Battle of the Tulip Fields
The Insignificant Battle that Transformed the Region
So many good men lost for this insignificant stretch of land. We should have gone west instead!
The Battle of the Tulip Fields was a military conflict that happened in 114 AA between the forces of Kingdom of Worland and the Wantorian nomads. It resulted in a victory for the Worlanders, but it came at a cost. At the time it was considered an insignificant battle that gained Worland a stretch of uninhabited tulip-covered grassland.
Prelude
Eastern Expansion
Flag of Worland by Mihkel Rand
Seeing them as a weak target, King Aadelbrecht Utinzel raised his levy and marched east. The army of around 2200 soldiers, many of them experienced knights and skilled archers, was led by Lady Eeika Niderwitswichen.
Negotiations
Upon arriving in the borderlands, Lady Eeika sent out a messenger to a nomadic group that had been spotted nearby. The messenger told the nomads the terms of surrender, but all that the army of Worland got back was the young man's severed head. Unable to expand peacefully, the Worlanders resorted to violence.
Restless Raiders
The knights of Worland retaliated by raiding the nomads at night, burning down several tents, but taking a few casualties in the process. Those raids and counter-raids continued as the army marched further into the Penti Fields. Many lives were lost on both sides, including women and children on the nomads' side.
The savages fled towards a massive field of tulips. As we marched after them, moving further away from home, our songs turned sombre.
The Battle
On a warm summer morning, the nomadic forces attacked. The Worlanders had been marching through a field of Penti tulips, a great flat land with only a few small hills near them. As all of the nomadic warriors had been on horseback, they believed that they had an advantage over their slower, far less manoeuvrable enemy. At dawn, on the 2nd of Sesnor, 114 AA, they charged the weary invading army.Bold Charge
Here they come. Men of Worland, brace yourselves for battle and form up! Cavalry, hold the flanks. Prevent them from flanking us at all cost.
Hearing the galloping horde in the distance, Lady Eeika Niderwitswichen commanded her men to form a cohesive line. Without hesitation, the knights quickly readied themselves and covered the flanks of the army. The archers rushed in the front with the light infantry right behind them. In the rear stood the well-trained men clad in mail, ready to assist the recruits in case anything went wrong.
Potatoes by Marco Antonio Victorino
Upon seeing what the Worlander cavalry was up to, several units of horse archers accompanied by light cavalry moved to intercept the knights. They attempted to surround them and use their numbers to their advantage.
On the other flank, the knights had charged into the horse archers but not before they could kill several of them from a distance. The overwhelmed archers pulled out of the engagement as the light cavalry hit the knights from the rear. The rest of the nomadic warriors charged toward the Worlanders, just as Eeika had wanted them to do.
Frontal Assault
Orange Pumpkin by Jessica Lewis
Despite heavy casualties, the archers managed to flee behind the infantry without breaking. The new and eager troops engaged by tossing their javelins. On the right flank of the Worlanders, the knights had nearly routed, and a unit of horse archers and light cavalry broke off to assist against the main bulk of the army of Worland.
Broken Front
It was then when we realised that victory was within our grasp. We just had to advance and break their spirits. With the centre broken, wrapping up the rest would have been a breeze.
As the spearmen advanced, the nomadic cavalry broke. In response, they sent the units running down the knights to put more pressure on the Worlanders. The other men who were supposed to assist the now fleeing soldiers crashed into the flank of the spearmen before they had a chance to reposition. Backed up by the horse archers, they did their best to pull out in order to charge into a different flank.
On the other side of the field, the nomads were still busy chasing after the heavy cavalry. Doing so forced them to move close to the main bulk of the Worlander army, allowing the Worlanders to attack and save their countrymen.
Retreat
With the centre broken and the army scattered all across the battlefield, the morale of the nomads plummeted. Realising that they were beaten and that their enemy had been far more organised and disciplined, the leaders of the Wantorian nomads called for a retreat. With their own cavalry beaten, the Worlanders couldn't pursue the far faster enemy army. Their archers took a few shots, but as the horsemen fled into the distance, the men cheered and looked for their fallen.
Conflict Type
Battle
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
Sesnor 2, 114 AA
Conflict Result
Costly victory for Worland
Location
Belligerents
Wantorian Nomads
Strength
Casualties
Objectives
Destruction of the local army and the subjugation of all Wantorians.
Stopping the army of Worland from advancing further into the Penti Fields.
Long-Term Effects
The nomads regrouped and gathered more allies. With their powers combined, they forced the invading army back closer to the border. Eventually the Kingdom of Worland fortified a defensive position in a slightly hilly area. The fortified line became their new eastern border. Despite only gaining a small amount of insignificant land, the soldiers returned as heroes.Legacy
Two years after the battle, the nomads gathered a large host and retaliated. They raided several towns and villages in the northern parts of Worland. One of the sacked settlements was home to Tiyla a young girl who would later found the Kingdom of Pallernia and House Pentiwichen. If her parents and village had survived, she would have been a normal girl. The political climate of Southern Lethea would have been unrecognizable.
Invasion of the Barbarians by Ulpiano Checa
That map with the different layers showing phases of the battle... damn. Fantastic execution. I really really like that! Similarly the rest of the article is executed wonderfully. It's certainly serving as a great source of inspiration. I love how detailed the battle portion is, and how you've broken it down into stages!