Battle of the City of the Dawn, 341 P.A.

The battle that officially gave the disjointed Resistance of Heodar to unite under one general, one leader. Led by Belimir Derther, this resistance rallied all its forces, and launched a single strike against the orcs army that held the City of the Dawn, the capital of Heodar.

The Conflict

Prelude

For the months leading up to the battle, the munren soldier by the name of Belimir Derther had found every isolated resistance encampment, and annexed them into his own. He knew that in order to get a foothold in their nation, they'd need to take back the city with the most resources. The City of the Dawn was his target. On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month, called Tyeth, Belimir gathered his forces just outside the city, ready to strike. He granted his men one final day of rest before the battle, as he knew that casualties would be high.

Deployment

On the fifteenth of Tyeth, before the sun had risen, Belimir ordered his troops to stealthily scale the walls, and quietly remove any orcs on said walls. The resistance forces would circle, and control the walls, quietly surrounding the city. The towers at the gates of the city would serve as the resistance's forward operating base. From here, the resistance forces would be deployed, and would return.

Battlefield

The City of the Dawn was a dense city, with relatively tight streets that wove is a semi-grid like pattern. The deeper into the city the soldiers ventured, the denser the orc presence. At the heart of the city was the king's fortress, as it was called before it was taken. A fortress it was. It too had fortified walls, with guards constantly patrolling them. At the center of the king's fortress stood the orc general that commanded the forces within the city. That orc was Belimir's target. If he killed that orc, or otherwise incapacitated him, the entire orc presence would retreat.

Conditions

Dense snowfall provided the perfect veil for Belimir's troops. Every orc patrol carried torches, making them extremely easy to spot. Belimir's forces were specifically ordered not to carry any torches for this very reason. They would instead rely on seeing the glow of the orcs' torches to guide them to the orc positions.

The Engagement

After the Munren forces had established their foothold, they would stealthily strike at orc patrols, witling their forces until the sun rose. The snow would continue to fall, but in the sunlight, visibility increased, making stealth much more difficult. In the morning of the 15th of Tyeth, the true battle had begun.
Belimir's forces had already surrounded the city via taking its walls, giving them an advantage, as now they can deploy from any angle. The orcs still did not know where the munren forces' primary base was located. They had assumed it was somewhere outside the city. While a base was indeed outside the city, it was simply a reserve base, from which reinforcements would be deployed. Even then, the orcs couldn't leave the city, because the resistance controlled the walls, and quickly dealt with anything that tried to do so.
Belimir's scouts identified major targets, and choke points throughout the city. He would send soldiers out to take control of those choke points, and to eliminate those targets, essentially dismantling the orc chain of command. The primary base for the resistance would change at semi-random intervals to a different position on the wall so the orcs could not launch a major counterstrike against said base. This routine would continue for the entire first day of the battle.
On the second night, the snow would continue to fall, and Belimir would again send stealth specialists out to strike at targets. That night saw fewer strikes, as fewer orc patrols held torches. Fewer strike teams would return, and more men were captured. Still, casualties were within acceptable limits. Morning broke on the 16th of Tyeth. The morning sun illuminated an approaching orc counterstrike. The entire orc army that occupied the city converged on the base. Somewhere in the night, the resistance had been betrayed. A sword that had clashed with his own told Belimir exactly who. A previously good friend of Belimir's, by the name of Jared Shalel had given the orcs vital information, including the next location of their base.
The element of surprise had allowed the resistance to deal the blows they have. Now, the orcs had that surprise. Within minutes, they decimated the base, stole all the resistance's equipment, and intel. Any that weren't killed, were taken prisoner, Belimir included. They were taken to the king's fortress, and locked in the vast underground dungeon. The prisons were nearly full. It was almost as if every munren prisoner they've taken was being held here. While any other, and every other thought this the end of the battle, Belimir did not. He was now inside the fortress where the orc general was hiding. His most vital target was now within reach. After fighting for four years, since the initial siege of Heodar, he had deciphered the orc honor system, and had discovered that a direct challenge to an orc's face would be impossible to refuse. Before he could get face to face with the orc general, he had to either kill, or otherwise shame the general's closest lieutenant. In this case, Jared Shalel. He simply had to sit, and wait. He knew Jared's ego, and pride would drive him to come, and taunt Belimir over his supposed "loss".
Sure enough, Jared would come with another high-ranking orc to taunt with him. Before Jared said a word, Belimir challenged him to a one-on-one duel. The high-ranking orc witness ensured that Jared would be forced to accept. They would duel in front of the general. Belimir would thrust his great sword through Jared, down to the cross-guard. Without a moment's pause, he challenged the orc general just the same. The duel against the orc general would last much longer, and would cost Belimir his right arm. Through his skill, he was able to disarm the orc, and decapitate him with his own battleaxe. Immediately after, the draconic heavy shock cavalry, Horoth's Siegebreakers had breached the gates, and had seized the fortress only to find that Belimir had already won the battle. They tended to his wounds, and saved his life.
The orcs retreated, and the draconin forces turned control over the city to Heodar's resistance. Belimir had won his people's capital back.

Outcome

Heodar's newly united resistance now has a proper foothold in their nation, and could fight back against the orc invaders.

Aftermath

The losses were great, and it would be difficult for Heodar's resistance to make any further pushes without the vital aid of Horoth's Siegebreakers.

Historical Significance

Legacy

This battle alone would seal the legend of Belimir Derther in stone as one of, if not his absolute greatest militaristic achievement. It would serve as a testament to the pure might of Heodar's men, and women.

Battlefield Type

Urban

Start Date

15th of Tyeth, 340 P.A.

Ending Date

17th of Tyeth, 340 P.A.

Conflict Result

Belimir's resistance, and personal efforts had won his people their capital.

Location

City of the Dawn

Belligerents

Resistance of Heodar

Led by

• Belimir Derther

Orc Occupation

Strength

5,000 men, and women. Of which, 4,500 of them were standard soldiers, 300 of them were stealth specialists, and 200 of them were wizards, young, and old.

To this day, no one knows how many orcs held the city. Many speculate an upwards of seventy thousand.

Casualties

All but five wizards were lost during the assault of the operating base, all but fifty stealth specialists were lost in the same engagement, and three thousand standard soldiers fell throughout the battle. Leaving a total of one thousand, seven hundred thirty-five men, and women left. However, having freed all munren prisoners, their total army strength had reached twenty thousand.

While no one is certain, many suspect that a total of ten thousand orcs at least were slain throughout the battle.

Objectives

Kill the orc general, and take the city.

Hold the city, and fight off the munren resistance.