Battle of Deep Den

**The Battle of Deep Den** was a particularly bloody battle taking place several years before the Gnoll Wars that lead to the high tensions between the Caldosi and Gnolls in the years prior to the wars. It was fought between the Caldosi Standing Army and various Gnoll Forces.

## Cause

Prior to the battle, the Caldosi Standing Army had been occupying the area near and around the site of what would eventually become the Black Bridge. In the year 670 A.E. construction had begun but had been halted several times due to the dangerous conditions around the Quaites as well as several floods. The garrisoned troops had become quite bored in that time, eventually pushing farther south into the Gnoll controlled lands of middle Kaiyados in search of rumored ruins full of ancient treasures. The troops found instead encampments of small Gnoll tribes which were instantly hostile to them. By 665 A.E. the Gnolls around the area had been pushed out or eradicated which lead to the beginning of several intense raids by Gnoll forces on the construction site of the Black Bridge. Skirmishes continued throughout the 660's and into the 650's. During this time several notable battles were fought, such as the Battle at Black Bridge in 657 A.E., the Tall Trees Skirmishes from 655 to 651 A.E., and the famous Sacking of Zaradoz in 648 A.E.

The Battle of Deep Den started when a group of thirty knights and their banner men rode into Deep Den with the intent to sack the town. What they did not know, was that the area had been heavily fortified since anyone had previously been there, and now housed upwards of three hundred Gnoll warriors. The knights had just passed the open gate when it shut behind them and they were quickly put down by the matriarchs of the groups. When the group did not return, the Commander Caeseo Winedarc, called for a scouting of the area. When word returned of the desiccated bodies being displayed on the walls, Commander Winedarc called for the sacking of the town.

## The Battle

Two-hundred foot soldiers, seventy-five cavalry men, ten royal wizards, and a number of battle dogs and lions marched to the gates of Deep Den in the early morning. The gates were closed, so the archers let loose a batch of flaming arrows which lit up the dry wooden and thatch buildings of the fortified town. This prompted the opening of the gates and a flood of between a hundred or hundred-and-fifty male Gnoll grunts who clashed with the infantry men. The cavalry was unable to charge as the Gnolls had no form of lines and were more like wild animals than men, so they attempted to ride about and wedge behind the fight. They were intercepted by the matriarchs, who had been hiding in the burning fort, who made quick work of the horses.

For three hours the battle raged until it became clear that, while the Caldosi were heavily outnumbered, the Gnolls were being pushed back. The beasts eventually fled deep into the woods when they realized that the Deep Den had been raised, leaving behind a great deal of carnage.

In total eighty Caldosi men were lost, while one-hundred-and-thirty-three Gnolls were slain. However, many of the men were injured beyond belief, most ended up dying or retiring soon after.

## Aftermath

After the battle, the Caedes themselves became interested in the conflict which, until this point, had been mostly orchestrated by low ranking regional officers. Lord Malados moved reserve troops to Fort Valencia with authorization to attack at any slight by the Gnoll forces. The skirmishes that followed would become especially famous for their brutality, such as the Tall Trees Skirmishes. Many attest that the Battle of Deep Den directly led to the Sacking of Zaradoz and the subsequent Gnoll Wars.

## Important Figures at the Battle

* Sir Titos of Valencia
* Omiron the Quick
* Za-Kzs-No-Ra