First Water Tribe Civil War

The Water Tribe Civil War was a conflict fought between the Water Tribe government based in Borealis and rebels led by the Sage Maruloq. The conflict had an extended period of heightened tension before violence broke out, as Maruloq wrote numerous polemics condemning the Chieftain, but was ultimately triggered by an attempted assassination of Maruloq. It was a significant watershed moment in the increasingly hostile relations between the Water Tribe's northern and southern regions, as the perceived excesses of Chieftain Urist were seen by the south to have delegitimised the state. Following an inconclusive battle at Agna Qel'a, peace was successfully brokered at Lasthold, where the Sages would gain certain additional rights in exchange for the demilitarisation of Maruloq's forces and their reintegration to the Water Tribe.

Background

Chieftain Urist had behaved in a strange manner for a great while prior to the war's outbreak, with allegations and rumour swirling around her administration. Among these was the murder of a sage, which it would later be revealed caused her to be possessed by a spirit. This spirit seemed to take Urist down a darker and more authoritarian path, greatly angering the sages. In particular, this perceived tyranny of Borealis was most widely criticised by the Sage of Agna Qel'a, Maruloq. Among Maruloq's complaints included Urist's refusal to participate in the traditional leadership initiation ritual known as the Rites of Akela; the imposition of a blockade on Fryslan with the Earth Kingdom; and the lavish expenditure at the temples of Borealis and on Snowrider.

While the Water Tribe's centralisation had seen the north, especially Borealis and Polaris, flourish into developed trade economies, the south languished in rural poverty. In particular, food scarcity was a major crisis. With Agna Qel'a's cultural role as a leader of traditionalism in the Tribe, as well as the material issues affecting its people while the northern towns thrived, the stage was set for resentments on spiritual and economic grounds to bubble over into military action.

Timeline

The conflict began with Sage Maruloq seizing control of his native Agna Qel'a with control soon extended to nearby Paia's Brook. As a major site of clerical training, the town's local influentials found the narrative of Maruloq's fight for religious freedom somewhat dubious. As Polaris declared itself to be neutrality, the Chieftain's government in Borealis struggled to organise a proper response. While the key fort of Hrafnarost was garrisoned without incident, supply issues soon broke out as roads around Columnstown were blocked by Maruloqite protesters. Coal was a particular concern, mitigating the government's overwhelming advantage in air assets.

The first clash came as WNS Preabaire located a shipwreck that Maruloqites appeared to be attempting to salvage. A small elite group of 20 soldiers were dispatched by the government, who were promptly repulsed by the defenders of the wreck. In order to consolidate the seas, the government would soon attempt to impose a blockade on the east coast. At Lasthold, the town declared its neutrality and burned the docks there, leading to the army being stationed instead. Due to local pressure, the government felt it had to commit to an offensive, moving into Paia's Brook. This met minimal military resistance, the town being ungarrisoned by Maruloqites.

At Paia's Brook, the Council of Sages voted to reject the authority of Chieftain Urist with a single vote deciding, the minority wishing to simply declare the town for Maruloq. Once again seeking to rectify local disdain by moving quickly, an offensive into Agna Qel'a, the rebel capital and stronghold, was ordered. The town fell promptly with no serious resistance, other than some partisan activities in nearby forests. This soon changed with the Maruloqite counteroffensive, where the entire rebel army of 6,000 descended upon the garrison of 2,000 government troops. Outnumbered, unfamiliar with the terrain and demoralised by Maruloq's "bear berserkers", the rebels promptly retook the town despite better resistance by government forces than was expected.

At this stage, negotiations were called in Lasthold. Many matters were debated, such as Urist's refusal to participate in the Rites of Akela and over the matter of southern poverty, but a compromise was soon negotiated as mediated by the Chief of Lasthold. The south of the Water Tribe would receive food supplements to reduce their chronic starvation, as well as Sages gaining seats in the Court of Harmony, in exchange for the end of the rebellion and the disbanding of all Maruloqite forces. With this, the civil war came to an end.

Lasthold Negotiations

Following the government's defeat at the Battle of Agna Qel'a, a truce was wished for by both sides. While the rebels had successfully driven pro-Urist forces out of their capital, it was clear that they could not easily sustain the war effort and stood no realistic chance of victory in the long-term. The government wished to preserve its legitimacy and reorient back towards foreign policy concerning Fryslan, and thus also sought a quick exit to the conflict. As Lasthold had preserved a great deal of its autonomy, despite being nominally pro-Urist, its Chief was able to invite both sides to meet for peace negotiations. A delegate of Cassland was also invited to attend as a neutral observer.

While initial expectations of an agreement had been pessimistic, this common pessimism was soon dispelled. The primary matters of concern were soon identified: the eroding power of the Sages, Urist's unwillingness to partake in the Rites of Akela, and the economic fragility of the south as a whole. These were addressed through a series of significant concessions from the government. The Sages were to be empowered with greater authority over the Chieftain, and significant food banks were to be established to alleviate the south's constant risk of famine. The Rites proved to be unsolvable, due to contradictory interpretations of The Ordering: the Rites of Akela are seen as a necessary step for any to claim the mantle of leadership, but the Ettins were also seen to require the submission of all. This matter was ultimately shelved. In exchange for these concessions, the Maruloqites would surrender all forces and territory and return to "fruitful labour". This agreement effectively ended the civil war.

International reactions

Unlike the Frisian Civil War, the Water Tribe's war saw little international reaction or comment. This is likely due to three primary factors: ongoing stability in the port of Polaris ensuring the conflict's consequences did not spread, the relatively unimportant strategic position of Agna Qel'a by comparison, and concerns of incurring the wrath of whoever might win the conflict.

Two nations that were invested in the conflict were Atlas, as an Atlassian diplomat known as Kyrillos had been injured in the assassination attempt, and Cassland, which was concerned about the wellbeing of Kyrillos. No other nations became involved, potentially because the war ended so rapidly.

Legacy

While the end of the war did bring a close to the violent clashes between Maruloqites and the Water Tribe government, it did not end the tensions between pro- and anti-Urist forces in the Water Tribe. Shortly after the war's end, the Water Tribe would begin the Frisian War in part to shore up Urist's legitimacy, which would lead to her impeachment. Eventually, Talabughr would assassinate Urist, leading to Maruloq taking the position of Chieftain despite his earlier rebellion.

See also

• Frisian Civil War
• The Ordering