Battle of Tentor'kirsh

Often considered the most devastating battle of the Great War, the battle of Tenor'kirsh took place in the southwestern portion of the Soulmeliti Forests, near the ruins of an ancient Elynthi village. Over the millennia since the Great Flight the forest had grown around the village so that only low stone foundations remained. It is said that while the Elynthi and Soulmeliti knew the historical significance of the location, none of their allies understood and few even recognized the site a ruin until a half-dozen Zennonaize Cavalry horses tripped over some sort foundation while charging Orkish flanks on the second day.

Militarily, the battle is significant for a number of reasons. It marked the first occasion that Soulmeliti wizards were able to lock down Elynthi demons, preventing elite troops from teleporting about the battlefield. This lack of mobility lead to the reliance on more standard tactics, such as battle lines, trenches, and heavy armor and for the bulk of the first day, the Imperial Legion locked horns with Krunk's heavily armored infantry until the late afternoon. At dawn, the following day, the Elynthi conjurors elected to change tactics - they ceased attempting to subvert the teleport blockade and instead unleashed their available demons on the Legionnaires.

The Soulmeliti responded with a charge of their own, led by Dyianr'ri Shien'shoam and pulling in Zennonaize Confederacy allies on horseback. While the Kirsh'shaluush slew the greatest of the demons she discovered only too late that it was a trap. Her forces were eviscerated by a storm of lightning from the Elynthi conjurors, who had sacrificed their demons to draw out the more mobile Soulmeliti forces. In the end, a heroic push by the Legionnaires saved the battle, pushing the Elynthi forces back in what was one of their first major defeats of the war. The victory, however, proved costly for the Forests and their allies, with half of the Zennonaize and nearly two-thirds of the Legionnaires that had participated in the battle dead and over a hundred square miles of forest burnt to the ground.

Included under Conflict

Great War

Conflict Type

Battle

Start Date

465 AC

Location

Soulmeliti Forests