Battle of Feriath

The first major defeat of the Empire, it was during the reign of Gel II, who died in the battle. While both sides suffer great casualties, the ennathian horde still had enough strengh to continue, then the horde went rampant into the south and laid seige to the capital of the Empire, Gelthar.

The Conflict

Prelude

After the many victories of Gel I and then Gel II and with the continous expansion of the Empire, as well as displacing many ennathian tribes, the ennathians manage to create a tribal coalition with the Intent of destroying the capital of the Empire Gelthar, by creating a massive horde. Gel II after recieving the news of the horde comming down south, marched with his army confident of victory, both armies met at the plains of Feriath, just after the hills that separare the two mountain ranges north of the Empire.

Deployment

The Imperial army took defensive positions as it manage to reach the plains before the horde of ennathians. They could not prepare defenses for long as the ennathians were quick to advance, giving the Empire troops not much time. While the Imperial army was 76.400 men strong and they though they had the upper hand, it seemed that the information about the horde was wrong, or more ennathians joined the horde before it reached the plains as it was more numerous than in the reports. Gel II insisted that the Imperial Army could not be defeated and order the men to prepare for battle.
The Imperial army formed positions, the center was composed 40.000 imperial soldiers and 7000 knights, as well as the 300 paladins and 300 of the mages. The left and rigth wings of the army had 10.000 imperial soldiers, 4000 knights and 100 mages each.
The ennathian horde on the other hand had around 125.000 ennathians, a third more than the imperial though it was by the reports. While on the route south, the different ennathian tribe leaders had already decided how to position each tribe would have, but on a greater scale, it was just a massive singular formation.

Battlefield

It was the plains of Feriath. From the north were the horde came through it was a hilly terrain, south there were more plains were the Empire had it's settlements, and to each side was the mountain ranges of Gelran.

Conditions

When the two armies found each other it was a bit cloudy, but by the time the engament started until the end, it was more clearer and sunny until the nigth.

The Engagement

The battle starts

The battle began with the ennathian horde doing a full frontal charge. Horthians were flying into the Empire's foramtions while the centhians leaded the charge below, quickly followed by the sarthians and minothians from behind. Before the two forces collided, both armies fired a Magic barrage, followed by a missile one. Fireballs, icebolts, ligthening, flying light and dark missiles, after this first fire, then archers were in range to fire doing a missile barrage. The Empire first lines prepare for the charge, while the ones behind took cover with their shields in both instances aided by some mages.

Charge and the start of the melee

From the magical and missile waves, both sides suffered casualties, a numerous ammount of horthians had been shot down, and some of the leading charging elements had been killed, but the Empire had also suffered some casualties on the first lines giving some openings to the charge. The Empire tried to close this quickly but the charging force was already there.
The centhians leading the charge impacted against the Imperial army with such a force that some of them broke through several lines of men, specialy on the places where the line was more damaged from the fire phase. Horthians then followed coming from above, they cover the retreat of the centhians that disengage so they could prepare for another charge. As the centhians left, minothians and sarthians charge in swords, axes and spears in hand.
The first lines of the Imperial formation crumbled, all of them were Imperial soldiers. Then the the knights, with the rest of the Imperial soldiers charge into the figthing supported by the mages. There were some kinghts left in reserve in case to close gaps and keep an eye on the centhians to prepare for the incoming second charge. Gel II ordered the center formation to extend to the sides while clearing space in the middle, where the paladins lead by himself, rush charging in order to cut through the horde in the middle.
As the paladins enter the battlefield the ennathians were slowly being repulse back due the force of the paladins. While the center was being manage by the paladins, the soldiers from the center extended the lines and aided the wings of the army.

Breaking point, death of the Emperor

Even thought the Empire had the advantage in the figthing, the ennathians were too many, slowly the Imperial lines were shattering. The ennathians were also having heavy casualties but they werent giving any ground or any indication of possible retreat. Things were turned to worst when Gel II was struck down a minothian, who was one of tribal leaders. While the paladins mantained morale, the news spread fast whithing the Imperial army and the soldiers started to disengage. With the Imperial army starting to rout the next in line of command Duke Hadruth, came with a bold the army was to divide in two and retreat in different directions with the cover of the nigth as the sun was starting the set, and none of the retreating directions were to Gelthar.
It was a costly retreat, and some sacrifices were made to prevent total anihilation. One army retread east while the other retreated west. Then the next day each retreating force gathered the most uninjured soldiers and went quickly to the capital, they manage to reach before the ennathians did, with 126 mages 212 paladins 1642 knights and 3351 imperial soldiers. This injured ones went to other cities to rest and tend the severe wounded soldiers.

Outcome

The victorious horde traveled south ravaging the land, and the laying seige to then Imperial capital of Gelthar . On the way to Gelthar, the ravaged the country side and razed villages and towns.

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

8 of Creon, 142

Ending Date

8 of Creon, 142

Conflict Result

The ennathian horde emerged victorious. With the defeat the Imperial army the horde marched down.

Location

Gelran

Belligerents

Ennathian Coalition of tribes

Imperial Army

• Imperial Army
• Imperial Mages
• Order of the Paladins

Led by

• Gel II

Strength

An estimated 125.000 ennathians of which around

• 50.000 were Horthians

• 50.000 were Sarthians

• 15.000 were Centhians

• 10.000 were Minothians

An estimated 76.500 soldiers of which

• 60.000 were soldiers of the Imperial Army (Nullers and Low-rate users)

• 15.000 knights of the Imperial Army (Low-rate and Second-rate users)

• 1000 Paladins (First-rate users)

• 500 Mages

Casualties

Around 68.000 casualties of which

• 30.000 were Horthians

• 25.000 were Sarthians

• 8.000 were Centhians

• 5.000 were Minothians

Around 53.400 casualties of which

• 45.000 were soldiers of the Imperial Army

• 8000 were knigths of the Imperial Army

• 400 Paladins

• 100 Mages

Objectives

Destroy the intercepting Imperial army so that the horde can continue to advance to the Imperial capital of Gelthar

Intercep and stop the ennathian horde and shatter it.