Battle of Traders' Tread

## Overview

The Battle of Traders' Tread was the first major battle of the Uprootings. Occuring in 201 AG, the battle saw the Grenthyx Loyalists of Ephellindron (under the command of Harolde Silversmith) devastate a legion of Fellowship forces from Helmont the Borrows and Mhordyn under the command of Forkoux Fyth, Airibi I Root respectively. Tíras Theôs was unable to be present for the battle due to the ongoing Fortification of the Preôs Line, and as such left one of his generals to marshal Mhordyn's forces. Meanwhile, Wilddar Braitbirn was preoccupied in defending Llanoreid from outside attacks, expending the force Llanoreid had on ground.

## Sequence of events

Patriarch Forkoux and Airibi led a few legions of the newly formed Fellowship near Dandirhold in Ephellindron, wishing to remain low-profile to ensure a sneak attack. This was intended to win the Fellowship their first foothold in Ephellindron (enemy territory); a key development in their ambitions to march to the Capital. The forces of Contra, and Mhordyn were stationed elsewhere to prepare for advances elsewhere, upon the success of an advance along the Traders' Tread.

When the Gryhskor Guild of Helmont and Airibi's Borrosian forces neared Dandirhold to no resistance, they encountered the first of the Grenthyx Loyalists sent to quash their efforts. Leading the Loyalists was none other than Forkoux's old friend turned sworn enemy, Harolde Silversmith. The ensuing, tumultuous battle resulted in a resounding victory for the Fellowship, having defeated all the resistance. Although weary and still counting their dead, Forkoux (who was highly suspicious of the ease of their victory) insisted he leave the party temporarily to track the now fleeing Harolde. Reluctantly agreeing, Airbi oversaw a camp that was established in Forkoux's absence.

Forkoux journeyed for a few hours on his horse to find that Harolde had retreated back to Castle Silversmith. Entering the Castle, Forkoux found Harolde seated at the end of an ornate table in a cavernous room. Taking his seat at the opposite end, Forkoux sought to understand where Harolde's loyalties lay, and ultimately to sway him from what he saw as the Grenthyx Dynasty's cause, recalling Harolde's reluctance years prior to hold affinity with any particular cause.

Though Forkoux knew him to serve no specific establishment, he had greatly underestimated Harolde's vigour and commitment to his own, self-serving cause. After 5 minutes of absolute silence accompanied solely by Forkoux staring intently into the eyes of the Silversmith sitting opposite him, he gained an insight; an insight that would haunt him for the rest of his days. He deduced that Harolde, cunningly, pried upon Forkoux's unending curiosity, taking advantage of the precious time Forkoux's absence created from the Fellowship's camp to launch a brutal surprise attack from a battalion of reserve forces Harolde had ordered to remain in a nearby forest as a contingency. Knowing that both his contingency and succeeded and that Forkoux was aware of this, he further taunted him with a smile and detailed the full extent of the hopelessness of the weary Fellowship's chances against a surprise attack.

Indeed, Harolde's surprise attack battalion had stationed themselves in the nearby woods, waiting for the right moment to strike the recovering Fellowship forces. Upon their appearance to the Fellowship, their coordination was confused and doomed, with many being slaughtered. Airibi, who was still left in command in Forkoux's absense, was only able to rally his own forces, with most of the Helmontan Gryhskor Guild soliders present seeing any coutner-attack as suicide, insisting on a retreat early on. Eventually, the Duke and some of his remaining Borrosian forces followed suit. However, the Fellowship had been utterly devestated and were forced to retreat to north of the Ephellindronian border with Helmont further up the Traders' Tread. Back at Castle Sivlersmith, Forkoux hastily made his way out of the Castle and returned to the devastation at the Fellowship's camp.

## Aftermath

The battle itself dealt a major blow to the Fellowship's resolve. Even the legions of other forces stationed elsewhere were keenly aware of this; the failure to gain a foothold on behalf of Helmont and the Borrows' legions present represented a major setback in their plans to make landings in Ephellindron. The immense failure caused Forkoux to entirely rethink his strategy, having pulled most Fellowship forces present in the previous battle into the Contran city of Llynfirth. This would eventually result in a new plan being enacted - the New Frontier Stratagem.

The devastation at the Battle also reached the ears of C'thardjia Duchess, Ch'mazi. The Duchess was distressed to learn of the huge casualties in the battle, and the ruthless techniques of the Grenthyx Dynasty combined with Silversmith's loyalists. This assisted in compounding a desire to begin to hold formal talks with the Fellowship - eventually resulting in the Hyfele'iyla Summit.