Tourall offensive

## The Tourall offensivePart of the Endless War

The siege and capture of Tourall, the 'Jewel of the East', was a substantial blow to the morale of the Aldian forces.

## History

### Outcome

Decisive Keldari victory
 Aldian forces pushed back West of Tourall

***"Nothing, not even orders from myself, are to stop you on this offensive. Nothing short of the will of God."***

**— Grand Marshal Straeten, to his generals, before the offensive.**

The **Tourall offensive** was a climactic offensive that began early in 119 and lasted until fall of the same year.

Overall, the Tourall offensive was far more successful than even the Keldari officers predicted, and completely shattered the northern sector of the Aldian front. It was only with the Burning of Vareaux that the Aldians could purchase enough time to regroup and arrest the momentum of the Knights.

The offensive resulted in the entirety of the duchies of Tourall and Leveire passing to the control of Keldar.

## Prelude

### Strategic outlook

The Keldari forces had taken several years to plan this great offensive against Aldia, contenting themselves with limited gains in Leveire to the South. However, by 118 3A, it had been decided that the Tourall sector was sufficiently weakened so as to permit a substantial offensive against it.

### Comparison of forces

The operation was planned such that the Keldari forces would enjoy numerical superiority throughout, doubtless one of the factors that allowed such unprecedented success (Keldar had long suffered from numerical inferiority as a result of its far smaller population). At the outbreak of the offensive, Keldar counted a total of 57,000 soldiers, of which 22,000 were highly-trained Knights and Paladins. Meanwhile, the New Monarchy counted some 50,000 men and women in the sector, of which all but some 10,000 would be levies and conscripts.

### Goals of the operation

The goals of the offensive were to simply surround, and possibly take, the city of Tourall. Soon, however, the Knights of Keldar discovered that their foe was far less prepared for the offensive than they had anticipated.

## Early advances

It began as a three-pronged Keldari advance into the Duchy of Tourall, spearheaded by Grand Marshal Straeten, General Benten, General Saeger, and General Tieghem. Benten led his columns through the south, dividing the Aldian forces and cutting off any option of retreat to the South; Saeger led his forces north, surrounding the beleaguered city of Tourall, and Tieghem led his forces through the enemy center, destroying the bulk of the Aldian forces at the Battle of Oullenas, and leaving a clear path to the city of Tourall, which was besieged and captured later that same year.

## Siege of Tourall

Main article: Siege of Tourall

The city was encircled and besieged for a week. Deciding that he lacked the time for a prolonged siege if he wished to capitalize upon a string of victories that had left the Aldians reeling, General Sir Orvell Tieghem ordered an assault upon the imposing walls of the city, expecting the defenders to be downtrodden and demoralized.

As had occurred many times already in the offensive, General Tieghem's risky gambit proved successful: Once the formidable Keldari knights reached and captured the walls and gatehouses, the city presented its surrender to the invading foe.

Customary to the code of chivalry of the Holy Order, the city was not looted or sacked; nonetheless, the propaganda of the agents of the New Monarchy was effective in spreading such lies throughout the realm in an effort to recruit more soldiers.

## Burning of Vareaux

Main article: Burning of Vareaux
The defeat at Tourall led to the near-complete collapse of the Aldian armies in the north. A significant portion of the army was only saved thanks to the infamous Burning of Vareaux, which stalled the Keldari advance and allowed the Aldian columns sufficient time to reform.

After the burning of Vareaux, the Keldari armies were left with no clear pass through the treacherous valleys and mountains of Western Tourall.

With supplies at dangerous lows, a devastated countryside unable to supply food for thousands of soldiers, and constant harassment from Aldian guerillas and commandos, the Holy Order decided to content itself with its gains for the year, and established forts in the captured territory to wait out the winter.

## Results

### Territorial changes

The **Tourall offensive**, known in Keldar as the Summer Offensive of 119 3A, resulted in the loss of substantial amounts of territory to the invading Keldari troops throughout most of Eastern Aldia.

The offensive was even successful in defeating and taking the monumental city and castle of Tourall, the 'Eastern Jewel' of Aldia and the key to land-based trade with much of the continent -- including Stavenberg and the Free Provinces.

### Aldian command structure

The loss of Tourall eventually led to the sacking of the then-Aldian marshal, Allius Loc de Glessech,

As the most successful Aldian commander throughout the front in the **Tourall offensive**, and the only one to consistently defeat the Holy Order in pitched battle, Lord Lautrec was given the command of the Aldian army.