First Siege of Haiundar
The First Siege of Haindar was the second battle of the Third War of Thoroughfare. The Duramic victory during the battle would allow the Empire to assault Thoroughfare without passing through the heavily defended path along the Old Road and would allow the Empire to ferry troops across the Glittering Coast along with providing a defensible position to strike further north from.
It was during this battle that Great Lord Kadir Sinai would continue to show his military prowess and cunning planning by defeating the sizeable Thoroughfarian garrison of the town and avenging his brother by slaying High Paladin Dante Elwin.
The Conflict
Prelude
With the victory at the Jylin the Addax Warhost could march deeper into Thoroughfare however as his brother Ezmir had died during the battle Great Lord Kadir ordered the rest of the day would be spent mourning those lost during the battle. On the 4th of Kusha the Warhost began it's march, stopping only to take over the two villages of Garen's Well and Knight's Watch on their path. Leaving one thirty man garrison at each village. The Duramic Host arrived at Haiundar on the 5th of Kusha at 1200, they arrived at the exact same time as their reinforcements led by Ser Basel of Addax and Great Lord Hena Hatem which numbered a force of three thousand and was comprised of most of the Addax Clan's forces putting nearly their entire clan's army out onto the field, this force also continued a company of two hundred Umbrian heavy infantry from the Bloody Axe mercenary band led by their leader Holger the Bold. With their reinforcements now arriving the Warhost would camp to the south west of Haiundar, the host spent the 6th of Kusha moving their camp to the west and seemingly preparing for an assault against the town.
Deployment
On the night of the 6th a force of fifty elite warriors from the Addax and Zebra Clan led personally by Great Lord Kadir Sinai would sneak around and move towards the town's eastern wall where there was a barred sewer entrance allowing the town's waste to drain out into the sea.
Silently removing the rust and already loose bars the men entered followed the sewer canal underneath the wooden walls of the city. Sneaking through alleys and side streets the men made their way towards the western gate.
A small group of the men split off to go start a fire near the docks and to draw Thoroughfarian attention away from the gate. The diversion worked for the most part and the remaining men snuck to the western gate and struck swiftly. Killing the soldiers closest to the gate and opening it before any realized what had happened.
Battlefield
The Town of Haiundar was built along the Glittering coast, it was surrounded by a thick wooden wall on three sides leaving the side of the town with the docks unwalled and open. The town had a main road that led from each gate to through the town to the market plaza and the temple of the Nine and the attached chapel of the Knights of the Order of the Emerald Crown. The town had two gates, the southern and western gates.
The fifty Duramic warriors that snuck into the town set the boats and parts of the docks alight causing many of the warriors defending the western and southern gates to abandon their posts to fight the fire.
Assuming the Duramic host was going to attack in the morning High Paladin Elwin ordered most of his men to rest for the night as to be better rested to fight in the morning, the sudden night attack caught many off guard including the High Paladin himself who was resting in his order's chapel when the battle began.
The Engagement
With the gates to the town thrown open by the fifty men who snuck into the city through the sewers the Warhost surged forward overwhelming the defenders rallying at the western gate. The fighting was through the streets was fierce and bloody and favored the Thoroughfarian warriors over the lighter armored Duramic soldiers however the heavy infantry from the Bloody Axe company used the tighter spaces and close quarters fighting to take the brunt of the Thoroughfarian soldiers and push them back deeper into the town.
Duramic archers broke into buildings that had already been pushed past to fire from rooftops and windows, stormed up towers and sections of the wall that had been cleared this allowed the Empire's archers to fire onto the Thoroughfarian defenders as they fought the infantry down below.
The Great Lord Kadir along with Ser Basel, Holger the Bold and the remaining elite warriors from the Addax and Zebra Clan who had joined Great Lord Sinai in infiltrating the town were joined by a small group of twenty Umbrian heavy infantry and rushed through the side streets to reach the market plaza, cutting down any unfortunate to cross their path.
They broke through into the market plaza and stormed through into the Emerald Crown's Chapel. As the warriors cut down the few barely armored and armed knights in the chapel's main hall there are multiple accounts that Great Lord Sinai called out at the top of his lungs. "DANTE! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER, COME OUT HERE AND DIE OR I WIL TEAR THIS TOWN APART UNTIL I FIND AND KILL YOU!"
The High Paladin then reportedly strode into the main hall flanked by four other fully prepared knights. The High Paladin accepted the challenge with the following conditions: If the High Paladin won then the Duramic army would stand down and return across the Jylin without their weapons. If the Great Lord won then the Thoroughfarian warriors would stand down and surrender the town and themselves.
Still in the throes of rage and grief the Great Lord agreed and allowed one of the Thoughfarian knights to leave with Basel and Holger to put an end to the fighting. Once the three warriors left the Great Lord set himself to fight but was told that it would be an affront to the Lord Binur to slay another in his chapel.
Whilst the duel was taking place the bulk of the fighting had been paused as men from both sides waited to hear the conclusion of the duel. Great Lord Hena Hatem was informed and entered the city astride her white horse. She had not joined the assault as she was not as skilled a warrior as Kadir and knew she would be wasted and likely slaughtered in the brutal close quarters fighting that had occurred.
After relocating to the market plaza the due proceeded and the battle between the Great Lord and the High Paladin was a long and brutal fight and despite suffering a bloody and severe wound to the chest Great Lord Kadir won the duel when he stabbed High Paladin Dante in the throat with his brother Ezmir's dagger.
With the duel over and the High Paladin dead most of the Thoroughfarian soldiers surrendered however there were various pockets where the fighting continued as both sides soldiers did not know about the duel. Fighting continued until the morning of the 7th of Kusha when all the warriors of Thoroughfare had either been slain or had surrendered.
Included under Conflict
Conflict Type
Siege
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
6th Kusha, 23250 AF at 2100
Ending Date
7th Kusha, 23250 AF at 0600
Conflict Result
Costly Duramic Victory, Thoroughfarian Defeat
Location
Belligerents
Warhost of the Addax and Zebra Clans
Led by
Strength
With the defeat at the Jylin seeing no small part of the Haiunder Garrison destroyed High Paladin Dante Elwin ordered that the town be made ready for a siege. When the reinforced Duramic host arrived at the town morale plummeted seeing an army that was just over double their own. Many of the Thoroughfarian Garrison had not seen war before and were their morale wavered.
The presence of the Knights and the High Paladin reassured the more worried soldiers and word was sent to Wilshar asking for aid. The defenders then settled in for what they all assumed would be a rather long siege.
The defending army was comprised mostly of swordsmen and archers from the local garrison in Haiundar. They were bolstered by a small order of Knights led by the High Paladin.
By the night of the battle the army was estimated to be about 1700 warriors. Arranged below was the rough formation of the Host.
- 1 Paladin
- 6 Knights
- 1000 Thoroughfarian Swordsmen
- 500 Thoroughfarian Archers
- 200 Peasant Levies
The Warhost of the Addax and Zebra Clans was a surprisingly orderly army which spoke to the credit of their commander as they were mustered within two days of the declaration of war. The army was comprised by a core of archers recruited from the professional soldiery of the Addax Clan alongside hunters and militia from their territory.
The army's most fearsome force was the Household Guard of the Sinai family, these warriors were some of the most fearsome mounted archers the Empire had at it's disposal.
When the Host arrived at the river crossing on the River Jylin it was estimated to be about three thousand and eight hundred warriors. Arranged below was the rough formation of the Host.
- 75 Elite Mounted Archers (Addax Household Guard)
- 100 Elite Spearmen (Zebra Household Guard)
- 240 Mounted Archers
- 200 Light Cavalry
- 1700 Archers
- 1300 Infantry
- 200 Umbrian Mercenaries (Heavy Infantry)
Casualties
The army's casualties were estimated to be one thousand and four hundred and twenty dead with one hundred and sixty wounded with the wounded being executed after the battle.
The one hundred and twenty survivors would be shackled and sent on ships back to the capital of the Empire to be held as prisoners of war. These prisoners would arrive on the 11th of Kusha (or when ever the party gets there).
The Host's casualties were estimated to be seven hundred dead with one hundred and forty two wounded. Despite the casualties the battle was deemed to be a major success by the Imperial War Council. During the fighting Great Lord Sinai would become wounded and would spend the rest of the month recovering whilst Ser Basel and Great Lord Hena Hatem took over commanding the army.
Objectives
- Defend Haiundar
- Secure Haiundar to hold a foothold on Thoroughfare
- Avenge Ezmir Sinai by killing High Paladin Dante Elwin
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