The Battle of Cetza was a battle fought by in Cetza in MS 5062, by a combined Eruan and Lencian force against Baron Shinzar of the Hammerlands. It ended Baron Shinzar's invasion of Eru, and also resulted in his death.
Background[]
In MS 5060, Drakkarim renegades from the Hammerlands, led by Baron Shinzar, invaded the Eruan city of Luomi. They slaughtered all the citizens, and looted and burnt the Temple of Luomi to the ground. The Lorestone of Luomi, stored in the Temple, was taken by Shinzar's forces, and taken to Torgar, along with the two other remaining Lorestones. The Eruan defenses were unprepared for the attack, and were forced to retreat, also abandoning the border town of Cetza, thirty miles to the border.[1]
In MS 5062, Lencia joined forces with Eru and began to push back Shinzar and his forces. By the start of the events of The Dungeons of Torgar, they had successfully recaptured Luomi and pushed Shinzar back to Cetza, and were preparing one final push to drive them out of Eru once and for all.[1]
Just prior to the battle, Lone Wolf arrived in the Eruan capital of Humbold in secret, dressed as an Eruan Pathfinder. Lone Wolf was seeking to recover the Lorestones, and Prince Graygor of Eru agreed to help. Depending on the actions of the player, Lone Wolf may have agreed to accompany Graygor to battle.[1]
Order of battle[]
- An illustration of the order of battle is available at The Dungeons of Torgar: §280.
Attackers[]
- Eru (led by Prince Graygor)
- Eruan Longbows (200)
- Pikes (2× 200)
- Palace Guard (200)
- Peasant Levy Reserves (500)
- Men-at-arms (200)
- Lencia (led by King Sarnac)
- Foot Knights (200 + 250)
- Halberds (2× 200)
- Bows (200)
- Lencian Spearmen (1000)
- Mounted Men-at-arms (2× 200)
- Horse Knights (200)
- Horse Scouts (350)
- Lone Wolf (possibly, depending on the actions of the player)
Defenders[]
- Drakkarim Hammerlands renegades and Blackshroud reinforcements[2] (led by Baron Shinzar)
- Archers (2× 100)
- Drakkarim Pikes (200)
- Hammerlanders (300 + 200)
- Archers (3× 100)
- Death Knights (200)
- Krorn (50)
- Drakkarim Archers (200)
- Armoured Drakkarim (300)
- Mounted Death Knights (200)
- Zagganozod (300)
- Ogron (100)
- Akataz (200)
- Brigandi (2× 200)
- Rekenarim (200)
Preparations[]
Just prior to the battle, Baron Shinzar was reinforced by an unknown number of cavalry from Blackshroud. King Sarnac and Prince Graygor were unaware of this exact number, and Sarnac suggested sending a Pathfinder — Lone Wolf disguised as one — to find out. Prince Graygor hesitated to agree, as Lone Wolf's mission was secret, and he had a greater goal to recover the Lorestones.[3] Lone Wolf can choose to volunteer anyway, in which case they may count the 600-strong cavalry newly-arrived from Blackshroud,[4] or be spotted and attacked, forcing Lone Wolf to flee back to the allies' camp with arrows flying at his back.[5]
The Drakkarim had also dug a large ditch and fortified their side with spiked barricades, with archers behind them.[6]
Battle[]
At dawn, King Sarnac's foot knights led the charge, and began to fight hand-to-hand at the bridge. They were supported by Lencian crossbowmen, Eruan pikemen, and Eruan men-at-arms. As the Eruan forces were about to join forces, however, a ray of electrical fire was blasted from a temple by a Ziran's Powerstave,[7] ripping the ranks of the pikemen apart.[8] Prince Graygor chose to lead his personal bodyguard to attack the Ziran in the temple before Lencia's formation broke.[9] Lone Wolf can accompany Graygor in this attack, or hang back and observe the fighting. The Palace Guard fight through a wave of arrows to reach the ditch, where they were bogged down in the mud, and flanked by another set of archers, previously hidden. Graygor continued to press the advance, charging into the Drakkarim pikemen. The Eruan forces managed to break through, but the Drakkarim recovered their ranks and fought back. The Eruan forces prevailed, and Graygor fought the Ziran responsible for the magical blasts.[10] Graygor was successful, possibly with[11] or without[12] Lone Wolf's help.
The Hammerlanders began to move towards the hill to counter-attack. The Palace Guard had lost half their number and were close to exhaustion, and needed reinforcements from the Eruan reserves. However, Captain Prarg of Lencia needed the help of the reserves to bolster the Lencian foot knights, in danger of falling.[13] Depending on the actions of the player, Lone Wolf either helped rally scattered reinforcements and supported the attack on the bridge himself, led the Eruan reserves to save their Prince, or, if he took part in the assault on the temple, helped the Palace Guard hold the line.[14] Eventually, the reserves linked up with Graygor's Palace Guard, and routed the Hammerlanders and Brigandi.[15] Meanwhile, the Lencians managed to take the bridge, but continued to face fierce Drakkarim resistance.[16]
As the Eruan and Lencian forces converged on the centre of Cetza, they encountered Baron Shinzar, surrounded by Krorn. In a last stand, Baron Shinzar was defeated, and was killed by either (depending on the actions of the player) Lone Wolf[17] or King Sarnac.[18]
Aftermath[]
The Hammerlanders were routed and sent fleeing beyond the Cetza Wall back to Blackshroud. If the player chose to take part in the battle, Lone Wolf was also free to continue his quest, travelling towards Torgar.[17]
The combined Eru-Lencia forces continued to push into the Hammerlands, capturing Blackshroud. However, they did not realise that the Darklords now possessed the Tanoz-tukor, and they were dangerously-overextended as a result. Around MS 5064, they faced a resurgent Darklands army, and were only able to escape with the help of Banedon.[19] The Eru-Lencian gains in the Hammerlands were quickly wiped out by Darklords Tomogh and Dakushna, forcing the Eru-Lencian forces to take refuge in Bor.[20]
In the gamebooks[]
In The Dungeons of Torgar, Lone Wolf has the option of taking part in this battle (see The Dungeons of Torgar: walkthrough: Cetza route for more information). The alternative is to go via Pirsi, to meet Sebb Jarel. In The Curse of Naar, Lone Wolf meets the spirit of Sebb Jarel, trapped and tormented by Naar;[21] this suggests that in canon, Lone Wolf went via Pirsi. Nevertheless, both routes eventually meet up in Torgar, potentially taking a dangerous detour via the Isle of Ghosts.
Should the player choose the Cetza route, and stay back to watch the battle, they will meet Captain Prarg.[13] Captain Prarg is later encountered in The Darke Crusade, as Lone Wolf's escort to infiltrate Warlord Magnaarn's fortress of Shugkona,[22] and again in The Deathlord of Ixia, escorting Lone Wolf to Azgad Island during the first phase of the latter's journey to Ixia.[23] Notably, the text asks if the reader has taken part in the Battle of Cetza as a check if the reader is already familiar with Prarg; however, it is possible to take part in the battle without meeting Captain Prarg (by advancing with Prince Graygor against the Ziran).
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Dungeons of Torgar: §1
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §308
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §244
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §124
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §107
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §280
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §252
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §150
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §42
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §115/§297
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §252/§143
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §137
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Dungeons of Torgar: §148
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §270
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §292
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §66
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 The Dungeons of Torgar: §300
- ↑ The Dungeons of Torgar: §110
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2023-12-??). Episode 13: The Darklands War (Part 1 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 32:12
- ↑ Jonathan Stark and August Hahn (2023-12-??). Episode 13: The Darklands War (Part 1 of 2). Journeys Through Magnamund. Holmgard Press. Timestamp: 51:01
- ↑ The Curse of Naar: §127
- ↑ The Darke Crusade: §25
- ↑ The Deathlord of Ixia: §83