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2422-21 BCE: First Virehnai War fought, between the humans of the cities of Umma and Lagash, and the Virehnai of both cities. During the reign of King Ennanatum I, the conflicts over the fertile land between Umma and Lagash increased dramatically, because the king of Lagash decided to change the borders of ‘who owned what’ and included into his own area many of the channels that carried precious water to the fields. That was the human portion of the war.
For the Virehnai, differences in feeding caused the first Virehnai war. The Draz’kul hunt, and the Sulehnai form blood bonds with humans for their food in exchange for protection. When the Draz’kul fed from humans bound to the Sulehnai, it widened the rift between the two factions. When the humans living in the two Sumerian cities later went to war, the Sulehnei did too, because of their blood bonds with the humans.”
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What changed this time from the other times they fought over this same fertile patch of land? History records it as one of the first documented ‘modern style’ fights between two armies – if not the first. The other notable change was that there were Varehnai fighting for Umma, as they were bloodsworn to help the enemies of those humans bonded to them….and there were Varehnai living in Lagash. The Varehnai only fought the humans; they weren’t going to fight their own family. Not yet, anyway.
The town was sacked, the temple was burned, and many died, human and Varehnai alike. This would become known as the First Varehnai war. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was the first time that the various Varehnai factions ever fought each other. This was, by many, thought to be the ‘worst,’ because everyone fighting knew one another well. They disagreed with one another, vehemently. Some thought their family members were just…confused. Others hated their family members, for making them have to choose sides (whether by familial love, or ideology). Of all the battles, these battles were the most personal of all of them.
More problematic for the Varehnai still, the humans of Lagash were now aware it had…a Varehnai problem. One of the things they noted was that ‘foreigners’ were hired to help Umma fight…and they had the same type of foreigners in their own midst. Then, the Varehnai fought each other again: The Varehnai living in Lagash argued that if the Sulanai hadn’t had bloodoaths with Umma, they wouldn’t be having problems. They believed they were ‘too friendly’ with their source of food; that having oaths to acquire blood, rather than hunt, set up the issues that caused the recent war. There were many fights that included humans that they all participated in, but the battle that eventually became known as the “First Varehnai War” was both short, and decisive, settled in mere hours. Sulana died; she was killed by her own brother, Hurim, who cut her head from her body. Both Sulana’s children and those of her Clan, which included many from other family groups, angry and beaten, left Umma, traveling with merchants who were headed back to their home in the Indus Valley. As recompense they offered the merchants protection along the way. They settled into the outskirts of two areas: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. The damage was done, however. From that time on, many clans called themselves Sulehnai – preferring arrangements over hunting – whether or not they belonged to Sulana’s Clan or were one of her children. It set up the faction in-fighting that followed for milennia.
By the end of the year, those Varehnai who lived in Lagash found they needed to leave, as well. Most of the human inhabitants of Lagash were now wary of them, and believed them to either be in league with their enemies, or spies. It’s hard to hunt humans when they know you’re there, and are watching for you. The Varehnai who were in Lagash moved as a people to the city of Kish, further north, and tried to keep a low profile.
Many things were learned, by both groups: Keep your numbers low. Every so often, change your name and move. That…and be wary of everyone. Just because someone is family doesn’t mean you can trust them. Both factions just learned this the hard way.