Wars of the Faith

The Wars of the Faith were a series of conflicts fought in Azora between 1140 and 1254 AC. Deeply interconnected, these conflicts began with the religious issue of the Spiritual Controversy within Vayonism, and the failure of the Synodical Council of Hyelodon to solve it. The religious tensions created by this theological dispute, combined with the rivalry between the Haliarch, supported by the Achysian Abode, and the Theiarch of Ravonne, supported by the Kathic Kingdom, eventually led to the Crimson Solstice of 1140, and the beginning of a military conflict between the two Elyrian powers. With the formation of the Sectarian Concordat and the Great Discord within Vayonism, quickly led to other nations attracted by Sectarian ideals to break their communion with Ecumenical Vayonsim, and to join the war on the Concordat's side. Although initially solely religious in nature, these conflicts quickly a political and dynastic nature, as the great powers and families of the continent saw it as a way of accomplishing their objectives.

The Wars of the Faith are generally divided into five phases. The first, the Phase of Discord, is the largely religious conflict initially fought between Kathia and Achysia. The strong involvement of Ichoria into the conflict and thecreation of the Ecumenical Covenant to support the Haliarchy and Achysia brought the Wars into their second phase, the Phase of Loathing, which led to parallel conflicts starting all throughout Azora, and were marked by a dynastic claim of the Achysian Sorya Dynasty on the Kathic throne. Although initially leading to an Ecumenical upper hand, especially through the victories won by Varayon III, the phase ended with the failed Achysian Conquest of the East, the massacring of the Ecumenical forces involved and the death of Varayon and of the Ichorian heirs to the throne. The fourth phase, the Phase of Yearning, led to the Sectarian forces nearly defeating their enemies, but a new personal union between Achysia and Ichoria managed to hold its ground, and the Ecumenical victory in the failed Siege of Vathora began the Phase of Vanquishment, with Daeron the Great taking the thrones of Ichoria, Kathia, and Achysia and managing to initially defeat the Sectarian Concordat through his campaigns. His ambitions however overstretched his young empire, and with his death, his heir, Kaeron I, was unable to keep the realm together, and a resurgence of the Sectarians brought with it the Age of Foundering, which ended with the Ichorian rebellion against Kaeron, an Achysian defeat in the Battle of Kavetha, and the death of the Achysian Emperor.

The final victory of the Sectarians led to the Council of Kelal, which declared principles of religious freedom throughout many of the states which had taken part in the conflict, and reshaped the Azoran balance of power through the emergence of Kathia. The Wars of the Faith were one of the marking events of Azoran history, and led to the deaths of millions of people, civilian and military, irreparably altering the face of the continent and the role of Vayonism within it.