Battle of the Atamac

Second Major Battle in the Second Rebellion of Galus

The Conflict

Prelude

After Roi Antonie Berthelot had successfully repelled the Redician forces way from the southern limits of the Ancient forests south of the City of Glaion, he had his men entrench themselves in the hills just outside Willowbrook to wait out the Rebel City of Port De Renard and their next move.

This was however, after taking a fairly large political loss, Antonie was forced to concede a significant amount of power to his six remaining Consuls inside the Pomerium. He knew he would need to trust that the four loyalists he had would protect his interest inside the City while he was leading his army. Despite this, two of his Consuls were needed to defend the Eastern front of the Kingdom of Galus.

This war had begun with the King's weakness with the Hypocrisy of the Merchant's guild and their heavy hand in the law. Though Antonie had executed the offending merchants, Port De Renard's Governor Agusta Renard was still not satisfied.

These two Consuls would be needed to lead the remaining army in an uphill battle. The Renician Rebels had leveraged their mercantile influence over the States of Huron. Unbeknownst to Galus, the Renard Family had used its strong economic ties to enlist Huron's military might to put pressure on Antonie's Reign.

While The Rebel army fled to the south, presumably to the actual City of Port De Renard. However, the Galus Army was not prepared for their army to be bolstered by an Ad Hoc garrison made up of volunteer citizens of the disgruntled City. Antonie and his Army would need to take Willowbrook before the Renician forces took it from them. Allowing them a strong foothold to threaten Glaion's southern border.

Battlefield

Antonie had a difficult choice to make, his army stood at approximately 20,000 men with a Calvalry of 2000 with a Battlemage force consisting of only 500. Willowbrook would be too time-consuming to take in a full out assault, its walls were nothing impressive, standing at only 15ft tall and barely thick enough to withstand a few days of siege equipment.

He knew that the governor he had appointed many years ago was sympathetic to the Rebel cause, though not publically. The problem was that the City stood with the Sea to it's eastern edge, and the Ancient Forest to the north and south. With the River Atamac to its west, though with enough room to field an army between the river and the city. The confounding issue was that while he could place his army there, he would be boxed in by all these factors.

Should Agusta Renard bring his larger army to Willowbrook while he was attempting to take the city, he would be a fish in a barrel. He had decided to have a Coaterie of Battlemages encircle the City to beat back any attempt for them to aid the Rebel army. He set his main force on the West side of the River, putting his force up against a wall, with little hope of escape.

He stationed the rest of his battlemages in the forest, hidden in the dense underbrush. Spreading his line thin and light on the side of the Ancient Forest, hoping to offer it up as an easy target for Agusta to attack. He had his Calvary stationed behind his second line to charge between the columns, hiding them behind his forces where it would be harder to see them from a distance.

Here he would make his stand. He would need a decisive victory to soothe the people of Glaion, he would need this to prove his might as King and his right to rule.

The Engagement

Agusta had received word that Antonie marched on Willowbrook, beating him to the punch. Though he was unfazed, he knew the landscape and knew that if Antonie wanted to take the City, it would leave him in a vulnerable position. When he had arrived at the stage of conflict with his army of 40,000 he was met with Antonie's army waiting for him.
He laughed when he saw that Antonie positioned himself between the river and him, hot iron to strike on the anvil. He also immediately noticed the weaker northern front, Antonie had commanded his troops with any amount of power to cause the river to be hazy. Agusta didn't put two and two together, he had thought the unusually cool morning had caused the mists. He noticed then that Antonie's Battlemages were causing a show of force around the City, thinking the King had deployed his entire Mage force to take the City while they waged War.
He laughed again, thinking that Glaion's much more superior Battlemage corps was out of commission for this battle, seeing that Antonie had also appeared to make a blunder in his Calvary positioning. Seeing a large force in the southern wings, they would be too far away to aid the weakened northern line. His advisor had cautioned him to not attack, why would Antonie offer such a tempting bait on the weaker line?
He ignored his advisor and commanded his Calvary to charge the weakened line, if they could break through the line, the rest of his Army could encircle the Kings and cause a rout. Commanding the bulk of his force in a dense center to march on Antonie's, keeping his wings light for mobility.
As Agusta's Calvary neared the weak line, Antonie's Battlemages rained hell down on the charge from the cover of the forest. Salvo after Salvo of Lightning and Fire stopped the charge in its tracks and took massive casualties. One could imagine the smile fading from Agusta's face.

His Calvery retreated, however, this was an unwise order. Instead of charging the forest, they retreated. Allowing Antonie's Mages to focus this attention on his light wings, while his own Calvary came charging through the columns crashing into Agusta's main front. Antonie redoubled his efforts to divide and conquer, ordering his weakened northern line to engage Agusta's Northern wing, with the Salvos from the mages and the brutal Melee, Agusta's Northern line broke.
Agusta ordered his southern wing to flank Antonie's force, though was met with the King's reserve Calvary. Though they had dug in to create a spear wall, his Calvary still decimated Agusta's southern wing. His main core of the Army was now surrounded on three sides with the fourth in question.
Agusta had lost, he had suffered a devastating blow by the loss of his Calvary, as well as an innumerable number of soldiers. He ordered a retreat, knowing full well Willowbrook would now belong to Antonie again, denying them another port to stage from. Antonie had his Calvary harras his amry the entire way back before allowing them to return to Port De Renard to lick their wounds.
Antonie turned his full force back on Willowbrook, though fording the River took the rest of the day. His army stood like a doom drum at the gates of the City, a black flag on the horizon. Antonie had sent a message to the Governor of the City with a simple statement. "I was the one who gave you your life."
The implied threat was not lost on the Governor, Antonie had given him the position, and with an Army at his gate, he could take it away. It also didn't help that the city had just witnessed Antonie repel a much larger force and send it running with heavy causalities. Though he was loath to the idea, he wanted not to be under the boot of Galican rule away. The City surrendered.

Outcome

Antoine had secured yet another Rebel City and put it under the rule of law. Thus reinforcing his southern borders from the threat of invasion. However, he would need to immediately leave to see to the Huronian Army Marching from the east to take advantage of Galus in its time of weakness. Antonie knew full well that Agusta had enlisted the help of Huron to try and destabilize his rule.

He needed to leave a full legion of 4000 men to defend the city of Willowbrook from Port De Renard and the Rebel forces, he desperately needed all the men he could get, but he could not leave Willowbrook without Galcian presence. Left to its own devices it would simply return to the rebel forces once more. The general he left in its charge would do wonders at changing public opinion and turning them into steadfast allies.

Securing Willowbrook guaranteed increased supply lines to Glaion and the Military, this victory only boosted the morale and public opinion inside the Capitol Glaion about this War. A much-needed Victory.

Aftermath

Willowbrook would be allowed to maintain its governance and constitution, a gift given to the City and its Governor by Antonie. They would be required to supply troops and supplies upon request, beyond that the Citizens of the City were largely unaffected by the battle. The public would eventually oust the current Governor after Antonie's General leaked the information that Agusta only came here because they were allies. A risk to the Citizen's safety for a possibility of power.

Related content:

Conflict Type

Battle

Start Date

Year 781 D. 31 Season of Heat

Ending Date

Year 781 D.32 Season of Heat