Third Isbajath

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The supply lines of the Third Isbajath

The Third Isbajath, 2251 to 2255, began as a pre-emptive campaign during the Second Isbajath. The Incarnandina, Miyanikhiya kath Agiya, sent Askymos Reclave with a detachment to Iando to besiege the court of Strakkos Chaos Mage of Ebinóë and prevent him from sending aid or receiving aid from other chaos rulers as the Incarnandists expected that Strakkos would easily deduce the tisbajuma's intention to defeat him. When the Second Isbajath came to a close in 2252, the Incarnandina sent forces to reinforce the Siege of Iando, prevent its relief, and ready the way for the veterans of the Ascetics' Isbajath and the Second Isbajath to escalate the siege in 2253. The Incarnandina also permitted Ambrew Shedruhil, later known as Ambrew the Traitor, to lead forces against Izruul Demonfriend in Brandolphi in what became the disastrous Ambrew's Isbajath. The Third Isbajath is the first of the general isbajutha to which the Incarnandina was not personally in attendance.

In 2251, the Gorcorumbese vassals of Strakkos came in force to relieve the siege. Despite their great strength and chaos sorcery, they were kept at bay by the half-orc and orc warriors under the leadership of Askymos who had been trained in the discipline of energist combat. They also had the benefit of skycraft for reconnaissance. Nekessos of Alinot led the human kamsudhis in siege. They also supported the Incarnandist missionaries who combed the countryside, preaching the Incarnandus and assessing the presence of chaos mages and cultists. The Arathracian Sanctuary of Erracrumel did not send any great force to support the Incarnandists, but did provide intelligence and kept a watch on the chaos priests and forces of Corundy. At this time, the Arathracians were wary of the early Isbajutha and did not openly cooperate.

The conflict came to crescendo in 2253 in the Battle of Mount Vassos where the Gorcorumbese had gathered their strength. The th'ughiya and harubeel determined to assault the Gorcorumbese before their strength could increase. The generals had stretched their forces thin between the siege of Iando and the assault on Mount Vassos. They sent forth a messenger, beseeching the commander of the Gorcorumbese warriors to renounce their oaths to Strakkos and that they would receive clemency and freedom from the chaos mage's dominion. When the commander insisted that they found renouncing their obedience deeply dishonorable for contemplation, the Incarnandist messengers entreated the Gorcorumbese with arguments that service to Strakkos was disreputable, that he did not deserve their willing obedience, and that they would be liberated from his power and become freemen. The Gorcorumbese replied that they would never be disloyal.

At this point, the negotiations are not certain and have become the source of much speculation. The Incarnandists withdrew some of their forces back to the siege of Iando. The Gorcorumbese giants marched forth from their stronghold on Mount Vassos and engaged the remaining Incarnandists who were found valiantly pushing the Gorcorumbese back through the power of their energist assault to which the giants were vulnerable. The Incarnandists avoided slaying many of the Gorcorumbese when possible unless their own safety demanded it. The Gorcorumbese began to flee to the security of their stronghold and the Incarnandist force withdrew, returning to the siege of Iando. The Gorcorumbese did not pursue the Incarnandists. Whether this was due to sympathy for their cause or fear of the khamsudhim warriors is a matter of historical debate.

When Strakkos learned that the Gorcorumbese were not heeding his summons, he sent a messenger who offered both threats and promises of great wealth and power under his dominion. The Gorcorumbese commander detained the messenger and would not permit her to return to Strakkos. He then led the giants out of the stronghold of Mount Vassos to the north into the woods to the northwest of Iando where it appears they chopped timber and made artillery for a counter-siege. It is important to keep in mind that none of the Gorcorumbese at this time in military service to Strakkos were of those he delivered from stasis in the kumenontli and the handful of Gorcorumbese so liberated were nobles that he kept captive in his citadel through the power of his chaos magics.

The Incarnandists fearing that the giants would emerge from the woods with engines of war, pressed the siege against the citadel of Iando. They slew the defenders on the walls and the orcish khamsudhim battered the gates until it collapsed. Strakkos made plans to flee by a magical skycraft, but his plans were discovered through reconnaissance skycraft and his vessel was forced to land. He resisted capture and was slain in 2255. The Gorcorumbese upon learning of their liege's death, sent a messenger to the Incarnandist generals, acknowledging their power and declaring the independence and future cooperation of the giants. The Incarnandist generals promised that the giants and the Ebinóëse would be free to govern their ancestral homelands respectively.

The giants revived from the kumenontli and forced into Strakkos' servitude were subsequently liberated. They were an object of great curiosity to the Incarnandists who realized the giants had been kept in suspension for some fifteen thousand years by the power of ancient titan technology which came to be called paleotitancraft. These noble giants fled to Gorcorumb where they became the rulers of the Gorcorumbese Giants. Despite the Incarnandist's liberation of their kind, the noble giants remembered their ignominious subjection to the human chaos mage, Strakkos, and quietly plotted the future ascendance of their power.

With Iando and Ebinóë secured, the Incarnandists reserved a small detachment in Iando to preserve the order and sent the bulk of their forces to Aglidice in anticipation of the Fourth Isbajath.

The Third Isbajath is associated with the zodiacal sign of the Poet.

Belligerents

Strakkosian

Incarnandist

Source

Primary Source Primary Sources

Secondary Source Secondary Sources

See Also