Battle of Eaking Bridge

The Battle of Eaking Bridge was a war fought during the Doric-Aijian War, wherein the armies of Grand Marshal Pentti of Canyndor and King-Elect Justus Andelwyn would meet on opposite side of the Tora River at Eaking Bridge. The battle was largely orchestrated as a means of retreat for the main army of Grand Duke Arttu I who would seek refuge in the lands near Tolta where his army could regather its strength. Covering this retreat would be a small army under the command of the Grand Marshal, known to many as Little Woljoka, against a superior force. Pentti Woljoka had gained his position after the resignation of his predecessor, many believing Grand Duke Arttu had appointed him simply to be an obedient underling who would cause him no trouble, with the added insinuation Pentti's martial ability was rather lacking. This would be the first instance of the war in which Pentti would assume control of his own army, and according to present sources, he intended to prove his worth.
The battle would commence of the evening of 4th of Maali, 7663, when the army of King-Elect Andelwyn came marching down the hill on the north side of the Tora. The two armies would be positioned staring at one another across the wide currents of the Tora River, the only viable path to one another being the long and narrow Eaking Bridge, a marvel of engineering build of stone that provided the only dry crossing for hundreds of miles. Marshal Pentti had been granted command of a motley crew of assorted listen and ragtag noblemen from the countryside of the Grand Duke's domain, he would set up defensively at the mouth of the bridge, with pikemen dug in with stakes and what little archers he had on the flanks to harry any prospecting crossers. The Grand Marshal himself would have his cavalry and armoured infantry upon a small hill that overlooked the bridge from the west.
The battle would see Andelwyn attempt to break through the defence of the other side of the bridge sending several waves of his armoured knights towards the entrenched pikemen of the Doric force. This would prove a case of attrition, the knights made of superior warriors against the determination of the well-positioned freemen and peasants. The battle changed little in scope as the night waded in and the two armies receded to their camps. Grand Marshal Pentti was aware that time would inevitably see his loss to the Aijian army, so he sought to plan his retreat. Simply turning tail, however, would likely lead to the Aijian's making pursuit, only worsening his predicament. Instead, he concocted a ruse with which to cover his army's withdrawal.
Fires would be lit at night to mark the camps of his men, guarded by sentries that would raise alarms and repel any attacks that should be made. Pentti would have these camps be visible to the enemy, enough so that they could determine the number of fires and the men stationed around them. When darkness had truly fallen, Pentti began withdrawing troops, however, keeping up appearances was a matter of keeping lit the fires and sentries that patrolled them. It would be the brave listmen of Ortala that Pentti tasked with staying behind to hold up the ruse, darting from fire to fire, firing arrow volleys across the bridge and stoking the fires. By the time morning had come, the vast majority of Pentti's army had retreated south, the Aijian force met with little but lonely fires and the odd brave Ortala listmen willing to continue manning the bridge, whispers tell of one such man that held back twenty armoured knights singlehandedly with just a polearm before he was struck down.

Included under Conflict

Doric-Aijian War

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

4th Maali 7663

Ending Date

5th Maali 7663