Obliteration of Ebonspine

The Obliteration of Ebonspine was a failed attack on The Worldfire by Vankyan forces in 3918 EC, which lead to the weapon being fired thrice consecutively, and the obliteration of the titular Ebonspine fortress.
The assault on the Balsets was carefully coordinated by Vankyan coalition forces, with the aid of powerful magics which teleported the army nearly to the doorstep of the fortress. The assault was swift, breaching the gates and gaining a foothold in the lower fortress in the first two hours of the siege. In retaliation, the Worldfire fired its first shot, destroying an encampment in the northern regions of the Spellscar.
Fighting continued for the next day and a half in the tight quarters of the fortress as Indonese soldiers mobilized alongside their mages. As the Vankyan attackers neared the bridge that separated the upper and lower fortresses, the Worldfire fired its second and third shots consecutively. The second shook the mountain itself, and reached further than any shot had before - obliterating the fortress of Ebonspire. Its third leveled a frequently fought over ruin and the death site of a well liked Sadvogravian general who had died the previous year.
Before the Vankyan attackers could cross the bridge and take the Worldfire's inner sanctum, the bridge was destroyed. A number of mages continued their assault, but the forces assembled were ultimately unable to take the upper fortress. Indonese reinforcements prevented their escape, and the few survivors surrendered the following evening after further fighting.

The Conflict

Outcome

The Worldfire was fired three times in slightly more than two days, faster than it had ever demonstrated before. Its second blast also demonstrated a further range than ever before, upsetting battle lines the Vankyan armies had believed safe for multiple years. The lower fortress of the Balsets was held by remaining forces after the bridge to the Worldfire was destroyed until their surrender on the evening of the 116th.

Aftermath

The sudden destruction of Ebonspine was a surprise to the Vankyan military. They adopted a new strategy on the years following, splitting their army more heavily than ever before to prevent any single army from being targeted. The war was altered to a constant flow of taking and retaking small objectives.
The site of the Ebonspire has become a common pilgrimage for those wishing to pay respects to those fighting in the war.

Historical Significance

Legacy

Scholars of war largely attribute the Indonese victory to their greater number of mages - despite the greater skill showed by much of the attacking force. The aid of Indonese counterspelling magics and the tight corridors of the fortress which nullified much of the attacking forces numerical advantage and allowed the defenders to rest and recuperate over the course of the siege, and may have been the deciding factor.
Though the destruction of the bridge was seen by many as the deciding factor, this alone would not have stopped the superior coalition force, who predicted such an attempt. Their plans however, were not successful with their mage leadership in disarray.

Included under Conflict

Caheb War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

114th, 3918 EC

Ending Date

116th, 3918 EC

Location

The Worldfire

Belligerents

Vankyan Army

• Vankya

Indonese

• Indo

Strength

7,300 infantry
800 cavalry
450 mages

3,500 infantry
800 mages

Casualties

7,113 infantry
800 cavalry
411 mages
~3,500 from first firing
~11,000 from second firing

2,600 infantry
314 mages

Objectives

Take the Worldfire and destroy it

Prevent the destruction of the Worldfire