The Battle of the 13 Keys
The Battle that changed the course of history, the Battle of the 13 Keys saw the great clash between the the Bringers of Glory under the command of Lucius Ferrum and the Alliance, a collection of powerful Magi and non-Magi alike who combined their forces to try defeat the rising threat once and for all.
Lucius did not intend to allow his enemies to gather their full force, and so descended from his mountain fortress in the Dragon Mountains and marched on Nxasana as she gathered her force of Magi, non-Magi and beasts on the Savannah of Safri, hoping to destroy this smaller force quickly, before turning to face the larger enemies. Nxasana's bird spies saw the approaching army, and the Nature Magi sent word to her allies. As they rushed to her aid, Nxasana retreated deeper into the Savannah and sent light troops to skirmish with and delay the Bringers of Glory, but could not delay their approach forever, and was eventually forced to face them, taking up a defensive position on a hill.
As the Bringers of Glory and Nxasana's forces clashed, the other members of the Alliance arrived and attacked the Bringers of Glory in the rear, surrounding them on all sides. The Battle is still regarded as the bloodiest and most terrible in the history of the land, with Magi and beasts on both sides releasing terrible power upon their opponents, and vast forces clashing on the hill and the Savannah.
The outnumbered forces of the Bringers of Glory eventually began to collapse, although their elite troops fought with an unparalleled brutality. The might of Lucius proved even greater than expected however, unleashing incredible spells upon his opponents alongside his core Magi. It is said that he was only finally defeated after being surrounded by 13 great Magi, one of each of the 13 schools of Magic, and being defeated before being bound behind a door with 13 Keys, one forged by each of the Magi, thus giving the battle its name.
The Conflict
Prelude
The Bringers of Glory fought a series of skirmishes and won a few minor battles against detachments of Nxasana's forces, as the Magi avoided a direct engagement until her allies could arrive to reinforce her forces. Nxasana eventually made her stand on a defensible hill once she could no longer delay the Bringers of Glory, and once her allies were close enough. Lucius marched his forces through the night in order to get them to the battle in time, arriving a little past midnight. Lucius sent forward some trolls and the full might of his undead hordes to test Nxasana's position and try overwhelm her early on, while the rest of his forces got some rest ahead of the battle. Lucius's early push proved indecisive with Nxasana's forces able to ward off the attacks with fire, disciplined spearmen, and through summing walls of thorns. However, the early attack the did allow Lucius's forces to have time to rest, while Nxasana's forces and Alliance forces were left exhausted. The trolls returned to the safety of their covered ox-carts before dawn, to protect themselves from the sunlight. The undead continued to be hurled against Nxasana's forces. At dawn, at around 6am, Lucius marched his full army up the hill, and the battle began in earnest.
Deployment
Nxasana deployed her forces in a defensive position on a steep rising above the Savannah, avoiding retreating from it as it would mean having to fight out in the open Savannah.
Lucius deployed his forces at the base of the hill, intending to storm it as fast as possible to gain the high ground and defeat Nxasana's forces quickly.
The fast Alliance light cavalry arrived at about 9am, some three hours after the battle commenced, and attacking the Bringers of Glory in the rear to try aid Nxasana's forces, they were soon backed by more powerful Allliance heavy cavalry. The full power of the Alliance slowly started arriving around midday, and by 3pm had fully assembled and surrounding the Bringers of Glory on all sides.
Battlefield
The Battlefield was dominated by a hill, where Nxasana made her stand with her forces. Lucius position his forces at the base of the hill, assaulting it from all directions. Much of the land near the hill was fairly flat Savannah, dotted with smaller hills and dry stream beds.
Conditions
The early morning that saw the initial stages of the battle was cold and dark. After dawn, the day was warm and sunny, but storms were summoned by both sides at various stages. Regardless, it grew very hot around midday. The night was cool and turned fairly cold. The battle ended almost 28 hours after it began, with the following day warm and sunny once again.
The Engagement
After the troll and undead attack in the early hours of the morning failed to break Nxasana, in the early morning sunlight The Bringers of Glory threw everything they had against her forces, using barrages of magic and missiles to weaken them, before charging them from all sides. Nxasana responded with her own magic, growing trees from the earth to help block arrows, fireballs and lightning. She created great walls of thorns to slow the assault and defend her forces. Despite her efforts, the infantry of the Bringers of Glory and her forces clashed, with her forces fighting tooth an nail to hold the hill, fighting on all fronts. They were steadily overwhelmed, especially after the renewed waves of zombies and skeleton warriors summoned by Lucius's necromancers arrived on top of the hill.
The arrival of the fast cavalry of Nxasana's allies helped distract and split Lucius's forces, leading to him keep a number of spearmen back to defend his archers, as well as keeping his elite forces and cavalry in reserve. Lucius sent his cavalry to try chase off the Allied fast cavalry, clashing with them and other cavalry as they arrived in some areas, driving them off in others. Some Allied cavalry slipped through however and up the hill, with a powerful Fire Magi burning scores of zombies, and the cavalry shattering many skeletons. The Fire Magi joined Nxasana on top of the hill, and would eventually help defeat Lucius. The rest of the cavalry retreated down the hill when they risked being surrounded, fighting Lucius's cavalry out in the open.
Despite the best efforts of Nxasana and her forces, as well as the Fire Magi, the sheer number of Lucius's force began to overwhelm them and drive them off the hill around 2pm after some ten hours of fighting. By this time however, Allied forces had arrived, and swiftly moved to surround the Bringers of Glory and attack them from all sides. Lucius pulled his troops up the hill, while keeping his cavalry free. He sent in his elite troops to try break Nxasana's forces and kill the Nature Magi, along with the Fire Magi. A powerful Magi of Darkness saved these forces by cloaking the hill in darkness however, and getting both Magi and as many forces as possible out. By the time the darkness was lifted, a fair amount of the remnants of Nxasana's force was free. The unlucky few still atop the hill were massacred.
Lucius now took up a defensive position among the dead and dying atop the hill, giving him a dominating view of the battlefield. He and his fellow Magi unleashed terrible magic on the gathering forces, trying to weaken them and get them to flee. The Allied Magi responded in kind, bringing more Magi to the fight combined, although not as powerful as Lucius.
The Allied forces then assaulted the hill from all sides. Lucius sent undead hordes to hold the enemy on as many fronts as possible, while sending his elite forces backed by swordsmen to try break through part of the enemy line and get in to massacre their archers and the powerful Alliance Magi of Darkness. His cavalry also tried to sweep in and do the same. While these forces came close to doing so, the undead forces steadily burnt and were cut to pieces, forcing Lucius to pull his elite forces back to hold the hill, leaving his swordsmen to die, his cavalry eventually fleeing.
By nightfall, the battle looked desperate for the Bringers of Glory. Lucius and his Magi unleashed terrible Magic upon the advancing enemies however, animating rocks to fight, raining lightning, fire and meteors from the sky, and creating scores of zombies from among the fallen. An Alliance Magi of Undeath raised scores of other zombies, the hordes tearing one another apart in the dark. An Alliance Magi of Creation unleashed an army of animated statues against the zombies raised by the Bringers of Glory, tearing them apart, but destroyed by powerful magic. Magi from both sides moved among the ranks, with Lilith Ferrum, only child of Lucius, dueling with and defeating a number of more powerful Alliance Magi, proving her masterful skill. She didn't kill any of the grandest Magi, but helped severely weaken the Alliance push. It is said that Lilith and Nxasana dueled with one another, with the two fighting one another to a draw and forcing one another to retreat back.
The battle raged all night, with the Alliance throwing everything they had at the hill, and Lucius throwing everything he had back. Eventually, Lucius even led a group of elite forces to try assassinate the Alliance Magi of Darkness, to further weaken his opponents. The attack cost Lucius most of his remaining elite troops, but saw heavy losses on the Alliance side from the sudden push.
Forced back, Lucius made his final stand on top of a pile of bodies and uprooted trees on top of the hill, surrounded by the last of his most trusted and elite troops and commanders. Despite now being completely surrounded, the Alliance still couldn't break their opponent, with Lucius said to have gone utterly insane by now, raining terrifying power upon his exhausted and bloodied enemies. During this bloody battle, the mighty non-Magi King, Aeris, was slain, killed after being blinded by light and being crushed along with his bodyguards by a comet summoned by Lucius himself.
According to legend, to was only the combined magic of 13 great Magi, one of each of the 13 schools, that finally brought Lucius down. Legend says that he was taken and bound behind a door with 13 Keys, one made by each of the Magi, to keep his power contained.
Outcome
A number of Magi died following the battle, killed from their injuries and drained of all their energy from the extreme demands of Magic required in the battle. Arch-Mage Suhor the Great, considered the most powerful Magi of Air and Storm of all time, as well as Nxasana, still regarded the greatest Magi of Nature to ever live, were among those who died after the battle. It is said that after Nxasana died, a tree grew where she fell.
Some 80 000 Alliance forces fell in the battle, not counting the undead or beasts. Some 65 000 of the approximately 70 000 Bringers of Glory Forces fell, not counting undead or beasts. About 5 000 light cavalry fled after they were left isolated and fighting heavy cavalry, infantry and Magi.
49 of the 50 Magi on the side of the Bringers of Glory were killed, including Lucius Ferrum, who was brought down by 13 Magi combined and who was said to have been bound behind a door with 13 Keys. His only child, Lilith, was believed to have died, but reemerged in Malaa about 5 years later, after the anti-Magi purges began. Around 50 Magi on the side of the Alliance died during or as a result of the battle, with around 100 Magi dying in total, crippling the Magi and indirectly bringing an end to the Age of Magic.
The Bringers of Glory were broken. Around 5 000 light cavalry who had routed survived, either later surrendering, going into exile or finding work as mercenaries. A few remained loyal, bringing news of the defeat to the small garrison Lucius had left in his fortress in the Spearwall Mountains, 3 Magi and around 1 000 Volunteers. The garrison abandoned the fortress and fled north the the frigid island of Malaa, viewing it as the only place they could defend. Many of this garrison disbanded along the way. Only the 3 Magi and 100 troops eventually made it to the island, establishing a base there.
Anorus the Proud, the Alliance Magi of Heaven who had helped defeat Lucius and bind him took over as the new Arch-Mage after the death of Suhor the Great. Anorus tried to establish his authority over the Alliance and direct it to his will however, causing bitter schisms between the 13 Schools, with the Magi soon turning on one another and going to war.
Facing pressure to limit his power from the Orazim of Kushar, Anorus staged a coup and massacred the entire royal family of Kushar, naming himself Orazim as well as Arch-Mage, taking up residence at the Tower of Heavens in Zhyalay.
Aftermath
5 years after the battle, and following the massacre of the royal family of Kushar, a fisherman named Syed led a popular revolt against the Magi under Anorus. This was the start of the first anti-Magi Purge, with masses of angry commoners soon being joined by nobility, storming the Tower of Heavens and murdering Anorus and every other Magi they could find. Syed was named the new Orazim, starting the Azuk dynasty that rules Kushar to this day.
The purges spread rapidly, with Magi massacred by commoners and nobles alike, with the few who escaped driven into exile or hiding. Many fled to Malaa, where they slowly swelled the ranks of the Bringers of Glory, increasing the number of Magi to about 20.
The death of so many prominent Magi during the Battle of the 13 Keys and the subsequent internal conflicts between the 13 Schools left the Magi unable to sufficiently combat the purges, too few, too weak and too divided to mount a unified response. They were also caught off guard, with old alliances and communication networks having fallen apart.
The Purges marks the end of the Age of Magic, and the start of the Age of Iron.
Lilith Ferrum, the only child of Lucius, who many had assumed was killed at the Battle of the 13 Keys, re-emerged in Malaa shortly after these purges, massacring about 5 of the Magi when they challenged her claim to the position of leader, including all 3 of the original Magi, one of whom had declared himself Arch-Mage. Lilith has been the leader of the Bringers of Glory ever since.
Historical Significance
Legacy
The Battle is regarded by most anti-Magi as proof of the terrors of Magic. Most anti-Magi stories insist that the Magi turned on their non-Magi allies after Lucius was defeated.
More hardline anti-Magi stories completely rewrite the battle, depicting it as being a battle between good anti-Magi against bad Magi, with the brave anti-Magi cutting their way through hordes of undead to kill almost all the Magi, with Lucius, Suhor and Nxasana depicted as being on the same side, all being members of the Bringers of Glory. Anorus is said to have escaped the battle, fleeing back to Zhyalay and staging the coup while the brave remnants of the heroic non-Magi human force slowly made their way home.
All Magi view the tragedy, with the number of Magi killed a particular point of sadness. The battle is in many was viewed as the end of the Age of Magic, particularly as it indirectly allowed the anti-Magi purges to occur 5 years later.
While all Magi view the battle as a tragedy, those who support the Bringers of Glory also view it as a betrayal, with many arguing that the Magi should have stood united, and that Suhor, Nxasana and Anorus should have joined the Bringers of Glory. They often point to the anti-Magi purges as a reason that the non-Magi could never and should never have been and can never be trusted.
Technological Advancement
Chariots, archers, light and heavy cavalry, war elephants, hordes of undead and some of the greatest Magic ever seen was all employed during the battle.
Conflict Type
Battle
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
About 2am in the dark of the early morning on a day in Summer 5 years before the end of the Age of Magic.
Ending Date
Almost 28 hours later, just before dawn of the next day, at about 6am.
Conflict Result
The Alliance emerged victorious, but it cost them dearly. The Bringers of Glory were broken, with the tatty remnants fleeing.
Belligerents
Strength
25 000 Kushari and Urdans, including 20 War Elephants, 50 Chariots and 2 000 Cavalry
25 000 Tamyians and Rabdonians, including 5 000 Cavalry
15 000 Khalijari - including 30 War elephants and 2 000 cavalry
15 000 Zuanguoese - including 500 heavy cavalry
10 000 Yoaketochese - including 2 000 heavy cavalry
10 000 Seerasi - Including 9 000 Light Cavalry
10 000 AmaSafri
10 000 AbaKondago
10 000 Orcs
10 000 Goblins - including 2 000 Wolf riders
500 Ogres
300 Trolls
200 Obhejuntu
50 Giants
80 Magi
141 130 Living soldiers, including 95 000 humans. 80 Magi included among living soldiers.
20 600 Horses
2 000 Direwolves
50 Chariots
50 War Elephants
Unknown hordes of Undead, up to 50 000
Up to 1 000 Living Statues
Up to 5 000 Beasts
10 000 Byslan and Udyean Wildmen
10 000 Kreegorians and Enokians, including 2 000 Light Horsemen
10 000 Moridazari, including 5 000 Light Horsemen
10 000 Mercenary Swordsmen - mostly from Safri and Msengu
10 000 Orcs
10 000 Goblins - 2 000 on Direwolves
5 000 Mercenary Seerasi Light Cavalry
5 000 Mercenary Spearmen - Mosty from Safri and Msengu
700 Ogres
500 Trolls
300 Obhejuntu
100 Giants
30 Chariots
20 War Elephants
50 Magi
71 650 Living troops, about 50 000 of which were human, includes 50 Magi overall.
12 060 Horses
2 000 Direwolves
20 War Elephants.
Unknown number of undead, up to 50 000.
Casualties
Approximately 80 000 Living soldiers. - about 55 % of all the living soldiers, were killed.
Most AmaSafri, Goblins, Orcs, Obhejuntu, Trolls, Ogres and Giants killed. Around 50 Magi are among the dead.
The mighty non-Magi human King, Aeris, was killed by Lucius Ferrum.
The great Magi Arch-Mage Suhor the Great and Nxasana both died shortly after the battle from their injuries and as they were drained from the amount of powerful magic they had to use during the battle.
All or almost all Undead, beasts and living statues killed
About 10 000 Horses, 1 500 Direwolves and 40 War Elephants killed. 45 Chariots detroyed.
Around 65 000 troops Living troops killed. 49 Magi killed. Lilith Ferrum is only Magi of Bringers of Glory side to survive. All non-human troops killed.
Lucius Ferrum eventually brought down by combined Magic of 13 powerful Magi.
All undead and chariots destroyed.
Around 5 000 light cavalry escape, fleeing the battle in disarray after they are cut off and have to fight against heavy cavalry and Magi.
Objectives
Reinforce and save Nxasana and her forces. [Mostly Successful]
Defeat the Bringers of Glory. [Successful, but cost bitterly]
Kill or capture Lucius Ferrum. [ Successful, but cost bitterly]
Destroy Nxasana's forces and kill Nxasana before Allied reinforcements arrive. [Failed]
Take the hill. [Succeeded]
Break through enemy lines to kill archers and Magi of Darkness. [Failed]
Push to take out Magi of Darkness and counter attack Alliance [Unclear - Mixed results]
Defeat 13 Magi against Lucius [Failed]
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