The Guttusian-Ordo Conflict

The *Guttusian-Ordo Conflict, often referred to as the Great Sundering in Ordo historiography and the War of Sustenance in Guttusian annals, was a brutal and transformative war fought between the Guttus Republic and the Ordo Ascendancy from 742 to 759 of the Common Era. The conflict, primarily waged across the fertile plains and subterranean regions of the Euvallian Steppes, was characterized by its extreme ideological underpinnings, marked by episodes of systematic extermination, and ultimately resulted in a radical reshaping of the geopolitical landscape of the region. The war is infamous for the Ordo Ascendancy's wartime policies, particularly the Edicts of Purity, which targeted Guttusian civilians, and the subsequent outlawing of Guttusian subterranean networks*, a system central to Guttusian society and misconstrued by the Ordo as a symbol of their perceived cultural depravity.

Background to Conflict

The two societies, though geographically contiguous across the Euvallian Steppes, had developed along radically divergent cultural and philosophical lines over centuries. The Guttus Republic, originating from a confederation of disparate pastoral tribes who settled the southern plains, was forged in an environment of resource scarcity and cyclical hardship. Their culture became deeply pragmatic, valuing efficiency, community, and the resourceful utilization of all available resources. This ethos extended to their dietary practices, most notably their development and refinement of fermented slurry, a processed foodstuff derived from agricultural and organic waste.

The Ordo Ascendancy, in contrast, traced its lineage to a more sedentary, agrarian society that flourished in the northern river valleys of the Steppes. Blessed with more consistently fertile lands and less harsh climatic conditions, the Ordo developed a culture that emphasized refinement, hierarchy, and a distinct sense of social and dietary purity. Their society was rigidly stratified, with a priestly class, the Censors of Ascendancy, wielding significant social and political power, dictating norms of behavior and maintaining ideological orthodoxy. The Censors, through their Codex of Ascendancy, promulgated a worldview that celebrated cleanliness, order, and a rigid separation from what they deemed "impure" or "base" practices.

Divergent Dietary Practices

The fundamental point of cultural divergence, and ultimately the flashpoint for conflict, lay in the Guttusian practice of consuming fermented slurry. For the Guttus Republic, this was not merely a matter of sustenance, but an integral part of their cultural identity and economic system. Centuries of refinement had transformed the process of slurry production into a complex industry, reliant on sophisticated subterranean networks for processing and distribution. This system, known as the Venae Guttus, was a marvel of engineering, allowing for the efficient collection, fermentation, and delivery of slurry across Guttusian settlements. The Venae Guttus was also crucial for waste management and played a role in maintaining soil fertility in the arid southern plains.

The Ordo Ascendancy, however, viewed the consumption of fermented slurry with profound disgust and moral condemnation. The Censors of Ascendancy, interpreting ancient texts and pronouncements within the Codex, declared the practice to be an abomination, a sign of cultural degeneracy and a threat to the spiritual purity of the Euvallian Steppes. They characterized the Guttus people as "slurry-eaters" and "children of waste," actively fostering a climate of fear and revulsion towards their southern neighbors. This rhetoric was not merely cultural disdain; it was deeply entwined with Ordo social and religious doctrine, reinforcing the Ascendancy's self-perception as a morally superior and divinely favored people.

Escalating Tensions

For generations, the cultural chasm between the Guttus Republic and the Ordo Ascendancy remained largely contained within the realms of philosophical and religious discourse. Limited trade existed across the Steppes, primarily in raw materials and crafted goods, but direct interaction was minimal and often fraught with tension. Ordo merchants operating in Guttusian territories were subjected to social ostracization and were required to adhere to strict codes of conduct to avoid contamination from "slurry-tainted" goods or environments. Guttusian traders venturing north into Ordo lands faced open hostility and were often denied entry altogether, deemed "unclean" and unwelcome within the Ascendancy's borders.

In the decades leading up to the war, several factors contributed to a rapid escalation of tensions. Firstly, a prolonged period of drought across the Euvallian Steppes intensified competition for resources. The Ordo, with its more fertile northern territories, was less severely impacted, but still experienced hardship, leading to increased anxieties about food security. The Censors of Ascendancy seized upon this opportunity to further demonize the Guttus Republic, blaming their "wasteful" and "impure" practices for the region's misfortunes, and arguing that the Guttus people were a drain on the Steppes' limited resources.

Secondly, the rise of a particularly zealous and expansionist faction within the Ordo Ascendancy's ruling council, led by the High Censor Vorlag, fueled aggressive rhetoric and militaristic posturing. Vorlag and his supporters advocated for a policy of "cultural purification," arguing that the Ordo had a sacred duty to cleanse the Euvallian Steppes of the "Guttusian stain" and establish a unified, morally pure realm under Ordo dominion. This faction gained considerable influence within the Ascendancy, leveraging religious fervor and societal anxieties to push for a more confrontational stance towards the Guttus Republic.

Finally, a series of border incidents, often deliberately instigated by Ordo military patrols, further inflamed tensions. These incidents, ranging from livestock raids to the destruction of Guttusian trade caravans, were consistently portrayed by the Ordo propaganda apparatus as defensive actions against Guttusian aggression or "cultural contamination." By 742 CE, the Euvallian Steppes stood on the brink of war, fueled by centuries of cultural divergence, escalating resource scarcity, and the deliberate manipulation of societal fears and prejudices by the Ordo Ascendancy.

The War of Sustenance

The Guttusian-Ordo Conflict officially commenced in the spring of 742 CE with a swift and decisive military incursion by Ordo forces into Guttusian territory. Under the command of General Regulus, a charismatic and ruthless military leader, the Ordo army, known as the Hosts of Ascendancy, launched a multi-pronged offensive, targeting key Guttusian settlements and infrastructure hubs. The initial phase of the war was marked by significant Ordo successes. Their military, though smaller than the combined forces of the Guttus Republic, was better equipped, better trained, and possessed a technological edge, particularly in siege weaponry and cavalry tactics. The Guttus Republic, caught largely unprepared for a full-scale invasion, suffered a series of early defeats, losing significant territory and manpower.

Initial Ordo Offensive

The Ordo strategy in the initial offensive was predicated on speed and shock. Utilizing their superior cavalry, the Skyriders of Ordo, they bypassed fortified Guttusian positions, striking deep into Republican territory, disrupting supply lines and sowing chaos and panic. Simultaneously, Ordo infantry, the Shieldbearers of Ascendancy, advanced in disciplined formations, systematically capturing Guttusian settlements and securing key strategic locations. The Ordo military also employed siege engines of considerable power, capable of breaching Guttusian fortifications with relative ease. The Ironbreakers, as these siege crews were known, were instrumental in the rapid capture of several major Guttusian cities, including the vital trading hub of Veridian Crossing.

The Guttus Republic, in contrast, relied on a more decentralized and less formalized military structure. Their forces, primarily composed of tribal levies and citizen militias, were brave and resourceful but lacked the training, equipment, and centralized command structure of the Ordo military. Guttusian tactics favored guerilla warfare, utilizing their intimate knowledge of the terrain and their extensive subterranean networks to harass and ambush Ordo forces. However, these tactics proved insufficient to halt the initial Ordo advance. The fall of Veridian Crossing, a major symbolic and economic center for the Guttus Republic, dealt a severe blow to Guttusian morale and further emboldened the Ordo Ascendancy.

The Edicts of Purity and the Great Purges

As Ordo forces advanced deeper into Guttusian territory, the conflict rapidly escalated beyond conventional warfare into a campaign of systematic extermination. Driven by the ideological fervor of the Censors of Ascendancy and the extremist policies of High Censor Vorlag, the Ordo leadership implemented the Edicts of Purity. These edicts, ostensibly aimed at safeguarding the purity of Ordo soldiers and occupied territories, authorized the mass detention, forced relocation, and ultimately, the extermination of Guttusian civilians.

The rationale behind the Edicts, as articulated by the Censors, was that the Guttusian people were inherently "contaminated" by their consumption of fermented slurry and posed a constant threat of "cultural and spiritual pollution" to the Ordo Ascendancy. They argued that mere subjugation or cultural conversion was insufficient; only the complete removal of the Guttusian population could ensure the long-term purity and stability of the Euvallian Steppes. This genocidal ideology was propagated through religious sermons, public proclamations, and the widespread dissemination of propaganda, effectively dehumanizing the Guttus people in the eyes of Ordo society and legitimizing the atrocities that followed.

The implementation of the Edicts of Purity led to what Guttusian historians refer to as the Great Purges of Guttus. Ordo forces, under the guise of maintaining order and preventing contamination, rounded up Guttusian civilians from occupied territories, herding them into makeshift detention camps. These camps, often located in barren and inhospitable regions, were characterized by horrific conditions, with rampant disease, starvation, and systematic abuse. From these camps, Guttusian civilians were transported to designated extermination sites, where they were systematically murdered. Methods of extermination varied, ranging from mass executions by firing squads to the deliberate starvation and exposure of entire populations. The Great Purges represent one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Euvallian Steppes, leaving an indelible scar on the collective memory of the region.

Guttusian Resistance and the Subterranean War

Despite the overwhelming military might of the Ordo Ascendancy and the horrific atrocities of the Great Purges, the Guttus Republic did not succumb. Drawing upon their resilience, their intimate knowledge of the terrain, and their intricate subterranean networks, the Guttus people mounted a tenacious and increasingly effective resistance. Under the leadership of figures like the legendary partisan commander Kaelen the Veined, Guttusian resistance fighters, known as the Venae Guard, waged a guerilla war against Ordo occupation forces, striking at supply lines, ambushing patrols, and disrupting Ordo operations across occupied territories.

The Venae Guttus, the subterranean network that had once served as the backbone of Guttusian food production and distribution, now became a crucial asset in the resistance effort. The Venae Guard utilized the tunnels and chambers of the network for covert movement, communication, and shelter, transforming the subterranean realm into a vast, hidden battlefield. They launched surprise attacks from beneath Ordo garrisons, tunneled under fortifications, and utilized the network to transport supplies and reinforcements undetected. The Ordo military, accustomed to conventional warfare on the surface, struggled to adapt to the challenges of subterranean combat. Their attempts to penetrate and control the Venae Guttus were met with fierce resistance and often resulted in heavy casualties.

Stalemate and Shifting Tides

By 750 CE, the Guttusian-Ordo Conflict had reached a bloody stalemate. The Ordo Ascendancy, despite its initial successes and its vast territorial gains, found itself bogged down in a protracted and costly guerilla war. The Venae Guard's subterranean campaign, coupled with persistent resistance from Guttusian militias on the surface, had effectively halted the Ordo advance and inflicted significant losses on their forces. The Great Purges, while devastating to the Guttusian population, had also galvanized resistance and fueled international condemnation of the Ordo Ascendancy. Neighboring polities, horrified by the scale of the atrocities, began to provide covert support to the Guttus Republic, supplying weapons, provisions, and financial aid.

The tide of the war began to turn decisively in 753 CE with the Battle of the Obsidian Plains. In a daring and strategically brilliant maneuver, Kaelen the Veined orchestrated a massive counteroffensive, utilizing the Venae Guttus to outflank and encircle a large Ordo army. The battle, fought across the vast, volcanic Obsidian Plains, resulted in a crushing Ordo defeat. General Regulus, the architect of the initial Ordo offensive, was killed in action, and a significant portion of the Hosts of Ascendancy was either captured or destroyed. The Battle of the Obsidian Plains marked a turning point in the war, shattering the myth of Ordo invincibility and signaling the beginning of the Guttusian resurgence.

The Ordo Collapse and the Treaty of Veins

Following the defeat at the Obsidian Plains, the Ordo Ascendancy began to unravel. Internal dissent grew, fueled by war weariness, economic hardship, and the moral repugnance of the Great Purges. The death of High Censor Vorlag in 756 CE further destabilized the Ordo regime, leading to a power struggle among competing factions within the ruling council. The Guttus Republic, emboldened by its battlefield successes and bolstered by external support, launched a series of counteroffensives, systematically retaking lost territories and pushing deeper into Ordo lands.

By 759 CE, the Ordo Ascendancy was on the verge of collapse. Their military was in disarray, their economy was in ruins, and their political system was fractured. Facing imminent defeat and internal revolt, the Ordo leadership sued for peace. Negotiations between the Guttus Republic and the remnants of the Ordo Ascendancy culminated in the Treaty of Veins, signed in the subterranean city of Undervale, a major hub of the Venae Guttus. The treaty formally ended the Guttusian-Ordo Conflict, recognizing the Guttus Republic's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Ordo Ascendancy, though significantly weakened and territorially reduced, was allowed to survive, albeit under stringent conditions imposed by the Guttus Republic.

A key provision of the Treaty of Veins was the Outlawing of Guttusian Subterranean Networks within Ordo territories. This clause, ironically mirroring the Ordo's earlier attempts at cultural suppression, aimed to dismantle the Venae Guttus in Ordo lands, fearing its potential use for future Guttusian incursions or subversive activities. The Ordo Ascendancy, in a humiliating concession, was forced to agree to this demand, effectively severing a vital part of Guttusian cultural and technological heritage from a significant portion of its historical territory.

Aftermath and Legacy

The Guttusian-Ordo Conflict had profound and lasting consequences for the Euvallian Steppes. The war resulted in the deaths of millions, both combatants and civilians, and caused widespread devastation across the region. The Great Purges left a deep scar on the Guttusian psyche, shaping their national identity and fostering a lasting distrust of the Ordo Ascendancy. The outlawing of Guttusian subterranean networks in Ordo territories represented a significant cultural loss and a continuing source of resentment for the Guttus Republic.

Reshaping of the Euvallian Steppes

The geopolitical landscape of the Euvallian Steppes was fundamentally altered by the war. The Ordo Ascendancy, once a dominant regional power, was significantly weakened and relegated to a secondary status. The Guttus Republic, though victorious, emerged from the conflict deeply scarred and exhausted. The war also spurred the rise of new regional powers, as neighboring polities capitalized on the power vacuum created by the Ordo's decline. The Euvallian Steppes entered a new era of multipolar power dynamics, characterized by increased competition and instability.

Cultural and Technological Impact

The Guttusian-Ordo Conflict also had a significant impact on cultural and technological development in the region. The war spurred advancements in military technology, particularly in siege warfare, cavalry tactics, and subterranean combat techniques. The Venae Guttus, initially conceived for food production and waste management, was adapted and refined for military purposes, demonstrating the potential of subterranean networks for warfare and covert operations. The conflict also led to a reassessment of cultural values and ideological doctrines in both societies. The Ordo Ascendancy, forced to confront the consequences of its extremist ideology, underwent a period of internal reform and ideological re-evaluation. The Guttus Republic, having endured immense suffering and emerged victorious against overwhelming odds, solidified its commitment to resilience, community, and the resourceful utilization of resources, further enshrining the practice of fermented slurry consumption as a symbol of their cultural identity and defiance.

Lasting Scars and Lingering Tensions

Despite the Treaty of Veins, the Guttusian-Ordo Conflict left behind a legacy of deep-seated animosity and lingering tensions. The memory of the Great Purges continued to haunt Guttusian-Ordo relations, fueling cycles of mistrust and recrimination. The outlawing of Guttusian subterranean networks in Ordo territories remained a point of contention, hindering cultural exchange and economic cooperation. While overt warfare between the two polities ceased, the Euvallian Steppes remained a region fraught with instability, marked by the unresolved legacies of the Great Sundering and the enduring cultural chasm that separated the Guttus Republic and the Ordo Ascendancy.