War of the East

The War of the East was a massive conflict encompassing the entirety of the eastern half of Distora, primarily involving the Empire of Leharta and many eastern nations.

Origins
Leharta, ever since its union with the Kingdom of Midpass in 95 BC, had been steadily growing in power, growing to encompass lands both north and south of its capital.

It is in the Prewar Period, spanning from circa 70 BC to 25 BC, that the Lehartans emerged from the Mountains of Midpass and encountered their counterparts in the plains to the east - most notably, the Maumolese. Skirmishes between the united Lehartans and the scattered, divided Maumolese nomads escalated and eventually attracted international attention. The Red Sandstone Kingdom threatened Leharta to stay out of Eastern affairs (on a power trip of its own). What followed was the brief First Maumolese War between the Lehartans and the Red Sandstone Kingdom, in what was simply a few skirmishes. Nonetheless, the brief war spurred Leharta's ire, and directed its dreams of conquest towards its enemies in the east.

The Playing Field
Around 30 BC, the largest players on the Eastern Distoran stage were the Red Sandstone Kingdom, the Democracy of Rodina, and the Vaalbaran kingdoms of Kapvaal and Pilbara. As well were present the fledgeling kingdoms of Pazodan, Urla, and Gondwana, born in the turbulent time of the impending Lehartan dominion.

While these Eastern lands had their own complicated set of conflicts and alliances amongst each other, Leharta, an isolated empire situated in the mountain peaks, had little to worry about - surrounded by a virtually inhabitable (or so it seemed) desert to the west, and fertile lands to the east, the choice for expansion seemed clear.

First Strikes
For five years, beginning in 30 BC with the rise of Lehartan Emperor Kiuper I, Leharta mobilizes their truly massive army, while the eastern nations, having been relatively unbothered by their Lehartan neighbors for some time, battle a Second Maumolese War.