Battle of Lower Rodenburg

Battle of Lower Rodenburg Part of the War of the Two Emperors Renatian officers standing victorious over the Orenian marshals at the Battle of Lower Rodenburg, 1715 Date: 1715 Location: Renatus, Oren Result: Decisive Renatian Victory Belligerents Empire of Renatus: Empire of Renatus Kingdom of Norland Rexdom of Krugmar Kingdom of Courland Reiter Mercenaries House Bartham Holy Orenian Empire: Holy Orenian Empire Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska Kingdom of Curonia Golden City of Ves County of Leuven Princedom of Fenn Reiver Mercenaries Commanders and leaders Empire of Renatus: Martinus Horen Alvar I, King of Norland Burbur'Lur, Rex of Krugmar Percival II Staunton Holy Orenian Empire: Arthur de Falstaff Marius II, King of Hanseti-Ruska Ecbert Devereux Alfred Myre, Prince of Ves Conrad de Falstaff, Count of Leuven Aelthir Tundrak, Grand Prince of Fenn Strength Empire of Renatus: 4,500 Infantry Holy Orenian Empire: 5,000 Infantry, 500 Cavalry Casualties Empire of Renatus: ~1,000 dead or missing Holy Orenian Empire: ~3,000 dead or missing

The Battle of Lower Rodenbourg was a large scale skirmish between the Renatian Alliance and the Orenian Alliance, although no land was gained for either side. This battle became a major morale booster for the Renatian alliance, having claimed a decisive victory.

Battle

The trumpets blared and the men marched forward, battle was about to come to the fields of Rodenburg. At the front of the vanguard stood the brave knights of Renatia, its flank was secured by Courlandic halberdiers and peasant skirmishers. On the opposing side of the river stood the Orenian army, commanded by Arthur de Falstaff and reinforced by Reiver mercenaries and Snow elven cavalry. Their numbers were superior yet as the old prophetic teutonic saying goes “Always outnumbered, never outgunned.” The battle began on the morning of the 11th of the Sun’s Smile 1715 with arrow fire and javelins being exchanged across the river, the skirmishing yielded little results on both sides and soon the Orenian army grew bold and brave, though that would soon be their demise. The marshal rallied his men to the bridge and brazenly charged them across.

Martinus Horen, the son of the dreaded corsair prince of Aeldin worked in union with his leading leftenants to feign a retreat and bait the entire enemy army into a brutal ambush. Unbeknownst to the Orenian marshal, he had fallen for a simple ruse and called for a retreat of his forces back beyond the river. This was all too late, however, as the Norlander infantry and Orcish warband had been placed discreetly in ambush ready to launch deadly raids upon the enemy backline. The Snow elven cavalry commanded by Aelthos Tundrak tried to restore order in the Orenian battle line and committed to a full scale cavalry charge but was annihilated by both Norlander and Orcish berserkers. King Alvar Ruic and Rex Burbur’Lur moved to reform the line to receive the full force of the Orenian legions, and they held strong whilst Martinus Horen strategically charged his force over the bridge.

When both lines came to clash, the fight turned into a very vicious and bloody melee which saw the Renatian knights bare the full brunt of the losses, yet the training and skill of these soldiers led to a decisive victory with minimal losses. Orcish berserkers cut through the Snow elven cavalry like butter, sending them into a full retreat and watching as the remaining men fled in coward and in disgrace. The Norlandic mauraders charged straight into the melee, making what would appear to be a last stand but killing many Reivers in the process. The King of Norland although swarmed and encircled in the battlefield came out victorious, felling many Orenian commanders himself in battlefield duels.

Aftermath

The Holy Orenian Empire came out victorious, not continuing to pursue the fleeing Orenians. The Imperial Renatian Legion, Norlanders, and Orcish returned to their perspective cities, licking their wounds preparing for the next large skirmish.