Brune Civil War

Brune Civil War is one of main plot in Madan no Ou to Vanadis series and a vicious civil war that occurred in Brune. Whilst originated from a fierce feud between Felix Aaron Thenardier and Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon for the crown to succeed the sicken Faron, it also inadvertently involved Tigrevurmud Vorn when Thenardier decided to raze Alsace down.

King's Sickness
When King Faron diagnosed an illness and forced to rest in his room, a feud between Felix Aaron Thenardier and Maximilian Bennusa Ganelon began where they fought against each other for the succession as Brune's new king. To maintain its fragile stability, Prince Regnas was chosen as a (supposed) new heir that temporary suppressed both Thenardier and Ganelon from their disputes. Brune's turmoil has attracting many of it's neighboring kingdoms into their invasion attempt onto invade vulnerable kingdom, including Zhcted who deployed it's army to Brune via Dinant Plains.

Battle of Dinant Plains: The Road to Civil War
In response, Brune had to muster an army of 25,000 soldiers and generals-which included some nobles (Zion, Mashas, Tigre and others)- in a defense against Zhcted's invasion, with Prince Regnas as the Brune Army's leader. Before the war,  Brune Army was camping within a foothill in Dinant Plains for their break. Unfortunately, Zhcted Army's unexpected night ambush sent Brune Army into disarray and nearly all Brune soldiers had little to recuperate and retaliate the relentless ambush. Consequently, Brune Army was decimated in just one night and even it's sole survivor Tigre was captured by Elen led Zhcted Army as prisoner of war.

The casualties from Dinant Plains was catastrophic with more soldiers died and injured, but the kingdom received even tragic blow when Prince Regnas "died" during the battle. Traumatic over his only child's death, Faron shut himself in his room while withdrew himself from politics. However despite the news of Regnas death, the feud between Thenardier and Ganelon gone rampant as they used the king's weaken state as their steeping stone in their quest for power to rule Brune. Therefore, nobody in Brune including the Prime Minister Badouin could stop the skirmishes between both aristocrats and Brune suffered its worst turbulence.

Zion's Atrocities Upon Alsace
To eliminate the weak link, Thenardier summoned Zion to command his 3,000 strong army to ravage Alsace and sell its citizens to Muozinel. Tigre heard this news via Bertrand and decided to borrow Elen's 1,000 soldiers in order to rescue Alsace. While all Alsace residents have already evacuated to the territory's wilderness, Zion's massive army (including 2 dragons) has arrived to Alsace in just three days and began its atrocities (looting and vandalizing) towards Alsace despite only Titta and shrine refuges were left in Alsace. To add insult to injury, Zion visited Vorn Manor and attempting to rape Titta. Luckily, Tigre and his new ally managed to arrive and saved Titta from Zion by shooting his arrows to his palm.

The arrival of 1,000 Leitmeritz soldiers has disoriented Thenardier Army's soldiers as they made their hasty retreat. Even with 300 men routed, neither Zion nor other 2700 soldiers were found in Alsace as they retreated to Molsheim Plains for their recuperation. Elen then re-organizing her army for the war: 100 men to protect Alsace and Lim as its flank support, while Tigre and herself would be the commanders to confront Zion and his army. Elsewhere, Zion was shocked about Zhcted Army's arrival and assuming Tigre has been "defected" to his kingdom's enemy. Nonetheless, with his dragons in his army, Zion vowed to crush Tigre and his new allies to exact his revenge and retribution.

Battle of Molsheim
Both armies collided in Molsheim Plains where Zion's two dragons and overwhelming soldiers still proven superior against its enemies. However, in courtesy of Elen's powerful Veda, Lim's strategic traps and "2,000" reinforcements (Tigre's shadow soldiers), Zion and his soldiers's morale was entirely demoralized and they were cornered by the incoming Zhcted Army. Even in a losing position, Zion cursed Tigre for his "treason" against Brune for inviting Zhcted Army to save his skin but Tigre retorted that what Zion did towards Alsace was indifferent from thievery. While berating about Tigre's principles, Zion also challenged Tigre into a duel, which Tigre accepted. To everyone shock however, Zion's arm was injured when Tigre managed to force all three arrows penetrating through his (Zion) shield with his forth arrow. Zion had to escape by mounting his last dragon flew in midair, where Elen's wind unable to reach him. Tragically for Zion, he and his dragon was slain by a powerful arrow shot which power was combined with Tigre's Black Bow and Elen's Arifar. As the result, Alsace was liberated and   the later became under Elen's control

The Initial Stage
The news regarding the battle in Molsheim has spread through the entire continent, especially Brune and Zhcted. Zion death has greatly upset Thenardier as he sworn to exact his revenge against Tigre by hiring Seven Chains Assassins and even allying himself with Ludmila of Olmutz to deal with Elen. While Alsace was temporarily under Leitmeritz's control, Elen had to return for Zhcted in order to attend a meeting with King Viktor and other Zhcted's nobles. Meanwhile, Tigre decided to retaliate against both Thenardier and Ganelon by seeking his allies for his cause, with Mashas and House Augre (Hughes and Gerard) as his allies.

Leitmeritz-Olmutz Campaign
Before the fateful battle between War Maidens, Mila took a visit for Tigre while decided to take him for Rodrick, which followed by Elen and Lim. On their way back from Rodrick however, they were under attack by the Seven Chain assassins where Lim was poisoned by the venomous snake, causing Tigre to make an emergency rescue upon Lim by sucking the venom via her bust. Luckily, Mila made her rescue by unleashing her Veda to (seemly) eliminate all the assassins, though the latter criticized Elen as unsuitable as Zhcted's War Maidens for her anxiety over her subordinate's danger.

The battle between both Vanadises eventually took place in Vlkolin Plains where both Leitmeritz Army and Olmutz Army collided. Despite their heated battles, neither sides won nor lost as they shared casualties of hundreds men, resulting a stalemate from both armies. However, the battle in Vlkolin Plains only fueled two Vanadis's rivalry when Mila and Olmutz Army's made their early retreat for Tatra Mountains, prompting Elen launching the full scale siege to an impenetrable fortress in Tatra Mountains. However, due to the freezing environment and Tatra's Fortress formidable defense, Leitmeritz Army was unable to siege the fortress. To find the alternative route for the siege, Tigre was dispatched to scout around the mountains for a shortcut in order to find the fortress's thin secured spot; coincidentally, he also met Mila who went hunting as her recreation and quickly interacted her under the name Urs. Elen led her 100 men to follow Tigre's direction for the fortress, only to find it more secure than before prompting Elen went of to break its defense on her own. Everything but Tatra's Fortress's gate were destroyed, and the destruction later alerted Olmutz's archers as they shoot to Elen. With their combination powers of Arifar and Black Bow again, Tigre's arrow miraculously crushed Tatra Fortress's sturdy gates, immediately dropping Olmutz Army's morale.

Prior the siege, Elen and Mila fought in an intense battle by exchanging Veda until they met a stalemate. Their showdown however was interrupted by the last Sherash assassin who was going to kill both Vanadis, only to be killed by Tigre's arrow shot. The archer's archery accuracy immediately prompted Mila to think that Urs was Tigre all along, causing her to slap Tigre and asked him about the rescue. Tigre instead replied that it was for his gratitude for her tea from their earlier conversation. Mila then asked Tigre if he need some allies. Mila then declared her neutrality in Brune Civil War while breaking ties with House Thenardier. With Tigre's mediation between both Elen and Mila, the war between Leitmeritz and Olmutz were finally over.

Second Battle
The casualties of 800 dead and 1,600 injured have crippled the Silver Meteor Army's morale, with only a few left in the original army. Even worst, Tigre suffered a fever while treated in a special ward by nursed by Titta, causing his peers (especially Elen and Mashas) worried about his critical condition. In order to exact retribution for Tigre's sake, Elen had to lead a reformed Silver Meteor Army against the Navarre Knights, with Sofy and Mashas agreed to help Elen in her battle.

In the initial battle, Navarre Knights outmatched the Silver Meteor Army again by suing the Crescent Moon formation and decimating its numbers, forcing the Silver Meteor Army to retreat from the battlefield. As the Navarre Knight chasing after the fleeing Silver Meteor Army however, the army was trapped into a pool of mud-which was created by Hughes-and ambushed by the Silver Meteor Army's counter attack via a volley of arrow shots, losing 2,000 soldiers in the progress. Elsewhere, away from the battlefield, two Vanadises fought fiercely against Roland and even with their combined powers, Roland remained standing until Tigre stepped into the duel and confronted the Black Knight. Even after hearing Tigre's truth about Alsace incident and invited by Elen to fight against Thenardier and Ganelon, Roland declined Elen's offer due to his devotion and loyalty to Faron and Brune. After displaying the Black Bow's power, Tigre then challenged Roland in a duel which prompted Roland to use both hands to hold his Durandal, which stunned Roland despite the charged arrow was successfully deflected. Realizing Tigre's strong will and determination to protect his people, Roland finally surrendered and the Silver Meteor Army emerged victorious.

Muozinel Invasion
Roland's death saddened most figures in Brune, especially both Thenardier and Tigre who saw him as an honorable warrior and irreplaceable hero. Ganelon however didn't feel any empathy of what he did to Roland, nor he care about consequences. Consequently, Brune's condition became more vulnerable when Muozinel began to invade Brune with its 50,000 strong army under its chief commander, Kureys Shahim Balamir. The first 2,000 Advance Unit led by Kashim had breached through Agnes and committed atrocities throughout the region, specifically capturing its residents as slaves while marching towards their target, Nemetacum. As the result, Agnes was fallen under Muozinel Army's conquest for domination.

For this reason, the civil war was temporarily halted when Thenardier decided to defend his territory while preventing the massive invasion with his 7,000 troops. Even labeled as traitor, Tigre led the Silver Meteor Army to halt the invasion without Elen and the Leitmeritz Army, who went for Legnica to help her friend from another Vanadis attack. While stationed in Agnes and supervising Muozinel's next movement, the Silver Meteor Army also found and rescued Regin from her pursuers. Through the relentless ambush upon the Muozinel Army, Tigre's victory earned Kashim's attention as he tended to lure the archer via execution of his ten prisoners. The execution did lured the Tigre to confront Kashim, who lost his life due to his ignorance about Tigre's tactics and ability. With Kashim's death, Muozinel Army's Advance Unit was annihilated but it also prompting the Main Army of 30,000 (40,000 if the surviving Kashim's soldiers reunited) march towards the Silver Meteor Army. Luckily, Mila and her Olmutz Army made a timely rescue and saved Tigre and his army from danger.

Despite losing Kashim in the first battle, the commander Kureys took interest upon the Vanadis and asked his messenger to request the Vanadis for her alliance. However, Mila, who had just forged an alliance with Tigre and the Silver Meteor Army, declined the general offer and fighting against the Red Beard instead. The two armies finally collided and battled at Ormea Hills where the Silver Meteor Army-whose soldiers were exhausted from the previous battles despite using Mila's successful plan-still struggling against the Muozinel Army's relentless ferocity and persistence. Miraculously, with the help from Territoire reinforcements, Brune knights and Agnes's prisoners, the Silver Meteor Army narrowly repelled the enemy when Kureys commanded a full scale withdraw from Agnes, not before he learned his Navy Army's defeat by Thenardier Army in Brune's Southern port. Rather than feeling insulted, Kureys instead praised Tigre as his worthy rival and even nicknamed him as Star Shooter or Silvrash.

Battle around Nice and Nemetacum
Just as Tigre was busy fighting with Kureys's forces, the tension between Thenardier and Ganelon had also reached the top. While Thenardier lead an army of 7,000 men to south Brune against Muozinel's second fleet invading from the sea, he also ordered Steid to lead 13,000 men marching from Nemetacum to Nice to defend the capital and monitor Ganelon's move. Not much to his surprise, Ganelon soon launched a full-scale attack lead by Greast to Thenardier's defending forces at home base. Two armies clashed near Nice, and the tide of battle was not in flavor of Thenardier's side, Steid had to retreat back to Nemetacum while the seemly unstoppable Ganelon soldiers wreak havoc in Thenardier's land.

Battle of Montauban
As tensions between both Thenardier and Ganelon finally reached to the breaking point at Montauban Plains, where Thenardier Army's dragons nearly annihilated Ganelon Army, whose leader Ganelon and Greast has already left Brune for their escape, Despite 20,000 of Ganelon's men surrendered, Thenardier didn't take them as prisoners as he ordered all nobles and aristocrats who supported Ganelon and commanded more than 1,000 men to be executed, and exiled all the remaining soldiers, with plotting these mind-weaken soldiers would go to Tigre's side for shelter, thus increased the load of the Silver Meteor Army. Consequently, Artishem was engulfed by a huge fire with only a few residents survived that night whilst Ganelon and Greast escaped to Zhcted and temporarily disappeared from the war theater, further hindered Tigre and the Silver Meteor Army effort to proof Regin's birthright. Nevertheless, Tigre insisted on continuing the search while battling against their sole enemy, Thenardier Army.

Battle of Vincennes
With Ganelon's absence, only Tigre's and Thenardier's forces were left to face each other at the peak of the Civil War. Their first battle was fought at Vincennes Plains, where Thenardier dispatched all five of his war dragons against the combine strength of Elen and Mila. It proved to be a useful tactic at first, however, Elen and Mila eventually outwitted the dragons. Thenardier finally realized that he made a fatal mistake: If he sent the dragon against the soldiers, while sent his soldiers against Elen and Mila instead, the result may be completely different.

Saint-Groel Incident
In order to search for Regin's royal blood, Tigre, along with Elen, Regin, Rurick, and Bertrand, led an expedition team and trying to reach Saint-Groel through a secret underground passageway. Out of their expectation, Thenardier and his 20 men also found the entrance of Saint-Groel and reached there beforehand. The two companies clashed in a battle as the trap pre-planned by Ganelon had activated, caused the cave to collapse. Bertrand sacrificed himself to protect Tigre from Steid, Thenardier's general who risked his own life and insisted to kill Tigre. As the result, Thenardier lost his best general in his army while Tigre lost his long time friend, mentor father and faithful servant.

Battle of Mereville
Even after losing their best men during an incident in Saint-Groel, the battle between Thenardier and Tigre continued when Badouin visited the Silver Meteor Army to see Tigre's true intentions. After realizing that Tigre had been defending Alsace all along, while saving Regin and repelling many enemy armies despite his status as the kingdom's traitor. Badouin also informed the king's critical condition and urged Regin to return for Nice.

Both armies clashed in Mereville Fields with Regin became the Silver Meteor Army's supreme commander. Despite outnumbering the enemy and their best efforts, Thenardier's army was defeated by the Silver Meteor army with only Thenardier and a few of his surviving soldiers remaining. Still, Thenardier decided to confront Tigre while revealing the truth behind his attack towards Alsace, tempted Tigre to seek vengeance against Thenardier before being slapped by Elen to knock him back to his senses. Eventually, both Thenardier and Tigre fought in a short-lived duel where Tigre fired his arrow, piercing Thenardier's forehead, resulting the duke's death.

Aftermath
Thenardier's demise not only resulting the collapse of his House, restoring House Charles's power and cleaning Tigre's name,but it also ended Tigre's personal battles since the aftermath in Dinant Plains. Ten days after the war, the Silver Meteor Army were lauded as heroes by Nice residents via grandiose parades and ovation. While Tigre, Regin and Titta sat on a horse carriage, the rest of the generals (Elen, Lim, Gerard, Hughes and Rurick) and allies (Mila, Mashas and the three Brune knights) were followed the horse carriage from behind.

Shortly after the celebration, Badouin led the Silver Meteor Army generals (Tigre, Elen, Lim, Rurick and Gerard) and allies (Mashas, Hughes and Mila) to meet the king, who was currently visited by Sofy at his chamber. Instead of fame and wealth as his reward from the king, Tigre suggesting four provisions as a truce between Brune and Zhcted. After agreed all of Tigre's terms, the king also knights the archer as Lumiere, a prestigious tittle which only Badouin knows well. Moments after the banquet, Faron took his last breath of life and passed away in peace.

After the former king's passing, Regin preceded Faron as Brune's new princess and ruled her kingdom with order and benevolence. The Silver Meteor Army also disbanded since Tigre's mission was finished and most of its prominent members went separated ways: Mashas and Gerard would later promoted as Regin's important ministers in Nice, with Gerard as Brune's General Secretary and Mashas as Chancellor. Leitmeritz soldiers (Elen, Lim and Rurick) returned to Leitmeritz and Mila went back to Olmutz. Titta followed Tigre to Leitmeritz after the war's aftermath and continued her duty a a maid and Shrine Maiden at Leitmeritz. Additionally, Elen and Regin also worked together in their joint-ownership of Alsace, further strengthen the alliance between both kingdoms. The civil war's end not only brought peace to Brune, it also temporarily stopped the 20 year-old feud between Zhcted and Brune.

However, Thenardier's shadow still lurked within Brune as Melisande-the House's sole widow and Regin's first cousin-was reported to be alive and began her secret plot to overthrow her cousin for the throne by not only mustering any available supporters she could find, but also allying herself with Sachstein and even encouraged her kingdom's enemy to invade Nemetacum, something that ironically Thenardier tried to prevent despite his infamy before his demise. For this reason alone, Melisande Faction is born where former House Thenardier loyalist and other supporters gathered to support Melisande's path for the throne by any means deemed necessary.

Aside from Melisande, Regin's reign as rule wasn't very secure either due to her overshadowed achievements compared to Faron's illustrious reputation, prompting some Nice ministers (such as Delbord and even Celpet) to consider her right as Brune's ruler was moot. To add insult to injury, Zhcted's annexation of Agnes further prompted some people in Brune- from Nemetacum merchants to even Nice aristocrats-criticized her as a "puppet-ruler" as they deem the treaty as a horrible "humiliation". Tigre on the other hand, even with his proficient role in freeing Brune from its violent political turmoil and being the only figure in ensuring the peace between Brune and Zhcted, still belittled by most Brune's aristocrats and minister as they refused to recognize him as a war hero by stating his weakness rather than his merits, to the point accusing the young Earl's victory against Thenardier was a "farce". Their actions however only to be monitored by Badouin and the neutral Faction in order to secure Brune's stability, in which forced them to keep a a low profile and small numbers to avoid the Prime Minister's suspicions.

Consequently, Brune would suffer its inevitable political upheaval again when four intruders successfully stolen the Durandal-House Charles's heirloom that represented Regin's sign of power-from House Charles under Greast's request, despite their failed assassination attempt onto the young princess. Further fanning the flames to the already chaotic state, in order to create a rift between Tigre and Brune, all to make the Sachstein's invasion easier, Sachstein general Hans von Klugel commanded his general to spread a false rumor about Tigre "treason" against Brune to Nice, with only Melisande Faction members and other Nice Ministers believed the rumor and utilizing this opportunity to rebel against Regin and freeing Melisande in Nice Royal Palace, which only to be quelled by the Moonlight Knights (revived incarnation of the Silver Meteor Army).