The Battle of the Horn the first battle of
The Human Rebellion, fought on the coastal peninsula known as "The Horn," where the city of present-day
Hornstadt now stands. The battle saw the rise of humanity against their
Elven overlords, with a force of rebellious mine slaves, led by the defiant
Alerio, facing off against the entrenched
Halenthan garrison and their ruthless overseers.
The Conflict
Prelude
The Horn, a rocky coastal peninsula jutting into the western seas, was a vital outpost of the Elven Empire. Its rich veins of precious metals made it a hub of industry, with thousands of human slaves toiling in the mines under the brutal watch of Elven overseers. The peninsula was heavily fortified, with a garrison of elite Elven soldiers ensuring the security of the mines and the safety of the trade routes that carried valuable ores back to the heartlands of Halentha.
For years, the human slaves labored under harsh conditions, enduring back-breaking work and cruel punishments. Tensions simmered beneath the surface, and whispers of rebellion began to spread through the ranks of the enslaved. Alerio, a slave who had recently arrived at the Horn, surfaced as a key figure in the growing dissent.
The rebellion began in secret. Alerio and his followers covertly amassed makeshift weapons — mining tools sharpened into crude blades, chains turned into flails, and rocks readied as slingshot ammunition. They coordinated with sympathisers among the miners and waited for the perfect moment to strike: the change of the Elven guard shift, when the garrison would be at its most vulnerable.
On the night before the battle, Alerio addressed the assembled slaves in the dimly lit depths of the mines, urging them to rise and reclaim their freedom. He spoke of their shared suffering, their dreams of a life without chains, and the opportunity now before them to throw off the yoke of their oppressors. The tension in the air was palpable.
The initial strike took the Elven overseers by surprise. As the night shift guard was relieved, the slaves erupted from the mines, charging out of the tunnels with a ferocity born of desperation. Armed with pickaxes, shovels, and whatever tools they could find, they surged toward the fortifications where the Elven garrison was stationed.
The Elves, though initially caught off guard, quickly regrouped. The overseers — clad in light armor and wielding short swords and whips — tried to maintain order among their forces. However, the chaos spread rapidly, as the Elves struggled to respond to the unexpected uprising. The humans, emboldened by their initial success, pushed forward, overwhelming the first line of defenses.
Alerio led the charge, wielding a hammer taken from the mine’s forges. He and his makeshift vanguard smashed through the Elven defenders, clearing a path toward the central fortification. The garrison commander, Lord Tharalon, a seasoned Elven warrior and sorcerer, rallied his forces at the fortress gates. With a force of 2,000 Elven soldiers at his command, he began to organize a counterattack.
With the Elves in disarray, Alerio’s forces pushed deeper into the fortress. Inside the walls, the battle descended into chaos as the humans fought fiercely to gain control of key positions. The narrow streets and alleys of the fortified town became a bloody maze, where every corner could mean life or death.
Lord Tharalon, seeing the tide turning against him, retreated to the inner sanctum of the fortress, where he prepared to make a final stand. He called upon his personal guard, a cadre of elite Elven warriors and battlemages, to hold the line. The remaining overseers, their authority crumbling, fought desperately to maintain control, but many were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and ferocity of the rebel forces.
In a final, climactic assault, Alerio and his warriors stormed the inner keep. The combat was fierce and bloody, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Alerio himself fought his way through the Elven defenders, eventually facing Lord Tharalon in single combat. Despite the Elf's sorcerous prowess, Alerio’s sheer strength and determination prevailed, and he struck down the Elven commander with a blow from his hammer.
The death of Lord Tharalon broke the spirit of the remaining Elven forces. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Elves surrendered, and the slaves took control of the fortress. None of the captured Elves are known to have survived, with the furious slaves executing many of the prisoners on the spot as they laid down their arms.
The victory at The Horn sent shockwaves throughout the Elven Empire. Word of the successful uprising spread quickly, inspiring other enslaved humans across the Empire to rise up against their masters.
Alerio's victory at The Horn would be recorded as the first battle of the Human Rebellion, marking the beginning of the end for Elven rule in the western lands. The battle solidified Alerio’s reputation as a battlefield commander and leader.
