After the Gautrian champion Bleddyn Yorath defeated the urog Untak in single combat, our Jarl Kvig was quite enthused, and rallied his men.

The orcs deployed to meet our forces along the hill. The stalwart League of Nil-ith Horn orc heavy infantry were lined to the left, and the tribal orcs and urogs in front of Valden to our right.

The Kildarian Knights lead the charge and thunder towards the line.

The Gautrian infantry follows close on the horses hooves.

At the last moment, the cavalry shifts to the center, revealing the imposing spears and heavy armor of the Kildarian infantry.

On our right flank, the light infantry hidden in the forest crashes into a unit of wild orcs.

The cavalry refuses battle again and rushes behind the Nil-ith Horn Orc heroes, seeking a weakness in the League formation.

The Kildarian Knights draw out a lesser unit, and close for the attack.

Bleddyn’s light infantry’s numbers are reduced by bowfire from the high hill, but still they fight on against the wild orcs.

Infantry and cavalry alike attack the orcs’ well-organized line.

The bloodshed is heavy on both sides. And the heroes from the League of Nil-ith Horn begin to decimate the Gautrian infantry.

Jarl Kvig leads his heroic companions through the melee in an attempt to bolster the failing left flank.

The Gautrian infantry falls to the swords of the Nil-ith Horn orc heroes. A doomed unit of light infantry rush the orcs, and are slaughtered as well.

Jarl Kvig orders his heroes to attack the huge orcs.

From astride his warhorse, Jarl Kvig makes swift work of three of them.

While our party finally wears down the Nil-ith Horn heroes, the League orc infantry start to falter, and with that, the less disciplined tribal orc units begin to rout.

Valden the Ruthless, King of the Vangen orcs, and his greatest urog warriors are surrounded by the remains of the cavalry.

The giant urogs take many knights down with them.

The strength of the knights is too much for the urogs and King Valden is slain! The men are victorious!

Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #41- The Crows of Skarken>>

<<Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #40- The Battle of Skarken River

Jarl Kvig Melgarson sends Bleddyn and Wynston to scout the Vangen orc camp.

They find wild orc scout patrols in the woods nearby.

As Valden’s war council stretches into the night, Bleddyn and Wynston return to Kvig and urge an attack at dawn. Kvig agrees and the humans prepare for battle. First light reveals the Gautrian army opposite the orc camp, a muddy field between them.

Jarl Kvig takes the center of the field. Most of his personal retinue is a unit of heavy thanes that has followed him since he left Helvik over 6 years ago, and the rest a unit of faithful bonders from Timlin Town. Also in his command are a unit of the king’s heavy cavalry. Under the yellow-on-blue banner on Kvig’s left, Baron Vulmar (Jevenkah) leads his own heavy knights, along with one unit of heavy infantry and one unit of bonders belonging to the king.

Fading into the forest on the right flank is Bleddyn. Bleddyn hides his Utvalgte men and a unit of light bonders called from outlying villages of the king. They remain in the safety of the woods until…

…the orcs call to Jarl Kvig to send out a champion! Only the mighty Bleddyn Yorath has the fighting prowess to answer the urog that lurches across the battlefield.

The forces of Gautria crowd behind Bleddyn, his hero and bannerman.

If Bleddyn can slay this urog, perhaps that will inspire the troops.

The armies on both sides form up as the champions meet each other.

The orcs shout fiercely for their champion Untak.

But it is the Gautrian cheers that echo on the field as Bleddyn lands the final blow, severing Untak’s head from his shoulders and routing Untak’s unit of orc warriors.

Bleddyn stands victorious for the Gautrians in their first engagement. Will it be enough momentum to hearten the outnumbered humans?

Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #40- The Battle of Skarken River Concludes>>

<<Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #40- The Battle of Skarken River Prologue

This is the climactic fight Kvig Melgarson has been looking- some say unwisely- to have out with Valden the Ruthless and his horde of Vangen orcs. Valden’s forces number almost a third again more than the Gautrians. However, the Gautrian army consists of a larger percentage of better armored troops.

Just days before ( in Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #39), the Gautrian army was on the verge of sailing away from these lands under the banner of their king, Magnus, until Magnus was badly injured in an assassination attempt by the orcs. Wynston slew 2 of the attackers to keep Magnus alive and was the only one to hear his last whispered words before he succumbed to unconsciouness. Wynston proclaimed to the gathered jarls that Magnus wished Kvig to be his Champion and lead the army against the orcs. She was met with suspicious glances from a few, but her word went unquestioned.

Valden’s army has encamped and is underway reconstructing a bridge to cross the Skarken River into the South Gautrian Lands of Timlin.  Kvig’s scouts bring him back preliminary reports from the orc camp.

At the central fire pit, Valden and his Vangen urogs hold council with Ursio Erembald, the Nil-ith Horn high priest of the Temple of the One God.

The Nil-ith Horn units of the army drill in their section of the camps.

Their Priests of the One God use their battle-magics on the warriors.

The Vangen orcs  ready for battle as well.

The Vangen drummer has the honor of getting his clan worked up.

And the war council continues as the men march ever closer.

The battle is joined in: Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #40- The Battle of Skarken River>>

<<Sagas of the Gautrian Kings #39- Wynston’s Gambit