Battle of the Bridge

The Battle of the Bridge was a battle during the War of Alliance.

Map of the Battle

Banner of Vossk

### Defending Force

Rupmon Ducal and Baronial forces, Reikland Baronial Forces, Fishton Baronial Forces

Banner of Duchy of Rupmon

## Commanders

### Attacking Leaders

Boglicker Commander, Blackmuck Commander, Bloodscale Commander, Sneakfang Commander, Pale Claw Commander, Giant Commander

### Defending Leaders

Red Wizard of Reikland, Dame Vicca Gilaron,

## Units

### Attacking Units

50 Giants, 2,400 Bullywug Footmen, 588 Bullywug Cavalry, 3,000 Lizardman Footmen, 1,000 Lizardman Archers, 2,000 Troglodyte Footmen, 100 Ghouls

### Defending Units

3,910 Footmen, 1,490 Cavalry, 1,630 Archers, 2,060 Conscripts

## Results

### Victor

Rupmon Forces

In mid 1159 the swamp monster armies of Vossk had invaded southern Rupmon on both sides of the Azure River, successfully taking both Redwyne and Camur, though a small splinter force had failed to secure the hamlet of Sanlow, denying a clear path to Myjdun.

The lord of Myjdun, Rivel Donne, had a small force of around 250 men. He was cut off from the rest of the barony to the east, but had no hope of standing against Vossk’s assembled forces. Vossk deemed Myjdun’s forces unlikely to pose a serious threat and turned his attention to the town of Reikland, the capital of Rupmon’s southernmost barony and home of the Red Wizard of Reikland. Marching towards the only major bridge in the south across the Azure River, his force of over 9,000 strong would be only days away from Riekland upon crossing it.

Meanwhile, the Duke Joal Aabare, the ruler of Rupmon, had ordered his forces to rally at Reikland and they had marched to the eastern portion of the bridge in a massive show of force intended to dissuade the enemy from crossing. Due to heightened tensions with the Throgain Kingdom Baroness Thelassa Sedri, the ruler of Sellingsburg, was not able to send her troops for fear of military action from the dwarves. Additionally Lady Kathel Gawan did not send Lyzol’s armies for unknown reasons. The rest of the Rupmon forces, however, numbered at just under 9,000 and commanded by Duke Joal’s son Sir Godgis Abare, massed on the eastern side of the bridge crossing the Azure River.

Since neither side had numerical superiority, what resulted was a tense standoff, with both sides fearful of being the first to cross the bridge for fear their forces would be bottlenecked and suffer devastating early casualties that would cost them the battle.

## Pre-Battle

Among the concerns held by Sir Godgis was credible reports that the enemy commander, Vossk, could not be slain on the battlefield. The solution to this seemed to come out of nowhere, however. The Joined of Vesper came to Sir Godgis, saying that they had secured three magical weapons that would allow them to slay Vossk. These adventurers, known as the Notorious Nine and wanted by the Emeronian Crown, nonetheless stated that they had the means and intent to help Sir Godgis and were vouched for by the Red Wizard of Reikland. As a result Sir Godgis agreed to their proposal to send a small cavalry force with them to rendezvous with Lord Rivel Donne’s forces out of Myjdun and attack Vossk’s army from the rear, which would allow the Joined to engage Vossk and slay him, cutting off the command of the army.

On the 9th of Wolverine, the Joined of Vesper rode north with a small cavalry unit from Fishton under the command of Dame Aille Gerial and cross the river with the help of the magic of Froderik Penderghast. Dame Allie would then ride south to rendezvous with Lord Rivel’s men while the Joined of Vesper teleported straight to Lord Rivel’s camp with orders for his unit to attack the rear in three days.

## The Battle

On the 12th of Wolverine, 1159, per the plan arranged with the Joined of Vesper, Sir Godgis ordered his army to cross the bridge. Seeing that the largest of Vossk’s armies, a force of Troglydoytes from the Pale Claw Tribe numbering around 2000 strong, Sir Godgis personally led his best forces, his own Ducal Footmen, against them on the bridge, supported by archery fire from the Rupmon Ducal Archers and the mercenary company the Golden Archers.

Meanwhile Bullywug cavalry (mounted on enormous frogs) and footmen from the Blackmuck Tribe supported by arrow fire from the a unit Bloodscale Tribe of Lizardmen, began crossing the Azure River along the northern flank while at the same time along the southern flank frog mounted cavalry from the Boglicker Tribe of Bullywugs and the lizardman footmen of the Sneakfang Tribe began crossing the river with support fire from the archers of the Sneakfang Tribe and boulders hurled by a unit of giants.

While the main battle was going underway Lord Rivel, with the Joined of Vesper and Alexander’s Vengeance embedded with his men, attacked the rear of the enemy army, targeting an army of ghasts commanded by Vossk directly.

The battle plan was successful, and the Joined of Vesper and Alexander’s Vengeance were able to slay Vossk and along with Lord Rivel’s troops destroy his ghasts, though it was a bloody victory. Additionally, this maneuver caught the attention of one of Vossk’s reserve units, Lizardman footmen of the Bloodscale Tribe.

The Lizardmen pursued Lord Rivel's forces, which quickly rendezvoused with Dame Allie’s Fishton Cavalry unit. However, even with this reinforcement, they numbered barely over 200 men and faced 1500 lizardmen. As a result the unit withdrew, leading the Bloodscale footmen away from the battle, effectively removing them from the main battle.

Meanwhile, in the main fighting, Sir Godgis’ unit was suffering serious casualties from the Pale Claw Troglodytes and the addition of Sneakfang Tribe’s footmen on the southern flank required the Ducal Archers to focus their fire on the enemy advancing on their position. After inflicting heavy casualties on the Troglodtyes Sir Godgis' unit eventually fell, with Sir Godgis himself eventually being captured by the enemy and killed by arrowfire soon afterwards.

Fortunately the Reikland Conscripts commanded by the ratman Shren were able to advance on the troglodytes and stymie them until the Reikland Footmen commanded by the Red Wizard was able to advance upon the bridge and join the battle. Along with sustained fire from the Golden Archers these two forces were able to eventually break the troglodyte unit, sending the few survivors fleeing.

On the northern flank of the battle things were no less bloody, seeing the total destruction the footmen from Bydir, Velling’s archers and the mercenary company Belina’s Bows before the enemy was finally defeated.

Along the southern flank the Crossroad and Westlund conscripts were likewise defeated, and the Rupmon Baronial Cavalry and Archers were both routed and in full retreat. However two devastating cavalry charges by the Ducal Cavalry commanded by Fontulroy Abare, supported by archery fire from the Ducal archers and anchored by Rupmon Baronial Footmen, saw the total destruction of Boglicker Cavalry and Sneakfang Footmen.

The surviving monster troops withdrew and with the bridge too choked with bodies, pursuit was not possible, though it signaled the end of the battle.