Lein-Jichei Campaign

The Lein campaign into Jichei of the 33rd year of Sora, also known as the Vengeance War (Itrani: Krita Garusaimi), was the largest campaign ever launched by Emperor Sora, and one of the largest launched during the Lein Dynasty.

Background and causes

Wars in the northwest against the "barbarian states" were nothing new to any Tranon dynasty; indeed, for nearly a hundred years, large tracts of the Tranon lands actually fell under the sway of these invaders. The so-called barbarian states, representing several distinct cultures from the Tranon peoples like the Prazanon, Midinon and Farudei, had for hundreds of years been the enemies of successive emperors in the southern Trandimir; never before, however, had the Tranon successfully beaten these peoples on their homeground.

This record was to be ended by the Lein Dynasty under Emperor Sora, whose armies launched no less than four major campaigns over 22 years and, with both overwhelming numbers and inspired leadership, successfully conquered or destroyed many of the northwestern cities and kingdoms. By the 25th year of Sora's reign, with the destruction of several small kingdoms that still held out against his army, the Imperial borders stretched far into the northwestern homeland and bordered on the Jichei Kingdom.

The Jichei had been one of the most northerly of the northwestern kingdoms, as well as the richest and the most powerful; while it had in earlier times provided much support for the kingdoms, it had thus far wisely chosen not to intervene directly in the wars against the Lein. For this Sora had long considered making peace with them, unenthusiastic about risking the many fortified cities, and fearful of overloading his already stretched supply lines (which were indeed broken for months in Sora 23, when the Meidorien flooded its banks). In Sora 26, several delegations from both sides led to a meeting where a treaty, fixing the borders of the two nations and promising peace, was attested to and sealed.