Eighth Collateral Session

Eighth Collateral Session

Wildfire rages in the Balagash Forest

Campaign	The Collateral Campaign
Game Date	Saturday, September 11th, 2021
Start Date	Tamiz 8th, 261 IM
Start Location	Halperion, Halperion Prefecture, Jalinjeri
Ending Date	Tamiz 9th, 261 IM
Ending Location	Halperion, Halperion Prefecture, Jalinjeri
Absentees	Everybody except Rayjok Halperion
Next Session	Ninth Collateral Session

The Eighth Collateral Session began with Rayjok Halperion laying down battle plans to meet the Garis military as it swept through Ortalyk, bound for Jalinjeri. Hedgewind Jalinbeti, Rayjok and the other Elemental Ministers of Jalinjeri had assembled their military forces from early immigrants to the region. They then continued to build units from a mix of immigrants, local units (formerly Ortalyk military), and the multitudes from the current refugee system.

Rayjok Attacks

After consulting with his generals, including those borrowed from the Jalinbeti Prefecture, Rayjok concluded that waiting for the Garis advance was akin to waiting to lose the battle. He decided to mount an offensive. Facing the Garis military's long range weapons was likely certain death for his infantry or airborne dragons.

The Garis airships were out of the reach of any weapons short of what the dragons might accomplish. Unfortunately, the dragons who had fled the Aydahar Confederation knew all too well that attacking these airships often meant certain death. The Garis weaponry was simply too powerful for the dragons to get close and many lost their lives in previous attempts.

The Sacrificed Forest

Rayjok Halperion concluded that setting the Balagash Forest alight might give them the smoke and cover that he needed to get his infantry close to the Garis forces before they could be cut down by their long-range weapons. The plan was set where Rayjok's Grendel horde, organized as the Halperion 4th Division, and Dragonborn would head into the burning forest alongside the red dragons (or any other dragons seeking vengeance) and engage any Garis upon finding them.

When the battle was afoot, there were mixed results in the early going. The Grendel and the first Garis division they encountered fought to more or less a standstill, while the divisions immediately behind them spilled out of the forest toward the north. There, they had the support of the Garis airships and were all but untouchable.

The Revenge of the Dragons

On the southern flank, the fire-resistant Kizil Aydahar and their red dragon cohorts poured through the forest bringing fiery death to all they encountered. The Garis ranks, already flustered by hordes of fleeing wildlife, were unprepared for dragon breath. They were slain by the score for each breath that was unleashed with no way to retreat and certainly no way forward. The carnage was certainly the worst in Garis history.

Giant Rocks

The Garis on the southern flank who managed to escape the carnage wrought by the dragons ran into a new peril. From the hills adjacent to the forest, Rayjok Halperion's archers and allied giants stood waiting. They unleashed a torrent of missiles, the rocks crushing rows of Garis troops and the deadly Ælfen arrows, plucking the life from anyone who looked important.

When the Garis finally managed to take what little cover they could find, the Halperion 1st Division, the "Halperion Roughriders", rode in to cut down the remaining Garis as they cowered in cover. The cavalry had never been witness to carnage that had not been seen since the Grendel War, if even then. The Roughriders returned to their ranks covered head to toe in Garis blood.

The Grendel Rally

Meanwhile on the northern flank, the Halperion 4th Division, "The Horde" regrouped and headed into the rear and flank of any Garis fleeing north. Those Garis who did make it out of the forest managed to push Rayjok's cavalry back. Those Garis who did not make it out of the forest did not fare well. The Grendel Horde lived up to its name. They managed to get into close combat with the Garis, who without ranged weapons were cut down mercilessly by the horde.

The Ungir Prevail

Confident now that they had air support, the Garis on the northern flank who had emerged from the forest pursued the fleeing Halperion cavalry. The cavalry continued their retreat, but as the Garis closed near enough to start laying wasted to Rayjok's forces, the ground opened up beneath them. Entire ranks of Garis seemed to be eaten up by the Otan itself as the ground continued to open and swallow whole swaths of their soldiers and equipment.

In the weeks preceding the battle, the Ungir freshly moved to Halperion Prefecture made a deal with Rayjok Halperion to set up such earthworks, in case the Tsar of Ortalyk (now possibly dead) were to launch an attack on the liberated country of Jalinjeri. They were granted two boons for this, which included exclusive tunneling rights beneath the city of Halperion and first right to any spoils captured by their earthworks; a deal which may have saved the entire city.

Death in the Sky

A Garis airship perishes in flame.

The Garis airships moved into position. Unfettered by the losses below, they concluded to destroy anything that moved in or out of the forest at their leisure. As they lay in wait for dragons or the other forest troops to emerge, white streaks of light flashed from the direction of Jalinbeti. So enormous and powerful were these streaks of light that they destroyed many of the airships before they had a chance to react.

Those airships damaged or missed retreated away from Jalinbeti, seeking lower climes and cover from the white streaks of light. One, dipping too low to the forest found itself quickly surrounded by a half dozen dragons and was quickly destroyed. The others were destroyed by a second volley, leaving two, of nearly 30 airships destroyed in the burning Balagash Forest.

The Day is Won

As the sun started to set on the smoldering forest, Rayjok Halperion turned the dragons loose to pursue any fleeing Garis they wished. The Ungir moved in on the buried Garis, laying claim to what weapons and materiel they could capture. The remaining Halperion forces fell back to 'the wall', the hastily built (albeit by stone giants) wall protecting the city of Halperion, to wait for a possible Garis counterattack.

Player Notes

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