Siege of Oxbow

The siege of Oxbow was a turning point in the War of Tears for both sides. Over the course of the five month siege the Driston Empire suffered great losses, especially during the final momemnts when a sage from the Maifina Temple detonanted a massive arcane explosion in the heart of the invading armada.

The Conflict

Prelude

Oxbow had managed to avoid the dangers of the first few years of the War of Tears due to its remote location and lack of military power. Though the Kingdom of Breaton did prepare the town for invasion once it became clear the war was going to become a prolonged engagement little effort was put into fortifying the settlement.

Deployment

Empress Lillith Driston signed an offical order in Hammer to capture the settlement in Ches, commisioning her navy to send fifteen galleons along with support craft and assault troops to invade and take the town. This fleet departed from Phancaster at the end of the month with the goal of arriving at the start of Ches to avoid the worst of the winter weather that Oxbow suffers being so far north, but early enough to prevent any major reinforcement by the Kingdom of Breaton in the spring.
Oxbow was unprepared for such a major invasion having little experience of warfare other than occasional pirate activity and bandit encampments on the northern coast that plagued trade routes. Containing a garrison of two thousand soliders and guards to protect the trade port the people stationed here had little combat experience and were equipped with sub-par weapons.

Battlefield

Oxbow itself is located on the souther portion of Midthan Island, the landmass between Beru and the Deadlands to the north. The island has little natural resources being so far north few crops can be grown and the forests provide minimal wildlife, resulting in wide expanses of heather and gorse scattered with rocks. This openess meant that the town could be seen from any miles away on clear days.

The Engagement

On the morning of the 15th of Ches bells began to sound across the town as the fleet sailed over the eastern horizon flying Driston colours. Despite the best efforts of the garrison to fight off the invaders they were quickly overwhelmed and the town was blockaded by nightfall. On the morning of the 16th the first soldiers made landfall on the northern shore of the island establishing a beachead encampment in the bay. Over the next month there were raids and assaults against the town by Driston forces while any attempt to leave the island by the Oxers was foiled through ballista fire and magical bombardment by war mages. There was only one serious attempt by the defenders to clear the encampment in the early stages of the siege at the behest of King Varin Breaton. During this engagement the defenders lost hundreds of soldiers through reckless assaults on a fortified Driston camp lined with archers and spellcasters. The loss cost Oxbow dearly as now their defences couldn't be manned at all, ensuring that subsequent attacks by the Driston forces could not be repellled.
Though Driston forces aimed to capture the town as soon as possible to secure the northern waters of Beru it took until the 3rd of Kythorn for them to properly breach the walls. Once inside they began to exterminate any resistance they encountered slaughtering anyone who raised arms against them. In the next few days the Driston forces cemented their occupation of Oxbow capturing the major defencive structures and places of significance except for the Maifina Temple, whos arcane protection proved too powerful for the war mages to sunder. 
Upon hearing of the sacking of the town King Varin Breaton demanded it be retaken and deployed a force of experienced veterans from Torbritten and three brigades of newer soldiers to support them in the liberation, however, they would never face any combat. 
On the 19th of Elasi the high priest of Ilusi within the Maifina Temple stood atop the building and began to preach a sermon, though much of it has been lost to rumour and hyperbole one line has been attributed as fact

...and the Mistress has spoken to me! She has shown me the light! The Truth! Ath salen an var will mor ent begon from bren shesh! - High Priest Yor

Reports vary on the next few moments but all have a comminality: an explosion of arcane power that lifted the temple into the sky, bolts of energy striking down hundreds of Driston soldiers in an instant, and a second larger explosion that destroyed the fleet and northern section of the island. 
This explosion was heard as far south as Farre, and the shockwaves reached Witchbark destroying windows & damaging roofs. The town of Timberfall was extremely damaged in the explosion with hundreds of casualties reported, though strangely Oxbow escaped the blast. Most attribute Ilusi's protection as the source of their saftey while others claim another incident was to blame for the explosion. Regardless, where there was once a wide bay and open moors on the north of the island now there is only a perpetual whirlpool that drains the sea into a void-like tunnel none have survived exploring. 
The destruction of their armada and death of 80% of their soldiers caused the Dristoners to flee the town in a matter of hours, abandoning supplies, weapons and their wounded. Many jumped into the waters to swim to the mainland while others secured what few ships remained and attempted to sail home. Reports would soon arrive in Timberfall from Oxbow survivors that any who wore Driston colours drowned in the waters and any ships were somehow sunk on calm seas.

Conflict Type

Siege

Start Date

15/3/1148

Ending Date

19/8/1148