March on Siv
March on Siv is the name given to the first battle of the Sivien Civil War, a conflict between the New Norveil Coalition comprised of the Kell family armies lead by Rast the Turncloak and the Smoke Family family armies lead by Donhiro Smoke, and the Medvidev Armies made up of the Medvidev Family family armies lead by Great Jarl Wodin I. The battle was a full attack of Coalition's force of 17,600 against the Medvidev's 12,000, it being months before the Riversalts and Rostovs could fully rally their men and get their army together and the full Sivien force assembled.
The Conflict
Prelude
Openly rebelling against the crown of Norveil, Rast the Turncloak and Donhiro Smoke gathered their forces and marched on Siv arriving at the city late in the year 1302. While they approached Great Jarl Wodin I called his local forces and began preparring the defenses of the city.
Battlefield
Fields to the southwest of Siv
The Engagement
Day 1
The opening hours of the battle were the fiercest. Dragons were used on both sides, totalling four, and thousands died in jets of fire. What stopped the death toll from being worse was the fact that the dragons were battling in the air, biting and clawing while having to dodge scorpion bolts and powder bags (maji ignited flak powder sacks) from the city walls. The first day of the battle saw a total loss of 9,400 soldiers.
Day 2
On the second day of the battle the green dragon Alerint, ridden by Rast attacked the city itself, knocking into buildings and setting streets ablaze. He landed on and crushed Pen Bridge before being struck in the hindquarters by a scorpion and taking off again distancing himself from the city's defenses. The battle in the sky and on ground continued through the morning, neither side making much ground as dragon occasionally raked the feild with fire. Fyoder Medvidev, the Great Jarl's second son fell in the fighting just before mid-day, having been trampled to death after being knocked from his horse. The large grey dragon Mountainside, who was being ridden by Prince Mykhail Medvidev, had been locked in a fight with Vensight, the red dragon ridden by Talin Smoke. Though smaller Vensight was the more aggressive dragon, swooping and snapping on the larger slower Mountainside. In the early afternoon, both dragons bloodied and tiring, Vensight made another dive from the sun. As she swooped past Mountainside Vensight lashed out with her claws and made purchase with the grey dragon's neck. She pulled in and wrapped herself around Mountainside taking lascerations as the bigger dragon clawed at her back, she dug her teeth into the neck and, with all her strength, tore Mountainside's throat out. Vensight released and let the massive dragon and tiny rider fall to the ground below. After the death of Mountainside, Talin turned Vensight's attention to the city and began attacking the wall's defenses. The soldiers on the wall focused on the red dragon with a barrage of scorpion bolts and powder bags. For nearly an hour the soldiers and the dragon fought, the dragon swooping on the city while the pelted it with bolt after bolt. During one of these dives on the wall the powder bag launchers planned and released simultaneously causing a large concentrated burst of black smoke in the dragon's eyes; and while it twisted, dazed, in the air, three well placed bolts shot from the wall hit her in the chest. Vensight crashed in a heap at the base of the wall, dragon and rider both dead.
Day 3
As the sun rose the two remaining dragons focused on eachother while the soldiers continued fighting below. The blue Carant, ridden by Arleena Rostov, chased Alerint around the skies all morning until Rast pushed the attack. The two fell into a rythum of racing toward one another and lashing out with claw and teeth as they passed. On one of these passed Alerint didn't pull away and slammed directly into Carant, biting into her shoulder before tearing the blue dragon's wing off in a one large, velocity assisted, rip. Carant spun like a leaf as she fell screaming and howling in pain as she tried to right herself before slamming into the ground with force enough to kill her instantly. Arleena survived the fall but now found herself in the middle of a pitched battle. She managed to kill six enemy soldiers before catching a thrown spear through the gut. She fell to the ground bleeding and died a short while later.
Outcome
Seeing his last dragon fall Wodin I ordered a retreat into the city sealing the gates behind him, he had lost. After that the seige of Siv began, it lasts three years until the end of the war.
Aftermath
A total of 18,000 soldiers died during the battle, 7,500 Medvidev soldiers and 9,500 Coalition soldiers. It was the largest single battle loss of life in history to that point.
Belligerents
Strength
- 12,000 soldiers
- 2 dragons
- 9,200 soldiers
- 1 dragon
- 8,400 soldiers
- 1 dragons
Casualties
- 7,500 soldiers
- 2 dragons
- 9,500 soldiers
- 1 dragon
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