Navinian Rebellion

The Navinian Rebellion, also known as the Dragon’s War or Richard’s Rebellion, was a civil war for the throne of Iadria. The War began shortly after the conclusion of the Epherian Invasion, and was launched by Duke Richard the Dragon of Navine against King Geoff III Arvait, Ruler of Iadria. The war took place during the Sixth Age by the Calendar of Aerodran, beginning in the year 6A 723 and  continuing into 6A 725. The rebellion was spearheaded by the self-titled Dragon-King Richard I and his House of Navine, and supported by many noble houses of Iadria, most notably those of the Ucorian Reach and Autumnvale. From his throne in Ihenium, capital of Iadria, King Geoff III, the Griffin of House Arvait, found his backing in Lord-Commander Michael Valendel of the Knights Jareche, Duke Royce Haywood of the Blackbriar, Chancellor Jack Palivan of Naegirus, and Duke Jaymes Cobalst of Vremas. Duke Richard's self-proclaimed motivation for instigating the rebellion was to restore the House of Navine to the Holy Crown, in response to King Geoff's perceived failings as a wartime leader and signing of the Okequar Treaty two years prior. Navine justified this goal using the precedent set by the Church's deposition of King Alastair IV Silvane in 6A 243 following the Stehevar Secessionary Wars, which had placed the first Navine Dynasty on the throne. Duke Richard received enormous popular support in eastern Iadria, where he had become a legendary war hero for his exploits during the Invasion, while King Geoff had conversely fallen out of favor for his alleged preference for the Western Duchies and use of the East as a shield against Epheria. The loss of Leogoth in particular was a sore spot for many Iadrians, and Duke Richard's promises of a future Crusade against the Eastern Empire to reclaim the lost Anderian lands earned him much support among the nobility and middle class. Richard consolidated this support and secured the pledges of Duke Justin Alataer of the Autumnvale and Duke Adrian Halleron of Ucoria, as well as the Elven city of Cenother, which sought revenge against the Epherians for their torching of the surrounding forests during the Invasion. Richard gathered his supporters to the Ucorian city of Aedrisos on May 17 of 6A 723, where he issued the Declaration of Aedrisos, stipulating that Geoff III had failed in the eyes of Edos and was unworthy to wear the Holy Crown, and that the united Coalition of Navine would enact the duty of deposing him in the absence of the Patriarchs of Leogoth. Geoff and his loyalist supporters correctly interpreted this as a declaration of war, and both sides began mobilizing their forces. Richard and his Coalition quickly ousted or executed the remaining influential Loyalists within the rebel Duchies, while King Geoff ordered the Sixth and Twelfth Royal Legions to march into the Autumnvale and restore order in the vital Duchy. On June 13, the two Legions were surprised by Richard's host following a rapid forced march at the Battle of Ayrith, where the Dragon Duke defeated them in detail and forced their surrender, securing the Autumnvale for the Coalition and striking at the loyalist's morale.