Battle of Rottenstep

Interpretation of the Battle of Rottenstep. (Made by Biegeltoren)

> *“Oh river, humble river, who are you weeping for?*
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> *Oh river, sister river, who died in you?*
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> *My child, my sweet child, knights of honour died here.*
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> *My child, a young child. They died for you to live.”*
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> *- Weeping Ourdescker, poem by Valeran of Forksgrove*
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**The Battle of Rottenstep**, also known as "The Last Battle of Chivalry", was a major battle between Cannorian Marcher Lords and the Orcish Greentide Vanguard. Considered by historians and scholars alike to mark the end of the Chivalric Era in Escann, and the beginning of the renaissance era in Cannor. This battle was the first major defeat for the Greentide Vanguard since emerging from the Serpentspine, and marked their decline. The fracturing of the Marcher Lord armies at the end of the battle also marked the beginning of the Second Escanni Warlord Period.

## Leading up to the Battle

### Greentide Accounts

According to Varok Bladebreaker's account, the Greentide found itself in a precarious situation. Up until 1443, the chiefs and commanders had relied on continuous looting and conquering of new lands to maintain momentum and cohesion. This strategy demanded them to remain constantly on the offensive. Alongside this, Korgus Dookanson's holy mission to avenge Dookan left them desperate for new territories to invade. Despite their efforts, Korgus and his commanders had been unsuccessful in breaking out of Escann and penetrating western Cannor through Corvuria, Farranéan, and Ibevar.

Their progress had been impeded by the formidable fortifications of Bal Dostan, coupled with the devastating nighttime raids carried out by the Black Knights of Corvuria. These factors alone halted their advance completely and rendered committing to a prolonged siege unfeasible.

The Kingdom of Farranéan, the last standing Escann kingdom, mounted a fierce resistance and thwarted the orcish advance at every step. While the orcs eventually overcame the majority of the Farrani forces, this victory left them weakened, making a full-scale invasion of the well-prepared and disciplined Elfrealm of Ibevar unwise. The thought of advancing into a heavily fortified and meticulously organised elfrealm, with the knowledge of its formidable elven defenders, did not instil confidence in Korgus or his commanders.

The only viable option remaining was to traverse the unfortified and loosely patrolled borders of Gawed. By tracing the course of the Oudcesker riverbed, they could penetrate directly into the heart of Gawed. Korgus issued the command to advance into the county of Mossford, passing through the mires of Rottenstep to bypass the Gawedi stronghold in Gardfort. Subsequently, they would find themselves swiftly crossing the open plains of the Alenic Expanse, leaving the core territories of Gawed exposed and undefended.

## The Prelude to Battle

Facing a deluge of pleas for aid and an influx of refugees at his borders, Crown Prince Jon of Gawed, grappled with a weighty decision. His father Edmund II, 'called the Ill' was sickly but still alive and the Gawdi lords could not be roused to muster there forces against a 'piffling thing in Escann' without a direct Royal command from the king. Further more Gawed could not afford to deploying the full might of their military resources until the orcs were within Gawed, when it would be to late. Even without this internal turmoil, the proximity of the Lilac Wars, along with the looming spectre of a Lorentish invasion, rendered it politically unfeasible to muster the forces of Gawed against the Greentide preemptively. Despite these challenges, Prince Jon was determined not to abandon their eastern brethren to defenselessness. To this end, he invested a substantial portion of his family's personal wealth to assemble an independent force of volunteers and mercenaries.

The initial response materialised through his close friend, Ricard I Silcalas, the Marquis of Arbaran, as chronicled by Dustin Smallknight, an adviser to the Arbarani court. The Marquis, in agreement with his friend's assessment, acknowledged the dire threat posed by the Greentide. Aligned with his personal friendship with Prince Jon and in accordance with his ancestral duty as Marquis of the North, Ricard committed to supporting the Gawedi Prince and defending the Empire preemptively, even if other lords of the Empire failed to recognize the peril.

Pooling their resources, the Arbarani and Gawedi forces mustered a combined strength of approximately 12,000 swords. Informed by the counsel of Smallknight, both the Prince and the Marquis issued a call for capable individuals of reputable character to gather at Arca Dhánaenn. They pledged to provide arms, equipment, and payment to all willing soldiers who heeded the summons to safeguard Western Cannor, to later march towards the province of Mossford.

As the Lords gathered at Mossford, the Marquis of Arbaran summoned Dustin Smallknight to his tent and instructed him and his retainers to begin the process of assessing the terrain and, if possible, ascertaining the disposition of the Orcish horde, which was still amassing in force.

Smallknight and his pioneers swiftly determined that the only viable crossing point for the Orcish horde into Gawed, given its immense size, was a dry, muddy riverbed known by the local Balmirish as the 'Rottenstep'. This name derived from the west bank of the river, which was lined with rotted old fallen trees, resembling a staircase ascending from the riverbed. This topography made it the most accessible point for the orcs to launch an attack, precisely why Smallknight chose this ground for the battle.

Working alongside his technical advisor and pioneer Pondo Fussbolt, Smallknight promptly realised that due to the density of trees on both sides of the Cannorian position, the area was effectively un-flankable. Additionally, the position offered excellent visibility of the orcish encampment, allowing the Cannorians to track any potential orc movement.

The plan was straightforward, yet required extensive preparation. Small raiding parties would be dispatched to harass the orcs, providing cover for the preparation of the riverbed. Stakes were embedded in the soft mud of the river, and small pots were buried as well. Furthermore, to facilitate the ranged capabilities brought by the Cannorians, earth mounds and makeshift scaffolds were erected. These structures enabled Damerian longbowmen and Dwarven gunners to fire over the heads of the soldiers in the wall.

In his account, Smallknight notably commends the expertise of Pondo Fussbolt and the Dwarves Rethag Ironbrow and Belgrak Cavedweller, the latter two of whom would later gain renown as prominent members of Corin's Circle. In addition to this, the gnomes were ordered to construct a small series  of wooden structures. When locked together, these structures would form a small makeshift portable bridge that would enable swift crossing of mounted soldiers. This was in preparation for deploying the Cannorian cavalry to the other bank, should they be needed, or a tactically useful opportunity arose.

If all went according to plan, the orcs would be lured towards the ditch and the shield wall, where they would be halted and suffer significant losses under the barrage of Cannorian arrows, bolts, and bullets.

### First Contact

The battle commenced with a few small skirmishes between goblin, halfling & gnome scouting parties. The first death in the battle occurred when Aadga Venomtooth fired the first arrows at the scouting party from the Cobalt Company. The orcs then proceeded to group on the east bank of the dried river. According to the account of Varok Bladebreaker, Korgus was unusually apprehensive to commit to battle due to the obvious defensive preparations made by the Cannorians. However, he was convinced by the shamans that the omens were good and Dookan would support the orcs in battle and resolved to attack.

Korgus however, realised that he would not be able to simply smash aside this hostile army before him, as well entrenched as they were. Thus he bade his commanders to order the orcs forward, as per unusual, and at an appropriate time, he would feign retreat. At the same time as this, he commanded his shamans, lead by Grama Clouded Eye to perform a magical ritual, to further entice the Cannorians to give chase as they were "fleeing" and feigning defeat. Knowing the Cannorian tendency to underestimate enemies they considered inferior, he hoped this would make the Cannorians break their defensive lines of their own accord.

The Marcher troops positioned themselves between the two treelines on the opposite side of the river to the orcs, as their ranged contingent remained hidden in the woods, or positioned themselves upon the hastily erected platforms.

Before Korgus' Ten ordered the first charge, the arrows from Aadga's archers began pouring down missiles on the Marchers. However, due to the moist condition of the rottenstep and the armour of the Cannorians, this proved remarkably ineffective, as did the return fire from the Cannorians firing into wind. So, they resorted to their traditional tactics and charged into the Marcher lines.

Accounts from soldiers on the ground suggest that the winds changed direction in front of their very eyes as they were about to fire, attributing this to orcish magic performed by their shamans. There are however limited sources from the orcish side of the battle to corroborate this claim.

## The Battle of Rottenstep

### The Charge of the Orcs

Sweltering in their suits of armour, the Marchers braced themselves with their pikes, spears, and halberds. Most of their forces were on foot, and the small amount of cavalry they had available was held back, with the orcs having no cavalry at all, dismounting at the behest of Korgus, due to the tactical disposition of the Cannorians rendering the cavalry of the orcs ineffective.

The orc charge was severely impeded by the marshy terrain, the waterlogged river, and the defences that had been hastily erected by the Marchers according to Smallknights plan.

Whilst dislocated, and staggered, the momentum of the charge was still yet formidable and as the first wave of orcs slammed into the shield wall; the melee began in earnest. The orcs hammered onto the shields with their vicious weapons but despite the ferocity and vigour of the orcish assault, the line held, and the orcs died in droves, just as the Marcher war council had envisaged and as Dustin Smallknight predicted. The orcish commanders, unphased by this, continued to order their soldiers to charge across the ditch of death in accordance with the Plan of Korgus. Though shields broke, and some Cannorians were pulled or slipped into the riverbed, to be hacked to death, the line held.

For two hours, wave upon wave of orcs slammed into the Marcher shields. The constant grinding attrition of this style of warfare took its toll on the Marchers and Orcs, but the line still held and the battle was going almost exactly to grim merciless plan. This was the moment when Korgus Dookanson himself decided to execute his plan. He had been surprised by the ferocity of the Cannorian defenders and he realised that he must now try to spring his trap before his losses outweighed the potential victory. He swiftly ordered his men to withdraw, feigning retreat, whilst his shamans prepared to enact Korgus’ plan.

### The Trap

The Aldresians, being ironically enough the least battle hardened of the Marchers, were befuddled by a most powerful enchantment. Typically, they would have woven protective wards and readied themselves against magical onslaughts. These wards proved inadequate, partly owing to the Aldresians and novice mages struggling to muster sufficient magical power, and partly due to the overwhelming might of the assembled orcish shamans, casting as one.

Under the command of suggestive magics, some Aldresian warriors became convinced that the orcs were now in full retreat, broke from the line and charged across the river with shouts of victory. Others swiftly followed either confused with what was happening on being caught up in the enthusiastic exuberance of the charge. This was the moment when the battle for Cannorians started to go wrong.

Only very few Knights were befouled by the magics, twelves succumbing to the spell, but that was all that was needed. Convinced by the magics that the orcs were now in full retreat, the Aldresians charged across the river and after the orcs, which they were convinced were routing. Exactly as Korgus had predicted.

The lightly armoured orcs unencumbered by comparison to the Aldresians' turned quickly, and with devastating counter charge slammed into and pass the chasing Aldresians bowling many unfooted knights over into the sodden muck. Worst of all, now that the Alderdsian had broken formation, the orcs in the their multitudes poured past the now isolated Aldresian and stormed up the banks of the river, and within seconds were behind the Cannorian wall.

Faced with this radical development, the inherent distrust and lack of coordination between the Cannorian leadership arose in full force, with each line commander individually reacting in a perfectly reasonable way, but utterly disconnected from each other. The Cannorian force, at this moment, ceased to be one army of 30000, and instead became 20 armies each doing different things.

Ricard I Silcalas an inspiring and strict leader of men, managed to coral his Arbarani troops into a defensive formation upon the right flank, forming a circle of shields and spears, an island of Cannorian steel among a furious green sea.

Galinda sil na Ean in a difficult and heart wrenching decision in a desperate attempt to preserve her remaining mens’ and nicese’s life, she refused to cross the river and instead fell back to regroup. This act enraged Laurens síl Place, unwilling to abandon his fellow warrior; instead he succumbed to a murder-lust filled by grief, guilt and rage, and channelling incredible magical power began butchering his way through the orcs between him and his stricken brethren, at first to attempt to reach them himself, then as the futility of that task became impossible to ignore, simply to kill as many of the ‘foul monsters’ before his own death.

Hector of Alenfield, Captain of the Cobalt Company wounded in the leg in the previous fighting, and recognising that his men were wavering, he ordered them to retreat and reform. No sooner had he been abandoned by his men he was swarmed by orcs, and though he killed many, he was inevitably felled.

Rogier Silmuna, horrified by the sudden and dramatic reversal of fortunes, Rogier showed himself to be a great and inspiring leader; truly worthy of the Silmuna name. The Crownsmen mercenaries entrusted with the left flank, broke under the pressure, and began to run, only a few brave mercenaries, amongst them hedge knight Sergeant Rean sil na Arasuil, remained at their posts.

Acting quickly and rallying his troops he led the Sons of Dameria on a desperate advance to reinforce the left flank. Though many died in the hastily and messily arranged formation, many more of the survivors of the centre rallied to him. In many ways Rogier’s actions at the Rottenstep not only saved himself and his men, but the Empire, Escann, and the legacy of the honour of his family. Though its founding would be many years off, many scholars consider this battle the spiritual founding date of the Kingdom of Rogieria.

Kraig Balgarsblood, from his position in the centre left of the line, was near the Aldresians when the fateful charge broke away from the line. Initially dumbfounded at the incompetence of the Aldresian humans inability to ‘stand in a straight line, he decided that it would be better to attempt to assist them than to try to hold a line that had clearly already failed. Thus, swinging his battle hammer high in the air he bellowed to fellows to follow the Aldresians. Many of the orcs died this day, but so did many dwarves, something which would only further inflame the hatred between dwarf and orc.

### The Bennons take charge

Frederic síl Bennon after a brief conversation with Knight-Commander Leon síl Toarnaire, Knight Commander Varil Silcalas of the Knights Magnificent, and Prince Jon of Gawed, quickly gives order for the reserve to remount. He reasoned that though the battle be likely lost, should they kill the now clearly visible Dookanson, the Greentide, would be still be shattered, and Cannor saved.

As the Knights remounted, Aldres ordered Smallknight and Fussbolt to send their soldiers forward with the makeshift bridge. Over 100 halflings and gnomes rushed forward, bearing sections of the prefabricated bridge, given space to do so by the slowly advancing left flank under the command of Rogier Silmuna.

Nevertheless a few orcs manage to make it to the bridge to disrupt the construction and a vicious fight breaks out. It was during this action that Winston Foolfoot would save Smallknight's life, toppling a huge orc warrior to the ground with a mighty blow from his mace, shattering the orc's kneecap. The orc then fell and cracked his head open on the rim of a shield protruding from the ditch.

With the aid of the halflings the cavalry managed to cross the Oudesker river upon, itself now choked with the bodies of the dead and dying.

### The Charge of the Eagle, and the Rams' Charge

The Lorentish knights were the first to hammer into the orcs, hacking and slicing their way through. Korgus' Vanguard however, was still in the fields and met the cavalry with a brace. Many knights after the initial impact were pulled from their horses, including the Prince Jon who was beheaded by Korgus Dookanson himself soon after. The family sword of Gawed, Talon, was lost in this melee. The Bennon Brothers smashed into the orcs second. In the charge, Frederic sìl Bennon had his horse cut out from under him, and he found himself and his guards surrounded by orcs. He signalled the Lorentish to rescue them, but the Lorentish could not hear him over the sounds of battle.

Meanwhile, the Arbarani and Damerian forces encircled the orcs to the best of their abilities, knowing full well that their leader had no control over the force anymore. Archers drew their swords and the pockets of resistance inside the orcish lines were either rescued or fought to the last man.

Amidst the heat of battle, the Bennon Brothers were separated. While Aldres managed to reach the Lorentish knights, Frederic and Corin were still trapped between multitudinous orcs.

### The Death of Corin

Korgus and his rear-guard had meanwhile realised that the battle was lost. He tried to gather his faithful ten, but only 6 of them fought their way to him. Brasul, Snafu and Drosh had already died during battle, without him noticing. Korgus gathered what he could and escaped the battle before the massacre continued any further. During the closing hours of the battle, as the other clans began to break or withdraw with Korgus, Grom Dogeater, atop his massive warg Karlur, and our finest clan warriors bared their fangs against pursuing Lorentish Order of the Ashen Thorn. Against the pompous knights, they did not break. They did not simply hold their ground. They surged forward. The Order’s leader Leon síl Toarnaire would die broken, after being crushed Karlur’s maw. The legendary knight Frederic síl Bennon would fall to his knees, overpowered by Grom’s strength. And finally, the godschosen woman Corin would meet her first death with Grom’s last breath.

His forces were thinning, but he reached Frederic and Corin, who had just fought off another attack. Frederic was mortally wounded and collapsed. Corin, ever the loyal squire, brought herself in front of the mighty orc, with her shield raised to protect Frederic. His blow cleaved right through, mortally wounding Corin, but she managed to stagger him, enabling Frederic to kill him with his final power before succumbing to his wounds. As the remaining orcs broke and fled all around them, Corin drew her last breath as she bled out in the mud.

### The Aftermath

By the next day's break, the true scale of the carnage finally dawned on those who were still able to bear witness. The once dry riverbed now ran free again, but with the blood of orcs, humans, halflings, dwarves, goblins, elves, half-elves and gnomes. The stench was overpowering and the flies and mosquitoes buzzing over the corpses as they feasted and mated, joined the cry of the corvids and vultures to form a symphony most cacophonous.

Corin's body would be guarded by Winston Foolfoot throughout the aftermath, and it was soon after she was revived as the Avatar of Agrados.

The total splintering of the Marcher Lord army during the battle also had far reaching consequences. Many left on cordial terms to form their own bands and companies to pursue their own goals in Escann. Some returned to their homes and were never seen again.

It also left a divide in the Greentide. Although Korgus was still the unquestionable leader, their attempt to break out of Escann had still failed. Faced with a growing discontent, and depleted manpower reserve, Korgus withdrew to Castonath. Here, he would attempt to consolidate their loot, and rally the tribes once more.

The site of the battle would be picked clean by scavengers and looters over the coming days. Even though priests of the Regent Court did their best ensuring the bodies of the fallen were buried and protected, there were still rumours of both ghouls and necromancers prowling the riverbed the coming years.

Upon hearing the new of his son death at rottenstep, the heart of the sickly King Edmund finally gave out, thus passing the crown to the 19 year old son of Jon, Prince Weylam, who would go on to become Weylam III of Gawed.