Great Encantadian War

Great Encantadian War
Date 3,000 years before present timeline Location Encantadia Result Decisive Lirean, Adamya, Sapirian and Hathorian Allied victory Annihilation of Etheria
Belligerents
Kingdoms of Lireo Adamya Sapiro Hathoria	The Empire of Etheria
Commanders and leaders
Mine-a (Lireo) Cassiopeia (Lireo) King Armeo (Sapiro) Imaw (Adamya) King Arvak (Hathoria)	Queen Avria Hera Juvila Hera Andora Hera Odessa
Strength
500,000 allied Encantadian troops	1,500,000 Etherian troops, 2,000,000 allied forces
Casualties and losses
Several tens of thousands killed and wounded	At least 1,400,000 killed, including Queen Avria, and at least 1,500,000 prisoners.

The Great War of Encantadia is a fictional war within the Encantadia universe,^[1] that preceded the Lirean war. It was fought 3,000 years ago between roughly half a million Encantadian troops of allied kingdoms of Lireo, Adamya, Sapiro, Hathoria and between 2–3 million Imperial Etherian troops. It was the largest war of Encantadia. It resulted in a decisive victory for the allied kingdoms of Lireo, Adamya, Sapiro and Hathoria and the total destruction of the powerful empire of Etheria.^[2][3][4]

Rebellion

The war started with the rebellion of vassal kingdoms of Lireo (Diwatas/Fairies), Adamya (Duwende/Dwarf), Sapiro (Babaylan/Healers) and Hathoria (Orc-like), who has longed to break the chains of vassal ship from the great Empire of Etheria. They were led by the Fairy Queen Cassiope-a and Mine-a, the then-princess of Etheria who was adopted by Queen Avria but soon turned against her because of her cruelty against the subject races of the Etherian empire. Soon the rebellion spread thru out Encantadia as more join Mine-a's/Cassiope-a's insurrection.^[5][6]

Etherian Campaign

The Etherian Imperial force (1,000,000 strong), led by the Etherian Queen in person, had scored victories in several battles and conquered most of Sapiro and Adamya,Southern Lireo and the outlying regions. However, at the ensuing Campaign, the Allied Encantadian forces had won an unlikely but decisive victory at the great Battle of Lireo, preventing the conquest of the rest of Encantadia. Avria then retreated with much of her army, leaving her generals (Heras Odessa,Juvila and Andora) to finish off the Encatadian rebels the following year.^[7][8]

The following year the Encantadians assembled a huge army (300,000 troops) and marched out of Lireo. The Etherians retreated to Adamya and built fortified positions. The Encantadian troops, however, refused to be drawn into a trap around the Etherian fortresses, resulting in a stalemate and siege that lasted for 11 years. While attempting a retreat after their supply lines were disrupted, the Encantadian battle line fragmented. Thinking the rebels are in full retreat, the Etherian forces came out of their fortified positions to pursue them, but the Encantadians (particularly the Sapirians and the Hathors) halted and gave battle, routing the lightly armed Etherian infantry and killing or capturing most of them.

A large portion of the Etherian army was now trapped in their Fortresses and slaughtered. The destruction of this army, and the remnants of the Etherian navy on the same year at the naval Battle of Avisala, decisively ended the Etherian offensive power. After this victories the Encantadian allies would take the offensive against the Etherians.^[9]

Encantadian Offensive

The Offensive resulted in the almost complete destruction of Etheria's armies, which lost all of its Praetorian legions and most of the home guard Armies. The defeat was as calamitous as any suffered by the Etherian imperial armed forces during the War. By the end of the Encantadian offensive most of the western territories of Sapiro has been liberated and the Allied Encantadian Army had achieved footholds in Etherian home provinces. Etherian losses eventually numbered well over a million troops killed or wounded, even higher than the toll at the disastrous Lirean and Adamyan campaigns.

The Allied Encatadian armies taking part in the offensive campaign were the Hathorian host (200,000 troops) under King Arvak and his son Prince Hagorn, the Sapirian host (100,000 troops) commanded by King Armeo, and the Lirean host(50,000 troops)commanded by Queen Mi-nea.

The Encantadian Army successfully breached deep inside the heart of the Etherian Empire smashing weak Etherian militias trying to stop them. This allowed the Encantadians to reach the great Ether river, which in turn put the Allied forces within striking distance of Etheria's imperial capital of Hera Andal.

Destruction of the Etherian capital

The combined forces of Hathoria, Sapiro, Adamya and Lireo successfully entered the Etherian capital of Hera Andal. Etheria was successful in protecting the capital but leaders of the four kingdoms had the idea of using the power of the Ynang Brilyante (Mother Gem) against Etheria to ensure their victory. This was the final blow against Etheria which destroyed the whole empire to nothing but ashes through the destructive powers of the Elements of nature.

Aftermath

The Etherian Empire was finally crushed by the combined might of Encantadia and resulted in the death of Etherian Queen Avria and the total destruction of Etheria, Encantadia was then divided into the four kingdoms of Lireo, Adamya, Sapiro and Hathoria, Mine-a assumed the throne of the Diwatas or Fairies.^[10]

References

1. Manlangit, Shinji (July 19, 2016). "Review: 'Encantadia' returns". CNN Philippines.
2. Villano, Alexa (July 17, 2016). "IN PHOTOS: Meet the cast of 'Encantadia' 2016". Rappler.
3. "Story of Encantadia". YouTube. October 25, 2009.
4. Tomada, Nathalie. "What it took to bring back Encantadia". philstar.com.
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CQ3K8DHXJg
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0FnNvAQC28
7. Ilaya, Felix (July 20, 2016). "#ThrowbackThursday: The cast of 'Etheria'". GMANetwork.com.
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrHQDRcSghs
9. "Etheria: The Fifth Kingdom of Encantadia". AsianWiki.
10. Tuazon, Nikko (March 11, 2016). "20 things to know before Encantadia 2016 starts". Philippine Entertainment Portal.