Elinarch

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The Elinarch is a large bridge that crosses the Tiber river near Founderport. It is of strategic value in that it is the only major crossing point of the Tiber River before the city of Ceres wide enough for an army to effectively cross. The bridge itself was very strongly built and infused with furies that repair damage, remove ice, and redirect rainwater. It spans approximately half a mile from one shore to the other. A defensive wall is on each side of the bridge, set up to defend the northern side of each. Behind the southernmost wall on the south side of the river is a small trading outpost, followed by a final wall in front of the bridge itself.

The Battle of Elinarch

Before the battle

In Cursor's Fury, the Canim have made landfall and are pushing north. Tavi is in charge of the First Aleran, a new group of legionnaires from every major area of Alera. After hearing of the Canim army, Tavi moves the First Aleran to Elinarch to at least slow the invading Canim, if they're not capable of stopping them. The Canim have used an unknown sorcery that has turned the sky red and causes the sky to attack anyone without their protection, severely limiting the movement of Aleran information, thus making any reinforcement to the First Aleran impossible in any reasonable amount of time.

Initial raid

The Canim sent a traditional first-wave raiding party. The First Aleran defeated this pretty easily with no losses, but some injuries. Tavi parleys with the Canim war camp. During the talks, Tavi makes an offer to allow the Canim to recover their dead from the raiding party. Before they can do this, Sarl attacks Tavi and calls for an attack on the southern defensive wall.

Attack on the Southern Wall

The main Canim army pushes forward. The Alerans continue to defend with minimal losses. The Canim bring up a battering ram to destroy the main gate. The Alerans pour boiling pitch down on the Canim and the battering rams and light the whole thing on fire. The Canim continue attempting to scale the wall. Eventually, Nasaug calls for parley with Tavi and reminds him of his offer to allow the Canim to collect their dead. While this happens, Tavi and Nasaug play ludus.

Abandoning the Southern Wall

Tavi knows he cannot defend if the Canim use overwhelming force, which he believes they're getting ready to do. He sets up a two-fold trap. The Canim come, as expected, in very large numbers. Tavi feigns a defense of the wall, then pulls everyone back to the wall in front of the bridge. As the Canim invade the outpost, Tavi's Knights Ignus rapidly heat the ground, burning many Canim. The Canim continue pushing into the outpost. Tavi then calls for all of the pre-set furylamps to be lit. The lamps are inside of houses that have been packed full of grain and sawdust, causing a massive explosion that kills a large number of raiding Canim and sets the entire outpost on fire.

There are early concerns that the Canim might cross the river and attack on the other side. Tavi has planned for this, though, and has had the local butchers and slaughterhouses dumping their extras into the river. This additional blood and meat has attracted sharks into the river, which make an effective deterrent to anyone attempting to cross the river.

Nightfall

As night falls, it starts to rain. Tavi had hoped the fire would prevent the Canim from getting too many troops into the city at once and give his men some down time. But, realizing the rain changed that, he prepares the men to defend against another attack. The Canim open with an attack of crossbow bolts, a previously unseen tactic. The Canim systematically target every furylight they see, forcing the Alerans to fight in the dark. The entire assault causes severe Aleran losses and the First Aleran is forced to give up the bridge and fall back to the Northern Wall before they're capable of taking down the bridge and ending the Canim assault.

Defending the Northern Wall

The Canim attack is very successful and would very well would've overtaken the Aleran defenses. Due to political infighting in the Canim, though. the assault is called off. Sarl wants to make himself and his caste look neccessary and strong. He sends raiding parties to harass the Alerans while he moves his ritualists to the bridge. The Alerans suddenly push forward around midday. The fighting on the bridge is going very well for the Alerans until Sarl withdraws the raiders and pushes forward with the main army. The Alerans are holding, but probably will not be able to hold out for very long.

Old Romanic Trick

Tavi has procured a red stone that protects the holder against the red sky sorcery. Antillus Crassus flies up and opens up a hole, allowing sunlight to shine down. Several of his Knight Aeris go up and focus a large amount of the sunlight into a point near Max, who then focuses the sunlight further into a death ray that burns through the regular army being sent forward and the Canim ritualists. Sarl attempts to stop him, but Tavi takes the initiative and forces Sarl to defend himself. Sarl is killed and what should've been a decisive victory for the Canim is turned into a complete rout. The invading Canim are driven off from the area.