans by signing a document to disarm its fortresses along the border. In the years that followed, the Council voted in further cuts to defense spending. This setback over the years proved disastrous in June 985, as the Republic fell easily to the Wannonian invaders, who overcame the city of Kilm, destroying Karlinian relics, and established a Wannonian stronghold in its place, while Karlinian Council members were publicly executed. The disarmed border, which was also an Edoran measure, provided an advantage for the Wannonians, who pushed North into the Edoran Kingdom. Within days, Daylram fell. But just in time, Edoran forces were scrambled to effectively keep the Wannonians at bay from the city of Edora. Nevertheless, the Edoran Crown, Parliament, and subordinate Duchy members relocated North to the city of Kram, as King Patrick II, ruling since 952, sent just enough forces to fortify both fronts.
The Wannonians also invaded Pimdan, where the sheer number of Wannonian soldiers led to the fall of Pimdanian defenses. Jon Norran, the Linbraean Commander of Pimdan, fled to Linbrae proper. Under Emperor Petraeus I's orders, the Wannonians also invaded the nation of Kitalos, violating the 714 Treaty of Abetz, and easily toppled the Kitalan Crown. The presiding Wannonian Governor General of the nation, opposed to the Emperor, carried out an assault against the invasion, but was defeated and executed. The other nations included in the Treaty built up arms but would not engage Wannonia directly unless provoked.
Jurang and the Camaran-Mundaesian Resistance
In Kilm, an underground movement developed. Camaran and Mundaesian groups joined forces under Jurang, a man born of both ethnicities. In October 985, Jurang led his forces, mostly assassins and spellcrafters, to storm and overtake various city blocks from the Wannonian occupants, most notably using spellfire bombs. Wannonian forces fought back against this, as the former Karlinian capital was slowly being completely destroyed.
January 986: The Council of Vantacula
Edoran representatives summoned Queen Edrea and Linbraean ambassadors to the Meredythian Kingdom of Vantacula, where they held a Council in January 986. Here, the two Kingdoms formed an official alliance: the Marginal Alliance. The Marginal Alliance then formed a plan to strike at the heart of both Central Alliance nations, utilizing a new invention: the multi-celled compound aerovehicle. Such a vessel contained multiple balloons in one gondola, which was powered by steam and twine-powered propellors. Below the gondola was suspended a deck holding cannons and cannon-shells, as well as rifle turrets.