for dominance in the Holay/Tarsh/upper Saird region. Arim fled south in 1330 and formed his Tribe over the next twenty years or so _before_ he became involved in the major conflicts with the Lunars that were going on=
in Holay and near the Death Line because until around 1350 the tarsh trib=
e
had _no_ conflict with the Lunars, being shielded by the Cynnelfing
Alliance to their north.
The Cynnelfing Alliance was only defeated by the Conquering Daughter in
1347 when she broke their power at Mrins Cross, previous to that the
Cynnelfing, led by Gwythar Longwise, had frustrated her efforts to contro=
l
the southern tribes and Clans and had slain her husband, her son and done=
much damage besides. They were strong in magic and were allied with the
river folk from both the Oslir and th Black Eel. Mrins Cross was itslef =
a
powerful fortress and river port that dominated the junction between the
Oslir and Black Eel. While it held, Lunar strength could progress no
further southwards.
Once the Cynnelfing were defeated the _second_ wave of immigration into
Tarsh began as the shattered warbands and clans of the Cynnelfing fled th=
e
CDs armies and vengence. Prior to this Tarsh was lighty settled by
Kerofini, immigrants form Holay, Aggar, Quivini and Esrolia seeking new
lands and those few wandering clans who came from Saird after the CDs
first victory there plus the Grazers of course.
Arim thus had to contend with a whole bunch of very warlike folk moving i=
n
to Tarsh who until then had shielded him from the Empire. Now the Empire=
was on his borders and those tribes who survived Mrins cross were real Lunar haters like the Mitchuinn frex. These people didn't cease to raid=
and strike back into Holay against the Lunars, they _forced_ the Lunars t=
o
counter and this brought in Arim. One raid by the Mitchuinn broke into
Mrins Cross and actually used the heroroad of the CD against her such was=
their strength. =
Arim probably accepted several clans under his protection who were pursue=
d
by the Lunars and because of his protection he _had_ to fight and followe=
d
a spiral of raid and war until he was firmly opposed to the Empire and
actually sought out allies among the Balazaings, the Holayans and the
Aggari in his fight. Of course those peoples would have found Lunar
control somewhat opporessive, no matter how lightly the CD ruled - she wa=
s
not Orlanthi and was a conqueror so Arim had somewhat willing allies in h=
is
struggle as well as the ability to recruit hardy Quivini warriors,
Praxians, Grazers, Trolls and Kerofini into his host making his army
probably one of the most cosmopolitan since the EWF days.
IMO Arim _did_ make war upon the Empire but as a preemptive measure - the=
aquisition of such a large swath of territory by the Empire was going to take some digestion, more so as they'd only conquered Saird and Thrice Blessed within forty years of the Falling Hills and the tribes needed pacifying and bringing into the Lunar Way more solidly before the borders=
could push southwards.
Arims victory reunified the tribes in the Tarsh/Holay area into a powerfu=
l
military force, under strong leadership. This grouping would have been a=
major opponent for the Empire and would have been the target of their strongest forces had it not been for the arrival of Shengs nomadic hordes= =2E
IMO the conflict between Arim and the Empire was inevitable given the strategic situation and the natures of the peoples in the area.
Martin Laurie
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