The Amurites were at the peak of their power and their army at the full strength, ready to attack at any given day. There was a common consent that the army must be used somehow, somewhere, to bring even more territories under Amurite control. Common citizens were against this and they preached that the Amurites should focus on economic development and furthering prosperity, but those commoners weren't allowed to vote for the Senate anyway.
The most pressing matter on the entire Erebus, at the time, was the Elven civil war. The hostilities were ceased and the peace was lasting for the last 50 years, but the tensions never really faded. The Svartalfar were warring against Malakim, and the Ljosalfarl were never too eager to start the war. Nevertheless, their lands were separated only by few miles long strait, and the trade ships seldom sailed across it.
Some senators wanted to intervene in the war on behalf of the Summer Court, forming one strong Elven state that would be allied to Amurites, and also to restore fading Malakim kingdom to its former glory. That approach was mostly preached by senators who weren't mages, but rather merchants. They knew that in such scenario they would get many new trade opportunities, that elves would gladly open their ports to the Amurite saviors.
But Valledia had different plans. With the help of more traditional elements of the Amurite Senate- the most powerful mages, she once again subdued the indecisive Senate and declared war on the Dwarves. She needed a casus belli, and she found it in the form of Dwarven slaves, who worked in the far away Amurite lands, wastelands on the west. She claimed that the Dwarven chief Beeri Bawl is attempting to free them, violating the rightful Amurite property.
Soldiers carrying the banners with the famed Sunrise soon swarmed the Dwarven lands, and the Dwarves couldn't strand up to the Amurite power and surrendered quickly.
Soon the Erebus knew why Valledia really attacked Dwarves, as the Mages started to preform many ancient rituals around the sacred and most mysterious Odio's Prison. Her plan was to unleash the tremendous power that bound Odio and use it for the good of Amurites.
As expected, Ljosalfarl couldn't tolerate this, and made protests. Amurite armies soon marched into teir lands as well, quickly subjugating them. Soon the Winter Court remained the only elven faction. Valledia soon established two semi-autonomous protectorates, Dwarven and Elven, to sooth the populaces, but they were trully governed by the Senate. Elven Queen was dethroned, and so was the Dwarven chief.
Malakim kingdom was in great fear. If Amurites destroyed the Summer Court, then they would, no doubt, gain favor of the Winter Court. And that would mean a certain death to the already struggling Malakim kingdom. So Varn Gosam made a last ditch effort and met Valledia. He demanded a war with Svartarlfarl. Valledia refused, but agreed to make an embargo against the Winter Court, and sworn not to let Winter court unite all elves and to liberate the Malakim lands from the grasp of their sworn enemies. That gave a light of hope to the Malakim.
Still, they soon fell to the Svartalfarl armies and Varn fled to Cevedes. His people would rather live under our rule than under Svartalfarl oppression. Do Amurites need any other reason to declare another war?
Lands under Amurite Sunrise
. The game itself isn't hard to play, we're cruising to victory...
