Rekusian Slave Wars
The Rekusian Slave Wars were a series of three slave revolts in the late Rakushan Republic:
- First Rekusian Slave War (4467−4472 ZR) — in Mennankazennon, led by Raqad, a former slave and cleric.
- Second Rekusian Slave War (4504−4508 ZR) — in western Rekusia, led by Kadaman and Zamana.
- Third Rekusian Slave War (4538−4540 ZR) — in Kuduri, led by Rakal ne-Thrim.
First Rekusian Slave War
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First Rekusian Slave War
Date 4467 - 4472 ZR Location Mennankazennon Result Zadahn victory Belligerents
Rakushan Republic Rekusian slaves 18,000 killed ~45,000 killed
In his conquest of Rekusia, Zadahn acquired tens of thousands of prisoners and confiscated vast swaths of land from his enemies all across the nation. Massive plantations were built up along the shores of the Warumai, and mines opened up to exploit newly discovered mineral resources in the desert. Kuduri, Zadahn's stronghold, and its surrounding regions, had evolved into a major economic hub, driven largely by slave labor that benefited Rekusian and Enlese elites.
In 4467 ZR, the slaves of a wealthy Rekusian mineboss outside the dwarven stronghold of Mennankazennon killed their master. The murder put not only the killers under the threat of execution, but also, by Zadahn's law, every slave in the household. According to Zadahn's laws, the execution penalty extended not only to the perpetrators but also to all slaves in the household. To escape this harsh punishment, the slaves fled into the desert, where they found salvation in the hands of Raqad, a former slave who had taken over a shrine dedicated to the desert goddess, Gashan. Raqad, who would come to be known for his charisma, convinced the runaways that he spoke for Gashan.
In the dunes, grew a community of runaway slaves that sustained itself through raids on travelers, mines, and plantations. Their numbers grew to 2,000 strong as more slaves joined Raqad's cause. An Enlese slave named Reyz traveled across Rekusia recruiting additional fighters, including free farmers and prospectors who disliked, as much as any slave, the oppressive plantation owners and mine bosses. The rebel army's subsequent victory over the dwarven governor of Mennankazennon and his hastily assembled militia significantly increased Raqad's following nearly tenfold and more.
Another group of runaways, led by a slave from Zu'u-Nashti, also rallied to Raqad, who was recognized as the king of Mennankazennon. The rebellion swelled to 70,000 armed slaves. With Zadahn preoccupied with other wars, he could only send a new army each year to combat the rebellion. Although the law required captured rebellious slaves to be executed, local officials often preferred to return them to their masters for whipping rather than death. Eventually, Asakon, the magistrate assigned to crush the rebellion, took it upon himself to hang any slaves he captured alive, eventually hanging up to 20,000 from the Strangling Tree.
Asakon’s campaign culminated in a 14-month siege of Mennankazennon, which eventually led to the rebels' defeat through starvation. Raqad was captured and taken to Kuduri but was not executed with honor. Instead, martyrdom was stolen from the former king and he died he died in obscurity a few months thereafter. Similarly, Asakon’s victory was not celebrated with the full triumphal honors typically reserved for significant military victories, as defeating slaves was not deemed a grand achievement.
Second Rekusian Slave War
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Second Rekusian Slave War
Date 4504 - 4508 ZR Location Rekusia Result Zadahn victory Belligerents
Rakushan Republic Rekusian slaves 17,000 killed ~20,000 killed
While the big plantations and mines prospered, small, free farmers all across Rekusia were being forced into slavery by the crushing debt they owed to lenders and large land owners. Because so many of these new slaves had been subjugated via shady deals, the governor of Rekusia, Nerva, established a court to hear claims. He proved too efficient for his own good. After he had freed about eight hundred wrongly enslaved people, the local planters bullied him into dropping the issue. The governor backed down and told any plaintiffs who still had cases pending that they would have to remain slaves.
They rose in rebellion instead. The rebel slave Ikibi took control of the uprising under the new name Kadaman. By sheer numerical superiority, the slaves quickly took over most of the large country estates. Most towns shut their gates in time and remained Rekusian; however, the rebels kept food from reaching the towns, and famine followed. The governor had only unskilled militia at his disposal, and these were beaten outside the town of Kalum. The town itself was saved from capture only when the Rekusians offered freedom to any town slaves who helped defend the walls. Needing more men, the governor came to an agreement with one of the bandit gangs that ranged freely in the mountains—a pardon for the bandits in exchange for crushing the slaves—but this too failed to break the rebellion.
By now Rekusia had two slave rebellions, and the two leaders, Kadaman of the interior and Zamana in the west, agreed to rule jointly. Soon after, 14,000 Rekusian veterans arrived from Kuduri. Although outnumbered, they beat the combined slave armies by superior discipline, but the Rekusian general did not press his advantage and the slaves escaped into the mountains. The general was replaced for his failure, but the next year, his replacement was himself replaced for doing no better. Finally a third general, the magistrate Makru, wiped out the slave armies in two years of hard combat. Makru also personally killed the enemy commander, Zamana, face-to-face in the middle of the battle—a rare feat in history.
Third Rekusian Slave War
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Third Rekusian Slave War
Date 4538-4540 ZR Location Kuduri Result Rebel victory Belligerents
Rakushan Republic Rekusian slaves 20,000 killed ~50,000 killed
Rakal of Thrim, once a soldier in the Rekusian army, turned to banditry after growing disillusioned with the life of a soldier. When captured, he was sold into slavery and forced into the brutal gladiatorial pits of Kuduri, where he endured the cruelty and violence of the arena. It was here that Rakal found his inspiration. His rebellion was not an isolated spark but a flame kindled by the memories of uprisings long past—uprisings that had shaken the foundation of Rekusia.
Rakal was well aware of these histories. When Rakal and seventy other gladiators made their daring escape into the countryside, it was Raqad’s spirit that guided him, and the blood of the martyrs from previous rebellions that fueled his resolve. The ranks of his ragtag army of runaway slaves soon swelled as others, inspired by the legacy of past revolts, flocked to his side. Rakal’s forces soon dealt a humiliating defeat to the first Rekusian force sent to suppress them.
Fleeing into the rugged wilderness of Khal-Darim, a canyon fortress, Rakal’s rebels held out for a time. When a second Rekusian force surrounded them, they made a bold escape under cover of night. Rakal led a counterattack, catching the Rekusian army in a narrow gorge, where they were unable to properly defend themselves. The slaughter was swift, and Rakal’s victory raised enough alarm to merit closer scrutiny by Zadahn.
As the rebellion grew more dangerous, four armies were dispatched to quell the resistance. However, Rakal and his army, now tens of thousands strong, marched east toward Enli, hoping to escape into the wild lands beyond the desert. His followers, eager for plunder and driven by hatred for their former masters, demanded to turn back south to continue looting Rekusia. Reluctantly, Rakal obliged, and they ravaged the countryside, crushing every army sent to oppose them.
In his final gamble, Rakal sought to escape to the Oasis of Kardon, a distant refuge. He made arrangements with nomads to ferry his army across the desert in exchange for access to Kardon’s riches. However, the nomads betrayed him, abandoning Rakal and his forces in the desert. At this crucial juncture, Zadahn took personal command of the Rekusian forces. Determined to crush the rebellion, Zadahn and General Karoth took control of a massive sandworm that roamed across the Dunes of Harasha to trap Rakal’s army in the western reaches of Rekusia. The 30,000 troops stationed along the desert's edges, under Karoth's command, were tasked with starving the rebels over the long dry season.
Rakal, undeterred, attempted to rally his forces by hanging a captured Rekusian soldier, reminding his army of the grim fate that awaited them if they failed. Twice, Rakal led his army in attempts to defeat the worm and breach the desert boundary. On the second attempt, a third of his forces broke through, but the rest were left behind, slowly picked off by Rekusian soldiers and the worm. Weakened and hounded by Karoth's forces, Rakal's once-mighty army dwindled as they were chased throughout western Rekusia.
In a desperate last stand, Rakal prepared his troops for battle. In the ensuing battle, Rakal’s forces were overwhelmed, and the gladiator army was shattered. But amid the chaos, the unthinkable happened—Zadahn himself was slain on the battlefield, some say by a blow from Rakal, that sent shockwaves through Rekusia.
With Zadahn’s death, the empire was thrown into disarray. General Karoth, who had played a pivotal role in the war, seized power, but he faced mounting pressure from within the empire. The death of the slaver king marked a turning point. The long-suffering slaves of Kuduri and Rekusia saw their chance for freedom. The rebellion that had begun with Rakal’s daring escape now blossomed into a full-scale revolution.
In the aftermath of the war, the slaves of Rekusia rose up in defiance of their masters. Their rebellion spread, and soon, slaves across the empire joined in the uprising. With no strong leader to unite the Rekusian forces, the final rebellion succeeded where others had failed. In the end, the slaves of Rekusia were emancipated, and the great slave-driven industries of Rekusia crumbled, marking the end of an age of exploitation and bondage.
Rakal himself was never found, his blood likely staining the desert sands with the thousands of others killed in the war, but his legacy lives on in the freed people of Rekusia. His name is a symbol of defiance and freedom across the land to this day.