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Background Although Loures had managed to suppress the Undine Rebellion, the cost had been high, and it was no secret that most of the heavy lifting had been done by aislings. Knowing that their enemy was weaker than ever before, in the winter of Deoch 44 the goblins launched a massive offensive. Lines in the grassy fields that had been static for nearly ten deochs were overwhelmed in a matter of hours. The Loures defenders were significantly outnumbered and retreated, allowing the goblin army to advance unopposed towards Loures itself. Unable to meet the advancing Goblin army in a pitched battle as it had against Law, Loures decided to employ a defense of depth in and around Loures itself. This would not be like the surprise attack on Loures in Deoch 29, as this time the Goblins would be fielding an army large enough to surround Loures in its entirety. Dealos, since promoted to general of all Loures forces, was chosen to lead the defense of the capital and called on all aislings to assist in the defense. Dealos and his planners had hoped by forcing the goblins to advance and fight in confined spaces between gates, walls and buildings, as opposed to a pitched battle in the open, this would be enough to offset the goblins’ massive numerical superiority. Two main defensive positions were established at the two logical entry points in the walls that surround Loures: the front and rear gates. A command post was setup at the central marketplace that would also serve as a fallback position should either of the gates be taken. It was assumed Loures Castle, with its own formidable defenses, would be able to hold out as a citadel in the event either gate was overwhelmed and the castle surrounded. ---------------------------------------- Siege of Loures In less than a double moon after their offensive had begun, the goblin army surrounded Loures unopposed. A siege began shortly thereafter as thousands of goblins assaulted the front and rear gates at about noon. Despite having such large numbers, lacking proper siege equipment the goblins were only able to fit several dozen into each gate area to fight at any given time. For nearly an hour aisling defenders held the goblins back at both gates, but slowly aisling causalities began to mount at the front gate, each aisling casualty allowing the goblins a few more inches of space, and a few more warriors inside. Finally at around 1 PM the goblins broke though the main aisling line at the front gate allowing hundreds of warriors into the open space behind it. Though the aisling front gate defenders regrouped and fought on, the goblin numbers began to push them further back and back towards the command post at the central marketplace. Not all was grim however, as the goblins were unable to dislodge the defenders on the walls connected to the front gate. The goblins were forced to leave behind enough warriors to contain these aislings, lest they be allowed to break out and attack the goblins already inside Loures from the rear. At the same time, the goblins still had not been able to break through the rear gate. Brutal fighting continued as the goblins advanced ever closer to the central marketplace. For every aisling killed, the goblins suffered dozens of dead. Nonetheless the goblin advance slowly continued before they finally reached the marketplace by 2 PM, mere meters away from the command post. Meanwhile heavy fighting continued at the rear gate, but the goblins still were unable to break through. Seeing rear gate was firmly secure, it’s aisling defenders released and rushed their hereinto uncommitted reserves to aid their fellows at the marketplace. Arriving just as the command post at the market fell, the two aisling groups quickly joined together and established a defense line in the rear of the market and managed to halt the goblin advance. Meanwhile at the front gate, the defenders on the castle walls launched a counter-attack. Catching the goblins by surprise they managed to retake and secure the front gate. The goblins in Loures were now trapped between them and the defenders at the marketplace. The goblins too realized this and those outside attempted to help their brethren trapped within, but it was too late. In the final stage of what was most likely was the bloodiest fought battle in Temuair since the Shadows War, no quarter was given and there were no known goblin survivors of the slaughter that followed. The number of slain goblins was said to be so many that the aisling defenders were fighting solely atop corpses as one could not find a single patch of open ground to stand on. The remaining goblins fortunate enough not be trapped within Loures retreated, bringing the siege to an end. Although Loures at first feared the goblins would mass for another attack elsewhere, the Siege of Loures proved to be the final battle of the Goblin War. It was estimated that perhaps 100 aisling died in the battle, considerably more than had perished against Law’s army. One contemporary estimate put the number of goblin heads collected after the battle at over 10,000. Those aislings who took part in the siege were rewarded with a mark on their legends of ‘Defender of Loures Invasion - Deoch 44, Winter’. (Not to be confused with the similarly titled ‘Defender of Loures’ mark, which was given to loyalists in the aforementioned Raiders of Undine event) ----------------------------------------
Novus Imperia once again took to the field in defense of Loures. Nearly every active member of the guild was present at the siege, over 70 aislings. We divided into three groups: the first two groups, consisting of our physically strongest members, stationed themselves at the front and rear gates. The third group formed up as a reserve at the central marketplace command post. While I can hold my own as a grand master priest if the need arises, I have never been strong in direct combat, now or at the time of the siege. Thus I took up position with our reserve forces. My role in the siege was largely casting healing and enhancement spells as well as curses on any goblins that came within range. As the siege began, what I remember most was the sheer number of combatants on both sides. We aislings are used to hunting in small groups. Even team arena battles were miniscule compared to what took place at the siege. There was hardly any room to move, as the aisling lines, several bodies deep, were spread across the entirety of Loures from wall to wall. The fighting was chaotic. With so much activity going on it was nearly impossible to tell who on either side was hit until a goblin dropped dead or aisling skulled. At first we managed to hold the goblins back and red our fellow aislings as needed. But the goblins just keep coming and coming, and we started to lose more and more defenders. Before we knew it we had lost the front gate and now had to deal with even more goblins at once. We were pushed slowly further and further back. Our guild group whispers became more and more panicked as it was clear the goblins were within sight of the central marketplace command post. Seeing that more than a few of my guild members were considering a similar cowardly and dishonorable exit, I mustered every ounce of authority I could draw on as a guild leader, burgess and noble, and ordered the reserves to draw their weapons, staffs or fists and stand their ground. Under no circumstances could the marketplace be abandoned. Soon the goblins were upon us. I was able to keep up group healing spells while occasionally killing goblins that got too close with blasts of deo saighead. It was clear though that we would not be able to hold out much longer before the command post fell. Finally when a young wizard in front of me skulled, I turned to deal with his attacker only to see a large brown mass swinging at my head. Other aislings, not one of whom had emerged entirely unscathed, were picking through the endless rows of goblin corpses for coin and useful equipment. Others were attempting to retrieve items dropped by aisling friends who had not been as lucky as I. Somehow we had won. Although we did not know it quite just yet, the Goblin War was over, and for Loures sixteen deochs of invasion, rebellion and war had come to an end. |