The Splinter Lands / Battle in the Annawald
A Call to Arms
Translated Letter from the
Great Kan Kuzgun: "For freedom and
justice against the Duke von Drachengard's quest for great power.
To
all of our allies and the free peoples of the Splinterlands and all
over the world who serve the just cause and balance. Stand by Kan
Kuzgun's side, because we also defend your sovereignty against a
ruler who has recently attacked his peaceful neighbors from Alfalter
and occupied the country.
In addition, the Dakara court offers
every mercenary who enters the service of the great empire a high
salary for his services to protect our enclave and the empire." Source
The Grand Duchy of Drachengard, after suffering a naval defeat off the coast of Germersmark feared a breakthrough inland. It was expected that should such an attempt take place, the attack would start from the Kan Kuzgun foothold in the north. To support the nearby barony of Schwarzenfels, the Grand Duke called on the local nobility to raise a force to combat the threat. He also made founds available for the recruitment of mercenaries.
Having received word of the mustering of armies from Kan Kuzgun and from the Grand Duke of Drachengard, Ambassador Dagger deployed a unit of the Embassy Guard, from East Blackwood in Mythodea, to offer their services to one of the two nations. In the winter of the Splinter Lands Year of 334, East Blackwood took up the banner of the Grand Duchy of Drachengard to fight against Kan Kuzgun
Before the War
There was peace between both nations until about five years past and trade had flourished in that time. Four years before the breakdown in relations, Kan Kuzgun had been titled a baron of a small coastal territory in Germersmark. However, the preexisting agreements were not honored and the two nations broke down into conflict through proxy states while Kan Kuzgun built a fleet just off the coast fo Drachengard. Kan Kuzgun and the Grand Duke supported opposing sides during the War of Succession (329 - 331). During the Steinersturmer rebellion, relations reached an all time low. The Grand Duke of Drachengard felt is necessary to declare war on Kan Kuzgun.
The War
The war has been raging on for around two years as of the writing of this article. War was declared with the following words of the Grand Duke, translated for your reading pleasure.
"... On the basis of the highest resolution of His Princely Grace Karl von Lauffen, a declaration of war was addressed to the empire Kan Kuzgun a few days ago, which reads as follows.
Since the empire Kan Kuzgun shows no willingness to respect the borders and territories of the Grand Duchy of Drachengard, His princely graces as well as the court council sees itself in the necessity to take care and protect itself for the protection and interests this end to appeal to the violence of arms. From this moment on, the Grand Duchy of Drachengard considers itself to be at war with the Empire of Kan Kuzgun ... "
At the start of the war, in the Splinter Lands Year of 333, both sides spent much of their time making preparations and solidifying alliances. With southern empire of Kan Kuzgun having a northern stronghold at Germersmark, the Grand Duke asked Baron Rhuarc von Schwarzenfels to blockade the enclave. In 334 the Naval and Commercial Expeditionary Force fleet attempted to execute this order. A naval battle commenced in the Märkisches Meer where the Schwarzenfels force was defeated and Admiral Von Gercken died due to complications of injuries sustained in the fighting.
Battle in the Annawald
Having gained a strategical advantage, Kan Kuzgun pushed into the mainland as the Grand Duke had feared threatening the heart of the Grand Duchy. East Blackwood's Embassy Guard are among the mercenaries who joined the Drachengard forces to repel the invasion. The Embassy Guard, under the order of Sir Dagger of Blackwood, assisted the mercenaries present in destroying flanking attempts made by the forces of Kan Kuzgun.
The battle in the Annawald raged on for much of the day. Drachengard steadily lost ground in spite of the assistance of the Embassy Guard, Wayfarers and other allies. Kan Kuzgun's heavy infantry had proven to out power the main lines of Drachengard. An hour of reprieve came when the lines had withdrawn to an area of the forest that allowed East Blackwood and their allies to use skirmisher tactics more effectively to help counter balance the advantages of Kan Kuzgun. However, this only proved to stall the attacking force who's fighting strength constantly assaulted the defending lines of Drachengard.
A plan was needed to force
Kan Kuzgun into retreat. A young wayfarer by the name of Ramor Al Nocte
presented Sir Dagger with
a plan to flank wide through the thicker parts of the forest where
the skirmishers would be more difficult to spot. The plan was
executed with the wayfarer's, the Embassy Guard and skirmishers
ventured deep into the forest and fell upon the Kan Kuzgun forces
from behind just as they were about to breakthrough the remaining
line of Drachengard soldiers. The flanking maneuver ultimately
helped force Kan Kuzgun to retreat winning the day for Drachengard.
Guards Annabel and Beria fought with distinction during the Battle in the Annawald.