Battle of Eastwatch

"This thing is an abomination, a sin against stone I tell ya! Honestly, Velaridifal, how did you not manage to already knock it down just with the arrows? Nevermind, its nothing a little bit of pyroactive dust in a basalt borer enclosure can't fix. Now, where did you fellas said you wanted that window?"

— Ordinance Oficer Brigar Burntbeard, arriving at the rebel's camp.

The Battle of Eastwatch was a large scale battle fought between the Kadian Dominion and Taldirian rebels assisted by Lodiran dwarves during the Great Kadian Split. The battle is considered by many as the tipping point of the Taldirian War for Independence and was also the first documented use of dwarven explosives in Lake Kadia.

The Conflict

Prelude

The Eastwatch Garrison was the largest structure in the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Navara and served as the command center for both Aderian Royal Army and the Navara City Guard in the area. Small skirmishes with elven extremists occurred around the fort even before the murder of Patric Malion, but became much more prominent afterwards, especially as the Inquisition also began using the structure for interrogations and executions.
throughout the 13th century the fort stood against numerous attempts to take it and prove to be an invaluable asset in controlling the frontier. The fort defenses included state of the art counter siege equipment such as cannons and half automatic ballistas that were capable of shooting targets several hundred feet away.
For the rebels the fort was considered as a symbol for the Kadian Dominion excessive interference with they lives, and taking it was a top priority goal, which they relentlessly attempted to conquer during the Taldirian War for Independence.

Deployment

by the late 1290's the fort was considered they only safe point for SFLK forces in the entirety of the eastern frontier. This led to the fort being even more fortified it had to contain several additional services such as a hospital, dungeons and extra barracks to accommodate the soldiers that no longer spend more than a few nights at the frontier. It is estimated that the fort housed nearly 5,000 troops in any given day during the late stages of the war and up to a thousand more prisoners.
After the Gnomengrade Incident in 1323 the Kingdom of Dam Lodir mobilized a demolition battalion to accompany rebel forces and help them take the fort. In preparation for the attack the fort defense efforts increased even further, with nearly 10,000 Aderian and Navaran soldiers stationed within or in its vicinity.

Battlefield

The area around the Eastwatch Garrison was heavily fortified with trenches and wooden barricades. Longbowmen and newly acquired sharpshooters from Osternfel were stationed on the high fort walls and had orders to fire on anything that moved in the vicinity.
The rebels forces that engaged the fort already suffered great losses. They were dug up in trenches, separated and spread around the fort. In addition to the projectile fire that was shot at them, artillery shelling from the fort's cannons ensured they were pinned in their places.

The Engagement

The Lodiran battalion arrived on the morning of the 3rd of Latspri and dug up under cover of heavy mist. They began returning artillery fire towards the fort. This light artillery only made superficial damage to the structure but prohibited its denizens from operating outside, allowing the dwarves to dig through the trenches and connect them to suite their tactics.
Several counter attacks were led from the fort in effort to stop the dwarves advancement but those were met with superior firepower and trench tactics, leading to immense losses to the besieged side. While facing the garrison force on land with the help of the rebels, the dwarves began digging under the battlefield as well and moved large amounts of explosives into the new tunnels.
After 5 days of intense fighting, on the morning of the 8th of Latspri, the entire eastern side of the fort was instantly vaporized in a gigantic ball of flame as the ground underneath erupted by the dwarven explosives buried there by the dwarves. The explosion completely destroyed the fort's command room, kitchens, jail, central barracks, quartermaster hall, a cannon tower, 2 stables and 2 of the 5 guard towers. Another guard tower and 2 cannon towers fell soon after from structural failure. Glass windows were shattered in Navara and the explosion could be heard well in Saltis and Ammand.

Outcome

The destruction of the fort served as a strong warning to the Kadian Dominion to what shall happen if they harm any other Durinian enclave in their territories. Following the battle the Kai of Dam Lodir sent out invitations to the warring factions to stabilize the foothills of the Northern Amadels and Debye Pass. This invitation led to the signing of the Treaty of Taldirin and the end of the 1270's Taldirian War for Independence.

Current Date: 2^nd of Latsum, 1572

Included under Conflict

1270's Taldirian War for Independence

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

3^rd Latspri, 1323 AC

Ending Date

8^th Latspri, 1323 AC

Location

Eastwatch Garrison

Belligerents

SFLK

• Kadian Dominion
• The Inquisition

Taldirian Rebels

• Col'bhen Cint'nias
• Kingdom of Dam Lodir
• The Taldirian Townmasters

Strength

Aderian Royal Army:
7,000 infantry
1,000 cavalry
The Inquisition:
500 venatores (various)
Navara City Guard:
600 guards (mostly used for siege defense)

Col'bhen Cint'nias and other rebels combined force:
3,100 (In the last battle) 10,000 combatants (overall conflicts)
Kingdom of Dam Lodir:
1 battalion (100 dwarves)

Casualties

Aderian Royal Army:
3,642 infantry
1,000 cavalry
The Inquisition:
329 venatores (various)
Navara City Guard:
511 guards (mostly used for siege defense)

Col'bhen Cint'nias and other rebels combined force:
850 combatants (in the battle)
4,600 combatants (overall)
Kingdom of Dam Lodir:
17 dwarves

Objectives

Maintaining control of Eastwatch Garrison and preventing further advancement of rebels towards the city of Navara.

Taking control of Eastwatch Garrison and using it as a choke point againts the Kadian Dominion, preventing them from sending more troops into the onging war.