Roumelese Wars

The Second War of the Seas was a series of wars and battles over a forty year period that was divided by the

Southern War
Following the Tyrheni failure to declare independence, Cattala was unified as one kingdom. However it wasn't a peaceful union - the southern and eastern principalities were fierce rivals and each wanted to expand their borders and dominate the plentiful lands south-east of Jennai. The Roumelian heir, Prince Kadra, refused to marry the daughter of Prince Tywin VI in 1224. The Tyrheni launched a naval attack on Roumeli and pillaged the key towns of Guila, Lassinia and Porphyr within two days.

The Principality of Hellas declared war on Jennai and launched a counter attack in northern Roumeli, in support of the Kadra monarchy. The House of Maietta was a powerful northern monarchy, that had dominated Hellas for five centuries and had the largest navy of the Cattalian principalities. The Tyrheni troops retreated to the razed town of Guila in the far south of Roumeli, and were forced to leave the island entirely. It was the second major defeat for the Tyrheni in six years. The Maiettan army took over all of Roumeli by force, and executed Kadran soldiers. Prince Kadra fled to Celestine and was deposed as the Hellenic Principality annexed Roumeli.

Interwar Period
Main Article: Ontano War

In the years following the Southern War, Roumeli remained occupied by Maiettan forces, despite the growing fragility of that house and its control at home, let alone in Roumeli. Unrest in both principalities strengthened the resolve of local barons and lords in Roumeli to try and claim back their island for themselves. Led by House Kadra, the deposed Prince of Roumeli, the island of Roumeli rose up in rebellion against House Maietta and began a civil war that would draw in forces from across the Seven Principalities, and seal the fate of two royal houses forever.

Roumelese Civil War
In the early summer of 1260 the fragile peace in Roumeli was broken when the former royal house, House Kadra, joined forces with House Vaas and sacked a garrison of Maiettan troops in the north of the island. House Maietta began a ten-month naval conflict with the rebel houses, who united with numerous smaller cities and towns across Roumeli in opposing the foreign rule. Trade in the Roumeli Strait and Ionian Sea was massively disrupted for most of 1261, with starvation and poverty becoming commonplace in Ionia and Thermopylae for the second time in two decades. As spring approached the next year, a Royal Galley from Celestine was sunk by rebel forces, leading to an angry response from the Crown. House Kadra was stripped of its (Maiettan-controlled) status as Princes of Roumeli and a flotilla of Celestinian warships swept around southern Roumeli and blockaded the stronghold of House Vaas, Porphyr. Lord Willem Vaas was forced to withdraw from the war and pledged fealty to the Crown of Cattala once more.

Battle of Porphyr
As the war continued into a third summer, House Maietta launched a counter attack in southern Roumeli and breached the lands of House Vaas. Porphyr's defences were overwhelmed and a large battle occurred between Roumelian and Maiettan armies north of the city. The battle lasted for three months and led to the pillaging and devastation of large amounts of House Vaas' territory. The Crown received a plea from House Vaas for intervention as winter approached, and House Celestine joined the war. An army twice the size of both rebel and occupying forces was landed in Porphyr's harbour and stormed the battlefield, destroying both Maiettan and Kadran camps within three days. The army moved north and launched a surprise attack on further groups of Kadran and Maiettan soldiers.

Battle of Thermoplyae
House Maietta surrendered outside Thermopylae less than a month after House Celestine joined the war, in 1263. The Celestinian army, buoyant after crushing the Maiettan forces, stormed Thermopylae and razed most of the city to the ground. All heirs to House Kadra were slaughtered and the Lord of Roumeli had his head hung on a spike above the ruined city. The destruction of Thermopylae was a major victory for the Celestinian forces, and paintings of the devastations were made and sent to all other lords and cities in the country to remind them of their fealty to the Crown.

Aftermath of the Civil War
House Vaas was elevated to Princes of Roumeli following the elimination of House Kadra. House Maietta's dominance of the kingdom's waters was over, and House Celestine had cemented its position as the ruthless and unrivalled rulers of Cattala. This would be the last major war within Cattala until the 16th century, when the Glorious Revolution would break out.