Battle of Rivertown (Test)

Excerpt from the Historical Archives of Rivermond, as transcribed by Senior Scribe Althis Merowyn, under the patronage of House Eisenhorn, in the year 913.

Chapter I: Shadows Before the Storm

In the middle days of Celba, in the year 913 of the Fourth Age, whispers of rebellion stirred in the mist-veiled halls of Rivermond. The vassal of the Silver Dominion, grown heavy with years of unchecked rule, had bred discontent among the barons and lords who still remembered Rivermond’s sovereign past. It was within this simmering unrest that the first ember of open defiance was struck.

Baron Oliver Rocks of the Barony of Redmond, ever a student of history and strategy, cast his gaze upon Rivertown—an ancient river-crossing and the beating heart of commerce along the Gylder River. The river, like a silver blade, split the land into east and west. Whoever held Rivertown controlled the veins of trade, and Baron Rocks understood that its capture would be the rebellion’s first true cry.

What made this endeavor more than simple ambition was the alliance Baron Rocks secretly forged with Commander Tyranoth Redgast, a high-ranking officer of the Dominion’s Redeemed Legion. Stationed near Riverend, Redgast fed Baron Rocks a stream of vital intelligence—troop movements, weaknesses in Rivertown’s defenses, and the shifting tides of Dominion morale. Through this betrayal, the blade was sharpened.

Chapter II: The March of the Rebellion

The Baron, cautious yet resolute, placed the fate of the operation in the hands of his daughter, Lady Tina Rocks—a fierce and capable warrior in her own right. She was to lead the campaign in the company of two stalwart allies: Lord Ivon Eisenhorn of Bullholm, a veteran of many skirmishes, and Lady Sabina Weller of Moorn, whose name was respected for their swordsmanship.

Their assembled host numbered nearly two thousand strong: one thousand foot soldiers, five hundred cavalry, two hundred crossbowmen, one hundred mounted knights, and eighty battle-hardened ogres. They moved under the veil of secrecy, aiming to strike before the Dominion could mount a meaningful response. The plan hinged on a single bold maneuver—the opening of Rivertown’s eastern gate.

It was known that the Dominion had reinforced the eastern gate with stone and steel, anticipating unrest. To circumvent a costly siege, Lord Eisenhorn secured the services of a band of adventurers—nameless mercenaries whose skills in infiltration and subterfuge would prove decisive. These individuals succeeded in breaching the town unnoticed and opened the eastern gate beneath the cover of dawn.

Chapter III: Fire and Rain

The Redmond forces poured through the eastern gate like a flood, catching the Dominion garrison unprepared. The adventurers, still lurking within the city, spread panic among the defenders, sabotaging their cohesion and creating chaos behind the lines. The heavens broke open, and the battle was fought under a deluge of heavy rain, as though the Silver Prince himself wept at the violence to come.

Within Rivertown, the defenders rallied under Commander Karina Kessler of the Redeemed 9th Company. She brought with her five hundred disciplined footmen, two hundred mounted knights, and one hundred paladins sworn to the Dominion’s sacred cause. Beside her stood Theodor Irons the town sheriff—elevated hastily to a command position in the absence of a decisive magistrate.

Sheriff Irons rallied a local force of seven hundred militiamen and guardsmen, but their coordination was poor, and the initial breach cost them dearly. As the Redmond host clawed its way through the rain-slicked streets, battle lines twisted and collapsed in the tight quarters of the eastern district. Every alley became a death trap, every window a threat.

Meanwhile, the mysterious adventurers struck once more—this time infiltrating Rivertown’s jail. There they freed prisoners who rose in rebellion, further stretching the defenders thin. It is said that Sheriff Irons confronted them directly, but whether due to mercy or confusion, he and his men were spared, though the prison stood emptied by morning.

Chapter IV: The Western Gambit

With control of the eastern quarter firmly in their grasp, the Redmond army pressed toward the western side of the town. Time grew short—scouts reported that reinforcements from Oakheart, led by the indomitable Lord Craig Mountainbreaker, were mere hours away.

The adventurers had the task to to seal the western gate and delay any external rescue. Their mission was doubly perilous: they were also to capture the Magistrate of Rivertown alive, should he be found. Amid the smoke and rain, they succeeded, reaching the gatehouse ahead of the Oakheart relief force and barring it shut. It is believed they engaged Commander Kessler herself in fierce combat before ultimately capturing both her and the Magistrate.

The rest of the Redmond forces reached the eastern gate under the command of Sir Castion, a seasoned Free Lance bound by contract to Ivon Eisenhorn. With the gate closed and the heart of Rivertown subdued, the battle came to a quiet, shuddering end. The town, once a beacon of Dominion authority, now flew the banner of Redmond.

Chapter V: Aftermath and Occupation

Baron Rocks, having achieved a victory of strategic brilliance and political daring, recalled his lords and ladies to Redmond for counsel and planning. Lady Tina Rocks, Lord Ivon Eisenhorn, and Lady Sabina Weller departed with honor, leaving the security of Rivertown to his trusted knights. 

Sir Castion, though lacking noble title, was entrusted with the command of the newly occupied town until the nobles of Redmond returned to establish new rule and to interrogate the Magistrate. He rewarded the unnamed adventurers with coin and safe passage, though their names were omitted from the records—whether by request or for protection remains uncertain.

And so Rivertown fell—not through siege engines or great magics, but through subterfuge, swift maneuver, and the courage of rebels determined to carve a new path for Rivermond. The embers of rebellion had been fanned into open flame, and across the realm, ears turned westward, listening for the next strike.

Thus ends the account of the Siege of Rivertown—may future scholars judge its place in the long tale of freedom and fire.