Difference between revisions of "War with the Horn"

Latest revision as of 16:36, 20 November 2017

Overview

The War with the Horn is the common term for the War against the Terror of Blood on the Horn, Hated Foe of Peace and Family, between the forces of the Realm and the armies of the newly-formed nation of Harborhead, lasting six years from RY416 to RY422.

RY385 - RY415

Blood on the Horn, godblooded daughter of the Southern War God Ahlat, rose in the Southeast to lead an army in conquering and uniting tribes. A nation was formed, the nation of Harborhead, with Kirighast as its capital and worship of Ahlat its religion. The Realm did not seek to interfere at first, the new state not a threat to its might, though additional forces were mustered on the southeastern coast of the Blessed Isle as a precaution.

RY416

Resplendent Water - Early in RY416 the Realm was forced into action. A raiding party from Harborhead attacked the city-state of Ivrore, along the coast north of Kirighast, nominally a tributary of the Realm. Worse, during the raid a mortal scion of House Cathak serving as part of a trade delegation was killed by the Harborheadites. This could not be allowed to stand, particularly as the expanding economic conflict with The Guild raised suspicions that the attacks might indicate Harborhead was in the Guild's pocket, and so the Realm declared war. Three Legions were prepared for battle: the 22nd Imperial Legion under strategoi Cathak Madran, the 28th Imperial Legion under strategoi Sesus Fisher, and the 47th Imperial Legion under strategoi Mnemon Pardus, with Madran named to overall command.

Descending Earth - Battle of the Ivrore Coast. The 22nd Legion is deployed to Ivrore, where it begins to move southward against Harborhead positions.

Resplendent Wood - First Battle of Kirighast. The 28th and 47th Legions attempt an assault against the port of Kirighast by sea, but are repulsed.

Descending Wood - Battle of Nsamankow. Two talons from the 22nd Legion, accompanied by a talon of auxiliaries and a talon of local Ivrorian archers, encounter Blood on the Horn and an army of over ten thousand warriors as they camp before crossing the Pra River. The battle is short, Realm troops overwhelmed and killed.

- Battle of Ivrore. The army of Blood on the Horn assaults and razes Ivrore, destroying the harbour there and sacrificing the population to Ahlat.

Resplendent Fire - Second Battle of Kirighast. The 47th and 28th Legions again assault the capital of Harbourhead, this time landing at a natural harbour a few miles north of the city proper. With many troops off fighting in Ivrore, the capital is taken in a two week siege and the central shrine of Ahlat falls into Realm hands, a severe blow to morale.

Descending Fire - Battle of Amoaful. 22nd Legion forces push back against Harborhead troops in the area of Ivrore. Five dragons of Legion troops, including 2 of auxiliaries and one of heavy foot, engage and scatter three times their number of Harbourhead warriors.

RY417 - 421

The war was a difficult one for both sides, with casualties significant. Unable to hold cities, Blood on the Horn withdrew inland, and the Realm Legions had difficulty pursuing her while maintaining secure lines of supply. Though they possessed numerical superiority, the differences between the Harborheadites and Realm soldiers became apparent as the campaign continued on through the years: war amongst Harbourhead's tribes was inescapably tied with their herds of cattle, a state of affairs engineered by the war god Ahlat. Warriors were paid for their services in captured cattle, the sacrifice of captured cattle was key not only to prayer but also to thaumaturgic rituals which provided warriors with protection in battle. As the Realm had no cattle to raid, as time went on tribes seeking to continue fighting were forced to sacrifice their own cows to pay and gird their troops, placing their survival at risk... while the Brides of Ahlat remained ferocious, the tribal warriors of Harbourhead became increasingly unreliable as years went on, having so much to lose and so little to gain by fighting. Bound to purchase its meat from Pangu, the Legions could not even make use of cattle they themselves captured, and not wanting to drag along such a commodity tended to reward local collaborators by granting them masses of cows and allowing their immediate sacrifice. However, the armies of Harbourhead did not collapse completely, Blood on the Horn using personal charisma and connection with their patron god to keep her army in the field despite a lack of cattle to capture.

RY422

Ascending Fire - Battle of Hudu Towasi. The 47th Legion meets the army of Blood on the Horn. Strategoi Mnemon Pardus slays her in single combat, and tens of thousands of her troops die along with her, forming the shadowland known today as the Field of Bloodied Bulls.

Aftermath