Interior Campaign

Interior Campaign
Location of the Ny'Sænuri territories in red and the Duchy of Yogryg'dri in yellow
Date 30 May - 3 July 1885 Location Ny'Sænuri territories, Aikthudr'zhur Result Cryrian Victory, continued insurgency until the Sack of Highdrilian
Belligerents
Ny'Sænuri Clans Ctuidhor Azerre Iuzebhax	Kingdom of Cryria Duchy of Yogryg'dri
Commanders and leaders
Vhaondesz Ctuidhor Id'ithross Azerre Nillo Iuzebhax	King Albert of House Leidensen Governor-General Melker Öberg Duchess Tyxhun Yogryg'dri
Strength
3,200 2 artillery pieces	585 2 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
200 KIA 5 executed 2 artillery pieces captured	7 KIA 15 WIA

The Interior Campaign was an armed conflict between the Kingdom of Cryria, its Aikkian allies, and the Ny'Sænuri clans of the Aikkian Interior. The war lasted from 30 May to 3 July 1885 and ended in a Cryrian victory.

Background

Cryrian influence in Aikthudr'zhur had historically been limited to coastal areas around Highdrilian and Evralrod. Beyond these lay a mountainous region controlled by a patchwork of clans and duchies who were loosely sworn to the House of Ny'thudr'zhan. However, by the 19th-century the Albertine government in Cryria recognized Aikthudr'zhur as an important position for maintaining the Cryrian sphere of influence in northern Novaris.

Key to this was the construction of the Highdrilian - Ctarost Railway by the Norsian Concern. While the Railway helped extend the Concern's power and supported some nascent mining and lumber operations while offering a land connection to the Varentine League, it more importantly served to extend Cryrian power throughout the Interior. The Railway tied the Aikkian duchies together by means of a Cryrian-controlled transportation network, and was also accompanied by a series of Cryrian fortifications at key points and mountain passes. Aikkian elites remained heavily fragmented at this time, and the presence of Cryrian protectors was often viewed as more palatable than a potential takeover by a neighbor. The construction of these trade links to the coast and the Varentine League further worked to the financial benefit of Aikkian rulers, and the Concern often relied upon the private armies of local aristocrats to act as enforcers.

Later Cryrian economic actions under Governor-General Krister Kraskne pushed those same ducal houses to the brink of ruin and deeply indebted them to the Concern. While this ended any semblance of autonomy among the aristocracy, it also drew the ire of the Aikkian elite and general population. Chief among the Norsian Concern's opponents were the three Ny'Sænuri clans - The Ctuidhor, Azerre, and Iuzebhax. These groups resided in the most mountainous depths of the Aikkian Interior, and had a long tradition of opposing the power of first the neighboring duchies and then the Cryrians. Similarly, neighboring duchies often claimed different Ny'Sænuri territories to be under their jurisdiction, and these claims were recognized by the Norsian Concern to both maintain aristocratic support and to foster conflict between the rival groups.

The fact that Ny'Sænuri territories bisected the Aikkian Kingdom almost inevitably drew them into conflict with any unifying efforts in Aikthudr'zhur. This was the case with the Norsian Concern's constructions, which ran through Ny'Sænuri lands without regard for their inhabitants under the claim that the rightful rulers of these territories - the duchies - had given their assent. Between 1867 and 1884 the Ny'Sænuri engaged in sporadic acts of banditry against the Highdrilian - Ctarost Railway. The presence of the Ny'Sænuri as a center for resistance was increasingly recognized as a threat as Aikkian discontent towards Cryrian policies grew. In 1885, Governor-General Krister Kraskne was replaced by Melker Öberg, who made the disarmament of the Ny'Sænuri a priority.

Prelude

Öberg inherited a regime that was, in his words, "Both too weak and too strong." The Norsian Control's tightening grip had begun to both openly undermine the legitimacy of the Aikkian institutions it relied on while also uniting the Aikkian populace in their anger towards foreign interference. Öberg's chief concern was that the Aikkian aristocracy and monarchy, resentful of their lost independence, might now begin to make common cause with the Ny'Sænuri, who had remained largely beyond Cryria's economic levers of control. Indeed, Öberg may have found a self-fulfilling prophecy, as his own belief that Leidenstad needed to do away with local intermediaries and take a more direct form of control over Aikthudr'zhur served only to further alienate local leaders. Öberg himself deeply distrusted the Aikkian aristocracy and believed them to already be a lost cause.

Despite this, Öberg found something of an ally in the ambitious Duchess Tyxhun of Yogryg'dri. All east-west trade in Aikthudr'zhur passed through Yogryg'dri lands, and while the Duchy could not directly tax Concern-owned transit routes it still derived income from this travel. Yogryg'dri's indispensability granted it a special status under the Concern, one which would be threatened if the Ny'Sænuri disrupted the flow of trade. Yogryg'dri soldiers were used heavily to protect segments of the east-west trade routes, and were often placed under the command of Cryrian advisors. Shortly after Öberg's appointment, Tyxhun extended secret entreaties to the Governor-General and offered to conduct her own campaign against the Ny'Sænuri, provided that her troops receive Cryrian weapons, Ny'Sænuri lands be granted to Yogryg'dri, and Yogryg'dri be allowed to levy taxes upon the Concern's trade through its borders. This offer was discussed in Öberg's reports to Leidenstad, as were his reasons for initially rejecting it:

“	While sorely lacking in the fields of reason and martial decisiveness, the leaders of the Aikkians still possess a form of low cunning with which they manage their flocks. With none is this more true than the Duchess Yogryg'dri, who offers herself as an ally that would once again invoke the old Aikkian rivalries to our benefit. Yet with the price she demands - Arms, wealth and land - leave no question as to her intent. The Duchess would see herself a Queen and amass her power at our extent, and once done would doubtless seek to do away with us as she does with her own countryfolk.	„

Vhaondesz of Ctuidhor

Even more troubling for the Cryrians however, was that a younger and much more aggressive generation was coming to power among the Ny'Sænuri, one which was prepared to eschew more traditional conflicts in favor of adapting to the new intrusion on their lands. On the same day that Öberg took power in Highdrilian, the elders of the Ctudhor clan elected a nekomimi named Vhaondesz as their chief. Vhaondesz had previously gained infamy for robbing a Concern payroll shipment worth around 8 million SHD at 2020 rates. This feat not only won him notoriety and support among the Ny'Sænuri, but also a price on his head and a means by which to fund future insurgencies.

Cryrian agents later determined that two of Vhaondesz's daughters were betrothed to the chiefs of the Azerre and Iuzebhax clans while a third served as a handmaiden to Duchess Shocti of Cxiorr'ithi, the only major Aikkian aristocrat without any existing conflicts with the Ny'Sænuri. For the Norsian Concern, these arrangements represented a budding anti-Cryrian alliance centered upon Vhaondesz, and the selection of a wanted bandit as a local ruler was not something that Öberg could ignore.

War

Odhner Expedition

Under the First Treaty of Highdrilian, the Norsian Concern was empowered to pursue and make arrests against Aikkian citizens who violated the Concern's property or personnel. Traditionally, the Concern had preferred to work through local authorities in order to ensure that Aikkian rulers shared in any popular anger that might arise. However, so long as Vhaondesz remained deep in the Ny'Sænuri territories, he was beyond the reach of any normal enforcers. Furthermore, Öberg mistrusted the Aikkian government and aristocracy, and was disinclined to rely upon them for a task as sensitive as apprehending a Ny'Sænuri clan leader.

By May 1885, Cryrian agents began to report that the Ny'Sænuri under Vhaondesz's direction were working to smuggle firearms to secret training camps in the Aikkian Interior. Determined to finally deal with Vhaondesz, Öberg ordered an expedition to enter the Interior and arrest the Ny'Sænuri leader. A 400-strong force of Aikkian soldiers and Cryrian officers was placed under the command of Lukas Odhner, a veteran of the Foreign Legion who had previously fought in various Älemsi conflicts. According to the officers under his command, however, Odhner was inexperienced with the mountainous environment of the Interior, and critically underestimated the degree to which the Ny'Sænuri could use it to their advantage. Later analysis also found that the Odhner Expedition was hindered by poor mapping of the region.

First Battle of Thybbis Pass

Odhner's forces departed from Highdrilian by train and entered the claimed territory of the Ctuidhor clan on 30 May 1885. They established a base of operations at Fort Eriksen, where Odhner received word from Cryrian agents that Vhaondesz was travelling with a small party on his way home from a meeting with Iuzebhax chief Agodha. The only route back to Ctuidhor lands for the Ny'Sænuri leader was through the Thybbis Pass, and Odhner took his entire expedition to either intercept Vhaondesz or pressure the Iuzebhax to surrender him by threatening the clan's core territories.

Such a large force moving through the interior did not go unnoticed however. Adogha Iuzebhax was already bound to defend Vhaondesz as both a family-member and a host, and the Cryrian soldiers moving through her lands simply could not be ignored. Odhner's expedition was hindered by its own unfamiliarity with the terrain and the hostility of the local population, which provided Adogha and Vhaondesz with constant updates on Cryrian movements. Odhner passed through the undefended Ctuidhor village of Cxoxhis and reached Thybbis Pass on 31 May. There he found not Vhaondesz, but nearly twice his number in Iuzebhax warriors waiting in ambush.

Unbeknownst to the Cryrians, Adogha had led her forces in small groups through a series of smaller passes in order to flank Odhner's column. However, the Ny'Sænuri preparations had been rushed and they lacked the modern firearms needed to take full advantage of the situation. The Ny'Sænuri instead had to rely on older muzzle-loaded muskets which severely curtailed their rate of fire. The Cryrians meanwhile were taken by surprise, but held their discipline. In the ensuing skirmish, three Cryrian officers and two allied Aikkian soldiers were killed, along with another four Aikkianauxiliaries wounded. Ny'Sænuri forces quickly melted away and left ten of their dead behind when it became apparent that Odhner's command would not shatter of its own accord.

Despite the light casualties taken by his force, Odhner chose not to pursue the retreating Ny'Sænuri. Cryrian officers correctly assumed that Vhaondesz was not present in the area, and feared another, more deadly ambush. Instead the Cryrians withdrew back to Cxoxhis for nightfall. This decision was later widely criticized in Leidenstad, and is generally cited as the reason for why the First Battle of Thybbis Pass could be considered a Ny'Sænuri victory as the clans were able to both protect Vhaondesz and delay a Cryrian invasion of more important Iuzebhax lands.

Siege of Cxoxhis

Returning to Cxoxhis, Odhner's soldiers quickly forced out the small local population and established makeshift fortifications. From the village, Odhner could still control the main route between Ctuidhor and Iuzebhax lands, and he hoped to use it as a base for further reconnaissance of the region while planning a more systematic invasion of the Iuzebhax that would bring the Ny'Sænuri to an open battle and force their surrender. However Ny'Sænuri forces had not remained dormant either. On April 1, Odhner's scouts reported the movement of large Ny'Sænuri columns, and by the end of the day found that Cxoxhis was surrounded by a force of 2,000 warriors. These had likely been drawn from Vhaondesz's insurgent camps and were well-equipped with modern rifles. They also brought with them two 12-pounder field cannons. While there are scant surviving records of Ny'Sænuri planning during the war, Odhner's reports indicated that this Ny'Sænuri army had likely been waiting nearby to conduct a second ambush after the Cryrians pursued the first failed attempt at Thybbis Pass. However, as the Cryrians had pulled back to Cxoxhis, they now chose to lay siege to the Expedition.

According to Odhner's subordinates, the Cryrian commander was pleased to hear of the Ny'Sænuri movement. By his estimations, this army represented the largest and most dangerous and well-trained portion of the insurgent forces in the Interior, and he now had a chance to bring them to a decisive battle. Further Cryrian reports indicated sightings of both Adogha Iuzebhax and Vhaondesz Ctuidhor in command of the Ny'Sænuri. As such, Odhner decided to hold Cxoxhis and instead send word back to Fort Eriksen requesting reinforcements to crush the insurgents. With normal lines of communication severed by now, the Cryrians sent a small courier party led by Mira Palme to alert Fort Eriksen. Palme survived attacks by hostile locals and escaped a betrayal by her Aikkian escorts before arriving alone at Fort Erkissen five days later.

A nine-day long siege developed at Cxoxhis. The Ny'Sænuri held a significant numerical advantage, but suffered from limited amounts of ammunition and lacked the training and discipline to conduct large-scale infantry actions. Meanwhile, the Cryrians enjoyed a defensible position, with supplies and captured food stores to sustain themselves. Despite this, the Ny'Sænuri launched several assaults on Cxoxhis over the course of the siege, ultimately losing 42 of their warriors at no cost to the Cryrian defenders. Despite the urging of his subordinates, Odhner was reluctant to conduct any sorties of his own, as he was unaware of the Ny'Sænuri ammunition shortages.

Relief Mission

Odhner's caution carried through his missive to the garrison at Fort Erikssen. While Odhner had hoped that reinforcements from the Fort would be sufficient to destroy the Ny'Sænuri even at their exaggerated strength, local commanders now feared that the insurgents had formed a capable army that could pose a serious threat to Cryrian formations. The fog of war was worsened as other Ny'Sænuri groups began to rally across the Interior, and communications between the eastern and western portions of the Kingdom had been effectively severed within a week of the siege's start. As such, the garrison instead dispatched a request to Öberg for the immediate deployment of Cryrian units in Highdrilian.

Wary of blindly throwing his reserves into the fray and without the numbers to control the Interior, Öberg finally turned back to the Duchess of Yogryg'dri. Ultimately, the Governor-General offered the Duchess a part of what she had originally desired - Recognition of her claims to Ny'Sænuri lands, and weapons with which to uphold them in exchange for placing Yogryg'dri troops under Cryrian command to quash the rebellion. However, Yogryg'dri would not be granted leave to levy taxes upon the Norsian Concern's activities in its lands. As the insurrection risked causing unrest in her own territories and threatening her incomes, the Duchess soon accepted the proposal.

However, Öberg had come to expect duplicity on the part of the Duchess, and now sought to outmaneuver her. On 9 June, Cryrian and Yogryg'dri forces assembled outside the Khuilalb Barracks. There, when Öberg was expected to publicly offer his thanks to the Duchess before the combined army, he instead presented her with a missive from the court in Highdrilian, which exercised royal authority to personally commission her into the expedition, which would be personally commanded by the Governor-General. The scene was recorded in Öberg's reports to Leidenstad:

“	I was quite pleased to present the Duchess Tyxhun with her commission, knowing that she would not be able to refuse in front of the soldiers she herself had just committed to war. To her credit, she remained unfazed and immediately commanded her attendant to fetch her an officer's pistol and sabre. The Duchess then informed me that as the individual of highest rank within the combined forces, she would now take command of the expedition. I then informed her in turn that His Highness had instead personally given me leave to command, and that her rank was overridden. That I was common-born, I think, greatly enraged her - I would say that we made an enemy on that day, but I have learned to see the Aikkians for what they are.	„

By drafting the Duchess into the relief mission, Öberg effectively removed Tyxhun from her base of power and take her far away from the Gloaming Throne at a time when the Norsian Concern's distraction might have been exploited. It also ensured that the Duchess would be personally seen as partaking in a Cryrian punitive expedition against other Aikkians, thus alienating her from the general population, cementing the rifts between the Ny'Sænuri and Yogryg'dri, and permanently tying her to the Concern. Lastly, Öberg hoped that by forcing King Håkan to give the order, he would not only form a new divide between the Ny'Sænuri and the court in Highdrilian but also create future conflicts between the Duchess and the King.