Woman's War

The Woman's War, (as it has become known to historians; at the time it was regarded as the Great Aurum Schism, or less frequently the Orben Civil War,) was the first internal conflict fought within the kingdom of Orbis since its foundation. The tensions behind the conflict began brewing towards the latter end of the reign of Marcellus I and all out conflict began shortly after his untimely (and some argued suspicion) death. It is also sometimes called the Regents' War.

The origins of the crisis came when Marcellus' eldest son and heir, Gelegian, departed Orbis altogether to lead a life of nomadic warmongering with his maternal grandfather in the far west. This put Marcellus' second son, Kaidu, as first in line to the throne. However, Marcellus' younger sister and royal archmage Lilian believed that the throne should instead be inherited by Marcellus' eldest remaining child, Kaidu's older sister Khulan. Lilian argued that the looking over of female children in inheritance was a holdover from the depowered Terranian Empire, and that this was an archaic tradition that Orbis should abandon. Lilian would be opposed by Marcellus' wife, Hoelun, who saw the planned deposing of her son as not only blasphemous, but a blatant power grab by Lilian and the University of the Higher Mysteries.

The Woman's War began in 85a.Au and lasted for four years. Khulan Aurum's claim was backed by Lilian's brother Sogan Aurum, a tried and tested battle commander of the Second Terranian Incursion, the powers behind the University of the Higher Mysteries, and by the Zakariya Clan of Little Orbis, who had for centuries (perhaps millennia) favoured female primogeniture. Many traditionalists in Orbis, in particular those living in the northern regions of the country, backed up the claim of Kaidu Aurum instead.

The Woman's War would continue for four years and resolve itself in 89a.Au when Kaidu Aurum was assassinated by his own retainers in a bid to end the prolonged war effort. His younger brother Naqu served as king for four months before the forces of the Horse Regent (as opposed to the Mage Regent,) were finally subdued.

The Woman's War led to the creation of many organisations - The Coven of Emancipation, the Order of the Witch Blade, the Sun and Moon Guard, as well as leading to the first queen of Orbis in Queen Khulan I. Queen Khulan would enact many radical laws - the first born would inherit land and titles regardless of gender from that point on, with the surname of the more influential house passing down regardless of gender.