Battle of Stebal

## Army Strength

### Offensive Army

3,100 troops, mostly footmen and Gardorian archers; scarce lack of cavalry, and 3 Shoremen engineers to man their Dragon's Fire

### Defensive Army

5,400 troops, most footmen; the remaining army was split up between cavalry and archers

## Casualties

### Offensive Casualties

c. 800, most of whom died from the premature Dragon's Fire explosion

### Defensive Casualties

c. 4,900 deaths; almost all survivors wounded, grazed, or burned

### Civilian Casualties

200

The **Battle of Stebal** was a battle between the rebel forces of Gardoria and Thunder's Shore banded together against the loyalist armies of Edrane in the Civil War.

The battle was something of a final turning point for the rebels, as the armies of the proud Edranish people rose up to fight against them, having harassed the southern borders of both Thunder's Shore and Gardoria for months on end. they had amassed a threat they did not count on, the combined power of Grimolt and Dermond. Lord Diras Tyseth had a host of five thousand four hundred men, some mounted, most on foot, a lesser part of the infantry consisting of archery. The united Grimolt-Dermond army would hold three thousand one hundred men, mostly footmen-at-arms and archers, along with three Dragon's Fire engineers mounting the weapon, all these from Thunder's Shore, accompanied by the seven thousand eight hundred Gardorians armed to the teeth with bow and spear, all ready to bring the justice of their liege lord to the Edranish.

The first encounters were at the borders of Thunder's Shore and Gardoria, being minor skirmishes with the Edranish army and the fiends it had opposed, being sent back from time to time, only seeking to apprehend as many men as possible from the main objective of the rebels, Dragonspire. This tactic however proved costly when directed to the Gardorians, having their gerilla tactics turned on them the skirmishing forces would often find themselves in traps and ambushes. The Thunder's Shore skirmish proved far more effective, raiding the nearby villages and smaller townships. After several months of this harassment the Gardorians mustered their army and marched south to join the now fighting Shoremen army, them pushing back the foes of that infested Thunder's Shore, led by the young and prominent Ser Edgar Burthrey. After the skirmishing Edranish were wiped clean from the borders the armies pursued the army of Diras Tyseth, seeking to have him answer for his abuse of their locals. The Highlord Marcus Dermond and Ser Edgar Burthrey finally caught up with Diras Tyseth, going to seek his surrender in a personal session.

At this meeting Diras Tyseth steadfastly refused all terms of surrender, going as far as to imply that he would sooner join Highlord Dermond and Ser Burthrey in bed before he'd give in. Their envoys travelled between for a short while, but it was clear that Commander Tyseth would not resolve peacefully, and the armies prepared to clash.

Upon the start of the battle the Edranish had focused mostly on the Grimolt flank, sending most of their cavalry and marksmen their way with Dragon's Fire raining their way slaughtering many upon their approach, yet the dry heat of the lands would cause the weapon to overheat and had it explode in a flurry of pieces and flame distorting the main line of the Shoremen, giving the soldiers of Edrane an opening to attack, the moment was ceased as it would've been by anyone, Ser Edgar trying to re-form his lines the best he could having them fight back the Edranish as well as possible, yet being heavily outnumbered as their infantry came rushing in to reinforce the horsemen. The clash would go on for a good hour or so when the Gardorian forces had finished with a delaying diversion force of approximately a thousand of the Edranish army, now a rain of arrows would dig into the two clashing armies. Highlord Diras Tyseth met his death in the volleys of the woodlanders, after the battle only one thousand three hundred men of the Grimolt sworn host remained, the Tyseth-sworn Edranish army was barely a five hundred strong now lead now by Simerras Catheer fleeing to find safety in the City of Mudden, the Gardorian army barely having lost a thousand men, mostly due to attrition rather than the actual battle. Highlord Marcus Dermond and Ser Edgar Burthrey riding with some of their forces towards Dragonspire. The Gardorian army returned to their homeland as soon as Dragonspire fell.

Though this battle was as decisive as others in the war, the death of Diras Tyseth(Prince Dessar Tyseth's brother) spurred the Prince to immediately begin negotiating a peace with Thyllanor.