Second Katrak Wars

The Second Katrak Wars were a series of three wars fought from 1319BM to 1300BM between several nomad Flurb tribes that had banded together during the course of the wars, and the Bibberian Kingdom. The wars occured primarily in the mountainous area to the north and north-east of the Khortul Desert, then called the Katrak Desert and were fought due to a dispute between the Bibbers and the Flurb about ownership of rich mineral deposits in the north of the Crag Mountains. The three wars were the Harthrone War from 1319BM to late 1316BM, the Eldrinian War from late 1314BM to early 1312BM, and finally the Great Crag War from 1312BM to 1300BM. King Eldrin Bankbibber was the leader of the Bibberian Kingdom at this time while several Flurb tribal leaders alternated in roles of leadership for the Flurb.

Causes
In 1321BM, a campaign started by King Darokrases Bankbibber to expand the Bibberian Kingdom's economy led to the expansion of the kingdom into several Flurb lands to the south and east of the kingdom. Many coal and iron deposits existed in the Crag Mountains outside of the kingdom and while tribes to the east agreed to give the land to the Bibbers due to not having developed mining techniques themselves, the tribes to the south resisted, These tribes relied heavily on the coal deposits and refused any offer of trade by the Bibbers. In late 1320BM after months of failed trade negotiations, the Flurb withdrew their ambassadors from the Bibberian Kingdom. After pressure from a capitalist senate, the recently coronated Eldrin Bankbibber ordered an invasion of the coalfields. The Flurb put up a fight but were easily defeated by a force of 1400 Bibbers. The Northern Katlak Tribe requested that all tribes under the Harthrone Trade Alliance band together and fight the Bibbers. After Flurb leaders agreed in 1319BM, war was declared on the Bibberian Kingdom. This marked the beginning of the three wars that followed.

Harthrone War
The first of these wars, named after the Harthrone Trade Alliance, consisted of the Flurb tribes with an army of 3000 attacking the defending force of 1000 Bibbers in the Crag coalfields. After eight months of continued attacks, three more tribes that had previously remained neutral to the east of the Crag Mountains joined the war and broke the stalemate. In 1317BM the Flurb reclaimed the coalfields and set up defenses there. Continued fighting north of the Crag Mountains led to the Bibbers suffering heavy losses and in 1316BM a truce was agreed upon between Eldrin Bankbibber and the then Flurb leader, Myanngo Rum, that allowed the Flurb control of the coalfields and brought peace.

Eldrinian War
In late 1315BM after 14 months of peace, King Eldrin began planning an invasion of Fort Thrimof'ran in the north of the Katrak Desert and in early 1314BM an invasion with 800 Bibberian soldiers was launched. The Fort was quickly claimed and a second war was started. The Bibbers attacked from both the north and from Fort Thrimof'ran which was reinforced by ship. The coalfields were reached within nine months and by the start of 1313BM they were in the hands of the Bibbers. By the time the coalfields had been captured, newly developed siege weaponry of the Flurb had helped in their retaking of Fort Thrimof'ran as well as several other strongholds in the vicinity. After holding the coalfields for only two months, they were reached by the Flurb. Strong defenses and mountainous terrain on the Bibber side meant that the Flurb did not manage to take the coalfields and fighting for them continued until the start of 1312BM. At this time, the Flurb leader, Norya Re'o'o, was succesfully assasinated by the Bibber. Her successor, Rheo Re'o'o, sought peace from the war and soon after coming to power recalled the attack on the coalfields. The Bibbers did not attack the Flurb after this as the coalfields were within their land. A push towards the iron mines further south was deemed too costly for now and so the war was ended.

Great Crag War
After just six months of peace, Rheo Re'o'o was overthrown by angry Flurb citizens and war was again declared on the Bibberian Kingdom. An invasion by the Flurb on the outposts west of the coalfields led to the Bibber army mobilising and attacking the Flurb again. Bibberian ships with archers on board meant that the coastline of the north of the Katrak desert was secured by the Bibbers. Most of the fighting in this war occured along the Crag Mountains where the iron mines were located. Early in the war, the Bibberian Kingdom conquered a great deal of land and pushed the Flurbs back. It was not until 1315BM that new Flurb tribes joining the war helped regain some land for the Flurb. A massive recruitment drive by the Bibbers meant that the Bibber army massed 11,000 at its peak compared to the Flurb only having 18,000. In 1301BM one of the largest battles of the war was fought in the city of Hherothe in the south of the Katrak desert. It was in this battle that Eldrin Bankbibber was killed. Rari Bankbibber succeeded him and after conquering the remainder of the Katrak Desert in 1300BM, the Flurb surrendered, giving the Bibbers the entirety of the Katrak Desert. At this time, the Red Plague had been sweeping across the north-west of the Bibberian Kingdom and killed most of its population. As the Flurb were immune to this plague, they occupied areas where the Bibber population had died, eventually leading to the Flurb retaking the land north of the Katrak Desert.