Invasion of the Norvalled Raiders
Raiders from Norvalled arrive on the shores of what would one day become Banteave. The Untamed Clans fight valiantly, but are pushed back. Among the raiders arriving on the shores of the Seaward Coast is Alaric Bantevar , he who would one day be crowned the first King of Banteave.
The Conflict
Prelude
The first Norvalled ships were sighted off the coast near what would one day become Galeste by shepherds and net tenders.
Deployment
After landing, the Norvalled's began to pillage the settlements along the Seaward coast. There was some resistance from local warbands, but none could stand against the might of the Norvalleds. Survivors escaped to warn the other clans in the Heartlands of the invasion.
Battlefield
Facing a threat like never before, the Antari Clans united their banners under a common cause; to repel the Norvalleds. From all corners of the land, warbands assembled and made for the Heartlands. Meanwhile, Alaric Bantevar realized the potentail that these lands held, and sent ships back to his homeland calling for additional warriors; they were going to stake their claim on these distant shores and carve out a new home, with Alaric as king.
Conditions
The fighting stretched on over many years, with a flood of Norvalled fortune-seekers landing upon the shores of the Seaward Coast, only to meet the wrath of the Antari people head-on. Many shiploads of brave warriors never made it off the beaches, but those that did joined Alaric's growing army, who were making a dedicated push into the populated Heartlands.
The Engagement
Several mass battles took place across the Heartlands, traces of which can still be found today. The Antari people held the advantage in numbers and ferocity, but the Norvalled's were better equipped and trained in the ways of war. The crucial turning point came at the Battle of Cynford Bow, where the Antari stood their ground in defiance to keep the Norvalleds from turning their warriors north across the river.
Outcome
The unity of the Antari clans was shattered at the battle of Cynford Bow, and the surviving leaders of the Untamed Clans were forced to retreat into the highlands to regroup.
Aftermath
Norvalled seized the Heartlands of Banteave and parts of the Highlands. Alaric Bantevar declared himself the first King of Banteave. To end the fighting, he signed a treaty with the Highlanders, ensuring their survival so long as they recognized his rule.
Historical Significance
Legacy
The impact of Alaric's invasion cannot be understated. Over the span of his lifetime, he brutally shattered one culture and planted the seeds for another to sprout. Centuries later, The Kingdom of Banteave stands amongst the other great nations of the Continent and beyond.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Land
Start Date
4 Harvest 934
Ending Date
1 Dawnsbreath 962
Conflict Result
The Norvalled's seized Banteave
Location
Belligerents
The Antari Clans
Strength
They came to Banteave in great numbers aboard their longships, wielding fine weapons of iron and strong battle tactics.
They knew the land in great detail, and were unafraid to face these invaders from distant shores. The clans united in the face of their foe in a way that hadn't been seen before or since.
Casualties
Despite their advantages, many Norvallled warriors fell to the axes and spears of the Antari people, or to the hexes wrought by their druids.
Despite their bravery, the Antari suffered many casualties. Some of their weapons could not pierce the armour that the Norvalled's wore, and many of their warriors fell before the shieldwall of their Norvalled foes.
Objectives
Originally they only sought plunder, but when Alaric beheld the lands of Banteave, he coveted them for himself and sent word back to the rest of his host that they must come here to seize a new kingdom for themselves.
They sought to repel the Norvalled back to the seas from when they came, and to make examples of those that remained to discourage future Norvalled "adventurers" from coming to their shores.
