Civil War in Goldshire

Civil War in Goldshire
Date:	24 Rugaall 1639–the present
Place:	Goldshire
Casus belli:	Martial Law in Goldshire, Avakair Massacre
Outcome:
Participants
House of Ayreon-Kalirion (Kingdom of Goldshire) ESB-Jörmungandr Group Ministry Of Military Affairs Royal Iron Company of Goldshire		House of Mercaja (Duchy of Goldshire) The Assayers
Commanders
Queen Noor Ernst Cryptsinger Thorgils Tarjeisson Villiam Al-Basani		Tudor ap Rimetar Grigory Mazower Mo'lluk Hawthorne (GLF)
Strength
Imperial Navy Imperial Army Directorate of Security Goldshire Regulars Iron Militia: 9,000		Army of the Golden Dawn County Militias
Casualties
Notes

Background

Martial Law in Goldshire was declared after the assassination of the Goldshirean and Elwynnese Princes Arn and Rostam Ayreon-Kalirion by parties unknown in the year 1639. This being the third such attempt on a member of the Ayreon-Kalirion bloodline in which poison was administered in a secure environment, suspicion quickly turned to the Leonid Guard whose duty was to protect the family of the Emira of Sathrati.

Towards the end of her reign Queen Noor was increasingly depicted as a depraved and blood-thirsty pseudo-Babkhan, as can be seen depicted here in an unsympathetic artistic portrayal created by noted local artist Raul Benedict, who was subsequently fed to a herd of pigs in the Kingsgate Fighting Pit.

Concerned about wavering morale amongst the Goldshire Regulars, the Royal Government, on the 11th of Araroqpinu 1639, invoked its right under the Martial Code of Shireroth to seek the assistance of Imperial Forces. The Imperial Government had already taken steps to order Leonid Guards based overseas to return to ESB run rendition facilities in Goldshire and Zy-Rodun. Now, with an official invitation, it could act with full force.

Following the example of the Lunatic Legion which defected from Royal Government to the Army of the Golden Dawn, the County Militias of Ran and Elsenar also rose in late 1639/6232. The spread of organised resistance into the southern counties of the Kingdom marked the beginning of the Civil War in Goldshire.

Rebel Offensive

The Army of the Golden Dawn went over onto the offensive on the 2nd of Gevrader 1640 with an audacious raid on the island of Mediguttula using the previously unknown triskele to destroy a pair of radar installations [1] operated by the Imperial Order of Technomaezji as part of the Imperial Republic's air defence network. The destruction of these two units created a gap in radar coverage and a blind-spot over southern Goldshire where the venerable Ikol Anti-Ballistic Missile would now be useless in combating the hallucinogen tipped missiles of the C'ort Somnis of the Lunatic Legion[2]

Iron Company

The Royal Iron Company of Goldshire which had been granted a number of trading concessions it regarded as being political concessions in Goldshire, began to move battalion strength formations of men into the ports of New Harbour, Chryste and Erudition in response to the deteriorating security situation, in addition to 20,000 men-at-arms dispatched to Goldshire at a theatre level and an unspecified number of operatives aligned with the Office of Shadows [3]. This deployment was a source of unease for the ESB Group which was, by this stage, and after having ostensibly crushed the Assayers, increasingly jealous of the powers and privileges it had amassed in Goldshire since its inception in 1634. However, since both corporations were the beneficiaries of the patronage of Queen Noor, they remained, ostensibly, on the same side.