Subjugation of Kurokaigen

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Subjugation of Kurokaigen
Part of Minecraft Attack

Picture of Arenican tower from Kurokaigen city center. The white building on the right dates back to the subjugation.
Date: March 2022
Location: Western Sea
Result: Complete Arenican Victory
Territory changes: Kurokaigen is annexed, Arenican Empire is proclaimed
Combatants
Sableterre/Arenican Empire,

bcfoss
Kurokaigen

Wikaros
Commanders
bcfoss Wikaros
Casualties
0 1-2

The Subjugation of Kurokaigen was a colonial war instigated by Sableterre (styling itself Arenia at the time). The conflict itself was very brief and relatively bloodless, but the colony ultimately proved to be a net loss for Sableterre.


Background

Following a period of fragmentation after The Calamity, the world began trending towards centralization again. Centered around Gouffre pastèque, L'Empire de la Citroye soon outshone all other nations as it gradually unified all of the north (and almost half of the world's population) under it's dominion.

Desiring to expand Sableterre's influence and prestige, bcfoss broached the subject of invading Kurokaigen during a diplomatic conference in Shanbao, which all of the attendees (excluding Wikaros) eventually sanctioned. Kurokaigen was given a grace period of three ingame days (or else an ingame week) to prepare for the invasion.

Kurokaigen was remarkably undeveloped,

Conflict

It is uncertain whether Sableterre honored the grace period to completion or invaded a day early, but either way Kurokaigen was duly informed of the declaration of war. Arenian forces led (and consisting solely of) bcfoss did not, however, immediately set sail for Kurokaigen, instead choosing to remain in Sableterre proper for a period of 1-2 ingame days.

bcfoss believed that Kurokaigenian forces might launch a preemptive invasion of Sableterre itself, and thus delayed his departure in order to confront this potential attack. It was only after he had convinced himself that no attack was coming that bcfoss departed the island for Kurokaigen.

Invasion en route

The exact route Arenian forces sailed in order to reach Kurokaigen is lost to time, though it is known that bcfoss was operating under the assumption that whatever route he had taken was the most likely direction from which a hypothetical Kurokaigenian invasion might be intercepted.

There were only two paths to Kurokaigen from Sableterre, but neither can be discounted entirely.

  1. Arenian forces sailed west along the southern coast of old Epinettica and through the western strait of Terra Glareae (itself a holding of Sableterre), entering the western sea from the south. This was the fastest route for bcfoss to reach Kurokaigen, but he could not know whether Wikaros knew about it.
  2. Arenian forces sailed northwards along the eastern coast of old Epinettica, traveling the great river until it forked on the banks of Old Japan. From there they sailed into the western sea from the east, continuing in a straight line across the expanse to Kurokaigen. This is a notably longer voyage, but bcfoss could be certain that Kurokaigen (a cultural descendant of Old Japan) knew about it.

Regardless, Sableterre arrived off the east coast of Kurokaigen no more than a day after setting out.

Battle

It was around midday when bcfoss made his landing. There were no official docks, but bcfoss nonetheless landed at the stretch of beach approximating docks, within easy bowshot of the settlement. Wikaros had taken up position in the town center, but there was little time for maneuvering as bcfoss made a beeline straight for him.

Despite having several days to prepare, Kurokaigenian equipment was terrible, consisting of an iron chestplate and possibly a leather cap and pants. Sableterre meanwhile was decked out in mixed iron-diamond armor and a diamond sword, itself somewhat behind other contemporaries. Wikaros possibly loosed a single volley of arrows before bcfoss was upon him. A fierce but brief melee broke out, during which Wikaros was slain and Kurokaigenian resistance was effectively ended.

Aftermath

Kurokaigen was annexed into the newly christened Arenian Empire, ceasing to exist as an independent state. Arenian Kurokegania became the focus of intense development by it's new overlord, but successionist sentiments continued to simmer below the surface. The threat of succession would continue to be used as leverage against Arenia, and the conflicting agendas of ruler and subject were a directly responsible for the coalition war and Siege of the Gouffre.