A Hill too Far

Recent Battles — NQ 23

The “Recent Battles” series presents scenarios that allow players to participate in key engagements during the last few years of warfare across western
Immoren. Some of these represent small but crucial battles where a single
warlock or warcaster has changed the course of history. Others depict large clashes involving massive armies and multiple warcasters or warlocks.

TROLLBLOODS VS. CYGNAR

Grissel sighed as she wiped the blood from Resounder left from the last wave of trenchers. The morning’s battles had been worse than Calandra had promised but not yet as terrible as Grissel had feared. The Cygnaran 4th Army had hurled three waves against the trollbloods defending Crael Valley but the kriels still held firm. For now.

Grissel had taken her force to this hill at the advent of battle. It was the highest ground proximate to the enemy lines and her people had hastily improvised barriers and traps to make the climb even more difficult for the enemy. Casualties in Grissel’s warband had been light so far — a handful of kriel warriors had died in the first trencher charge and the pyre troll Maks had been annihilated by the concentrated fire of long gunners. There were a number of wounded but none so badly injured that they could not fight on. In the few moments of calm, Grissel felt their loss, but she knew there would be many others to mourn before the end of the day. They were outnumbered and fighting on open ground; Grissel had trouble imagining a situation she would like less. Grim Angus and Calandra held positions at either flank. The bulk of her own troops were concentrated with her in the center.

As the smoke from the last assault began to clear, Grissel could see much of the battlefield for the first time in hours. To her left Calandra and her motley band held the Cygnarans off while taking advantage of the cover afforded by a low wall at the edge of a field. Grissel watched as a group of scattergunners moved from the wall with surprising speed, catching a mercenary band of halberdiers unprepared and shredding them with scatter shot. Enraged, another group of Steelheads counter-charged only to be routed by the concentrated fire of pygs covering the scattergunners’ retreat from atop the wall. Grissel nodded grimly. Calandra’s force was still secure.

Grissel peered down the hill to her right. She could see Grim Angus and his people holding skirmish positions throughout a ruined farmyard. As she watched, a line of trenchers leapt forward to assault a small group of trollkin champions, firing their rifles as they charged. Despite shocking wounds, the champions held their ground and cut down the trenchers in a blur of axe blows. The veteran kin fought with effortless coordination as each member of the kulgat unconsciously moved to complement the attacks of his blood brothers. The trenchers were reduced to a pile of corpses in short seconds, but even as the champions roared in triumph, concerted rifle fire from distant long gunners dropped the kithkar to the ground.

A mass of mercenaries armed with long halberds broke from the main army to engage the bloodied champions at the center of Grim’s line. Grissel watched as Grim moved forward, committing the bulk of his forces to support the
beleaguered champions. As his warriors and trolls moved into position,
Grissel could see a large group of Cygnarans lurking in the forests on Grim’s far right flank. Within moments these hidden reinforcements would crash into the undefended trollblood line.

“Kithkar Loknor, take your Long Riders through those soldiers on our far right flank!” Grissel bellowed. Moving with a speed belied by his great size, Loknor was reforming the Long Riders into lines facing east even as he nodded assent. The huge buffalo snorted and shook their heads as their riders urged them into a battle line. The ungainly-looking animals were deceptively slow to gain speed, but within moments the line of massive cavalry shook the earth as they thundered down the hill to support Grim Angus and his warband.

As the rumble faded, Grissel commanded several units of kriel warriors to reinforce the Long Riders and Grim’s people. An elder stone scribe raised an eyebrow as the fighters marched quickly to the east. “Bloodsong, I do not wish to question your judgment, but already we are isolated from our flanks. Sending so many of our warriors to Grim is almost certainly what the Cygnarans are counting on.”

Grissel nodded wearily. “I know, Elder. We will just have to hold out long enough for Grim to recover his flank. This hill is the best ground we have had today, and we have to make it count as long as possible. Once Grim’s flank is secure we will withdraw to a less isolated position.”

Grissel turned from the elder in time to see a large force of mercenary cavalry detach and begin to gallop toward her hill. “Dhunia watch over us. Here they come.”

Scenario Background

In the Spring of 608 AR, Cygnar’s 4th Army marched on the trollkin holding Crael Valley for a number of reasons. The region had been settled by Cygnaran farmers until forces under Madrak Ironhide seized it by force early in 607 AR. Though they displaced the farmers without substantial violence, these trollkin were still seen as hostile invaders by the Cygnarans. The 4th Army marched on the region of its own initiative, offering to aid the local residents who felt neglected by King Leto.

The Cygnaran attackers lacked the support of any notable warcasters, but they possessed a clear advantage in numbers and had also hired a substantial Steelhead force from Ternon Crag.

During this engagement the 4th Army fought ruthlessly and recklessly, its commanders seemingly uninterested in preserving the lives of their own soldiers. They hurled wave after wave of trenchers, long gunners, and mercenaries into the fray. Although they eventually forced the trollkin to withdraw, their casualties were even higher than anticipated.

The trollkin defending their recently claimed settlement were horrifically outnumbered, but with three experienced leaders they made an excellent accounting of themselves. At a crucial point in the battle, the core of the force led by Grissel Bloodsong found itself forward of its army’s flanks while holding a hill of tactical importance. Forced to divert part of her force to relieve Grim Angus’s beleaguered flank, Grissel was partially encircled by elements of the 4th army and Steelhead mercenaries. She eventually withdrew from this position, but she held it long enough to allow Grim Angus to secure his flank and thereby preserve the trollblood line long enough to arrange for an orderly retreat and minimize the loss of life.