The Push for the Bridge

In 82AA, the Central Safe Zone was in something of an embarrassing position. It had made a friendly wager with the Coastal Safe Zone and was in danger of losing badly. The race was on to link the two safe zones.

The Conflict

Prelude

Over the previous few decades both it and the Coastal Safe Zone had expanded their borders, rendering more of the continent safe for humanoid settlement without the need for fortified defences. A record number of independent towns had been incorporated into both. The prospect of having the two zones meet up was on the horizon. There would be considerable benefits to achieving this, not least the normalisation of trade between the two zones.
The Skyhammer Adventurers' Guild wanted to accelerate the process, and proposed a friendly wager with its counterpart: whoever could expand their territory up to Victory Bridge would absorb it into their zone. The race was on.

Deployment

The eternal problem facing expansion of safe zones is that increasingly large perimeter. Constant patrols are required to prevent monsters from invading, and the limiting factor on the size of a safe zone is not so much its ability to claim new land as its ability to defend its borders. The Central Safe Zone was the larger of the two, but felt that it had the resources to make a fight of it.
Almost immediately, it became clear that the Coastal Safe Zone had a definite advantage. It had recently extended its territory up to the Mountains of the Broken Moon, which was a natural barrier against monster incursion. The adventurers freed up by that victory could be repositioned to expand the north-western borders. That, together with the defensive advantage of the coast, meant that the Coastal Guild Authority had many more troops to commit, and many of them seasoned adventurers who had experience in claiming new land.

The Engagement

The Coastal Safe Zone took an early lead, and the lead only continued to grow. The Central Safe Zone had expected a close-fought battle, one that would be celebrated by both sides whoever won. However, they were facing likely humiliation. Senior Guild members were concerned that the Coastal Safe Zone would not stop at Victory Bridge, and absorb territory that had traditionally been seen as awaiting incorporation into the Central Safe Zone. After the first year, the Coastal Safe Zone was halfway to its goal, where as the Central Safe Zone was barely a quarter of the way there.
An emergency plan was hatched. As many adventurers as could be gathered were assembled in Skyhammer, including many who had no experience of fighting in Terra Hostili. The previous expansion plan was thrown out, and instead this super-party would drive a narrow corridor straight to Victory Bridge, so the Central Safe Zone could claim a technical victory. This would leave its border patrols below strength, but this was a calculated risk. Research indicated that there would be a grace period of a couple of years before monsters became a serious problem in the border areas. In the event, the corridor proved extremely difficult to defend. monsters surged at temporary forts from the north and the south, and there were a great many casualties. The Guild dipped deep into its stock of Resurrection Orbs to keep its force functional. As unorthodox as the tactic was, it proved effective. Just over two years into the wager, adventurers from the Central Safe Zone had driven the corridor all the way to Victory Bridge.

Aftermath

The Coastal Safe Zone had thought that its disciplined and meticulous approach to the campaign would guarantee them a sure victory in the proposed race. They underestimated the ability and determination of the adventurers from the Central Safe Zone and failed to respond when their lead was first eroded and then lost. They cried foul over the tactics used in particular, calling it wasteful and unsporting. The Coastal Guild Authority still makes occasional requests to be given administration of Victory Bridge, which so far have been rebuffed. There is considerable animus towards the Guilds of Central Safe Zone held by senior officials on the coast.

Conflict Type

Military Campaign

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

82AA (2BJ)

Ending Date

0AJ

Conflict Result

Central Safe Zone victory

Location

Victory Bridge

Belligerents

Adventurers

• Adventurers' Guilds

Monsters

Strength

1,400

~30,000

Casualties

842 (807 resurrected)

~30,000

Objectives

Making a safe corridor to Victory Bridge

Defence of their territory