The Turf Wars
The Turf Wars were a series of wars in and around the Meridán Region, spanning almost a century, covering the rise and fall of the Leonid Empire and the creation of the Imperial States.
Stolidy Coast Invasion
Having formed an alliance with the Monks of Gilding in 138 LE, the Leonid Empire sought greater land and power, with an expansion more ambitious than their previous colonisation of the Meridán Coast. Starting in 140 LE, they launched fleets across the Meridán Sea to the Stolidy Coast, intent on conquering the three kingdoms of Laszland, Konistova Lisa, and The Raeigne.
The smallest of the three kingdoms, Laszland, was conquered first in 143 LE. Leonid leadership made the area a foothold for Leonid rule on the Stolidy Coast as further efforts were made further south against Konistova Lisa, and soldiers would frequently raid the supplies of occupants while letting them fend for themselves.
Further south, the House of Lisa surrendered in 147 LE, and occupation was a much more organised effort: The House of Lisa was allowed to maintain control over all aspects of government besides military, so long as they paid tribute to the Empress of Leona, and gave Leonid soldiers and immigrants special privileges. This proved so effective that the Leonids granted the territory of Laszland to the House of Lisa, and the same scheme was used when The Raeigne surrendered in 149 LE.
Reseggian Conquest & Inversion
With the Stolidy Coast now taken, Leonid attention turned to the southern kingdoms of Reseggia, and began gearing up for another invasion. The first attacks took place in Southern Hornland (now Milfordshire) beginning in 151 LE. Leonid forces allied with the less powerful House of Gilbridge, and when the ruling House of Hearn was deposed by 155 LE, the Gilbridges were put in charge. This allowed the Leonids to extract tribute and earn additional privileges while holding the threat of withdrawing Leonid support and putting the House of Gilbridge's superiority in jeopardy. This strategy came be known as "inversion", and would be used again and again in the Reseggian Conquest.
Nevertheless, the House of Hearn continued to put up a fight, and so fighting continued, with members and supporters of the Hearns slowly genocided.
There was also talk of a full-scale invasion of The Golden Hills. The Monks of Gilding, in fact, surrendered to occupation before the Leonid Empire even had to invade, an event known as the Second Convent, although there was much small-scale rebellious activity in the eastern portions.
Invasion of Lernaea began in 162 LE, though the House of Lernaean quickly surrendered by 163 LE, so long as no inversion would take place and they would be allowed to remain in charge. This agreement was accepted, and the Leonids and Lernaeans worked together to take several smaller kingdoms in modern-day Lernaea.
Rellica was fully occupied by 172 LE, the inversion in this case placing the House of Reed, previously a rather small clan, in charge. In the invasion of Weyland, the Leonid Empire found allies in the recently arrived Dwarves and the house of Ledersen, who took charge after Weyland surrendered in 180 LE, ending the Reseggian Conquest.
Relative Peacetime
The Leonid Empire, at this point, had 9 provinces: Central Leona on the Meridán Coast, Konistova Lisa, The Raeigne, Milfordshire (formerly Hornland), Lernaea, Rellica, Weyland, and The Golden Hills. Subsequent efforts of the Leonid military largely aimed at maintaining hold of these regions, particularly in The Golden HIlls and Milfordshire, where there was frequent rebellion.
Two more provinces would be added to the Empire. First, The Rotating Magnate, which, in 184 LE, had a leadership struggle at which point the Leonids took the opportunity to invade. Then, through the Second Sita'arlan Crusade, the empire took back the Sita'arlan Colonies from 185 to 188 LE.
Peace lasted until 194 LE, with the Sack of Leona ending the rule of the Leonid House Corle.
Collapse of the Empire
The Sack of Leona led to unrest all throughout the Empire. On Taurid 35th of that same year, the military of the Sita'arlan Colonies held a coup d'état and declared independance, and for the next two decades, all throughout Reseggia there was fighting between Imperial forces and local factions. From 195 to 200 LE, the Black Revolution liberated The Heinmacht from imperial rule, and in 197, the Monks of Gilding began to expel Leonid occupation.
The Raeigne was one of the few provinces to remain loyal to the Empress, though the Plague Hills Breach back in 189 LE had weakened the province and led to the eventual collapse and abandonment of the region in 215 LE.
With the Empire at its weakest, The Rotating Magnate were able to negotiate independence, with only a few proxy battles, by 222 LE.
Fighting continued until the ratification of the Treaty of Leona in 227 LE, establishing the Imperial States as they currently are and ending the Leonid Empire.