Difference between revisions of "Siege of Rhewengrad"
m |
|||
| Line 70: | Line 70: | ||
The bombardment would continue for several days, with Orenian siege engineers forming a breach through Rhewengrad's walls. As the Imperial lines formed up to charge the breach, Dunamian cavalry led by Richard Revlis poured out of the keep, heading directly towards Imperial men. [[Athirius Roke]], seeing the threat that these horsemen posed towards the assault of the fortress, took command of a small detachment of Imperial cavalry, and counter charged the Dunamian horsemen. His attempt proved fruitful, successfully repelling the attack, though at the cost of Roke's life. Many were emboldened by Roke's deed, relinquishing any fear present before the battle. | The bombardment would continue for several days, with Orenian siege engineers forming a breach through Rhewengrad's walls. As the Imperial lines formed up to charge the breach, Dunamian cavalry led by Richard Revlis poured out of the keep, heading directly towards Imperial men. [[Athirius Roke]], seeing the threat that these horsemen posed towards the assault of the fortress, took command of a small detachment of Imperial cavalry, and counter charged the Dunamian horsemen. His attempt proved fruitful, successfully repelling the attack, though at the cost of Roke's life. Many were emboldened by Roke's deed, relinquishing any fear present before the battle. | ||
| − | Belegar had used the Dunamian mercenaries as a distraction, buying time for his own force to sally out of the keep, forming their ranks opposite the Imperial lines at the base of the hill. Seeing this, Vladov | + | Belegar had used the Dunamian mercenaries as a distraction, buying time for his own force to sally out of the keep, forming their ranks opposite the Imperial lines at the base of the hill. Seeing this, Vladov ordered the orcish host to charge into the dwarven force. Despite heavy casualties from dwarven alchemist fire, the orcs |
Revision as of 17:02, 2 December 2016
|
The Siege of Rhewengrad (Dwarven: Krazdan eron Kal'Rhewen) was a four month long siege during the Eighteen Years' War of the Urguanite fortress of Rhewengrad by the Imperial forces of John I, Holy Orenian Emperor and his generals Josef Vladov and Henry Rothesay. The dwarven forces were commanded by Lord Marshal Belegar Ireheart, with the notable Dunamis presence led by Richard Revlis. The fortress of Rhewengrad was a key fortification for both the Empire and Urguan, having been constructed on order of Grand King Rhewen Frostbeard near the beginning of the war.
Prelude
Emperor John's campaign against the Grand Kingdom of Urguan had proven to be successful thus far, the decisive victory at White Mountain had routed the majority of the dwarven forces towards Rhewengrad, one of two main fortification preventing any foreign invaders from assaulting the capital city of Kal'Akash. Josef Vladov and Henry Rothesay pursued the routing dwarves, setting up camp on a hill overlooking the fortress. Belegar Ireheart took his army in a defensive position of the nearby hill, with around a fourth of his men garrisoned inside the keep itself. Belegar's requests for reinforcements, however, were denied by the Urguan government, instead bolstering their numbers at the nearby fortress of Kal'Ordholm.
In the Empire, Emperor John had created a blood pact with the orcish warlord Rex Ubba'Gorkil earlier in the war. On the eve of the assault on the fortress, Ubba'Gorkil's host had finally arrived at the encampment, much to the dismay of the dwarven forces. The next day, Rothesay ordered an attack on the fortress.
Battle
Dwarven fortresses were well known for their defensive capabilities, with many on both the Urguan and Imperial sides doubting an Imperial victory from a direct siege of Rhewengrad. After nearly four months, starving out of the dwarves occupiers failed as the Imperial army was unsuccessful in cutting off the dwarven supply lines. Fearing eventual reinforcements from the Urguan government, which grew bolder in delivering more supplies to the garrison by the day, Field Marshal Rothesay attempted a quick assault of the castle. At Field Marshal Rothesay's orders, the men pushed their catapults to the rear of the fortress. Once set up, Rothesay ordered the bombardment to begin. The attack came as a surprise to the Urguanian force, who expected the attack to come from the front, and at a much later point in the day. Belegar quickly attempted to rally his forces to begin firing the fortress' ballistas towards the Imperial siege weapons.
The bombardment would continue for several days, with Orenian siege engineers forming a breach through Rhewengrad's walls. As the Imperial lines formed up to charge the breach, Dunamian cavalry led by Richard Revlis poured out of the keep, heading directly towards Imperial men. Athirius Roke, seeing the threat that these horsemen posed towards the assault of the fortress, took command of a small detachment of Imperial cavalry, and counter charged the Dunamian horsemen. His attempt proved fruitful, successfully repelling the attack, though at the cost of Roke's life. Many were emboldened by Roke's deed, relinquishing any fear present before the battle.
Belegar had used the Dunamian mercenaries as a distraction, buying time for his own force to sally out of the keep, forming their ranks opposite the Imperial lines at the base of the hill. Seeing this, Vladov ordered the orcish host to charge into the dwarven force. Despite heavy casualties from dwarven alchemist fire, the orcs
