Battle of the Iron Marshes

The Battle of the Iron Marshes was one of the final battles of the Manslayer War in the late Fourth Age. It was an invasion of Parthenia, which led to an engagement in the Iron Marshes between the forces of Parthenia under Psaro the Manslayer and the allied forces of Branca, Burland, Konenbur, Endor and Soretta.
The battle resulted in the destruction of the Parthenian minotaur forces, crippling their ability to continue waging war. It also was the moment the gnollish forces abandoned the war effort, leading to the end of the Manslayer War. The battle had long-lasting effects on the racial power dynamics in Parthenia.

Background

The Battle of the Bay of Shipwrecks

During the events of the Manslayer War, after the allied nations war council in Branca, the armies and navies prepared for an assault and invasion of Parthenia. The goal was to cripple the forces of Psaro the Manslayer and allow the Zenethian Heroes to strike at Psaro directly to win the war.
Late in the month of Drimon 4A 996, the allied navies engaged the bulk of the Parthenian fleet in the Battle of the Bay of Shipwrecks. As the fighting continued, the allied fleets with the support of the flanking Burland fleet were victorious, and the majority of the Parthenian ships were sunk or sinking by the end of the engagement.
With the naval forces protecting the Parthenian Bay lost, the allied fleet was able to begin an invasion of Parthenia.

Parthenian Forces

The Parthenian fleet that participated in the Battle of the Bay of Shipwrecks was large, however it did not hold the main military forces of Psaro. These were held in reserve in Parthenia in case the allied forces made landfall. The army was split into two primary divisions, each located on different parts of Parthenia near to the Muddy Peaks, one of minotaur troops in the west and the other of gnoll troops in the east. Both were to converge on the invaders from either side and engage in a flanking battle on the coast.

Known Events

Arrival in Parthenia

Landing on the Riverbank

While the battleships and frigates of the allied fleet remained in the Parthenian Bay to continue the destruction the remaining beast ships, the vessels carrying the land armies entered approached the Iron Marshes.
The ships moored along the northern riverbank and the armies began to disembark. The marshes were loamy and were not good ground for such a deployment, and the process took much time. However, the various commanders began quickly attempting to organize the forces into a ready formation. The forces and locations of the Parthenian armies were unknown to them, so they immediately tried to make ready, however the full process would take some time.
Among the forces deployed was High King Thorik Oathenhammer, Princess Alena, Guardian Quarivon, and Sir Kenneth Greenskin.

The Iron Marshes

The Gnoll army

On the Falcon, Petra D'Silva had met Ringer, a gnoll. She convinced him to aid her in starting a mutiny and overthrowing the minotaur crew in charge, and they took the ship before the Battle of the Bay of Shipwrecks.
With Petra's influence, she convinced Ringer that the gnolls would be better off if they could throw off the oppression they suffered under the minotaurs. Ringer took this message to the other gnolls in the eastern division of the Parthenian army, and this message spread among the gnoll ranks.
When the horns for war were sounded, the gnoll army's ordered path was to engage the allied armies from the east. However, the gnoll army abandoned the minotaurs to fight alone. They fled the battlefield and retreated back towards gnoll territory in southern Parthenia.

The Minotaur army

The minotaur forces were arranged to the west of the Muddy Peaks. Their ordered plan was to approach from the north and engage the front of the allied armies while they still were largely unprepared.
When the minotaur force marched forward and met the allied armies in battle, the gnoll army abandoned the minotaurs to fight alone. Quickly the minotaur leaders learned of this, which caused confusion among the ranks, which further delayed their attack. However, they eventaully rallied and marched onwards.
The engagement was a bloody pitched battle in the Iron Marshes, but while the minotaurs were strong, the delay had allowed more of the allies to disembark and form lines, and they were outnumbered as well. As a result, entire tribes of minotaurs were slain in the battle.
During the fighting on Parthenian land, King Alphonse Brancana and Princess Alena were wounded, and Sir Kenneth Greenskin was slain.

Aftermath

Though there were fatalities and injuries, the allies had won against the navy and army of Parthenia. With the victories of the Battle of the Bay of Shipwrecks and the Battle of the Iron Marshes, and with the death of Psaro, the Manslayer War was won for the alliance.
In the aftereffects of the war, and with Psaro slain, the beasts were forced to adapt once more to a world set against them. The race of minotaurs suffered many casualties and would take generations to recover. The conflict also resulted in a shift in the balance of power among the Parthenian races, with gnolls gaining much in the exchange.

Conflict Type

Battle

Start Date

Drimon 4A 996

Parent Conflict
Manslayer War

Location
Iron Marshes

Outcome

• The battle was a definitive victory for the allied armied.

• The gnoll forces abandoned the field and the minotaurs were destroyed, resulting in the end of the war.

Major Combatants

Gimoran Alliance

High King Thorik Oathenhammer
Princess Alena
Guardian Quarivon
Allied armies

Parthenian Forces

Minotaur army
Gnoll army