Wrongful Takings
The Wrongful Takings (from Andamonian Zaanha Culotla) were a series of incidents during the War of the Velaran Succession wherein Trellinese warships seized merchant shipping flying under neutral flags, most particularly that of Andamonia. The incidents arose early in the war, with neutral ships seized on several occasions between August 1769 and March 1770. Trellin accused these merchants of aiding an insurrection: the Sidereal Crown regarded the Velaran kingdom as its dominion, albeit in revolt; while this was technically true, its other neighbours continued to treat Velar as a sovereign state, and their ships continued to trade in Velaran ports.
The seizures roused public ire in Andamonia, and Empress Xichiel II warned Elcmar IV of Trellin that she would not allow her subjects to be harassed. Andamonia adopted a policy of armed neutrality; her merchant ships began carrying modest armaments and sailing in convoy, frequently escorted by one or two warships. Other states around the Sea of Velar quickly followed suit when it became clear that Trellin would not end its persecution of their shipping.
Background
At the outbreak of the war, the Velaran dominions around the Sea of Velar constituted, in effect, a thalassocracy, with extensive land holdings encompassing most of the archipelago and large areas of Pelna and Retikh. The maintenance of this small empire was dependent on its merchant fleets, and indeed Velar's economic and political weight was built chiefly on their vast trading network. The outbreak of war over the Velaran throne, in January 1769, was therefore a major threat not only to the Velaran economy but also to the economies of the states of the eastern Sea of Velar, such as the Andamonian Empire, and principalities of Namija and Txekrikar.
Spectators around the Sea of Velar and further afield believed that there were effectively two directions the war could take. Either Velar, with its population unsure whether to support the rebellion, would quickly lose the war against a determined Trellinese onslaught; or Trellin would choose to avoid further bloodshed and acquiesce to the demands of the Velaran nobles. In either case trade would be normalised within months, and shipping to and from the Isles themselves would be largely untroubled by the conflict.
The war, however, did not end. Although the Velaran navy had quickly gained supremacy, facilitating a string of minor victories in the south, Trellin whittled away at the rebel territories in Pelna and Retikh as if engaged in a war of conquest. Towns in both territories waved between supporting either side, and the war seemed likely to drag on for some time. However, as Trellin's fleet had been effectively driven from the Sea of Velar early in the war, the conflict had yet to impact meaningfully on Velaran commerce. Foreign-flagged ships were often stopped and searched by Trellinese patrols at the Straits of Jajich, but this was not a new policy.
First incidents
- Blockade-running at Parthenope