Massacre of Tel-Aviv
The Massacre of Tel-Aviv is a notable battle within the “War of Salt” between the Kingdom of Israel and the Akzzid Caliphate.
It is a significant demonstration of the implementation of guerrilla tactics, the prowess of the Israeli military, and the logistical incompetence of the Akzzid Caliphate.
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History
Background
During the 2nd Week of Mvndi II, the Akzzid Caliphate began an irreparable period of decline. This was due to a variety of factors, including the postponement of the war system, the failed Siberian Jihad, and the recently repelled crusade against the Mokkiyads in Iberia. The Mokkiyads, in particular, posed a threat, as their victory against Christendom portrayed them as the primary Islamic power in Mvndi. All of these factors combined led to the hemorrhaging of manpower from the Akzzid Caliphate, draining their administrative capacity until only a handful of major cities remained. This was a far cry from their pre-Mvndi claims of being the strongest realm in the entire server.
This collapse in administration coincided with an otherwise unrelated Welsh peasant revolt. Wales had been settling new peasants into the city of Nolton, employing relatively lax supervision. This led to around half of the city's population converting to Judaism. Disgruntled due to the constant Viking raids, the Jews banded together under their chosen Messiah and King. In a desperate attempt to quell the uprising, the Welsh King joked that “it would be funny to see a Welsh Kingdom of Israel.” The Jewish King accepted and ventured forth to settle the Levant with a handful of his followers.
This infuriated the Akzzids, as the Jews posed a threat to their religious, cultural, and territorial hold on the Middle East. Many addresses and threats were made in an attempt to dislodge the upstart Kingdom. These correspondences were not recorded, but second-hand sources describe them as 'immodest,' 'vulgar,' and 'offensive.'
On the other hand, the Israelis thought very little of the Caliphate, as demonstrated in their King's correspondence with the King of Wales:
*“Twenty of the realm's greatest Jihadists couldn't defeat three Siberian farmers.”*
Running low on options and with morale sinking to the point of revolt, the Caliphate declared war, beginning the War of Salt.
Historical Documentation
Below is an annotated transcription from *The Massacre of Tel-Aviv*, a Welsh historical document contained within the Welsh Royal Library, Aberystwyth. It is believed that this is an adaptation of a first-hand Israeli source, which has since been lost to time.
The account reads as follows:
The opening describes the armaments of the combatants. Notably, the Islamic forces are augmented by two Varangians. Although it was not uncommon for Norsemen to fight alongside the Caliphate, this was usually reserved for important conflicts.*Aggressor(s): Islamic Caliphate, Manpower: 5 (3 Heavy Infantry, 2 Light Infantry), Danish Empire, Manpower: 2 (1 Huscarl, 1 Pikeman)*
*Defender(s): Kingdom of Israel, Manpower: Unknown (2 Heavy Infantry, specifically both Officers & Noblemen, an innumerable amount of Militia (many likely being child combatants))*
Then begins a summary of the events of the battle.
The source again addresses the appearance of 'Danes' at the battle, likely identifiable by their Germanic helmets. It is unknown if the claim of scouring is simply embellishment or a legitimate goal of the Caliphate.*“A force of Arabs (assisted by a small contingent of Danes) encroached onto the Israeli capital, with the goal of scouring it from the face of the Earth.”*
Despite the claims of the source, the Israelis seem initially unwilling to fight, instead allowing the enemy to ravage their less precious resources.*“The Israelis promptly prepared their defense, leaving their doors open to lull the Muslims into a false sense of security.”*
This second passage echoes the reluctance of the first.*“They ventured down into their subterranean farm and sealed the entrance.”*
The next excerpt depicts the foolishness of the Caliphate, with the commanders being unable to identify the obvious ambush.*“The aggressors foolishly ventured down the shaft into their future tomb, not noticing the strange ease of the invasion or the sudden opening of the entrance into the Jews' lair.”*
It appears the massacre began with the accidental loss of a single Danish soldier, causing a domino effect of self-sacrifice.*“First, the pikeman dropped into the abyss, being swiftly torn to shreds by the Semites. Honor-bound, his Huscarl brother-in-arms chased in after him, hoping to save his fellow Dane and salvage this battle.”*
The result was as expected.*“Both were quickly overwhelmed, with no chance of escape. Man after man fell to the Israeli horde.”*
The domino chain continues, with the Islamic soldiers likely unwilling to have their piety overshadowed by the pagans.*“Despite the tide turning against the Muslims, the Arabic commander ordered his better-armored men to follow the Danes' example and put their own lives before the fervor of Islam (likely not knowing that escaping said crypt was impossible).”*
The entire army was routed.*“All were slaughtered by innumerable Jews, in a brutal but effective display of their might. After the flood of Arabs subsided, the Israelis ventured out of their bunker and into their terrestrial abode, finding a single Arab, frozen in fear.”*
Victory was achieved.*“The last attacker was quickly dispatched, and victory was proclaimed.”*
Casualty statistics for the battle:*Aggressor Casualties: 7*
*Defender Casualties: Unknown (Due to the horde of Israelis, the death toll is unknown, but likely between 5-10)*
*Conclusion*
*Islamic Defeat*
Aftermath
The war continued for another five days, making it the longest continuous official conflict in all of Mvndi II. The war ended in a Pyrrhic victory for the Caliphate; however, it cost them nearly all of their resources and energy. Reports of disastrous battles, such as the Massacre of Tel-Aviv, caused more Akzzids to defect to the Mokkiyads (and later Serbians), leading to the total collapse of the Akzzid Caliphate.
The Israelites continued defending their capital after the massacre; however, they were eventually overwhelmed, being utterly obliterated by the start of the 4th Week of Mvndi II.