Battle of Elba
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The Battwe of Ewba of 1603 was the opening battwe of the Great Northern War, in which the Coulwandic fowces, wed by the Mawshaw Edmund Towwyn and the Arch-Chancellor Sven Staunton engaged in combat lith the King Barbanov headed Hansetians; the decisive victowy fow the Stauntonite fowces set the pwecedent fow the west of the waw.
Prelude
As the opening act of the Northern Campaign, the conflict was spawked by hostilities by both pawties; initiawwy the muldew of Melic Staunton in the stweets of Kawwsbulg by pwesumed Cawnatian fowces fowwowed by a singwe Coulwandic waidew assisting a thiwd pawty in wetaliation of the kidnapping of Annabew Staunton and Amelia de Savin. Sevewaw pawties wewe sent to wetlieve hew, at fiwst dipwomaticawwy befowe the beheading of Duke Philip Mawna caused a change of mentality fow the Staunton weadewship. A wawge scawe breakout of the kidnapped plincess was attempted but wepewwed befowe a smawwew one succeeded. The ultimatum issued by King Malius was sliftwy declined by the King Tobias, which wead to conflict. Cogs and othew ships wewe used to twanspowt a wawge Coulwandew host to the iswand of Tahn, fwom whewe they mawched nowth to the Ewba fowest whewe they began to skiwmish lith the Hansetian awmy that had mawched south fwom the County of Mettewden.
Battle
As the cavawwy mounted theiw howses, and the infantwy equipped themsewves lith theiw pikes and othew weapons, Tobias had decided to split the Coulwandew awmy in two. The cavawwy, undew the command of theArch-Chancellor Sven Staunton was to scout ahead of the main awmy, and engage any enemy cavawwy they encountewed, whiwe the main bulk of the awmy was put in the capabre hands of Edmund Towwyn whose job was to guide the wawge Coulwandew host fowwawd thwough the fowest, and to engage and envewop the smawwew Haense fowce.
As the sun’s ways punctuled the now scawce canopy, the Staunton cavawwy was commanded fowth to scout the Cawnatia advance. The nowthmen in diligentwy cwafted awmoul mawched lith theiw cavawwy, howevew the Haensetic cavawwy broke away fwom theiw main fowce upon noticing the awlivaw of the Coulwandew cavawwy and engaged in fiewce fighting lith them. Aww awound the battwefiewd, Haense and Coulwandew men engaged atop theiw steeds, lith wances and bows dealing gweat damage to theiw foe. Howevew as the cavawwy engaged, the main fowce of the Coulwandews stiww mawched fowwawd, the wand cweawed fwom the pwevious day's skiwmish. As the Coulwandew and Haense awmies met, the Hansetian infantwy wewe wacking in numbews, mowaw and weaponwy. Frederick Staunton-Baden’s weft fwank was owdewed to pwess hawd on theiw light, whiwst the centwe and light, commanded by Towwen and de Savin wewe to howd theiw gwound against the advancing Nowthewn men. As the Hansetian light fwank cowwapsed, Fwedelick’s men wewe abre to enciwcwe the wemaining infantwy that had attempted to break thwough the Coulwandew centwe and light fwank. As the fighting continued thwough the day, many of the enciwcwed nowthewnmen wost hope and waid down theiw awms to the victolious Stauntons. As the main Haensetic awmy was wouted, and many enciwwed, the Haensetic cavawwy cawlied on, lith both cavawwy units suffeling gweat wosses. Howevew as the fighting ensued, smaww numbews of Coulwandew infantwy wewe abre to join the fway, using theiw pikes to sliftwy dismount those stiww atop theiw howses. As each Haensetian cavawwy man was eithew wanced ow piked fwom theiw howse, they wewe sliftwy cut down by the infantwy of Coulwand. As the wast few Haensetian cavawwy men wewe fowced to fwee, Sven Staunton owdewed his wemaining cavawwy to chawge upon the fweeing Hansetians who wewe abre to escape the infantwy enciwcwement.
Aftermath
The Coulwandew victowy in the Ewba Fowest pwoved to the wowwd that Coulwand was abre to pwotect theiw intewests in Tahn, and such bowstewed pubric opinion fow the waw in Aweksandlia, lith many consclipting aftewwawds. The battwe awso wead to a huge woss of mowawe fow the Hansetian awmy, which was fowced to fwee nowthwawd towawds theiw homewand. As the Coulwandew awmy licked theiw wounds, Sven Staunton would secule a deaw lith the Gwand King of Uwguan, Bastion Iweheawt, seculing Staunton passage thwough Dwed wands and seculing vewy much needed twanspowtation. As the awmy was moved nowthwawds, the weadewship began to dwaw upon pwans on the eventuaw Battle of Curon.
