The Battle of Ardhead's Creek

List to me now and I'll tell you a tale,
A tale that makes kings hide in shame,
For one fateful day, near the Ardhead a glade,
Was the site of a battle without aim,

First stanza of the ballad of Ardhead

The Conflict

Prelude

Before it was conquered by Archren and later annexed by Ardent, the land before the doors of the Dwarven kingdom Mount-drin was owned by the small kingdom of Ennorath. Once, in ages past, the king of Ennorath and the king of Mount-drin were on friendly terms, but the old kings had become embittered over some old disagreement and were now suspicious of each other. Their sons, on the other hand, were good friends, and often went hunting together in the Caltrip Forest. One day their hunt went poorly and as they returned empty handed they crossed the path of a giant beast. Though it was growing late, and they knew the light was failing, the young princes hated to return without some semblance of success, so they turned aside and followed the trail. The trail led to the den of a giant beast, who’s name has been lost to memory. It’s cave was filled with treasure and pockets of precious gems and minerals, and the princes’ eyes shone with wonder as they beheld this horde. So enamoured were they that they nearly missed the arrival of the beast, charging out of the forest to defend its home. They fought valiantly and barely managed to drive the beast off, though not without bloodshed. For the beast gored the dwarven prince, sorely wounding him. The human prince immediately forgot all about the treasure horde, throwing the dwarf onto his horse and galloping towards home, praying to all the gods that he made it in time. As they rode, a storm began to rage, lightning and thunder crashing around them and toppling trees behind them. The dwarf prince’s horse reared up in terror as a tree crashed down behind them and began to run, ripping his reins out of the human’s hands. The human prince gave chase, attempting to corral the horse, or at least keep him turned towards home. It was at that moment that they ran into the search party from Mount-drin, for the hour was late and the king had grown worried when his son didn’t come home. The king himself was leading the search party, and when he saw his son wounded and pursued by the human prince he grew angry and commanded his force to loose arrows at his son’s attacker. The arrows luckily missed in the dark, only one managing to strike the prince in the shoulder. He called out to the king to stop and attempted to explain, but to no avail and was forced to flee for his life.
Both kings were absolutely furious at the situation. The dwarf king was convinced that his son had been attacked, and no messengers could convince him otherwise. The human king was convinced that his son had been unjustly treated, and when the dwarven king threatened war he gladly accepted the thrown gauntlet.

Deployment

The Ennorathian humans deployed 8,000 warriors and cavalry along the northern side of Ardhead's Creek. The dwarves of Mount-drin deployed 7,000 warriors along the southern edge of the creek and 1,500 warriors sweeping in from the east.

Battlefield

A small strip of land along the northern edge of Ardhead's Creek.

Conditions

Cloudy and with a slight drizzle, with muddy ground churned up under foot from heavy rains earlier.

The Engagement

The Ennorathians entrenched themselves on the northern side of Ardhead's Creek before the Dwarves arrived. The Dwarves came charging across the creek, axes swinging and were repelled by the human shield wall. They reformed and charged again, again coming to a stop at the shield wall, but this time both sides stood their ground and the battlefield turned into a shifting, heaving mass of struggling bodies. The humans were determined, but the dwarves were fierce warriors, every one of them accounting for at least two people before going down. Just as the humans were beginning to break through the dwarven lines, a second group of dwarves broke through from the treeline, smashing into the humans from the side. The humans were nearly routed when a cry rang out from the east and north, and two horses came crashing through the forest from different directions. The prince of Ennorath came from the north, bearing one of the beast's tusks, and the prince of Mount-drin came from the east, having finally awoken. Together, the two princes were able to convince both sides of their story, and the battle turned into a hunting party in search of the elusive beast.

Outcome

The second hunting party was unable to find any sign of the beast, and though both kingdoms sought long and hard, they could not find it. The two kingdoms renewed their friendship, with their bond becoming stronger than ever. The two kings did not renew their friendship, but they did apologize to each other, and the two princes were placed in charge of diplomatic relations between the two kingdoms.

Aftermath

Mount-drin and Ennorath remained close for many years, with the dwarves coming to the small kingdom's defense when they were attacked by Archren, making the kingdom the last place in the west of Flindreck not assimilated by the empire. To this day, the dwarves of Mount-drin and the people of the Caltrip Forest are very close and there is much travel and trade between the two of them.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The Beast of Ardhead has become a popular figure in Mount-drin craftsmanship, and the Battle of Ardhead's creek has become a popular story and legend amongst the two peoples. Both sides are weirdly proud of their part in the battle, and there is a monument erected at the Ardhead glade in memory of the struggle. The battle is remembered by a great hunt and feast on the anniversary every year.

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

14 Teirn 6303

Ending Date

14 Teirn 6303

Conflict Result

A cease-fire on both sides.

Belligerents

Ennorathian Humans

Dwarves of Mount-drin

Strength

8,000 warriors strong.

8,500 warriors strong.

Casualties

1,600 killed, 2,000 wounded

1,300 killed, 2,100 wounded

Objectives