Battle of Steel Fort

Final stages of the battle and fall of Ritser

Combatants| Steel Order | King Cult* Couriers

The Battle of Steel Fort was the first significant Steel Order offensive against the King Cult during the Steel War. The battle was a major victory for the Steel Order and the Order managed to acquire the Steel Fort.

## Background

In 17th April 308, there were rumours of a presumed Steel Order offensive into the King Cult territory in Graille. This rumour made prime-minister Lothbrok Voorst afraid of possible turmoil and further expansion of the Realm Divide. Voorst, sent a unit of his own Legion, Legio Centralis, under the leadership of Captain Meyer, to go and act as his superintendent in the upcoming warzone.

The King Cult, was themselves trying to expand their mining process inside the Steel Fort, as well as their repairs of the castle. The King Cult immediately sent one of their newly knighted soldiers, Sir Ritser, to reinforce the Steel Fort. Ritser, was one of the few knights of the King Cult promoted by the Ecclesiarch Zacharias himself. Ritser, together with his esquire Erewill and Captain Nakaal Mercer of the Couriers set forth to march to the Steel Fort.

Steel Order, under the command of Grandmaster Heuteclere Nilsson decided to face the Couriers in their first battle. Heuteclere sent two agents to go and request troops from Hadia, Charlington Brigade, and the upcoming prime-minister's superintendent. Hadia, was willing to help by sending 50 men of the Samarran Guard as well as General Hirano Kanzaki. Solomon Tyrus and his Charlington brigade was unwilling to help the Steel Knights. The superintendent, Captain Meyer and Captain Galahad Trost, were willing to help the Steel Knights as they saw them as better allies to the Kingdom, than the King Cult. Galahad himself had met the legendary Steel Knight; Orthac Lovindel. With these allies, the Steel Knights prepared to fight the King Cult, willing to sacrifice their lives.

## Plans

The King Cult reinforcements under the command of Sir Ritser arrived at Steel Fort in 20th April. There they met Castellan Leon Speer. Leon was an old, but experienced leader of the King Cult, however, Sir Ritser grew disdained to Leon and Leon's near senility. The two of them work together, though restrictively. They planned to lure out the Steel Knights and destroy them outside the Steel Fort.

The Steel Knights on the other hand planned to go to the Steel Fort, and lure the King Cult soldiers out of the Fort and destroy them outside.

## Battle

Sir Ritser and Leon maneouvred their army out of the Steel Fort and began marching south in order to create their ambush. Meanwhile, the Steel Knights advanced upon the Steel Fort. In 22nd April, the Steel Knights arrived in the Steel Fort and found it empty. They only found 12 workers inside. The Steel Knights captured the castle and began to rest, preparing for their next move.

The capture of the Steel Fort was witnessed by one of the Courier knights in the rear guard. The scout informed Sir Ritser and Leon, who began to turn their army around. The fast Couriers formed a vanguard and attacked the Steel Fort before Ritser's army could arrive. The Couriers led by Captain Mercer attacked the Castle, where the Steel Knights were preparing a defence outside the castle. Lance-Sheath Marsius commanded the Steel Knights in the frontline. Marsius managed to envelop Mercer's cavalry, when Marsius had Ludwig Alstir and his men flank Mercer's men from inside the Steel Fort. Mercer's cavalry tried to holdfast, but they withered away slowly and were completely destroyed after Mercer was taken captive personally by Marsius.

After Mercer's cavalry was already eliminated, Sir Ritser arrived. Ritser was abashed at his predicament as he was outnumbered nearly 2:1. However, Ritser couldn't back down and he formed an attack line. Ritser's initial charge was successful, as he managed to envelope and destroy Marsius's personal guard unit, but Marsius got away. Marsius found another unit and re-organized his men and ordered a counter-attack. Marsius's counter-attack was devastating, and Ritser was caught in a pinch. Ritser and his esquire Erewill died fighting, which caused Leon Speer to panic and flee from the battle.

George of White, one of Ritser's captains, commanded a last desperate last-stand attack into the Steel Knights. Surprisingly, this attack was successful and managed to nearly rout two Steel Knight brigades, but in the end, the larger Steel Knight force encircled George's regiment and destroyed it. George died fighting.

## Aftermath

This was a major Steel Knight victory, and the Steel Knights managed to take the Steel Fort. The King Cult army was significantly diminished, and with the upcoming Fortudatum Crusade and the deployment of Olanius Dante, the King Cult couldn't retake the Steel Fort.

A new attempt to take fort back by the King Cult occurred half-a-year later during the 2nd Battle of Steel Fort.