The Fourth War of Zaneeth was a conflict between the Kingdom of Zaneeth and the Knights of New Cruisian Order fought between 899 BP and 885 BP. The war led to the creation of New Cruisian Kingdom.
Background[]
In 901 BP the Zaneethian baronies of Muhtassa and Makia saw large scale civil unrest between the Zaneethian nobles and Cruisian citizens who felt heavily suppressed by the harsh rule of he Zaneethians. This led to the 4th War of Zaneeth between the Kingdom of Zaneeth and a rebel group which became known as the Knights of the New Cruisian Order. The Knights of the New Cruisian Order were led by a Lord Donald Dondarrion, a prominent land owner in Muhtassa.
In 900 BP Grand Priest Haldor Vindass of Zaneeth passed a law banning Cruisian citizens of Zaneeth holding lands over 5 acres. The following 6 months saw Zaneethian nobles seizing land belonging to Cruisians which led to many deaths.
Donald Dondarrion refused to convert to Zaneethism and fled his homestead and went into hiding, where he created the Knights of the New Cruisian Order. Dondarrions force of rebel Cruisians quickly swelled and they began carrying out raids on small Zaneethian towns and trade routes.
Grand Priest Haldor placed a large bounty on the head of Dondarrion and his band of rebel Knights and created dispatched the Order of Zaneethian Knights, an elite order to track down the rebels. Thousands of Cruisian citizens were executed in what became known as the Cruisan Purge of 900.
Early stages[]
Dondarrion finally received a response from Leo VI of Samuelonia in 899, who agreed to support the Knights of the New Cruisian Order. King Leo received the support of the Samuelonian Papaist Church, who authorised a Crusade upon Zaneeth and called upon Cruisendom to crush the heathens. Leo looked upon the war as a chance to regain Samoria, which had been lost to the Zaneethian during the Third War of Zaneeth.
The Knights of Cruis and the Knights Order of Charlemont were quick to show support for the Holy Crusade and in November 899, King Leo led an army of 30,000 men into Samoria and quickly took the cities of Caldentyne and Fontenay.
Dondarrion continued his raids in Muhtassa whilst the main Zaneethian army was occupied in Samoria, but in March 898, armies from the Kingdom of Tyrana, Kingdom of Stalmo, Kingdom of Lagod, Kingdom of Morovia, Kingdom of Aldina, Dascugnium and Uestadegnium arrived in Muhtassa and Dondarrion found himself in command of huge Cruisian army amassing to nearly 40,000 men.
Dondarrion led his army to Sarradina, where the city quickly fell after a short siege. Dondarrion then set out for Cala Amirah, where a small Zaneethian army valiantly fought off the Cruisian forces for six months, before the city was taken after a long hard siege.
Meanwhile in Samoria, the main Zaneethian army avoided direct battle with King Arwyn and attacked the town of Drakenburg.