1st Sokol Crusade
"The nights are eerily quiet here, everything muffled like snow. I worry for the troops morale, but we arrive at the capital tomorrow. High command estimates a day of fighting, and then a celebration for the Sokolan regiment and coronation of Commander Vida."
The Conflict
Deployment
The army sent north consisted of a primarily of infantry from the dwarven capital of Strossenberg, along with a contingent of Sokolan natives, many untrained in combat. Volunteer armies from the churches of Pelor and Bahamut accompanied the soldiers. The 1st Strossen Infantry, a small expert group known as The Wicked Hammers, lead the expedition and made up the bulk of the command.
Battlefield
Outfitted with the supplies to regain a foothold in the capital city and begin rebuilding Sokolan society, the army marched north through the mountains and towards the Sokolan capital. They fought small skirmishes along the way against hordes of mindless undead, but were largely unchallenged through the majority of the crusade.
Upon reaching the capital, the army met massive and coordinated resistance by intelligent undead holding the city. Unprepared for this type of resistance, the army was slaughtered nearly entirely.
The soldiers under the Church of Bahamut and the Wicked Hammers stayed and covered the retreat of the remainder of the army, allowing the Sokol Reclamation League settlers to retreat and preventing an extinction of their people.
Outcome
In the years following the failed crusade, ruling Dwarven nobility was overthrown by their rivals, and the construction of the walls began in the mountain range separating the undead wasteland.
Aftermath
Dwarven society has suffered from the slow trickle of undead into their lands, and the army's quick response of building more walls. In recent years, undead have become more of a boogeyman to tell children to keep them from staying out at night, rather than a true threat.
The Sokolan people scarcely exist anymore, having lost a huge portion of their leadership in the campaign.
Adventurers and later forays into the wasteland have revealed that those that fell in The Ash have risen as undead.
Included under Conflict
Included Conflicts
Conflict Type
Military Campaign
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
210th, 3828 EC
Ending Date
Estimated 47th, 3829 EC
Conflict Result
Near Total Obliteration
Location
Belligerents
1st Sokol Crusade
Sokolan Undead
Strength
11,200 soldiers
3,100 support, settlers
3,100 support, settlers
Unknown
Casualties
~10,800 soldiers
~2,800 support, settlers
~2,800 support, settlers
2000-3000
Objectives
Reclaim capital of Sokol
