Siege of First Warren

The **S****iege of First Warren** was a massive battle that served as the final conflict in the War for All Natalia.

## History

### Preparation

In the aftermath of the Battle for First Warren and the Victory Day uprising in Akolan, Morbin Blackhawk and his allies resolved to wipe out rabbitkind once and for all. As part of this scheme, Garten Longtreader negotiated with the Terralain army under Tameth Seer, convincing them to attack First Warren before any of Morbin's forces. Tameth contacted Naylen, prince of Terralain, who brought the remaining soldiers of Terralain up to join their brethren in the attack. Seeking to incite the Terralains against the Cause, Tameth had Captain Vulm murdered and blamed Emma Joveson, whom he derisively dubbed "the Red Witch".

Morbin marshalled his own forces, assembling the Lords of Prey north of Grey Grove for a ceremony to anoint Falcowitson as one of the Six in order to replace his late father Falcowit. King Farlock, Morbin's ally, led a massive wolf army down from the north, while other wolves in league with Morbin prepared to attack the city with a land invasion from the east and a naval assault down the River Flint. Garten dispatched his personal guard from Longtreader Command to lead an attack on Harbone Citadel, preying upon many vulnerable rabbits evacuated from First Warren. This attack resulted in the destruction of Harbone, though the Fowlers prevented the complete slaughter of the inhabitants and took a rabbit prisoner whom they later allowed to escape.

The Cause fortified First Warren against the forthcoming attacks and attempted to make peace with the Terralains only to be rejected. Some of the defenders were organized into new forces, including the Royal Warrenguard and Highwall Wardens, while strategies such as the Blackhawk Option were prepared. In Akolan, the Seventh District invited all the inhabitants to join in their plans to evacuate the city. Lady Glen also made her way to First Warren in company with the Pilgrim and his band of followers.

### Terralain and Farlock

Early on the day of the siege, three days after the fall of Harbone, the Terralain army approached the West Gate of First Warren. As they neared the city, the defenders under Lord Captain Helmer the Black learned that Farlock's forces and the first wave of Preylords were also on their way to the city. Tameth Seer demanded Princess Emma's surrender, only to be confronted by Naylen, Kylen, and the Terralain royal guard for his treachery. Kylen, having been saved from Tameth's assassins by his brother, the Pilgrim's band, and Jo Shanks, killed Tameth Seer with the aid of Naylen.

As the Terralain temple guard surrendered at the death of their leader, Farlock's army arrived and charged the city. One portion of the Warrenguard charged out to meet them but found themselves outmatched despite the aid of the Highwallers. Farlock killed numerous rabbits, including Captain Frye, but was cut down by Picket Longtreader flying in using a glider pack. The Terralains, having previously sought to punish Picket for his role in the death of Bleston, charged to his aid against Farlock's wolf army, pushing them back.

Additional Warrenguard soldiers and bucks from Blackstone Citadel under Lord Ronan exited First Warren to join the fight against Farlock's leaderless wolves. Picket, Jo, and Kylen retreated into the city, leaving Naylen and Ronan to continue the fight. The two forces were balanced for some time, but eventually the wolves were able to fight their way through the Terralains and their allies and enter First Warren.

### Attacks from the east

While the battle with Farlock's wolf army continued, Wilfred Longtreader led the remaining Warrenguard forces to the eastern gate to contend with another army of wolves. The first wave of Preylords, commanded by Falcowitson, began attacking the city, with devastating effect on the catapults and bowstrikers built to engage them. Desperate to disrupt their attackers, the defenders reluctantly made use of the Blackhawk Option, which was intended to kill Morbin himself. Falcowitson was killed by the measure, throwing his remaining followers into disarray.

As the wolf forces to either side of the city pressed their attack, Kylen-after surrendering the Whitson Stone to Emma-returned to the battlefield in company with Jo Shanks and the Pilgrim's band. Jo and the Pilgrim later ascended to the top of the city's wall, where the Highwall Wardens had been decimated. A second wave of Preylords led by two of the Six then arrived, and the two archers attempted to engage them. With some help from the remaining Highwallers, Jo succeeded in killing the two raptor kings, and then made his way back to the palace.

Lord Captain Helmer and Picket led a force to assist Wilfred's forces at the east gate, and after a brutal struggle retreated. Moving into position, they found themselves caught between the two wolf armies, with another Preylord wave led by a second pair of the Six swooping down on them. An attempt to remotely set off a blastpowder explosion to destroy the city's dam failed, and Helmer sacrificed himself to trigger the blast. The explosion killed the raptor leaders and many of their following, as well as unleashing a flood that wiped out the wolf armies while the rabbits made their escape.

### The final foes

With their long-range assets decimated, the forces of the Cause were left to contend with the last waves of attack: the fleet of wolves, the remaining Preylords under Morbin himself, and Garten Longtreader with his few faithful followers. As Morbin devastated the defenders and proved impossible to assail, the wolves and Wrongtreaders fought the defenders atop the roofs of the city. With Helmer dead alongside Lord Felson of Chelmsford Citadel and many others, Picket took command of the Royal Fowlers Auxiliary in a final, desperate charge against Morbin. The gliding rabbits took the battle to their foes in the air, but Morbin continued to escape harm thanks to his skill and impenetrable armor.

In the wake of the wolf ships and the flood from the emptying Lake Merle, the ships of the Seventh District arrived in Akolan, having rescued Smalden Joveson and Heather Longtreader from the crumbling Forbidden Island. The battlebucks of Akolan, employing netapults and other weapons long designed for such a battle, wiped out Morbin's remaining followers. They also joined the city's defenders in slaying the remaining wolves and Wrongtreaders. During this time, Garten fell to his death after being defeated by-and rejecting mercy from-his brother Whittle Longtreader.

Smalls, fresh from the long-awaited end of the Dragon War, ascended the Seven Standing Stones armed with the Stone Sword of Flint, intent on confronting Morbin. As he leapt from stone to stone, Picket swooped in to his aid and succeeded in blinding Morbin in one eye. Despite losing an arm in return, Picket made a final desperate rush, distracting Morbin but suffering brutal wounds. As he fell from the height and into a coma, Picket saw Smalls drive the starsword into Morbin, killing the Preylord King and breaking the ancient weapon in the process.

### Aftermath

Picket landed in the still-flooded city below and was pulled from the water by his sister Heather, who with the aid of Emma managed to save him from his devastating wounds. Picket was taken to the old palace and lay there unconscious for weeks before finally awakening to find himself surrounded by his long absent family. Smalls reassumed his place as heir to the throne of Natalia and took charge of rebuilding as the rabbits found themselves in a world with no more predators. First Warren was restored as much as possible and served as headquarters of the effort, but a ruinous section remained in the vicinity of the Brute's Gorge, which served as a mass grave for the fallen enemies of rabbitkind.

A year after the battle, the rabbits held the first Feast of the Mending, to commemorate the fallen and celebrate the commencement of the Mending. The feast was set to be held annually as long as the rabbit kingdom endured, something that seemed potentially eternal thanks to the Pilgrim's delivery of Firstflower seeds to the Thirty Warrens. Orphans and veterans of the war were treated with special attention, and Newcity was constructed as the capital of Natalia. With no cause left for fear, the rabbits began to colonize far-flung corners of the land, including Nick Hollow and the Red Valley.