The Battle of Port Helnarr
The Conflict
Prelude
From a land beyond the edge of the earth sailed an army bred for a singular purpose: bring death to Dugond's doorstep. Four masked Warlords, each a skilled general and combatant in their own right landed on the shores of Royama and Sull and began pushing for the heart of Dalasur. Each of the Masks represented a season of Therrah and none of them was so feared a the Mask of Winters. Winters had a goal in mind, recover an ancient and terrible artifact know as the Despoiler of Flesh and use it for some terrible end. Unable to make good on his plan, he withdrew to Western Sull, before launching an all-out assault on the coastal city of Port Helnarr. Coming to the defense of the beleaguered city were the Dalasurian Army as well as several groups of Sullian Irregulars. On the eve of the battle arrived who would be the turning point of it all, Astride Davien, Priestess of Corellon.
The setup was haphazard on both sides: The Dugondians spread too thin by lack of numbers along the port's North walls and morale dropping by the minute. Opposite was the Cult whose numbers were legion but were ill-equipped to settle a protracted siege, having no support engines nor munitions with which to dislodge the defenders.
The battlefield was a quarter-mile stretch of moorlands north of Helnarr proper, straight away from it's wall. Saltwater marshes and choking fumes bathed the combatants.
Post-thunderstorm and sunset, the condition of the surrounding battlefield was shin-high mud and estuary. Once the battle began in earnest in the north stretches, this churned into a quagmire of mud, blood and steel. The melee ground to a near halt, any not killed outright in the fighting instead drowning under their own weight in rancid bogwaters or sinking slowly into the mortar-like mud.
The fervent melee lasted for only 15 minutes before the Cult gained the upper hand and began moving for the city's walls. With her companions personally stalling Winters from closing on the city, Astride called to her god and raised the fallen, soldier and cultist alike, pressing them into service once again to beat off the invaders. With every former casualty now playing against them, the cultists were forced to flee. Two of Astride's companions returned from the battlefield with a third,
The Storyteller in twain, one holding his upper half, the other, his lower. Although able to bring him back, the delay prevented any from stopping Winters' retreat before the cultist army fled entirely.
Much of the rebuilding done after the Sundering north of Helnarr had been ruined. Not being able to capture any of the Masks or learn what their intent was still serves ill for Dugond as they could return at any time.
Necromancy is a sin punishable by death in every civilized country, but due to the circumstances, King McKinney saw fit to only levy a fine from the then Novitiate Astride, a fine the people of Helnarr graciously payed for her.
Start Date
05/27/89, A3 1700
Ending Date
05/27/89, A3 1845
Conflict Result
Dugondian Pyrrhic Victory
The Cult of Silence
Dalasurian Army / Sullian Irregulars
Take the Port City.
Keep the cultists from reaching the outer walls before reinforcements arrive.
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