2361
First Year of the Eastern Campaign
The campaign began at Thri'il. Prince Mirusiya was the overall commander with Lord Kaikama as the commander of the Tsolyani field forces. The army advanced through the Pass of Skulls and took the Fortress of Skulls.
The Yan Koryani intended to trade space for time in order to build up their army in Milumanaya. Their commander, the Lady Deq Dimani, who was considered one of their best generals and the current lover of the Baron, felt that the fortresses held in the southern part of the country could hold us up and wear us down us while she gathered more reinforcements.
The Tsolyani army was made up of mostly legions that were dedicated to the gods of change. Some of the best generals of the empire were included in this army: Lord Kaikama, General Heketh of Purdimal, Lord Kadawere, all veterans with good reputations in the Empire. These were men of action and were not going to be bogged down in siege warfare.
The Tsolyani rapidly advanced and caught the unprepared Yan Koryani field army at the Hill of the Stone Serudla. The battle was a draw -- actually more of a Pyrrhic victory -- with the Tsolyani left in control of the field. One of the outcomes of this battle was that Ahrim Basram replaced Lord Kaikama as the supreme field commander.
The Tsolyani pursued Deq Dimani north. She turned to face her pursuers at Mar and dealt a check on the Tsolyani, buying time for her forces to regroup. The two armies settled down to reorganise around Mar. Deq Dimani then fought a second battle at Mar -- this one, a night attack on the city controlled by the Tsolyani. This assault failed, and led to the third battle.
In between these battles, the Tsolyani sent out several flying columns that dissipated their strength somewhat and also led to the third battle. It was also at this time that atrocities were committed by Sarku troops during the Siege of Pu'er. The Sarku troop broke the Concordat and used undead soldiers in direct contravention of the Rules of War. The biggest mistake made at the siege was that the Sarku general used undead in front of flame troops. When the Prince found out, he had the commanding general -- a close friend of Prince Dhich'une -- impaled. This action demoralised the Sarku troops who were fighting in the army.
The Third Battle of Mar led to the destruction of the eastern Yan Koryani army and the abandonment of southern Milumanaya. During the course of the battle, the Lady Deq Dimani was triumphing over the Tsolyani forces at Mar, when Karim Missum -- leading a powerful flying column -- appeared behind her and took the Yan Koryani in the rear. The disorganised mass of Yan Koryani troops fled back to the capital -- Sunraya.
The Baron had now arrived to stabilise the situation. He did not bring any troops with as the new army was not finished forming. The Baron and the Lady Deq decided that Sunraya would be strong enough to hold until the new army had been formed. Unfortunately they did not reckon with the ingenuity of Ahrim Basram's personal physician the Livyani archmage Eloea whose ruse helped seal the fate of Sunraya.
The capture of Sunraya ended the first year's campaign. It exceeded anyone's expectations for a successful campaign. The Baron's field forces were humiliated and his allies were wavering, not to mention that the Tsolyani firmly controlled eastern Milumanaya.
2362
Second Year of the Eastern Campaign
The beginning of the second campaign year started with the reinforcement of the eastern Tsolyani army with more veteran troops from the west.
After the death of Ahrim Basram -- as recounted in Flamesong -- the Prince now took direct command of the Tsolyani field forces in Milumanaya. He relied very heavily on the advice of Karim Missum, who was made Kerdudalikoi and given the command of the Legion of Red Devastation in recognition for his part in the victories of the previous year.
The Kerdudalikoi Ketkolel was made the governor of the new Tsolyani province of Milumanaya with the Kerdu Kambe hiMorusai -- the new commander of the Legion of Searing Flame -- as his military advisor. The province of Milumanaya was quickly becoming a red worshipper's playground.
The course of the campaign of the second year: Missum, now the effective leader of the Tsolyani field force, completely devastated the southern frontier of Saa Allaqi and effectively removed them from the Baron's alliance. But with problems forming on the western border of the Empire with Mu'ugalavya, Missum was recalled to Avanthar and Kambe took command of the field forces.
As a side note, the Kerdu Kutume of the Legion of Storm of Fire was commanding the forces that were "pacifying" the rear areas of Milumanaya.
The second year's campaign consisted of much skirmishing in an attempt to keep the Tsolyani from reaching Tleku Miriya. This was to prove fruitless as the Kambe -- the Wall Walker -- managed to put the place under siege. The most notable feature of this campaign was that Deq Dimani was replaced for a time as the field commander by her brother, who was later killed in action against the Tsolyani. He was killed by the Tsolyani commander-in-chief, Kambe, in hand to hand fighting. Kambe, a renowned swordsman dispatched the youth without mercy and earned the undying hatred of his sister, Deq Dimani. Also at this time, the Mu'ugalavyani chose to come over the borders and retake the Chakas. Things were looking grim for both combatants. This is where the second campaign ended.
