First Blood of the Quarasian War

This battle was the very first lethal conflict between the Coulian-Midland alliance, and marked the beginning of the Quarasian War.

The Conflict

Prelude

The fight that started the Quarasian War took place in the in the southern region of the Midlands. A patrol of Quarezi soldiers were harassing a caravan based in the Midlands. Watching the caravan from afar, a sentinel patrol of General Baumgartner's army led by Sir Hans Pilzer decided to start the war they knew was coming here and now, by helping the caravan of their allies. Riding forth, the sentinels confronted the Quarezi. The Quarezi patrol were incensed by the frankness of the Coulian sentinel, after being able to walk untouched among the midlanders. After accusing the sentinel of unjustly confronting a Vigilus of the Iulian Guard, and crossing the Coulian-Quarezi border, the Quarezi commander, Legus Shore, drew his Kris and ordered the Quarezi patrol to ready their weapons.

Deployment

The Coulian force consisted of a small patrol of cavalry armed with heavy spears and mail reinforced leather armor. The Quarezi were a uniform force of longswordsmen equipped with steel blades, shields, and chainmail armor.

Battlefield

The terrain was relatively flat, apart from a small depression in which the Quarezi lay. The grass underfoot was patchy, with small pebbles littering the land. An unkempt dirt road went straight through the battlefield, and a few trees laid on the outskirts of the small clearing the two sides fought in.

Conditions

The day was clear and sunny, with a light breeze.

The Engagement

The Coulians leveled their spears and galloped towards the Quarezi. To their credit, they held fast with shields raised and blades poised. Despite this, the initial impact of the Coulian cavalry was devastating, killing at least a third of the patrol with the Coulian sentinel taking not one casualty. The second pass through, however, resulted in the calculated lash of the Quarezi blades taking down several horses, the riders of which were quickly surrounded and killed after they crashed to the ground. The charge had turned into a melee, with several riders dismounting and keeping the Quarezi swordsmen at bay with their spears. The patrol, while distracted with the fight, failed to notice some of the cavalry circling around for another charge. This time, with the Quarezi disorganized and busy fighting the grounded Coulian, the charge was stunningly effective. Over half the remaining force of Quarezi were killed, Legus Shore among them. Unfortunately, just before the charge hit, Shore channeled a blast of energy through his Kris that killed two additional horsemen. However, with their leader dead, the rest quickly surrendered and were captured by the Coulian.

Outcome

The Midlander caravan promised not to tell what had happened, for fear of Quarez knowing that the war had started before the Kingdom of Coul wanted it to. The captured Quarezi soldiers were returned to General Baumgartner's army, where their equipment was requisitioned by the army and they were forced into slavery under Baumgartner.

Aftermath

By the time the Quarezi governance realized what happened, General Baumgartner had already taken direct military action against Quarez, and the war had begun. Still, the news of an easy victory against the Quarezi heartened the Coulian-Midlander alliance, and made headlines among the Coulian people.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The battle is known for being the first conflict in the Quarasian war, however it is often ignored due to its relatively small scale, with credit often being given to later battles in which more were killed.

In Literature

The battle is referenced in many tomes, but most simply gloss over it. The only known direct writing was a recounting of the battle written by one of the Coulian horsemen that fought it, many years after the fact.

Conflict Type

Skirmish

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

16/6/1172

Ending Date

16/6/1172

Conflict Result

The Coulian cavalry tore through the isolated and unprepared Quarezi, winning the battle with few casualties.

Belligerents

Sentinel Patrol; Sixth Regiment of Cohort Wievorsch; General Baumgartner's Army

Led by

• Sir Hans Pilzer

Vigilus Shore; Iulian Guard

Led by

• Commander Legus Shore

Strength

12 horsemen armed with spears and light armor

14 Longswordsmen, 1 Kris Swordsman commanding the group.

Casualties

4 horsemen were cut down in the fighting.

All but 6 of the longswordsmen were killed, and the survivors were captured.

Objectives

Help the caravan being harassed by the enemy and kill or capture the enemy troops so that the Quarezi governance is not alerted to the military presence of the Coulian.

Expel the Villkommt sentinel out of Quarezi territory.