Gate Rune War

The Gate Rune War (門の紋章戦争 Mon no Monshō Sensō), also known less grandiosely as the Toran Liberation War (トラン解放戦争 Toran Kaihō Sensō), is a civil war between the Scarlet Moon Empire and the Toran Liberation Army in the Toran region. The events of the war form the setting of Suikoden.

Information
After the War of Succession, Barbarosa Rugner, turned his back on politics to pursue the lady Windy. As a result, the number of corrupt bureaucrats within the Scarlet Moon Empire increased, public order deteriorated, and pirates and bandits began to spread.

Popular dissatisfaction with the empire continued to grow and SY 453 saw the establishment of the Toran Liberation Army by Odessa Silverberg. The establishment of a formal movement to resist the Scarlet Moon Empire sparked more open dissension and disarray, marking the beginning of the Gate Rune War.

Unable to ignore the growing rebel movement, Odessa would fall in a surprise attack on the Liberation Army hideout in Lenankamp. From there, the son of Teo McDohl, one of the Empire's Five Great Generals would take over the mantle of leadership.

With the aid of strategist Mathiu Silverberg, the Liberation Army, which was just a resistance organization, was reborn as a military force. The rebellion would continue to grow, with the Liberation Army securing powerful alliances and liberating region after region from the yoke of the Scarlet Moon Empire.

The war was officially considered to have lasted four years. Two years with the old Odessa-led Liberation Army, and two years after the New Liberation Army's Founding Day. After two years of conflict between the Imperial Army and McDohl's Liberation Army, the war would end in SY 457 with the fall of Gregminster and defeat of Barbarosa.

The Toran Republic would be established in the wake of the Scarlet Moon Empire's defeat. Several veterans of the war would end up affiliated with the New State Army during the Dunan Unification War.

Name
The war was named the Gate Rune War, due to the presence of both Gate Rune bearers, Windy and Leknaat, in the war, offering supporting to the Scarlet Moon Empire and the Toran Liberation Army respectively.

Alternatively, it is popularly called the Liberation War, or Toran Liberation War. Historians prefer the term "Gate Rune War" as a neutral title as it does not favor the victorious Toran Liberation Army.