Great Raids

The Great Raids were a series of raids conducted by the Grand Duchy of Karelia from 667 to 692 AFE. Orchestrated by Grand Duke Dravenis I Siensalainen, the raids formed the focal point of his reign, and ended with his death during the Kleinesburg Raid in 692. The raids, while largely successful, pulled the resources of the Grand Duchy away from defending its borders in the First and Second Wars of the Confederation, resulting in a large amount of counter-raids by the southern tribes into Livonia and Karelia Proper that were barely withstood by the lords of the these regions (see: Battle of Bilaer). The raids also resulted in a vast influx of slaves that nearly destroyed the Karelian economy, and forced Dravenis's successor, Taavi II Karjalainen, to make several economic reforms.

The Great Raids are a controversial subject in Karelia, and are largely looked back upon with disdain by merchants and farmers due to their negative effect on the economy. Many nobles, however, look back upon them with a certain degree of fondness, and as such the raids have been romanticised and are often used as the backdrop for fictional stories of heroics. The raids did not, however, make Karelia popular with foreigners, and seriously soured relations with the Serkir Shahdom especially.