Battle of Q'uson Tapi

The Battle of Q'uson Tapi was the final battle in the Awl Campaign. After Redmask's Awl were mauled by Atri-Preda Bivatt's mages at Pradegar, Redmask drove his people hard out into the vast salt plain of Q'uson Tapi. There he awaited the enemy. Neither side had anything left to give and both knew the battle would decide the campaign.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.579-580 Redmask believed himself undefeatable as no one else had earned the favour of the K'Chain Che'Malle.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.583
==The Battlefield==
Q'uson Tapi had once been the bed of an ancient inland sea, but now it was only salt-crusted bed of clay and silt that spanned for leagues with no rise or feature. After rainfall, attempts to move through the area stirred up mud that clung to feet in oversized clumps.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.668-669
Well ahead of his pursuers, Redmask chose a position on the sea bed 500 paces south of the sea's former shoreline. There the Awl broke their wagons down into wood, hide, and canvas to construct a defensive position that would keep them above the mud. The wagon beds became raised platforms standing on bundled spear-shafts connected to each other by wooden walkways. The canvas and hides were staked into the ground creating rows with squares behind each row and linked by flattened wicker walls that had once been hut-frames. His warriors would occupy the platforms, while reserves stood ready at the canvas squares.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.580-581 Storm clouds gathered, bringing rain. Redmask could afford to wait and force his enemy to trudge through the mud as the Awl had butchered their herds and were well fed.
Atri-Preda Bivatt's army was starving, their supply lines disrupted by unrest in Drene. Her only option was victory.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 19, US SFBC p.578/581 She planned to use her mages early in the fighting to guarantee their use before they could be killed. Bivatt reorganised her troops by military function rather than by unit, creating groups of all Heavy infantry, all Medium infantry, and all Skirmishers, and then assembling them along the shoreline facing the Awl. The centre of Bivatt's line was three wedges of heavy infantry in sawtooth formation. In the gap on either side of the middle wedge were blocks of archers. The eastern and western flanks of the army were a mixture of skirmishers, medium infantry, and archers. The two mages were separated and placed on the front flanks of the outer wedges where they were surrounded by a protective ring of soldier carrying oversized shields.
The Bluerose Lancers were dismounted, as their horses would be useless in the mud, and given swords and shields to serve as auxiliaries if the battle went poorly. Their horses were left saddled nearby to the east in case the missing K'Chain Che'Malle reappeared.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.667/684 Brohl Handar and his Tiste Edur were once again placed in the army's rear to guard against attack.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.669/682-683
==Opposing Forces==
===Awl===
The Awl forces at this battle were not described in detail. Total numbers were probably far less than those at Pradegar, where the Awl had lost hundreds, if not thousands.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 16, US HC p.477
Redmask
*Spearmen
*Skirmishers/Light infantry
*Medium cavalry - 2,000Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.681
**Natarkas
*Dray and herder dogsReaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.704
*K'Chain Che'Malle - 2
**Gunth Mach
**Sag'Churok
*Toc Anaster
===Letherii Eastern Army===
Letherii contingent
The Letherii numbers were some amount less than 16,000 due to casualties from previous battles, and were reorganised by military function instead of by unit.
Atri-Preda Bivatt
*Heavy infantry
*Medium infantryReaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.667-669
*Bluerose Battalion - less than 1,000 (dismounted)
*Archers
*Skirmishers
*Mages - 2
Tiste Edur contingent
Overseer Brohl Handar
*Tiste Edur - less than 2,000 due to casualties - mixture of light and medium spear-wielding infantryReaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.669/682
===White Face Barghast===
Onos T'oolan, war leader
*White Face Barghast - estimated 70,000Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.706
*Kilava Onass, Bonecaster
==The Battle==
Bivatt kicked off the battle with her mages. They began a ritual that would send their magic deep into the Awl ranks. But Redmask anticipated the tactic and the two K'Chain Che'Malle had secretly buried themselves in the mud along the shoreline. Before the mages could complete their magic, Sag'Churok and Gunth Mach burst from the ground and killed them both, along with many of their guardians.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.679-681 Bivatt was forced to march her troops forward into the mud in a slow but disciplined fashion.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.681
Redmask's other surprise of the day was a contingent of 2,000 medium cavalry under the command of Natarkas. They had ridden east, then north and west during the night to approach the Letherii rear. Natarkas was under strict orders to only launch an attack if his approach remained undetected. If spotted, he was to engage the Edur and the Bluerose Lancers only to lead then away from the main fighting even if it appeared he and his warriors were fleeing out of cowardice. Once Natarkas' cavalry was sighted by Letherii scouts, he refused to follow orders as directed. The proud Awl thought he and his people had been shamed enough by their betrayal of the Grey Swords, he would shame them no more. Natarkas launched a cavalry charge into the Edur spear line with some initial success that soon turned into a panicked withdrawal. The nearby Bluerose Lancers mounted up and led a devastating countercharge, killing Natarkas and sending the Awl survivors to flight. The Lancers pursued the fleeing remnants to the northeast.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.681-685
The Letherii infantry gradually reached the Awl platforms amidst a hail of missile fire. The mud-slogged soldiers pushed the bodies of their fallen comrades forward to create a solid floor from which they could charge the Awl. Fighting broke down into a chaotic melee of individuals at the centre, while the K'Chain Che'Malle stalked the Letherii flanks. Bivatt sent Finadd Treval and his skirmishers to shore up the army's weakened east flank.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.685-686/696-697 Eventually the Letherii enveloped the Awl position and even Redmask was in the fight. Masarch fell and soon only a few hundred Awl were left.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.698-700
Redmask mounted his horse, determined to find and slay Bivatt. When he was joined by his K'Chain Che'Malle guardians, he was sure of his success until the beasts turned on him. Sag'Churok and Gunth Mach cut him to pieces before fleeing the battlefield. From his position guarding the Awl children, Toc Anaster surmised that Redmask had failed the K'Chain Che'Malle and the alliance was over.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.669-700
Bivatt felt unable to exult in her apparent victory as the Awl had slain over a third of her army. A score of Letherii skirmishers broke off from the fighting to approach Toc and the children he guarded. Toc sent the children away with Torrent as he bought them time firing his bow from his. After killing some ten of his attackers, Toc was brought down and killed, his body mutilated by a Letherii trophy seeker.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.700-703
As the last of the Awl fell, Onos T'oolan and his seventy thousand White Face Barghast appeared on the battlefield through the Tellann Warren. Bivatt withdrew her forces back to the shoreline with the Edur and returned cavalry and prepared to parley. But she soon realised the Barghast had no interest in peace and both Bivatt and Handar readied themselves to die fighting. The exhausted Letherii and Edur were annihilated.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.703/706-708
==Aftermath==
The battle marked the end of the Awl campaign. The Awl people were all but exterminated but for Torrent and a handful of children who were accepted amongst the Barghast only for Onos T'oolan's friendship with Toc.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.706 The Letherii Eastern Army was also destroyed, even as their benefactor, Factor Letur Anict, was himself assassinated in Drene.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.708-709 Finally, when Kilava Onass and Hetan went to inspect Redmask's body, they removed his mask and were surprised to discover the face of a Letherii. Both agreed that they must have been mistaken. How could this be the legendary war leader of the Awl?Reaper's Gale, Chapter 22, US HC p.709-710
==Casualties==
*Bivatt
*Brohl Handar
*Gaskaral Traum
*Masarch
*Natarkas
*Redmask
*Toc Anaster
*Treval
==Notes and references==
Category:Battles