The Raid on Elysium
| The Varhelm Offensive | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Part of the Norland-Oren Conflict | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The Varhelm Offensive, was an Orenian offensive intended to raid the wheat fields of Elysium, part of the Kingdom of Norland. The Orenian force of two thousand initially attacked the newly built walls of Elysium, making an attempt to trick the two hundred defenders into opening the gates. Failing to do this, the Orenian forces retreated from Elysium, as further Norlandic forces began to rally to the defence of Elysium.
While retreating, Imperial forces encountered a detachment of five hundred Norlandic soldiers in the countryside, dispatched to deal with an earlier Imperial scouting troop of around two hundred. Joined by the raiding force, two hundred Imperials and Norlanders engaged in combat, with the Norlanders attempting a fighting retreat to the walls of Elysium, led by Lord Purifier Thorfinn Kursin. While the other three hundred Norlanders made it back to Elysium, the rearguard was overcome.
At the same time the rallied Norlandic forces, numbering approximately two thousand four hundred, sallied from the walls of Elysium in an attempt to combat the Imperial force. As the Imperial raiding force had already retreated into the countryside, the Norlandic forces were unable to locate them and returned to the walls.
The battle almost resulted in the capture of Thorfinn Kursin, however he threw himself into the water of the nearby lake, choosing to drown rather than be captured.
Despite the deaths of two hundred Norlandic soldiers, the battle was considered a Norlandic victory due to the failure of Orenian forces to penetrate the defences of either Varhelm or Elysium.
