I totally had a reply typed and accidentally closed Firefox while I was shifting my stuff around on the couch. I don't remember it all.
My Gunslingers are more like cops than soldiers so I don't know if I really should try putting them into things.
I figured that the downward spiral of the war probably took a very long time, but it was a last hard push that pressed the Merhites to shut the gates.
I'm not trying to make things difficult for the mortals, but I doubt witches are long-lived. The short lives of the mortals allow for breeding the mortal lines and drastic changes in the world. I've always liked that the world moves quickly for the mortals, but slowly for the elder-races.