Battle of Turnstone Pass

Battle of Turnstone Pass was a battle that occurred when the Nethertide Horde of the Nether Mountains threatened both Everlund and Silverymoon in Year of the Boot, 1343 DR.

Preparation The Moonlight Men mercenaries had reached Turnstone Pass before the orcs, who were approaching from the north. Archers were positioned at the south end of the pass in ambush while spellcasters took the high ground of the hills that the pass penetrated. Piles of heavy rocks were also stacked up on the hills ready to drop from above. The entire mercenary force was then concealed behind invisibility spells until the orcs had committed their forces.   Battle The vast majority of the orcs went through the pass, while a small number of them diverted to their left.[1] When the bulk of the orcs were in position, thousands of arrows were let loose and rockslides were triggered. Then the spellcasters rained destructive spells down upon the orcs—however, they had not accounted for the horde's magical protections, talismans made from agate, silver, and dragon bone, which turned much of the magic back on its casters.   The Moonlight Men supposedly carried several horns of blasting to soften up the orcs before the battle descended into melee combat, which would have helped the still-outnumbered remaining mercenaries.   Aftermath Only six Moonlight Men, including their leader Mintiper Moonsilver, were left after they could claim victory. These remaining mercenaries buried their fellows in an enchanted grave later known as The Cairn of Moonlight before leaving the site. Men from Everlund claimed to have burned four thousand orc corpses on pyres after they had left.   After the battle, Mintiper composed a ballad, Moonlight's Triumph, which was included in the famous collection of his works, Mintiper's Chapbook.