Battle of Bran Field

The **Battle of Bran Field** took place in 1431 and would be the first and last major stand of the people of Tara Tranda against the vampires who sought to take control of the country for the past 300 years. Having created a shadow court the vampires ruled from the darkness until the felt confident enough to declare themselves openly. As a reaction the last forces of Tara Tranda that weren't influenced (by the vampires) rode out into battle at Bran Field. The Tara Tranda forces would come to lose against the overwhelming force of the vampires who united themselves under the banners of Cain, forging the land of Cainaan. The forces of Tara Tranda were notably led by the heir of the kingdom, Laiotă. With the forces of Cainaan being led by Venlos and Lilith 'the diabolical' Siadan.

### Prelude

On the 9th of march 1431 the vampires declared themselves to be the rightful rulers of Tara Tranda. Ever since the great plague had swept the lands 300 years ago the vampires lied in waiting, slowly turning the rulers of the land into their thralls therefore granting them control of important resources. The 9th of march was chosen as Reveal Day for the reason that on that day Cain was turned into the first vampire of Tara Tranda. This choice however left them without a significantly important ally, the heir Laiotă of House Basarab of the Tara Trandan throne. Even though the vampires of Cainaan managed to quickly assassinate the king the heir fled gathering every bannerman that remained loyal. The heir decided that the best bet was to fight at Bran Field, a large open plain were the Tara Trandan cavalry could be used to good effectiveness.

The vampires of Cainaan or Cainaanites weren't idling either. Using telepathic powers they managed to convince a the weaker minds, that are part of the Tara Tranda armies, to fight for the cause of blood. Aside from that the Cainites had about 300 years of time to discover the old grave mounds hiding the vampires of a lost generation. While unsuccessful in finding any legendary vampires to join their cause they did find the graves of their servants. These servants, buried in rusted iron armour, were resurrected once more into service ready to strike. Furthermore the Cainaanites rode from graveyard to graveyard raising skeletal armies to do their bidding. The skeletons combined with fallen soldiers from skirmishes, who would be raised into zombies, formed the main part of the army. With the former servants forming a small elite core equipped with corroded armour and frail weapons.

About two months after the declaration and multiple smaller skirmishes both armies would meet on the field of battle to put an end to it all.

### **Battle**

The armies met on the open field with the forces of Tara Tranda being outnumbered by the vampires. However, the quality of the armed knights would surely make up for the lack of numbers. They set out to strike, charging through the grasses. Some soldiers were hesitant to attack their fellow countrymen, but at the sight of the grotesque zombies and skeletons of Cainaan, who formed the frontlines, they continued onwards. The first clashes were bloody with significant loses on either side, but the forces of Tara Tranda came out on top during the first few engagements. Everything seemed to be turning into their favour. However, the corpses would be turned into ammunition for the siege engines, being fired at Tara Trandan forces by crude catapults operated by large hulking horrid ghouls who seemed to have been only just out of the grave, with fresh dirt still on their deformed bodies.

Nonetheless the charges continued and the last few charges of the day had passed when the sun set fully. At that point a huge swarm of bats appeared in the darkened sky, harassing the enemy by quickly pecking at them and flying away. At the same time the first vampires showed their face on the field of battle, with steel in their hands. Leading them was the vampire Venlos, who had proliferated himself as a mighty tourney knight before being turned into a vampire. The heir Laiotă feeling dishonoured but also seeing an opportunity to take out the vampiric threat made a foolish mistake and rode out one more time, but they fell into a trap. A Cainaanite who had been hiding behind a cloak open it up, revealing its arms and it started to cast an incantation. This Cainaanite was no one other than Lilith the Diabolical, a powerful wizard and one of the first to be turned by Cain during the outbreak of the great plague between 1107 and 1109. Not soon after it started raining blood and the at first green fields turned into a mix of mud coloured in a brown red mush. The mud slowed down the knights and their advantage of speed was lost. Now the full forces of Cainaan struck, quickly dehorseing many knights. The fields turned more bloody red than they already had. At the same time the corpses were now not used as ammunition but instead raised up, to fight keek on fighting as undead beings.

The fighting continued on in the bloodied mud, during which Laiotă fell of his horse right at the feet of Venlos. Fighting ensued between the two. Laiotă with a silver sword in hand, Venlos carrying a steel greatsword. The stabbed and hacked at each other. Parrying blow after blow. But Laiotă managed to get in a strike as Venlos foot slipped on the mud. Striking through Laiotă decapited Venlos with a fell swoop. Victory almost seemed at hand but Lilith had been watching. She saw this fight as an opportunity to have her rival Venlos removed without her having to lift a finger. Her plan worked and as soon as Venlos laid death she send forward a spell striking at Laiotă, already weakened, fell quickly on the ground and almost perished. But Lilith sustained his life so she could capture him instead, to be turned into a personal thrall.

Seeing that their commander had been captured and knowing that all advantage was lost the forces of Tara Tranda started to retreat. Many however were killed during the route by swarms of bats. Few survived the final part of the onslaught, fleeing further into the countryside. Some went to what is now the Valley of Thorns, others fled south to nations such as Berok and Ralmulash bringing with them the tale of danger that lurked north.