Spear of the West Campaign
The Spear of the West Campaign (also sometimes called Operation Spear of the West) was a Songkram that started in 314 DHT and lasted 1 year. The campaign's goal was to expand the borders of the empire to the east bank of Crossroads Lake. This threatened Destral by not only bringing the edges of Songkram territory to the doorstep of Destral, but also by breaking the Testing Grounds Treaty[^1].
Political Motivation #
During the 250s, the Songkram Government greatly accelerated the growth of their armies by conscripting greater and greater numbers of children from the Isutan people. This was sparked by a number of factors, which included:
- Public perception; the Songkram wanted to show The Eastern Provinces and Legere beyond that they were mighty and not to trifled with.
- Shaky trade negotiations with Corgath; many Ganpoumi Fi deals that had been made with Corgath were expiring, and the Songkram wanted to change some things.
- Ganpoumi Fi guerilla activity; a wave of successful Ganpoumi Fi (and Ganpoumi Fi sympathizers) attacks on Songkram infrastructure happened across the Eastern Provinces in 259 DHT. While the Songkram were able to keep news of such attacks quiet and away from the common folk, they did want to hunt down and squash the insurgents (and potentially snuff out the flame of the Ganpoumi Fi for good).
Over the next decade, Nakai counts skyrocketed, and the Songkram became a truly impressive military power. However, the established retirement plans of the nakai became a major concern among officials. With no major active conflicts, the nakai warriors that were serving the Empire would retire in another decade, and with their sheer numbers, there would not be enough land to give to them all.
Fearing major backlash and potential mutiny if their nakai weren't able to be properly compensated post-service, the Songkram Grandmasters devised a plan to launch an invasion upon the unannexed Destrian Testing Grounds. The outcome of the war was win-win: if the Songkram won, they would have acquired enough new land to provide homes for the nakai; upon defeat, the Songkram would have still culled the numbers of their forces by hopefully enough.
Phovezilan Interference #
As Songkram forces surged across the Testing Grounds, Destral sent quick word to their Phovezilan allies. Destral was worried that if they were forced to engage in full, active warfare against The Eastern Provinces, they would irrevocably change the face of warfare by unleashing and inventing technologies that were too dangerous to be controlled in the current time of Legere. Instead, Destral opted to make massive payments to the king of Phovezila (both of monetary value and trade deals), and in exchange the Elementum Order would be sent to fight on Destral's behalf.
Outcome #
The Spear of the West Campaign raged on for a year, and Phovezilan forces held a strong line of defense that the nakai were unable to push through. During the campaign, the Songkram Grandmaster Win Ng Suthyin of Zhing province consorted with the Sect of Cal to overthrow Lord Koh-Ash. Word of the Grandmaster's plot reached the ears of Yedom Khatkir, and with the help of 3 foreigners, the plot was revealed to the Grand Lord of the Songkram.
While a coup was avoided, Lord Koh-Ash chose to withdraw Songkram forces to ensure the Eastern Provinces' stability as they conducted further investigations into the depths of Win Ng's treason.
[^1]: Destral paid a fortune to the Ganpoumi Fi for technical ownership of that land. Destral was uninterested in becoming a nation beyond a city-state, and instead opted to create an agreement that the land would remain neutral. The Songkram had tentatively honoured this until the event of this military campaign.