Bad Battle

The Conflict

Prelude

Corn Wars

Given its cultural preeminence within the valley, Soonous enjoys such a highly respected and revered status that their neighbors see it as a crime against history to attack it. Thus, when the Triple Alignment began its war, it did so with a fraction of it's potential strength.

It was a great political ruckus to persuade the cavern cities of contributing even their meager forces.

— meeting of the Council of Four

Cintēteo is a prominent religion in the tributary provinces and in Long Step towns and hamlets. Therefore, it was always dangerous to include the step folk in any plans for fear of devotees warning the corn queen in some way.

Flower War

So it fell onto the sang to fulfill the demand for bodies. To do so, the emperor drafted a flower contingent from his less experienced reserves to make up their share of the jaguar junta. They were led by noble sons,

Telpochtlahtos, to hear some say it

who were over eager to increase their reputation.
The jaguar front, as was envisioned by the planners, was a diversionary tactic to split the attention of the courtier commanders so that the main thrust into Mais would be less contested.

Deployment

Jaguar Junta

This was the designation of the joint sang/step battle group to take the jaguar hills, as quickly as possible, from the corn court. Their orders were to instill a sense of shock and awe on the courtiers who would been focused on the primary front elsewhere.
The junta's actual battle plans were as followed:

1. March from its starting position on the Bad Slopes
2. Take and garrison the first town: Omber
3. Trek through jaguar jungle in two wings towards Cutho
4. Storm and fortify the second town to cut off enemy resupply
5. If still possessed of sufficient men, and opportunity, conquer the third settlement: Megan

Cutho Company

Rapid drafting from the local leaders created a hodgepodge of farmers, bandits who preyed on farmers, hunter-gatherers, and hunters who hunted the bandits. The only thing keeping them together was their devotion to their queen and self-preservation.

— Highwatch Commander

The majority of people who lived in or near Cutho had little formal military training. But, regardless were committed to defending the settlement. In addition, company scout bands had monitored and reported enemy movement since before they officially started; and had requested reinforcements from Soonous which was on route.

Battlefield

Jaguar Hills

A forested area disputed by three settlements and making for a hostile stopper in trade relations. While the junta was not a huge contribution in comparison to the rest of the armies, they were still the biggest single movement of men across the hills. Step divisions had an easier time moving through the brush and eventually outpaced the Sang.
The area is so called for the high amount of predators that prey on travelers. As well, there are many bandits and poisonous things that live there. And these, normally rouge elements, were recruited into the company as scouts, skirmishers and harassers who troubled the invaders' movement every step of the way.
Insect borne diseases also afflicted those unaccustomed to the environment, from before the start of actual fighting and men would only start dying during their miserable rout.

Conditions

Two Wing March

Due to the thickness of the forests, it was more ergonomical to divide the marching forces into two wings:

• The smaller Step contingent took the longer southern path with local guides

• The larger Sang contingent took the shorter northern path in a disorganized formation

Moonless Nights

Over the course of three nights, the step folk would reach outside the fortifications of Cutho first. Half a teut later, the sang arrived tired and disheveled. The cuauhtlahtoh contacted the step captains to prepare for an immediate night attack.
The step folk were positioned between the thirsty sang behind them and the Cutho defenders in front. Step folk also wore hardened fungal fabrics and wood shields for protection, which were painted in darker colours and were normally more decorative in the light. However, in the dark, they looked similar to the defenders and the bedraggled sang warriors in their colourful feather armour could not distinguish between the two.

The Engagement

Chanting Panic

In preparation for the upcoming attack, the sang began singing war chants and distributing cacao drinks to the common warrior, which was a delicacy saved for important events. The sang commanders thought this was warranted to lift their underlings' spirits after a grueling march.
However, when the step folk fighters began their own cries, it startled the nearby sang into believing that the enemy was closer than they were. As a result, sections of the junta started attacking each other. The cutho vanguard and their spies saw one enemy division pushing aggressively into the rear of their own and launched a sortie against the step folk directly in front of them.
The bad battle was more a failure of command to properly know the location of their units and the difficult experiences of the common warriors in that moment. In spite of the reason, the step contingent were slaugter between their enemies and their allies.

Outcome

• Repulsion of the Alignment forces
• Withdrawal of Step support politically, militarily and economically
• Forced the remaining Alignment army to salvage the operation by moving into Siparia

Aftermath

• Damaged the reputation of the Sang in the eyes of the step folk
• Division of an adequate response within the Long Step's elite
• Step's self removal from war commitments within Triple Alignment 

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Conflict Result

Misidentification of allied troops in an episode of friendly fire

Location

Bad Step

Belligerents

Jaguar Junta

• Long Step
• Triple Alignment

Cutho Company

• Corn Court

Strength

Mytenii
10 Wands Bearers
40 Heavy Spear Wielders
800 Light Spear Wielders
500 Pelters
1000 Slingers
Hajjinis
200 Pelters
150 Slingers
Chu-Caan
500 Terror Riders
Protilla
5 Wands Bearers
80 Heavy Spear Wielders
70 Archers
White Woman
5 Wands Bearers
40 Heavy Spear Wielders
100 Archers
Yulyult
2000 Light Spear Wielders

---

Sangsalgu
500 Short Flints
5,000 Regular Warriors
3,000 Pelters

Cutho
5000 Melee Warriors
2000 Archers
1000 Pelters

Casualties

Mytenii
10 Wands Bearers
700 Light Spear Wielders
450 Pelters
900 Slingers
Hajjinis
200 Pelters
150 Slingers
Chu-Caan
2 Terror Riders
Protilla
5 Wands Bearers
80 Heavy Spear Wielders
White Woman
5 Wands Bearers
40 Heavy Spear Wielders
50 Archers
Yulyult
2000 Light Spear Wielders

---

Sangsalgu
1,000 Regular Warriors

Cutho
2000 Melee Warriors

Objectives

Long Step
Begrudging aid to the Sang army
Sangsalgu
Open a new distracting front in the Corn War

Cutho
Defend the passes through the Hunter's Haul and hold off the Sang army for as along as possible