Good morning students. Let us return to the topic of wars, as that is what you enjoy the most. As you will see today, the outcome of battles depends not only on the strength and wits, but also on fortune – and to a great extent! Let us not rush, though, and start from the very beginning…
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Cape Sora, year 381 of Era III
The Second Western War was a difficult time for all of the West. An attempt to crush the small islander nation of the Ansha turned into a major regional conflict. After four years, there was great power on both sides and all the soldiers were already feeling the exhaustion caused by months of fighting. For this reason, both armies approaching Cape Sora to fight an inevitable battle were aware that it could be the one to determine the outcome of the war.
In order to provide some fresh blood to their army, the duke of Faenwen had hired a unit of a thousand mercenaries just two months prior. They came from a group known as Hanfae, hailing from the northern regions of Envear. They were renowned for their fighting skills, and were essential in numerous skirmishes shortly after joining the army. They were led by Pathar Kassa, one of the greatest commanders in the history of Hanfae, and possibly all of Envear. The Faenweni army put great hopes in them for the incoming battle.
The camp set up at Sora was full of restlessness. There would be soldiers running in all directions without stopping, making the last preparations for the fight that could begin at any moment. The feelings were fueled by the fact that the camp of the enemy Coalition was not far away and parts of it could be seen. When one of the guards noticed increasing movement among the other army, everyone was convinced the battle was coming. Under these circumstances, the most unfortunate of incidents occurred.
General Kassa went to the latrine in order to satisfy his numan needs. For reasons unknown, he slipped while inside and fell on the wooden frame, which fell under the force of his moving body, sending him down the hole. Unfortunately for him, whoever failed while building the top part, overdid the bottom. The hole was so deep that he could not simply get out, and the unstable wet ground was no help. After a few failed attempts, he decided to accept the embarrassment and call his soldiers. However, there was no response, as everyone was too concerned with preparations for the battle. And so, the general was trapped in a hole just before the greatest fight in his life.
On the surface, the united army was already setting the positions. Hanfae soldiers eventually noticed the lack of their leader and started to become concerned. They sent two men to look for him, and the rest proceeded to regroup. After fifteen minutes, the unit was ready, but the commander was nowhere to be found. They thought that he was probably either with the Faenweni generals or elsewhere within the army. As the enemies were already approaching, they decided to enter the fight without him, not having many other choices.
The battle began soon after. The mercenaries were as great fighters as always – but their tactics and coordination suffered greatly, as there was nobody to lead the whole unit. Hence, they did not provide as much support to the army as before. Step by step, the position of the Faenweni army would worsen, and the commanders saw no way to regain control without general Kassa’s aid.
The general could hear the shots, and immediately knew what was happening. Even so, it was only after almost an hour that he found a way to get out – a root just sturdy enough to get him out of the hole. Despite being ready to go to the battlefield in a matter of minutes, he was hopeless – the fight had been ongoing thousands of feet from him, and he could see from the distance that the army was in a losing position. However, he still decided to reach the battlefield and try to stabilize the situation. Unfortunately, upon arrival in the fight, he could only confirm his fears – the chaos on the side of Faenwen was far too great to control, and all he was able to do was to assume control of a few dozen of his men and try to face the enemies. But it was simply too late – in a matter of fifteen minutes, the Faenweni leaders called retreat, conceding complete defeat in the battle.
As in all of history, we can only guess the outcome if the situation was different – and hence, it is very uncertain whether Kassa’s presence in the battle would have changed the result. Yet, many historians, especially in the South, support that claim. In any case, the defeat led to a cascade of events that ultimately forced Faenwen to peace out of the conflict, and later caused the war to end with Ansha victorious. Whether the toilet incident caused it or not, I believe the story is interesting.
Thank you, that’s all.
Aedilër 