The Battle of Krace

Battle of Krace
Part of The First Kracean War
Location The City of Krace Result Armistice between the heavily damaged forces of the Under-empire and Ryleh, partition of the city of Krace
COMBATANTS
The Under-empire	Queendom of Kracea	The Eldritch Imperium of Ryleh
Commanders and leaders
Zarbag the Red Git † The Magenta Git Snazzgar the Mad High Lord Squigallum †	Queen Karina Queen Vhashara Queen Dramira	General Varazin General Karavin
Strength
11,989	9000	9000
Casualties and losses
9576	Quite a few	Almost complete

The City of Krace is known to be a major strategic point in any conquest of Dakus, its position on the landbridge connecting the Northern and Southern half makes it a vital chokehold for any would be conqueror. Two mighty nations (and two others) turned their eyes to the Queendom hoping it would be the stepping stone for their eventual conquest: The Goblinoid Under-empire and the Eldritch Imperium of Rhyleh were the two most prominent and they simultaneously advanced on Kracea. Also arriving around that time was the Dorc hordes of the Aœlfthefwyrd, savage raiders who only sought death in battle. Arriving at a later point we would be a doomed dawi expedition 9000 strong.

The Under Empire sent out first an auxillary force of 3,000 to scout the city while the rest of the army trailed behind a couple of hours

First Salvos

It was midday when the Ryhleians arrived. Titan war machines stood at their backs, they were clearly picking a fight. A single ambassador rode forth, a bat winged women, right up to the gates. She warned of the two other armies coming this way, she gave the Kraceans an ultimatum: surrender and stand with Ryleh, or stand against them and die. The proud Kraceans refused their offer outright. At this time the Red Git and his scouts arrived at the city, they hid outside, arrogantly believing if they waited till nightfall to attack victory would be theirs. Also, coincidentally, arriving at that time was the force of the High Wargrump. Thinking the insane dwarcs could be an asset in their conquest they sent the same ambassador to parley with the savages. Needless to say they refused, the ambassador was killed and the dorcs charged into battle. Realising the refusal of both sides currently on the field the RYhlesh used their artillery to begin assailing the fortified walls of Krace to minimal effect along with attacks on the gate.

A counterattack is organised from atop the wall as the en'mur archers attempt to shoot down, they fail to debilitate the attackers as intended killing only a handful of the besiegers. A second salvo was released on the gates of Krace shattering them into splinters and starting fires. Concurrently, the dorcs had begun an assault on the Ryhelian siege weapons, all three of which failed. The High Wargrump died in single combat with General Karavain and the Aœfthywyrdi forces were routed. Inside the city, the gates had fallen and the fighting had spilled inside with the defenders rising valiantly to the occasion.

Realising the hopes of a nocturnal assault was fruitless the goblin horde, now reinforced with the other part of their army begin to swarm up the walls. Preoccupied with the battle in the city the defenders on the wall had little hope in finding victory. The goblins established dominance on the wall, the protectors drowned in the wave of goblins. The goblins began to pillage the northern part of the city. In the process Snazzgar the Mad confronted Commander Philip on the wall and took demented glee in killing the orc via an expanding mushroom in his skull

Battle at the Gates

Even with the valiant efforts of its defenders, the outer city of Krace fell to the combined pressure of two attackers and those who survived retreated to the inner city. The Rylehish were the first to arrive, their suddenly appearing mages and archers attempting to lay the smackdown on the defenders. But before there attack can unleash its assault the goblin army arrives in full. They begin to swarm the others but are pushed back again and again by the siege weapons, which miraculously can hit the attacking goblins without annihilating swathes of their own men 😒. Leading a desperate counterattack, under the advice of his treacherous subordinate the Magenta Git, the wounded Red-Git falls in battle against Varazin. The remaining 4000 goblins enter full retreat, witht the Red Gits more trusted adviser Squigallum dying from the aforementioned, implausible cannon fire. The Magenta Git takes control of the remaining grots

The Palace Falls

After routing the goblins temporarily the Rylehians turned their attention back to the defenders, they brought down the gates and melted down the metal portcullis. The forces of the Imperium flooded into the palace and despite the desperate efforts of the imperial guard the outer courtyard fell after a long and grueling battle the inner sanctum of the queens was reached. They were found, taking tea, impassively observing the destruction of their nation. It didn't take much convincing for them to submit to the invaders. But this was not victory for the Rylehians, outside they still had one more obstacle to overcome...

The Dwarf-Goblin Tossup

Arriving stupendously late to the party was the Arjeki dwarves and zandaar, their force of 9000 only appearing after most of the fighting and killing had ceased but it wouldn't mean victory for them. The goblin forces had regrouped near the port when the dwarves arrived and they instantly entered battle. Though the daw'e force was almost triple the size of the significantly demoralised goblins the battle had already swung in the favour of the goblin forces. The goblins swarmed over and quickly routed the dwarves who then fled to their boats and far away.

The Final Confrontation

After both the goblins and Rylehians had bested their foes, they met once more on the fields. The Ryhelians had a slight numerical advantage but they lacked the cruel animal ferocity of the goblinoids. After denying an offer of armistice, the Magenta Git attacked. Though Snazzgar failed to assasinate the General he did manage to summon a powerful shroom golem which devastated the enemy in its first minutes of life. Though after a second attempt at the mushroom-skull trick Snazzgars staff turned to ash and he collapsed. Without his magical support the attack faltered but the goblins held strong. The fighting was slow and brutal and eventually they both fought each other too a standstill. It was eventually decided to call a temporary peace and partition the city down the middle, one half going to Ryhleh the other to the empire.

Aftermath

{coming soon}