Battle of Flaming Dusk

"When the sun began to set a new light was needed less hope be shorn, The mountain spewed fire and ruin and the Flaming Fourth was born"- passage from the poem 'Victory on a Fiery Slope'

The Conflict

Prelude

An Imperial Noble, whose name was stricken from history, went rogue with a force of almost four thousand other rebels. The group was very mobile and managed to evade Imperial efforts to crush them for almost two years. Until 6 full legions were dispatched to find and destroy the rebel force.

Deployment

Rebel Force Fourteen hundred medium calvary, six hundred archers, one thousand foot, a hundred scouts and nine hundred non combatants (servants, cooks, ferrier's excetra)
Imperial Force The Fourth Legion (700 foot, 100 archers, 200 light calvary, 10 Command staff) The Second Legion  (500 foot, 200 archers, 300 light calvary, 10 Command staff)
(The Sixth, Ninth, Eleventh and Fourteenth Legions were in different areas and were not part of the Battle of Flaming Dusk)

Battlefield

South Eastern Slope of Coidavel, A massive mountain that marks the Southern end of the Bitterbite Mountains.

Conditions

The Battle started In the middle of the afternoon. It was a rather pleasant spring day in the mountains. Sunny and clear.

The Engagement

The Second Legion was advancing across the southern face Coidavel With the Fourth behind. The rebel force was upslope and unleashed an ambush on the Second Legion. Archers and Calvary sweeps pinned the Second in place while the foot of the Rebels set up blocking forces to keep the Fourth from manuevering to assist. Four hours it kept like this as the sun set. As Dusk settled the Rebels looked to be on the verge of being able to crush the Second Legion when Coidavel began to rumble. Thinking it was a simple earthquake most of the combatants sought cover, infantry getting low and calvary dismounting and struggled to control terrified mounts.
Then the peak of the mountain exploded in a gush of stone both solid and moltan. A brilliant tongue of flame began to slowly descend the mountain. 
Soon rubble and molten stone began to rain down on the battlefield. Most sought cover. The commander of the Fourth Legion ordered a full out attack. As fire rained down around and among them the entire Legion charged into the flank of the cowering rebel forces.  In short order the rebel forces broke and where fleeing, no unit cohesion, every person for themselves. 
Only once they were certain the rebel's possed no more immediate threat did both Legions retreat down the mountain, carrying all their wounded and dead with them.

Outcome

The rebel force was largely broken as an organized military threat. Three seperate groups ended up rallying upon each other among the survivors in the weeks that followed the Battle of Flaming Dusk.

Aftermath

All three groups of survivors were cought by Imperial Legions within six months of the Battle of Flaming Dusk. The Rebel Lord who began it all was captured alive in the final battle and the Fourth Legion was given the honor of escorting him back to Mar Draven for Imperial Judgement. 
The lava flowed from the mountain for three months. The lava pushing the Belley River south  so much it's course was altered till it now ran into Lake Keikok's northern shore. A century later the city state Deidev was founded near where the river entered the lake

Historical Significance

Legacy

The "Flaming" Fourth Legion carried a reputation for bravery for next 4oo years till it was Decommissioned in 1309 BF. It was later recommissioned in 754 BF on orders of Empress Vel X. Her eldest son and Heir was placed in command. The Fourth was then placed in the vanguard of the Imperial Forces during the Adjudication Wars.

In Literature

Several Poems, songs and live action potrayals of the Battle of Flaming Dusk have been produced over the centuries.

Start Date

1738 BF

Ending Date

1736 BF