Ashtan-Shallam Wars

The Ashtan-Shallam Wars began approximately two-thousand years after the founding of these cities. Some animosity between Ashtan and Shallam can be traced back to the rivalry of the founders of the cities, Glanos and Sahart, who left Ceylon to avoid coming to blows over their mutual lover, Enalia. Legends about the opposing city grew in both Ashtan and Shallam, but they did not meet for two millennia. Finally, the cities rediscovered each other while searching for precious metals north of the Siroccians. Their competition over these resources began the first cycle of the long war.

The wars unfolded in three distinct cycles. The first cycle began circa 2150 BF and lasted about 750 years. This cycle consisted of a series of battles between the two cities. Led by Darius, Shallam's forces managed to capture the city of Ashtan around 1400 BF, ending the first cycle of the wars.

Cycle two began about a week later, as a group of local militia, led by Zarathustra and Travian Shea began to meet in the Black Forest, south of Thera. Together with paid mercenaries, the makeshift army formed a rebellion and freed the city. These events are chronicled by the acclaimed poem, Final Resting for Travian Shea by Tancred Lasalle.

For the next four hundred years, Ashtan seemed to have the upper hand in the conflicts, and held much of the land that had once belonged to Shallam. Ashtan began to plan an invasion of Shallam by sea, but their fleet was pushed back at the Peshwar Delta. This ended the second cycle of the wars.

The final cycle of the wars began when a Prelate named Aquinas heard of new plans to invade Shallam by sea. He contacted King Martin of Ashtan and requested that the hostilities cease. Martin tried to restrain Ashtan's forces, and although he probably prevented an all-out war, skirmishes continued for the next two centuries.

The Ashtan-Shallam Wars ended with the founding of the Selucarian Empire.