General Timeline 734 The Atlantean Empire (which used to span the whole continent, now only half of the peninsula Poseidonis) attacks the Eastern Roman Empire where the ancient Greek city-states once thrived. They quickly overpower the forces there, who are already weakened by increasing raids by the Slavs. The Eastern Roman Empire quickly gathers its military forces from the remainder of its provinces (parts of Italy, Anatolia, etc.) and gathers them in order to meet the Atlantean forces. The Battle of Athens happens, the first real battle between Atlantean and Byzantine armies. Massive defeat for the Byzantines, they pull back deeper into the Balkans to regroup. The Atlantean Empire launches a second campaign in Al-Andalus, focused on regaining their lost European empire. However, they meet more resistance then expected. The Atlanteans discovered, as had been prophesied, that their powers did not yet work on the European continent. 735 By this time, word of Atlantis has reached all of Europe. The Anglo-Saxons, who recently conquered large parts of Britain, take the opportunity to gain even more land and set off towards the lost continent. Instead, they land at Aeros, a small island, and begin subduing the peaceful native population. The ERE forces pull farther and farther into the Empire, suffering myriads of defeats at the hands of the Atlanteans, who mostly focus on the coastal area and garrison the Greek cities instead of plundering them. 737 Francia, after two years of gathering its forces and planning, launch their warships and head for the southern coast of Poseidonis, where very few troops remained after the Empire's major invasion of the ERE. They are joined by their allies the Lombards, led by King Luitprand. The Atlantean invasion of the ERE begins slowing, as both sides have taken major losses. The Atlanteans in Iberia have taken some strongholds in western Iberia, and are holding out in them against Muslim counter attacks. 738 The realms of the southern Atlantean peninsula Laukon and the island Medá begin aiding the Empire, and send reinforcements to both Iberia and the Balkans. 739 In Northern Atlantis, the kingdoms of Vorraia, heartened by tales of Atlantean victory in Europe, invade western Britain, namely the Briton kingdoms in Wales and Cornwall. The Anglo-Saxons, having successfully subdued the island of Aeros, launch their ships southwards once more and attack the region of Sílkedes, but quickly learn that they would not meet the same docility they had encountered in Aeros. The Frankish and Lombardian invasion of the Atlantean Empire begins tilting in their favor, after some defeats in their first attempts at assaulting Atlantean holdings. They are victorious over a large Atlantean army led by one of the more powerful dukes in the Empire, greatly increasing morale, which had previously been at rock-bottom due to the discovery of the Atlanteans' powers (which did work on their own continent). In the Balkans, the Atlanteans, strengthened by the reinforcements from the south, make a large push northwards, moving the conflict deeper into Greece, steadily nearing Constantinople. 741 After successfully expelling the Anglo-Saxons from Sílkedes, the lords of that region launch their own incursion into Aquitaine in southern Francia, well knowing that a large portion of the Frankish army was in Poseidonis. Neustria and Burgundy quickly retaliate, sending in reinforcements to the scarce levies in Aquitaine. The Atlantean invasion of Iberia starts faring worse for the Atlanteans as Umayyad reinforcements from North Africa reach them, again driving them closer to the coast. 742 The Great Powers of the Atlanteans extend to Iberia, washing slowly over the peninsula. The Atlanteans start to push the Muslims back, meeting them in the field and winning. In the ERE, the Atlanteans move to the western coast of Anatolia, skipping Constantinople, as that was not one of their targets. The military power of the ERE is almost completely lost in the Balkans, with only small enclaves remaining in that area. The Sílkedean lords quickly subdue the western coast of Aquitaine. The Francian armies meet them in the field, and while the battle was close, they suffered a defeat and retreated further into the duchy. 743 The Vorraians in Britain take all of the Briton realms in Cornwall, and forge an alliance with Wessex to attack Wales, after defeating them in battle. The Great Power spreads to Francia, though the Sílkedeans weren't as learned in the ways of mageia as the Empire. The Poseidonis, the Franks and Lombards continue their invasion, although no large changes in the situation happen. The Atlanteans, however, begin to fight back harder and the Europeans realize something drastic needs to be done in order to assure victory. 744 Wales is obliterated by the Atlantean-Saxon alliance, and the realm is split between the two. The Vorraians establish petty kingdoms, split up amongst the most succesful warlords, and utilize local Celtic leaders in regions that prove hard to subjugate. Envoys are sent by the Europeans to the realms of Naimedis, who have long been enemies of the Empire. They agree to an alliance on the terms of many pieces of gold and promised holdings in the western Empire. The Atlanteans in Iberia steadily meet more and more resistance from the Umayyads, and their expansion grinds to a halt. Strange occurences keep happening to people all over Europe. Those who know of the Atlanteans' abilities suspect that something has been awoken in some chosen individuals. The Sílkedeans conquer nearly all of Aquitaine, but the Franks stage an ambush that shatters a main Atlantean force, and regain much of the northeastern holdings. In the ERE, the Atlanteans are struggling to keep all of their conquered cities and provinces under control. Small bands of Roman soldiers incite uprisings and strike at supply lines, fighting in guerrilla fashion. The Atlantean army is spread quite thin at this time, and expansion stops as they try to retain control of the area. 745 Some European soldiers, through imitation of what they have seen on the battlefield, discover that they can wield the great powers. This drastically boosts the morale of all affected armies, and the Europeans are schooled by the Naimedians in how to properly use it. In Francia, Sílkedean forces are pushed back by some major Frankish victories, but continue winning minor skirmishes. In the desire to avoid more bloodshed, and because of the fact that both sides are evenly matched, a peace offer was sent to the Franks by the Sílkedeans. The Franks, whose biggest army was across the sea, accept this offer and cede half of Aquitaine to the Sílkedean lords, who establish their own realms in the area layed over previous adminstrative units. 746 The Romans, having finally gained the upper hand with their guerrilla warfare techniques, attempt to retake some cities on the Balkan coast. However, they suffer major losses and the western ERE forces are all but crushed. Meanwhile, the remaining ERE troops in Anatolia laid siege to the major Atlantean-held fortresses there. The Umayyads lay siege to most Atlantean holdings in Iberia, prepared to starve them out. The Empire (Atlantis) is forced to split its army to defend from the Naimedians in the southwest, making it easier for the Franks to expand westward. 747 The Umayyads continue to regain more cities as the Atlanteans have all dispersed into their strongholds, hoping for reinforcements. The Roman and Atlantean forces meet in Anatolia, leading to a close Roman defeat. An Atlantean force from the coast takes a major Umayyad siege camp by surprise, breaking it and enlarging the Atlantean force. 748 After 14 years of war, the ERE finally tries to make peace with the Atlanteans, devoid of any hope of regaining their lost land at that time. The Atlanteans demand all of the western coast of Anatolia as terms. With a few adjustments, the ERE accepts and cedes nearly all of its provinces on the Aegean. The Atlantean Empire, not being able to spare many troops from the newly conquered Greece, sends a small army to Poseidonis in hopes of taking the Franks by surprise, but are intercepted upon landing and destroyed by a Lombard force. The Empire can't fight off the European invasion as it is being hit from two sides. The Lombards expand eastwards to the coast while the Franks expand westward towards the Naimedian front, meaning to join with them. They meet little resistance on their path, as the Atlanteans decided to attempt an attack on the smaller Lombard force, which they lost. Meanwhile, the western Atlantean force is tied up fending off the Naimedians. 749 The Franks have advanced along a good portion of the peninsula, taking holdings as they go (some submit to them out of unwillingness to sacrifice lives). Meanwhile the Naimedians suffer a close defeat in the field, retreating to a close fortress, where the Empire lays siege to them. The Iberian conquest turns into another stalemate, whith the Umayyads besieging a number of Atlantean holdings and vice versa. 750 The Franks fall upon the rear of the depleted Atlantean force laying siege to the Naimedians, and crush them. A peace is finally reached, with the Atlanteans ceding their entire southern coast and half their eastern one to the Franks and Lombards. These areas become part of the greater Frankish and Lombard realms for now. The Empire sends what little levies they have left to assist in the failing Iberian conquest. 751 A peace is finally achieved between the Umayyads and Atlanteans, with the Umayyads ceding half of the western Iberian coast and the Atlanteans paying a substantial tribute of gold.