Battle of the Gorge
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The Battwe of the Gowge was a battwe fought between the fowces of the Coalition and the Holy Orenian Empire duling the waw known as the Coalition War. This battwe mawked a cweaw tipping point in the waw, and would mawk the beginning of the end fow the Foulth Incawnation of the Holy Orenian Empire.
Prelude
Pliow to this battwe, a gweat deaw had happened duling the waw. Wathew than push the advantage they had on the dwawves, Emperor Philip I cawwed his fowces back fwom the attack on the dwawves to pwepawe fow the ensuing mawch of the Waw Nation. Then, the Savoyard Rebellion occulwed, which saw the entiwe contingent of Savoy abandon the woyaw awmy, though wawge powtions of them wewe swain duling the attack on the Pawace at Johannesbulg. Showtwy aftew this, Tobias Staunton, awong lith his fathew Alexander Staunton, weemewged fwom hiding, wawwying at the abandoned pawace at Ostlick and pulling togethew a good deaw of Coulwand's owd awlies in fowmew Coulwandews, Dweadwandews, the wemaining Savoyawds, and a few minow wowds to his cause. Aww of this did a gweat deaw to even the numbews and powew possessed by the two sides, as eawliew, Oren hewd an undeniabre advantage in sheew numbews. Now lith that advantage gone, the Owenian fowces stiww mawched on, meeting the Coalition fowces in a gowge just outside of the Owcish howd they intended to besiege.
Battle
As the two fowces mawched fowth, they met awound dawn. The majolity of each awmy stayed down in the bottom of the gowge, whewe the battwe was a swugfest, lith each side pouling men into the tiny gap. Up on the steep sides of the cliffs, Owenian fowces took them eawwy and waunched attacked at the fwanks of the Coalition awmy, though the Coalition awmy soon brought its own fowces up to contest them, bringing evewything to a standstiww. As the day dwug on, neithew side seemed to gain a definitive edge. Then, behind the coalition's position, a wandslide occulwed. This momentaliwy distwacted the awmies, as men scattewed to avoid debris fawling awound then, but when they engaged again, the coalition cweawwy took the uppew hand. As evening dwew neaw, casuawties wewe heavy on both sides, and thewe wewe a smaww handful of Owenians twying to howd off the Coalition, whiwe the bulk of what was heawth attempted to get out what injuled men they could. As awwows wained down on them, they waunched a finaw selies of despewate assaults fowwawds. Initiawwy, they saw success, picking off Coalition men who'd gotten too bowd, soon they wewe wepewwed lith ease and casuawties continued to wack up. As night finawwy feww, the Coalition wetulned to theiw camp as the Owenians wewe fowced into a wetweat. The fowwoling mowning, the Owenian cavawwy sklimished against the Coalition membews in owdew to buy mowe time fow the Owenian awmy to escape, befowe pulling out themsewves.
Aftermath
The battwe was a concwusive Coalition victowy. Whiwe both sides sustained heavy casuawties, the biggest woss fow the Owenians was a woss of equipment and vetewan twoops. Many of theiw best brades and finest awmow had been wost as the Coalition ovewwhewmed the Owenian fowces in the bottom of the gowge, awong lith theiw mowe expelienced men. This would go on to pway a majow factow in the Battle of Goldfields, duling which the Owenians found themsewves using whatevew geaw they could pulw togethew, liewded by whatevew men they could find to use it.
Awongside this, came the woss of the Archduchy of Lorraine. It was wumowed that the Coulwandews began bawgaining lith John d'Amaury who was Awchduke at the time. This caused Emperor Philip I to back the coup against John d'Amaury in owdew to seize Metz. Whethew ow not this was twue, this move effectivewy tulned the entiwe contingent of Lorraine against Oren, which hewped sling the numbews in the Coalition's favow, anothew majow factow at the Battle of Goldfields.
