Lanceron's stand
The defence of Carhill by Lanceron of House Guidel, the first act of the house that led to their influence and respect being as high as royalty.
The Conflict
Prelude
The largest section of the Elvish army had slowly travelled through Human territory, securing tens of villages across the countryside. After months of travelling the army arrived at the fortified town of Carhill. News had already arrived to the town about the Elvish attacks and the soldiers were prepared for an attack. Lanceron of House Guidel had ordered the storehouses to be stocked full of food and additional arrows and rocks to be brought in. Lanceron knew that the Human army when gathered would not be able to relieve the town, choosing instead to fight the Elves in key locations at the border towns and to push back into Elvish territory. He was told by the King in the days leading up to the siege that his town must be held, as the Elves would not be able to take any of the settlements to the North-East without Carhill. The Elves began to dig trenches around the town, and set up a large military camp nearby. The Elves built siege towers and had large ladders ready to scale the walls, the armies were prepared and the siege was set to begin...
Deployment
The Elves had set up a large camp to the South of the town, they had planned supply routes and were ready to be there for weeks if necessary. They had been ready for the fact that the Humans would know of the attack coming and fortify the city. But the army had several groups of mages ready, the newly built siege towers (a design taken from Human engineers) and enough soldiers to withstand attempts to attack the siege from any direction.
The Town was fortified in the days leading up to the siege. The walls were strengthened, the gates barricaded and the towers prepared with buckets of water and sand. Lanceron had instructed the archers to target any Elf who was not in armour, as they were likely the mages, who needed to wear lighter clothing to avoid tiring out.
Battlefield
The surrounding land is quite wet and fertile, with most of the fields being farmland. There are several farmhouses and barns that the Elves used for shelter, there are also a couple of villages near enough that the Elves also used. The actual approach to the town is well paved, several wide roads lead to from the different directions.
The town had well fortified walls and guard towers, several points for entrance but all of them had oil and rocks ready to drop.
Conditions
The siege lasted several months and during that time the Elves had to endure varying conditions, during the winter the cold was worse than usual. This paired with the storms that lasted during the first few weeks of the siege made for a difficult siege.
The Engagement
The town was finalising its defence as the Elves began to setup the camp, when the first Elves began to advance at the walls arrows began to fly from the city. However Lanceron had given strict orders to limit usage of arrows, only firing when a shot was clear to a mage, he knew they needed to conserve ammunition.
As the first ladders reached the town walls the attackers began to climb up, but it was a tough journey to the top, the mages were firing fire and lightning at the towers, but anything that was highly flammable had been removed and the towers had water ready to douse fires. The Mages had bombarded the gates but the reinforcements to them meant the damage wasn't enough to break them down. As the first hour passed the Elves had made no progress, losing several hundred and barely getting anyone onto the walls.
The Elves made the decision to send the siege towers forward, despite the ground being wetter than they had hoped for. The towers slowly advanced, being pushed by the mages with the help of a group of soldiers. It took the 3 towers over an hour to reach the walls, all the while the Humans were pouring oil at the ground where the towers were aiming for. As the towers reached close enough to drop the bridge the mages fired a huge round of fireballs and arcing lightning, the defenders were hit hard by the spells and as the bridges came down the Elves pushed onto the walls, getting a substantial force in through the towers.
The intense fighting raged on, Lanceron himself fought on the top of the walls, repelling the Elvish invaders. Stories tell of Lanceron wielding a great war axe to chop down 5 Elves at once. After a while of fighting the Elves were beaten back, after two of the bridges were knocked down and one tower was set alight.
As the first night fell the Elves had made little progress, but they had made the Humans have to defend incredibly hard. The mages spent the first few nights approaching the town in darkness and firing flaming haystacks or fireballs into the city, in the day the Elves bombarded the walls with arrows, whilst the town returned little to none.
After a week of the siege the second major push came, the Elves had broken the gate down to the point of collapse, so that morning a siege ram was brought forward, being heavily bombarded by arrows on approach. It smashed through the gates and hundreds of Elves charged the entrance, but Lanceron had prepared the night before for such a strike; The entire gateway had been blocked by rubble and rock. The Elves tried to retreat but the archers were slaughtering them as they ran. The mages tried to push on, blasting some of the rubble out the way but it wasn't enough, as oil was poured through murder holes many tried to run but were set alight and burned alive.
Over a month had passed since the siege began and the Elvish army had sent part of its force to take villages, burn small settlements and harvest the nearby farmland. Heavy storms had started and put the siege on hold due to massive amounts of rainfall. The Elves had blockaded the town and were now planning on waiting out the Humans, to let them starve and then surrender. The fireballs sent into the town were doused by the rain before even landing, so the mages decided to give up for a while. This began the few months of fairly quiet activity from both sides.
As Winter came the Elves moved back slightly, opting to keep warm and lose fewer men to the cold, it was particularly harsh that year and some Elves mutinied or left in the nighttime, wanting to return home. The mages that remained tried several times to bombard the city again but the cold and rain meant they were not much use. At one point, at the height of winter, the Elves tried to push into the city, using the cover of a misty day to advance at the town. But as they reached the walls the fighting began again and the cold was enough to make climbing the ladders too dangerous. Many Elves fell and quickly they fell back.
As winter came to and end the Elves were reinvigorated and made another attempt at the siege, they knew supplies must be running low in the town so for several days, and during the nighttime, the Elves bombarded the city with fireballs, charged the gates, scaled the walls and fired arrows at the defending archers. During this time the most died on both sides of the fighting, the Humans lost many of their archers, at one point Lanceron himself had to join them to help fight back.
Days passed and the town refused to fall, many buildings had burnt down, food was running short and the men were tired. Lanceron made a point of flogging any men who refused to fight or spoke of surrender, making sure the town never considered that option. Once news came of the Human army fighting at Mountmend, Goldside and Ashton the Elvish army began to split up, heading back to defend their cities.
Lanceron gathered his soldiers and, once the Elves had fully left the region, headed to Vaes Dor, deciding not to go and join the main army.
Outcome
Elvish army returns weakened.
Lanceron celebrated in the city.
Aftermath
- House Guidel given royal award for service
- Lanceron made High Commander of the Human army
Historical Significance
The Elves see the failure of the siege as a consequence of the weather, not the fault of the Elves. The Humans remember this siege as the greatest success of the Humans of the early fighting between the two races.Legacy
This was the first time that House Guidel made an impact in the land, they gained the respect of the other Houses and everyone knew they were a House to respect, and sometimes fear...
In Literature
House Guidel has a song that is often played at their events, meals and tourneys; Steel and Stone, it tells of the strength of Humans and their great empire they will forge, heavily praising the House for their part in it.
There are several books that explain the siege, mainly because it is the first and one of the few proper sieges that the Elves had against the Humans.
Technological Advancement
The Elves had built siege towers, which were designed by the Human engineers at The College.
This was the first time an army had setup a proper siege assault on a city.
Belligerents
Elvish Army
Carhill and House Guidel
Strength
8000
950
Casualties
5700
480
Objectives
Maps
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The Central Continent
The most populous and politically important continent in the known world. Home to the majority of Humans and many High Elf families. There are groups of Wood Elf in the North and Centaurs across the southern woods and forests. Key: 1-Yarrin, Capital of the Human crown 2-Queenstown, Major Human city 3-Ozryn, Large Human city 4-Laketon, Large fortified Human City 5-Kings Manor, Residence and royal castle for the monarchs family 6-The College, Large complex of schools and scholarly houses 7-Ashton, Human City 8-Pran, Human city with a large High Elf population 9-Carhill, Large Human town 10-Springmount, Human town 11-Solstice Castle, Large Human castle to strengthen the Northern border 12-Amberhall, very old town dating back to Elvish times 13-Nordpass, Small human city isolated on Tide Isle 14-Tidebreak Castle, Incredibly fortified castle on Tide Isle 15-Ridgemot, Human town 16-Leelside, Medium Human city 17-Arbor, small Human town with a keep 18-The Nightfort, Large fortress that protects the Southern border of the North 19-Balmar, Large Human city built onto the lakes 20-Alcove, Large Human town built in large clearing in the woods 21-Fieldfire Castle, Damaged castle built on the site of a great battle 22-Goldside, medium Human mining town 23-Mountmend, Large Human mining and trading city 24-Oxhost, Small Human town 25-Oxforth, Human town 26-Rivermot, Human city with a lot of damaged and ruins 27-Cetari, Centaur stronghold and holy site 28-Vaes Dor, Elvish ruins of a large city 29-Halgen, Small Human city 30-Estford, Human town 31-Forpass, Small Human town 32-Northshore, Very small Human town 33-Winthaven, Medium Human city 34-Stormarch, Small Human city 35-Bleakmount, Large Human town 36-Winter's Edge, Large Human city that acts as the capital in the North, very fortified 37-Snowmelt, Small Human town 38-Craghar, Human town 39-Briewind, Human town 40-Erast, Medium Human city 41-Ecrin, Large Human city 42-Clayton, Large Human town 43-Oakmore Castle, Small but very fortified castle 44-Southgate, Human town 45-Midmount, Large Human town 46-Oakheart, Large Human city 47-Zeffari, Large Human city, acts as capital in the South 48-Baredale, Medium Human town 49-Westwend, Large Human city 50-Ruins of Andlis-Harh, Ancient Elvish capital destroyed hundreds of years ago 51-Oldtown, Supporting town to Andlis-Harh, now Human town 52-Andrie, Once independent Human isle that now submits to rule 53-Red Heart, small Human town 54-Tydespire Castle, Small Human castle 55-Tarrin, Large Human trading city 56-Pavv, Large Human city 57-Littlehill, Medium Human town 58-Three Fingers, Large Human fishing and trading town 59-Thornwood Fortress, Very large fortress and prison, acts as the main prison for the continent 60-Northforge, One of the dwarven cities and mines, is open to trade/diplomacy 61-Southforge, The other dwarven city, closed its gates many years ago and silent since 62-Nuxvar, Large Human trading city, home to the largest naval force 63-Sudhere, Small Human coast town 64-Rinas Mal, Elvish ruins of a fort and town 65-Tris Dorne, Elvish ruins of a large town 66-Rias-Dori, Main home on the continent of the Tarfen, a minotaur like race. Many were brought to the continent by slavers and traders. 67-Wydwin, Small Human town.
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