Battle of Zora

Belligerents	
Doriya	
Vidstos
Commanders 	
Zorid Il Alharid
Zachar Alharid †
Melchar Dinarid
Drezak Kaminid †
Ulgar Varinid
Feraz Qarinid	
Rodmuth Al House Askh
Gazrila Al House Nidar
Slurazi Al House Zaga †
Kar the Hunter
Prince Zaldak Garimid Al Zora
Army Sizes 	20 000	18 000
Losses 	12 817	6783
Result 	Defeat	Victory
 
The Doriyan army positioned itself on the hill to the south, whereas the Vidstos army emerged during the mist of morning. A soft morning rain and a grey bleak dawn betrayed the hearts of men with silence. In Zora, the decimated town population was starving, but yet many were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the battle.
King Zorid II of Doriya held a speech for the assembled generals, vassal kings, officers and the elite infantry corps, extoiling the 900 year military legacy of Doriya and the "hundred glorious battles" won by the Doriyan armies. He promised to crush Rodmuth.
The Vidstos army starts to move towards the north-eastern face of the hill, first slowly then in increasingly fast march, disciplined. They stop for every one hundred steps they take, the entire army exclaiming "UHM!" and smacking their base of their spears into the ground. As they came closer to the hill, the Vidstossi soldiers with the best eyesight can see that the Doriyan weapons were glimmering in the light of dawn.
"What devilish magic has bestowed the Doriyan weapons?"
The Doriyans raised their weapons into the white dawn which glows beyond the soft blanket of greyish clouds rolling over the field. A strong wind blew from the east, shattering the soft raindrops over the battlefield. As the Vidstos saw the glow of the Doriyan weapons, they stopped their march, apart from on their right flank, where they moved their ranged units and the right infantry column in position.
Rodmuth yelled "HERZAN!", as the Vidstos army is charging up the hill, against the Doriyan spearwall. The copper-wielding Doriyan soldiers were driven back, but managed to hold their ground. The slope of the hill was littered with dead bodies, but neither side was retreating. Meanwhile, the Vidstos army were continuing the redeployments on their right flank.
The Vidstos were not relenting in the face of the new weapons, and were instead pushing harder. It stood clear that the copper weapons did not represent so much an edge as the Doriyans had thought. The Vidstos were gaining little ground, but despite their position, they were suffering fewer losses than the Doriyans. Over two thousand people were dying during this phase of the battle.
The northern peak of the hill was barraged by 2000 archers, which were leading to diminished morale for the exposed Doriyan unit. On their right flank, the Doriyan sling-shooters failed to achieve a similar result with the Vidstos units, due to their protection inside the woods, even if they also suffered losses.
The Doriyan left flank started to move over the brook.
Zorid Alharid moved his base closer to the front to rally morale.
One of the Vidstos units was bombarded and almost routed by stones from the slingshooters, but they were assisted by their brethren coming out from the woods and engaging the slingshooters in direct battle. The fighting even spread to the shores of the lake.
As the Doriyan reserve approached the battlefield, it was barraged and hammered with thousands of arrows. While the losses were relatively small, the psychological effect was considerable, and the unit morale was damaged.
The battle on the slopes of the hill led to a regrouping of Doriyan units, which was partially successful, but only partially as the Vidstos were gaining ground. Both armies were taking damage, and soldiers could see brooks of blood flowing down the hill.
On the flanks, a surprise attack from the Doriyan right flank stalled the Vidstossi warriors moving against the slingshooters. The Vidstos unit was losing over half of it's remaining men.
The Doriyan right flank rushed forward, despite being heavily barraged with stones and arrows, leading to increased losses. The Doriyan archers redeployed in the centre, moving closer to range and manages to kill hundreds of Vidstos spearmen. Despite their efforts, the Doriyan centre was collapsing somewhat, when two units were routed.
Zorid II was taken prisoner and brought in chains in security. He did receive a minor wound on his hand when a Vidstos spearman accidentally hurt him. The Vidstos army is sent an emissary demanding negotiations, claiming that the Vidstos have captured Zorid Alharid. The Doriyans sent back the emissary with a shaved beard and with the news that Zorid II sent out an imposter in order to drive the Vidstos to an untenable position.
The Zorid Alharid who's been put in a wooden cage claimed that he was Zorid Alharid, while the Doriyans claimed that his real name was Malek Zissinid, and that he was the son of a wool merchant from Doriya. He claimed that he WAS Zorid Alharid and that he was subjected to treason from his generals, who have put an imposter in his likeness to pose as Zorid Alharid in order to depose him, and who collapsed the forces in order to make him be killed. Thankfully, he was captured alive and is thus able to return to his palace in Doriya.
"I AM ZORID! I AM ZORID! I AM ZORID! DON'T KILL ME!"
One Vidstos unit is destroyed on the left flank of the Vidstos. At the same time, the Doriyan centre continues to collapse back to a more defensible position. The copper-tipped spears are deteriorating into dull clubs, due to the softness of the metal, and the Doriyans are experiencing increasing losses, even though the Vidstos too have lost almost a third of their army. The Doriyans move the foremost of their forces pursuing the Vidstos archers towards the hill to re-enstrengthen their positions there. One Vidstos unit retreats from the hill after a heavy barrage of arrows.
Zorid was released from his prison, and prepared to take up weapons. Fun ensued amongst the bodyguards of Rodmuth when Zorid was trying to wield Rodmuth's spear, and the weight of the spear made him fall on his back. On the other side, the other Zorid II is moved forward with his bodyguard. Drezak Kaminid was killed by a slingshot which shattered his brain through his right ear.
The grass of the hill became slippery from all the blood as the sun emerged on the sky.
The Vidstos were losing one unit on their left flank as it was pounded by Doriyan slingshooters and bowmen. The only thing which prevented the total collapse of the Vidstos left flank was the presence of King Rodmuth.
On the Vidstos right flank, the archers and slingshooters continued to retreat, pursued by two units of spearmen. They came within the perimeter of the archer units, and wreaked havoc amongst badly armed bowmen.
On the centre however, the Vidstos forces were making a push forward, leading to a collapse of several Doriyan units. Zachar Alharid, the King's uncle and heir to the throne, was killed with a spear to his abdomen. The Doriyans were filling a gaping hole in their centre with a part of their reserves.
An arrow scraped the neck of King Rodmuth, leaving him with a very small wound. If it had moved just a bit deeper, it would have severed his jugular vein.
The Doriyan army eventually collapsed and the remnants retreated south. In Zora, the small Doriyan garrison was overpowered by rebels and Zora opened its gates for the Vidstos army. The Vidstos celebrated a victory and a sacrifice for Gaídh.
Category:History
Category:Battles
Category:Vidstos
Category:Doriya