Conflicts of Jesenreth

Currently there are no large-scale wars on the planet, though it has been riven by many such in the past, and there are several small-to-medium scale conflicts raging, and some which could break out into full wars at any time. These include:

Gnoll Ravagers v.s. Civilized Nations

Leaving Skusk in barely seaworthy barges and following the northerly currents to plunder, pillage, and murder in the shipping lanes and territories of the countries of the north is a cornerstone of what passes for culture among the Gnoll, and this has been going on for many hundreds of years. The civilized nations have adapted somewhat to its occurrence: naval ships and armed merchants expect and are ready for gnoll raids, and most of the time they cause minimal death and damage. Several times military expeditions have been mounted to destroy the gnoll ability and will to go raiding, but short of wiping all of them out, which no one has been willing to do, they always build back and come again. Ravagers, as these raiding parties are called, usually come in one or two barges, each holding between 20 and 40 gnolls, who attack savagely and give no quarter, but have little strategy and almost never advanced arms, like cannon, or magic. Those who fall to gnolls can expect a swift and brutal death, although prisoner/slave taking has happened. Raids are successful just often enough to keep the gnolls in food and equipment.

Pirates v.s. Civilized Nations

On the broad face of the seas of Jesenreth there are a couple hundred sailing ships known to engage at least occasionally in piracy. These range from a handful of thugs in glorified dingies, to privateers, working covertly for nations, to large and well-coordinated organized criminal fleets with self-anointed Pirate Lords and Ladies. Most pirate attacks are ones of opportunity and afflict the unprepared, unwise, and lost, with no more than two ships attacking, and most pirates simply want to smash and grab as much as they can and flee before naval ships show up. Rarely do pirates risk too much rape and murder, because they then become targets for systematic hunting, particularly by the Ketten Royal Navy, whose merchant fleet is commonly targeted by pirates, though all national navies engage in pirate defense. The penalty for piracy is death in most jurisdictions, often public beheading. Pirates are known to have hideouts in remote locations such as small islands and The Sunken Land. See the Ocean of Nimran article for a description of some of the most notorious pirates. Sometimes, pirates will war with Ravagers, who make no distinction between them and normal shipping.

Greta/Gretell Cold War

The two principal hill dwarf civilizations on Jesenreth have a lot in common, in fact, they were once the same nation. But today they are separated across a bay and across almost a thousand years of betrayal, resentment, and bad blood, stemming from a murky event in the former royal house involving multiple infidelities and murders. Survivors of both sides fled to opposite cities and cut off ties with the other, hurling blame and insults, and ever since the people they rule have been set against each other, taught to believe that the other is corrupt and vile. That they have never actually gone to war yet is a testament to the tolerance and conservatism of dwarves, but economic sanctions, espionage, sabotage, and military incidents and skirmishes have been getting more serious and frequent in recent decades, and many observers think that full-scale war between these two powers is inevitable within ten years, unless cooler heads prevail. For now, it seems each side is just waiting for the other to give it an excuse to go to war. Such a war would be serious, as both sides have respectable land and sea-going forces. Also, each side tries to convince surrounding powers to ally with them against the other. See "Thoilesian Expansionism" below.

Thulok Karn v.s The Seven Tribes

One of the most evil and cunning rulers on the planet, snake soul sorcerer Thulok Karn has been actively attempting wipe out or conquer all other sapients on Sarborea for over 100 years. Fortunately for the rest of the planet, he and his The Black Fangs army have been kept mostly in check by the barbarian The Seven Tribes. This comes at great cost, for Karn tortures and slaughters any who oppose him when he can, including thousands upon thousands of the Tribes over the years. Battles and raids by both sides happen constantly. It is thought that Karn is seeking a way to destroy the tribes once and for all, and turn his forces toward conquering the rest of the world. The other powers have assiduously stayed off of Sarborea and out of this fight so far, with the possible exception of the Yuan-ti.

Thulok Karn v.s. Yar Kanti Islands

The only group taking more than a distant, wary notice of Thulok Karn are the Yuan-ti of the Yar Kanti Islands, who despise the sorcerer for claiming to be empowered by the very Snake Gods they worship (the gods themselves are allegedly silent on this issue). So far this conflict has been confined to diplomatic condemnation, shutting down any attempt of his to send his forces to sea with their small but powerful navy, and occasional covert assistance sent to the Tribes. Whether the reclusive Yar Kanti would ever declare a full scale war is a matter of some conjecture. For his part, Karn hates them almost as much as the Tribes, and brutally murders any of their agents he discovers.

The Citadel of High Magic/Syndecol Industries Cold War

The two most powerful organizations/quasi-states on Jesenreth have been in open or covert opposition to each other almost since Syndecol Industries first began to conduct business on the planet. The Citadel of High Magic sees them as a heartless corporate machine, not without justification, and the company sees them as kooky, old-fashioned, meddling dangers to its bottom line, with considerable justification. For centuries they have competed for the hearts, minds, and gold pieces of the planet's people and governments, usually though espionage, sabotage, and propaganda, but twice through open warfare in the skies and on the land. Both conflicts were essentially stalemates, with neither high magic nor high technology able to decisively defeat the other. Secret and occasionally open conflict continues, and it is believed that each side is planning some masterstroke to finally bring down the other, once and for all, but neither wants to pull the trigger first. Do you side with ancient, majestic power and tradition or with the new, fresh low-price leader?

Qruk v.s. Ratfolk

Jesenreth's most low-level active conflict, literally, as most of it happens underground. It is also its most brutal and bloody, with near-constant battles happening as the kobold try to protect their warren city with traps and ballistas against the unsophisticated but unending waves of ratfolk, driven by a near-religious zeal to take the city at the behest of their diabolicaly insane leader, Scig the Skinpeeler. Grand Chief Tekka is said to be desperate for some permanent solution, even being willing to eradicate the ratfolk if she could.

Thoilesian Expansionism

This mountain dwarf city state is territorially and economically very secure, with no significant enemies, so the only reason it ruminates on and agitates for war is the desires of its king, Asrok II, who dreams of the military glory of his forebears and despises setting on this throne signing trade deals and dealing with court politics. What makes these not idol dreams is that the Thoilesians are very obedient to their king, seeing his desires as a sign that he is a reincarnation of those old warriors, and thus expansion as a gods-mandated thing for their people. Who they would war on is another matter, given that they control most of the easily conquered territory in their area. One possibility, and the king's advisors are rumored to be looking into it, is intervening the Greta/Gretell situation, bringing them to war, pronouncing it a threat, and conquering them both, creating a new dwarven empire in southern Marbindor.