Massacre at the Cartz Forest

We don't even know who they were fighting against. An entire company just... perished.

— General's report

The war between the inhabitants of the Cartz Forest and the human forces happened during the War in the Forest. It happened six years after the human invasion of the Great Plains when they defeated the grey orcs tribes. It is still, to this day, considered the most mysterious defeat of the Imperial Army.

The Conflict

Prelude

During their invasions, humans were cutting down entire forests to build their settlements and ensure the safety of the army's rear. Groups of men with axes and soldiers guarding them would go into the woods and start chopping wood.

Deployment

About two hundred men were assigned to cut down the wood in Cartz Forest to build the castle of Harwood. The third company of the 17th regiment of the Imperial Army was deployed nearby, numbering a total of about thousand experienced soldiers in ten banners, most of whom were the veterans of the Battle at Seven Hills. The sixth and seventh banners, consisting of soldiers with less than average experience, were tasked with guarding the woodmen in turns.

Battlefield

The deeper areas of the Cartz Forest.

Conditions

Nice, clear morning at the start; dense fog by the end.

The Engagement

At the scheduled time, the wood teams and sixth banner guarding them did not show up for a report. Their mage did not answer the "message" spell as well. The commander of the company, captain Orwain, reacted by ordering the seventh banner to move in and scout the area, as well as putting all other banners on standby. The communication with the seventh banner was soon lost too, once they went too deep in the forest.
Captain Orwain decided to inform the general of the regiment that he intends to go rescue his men with the rest of the company. He moved out even before getting the permission that was granted when the company was already halfway to the forest.
There were no signs of the missed banners or woodmen, so the company entered the forest. It was quiet at first, but soon after the fog started to block the vision around. By that moment, the humans were already deep enough at the forest, and finding the way out in such a dense fog was no easy task. Soon enough, the vision became so bad they can barely see anything, and the area turned into a battlefield. The only sounds that could be heard were only those of the battle, fear and pain; some humanoid, unnatural creatures with scary faces were roaming through the lines of human soldiers.
All those things were independently described by two of the company's mages to the regiment's general before they stopped answering any messages. When the second, fourth and fifth companies arrived at the edge of the forest the same evening, they found hundreds of full-size dolls tied each to its own tree there, and each one had a сut, bloody face of one of the third company's soldiers attached. After that, the generals of the Imperial Army decided to prohibit any enters to the Cartz Forest and to send there food and gifts as a symbol of peace.

Outcome

A huge drop in morale of the Expeditionary Army; harsh critique of regiment's general by the imperial court.

Aftermath

The Cartz Forest was forbidden to enter for any human. Scary stories about the fate of the third company are told to this day, and every storyteller comes up with their own idea of who exactly could have slaughtered the soldiers.

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

Wane 67th, 852 AE

Ending Date

Wane 67th, 852 AE

Conflict Result

The annihilation of a whole company.

Location

Great Plains

Belligerents

The human empire

Inhabitants of Cartz Forest

Strength

About 1000 soldiers and 200 workers

Unknown

Casualties

Everyone

Unknown

Objectives

Secure the rear of the army, get wood for construction

Unknown