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Arlun felt strong enough to resume the war in 635. One third of his army attacked and seized Quste with much noise while the remainder, led by Arlun, moved southeast to cross the Thard and take Thiri. Golotha gathered an army twice the size of Arlun’s and marched north to take the bait at Quste, completely unaware of Arlun’s presence at Thiri. The Kubora holding Quste retired to Shostim as planned, pursued by the Golothan army. Sensing victory, the Theocracy’s incompetent generals once again threw waves of men at Shostim, but the defenders held.

Meanwhile, Arlun had marched on Golotha from the southeast and found it lightly defended. The city was easily taken by Arlun in the late summer of 635. When the besiegers of Shostim heard the news of Golotha’s fall, they realized they had been outmaneuvered, lifted their siege, and marched south to recapture their city. There they found Arlun had organized a solid defense. Facing the prospect of a long siege with few provisions and a hostile army at their rear, the besiegers decided to come to terms. The Kingdom of Rethem was proclaimed in the autumn of 635 with Arlun as its first king.

Arlun spent the next few years extending his domains east and south, taking Menekai and Senun from the Thardic League in 639 and establishing his southern border at Dunir and Menekod by 654. His persecution of Morgathian theocrats only succeeded in driving them underground. However, by 650, he felt secure enough to restore religious freedom. His kingdom was the largest since the Corani Empire, extending from the Gomisen River to Cape Vikod and from Ternu Heath to the Pemetta River.

THE THARDIC LEAGUE
In central and northeastern Tharda, two republics arose from the Interregnum; the Coranan Republic in 621 and the Shiran Republic in 625. Both had similar political structures, with senates controlled by wealthy families, many of whom made their fortunes in trade. The two republics formed a mutual defense alliance in 632. With the threat of Arlun the Barbarian weighing heavily, the two republics voted to form a league in 636. The Thardic League created the office of autarch, to be held by men of military experience who would have responsibility for external affairs and defense, while the republics were to retain internal autonomy. Autarchs were to be elected for seven years and could serve only once. Neradas of Shiran was chosen the first autarch. His first duty was to create an integrated League army that would later be called the Red Guard. Personally commanding the guard, Neradas faced an incursion from Rethem, loosing Menekai and Senun but halting the invasion at the Gomisen River.

The Five-Year War
The two succeeding autarchs both sought to expand their power by employing the Red Guard to annex new territories, notably the region of Kom in 654. Autarch Jalien undertook to extend the League’s holdings south of the River Thard. He oversaw the conquest and annexation of the petty state of Moleryn in 661 but was slain by a stray arrow. Since Moleryn was allied to the Kingdom of Kanday, Queen Arelora demanded the withdrawal of League forces but her ultimatum was ignored by Jalien’s successor, Colura of Coranan. Arelora declared war and five years of sporadic fighting began.

Although dozens of minor skirmishes took place, only two battles were of any significance. Queen Arelora left the conduct of the war to her lieutenants. A disorganized Kandian army was soundly defeated by Colura at the Battle of the Teb Marshes in 663, leading to the loss of the royal keep at Ibonost. The fall of Ibonost, which had been the first major holding of the Kandian dynasty, infuriated Queen Arelora and she took personal command of her army. The sight of the diminutive 52-year-old queen, bedecked in armour, served to rally the demoralized Kandians. The armies of Kanday and the League came to battle near Quivum in 665, where the “avenging queen” inflicted an ignominious defeat on Colura.

Urging her army forward, Arelora went on to take Eidru and Kuseme and might well have captured Coranan had not the wide Thard River checked her advance. Colura sued for peace. The League was allowed to keep Moleryn but Ibonost was returned and Kanday received the more valuable Eidru and Kuseme. The treaty was signed in 666; both sides considered the war won.

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