Kapitel 26: Chapter 24 - Battle of Eyarha Plains 1
1 BC
Eyarha Plains
The Eyarha Plains were a vast stretch of barren desert stretching for miles upon miles, bereft of any vegetation and other natural obstacles be it hills, rocks, or oases. If any caravan or army ill-supplied for such a perilous journey passed through these plains, one may die of thirst or sunstroke [1] before one dies of exhaustion or starvation.
The Reachmen host was like the vast ocean, bathing the entire desert in its cold embrace. Armour and weaponry gleamed in the sunlight, creating an outstretching ocean of glittering stars, and trailing behind the army was a snaking caravan of wagons filled with their water and food supplies. The Reachmen force - a full 60,000 infantry and 20,000 cavalry - stood opposite the army of House Rada, the crimson banner of the Fox standing in opposition to the white banner of the green hand.
The army of House Rada, on the other hand, held no more than 30,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry, but they brought with them scores of wagons bearing scorpions and jars of Tucosar Fire along with all manner of paraphernalia.
Gazing upon the ocean of Reachmen before them, Arin frowned heavily, his shoulders tense and his hands tightly gripping the reins of his horse.
"This is the first time I've seen you this tense, My Lord," Huang Xue noted as he trotted alongside him.
"This is the first time I'm fighting the Reachmen, and an army this size, so naturally I am a little nervous," Arin admitted, "But we've come this far now, and we have too much at stake to lose."
"The odds are stacked highly against us, but you have the best generals in all of Westeros at your disposal, Lord Arin," Elanzo pointed out with a confident smirk, "Just give us the word, and we shall deliver you victory."
A chuckle was heard from behind, and Arin saw Garen Kalran [2] the Archmage [3] of the Hydromancers approach from behind him. Gone was the lanky, skinny, weather-beaten man of a decade past, dressed in austere rags and fed up with the world. In his place stood a highly confident and masculine man, clad in fine Rhoynish armour and silks and standing tall and proud as a soldier.
"In all my years, never did I think I would be a part of such a grandiose and risky battle," Garen stated, his lips fixed in a mirthful smile, "Your Lord father often lamented how he could not be there to support his dear son on this day."
"I think he just wants to end his military career on a high note," Arin suggested to which the others shared a brief chuckle.
Huang Xue, Elanzo Aresaryn, Franklyn Doratarn, Garen Kalran, these four generals served as his commanders in this battle, and now they were about to close the curtains on this war millennia in the making. Here, they would bury the hatchet with the Reach once and for all.
"Look, My Lord!" Franklyn called to Arin, "A retinue approaches us, waving the Royal Flag of King Mern Gardener!"
A small group of fifty horsemen slowly trotted towards the centre of the battlefield, and Arin could see one man taking the front, regal and dignified with a matching opulent crown of gold on his forehead. By his side was a hulking man with the face of an adolescent and a massive zweihander in his hands, no doubt a seasoned veteran of a dozen battles.
Arin's own entourage trotted forward until they were within arm's reach of Mern's party, each evaluating their respective opponent.
"So, we finally meet," Mern said, adopting an unflappably calm mien, "I am Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach, and with me is Brandyll Tarly, heir to his house and one of my most distinguished generals. They call you many names, Black Fox: Upstart, Archdemon, Sunslayer to name a few."
"The name's Arin Rada, King Mern," Arin replied, "I'd say good to meet you, but it's anything but a pleasant meeting for either of us."
"Yes, I suspected such," Mern nodded in agreement, "If anything, you are perhaps the greatest obstacle to our conquest of Dorne. You are also the most terrible monster this world has ever seen, performing acts of cruelty as if they were nothing more than a mundane chore upon your enemies. Truly, it is difficult to read your mind, Black Fox."
Mern's disrespectful drawl elicited no response from Arin or his accompanying generals, and Brandyll Tarly kept a tight grip on his sword Heartsbane as he eyed Arin, his eyes taut and sharp like a hawk's.
"You exterminate noble houses like lambs at a slaughterhouse, dispose of ancient bloodlines as if they are worth dirt, and then you proceed to discard your pride as Rhoynar by allying with the descendants of the very people who destroyed your people's ancestral homeland," Mern continued to list down, "If the nobles of Westeros had their way, your house would be little more than a footnote in history."
"Nobles like you live in luxury bought on the back of the suffering of countless smallfolk who labour and toil in your industries, King Mern," Arin calmly stated with a sharper edge in his words, "You hold your pride dearer than your lives and the lives of your people and uphold ancient bloodlines even though their time is long past. If I had my way, or if I were a highly paranoid and total bitch of a leader, every single noble house of Westeros would be exterminated root and stem, ally and enemy alike."
Brandyll's grip on Heartsbane tightened even more, and Mern's eyes took a sharper edge.
"No wonder everyone in Dorne fears you so much, Black Fox," Mern said with a dangerously low voice, "For you, the words 'taboo' and 'limit' do not exist."
"If I were held back by such words, I would never have gained as much as I did," Arin shrugged nonchalantly, "I think it says much about how the world really works for winners and losers."
Mern's lips tightened into an angry frown, but he soon heaved a sigh and said, "Well, I will admit that if not for you, we would never have had the opportunity to invade Dorne and put an end to their menace; House Wyl is dead thanks to your generous help."
"No need for thanks, King Mern," Arin nodded with a smile, "We both know House Wyl was one house we could not let live."
Mern allowed himself a small smile, before it quickly vanished beneath a professional stoicism.
"Nevertheless, your ruthless extermination of nobles means no king outside Dorne will ever accept the fact you are its new master, least of all me; no one will ever accommodate a monster like you," Mern pointed out, "And yet, I remain curious about one thing: Why do you treat our dead better than the dead of your own countrymen? Those who opposed your rebellion from the start and those who tried to turncoat - save for three houses - were all consigned to a bloody end."
"I believe you already know my official reason," Arin stated.
"I do, but I want to hear it from your mouth," Mern put forth.
"Alright then," Said Arin, "I want to remake Dorne anew."
Mern and Brandyll were at a loss for words, unable to comprehend the meaning of Arin's words.
"The reason why Dorne remained true to its old ways was due to the existence of ancient houses who propped them up, who existed for centuries and even millennia. Dorne was never able to grow rich and powerful as a nation even before Nymeria's Conquest, and even then they worked to undo everything she and her fellow kinsmen achieved, all because they wished to uphold the old ways. For me and the Rhoynar, the old ways are nothing but a bane - refuse to be disposed of. That is why I went as far as I did."
"Does your retribution extend to family members, say if they betray your trust one day, turn against you for whatever reason?" Mern questioned.
"...I admit that I don't readily endorse kinslaying," Arin said, his voice allowing only the slightest morsel of resignation, "My uncle, however, was the very epitome of spitefulness, killing his own goodfamily. Granted, his goodfamily heaped mountains of mistreatment upon him, but letting him live would only cause grievous harm to those I care for down the road. If he was willing to torture and abuse his own wife and children, who knows what lows he'd sink to?"
Both Mern and Brandyll shared looks of shock, and so too did their entourage.
"So it is true, then?" Mern questioned, "He truly did…?"
"Yes, it is," Arin nodded.
"I see," Mern said, "At least you have good reason to have him executed, though your method was excessive. And from what I can see, rather than maintain a pristine image, you would rather tarnish your name so people cannot use morality as leverage against you."
"A wise man once said: 'Good men make horrible kings, horrible men make good kings,'" Arin shrugged, "And those who want too little from life get nothing compared to those who want more."
Mern simply fixed a hard gaze upon Arin and outwardly lacked reaction, though his eyes reflected his silent, grudging agreement.
"So the achievements of those who have nothing to lose and who gamble everything on the line pale in comparison to those who have everything to lose and thus try to hold on to everything they have. I see now…" He mused to himself, before turning to Arin, "I suppose it takes a monster like you to end such long-standing lesions on the face of Westeros. Perhaps you were sent by the Seven to punish the Dornish for their misdeeds."
"I don't believe in the Seven, though I do agree on divine intervention," Arin answered Mern, "You know, it's too bad we're enemies."
"I cannot share your sentiment, Black Fox," Mern countered, "Even if your actions do result in a better Dorne - at least in your opinion - I cannot stomach the thought of you ruling in place of House Martell, not when you pose a far greater threat than the rest of Dorne ever will."
"Then I'll see you in battle, Mern," Arin nodded, "Fight well."
"You too, Black Fox," Mern nodded back.
With that, the two retinues returned to their respective armies, and the drums of war rang, setting the stage for one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Dorne, of all Westeros, a battle that would determine the continent's history for the next three centuries.
IIOII
With the numerical disadvantage faced by the Dornishmen, Arin gave orders for the men to assume the Eight Gates Formation [4]. The infantry quickly took position with pikes and shields in front and archers behind. Cavalry and chariot teams would act as diversions and support for the infantry, to relieve pressure whenever any part of the formation looked ready to crumble.
"That's a very strange formation, Your Grace," Brandyll informed, "He's definitely setting a trap for us, and we should not fall into it."
"Hm… That seems to be the case," Mern nodded in agreement, "And that is why we have some expendable men at our disposal."
Brandyll nodded in grim understanding.
"Summon the Dornish levies and have them charge the Rada formation," Mern ordered, "Let their sacrifices pave the way for our triumph."
"As you command," Brandyll nodded.
One of Brandyll's troops blew the horn and raised the flag of House Yronwood [5] up high, and soon the Dornish levies began charging towards the Rada front lines; whereas every Reachmen levy wore a proper gambeson, a leather jerkin and a steel helm and wielded a proper sword or spear with shield, the average Dornish levy in Mern's army wielded only cheap spears and leather armour, a scant few wearing half-decent chainmail and a proper steel helmet if they were lucky.
Cavalry went first while infantry followed behind, but the Dornish cavalry were likewise unarmoured like their infantry counterparts, their traditional rivalry irrelevant in the face of an uncaring warlord who held their families hostage.
Scores of Red Mountain Dornishmen were quick to die under the hail of arrows and javelins thrown their way, but they soon managed to reach the open 'gates' of the formation. Soon enough, halberds poked out from underneath the shieldwalls and cleaved horse hooves, causing rider and mount to fall and to be easily skewered to death, while the rest of the infantry were easily slaughtered. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, a phrase that perfectly indicated the Dornishmen's situation.
But they had served their purpose, and from afar Mern grunted in grudging approval as he observed the formation using his Myrish far-eye.
"That formation is unlike any I have seen before," Brandyll commented, "Though he does not seem to be doing anything special with it."
"Aye, that seems to be the case - all bark and no bite," Mern agreed, looking severely unhappy with the piles of Dornish corpses now littering the ground, "Still, charging blindly into it would cost us heavily in manpower, considering they have scorpions and Tucosar Fire to bolster their defences."
"Do we not have our own siege engines to use, Your Grace?" Brandyll suggested.
"Ah, now there is a weapon we can use," Mern smiled appreciatively at Brandyll, "Can you set up some of our catapults to fire some barrels of that Fire we looted?"
"Most certainly, Your Grace," Brandyll saluted.
"Your Grace, Dornish cavalry are flanking us!" A sentry alerted.
"What?" Mern questioned.
Wheeling their heads in the direction the sentry pointed, Mern and Brandyll could see at least two thousand Rada Cataphracts barreling towards their position, immediately clashing with their knights in battle as they exchanged lance and shield. The nearby engineers frantically scrambled towards the siege engines, scared for their lives.
"He catches on fast," Mern commented, "Or should I say he expected I would do such a thing?"
"I feel it is more the latter, Your Grace," Brandyll said as he drew Heartsbane, "I shall go and fend them off; they look formidable."
"No, stay where you are, Brandyll. Have our other commanders work to drive them back," Mern cautioned, "I suspect he is trying to lure you into a trap."
The bloody cavalry melee lasted for several minutes, and though the cataphracts were hardy warriors seasoned from several battles against fellow Dornishmen, their equipment could not match hard steel plate the Reach knights favoured, and the cataphracts were soon starting to be overwhelmed by their enemies as they moved to surround them.
Their captain whistled loudly, shouting, "That's enough, pull back!"
The cataphracts lost a few dozen more of their number as they fought their way out, and soon the knights began to give chase. Though mighty and durable, their thick and heavy armour made the Reachmen knights slower than their Dornish counterparts, who used their lighter weight to gain a headstart on their foes. Some taunted them in their saddles, one even standing atop his mount and flashing them a most obscene gesture, which served to further enrage the knights as they gave chase.
"Damn these fools, summon them back!" Brandyll ordered hastily.
"It's no good, milord! They're out of range!" The poor guard reported back.
And as Brandyll feared, the moment the knights seemed to just manage to catch up to the cataphracts, the captain of the cataphracts whistled loudly, and they veered away, and the knights realised too late they were about to collide with another unit of knights who happened to be charging towards the cataphracts themselves.
Horses and knights collided in a show of crunching bone and plate, and more died from hard impacts to their necks and heads or being trampled underneath than those who survived the collision.
"Now that is just fucking dirty," Mern commented, shaking his head ruefully, "Order our knights that from now on, if they give chase, they must not leave sight of the main formation."
"Aye, Your Grace!" Brandyll saluted, "At least we managed to protect the catapults."
An engineer ran up to the two of them, crisply saluting as he gave his report.
"Milords, the Tucosar Fire is loaded!"
"Good, rain hellfire on these misbegotten heathens!" Mern bellowed.
"At once, Sire!" The engineer enthusiastically nodded.
Even before the catapults fired, Rada troops dissolved the Eight Gates Formation and quickly moved forward. As the catapults fired, barrels were flung through the air, and many troops were too slow to evade the incoming immolated barrels as they erupted upon impact, engulfing a few hundred troops in the process.
The sun shone high in the air, casting the battlefield in a shower of gold and crimson like a blazing fire. Scorpions and archers returned fire, shooting bolts and flinging jars of Tucosar Fire which felled hundreds of Reachmen in return.
"Sire, Rada cavalry are attacking again!" A sentry reported.
While it looked as if the cavalry were massing for another charge aimed at the siege engines, that was not the case; instead of cataphracts armed with lance and shield, these cavalry were armed with bow and arrow, and served to harass Reachmen knights by firing arrows at them. Ordinarily, arrows would struggle to find purchase in thick steel plate, but the Rada horse archers used not only long, powerful bows but also specially-made arrowheads with a needle-narrow arrowhead. These two factors combined to create arrows designed for the purpose of piercing through thick steel plate.
Several scores of knights fell prey to such arrows, giving them pause even as they continued giving chase to no avail.
They circled around and focused on attacking at range, killing several knights and levies and even audaciously aiming at nearby catapult crews. Reach crossbowmen returned fire, killing several horse archers in retaliation, but between longbows and crossbows there was a clear winner in maintaining suppressive fire upon the other.
The moment other knights began to converge upon them, the horse archers [6] broke away and beat a hasty retreat. At the same time, the Rada army reorganised itself and began a slow march forward, daringly approaching the iron walls of the Reachmen levies.
Mern grit his teeth at this, a feeling of both respect and annoyance growing within his heart.
"This battle is getting nowhere," Mern frowned heavily, gripping the hilt of Dawn strapped to his waist, "Brandyll, take charge of the main formation's defence, I will order the first wave forward!"
"By your orders!" Brandyll nodded.
Though barely an hour passed, several hundreds of troops alone died in the initial exchange, and unwilling to risk being bled dry by a thousand cuts, Mern resolved to crush the Dornishmen with brute force in one fell swoop.
Little did they know that the battle was about to enter its bloodiest phase yet.
[1] Sunstroke - ASOIAF's name for heatstroke.
[2] Garen Kalran - Was granted his surname which translated as River-Son, alluding to his heritage as an Orphan of the Greenblood. When the Water Wizards were reconstituted as the Hydromancers, he was named Archmage of the Order, and he contributed greatly to reinventing the art of Water Magic from the ground up.
[3] Archmage - The highest-ranking position of the Hydromancer order. Effectively the head of the order.
[4] Eight Gates Formation - Also known as the Eight Docked Gates formation, it is a fictional military formation originating from a Yi-Ti-based fictional story known as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where a land called China was gradually divided into three empires after the fall of the ruling Han Dynasty. This formation took inspiration from the Eight Trigrams or Bagua (八卦), a set of symbols which illustrate the nature of reality as being composed of mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another.
Theoratically, it made use of two sets of eight groups of troops who consistently moved to create confusion and whittle down any invading troops who tried to undo the formation from within. In reality, such a tactic was far too complex to effectively perform on the battlefield due to how many moving parts it had, which would result in breakdown of both communication and troop formation which is fatal in battle. Furthermore, while it looked intimidating, it lacked sustenance and thus cannot actually withstand a protracted attack by a determined enemy.
Here, Arin Rada and Huang Xue did away entirely with the moving parts, instead focusing on eight sections of rigid troops in an octagon shape with eight openings deliberately presented for the enemy to exploit.
[5] Dornish levies were conscripted by the Reachmen to supplement their losses and act as a cushion to preserve Reachmen lives for upcoming conflicts, and the Red Mountain Dornish resented the Reachmen for this.
Even so, long before the Reachmen conquered the Red Mountains, they held no true loyalty to House Martell and declared their independence the moment House Martell was declared extinct. As such, rather than wield the banner of the Sunspear, they chose to fly the banner of House Yronwood, since it was the only major Dornish house remaining which commanded the Red Mountain Dornishmen's respect.
[6] Horse Archers - A new type of unit created by Arin out of a desire to create a highly mobile and flexible archer corps who could sow terror among the hearts of infantry and cavalry, and as a response to highly mobile enemies like the Dothraki, who field the fastest cavalry in the entire known world.
Lacking ready access to the legendary Yronwood timber due to trade embargoes, Arin Rada introduced a new type of bow known as the composite bow, which was made from laminating wood, horn and sinew together, and is capable of storing more energy in the same length of bow as compared to a pure-wood bow, thus making shots more powerful. Combined with the bodkin arrow, Rada archers possessed the ability to pierce steel plate armour and thus pose a true threat to the power of chivalric knights.
They are, however, much more susceptible to damage by moisture and take a greater variety of materials and more time to manufacture. Nevertheless, they proved immensely useful for horse archery despite being more vulnerable in humid conditions, making them a potent weapon in the Rada arsenal.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein